1.L.1.1 Recognize that plants and animals need air, water, light (plants only), space, food, and shelter and that these may be found in their environment.

1.L.1.2 Give examples of how the needs of different plants and animals can be met by their environments in North Carolina or different places throughout the world.

1.L.1.3 Summarize ways that humans protect their environment and/or improve conditions for the growth of the plants and animals that live there (e.g., reuse or recycle products to avoid littering).

1 .C&G .1 .1 Exemplify ways individuals and groups play a role in shaping communities

1 .C&G .1 .4 Compare various processes or strategies people can use to improve communities

1 .G .2 .1 Explain the various ways the physical environment impacts people in different regions around the world

1.G.2.2 Explain the various ways people impact the physical environment in different regions around the world

Culture

Community

Humans protect their environment to improve conditions for the growth of plants and animals.

Recycling & not littering are ways to help sustain the earth's ecosystem.

The needs of different plants can be met in their environment, locally and throughout the world.

What are the needs of plants and animals?

What is littering?

What is a natural resource?

What can we do to help sustain the environment?

How can we protect the plants and animals in our environment?

Why is recycling important?

Formative assessment: At the end of the seed experience the students will write in their journals why they think some seeds sprouted while others did not.

Formative assessment: Spot the error activity. Teacher will present facts about how plants and animals survive in their environment with 1 wrong fact. See how many students can pick out the incorrect fact.

Formative assessment: How can we as a class save the planet? Students will draw one thing they can do to help save the planet at home or in the classroom. The teacher will take all the drawings on a poster board and hang it in the classroom!

Formative assessment: Students will complete the 3-2-1 exit ticket

Formative assessment: “How are food and pollution connected?” Students draw on the flowchart to demonstrate how food and pollution are connected.

Conceptual Understandings: Plants do not just need one element to survive, they need air, water, light, and space.

Learning Experience: The teacher will open a discussion about what pants need to survive. The teacher will then ask students to write what they think will happen to seeds that are given water & sunlight versus seeds that are given just sunlight. Students will write their predictions in "science journals". The teacher will give each student a seed and a wet paper towel to put the seed in. Teachers will place some of the student's seeds in the wet paper towels in the sunlight near the window, and some seeds in a place that gets no sunlight. Students will make observations each day about what they see, and write and draw their observations in their journals. 

Formative Assessment: Make Predictions- have students make a prediction about the seed experiment and explain their reasoning. After performing the seed experiment, discuss why their predictions were right/wrong.