Writing Plant Prescriptions

Part of the "Plant Doctor" Collection

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Goal

Students will diagnose and treat unhealthy plants; look for evidence that plants respond to outside influences; and correctly identify plants’ needs.

Estimated Time

30 Minutes

Setting Required

Inside

Standards

  • S1L1a. Students will identify the basic needs of a plant: air, water, light, nutrients.
  • S1L1c. Students will identify the parts of a plant: root, stem, leaf, and flower.

Materials

  • In the Garden with Dr. Carver by Susan Grigsby
  • Plant Check-Ups sheet (1 per small group)

Procedures

  1. Engage students by reading In the Garden with Dr. Carver pages 6-9. On these pages, Dr. Carver teachers the children how to be plant doctors saying, “Listen to the plants, and they’ll tell you what they need.”
  2. Review with students what plants need (sunlight, air, water, nutrients) and how the plant parts help the plants get what they need (leaves, stems, roots).
  3. Explain to students that they are going to give some of the plants in the garden a “check-up” to ensure that the plant parts are healthy and getting the plant what it needs. If not, the students will be writing a prescription of what can be done to make the plant even healthier.

Notes

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