Kindergarten and Preschool Lesson Plans, Worksheets and Activities for the Plants Theme Unit

Plant Theme Predictable Chart

 Plants Everywhere an Emergent Reader Printable Book

In the the members' area you will find an emergent reader printable book called Where Do We See Plants (Plants Everywhere).  This book leads to a discussion on what plants are and their characteristics.  It also leads to a discussion on how plants help us.  Accompanying predictable chart displayed above.

Characteristics of Living Things

• they are made of cells
• they grow bigger when the conditions are right
• they reproduce
• they require energy from a food source
• they change as their environment changes

Sample Page from the Emergent Reader

Preschool and Kindergarten Activity One

Follow-up to the Story         

Have children sort pictures of living things according to if they are a plant or not a plant.  Both color and black and white pictures are found in the members' area.

Note: On pages 7-9 in the Bugs theme unit you will find  living and non-living pictures for the children to sort.

Preschool and Kindergarten Activity Two

Classroom Flower Garden

Head shot photos of children can be taken. They would be cut and centered in the middle of the flower petal.  The stem and leaves would be added to make a classroom flower garden.

Note:  The petal can be found in the members' area.

Preschool and Kindergarten Activity Three
Sponge Painting 

Materials for the Craft

Tip:  When making templates for tracing or sponge painting use a soft plastic material (4L ice cream lid works great for this).  This allows the templates to be reused again.

• plant outlines (members' area) 
•  sponge
• paint
• paper

Instructions for the Craft

• plant templates are cut out in advance (paper or plastic).  These are found in the members' area.
• the sponge is divided into smaller portions and set beside the paint colors chosen for the craft
• small pieces of cardboard is placed at each work area for the children to blot the extra paint prior to applying this to the paper
• children organize the plant templates
• these can be secured  by using small pieces of sticky tac
• The children choose the two colors they would like to apply around the plant templates to create a sponge paint effect
• once finished, allow the pictures to dry
• once the picture is dry the templates can be removed

Preschool and Kindergarten Activity Four

Parts of Plants (Flowers)

Introduce how plants have different parts.  The picture in the link below can be used for this purpose or bring in an actual plant to show the children.

Parts of a Flower

1. Root - holds the plant in the ground and absorbs water and nutrients from the soil.

2.  Stem - carries the water and nutrients to the rest of the plant.  It also helps support it and direct the leaves towards the sunlight for them to produce the food source for the plant.

3.  Leaves - make food for the plant

4.  Flowers - make the seeds to make new flowers

Preschool and Kindergarten Activity Five

My Seed Book an Emergent Reader Printable Book

My Seed Book (found in the members' area)  initiates discussion that plants come from seeds and where they are found in the plant.  It also initiates discussion on how we eat plant seeds.

Sample Page from the Emergent Reader

Preschool and Kindergarten Activity Six

Craft Idea                                         

Materials Required for the Craft

• sunflower petal (found in the members' area under the plant heading)
• paper, paint, crayons or felts
• sunflower seeds
• construction paper

Instructions for the Craft

• children cut out the sunflower petal (in the members' area)
• color or paint the petal
• glue it onto construction paper
• glue sunflower seeds in the middle of the petal
• children paint , color or add construction paper parts to make the rest of the flower as shown in the above picture.
• these parts can be labeled as seen above

Simple Version

In the members' area there is a smaller version of the sunflower petal.  This can be colored without cutting and the rest of the plant parts can be colored on or added by using green construction paper.

Preschool and Kindergarten Activity Seven

Plant Parts We Eat - Color/ Black and White Pictures Found in the Members' Area Used for Discussion Purposes

 The emergent reader books Where Do We See Plants? and My Seed Book introduce the children to the concept that we eat plants.

Roots - turnips, beets, carrots and potatoes

Flowers and Leaves - lettuce, broccoli and cauliflower

Seeds - corn, peas and nuts

Stems - celery, rhubarb and asparagus

Follow-up Craft

Make a Mr. or Mrs. Potato Head           

A potato is an example of a root that we eat.  Children will have fun making this craft.  The picture to the right demonstrates the possibilities. The potato was painted prior to decorating.  Shredded paper found in the craft stores was used for hair and playdough was used to make the lips, nose and ears.

Potato Head Holder

1.  cut the top off a used small milk carton

2.  cut the strips in the link below.  They have been measured to go around the base of the milk carton.

3.  staple the strip onto the milk carton

4.  the heading in the link below can be cut and glued onto the holder

Note:  This must be copied onto legal paper

Strips to Wrap Around the Milk Carton

Heading for the Front of the Container

Preschool and Kindergarten Activity Seven

Plant Seeds (bean and radish seeds grow quickly)

1.  Cut paper towel to fit into a plastic petri dish, or fill the dish with cotton batting.

2.  Add water to dampen but not soak

3.  Add seeds (bean and radish seeds grow quickly), cover the dish with plastic wrap

Copy the booklet below. The number of copies you make will vary depending how many days you choose to observe the plant growth.

• after completing the above planting seeds process the children can complete the first page of their book
• draw pictures of the seeds
• measure the seed on the growth chart.  Color in where it came to on the chart.  Children should notice this increases after each observation
• after the seeds have germinated they can be planted into soil

Title Page for Plant Booklet

Plant Growth Booklet

Kindergarten and Preschool Literature Activities

The book "The Tiny Seed" by Eric Carle is a wonderful book to use in conjunction with the Plants Theme.  It tells a wonderful story, as well, it introduces key learning concepts about seeds and plants.  This is one book I would recommend to use in conjunction with this theme.  In the members' area you will also find a predictable retelling of the story that can be placed in a pocket chart, overhead transparency or on chart paper.  There is also large pictures that can be used to make this into a big book.

Sample of the Retelling

Follow-up Craft Activity

The children can make the tiny seed. Their foot can be traced, cut and facial features can be added to represent tiny seed.

Dot to Dot Connect the Alphabet Tree Trunk

Connect the Dots Tree

Plant Math Activity One

Preschool and Kindergarten Measurement Activities

1.  Children can measure real, artificial or pictures of plants or flowers.  Snap cubes or unsharpened pencils can be used or another measuring tool.

Note:  Different picture sizes can be found in the members' area similar to what is displayed in the photograph.

Plant Activity Two

Preschool and Kindergarten Number Activities

In the members' area there are sunflower petal cards.  A number could be printed in the center of the petal.  The children must place that many seeds to represent the numbers shown.

Suggested Cooking or Snack Activity
Veggie Flower
Ingredients
1. cucumber slicer per child
2. 6-8 carrot rounds per child
3. 1/2 celery stalk per child
4. Lettuce leaves

Directions
The cucumber is used for the center of the flower, the carrot
rounds are used for the petals, the celery stalk is the stem and
the lettuce leave for the leaves.

Trees Mini-Theme

You may wish to spend a week just focusing on the importance of trees in relation to this theme. 

Connection to Literature

Prior to introducing the theme you could read the book "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein.   It would be a good introduction to how trees help us.  After, the emergent reader "Trees" would be used for shared reading experience.  The small black and white version pictures could be placed in a predictable chart along with the sentences  There is also an enlarged color version that can be used to make this reader into a big book which is displayed in the photograph below.  The story line reads as follows:

Trees give us air.

Trees give us food.

Trees give us heat.

Trees give us wood.

Trees give us paper.

Trees are a home for the animals.

We like climbing trees.

Trees Reader Sample Page

Trees Reader for the Big Book Sample Page

Note:  There are both color and black and white versions available.

Visit Apples and Trees Mini-Themes for more suggestions on the "Trees" mini-theme unit.

Click Here for More Ideas for the "Trees" Mini Theme Unit