Cross Cutting Concept Focus:
structure and function
patterns

This unit can be completed in 5-6 weeks, 30 minutes a day.

Introduce the role of a biologist.  A biologist studies living things.  Ask - What do we know about living things?  

Guiding questions: How do we know something is a living thing?  What behaviors do we notice?  Can we give examples?  Are these behaviors true for all living things?
(As an example - My scientists  shared that living things move; birds fly and swoop, lions run.  But questioned, do plants move?  Hmmm.)

Gather discussion points on a KLEWS chart using stickies so that you can move ideas, understandings, and wonderings around the chart throughout the unit.
KLEW = Know Learn Evidence Wonder Science words.

Just right books to support - Our library's leveled shelves have a series of books about living and nonliving things.  Your class may consider studying a few through a read aloud or studying them in small groups.  Consider leaving evidence using a sticky note trail.

Perhaps consider placing questions next to observation station such as -  What’s the job of the vine?  How about the leaves? What about the roots?  How does this work?

Observation Station 2 - Add green chenille stems and a picture of tendrils from pumpkin patch or from any book.  Encourage kids to create a tendril or two and discuss its job. 

Possible extension questions at station could be - What's the job of a tendril?  Why does the tendril have this job?  What is it doing for the plant?

Observation Station 3 - Submerge a pumpkin leaf in water (best if picked late in the day.  The leaves  need sun for a bit before picking.)  Observe if bubbles appear around leaves. 

Whole group share: Ask the scientists what would happen if they held their breath, went underwater in the pool and then let some of their breath out? They would see bubbles coming up in the water.
Video to preview and consider to help kids visualize exhaling under water.  No need to play the whole video - maybe the first 48 seconds. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ApyWKwENGQ

Lead conversation about the bubbles about the leaf placed in water.   The leaf is still using the sunlight as part of the photosynthesis process (where leaves convert sunlight to energy).  As a leaf creates that energy, it needs to get rid of the items it no longer needs so it will expel both water and the oxygen during a process called transpiration.  So leaves breathe!  (If your experiment doesn't work, there are many pictures that support this process on line.)

Example to support model building during whole group time.  Together draw a leaf in leaf research box.  If scientists already have research in box, encourage scientists to add a sticky to show more. 

Draw sun.  Show squiggle marks from sun to leaf.  Add labels (making food/green). Add bubbles.  Add labels for water and oxygen.  Add arrows to show path.

All living things need energy and breathe.

(There are lots of great websites that share kid observations of this process.  Check out a few and pick your favorite to use.)

Observation Station 4 - Put a wet paper towel in a clear, plastic cup, add two pumpkin seeds.  Put a picture of a seed sprouting from one of the books near the seed project.
Nice little video to consider previewing and sharing for discussion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2n5cqxNMAdE

Perhaps consider questions next to observation station - What do we notice?  What do we notice about seed leaves versus a mature leaf?  Why are leaves green?  

Observation Station 5 - Tilt a pumpkin on its side so the blossom mark may be observed.  Add a picture of a blossom and a blossom with a pumpkin attached from a book explored.

Perhaps consider questions next to observation station - What do we notice?  What made this mark? Why is this an important observation?  What helps the blossom create the fruit?   

Here is the one for 2020 https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4768 in case I was using 2019 last year.

The site uses UT (universal time).  So if you want to use 6:00pm EST for student observations then enter 23 in UT hour box before updating.
From Jeff Dagg