Early Science  /  Plants  /  Week 3: Lesson 7  /  Activity

Our Garden Mural

 

Plants
Hands-On

Children work together to create a large garden mural and connect to prior class garden experiences as they review plant needs and plant parts.

Teacher points to a part of the plant while student observes. Two students describe their observations to the teacher.

Review what children know about plants. Use illustrations in Growing Vegetable Soup or other plant picture book to help children recall what they know.

Draw each plant part as children identify parts that grow below and above the soil.

 

Materials


 
Materials PDF
  • Brown crayons and/or paint
  • Crayons or colored markers
  • Large sheets or roll of chart paper
  • Paint brush
  • Sheet of copy paper (8½″ x 11″)
  • Tape
  • Optional: iPad (for displaying mural image)
  • Optional: Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert
  • Optional: Positional Word Chart (PDF)

Preparation

  1. Hang a long sheet of chart paper horizontally on a blank wall. Draw a soil line across the bottom third of the chart paper. If possible, paint the soil light brown.
  2. Turn an 8½″ x 11″ sheet of copy paper horizontally and draw a soil line across the lower third of the paper. Make multiple copies. Then cut or tear the papers in half (so you have 5½″ x 8½″ sheets). Use two sheets for modeling the activity. The other sheets will be used in the Draw Garden Mural Plants activity.
  3. Color the soil area brown on two half sheets of paper. On one of the half sheets, write the word below under the soil line. On the other, write above above the soil line. You will use these to model the activity by drawing plant parts for children to identify.
  4. Note: When children start adding to the mural, they will draw their plants on the half sheets of paper (instead of on the mural itself). This way you will be able to rearrange the “garden” to make space if needed.
 

Directions: Lesson 7


Circle Time: Introduction
  1. Review what children know about plants. You may want to use illustrations from Growing Vegetable Soup for visual reference. Possible discussion ideas:
    • How do plants grow? What things do plants need to grow? Name one thing you do to help our plants grow.
    • What parts of the plants grow below (or under) the soil? (seeds, roots) Above the soil? (sprout, stem, leaves, flowers, fruit)
  2. Explain that a mural is a large picture that artists create on buildings and walls.
  3. Invite volunteers to point to plant parts they see that are growing below (or under) the soil and above the soil. As this happens, discuss the role each plant part has in helping the plant grow:
    • seed: holds nutrients such as water, food, air, and vitamins for the plant
    • root: grows down into the soil and takes in water and nutrients from the soil
    • stem: supports the plant and allows water and nutrients to move from the roots through the rest of the plant
    • leaf: takes in sunlight to make the plant’s food
    • fruit, flower: contain seeds that will grow into more plants
  4. Draw attention to the blank mural paper and explain that the class will work together to create a Class Garden Mural. Point to the soil line. What do you think this line shows? Why do you think the mural has a soil line?
  5. Take one of the half sheets of paper you prepared for modeling. Align it with the soil line on the mural and tape it in place. Let’s talk about parts of the plant that grow “below” the soil line. Discussion ideas:
    • What do we plant in the soil? Draw a seed below the soil line.
    • What part of the plant gets water and nutrients from the soil? Draw roots coming out of the seed.
  6. Repeat, using the second prepared sheet of paper, and focus on plant parts that grow “above” the soil (stem, leaves, fruit, flowers).
  7. When you have covered all the plant parts, tell children that they will be drawing their own plants to add to the Class Garden Mural during Small Group time.

Length of Play

10–15 min.

Group Size
In the Schedule

 
Vocabulary

  • above
  • below
  • flower
  • fruit
  • leaves
  • mural
  • plant (noun, verb)
  • root
  • seed
  • soil
  • sprout
  • stem
  • under
 
Learning Goals

Science
  • Observe and describe plant parts and their functions.
  • Observe and describe what plants need to live and grow.
Math
  • Use spatial vocabulary (above, below, under).