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GK D4 Anth Web

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GK D4 Anth Web

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Kindergarten Core Knowledge Language Arts® • Listening & Learning™ Strand Plants

Tell It Again!™ Read-Aloud Anthology

Plants
Tell It Again!™ Read-Aloud Anthology
Listening & Learning™ Strand
Kindergarten
Core Knowledge Language Arts®
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Core Knowledge Language Arts, Listening & Learning,

and Tell It Again! are trademarks of the Core Knowledge
Foundation.

Trademarks and trade names are shown in this book strictly

for illustrative and educational purposes and are the property
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be regarded as affecting the validity of said trademarks and
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Table of Contents
Plants
Tell It Again!™ Read-Aloud Anthology
Alignment Chart for Plants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v
Introduction to Plants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Lesson 1: Introduction to Plants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Lesson 2: Plant Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Lesson 3: The Life Cycle of a Plant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Lesson 4: The Gigantic Turnip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Pausing Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Lesson 5: Polly the Honeybee’s Flower Tour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Lesson 6: The Fruits of Polly’s Labor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Lesson 7: Johnny Appleseed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Lesson 8: Deciduous Trees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Lesson 9: Evergreen Trees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Lesson 10: Plants and People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Lesson 11: George Washington Carver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Domain Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Domain Assessment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Culminating Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Alignment Chart for Plants
The following chart contains core content objectives addressed in
this domain. It also demonstrates alignment between the Common
Core State Standards and corresponding Core Knowledge
Language Arts (CKLA) goals.

Lesson
Alignment Chart for Plants
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Core Content Objectives

Explain that different kinds of plants grow in different
environments 
Explain that plants are living things 
Describe what plants need to live and grow: food, water,
air, and light 
Identify the root, stem, branch, leaf, flower, fruit, and seed
of a plant 
Explain that roots anchor the plant and take in water and
nutrients 
Explain that stems support the plant and carry water and
nutrients to the various parts of the plant 
Explain that the plant makes its food in its leaves 
Explain that seeds are the beginnings of new plants    
Explain the basic life cycle of plants  
Explain that some plants produce fruit to hold seeds 
Compare and contrast the fruits and seeds of different
plants 
Identify the parts of specific plants that are eaten by
people   
Identify the petals on a flower 
Describe how bees collect nectar and pollen 
Describe how bees make and use honey 
Describe the important role bees play in plant pollination 
Demonstrate familiarity with the tall tale “Johnny
Appleseed” 

Plants | Alignment Chart v

Compare and contrast deciduous and evergreen trees  

Explain that deciduous trees are a type of plant that loses
its leaves in the fall and becomes dormant in the winter 
Explain that evergreen trees are a type of plant that stays
green all year and does not become dormant in the winter 
Identify how deciduous trees are important to people and
nature 
Identify things that plants provide to people: oxygen, food,
and important products 
Describe the life and scientific achievements of George
Washington Carver 
Reading Standards for Literature: Kindergarten
Key Ideas and Details
STD RL.K.1 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.

With prompting and support, ask and

answer questions (e.g., who, what,
where, when) requiring literal recall and  
understanding of the details and/or facts
of a fiction read-aloud
CKLA
Goal(s) Answer questions that require making
interpretations, judgments, or giving
opinions about what is heard in a fiction
read-aloud, including answering why  
questions that require recognizing cause/
effect relationships

STD RL.K.2 With prompting and support, retell familiar stories, including key details.

With prompting and support, retell or

CKLA
Goal(s)
dramatize fiction read-alouds, including  
key details

STD RL.K.3 With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story.

With prompting and support, use

CKLA narrative language to describe characters,
Goal(s) setting, things, events, actions, a scene,  
or facts from a fiction read-aloud

Craft and Structure

STD RL.K.4 Ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text.

With prompting and support, ask and

CKLA
Goal(s)
answer questions about unknown words  
in fiction read-alouds and discussions

vi Plants | Alignment Chart

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Lesson
Alignment Chart for Plants
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
STD RL.K.5 Recognize common types of texts (e.g., storybooks, poems).

Listen to, understand, and recognize a

CKLA variety of texts, including fictional stories,
Goal(s) fairy tales, fables, nursery rhymes, and  
poems

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the story in which they appear
STD RL.K.7
(e.g., what moment in a story an illustration depicts).

With prompting and support, describe

CKLA illustrations from a fiction read-aloud,
Goal(s) using the illustrations to check and 
support comprehension of the read-aloud

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity

STD RL.K.10 Actively engage in group reading activities with purpose and understanding.

CKLA
Goal(s)
Actively engage in fiction read-alouds  
Reading Standards for Informational Text: Kindergarten
Key Ideas and Details
STD RI.K.1 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.

With prompting and support, ask and

answer questions (e.g., who, what,
where, when) requiring literal recall and
understanding of the details and/or facts 
of a nonfiction/informational read-aloud
CKLA Answer questions that require making
Goal(s) interpretations, judgments, or giving
opinions about what is heard in a
nonfiction/informational read-aloud,
including answering why questions 
that require recognizing cause/effect
relationships

STD RI.K.2 With prompting and support, identify the main topic and retell key details of a text.

With prompting and support, identify

CKLA
Goal(s)
the main topic and retell key details of a   
nonfiction/informational read-aloud

With prompting and support, describe the connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of
STD RI.K.3
information in a text.

With prompting and support, describe

CKLA the connection between two individuals,
Goal(s) events, ideas, or pieces of information in      
a nonfiction/informational read-aloud

Plants | Alignment Chart vii

Craft and Structure

STD RI.K.4 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text.

With prompting and support, ask and

CKLA answer questions about unknown words
Goal(s) in nonfiction/informational read-alouds         
and discussions

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the text in which they appear
STD RI.K.7
(e.g., what person, place, thing, or idea in the text an illustration depicts).

With prompting and support, describe

illustrations from a nonfiction/
CKLA
Goal(s)
informational read-aloud, using the         
illustrations to check and support
comprehension of the read-aloud

With prompting and support, identify basic similarities in and differences between two texts on the same topic
STD RI.K.9
(e.g., in illustrations, descriptions, or procedures).

With prompting and support, compare

and contrast similarities and differences
CKLA
Goal(s)
within a single nonfiction/informational 
read-aloud or between two or more
nonfiction/informational read-alouds

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity

STD RI.K.10 Actively engage in group reading activities with purpose and understanding.

CKLA Actively engage in nonfiction/

Goal(s) informational read-alouds         
Writing Standards: Kindergarten
Text Types and Purposes
Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in which they
STD W.K.2
name what they are writing about and supply some information about the topic.

Use a combination of drawing, dictating,

and writing to present information from
CKLA
Goal(s)
a nonfiction/informational read-aloud,  
naming the topic and supplying some
details

viii Plants | Alignment Chart

Speaking and Listening Standards: Kindergarten

Comprehension and Collaboration
Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about Kindergarten topics and texts with peers
STD SL.K.1
and adults in small and large groups.

Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others and taking turns speaking about the topics
STD SL.K.1a
and texts under discussion).

Use agreed-upon rules for group

CKLA discussions, (e.g., look at and listen to the
Goal(s) speaker, raise hand to speak, take turns,
say “excuse me” or “please,” etc.)

STD SL.K.1b Continue a conversation through multiple exchanges.

Carry on and participate in a conversation

over four to five turns, stay on topic,
CKLA
Goal(s)
initiate comments or respond to a
partner’s comments, with either an adult 
or another child of the same age

Confirm understanding of a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media by asking
STD SL.K.2
and answering questions about key details and requesting clarification if something is not understood.

Ask and answer questions to clarify

CKLA
Goal(s)
information in a fiction or nonfiction/
informational read-aloud 
STD SL.K.5 Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions as desired to provide additional detail.

Add drawings or other visual displays

CKLA
Goal(s)
to descriptions as desired to provide    
additional detail

STD SL.K.6 Speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly.

CKLA Speak audibly and express thoughts,

Goal(s) feelings, and ideas clearly 
Language Standards: Kindergarten
Conventions of Standard English
STD L.K.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

STD L.K.1b Use frequently occurring nouns and verbs.

CKLA Use frequently occurring nouns and verbs

Goal(s) in oral language 

Plants | Alignment Chart ix

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Lesson
Alignment Chart for Plants
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
STD L.K.1f Produce and expand complete sentences in shared language

Answer questions orally in complete

CKLA
Goal(s)
sentences 
Produce and expand complete sentences
in shared language 
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on Kindergarten
STD L.K.4
reading and content.

Identify new meanings for familiar words and apply them accurately (e.g., knowing duck is a bird and learning
STD L.K.4a
the verb to duck).

Identify new meanings for familiar words

CKLA and apply them accurately (e.g., knowing
Goal(s) duck is a bird and learning the verb to  
duck)

STD L.K.5 With guidance and support from adults, explore word relationships and nuances in word meanings.

Sort common objects into categories (e.g., shapes, foods) to gain a sense of the concepts the categories
STD L.K.5a
represent.

Sort common objects into categories

CKLA
Goal(s)
(e.g., shapes, foods) to gain a sense of  
the concepts the categories represent

STD L.K.5c Identify real-life connections between words and their use (e.g., note places at school that are colorful).

Identify real-life connections between

CKLA
Goal(s)
words and their use (e.g., note places at
school that are colorful) 
STD L.K.6 Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts.

Use words and phrases acquired through

CKLA
Goal(s)
conversations, being read to, and
responding to texts 
Learn the meaning of common sayings
and phrases  
Additional CKLA Goals
Listen to a variety of texts, including nonfiction/
informational text         
Prior to listening to an nonfiction/informational read-
aloud, identify orally what they know and/or have learned
about a given topic
         

x Plants | Alignment Chart

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Lesson
Alignment Chart for Plants
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Prior to or while listening to an nonfiction/informational
read-aloud, orally predict what will happen in the read-
aloud based on pictures and/or text heard thus far
 
Discuss personal responses to favorite foods and fruits
they eat and connect those to the fruits discussed in the
read-aloud

Use temporal language to express story events in
sequential order 
Evaluate and select read-alouds or stories on the basis of
personal choice for rereading 


These goals are addressed in all lessons in this domain. Rather than repeat these goals as lesson
objectives throughout the domain, they are designated here as frequently occurring goals.

Plants | Alignment Chart xi

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
xii Plants | Alignment Chart
© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Introduction to Plants
This introduction includes the necessary background information to
be used in teaching the Plants domain. The Tell It Again! Read-Aloud
Anthology for Plants contains eleven daily lessons, each of which is
composed of two distinct parts, so that the lesson may be divided
into smaller chunks of time and presented at different intervals during
the day. Each entire lesson will require a total of fifty minutes.
This domain includes a Pausing Point following Lesson 4, after plant
parts and the life cycle are introduced. At the end of the domain, a
Domain Review, a Domain Assessment, and Culminating Activities
are included to allow time to review, reinforce, assess, and remediate
content knowledge. You should spend no more than ﬁfteen days
total on this domain.

Week One
Day 1 # Day 2 # Day 3 # Day 4 # Day 5 #
Lesson 1A: “Introduction Lesson 2A: “Plant Parts” Lesson 3A: “The Life Lesson 4A: “The Gigantic Pausing Point (35 min.)
to Plants” (35 min.) (35 min.) Cycle of a Plant” (35 min.) Turnip” (35 min.)
Lesson 1B: Extensions Lesson 2B: Extensions Lesson 3B: Extensions Lesson 4B: Extensions Pausing Point (15 min.)
(15 min.) (15 min.) (15 min.) (15 min.)
50 min. 50 min. 50 min. 50 min. 50 min.

Week Two
Day 6 # Day 7 # Day 8 Day 9 Day 10
Lesson 5A: “Polly the Lesson 6A: “The Fruits of Lesson 7A: “Johnny Lesson 8A: “Deciduous Lesson 9A: “Evergreen
Honeybee’s Flower Tour” Polly’s Labor” (35 min.) Appleseed” (35 min.) Trees” (35 min.) Trees” (35 min.)
(35 min.)
Lesson 5B: Extensions Lesson 6B: Extensions Lesson 7B: Extensions Lesson 8B: Extensions Lesson 9B: Extensions
(15 min.) (15 min.) (15 min.) (15 min.) (15 min.)
50 min. 50 min. 50 min. 50 min. 50 min.

Week Three
Day 11 Day 12 Day 13 Day 14  Day 15
Lesson 10A: “Plants and Lesson 11A: “George Domain Review (35 min.) Domain Assessment Culminating Activities
People” (35 min.) Washington Carver” (35 min.) (35 min.)
(35 min.)
Lesson 10B: Extensions Lesson 11B: Extensions Domain Review (15 min.) Domain Assessment Culminating Activities
(15 min.) (15 min.) (15 min.) (15 min.)
50 min. 50 min. 50 min. 50 min. 50 min.

 Lessons include Student Performance Task Assessments

# Lessons require advance preparation and/or additional materials; please plan ahead

Plants | Introduction 1
© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Domain Components
Along with this Anthology, you will need:

• Tell It Again! Media Disk or the Tell It Again! Flip Book for Plants

• Tell It Again! Image Cards for Plants

• Tell It Again! Supplemental Guide for Plants

• Tell It Again! Multiple Meaning Word Posters for Plants

Recommended Resource:

• Core Knowledge Kindergarten Teacher Handbook, edited by

E.D. Hirsch, Jr. and Souzanne A. Wright (Core Knowledge
Foundation, 2004) ISBN: 978-1890517694

Why Plants Are Important

There are millions of living things on earth. Scientists classify
these living things into groups called kingdoms. Plants make up
one kingdom in this classification system. Over 350,000 species
of highly diverse plants are found on almost every part of the
earth. By listening to the read-alouds in this domain, students
will acquire a fundamental understanding of the parts of plants
and how they grow. They will learn what plants need in order to
stay alive and will be introduced to the concepts of the life cycle
of plants, pollination, and photosynthesis. This basic knowledge
about plants will lay the foundation for a broader understanding
of ecology and the interdependence of all living things, topics
that will be addressed in other Kindergarten domains (Farms and
Taking Care of the Earth), as well as in subsequent grades.

2 Plants | Introduction
© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Core Vocabulary for Plants
The following list contains all of the core vocabulary words in Plants
in the forms in which they appear in the read-alouds or, in some
instances, in the “Introducing the Read-Aloud” section at the beginning
of the lesson. Boldfaced words in the list have an associated Word
Work activity. The inclusion of the words on this list does not mean that
students are immediately expected to be able to use all of these words
on their own. However, through repeated exposure throughout the
lessons, they should acquire a good understanding of most of these
words and begin to use some of them in conversation.
Lesson 1 Lesson 4 Lesson 8
environment budge bare
nutrients gigantic deciduous
plants, n. stew dormant
plant, v. Lesson 5 habitat
soil honey sheds
Lesson 2 nectar Lesson 9
flowers petals cones
leaves pollen conifers
photosynthesis pollination deciduous
roots Lesson 6 evergreen
seeds blossoms needles
stems core Lesson 10
survival fruit bouquet
Lesson 3 produce lumberjack
germinate scrumptious medicines
life cycle Lesson 7 oxygen
mature eventually provide
sapling hero Lesson 11
seedlings orchards botanist
botany
canvas
crops

Plants | Introduction 3
© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Student Performance Task Assessments
In the Tell It Again! Read-Aloud Anthology for Plants, there are
numerous opportunities to assess students’ learning. These
assessment opportunities range from informal observations,
such as Think Pair Share and some Extension activities, to more
formal written assessments. These Student Performance Task
Assessments (SPTA) are identified in the Tell It Again! Read-Aloud
Anthology with this icon: . There is also an end-of-domain
summative assessment. Use the Tens Conversion Chart located
in the Appendix to convert a raw score on each SPTA into a Tens
score. On the same page, you will also find the rubric for recording
observational Tens scores.

Above and Beyond

In the Tell It Again! Read-Aloud Anthology for Plants, there are
numerous opportunities in the lessons and the Pausing Point
to challenge students who are ready to attempt activities that
are above grade-level. These activities are labeled “Above and
Beyond” and are identified with this icon: ➶.

Supplemental Guide
Accompanying the Tell It Again! Read-Aloud Anthology is a
Supplemental Guide designed to assist education professionals
who serve students with limited English language skills or students
with limited home literacy experience, which may include English
Language Learners (ELLs) and children with special needs.
Teachers whose students would benefit from enhanced oral
language practice may opt to use the Supplemental Guide as their
primary guide in the Listening and Learning strand. Teachers may
also choose to begin a domain by using the Supplemental Guide
as their primary guide before transitioning to the Tell It Again!
Read-Aloud Anthology, or may choose individual activities from
the Supplemental Guide to augment the content covered in the Tell
It Again! Read-Aloud Anthology.
The Supplemental Guide activities that may be particularly relevant
to any classroom are the Multiple Meaning Word Activities and

4 Plants | Introduction
© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
accompanying Multiple Meaning Word Posters, which help students
determine and clarify different meanings of words; Syntactic
Awareness Activities, which call students’ attention to sentence
structure, word order, and grammar; and Vocabulary Instructional
Activities, which place importance on building students’ general
academic, or Tier 2, vocabulary. These activities afford all students
additional opportunities to acquire a richer understanding of the English
language. Several of these activities have been included as Extensions
in the Tell It Again! Read-Aloud Anthology. In addition, several words
in the Tell It Again! Read-Aloud Anthology are underlined, indicating
that they are multiple-meaning words. The accompanying sidebars
explain some of the more common alternate meanings of these words.
Supplemental Guide activities included in the Tell It Again! Read-Aloud
Anthology are identified with this icon: .

Recommended Resources for Plants

Trade Book List
The Tell It Again! Read-Aloud Anthology includes a number of
opportunities in Extensions, the Pausing Point, and the and
Culminating Activities for teachers to select trade books from this
list to reinforce domain concepts through the use of authentic
literature. In addition, teachers should consider other times
throughout the day when they might infuse authentic domain-
related literature. If you recommend that families read aloud with
their child each night, you may wish to suggest that they choose
titles from this trade book list to reinforce the domain concepts.
You might also consider creating a classroom lending library,
allowing students to borrow domain-related books to read at home
with their families.
1. The Boy Who Didn’t Believe in Spring, by Lucille Clifton
and illustrated by Brinton Turkle (Puffin, 1992) ISBN
978-0140547399
2. The Carrot Seed, by Ruth Krauss and Crockett Johnson
(HarperTrophy, 2004) ISBN 978-0064432108
3. City Green, by DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan (HarperCollins, 1994)
ISBN 978-0688127862

Plants | Introduction 5
© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
4. Daisy (Looking at Life Cycles), by Victoria Huseby (Smart
Apple Media, 2009) ISBN 978-1599201795
5. Eating the Alphabet: Fruits & Vegetables from A to Z, by Lois
Ehlert (Voyager Books, 1993) ISBN 978-0152244361
6. The Empty Pot, by Demi (Henry Holt, 2007) ISBN
978-0805082272
7. Eyewitness Plant (DK Eyewitness Books), by David Burnie (DK
Publishing, 2011) ISBN 978-0756660352
8. Flower Garden, by Eve Bunting and illustrated by Kathryn
Hewitt (Voyager Books, 2000) ISBN 978-0152023720
9. From Bud to Blossom (Apples), by Gail Saunders-Smith
(Capstone Press, 2006) ISBN 978-1560659518
10. From Seed to Plant, by Gail Gibbons (Live Oak Media, 2012)
ISBN 978-1430110798
11. The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rainforest, by
Lynne Cherry (Sandpiper, 2000) ISBN 978-0152026141
12. Growing Vegetable Soup, by Lois Ehlert (Voyager Books,
1990) ISBN 978-152325800
13. The Honey Makers, by Gail Gibbons (HarperTrophy, 2000)
ISBN 978-0688175313
14. How a Seed Grows (Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science 1), by
Helene J. Jordan and illustrated by Loretta Krupinski (Collins,
1992) ISBN 978-0064451079
15. I Am a Leaf (Hello Reader! Science, Level 1), by Jean Marzollo
and Judith Moffatt (Cartwheel, 1999) ISBN 978-0590641203
16. I Am an Apple (Hello Reader! Science, Level 1), by Jean
Marzollo and Judith Moffatt (Scholastic, 1997) ISBN
978-0590372237
17. I’m a Seed (Hello Reader! Science, Level 1), by Jean Marzollo
and Judith Moffatt (Cartwheel, 1996) ISBN 978-0590265867
18. Jack’s Garden, by Henry Cole (HarperTrophy, 1997) ISBN
978-0688152833

6 Plants | Introduction
© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
19. Johnny Appleseed, by Reeve Lindbergh and illustrated by
Kathy Jakobsen Hallquist (Little, Brown Young Readers, 1993)
ISBN 978-0316526340
20. Johnny Appleseed (Rookie Biographies), by Christin Ditchfield
(Children’s Press, 2003) ISBN 978-0516278162
21. The Life and Times of the Honeybee, by Charles Micucci
(Houghton Mifflin, 1997) ISBN 978-0395861394
22. The Life and Times of a Peanut, by Charles Micucci (Houghton
Mifflin, 2000) ISBN 978-0618033140
23. Mama Miti: Wangari Maathai and the Trees of Kenya, Donna
Jo Napoli and illustrated by Kadir Nelson (Simon & Schuster,
2010) ISBN 978-1416935056
24. Maple Syrup Season, by Ann Purmell and illustrated by Jill
Weber (Holiday House, 2008) ISBN 978-0823418916
25. Oak Tree (Looking at Life Cycles), by Victoria Huseby (Smart
Apple Media, 2009) ISBN 978-1599201788
26. OLIVIA Plants a Garden (Olivia Ready-to-Read), by Emily
Sollinger and illustrated by Jared Osterhold (Simon Spotlight,
2011) ISBN 978-1442416758
27. One Bean, by Anne Rockwell and pictures by Megan
Halsey (Walker Publishing Company, Inc., 1998) ISBN
978-0802775726
28. Plant a Little Seed, by Bonnie Christensen (Roaring Brook
Press, 2012) ISBN 978-1596435506
29. Planting a Rainbow, by Lois Ehlert (Voyager Books, 1992)
ISBN 978-0152626105
30. The Reason for a Flower (Ruth Heller’s World of Nature), by
Ruth Heller (Topeka Bindery, 1999) ISBN 978-0833590008
31. The Seasons of Arnold’s Apple Tree, by Gail Gibbons
(Sandpiper, 1988) ISBN 978-0152712457
32. Seed, Soil, Sun, by Cris Peterson and photographs by David
R. Lundquist (Boyds Mills Press, 2010) ISBN 978-1590787137

Plants | Introduction 7
© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
33. Soil Basics/Lo Básico de la Tierra, by Carol Lindeen
(Capstone, 2010) ISBN 978-1429653473
34. The Tiny Seed (The World of Eric Carle), by Eric Carle (Aladdin,
2001) ISBN 978-0689842443
35. Wangari’s Trees of Peace: A True Story from Africa, by
Jeanette Winter (Harcourt, 2008) ISBN 978-0152065454
36. Why Do Leaves Change Color? (Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out
Science, Stage 2), by Betsy Maestro and illustrated by Loretta
Krupinski (HarperCollins, 1994) ISBN 978-0064451260
Note: This book is more appropriate for individualized reading.

Websites and Other Resources

Student Resources
1. Parts of Plant Game
http://www.softschools.com/science/plants/plant_parts/

2. Plant Games
http://www.cookie.com/kids/games/grow-plant.html

3. “Groovy Garden” Game

http://pbskids.org/arthur/games/groovygarden/groovygarden.html

Teacher Resources
4. George Washington Carver
http://www.ideaﬁnder.com/history/inventors/carver.htm

5. “Biology of Plants”
http://www.mbgnet.net/bioplants/main.html

8 Plants | Introduction
© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Introduction to Plants 1
 Lesson Objectives
Core Content Objectives
Students will:
 Explain that plants are living things
 Describe what plants need to live and grow: food, water, air, and
light
 Explain that different kinds of plants grow in different environments

Language Arts Objectives

 Define and use new words, such as soil, from the read-aloud
and the discussion about “Introduction to Plants” (RI.K.4)
 Describe images of living things in “Introduction to Plants,”
using the images to check and support comprehension of the
read-aloud (RI.K.7)
 Actively engage in the nonfiction/informational read-aloud
“Introduction to Plants” (RI.K.10)
 Identify multiple meanings of plant and use them in appropriate
contexts (L.K.4a)
 Sort common objects into living and nonliving categories (L.K.5a)

Plants 1 | Introduction to Plants 9

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
 Listen to a variety of texts, including informational text such as
“Introduction to Plants”
 Prior to listening to “Introduction to Plants,” identify orally what
they know about plants

Core Vocabulary
environment, n. The place where living things live
Example: Cacti live in a desert environment.
Variation(s): environments
nutrients, n. Things that help plants or animals grow and be healthy in the
same way that food and vitamins help children grow and be healthy
Example: The nutrients in the ground helped the sunflower plant grow to
be strong and tall.
Variation(s): nutrient
plants, n. Living things that grow in the ground or water
Example: The plants in our classroom need to be watered twice a week.
Variation(s): plant
plant, v. To put a seed or plant in soil and cover it with additional soil so it
will grow
Example: My mom and I will plant the flower seeds in front of our house.
Variation(s): plants, planted, planting
soil, n. The top layer of dirt where seeds or plants are planted
Example: I used a shovel to dig into the soil to plant my flower.
Variation(s): soils

At a Glance Exercise Materials Minutes

chart paper, chalkboard, or
Domain Introduction
Introducing the Read-Aloud whiteboard 10
Purpose for Listening
Presenting the Read-Aloud Introduction to Plants 10
Comprehension Questions 10
Discussing the Read-Aloud
Word Work: Soil 5

 Complete Remainder of the Lesson Later in the Day

images of various plants in
various environments
Plants and Their Environments
[This exercise requires
Extensions advance preparation.] 15
Multiple Meaning Word Activity:
Poster 1M: Plants
Plants
Instructional Masters 1B-1
Take-Home Material Family Letter
and 1B-2
*

10 Plants: 1 | Introduction to Plants

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Introduction to Plants 1A
Introducing the Read-Aloud 10 minutes
Domain Introduction
Tell students that they will be learning about plants for the next few
weeks. Tell them that plants are a type of living thing that they see
all around them.
 Show image 1A-1: Living things

Explain to students that all living things need food, water, and air.
People and animals are living things because they all need food,
water, and air. Living things also reproduce or make babies that look
like themselves. Since plants are living things, they also reproduce
to make other plants that look like themselves. Help students name
the living things in the image.
Be sure to reinforce the fact that nonliving things, such as rocks or
buildings, do not reproduce or have babies, and they do not need
food, water, or air because they are not alive.
Explain to students that you are going to read a list of things—
some that are living and some that are nonliving. If what you name
is alive, students should say, “ is living.” If what you name
is not alive, students should say, “ is nonliving.” If students
answer incorrectly, provide feedback and correct their responses
by helping them use and apply the criteria for living things
described above.
• dog (A dog is living.)
• tree (A tree is living.)
• rock (A rock is nonliving.)
• cat (A cat is living.)
• chalkboard (A chalkboard is nonliving.)
• crayon (A crayon is nonliving.)

Plants 1A | Introduction to Plants 11

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
• person (A person is living.)
• table (A table is nonliving.)
• flower (A flower is living.)

Purpose for Listening

Tell students to listen to find out some of the many different places
that plants can live.

12 Plants: 1A | Introduction to Plants

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Presenting the Read-Aloud 10 minutes
Introduction to Plants
 Show image 1A-1: Living things 1

There are many different kinds of people, animals, and plants

1 What do you see in this picture?
that live in our world. 2 You probably recognize many of the living
2 Here, the word plants means living
things that have leaves and roots things in this picture. In some ways, people, animals, and plants
and make their own food. The word are alike—they are all alive. They need food, water, and air to grow
plants can have other meanings.
and stay alive. But plants, people, and animals are different in
The word plants also means puts
seeds into the ground. many other ways. 3 Unlike animals and people, plants do not make
3 How do you think plants and sounds, and they cannot move from one place to another.
animals are different?

 Show image 1A-2: Dandelion in the sidewalk

Plants need four basic things in order to live and grow: food,
water, air, and light. If a plant has these things, then it can
survive—even in a little crack in the sidewalk.
The yellow flowering plant in this picture is called a dandelion.
4 Soil is the top layer of dirt where A few weeks ago, a tiny dandelion seed floated through the air
plants can grow.
and landed in this crack, where there was just enough soil for it
5 Nutrients are like the vitamins you
to begin to grow. 4 This dandelion gets plenty of sun here in the
get from your food.
sidewalk, and it also gets plenty of air, water, and nutrients. 5
 Show image 1A-3: Hardwood forest

This shady forest is home to many different types of plants, from the
tallest tree to the tiniest flower. A forest is a large area of land where
many trees grow close together. Animals that live in the forest depend
on these plants for food and for their homes. This forest is just one
environment—or place where living things live—of many on this earth.
 Show image 1A-4: Pine forest

This is another type of forest. There are some major differences

between the colors and shapes of the leaves on these trees and
the leaves on the trees in the last picture. In a later lesson, you will
learn about two different types of trees.

Plants 1A | Introduction to Plants 13

This environment looks very different from the forests we saw

in the last images. All plants need food, water, air, and light. But,
not every place in the world has exactly the same amount of food,
water, air, or light. This is a desert, where it is hot and dry all year
round. Plants that grow here, such as this cactus, have adapted
to a life in sandy soil with very little rainfall beneath the blazing hot
sun. That tough little dandelion and the trees you saw earlier would
6 When you plant something, you wither and die if you tried to plant them here. 6 And the cactus in
place seeds or plants in the ground this desert would not be able to live in either the sidewalk crack or
to grow.
the forest! Different types of plants grow in different environments
or places.
 Show image 1A-6: Underwater plants

This picture shows an underwater environment. Fish may be the

first things that come to mind when you think about underwater
life, but there are plants down there, too. Underwater plants need
7 Have you ever seen underwater the same things other plants need, including food, water, air, and
plants?
light. 7
 Show image 1A-7: City park

This environment is not a forest, not a desert, and definitely not

underwater. This is a city park, made when some people gathered
seeds and planted them in the ground. People plant grass seeds
on lawns and in parks so there are nice places to play and relax.
People plant flowers and trees to make the world a prettier place.
 Show image 1A-8: House plant

Some plants can be grown indoors. Maybe you even have one
in your classroom. If so, someone needs to water it from time to
time so it stays healthy and green.
All plants have four basic needs—food, water, air, and light.
But not all plants can grow in all the same places on earth. A
dandelion cannot grow in the desert, and a corn plant cannot grow
underwater. Over the next several days, you will learn all about

14 Plants: 1A | Introduction to Plants

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
different types of plants and plant parts, and you will understand
why plants are so important to animals and people.

Discussing the Read-Aloud 15 minutes

 Show image1A-8: House plant

3. Inferential How are these plants the same and how are they
different? (Both plants need food, water, air, and light to
survive. The cactus and the house plant live in different places
or environments.)
4. Inferential Are plants living or nonliving? (Plants are living
things.) What did you learn about plants in this read-aloud
that makes you think they are living things? (Plants need food,
water, air, and light to live, just like people.)
5. Inferential What do you think would happen if plants didn’t
have food, water, air, and light? (If plants did not have food,
water, air, and light, they would not be able to stay alive.)
[Please continue to model the Think Pair Share process for students,
as necessary, and scaffold students in their use of the process.]

Plants 1A | Introduction to Plants 15

6. Evaluative Think Pair Share: Name one way that plants and
animals are the same and one way that they are different.
(Answers may vary.)
7. After hearing today’s read-aloud and questions and answers,
do you have any remaining questions? [If time permits, you may
wish to allow for individual, group, or class research of the text
and/or other resources to answer these remaining questions.]

Word Work: Soil 5 minutes

1. In the read-aloud you heard, “A few weeks ago, a tiny
dandelion seed floated through the air and landed in this
crack, where there was just enough soil for it to begin to
grow.”
2. Say the word soil with me.
3. Soil is the part of the ground where plants are planted and
grow.
4. The plant pushed its way through the soil as it grew.
5. What kinds of plants would you plant in soil? [Ask two or three
students. If necessary, guide and/or rephrase the students’
responses: “I would plant in the soil.”]
6. What’s the word we’ve been talking about?
Use a Sharing activity for follow-up. Directions: Share with the
class what you might plant in the soil. Be sure to begin your
responses with “I would plant in the soil because . . .”

 Complete Remainder of the Lesson Later in the Day

16 Plants: 1A | Introduction to Plants

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Introduction to Plants 1B
Extensions 15 minutes
Plants and Their Environments
Materials: Images of various plants in various environments
Show students pictures of ten plants in different environments
(e.g., a cactus in a desert or a palm tree on a beach). Ask students
why the plants look different. (Possible answers may include that
the plants look different because they live in different places.)
Encourage students to think about why these environments
may produce different kinds of plants. Also, make a connection
between different kinds of habitats.

 Multiple Meaning Word Activity

Sentence in Context: Plants
1. [Show Poster 1M: Plants.] In the read-aloud you heard, “There
are many different kinds of people, animals, and plants that
live in our world.” Here plants means living things that have
leaves and roots and make their own food. [Have students
hold up one, two, or three fingers to indicate which image on
this poster shows this meaning.]
2. Plants can also mean other things. Plants also means to put
seeds into the ground. [Have students hold up one, two, or
three fingers to indicate which image on this poster shows this
meaning.]
3. Plants can also mean manufacturing buildings or factories
where people make things. [Have students hold up one, two,
or three fingers to indicate which image on this poster shows
this meaning.]
4. Now with your neighbor, make a sentence for each meaning
of plants. Remember to use complete sentences. I will call on
some of you to share your sentences. [Call on a few students
to share their sentences.]

Plants 1B | Introduction to Plants 17

18 Plants: 1B | Introduction to Plants

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Plant Parts 2
 Lesson Objectives
Core Content Objectives
Students will:
 Identify the root, stem, leaf, flower, and seed of a plant
 Explain that roots anchor the plant and take in water and
nutrients
 Explain that stems support the plant and carry water and
nutrients to the various parts of the plant
 Explain that the plant makes its own food in its leaves

Language Arts Objectives

The following language arts objectives are addressed in this
lesson. Objectives aligning with the Common Core State
Standards are noted with the corresponding standard in
parentheses. Refer to the Alignment Chart for additional standards
addressed in all lessons in this domain.
Students will:
 Discuss personal characteristics that make people similar and
different and connect those to the parts of a plant and how they are
similar and different (RI.K.3)
 Define and use new words, such as survival, from the read-aloud
and the discussion about “Plant Parts” (RI.K.4)
 Describe an illustration of a sunflower and an apple tree in
“Plant Parts,” using the illustration to check and support
comprehension of the read-aloud (RI.K.7)
 Actively engage in the nonfiction/informational read-aloud “Plant
Parts” (RI.K.10)

Plants 2 | Plant Parts 19

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
 Create a drawing with sufficient detail of the things that are
important to a plant’s survival (SL.K.5)
 Sort common objects into living and nonliving categories (L.K.5a)
 Listen to a variety of texts, including informational text such as
“Plant Parts”
 Prior to listening to “Plant Parts,” identify orally that plants are
living and need four things to survive: food, water, air, and light

Core Vocabulary
ﬂowers, n. Parts of the plant where seeds are; blossoms
Example: On my mom’s birthday, I gave her flowers with pink petals.
Variation(s): flower
leaves, n. The parts of the plant that make food for the plant
Example: My sister has a leaf collection with leaves of many different
sizes, shapes, and colors.
Variation(s): leaf
photosynthesis, n. The process in green plants that uses light to turn
water and air into food
Example: Plants can make their own food through the process of
photosynthesis.
Variation(s): none
roots, n. The parts of the plant that keep it in the ground and take up food
and water
Example: I made sure that the roots of the plant were covered with soil
when I planted it.
Variation(s): root
seeds, n. The small, protected parts of a plant that are able to grow into a
new plant
Example: Carlos saved sunflower seeds to plant in his garden.
Variation(s): seed
stems, n. The parts of the plant that support the plant and through which
water and nutrients travel to the rest of the plant
Example: After Mrs. Bryant cut the stems of the flowers, she put the
flowers in a vase of water.
Variation(s): stem
survival, n. The act of staying alive
Example: A plant needs food for its survival.
Variation(s): none

20 Plants: 2 | Plant Parts

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
At a Glance Exercise Materials Minutes
What Have We Already Learned?
Introducing the Read-Aloud 10
Purpose for Listening
Presenting the Read-Aloud Plant Parts 10
Comprehension Questions 10
Discussing the Read-Aloud drawing paper and drawing
Word Work: Survival 5
tools

 Complete Remainder of the Lesson Later in the Day

Instructional Master 2B-1;
Plant Parts
drawing paper, scissors, glue
cups; red and blue food
Extensions coloring; carnations or stalks 15
Stem Activity of celery
[This exercise requires
advance preparation.]

Plants 2 | Plant Parts 21

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Plant Parts 2A
Introducing the Read-Aloud 10 minutes
What Have We Already Learned?
In the last lesson, we learned that plants are living things. Remind
students that living things need food, water, air, and light. Living
things also reproduce, or create more of themselves. Explain to
students that you are going to read them a list of things—some that
are living and some that are not. If what you name is alive, students
should say, “ is living.” If what you name is not alive, students
should say, “ is nonliving.” If students answer incorrectly,
provide feedback and correct their responses by helping them use
and apply the criteria for living things described above.

• desk (A desk is nonliving.)

• tree (A tree is living.)

• pencil (A pencil is nonliving.)

• rosebush (A rosebush is living.)

• mouse (A mouse is living.)

• paper (Paper is nonliving.)

Ask students if they remember the four things that plants need to
survive. If students have trouble, remind them that plants need
food, water, air, and light to survive.

Purpose for Listening

Ask several students to stand up. Point out that there are many ways
the students are different, citing the fact that they have different
names, live in different places, are different sizes, etc. Now remind
the class that there are ways in which the standing students are
similar. Point out they are all human beings and that they all have
similar body parts. Ask them to point to their arms, their feet, and

22 Plants: 2A | Plant Parts

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
their nose as examples. Now, tell students that even though there
are many different plants, all plants have similar parts.
Tell students that the main topic, or main idea, in this lesson is plant
parts. Tell students to listen carefully to the read-aloud to learn more
about the topic: the different parts of plants and how these different
parts use nutrients (or food), water, air, and light.

Plants 2A | Plant Parts 23

Even though there are many, many different kinds of plants

living in our world, all plants need nutrients (or food), water, air,
1 What do you see in this picture? and light. 1 And most plants also have similar basic parts—roots,
[Point to the parts of the flower as stems, leaves, ﬂowers, and seeds. 2
you talk about them.]
Take a look at this sunflower. The parts of the plant you see down
2 Here, the word leaves means the
parts of plants that make food here at the bottom are the roots. The roots of the plant are covered
for the plant. The word leaves can with soil. So, when we see plants growing in nature, we usually aren’t
have other meanings. The word
leaves also means to go away from able to see the roots unless we take the plants out of the ground.
a place.
The plant’s roots reach down into the soil and grow underground.
They help to hold the plant in place in the soil. But most important,
the roots take up water and nutrients that are in the soil. Nutrients
help plants grow and stay healthy just like vitamins help you grow and
stay healthy. The water and nutrients move through the roots up into
the stem of the plant, which holds the plant up tall, toward the light.
As the water and nutrients travel up the stem, they are able to reach
other parts of the plant, like the leaves. The leaves are the parts of a
plant that are attached to and grow out from the stem. The leaves are
usually green, but they can be other colors as well.
Many plants have flowers which are also called blossoms. Look
at the blossoms on this sunflower plant. Around the outside, it has
many bright yellow petals. The flower petals of different plants come
in every color you can imagine!
Now look in the center part of the sunflower blossom, the part that
has many petals around it. This part of the plant is made up of many
small seeds. One sunflower seed is only about the size of one of your
fingernails! If the seeds of the sunflower plant are put into the soil, they
will make a new sunflower plant! Sometimes people eat the seeds from
some plants. You may have even tasted a sunflower seed yourself.

24 Plants: 2A | Plant Parts

Even though most plants have the same basic parts—roots, a

stem, leaves, flowers, and seeds—these parts may look different
on different kinds of plants. These beautiful flowers are from many
different kinds of plants. Did you notice that, not only are the
colors of the flowers different, but the flower petals from different
plants have different shapes, too?
 Show image 2A-3: Apple tree 3

This apple tree has the same parts as the other plants that
3 What do you see in this picture?
we have been looking at. We can’t see any apples because this
picture was taken in the spring, when the blossoms, or flowers,
come out. The apples will start growing in the summer and will
be ready for picking in the fall. We can’t see the roots of the
apple tree because they are growing underground, but we can
see several other parts. We can see many stems on the tree.
4 [Point to the branches.] The smaller stems are called branches. 4 Do you see the apple
blossoms and the leaves? There are many, many leaves attached
to the branches on this apple tree.
 Show image 2A-4: Bark

The largest part of the tree is called the trunk. The outside of
5 What do you think this bark feels the trunk is covered in bark. Bark is kind of like clothing for trees: it
like?
protects the inside of the tree. 5

 Show image 2A-5: Leaves 6

Here are some leaves from different kinds of trees. Take a close
6 [Point to the leaves as you name
them.] look, and you will notice that the leaves have different shapes. In
fact, one way to tell what kind of tree you are looking at is to look
closely at its leaves. The leaf on the top left is from a sugar maple
tree. The leaf below that is from a white oak tree. The leaf on the
top right is from a witch hazel tree, and the leaf below that is from
a black oak tree. Remember, many plants—not just trees—have
7 This means that the leaves are leaves. In fact, leaves are especially important to the survival of all
especially important in making
plants. 7
sure that plants stay alive.

Plants 2A | Plant Parts 25

When light shines on the green leaves of any plant, the leaf
absorbs—or soaks up—energy from the light. Through an amazing
process called photosynthesis, the leaf uses the light to turn the
water and air already in the plant into food for the rest of the plant!
 Show image 2A-7: Leaf close-up

Do you remember earlier that we said that the roots and stem of
a plant move water and nutrients from the soil to the other parts of
a plant, such as the leaves? During photosynthesis, water, nutrients,
air, and light come together in the plant’s leaves. This is how plants
make food for themselves. It’s a good thing, too, because plants
can’t move like animals or people, so they aren’t able to go find food
somewhere else. Plants have to make food for themselves. Once
the water and nutrients are made into food through photosynthesis,
8 [Point to the veins in the picture.] parts of the leaves called the veins carry the food back to the stem. 8
From there, food is taken to the rest of the plant where it is needed.
 Show image 2A-8: Boy watering plant

Now you have learned about most of the basic parts of

many plants. Plants begin as seeds, which sprout and grow
roots, stems, leaves, and then flowers. The roots, stems, and
leaves work together with water, nutrients, air, and light to make
food for the plant through photosynthesis. Say that word three
times to help you remember it: photosynthesis, photosynthesis,
photosynthesis.

26 Plants: 2A | Plant Parts

1. Literal [Have different students point to the different parts of

the plant.] Point to the roots, stem, flower, leaves, and seeds.
2. Literal What part of the plant keeps it in the ground and takes
in nutrients and water for the plant? (The roots keep a plant in
the ground and take in water and nutrients for the plant.)
3. Literal What part of the plant supports the plant and moves
water and nutrients to the rest of the plant? (The stem
supports the plant and moves water and nutrients to the rest
of the plant.)
4. Literal What part of the plant does the plant use to make its
food? (The plant makes its own food in its leaves.)
5. Inferential What would happen if a plant didn’t have roots?
(If the plant didn’t have roots, it wouldn’t be able to take in
nutrients and water.)
6. Inferential What would happen if a plant didn’t have a stem? (If
the plant didn’t have a stem, it would fall over, and it wouldn’t
be able to move the water and nutrients from the roots to the
rest of the plant.)
7. Inferential What would happen if a plant didn’t have leaves? (If
the plant didn’t have leaves, it would not be able to make food
for itself.)

Plants 2A | Plant Parts 27

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
8. Evaluative [Using image 2A-1, ask a student volunteer to complete
the following task.] Trace the upward path the water and nutrients
take from the ground to the roots, through the stem, and finally to
the leaves. [As the student traces the path, help him or her use the
core vocabulary to describe the plant parts.]
[Please continue to model the Think Pair Share process for
students, as necessary, and scaffold students in their use of the
process.]
I am going to ask a question. I will give you a minute to think about
the question, and then I will ask you to turn to your neighbor and
discuss the question. Finally, I will call on several of you to share
what you discussed with your partner.
9. Evaluative Think Pair Share: Using image 2A-1, talk about
each part of the plant (especially the roots, stem, and leaves)
and what each part does to help the plant survive. (The roots
keep the plant in the ground and take in water and nutrients.
The stem holds the plant up tall and carries water and
nutrients to the other parts. The leaves are where the plant
makes food for itself.)
10. After hearing today’s read-aloud and questions and answers,
do you have any remaining questions? [If time permits, you
may wish to allow for individual, group, or class research of
the text and/or other resources to answer these remaining
questions.]

28 Plants: 2A | Plant Parts

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Word Work: Survival 5 minutes
1. In the read-aloud you heard, “In fact, leaves are especially
important to the survival of all plants.”
2. Say the word survival with me.
3. Survival is the act of staying alive.
4. Food, water, air, and light are important to a plant’s survival.
5. Why are these things important to a plant’s survival? Try
to use the word survival when you tell about it. [Ask two
or three students. If necessary, guide and/or rephrase the
students’ responses: “ is important to a plant’s survival
because . . .”]
6. What’s the word we’ve been talking about?
Use a Drawing activity for follow-up. Directions: Draw a picture of
the things that are important to a plant’s survival. Be sure to begin
your responses with: “ is important to a plant’s survival
because . . .” when you talk about your picture.

 Complete Remainder of the Lesson Later in the Day

Plants 2A | Plant Parts 29

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Plant Parts 2B
Extensions 15 minutes
 Plant Parts (Instructional Master 2B-1)
Using Instructional Master 2B-1, have students cut out and paste
the plant parts onto a separate sheet of paper to make a whole
plant. Check to ensure students’ understanding of the function
of each plant part. Walk around and talk with students as they
complete the worksheet, incorporating core vocabulary when
possible.

Stem Activity
Fill two cups with water. Then put red food coloring in one cup and
blue food coloring in another cup. Put a freshly-cut carnation or
a stalk of celery in each cup. Use this to demonstrate to students
how water moves up through the stem of the plant over the course
of two days. Have students talk about what happens to the flower
or stalk of celery. Explain to students that the celery or flower
changed color because the stem of the plant moved the water
(and the dye with it) through the stem of the plant all the way to
the top. As a result, the dye changed the color of the plant.

30 Plants: 2B | Plant Parts

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
The Life Cycle of a Plant 3
 Lesson Objectives
Core Content Objectives
Students will:
 Explain that seeds are the beginning of new plants
 Explain the basic life cycle of plants

Language Arts Objectives

 Describe illustrations of the phases of germination and a

seedling in “The Life Cycle of a Plant,” using the illustrations to
check and support comprehension of the read-aloud (RI.K.7)
 Actively engage in the nonfiction/informational read-aloud “The
Life Cycle of a Plant” (RI.K.10)
 Draw the important parts of a plant, including the stem
(provided), roots, leaves, and flowers (SL.K.5)

Plants 3 | The Life Cycle of a Plant 31

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
 Explain the meaning of “great oaks from little acorns grow” and
use in appropriate contexts (L.K.6)
 Listen to a variety of texts, including informational text such as
“The Life Cycle of a Plant”
 Prior to listening to “The Life Cycle of a Plant,” identify orally
the parts of a plant learned in the previous read-aloud of “Plant
Parts”

Core Vocabulary
germinate, v. To start to grow
Example: The rain will help the seeds in the garden germinate.
Variation(s): germinates, germinated, germinating
life cycle, n. The stages and changes that happen in living things, like
plants and animals
Example: The life cycle of a tree begins with a seed and ends as the
tree decomposes in the soil and another seed starts to germinate.
Variation(s): life cycles
mature, v. To develop fully; to grow into an adult or full-grown animal or
plant
Example: It takes time for a seedling to mature into a full-grown, adult
plant.
Variation(s): matures, matured, maturing
sapling, n. A young tree
Example: Every day I check the sapling we planted to see how much it
has grown.
Variation(s): saplings
seedlings, n. Young or baby plants that have grown from a seed
Example: At the apple orchard, we saw many small seedlings that will
one day grow into apple trees.
Variation(s): seedling

32 Plants: 3 | The Life Cycle of a Plant

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
At a Glance Exercise Materials Minutes
What Have We Already Learned?
Introducing the Read-Aloud 10
Purpose for Listening
ruler or yardstick; different
Presenting the Read-Aloud The Life Cycle of a Plant
types of seeds
10

Comprehension Questions 10
Discussing the Read-Aloud
Word Work: Germinate 5

 Complete Remainder of the Lesson Later in the Day

Sayings and Phrases: Great Oaks
from Little Acorns Grow
Syntactic Awareness Activity:
Extensions Expanding Sentences
Image Card 19 15

Vocabulary Instructional Activity:

Cycle

Plants 3 | The Life Cycle of a Plant 33

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
The Life Cycle of a Plant 3A
Introducing the Read-Aloud 10 minutes
What Have We Already Learned?
 Show image 3A-1: Sunﬂower

Have students identify each part of the plant. Review with students
what each part of the plant does and why it is important. Reinforce
the role that each part plays in the survival of the plant.

Purpose for Listening

Tell students that the main topic, or main idea, of today’s lesson is
the life cycle of a plant. Explain to students that when a plant first
starts to grow, it does not have all of the parts they have learned
about. Tell students to listen to find out more about today’s topic:
how the plant grows and changes during its life.

34 Plants: 3A | The Life Cycle of a Plant

You have already learned about the different parts of a plant.

1 Where can you find the seeds on a One of those parts is the seed. 1 Many plants begin with a seed.
plant? [The seeds are found in the Seeds come in all shapes and sizes and, as you might guess,
center of the flower.]
the seeds from different plants look different. 2 Each seed is a
2 [Show students the different
examples of seeds you have plant waiting to sprout, or grow. If the seed is planted in the right
prepared.] place, then the seed will sprout and grow into a new plant. Only
a sunflower plant can grow from a sunflower seed, and only an
apple tree can grow from an apple seed. What type of plant do you
think would grow if you planted a watermelon seed? How about a
pumpkin seed?
 Show image 3A-3: Phases of germination

Seeds are the beginnings of new plants. Like all living things,
plants live according to a life cycle. A life cycle includes the
stages and changes that happen in living things.
The life cycle of a plant starts with a seed. Most seeds have
nutrients inside them that feed the new plants for just a little while.
In order to germinate—or begin growing into new plants—seeds
3 What are the four things a plant must have water, light from the sun, and nutrients from the soil. 3
needs to survive?
When a plant first starts to grow from a seed, it looks very
different from a fully grown or mature plant. Baby plants are called
seedlings. This image shows a plant’s growth from germination to
4 What do you see in this picture? seedling. 4
The very first picture shows a newly germinated seed that is
just beginning to sprout. Germination begins when the seed gets
just the right amounts of light from the sun, water, and nutrients.
This causes the seed to open and the seedling to poke up through
the soil. If you look very carefully at this first picture, you can see
5 [Point to each part of the image as that the new plant is just starting to grow its first root. 5 The next
it is described in the read-aloud.] pictures show the same plant over several days. As the plant

Plants 3A | The Life Cycle of a Plant 35

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
grows, you can see thin roots branching off deeper into the soil.
The roots absorb water and nutrients and push them up through
the plant’s stem, which grows above ground.
 Show image 3A-4: Seedling

It takes time for a seedling to grow into a full-grown, adult

plant. The amount of time it takes depends on the type of plant. If
you plant a sunflower seed, it will take about a month before the
seedling begins to look more like a full-grown sunflower plant. If
you plant an apple seed, it will take several years for the seedling
6 Why do you think it takes longer
for a tree seedling to grow into to grow into a full-grown tree! 6
a full-grown plant than for a When the plant dies, it decays and breaks down into little
sunflower seedling to grow into a
pieces and goes back into the ground to become nutrients in the
full-grown plant?
soil. A new life cycle of a plant begins!
 Show image 3A-5: Acorn and oak

Now, let’s explore the life cycle of this oak tree. This acorn
7 [Point to the acorn.] contains the seed of an oak tree. 7 You may have seen acorns
before, lying outside next to full-grown trees or being carried away
by squirrels.
 Show image 3A-6: Squirrel eating an acorn

Squirrels spend all day running around looking for food and
hiding food. They bury so many acorns that they often forget
8 What does germinate mean? where they put some of them. The acorn that the squirrel forgets
Germinate means to begin growing stays in the soil, giving the oak seed inside a better chance to
into new plants.
germinate underground. 8 Once the seed sprouts, it will quickly
9 [Show students how tall one or two
grow into a seedling, but the young tree will grow only a foot or
feet is with a ruler or yardstick.]
two in its first year. 9
 Show image 3A-7: Young oak

After a few years, the oak will grow to a height of ten or more
10 [Show students how tall ten feet is feet, but it is still considered a young tree or sapling. 10 This tree
with a ruler or yardstick.] will still be called a sapling for several years to come.

36 Plants: 3A | The Life Cycle of a Plant

Oak trees take a long time to mature. 11 In fact, it takes about

11 or grow into an adult or full-grown
tree fifty years for the average oak tree to mature so that it can produce
acorns. An oak tree can produce tens of thousands of acorns over
the course of its lifetime. Only a few of those acorns will germinate
and grow into new oak trees.
 Show image 3A-9: Dead tree

Some oak trees can live for over two hundred years. Eventually,
like all living things, the oak tree will die. The oak tree will die
slowly over the course of several years. It will produce fewer and
fewer leaves each year, its branches will drop off one by one, and
gradually its wood will become softer and softer.
 Show image 3A-10: Decomposition

Finally, the roots will die and the tree will fall down with a big
crash on the forest floor. The tree’s branches will be the first to rot
and disappear into the soil, but the woody trunk will take many
years to completely decay.
All of the nutrients in the wood will decay and become part of
the soil once again. The more decayed plants there are in the soil,
the more nutrients that soil will have. And, the more nutrients there
are, the easier it will be for new seeds, like the acorn seeds, to
germinate and grow.
 Show image 3A-11: Life cycle of a sunﬂower

As we have seen, all plants live according to a life cycle. This

12 [Point to each part of the life cycle diagram shows you the life cycle of a sunflower. 12 A new plant
as it is reviewed.] begins when the sunflower seed germinates and sprouts to become
a seedling. If the seedling receives the right amount of water,
nutrients, and light, then the plant will continue to grow. Eventually,
the plant will become mature and make more seeds from which new
plants will grow. When the sunflower dies and decays, it becomes
the nutrients in the soil so that seeds can germinate and grow into
new plants. And a new life cycle of a plant begins!

Plants 3A | The Life Cycle of a Plant 37

5. Literal What parts of a plant does a seedling have? (A seedling

has roots, a stem, and leaves.)
6. Inferential Explain the life cycle of a plant. (First, the seed
germinates and sprouts into a seedling. Next, the seedling
continues to grow until it is an adult plant. Then, the adult
plant will make more seeds from which new plants will grow.
Finally, the plant will decay and turn into nutrients in the soil.)
7. Literal What kind of tree does an acorn grow into? (An acorn
grows into an oak tree.)
[Please continue to model the Think Pair Share process for the students,
as necessary, and scaffold students in their use of the process.]
I am going to ask a question. I will give you a minute to think about
the question, and then I will ask you to turn to your neighbor and
discuss the question. Finally, I will call on several of you to share
what you discussed with your partner.

38 Plants: 3A | The Life Cycle of a Plant

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
8. Evaluative Think Pair Share: Compare the life cycle of a plant
to the life cycle of a human. How are they similar? How are
they different? (Both plants and humans start off small and
grow to be big. Plants grow from seeds, whereas humans do
not grow from seeds.)
9. After hearing today’s read-aloud and questions and answers,
do you have any remaining questions? [If time permits, you may
wish to allow for individual, group, or class research of the text
and/or other resources to answer these remaining questions.]

Word Work: Germinate 5 minutes

1. In the read-aloud you heard, “In order to germinate—or begin
growing into new plants—seeds must have water, light from
the sun, and nutrients from the soil.”
2. Say the word germinate with me.
3. Germinate means to sprout from a seed and begin growing
into a new plant.
4. My bean plant has started to germinate, and I can see it
sprouting out of the ground!
5. Tell about the things that a seed needs to germinate. Try to
use the word germinate when you tell about it. [Ask two or
three students. If necessary, guide and/or rephrase students’
responses: “A seed needs to germinate.”]
6. What’s the word we’ve been talking about?
Use an Acting activity for follow-up. Directions: I would like you to
pretend that you are seeds and demonstrate what happens when
a seed germinates and starts to grow. Make sure to explain each
stage as you demonstrate it. Be sure to begin your responses with
“When a seed germinates, it . . .”

 Complete Remainder of the Lesson Later in the Day

Plants 3A | The Life Cycle of a Plant 39

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
The Life Cycle of a Plant 3B
Extensions 15 minutes
Sayings and Phrases: Great Oaks from Little Acorns Grow
Proverbs are short, traditional sayings that have been passed
along orally from generation to generation. These sayings usually
express general truths based on experiences and observations of
everyday life. Although some proverbs do have literal meanings—
that is, they mean exactly what they say—many proverbs have
a richer meaning beyond the literal level. It is important to help
students understand the difference between the literal meanings of
the words and their implied or figurative meanings.
Read students the saying “great oaks from little acorns grow.” This
saying means that just as a small acorn can grow into a towering
oak tree, something that starts out small or not really important
can turn out big or really important.
Explain that this saying is often used to describe people who start
from very simple beginnings and then, later in life, become very
important. Share with students that Abraham Lincoln was born in a
log cabin and read books by the light of a fire. His family was very
poor, but he became one of the greatest presidents of the United
States! When talking about his life, it is a good time to use the
saying, “great oaks from little acorns grow.”
Ask students to share or give examples of other individuals
who grew to be very important and made a difference. Prompt
students, if necessary, by reminding them of various individuals
whom they have learned about in read-alouds from other domains.
To reinforce the concept of the life cycle, have students think of
other plants and trees to invent new sayings. For example, say
“Tall pines from small pine seeds grow” or “Juicy peaches from
small pits grow.”

40 Plants: 3B | The Life Cycle of a Plant

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
 Syntactic Awareness Activity
Expanding Sentences
Directions: I will show you a picture. Then I will ask one question
at a time. Each time a question is answered, we will add it to our
sentence to make our sentence expand.
Note: There may be variations in the sentences created by your
class. Allow for these variations and restate students’ sentences
so that they are grammatical.
1. [Show Image Card 19: Tree with roots.] What do you see in
this picture? (a tree)
I see a tree.
It is a tree.

2. Is the tree tall or short? (tall)

I see a tall tree.
It is a tall tree.

3. What is on the tree? (leaves)

I see a tall tree with leaves.
It is a tall tree with leaves.
The tall tree has leaves.

4. What color are the leaves on the tree? (green)

I see a tall tree with green leaves.
It is a tall tree with green leaves.
The tall tree has green leaves.

Plants 3B | The Life Cycle of a Plant 41

1. In the read-aloud you heard, “Like all living things, plants live
according to a life cycle. A life cycle includes the stages and
changes that happen in living things.”
2. Say the word cycle with me.
3. A cycle is a repeated series of events, or things that happen
over and over again in a particular order.
4. The life cycle of a chicken begins when it is an egg.
5. What other living things can you describe the life cycles of?
Try to use the word cycle when you tell about it. [Ask two
or three students. If necessary, guide and/or rephrase the
students’ responses: “The life cycle of a begins
when . . .”]
6. What’s the word we’ve been talking about?
Use a Drawing activity for follow-up. Directions: Work with your
neighbor to draw the life cycle of a plant or animal. Be sure to
begin your explanation with “My drawing shows the life cycle
of a .”

42 Plants: 3B | The Life Cycle of a Plant

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
The Gigantic Turnip 4
 Lesson Objectives
Core Content Objectives
Students will:
 Identify the parts of specific plants that are eaten by people
 Explain that seeds are the beginning of new turnip plants
 Explain the basic life cycle of a turnip plant

Language Arts Objectives

The following language arts objectives are addressed in this
lesson. Objectives aligning with the Common Core State
Standards are noted with the corresponding standard in
parentheses. Refer to the Alignment Chart for additional standards
addressed in all lessons in this domain.
Students will:
 Recall facts from “The Gigantic Turnip” and accurately answer
questions such as who, what, where, when (RL.K.1)
 Interpret information to answer questions and express opinions
about “The Gigantic Turnip,” including answering why questions
that require recognizing cause/effect relationships (RL.K.1)
 Sequence four pictures illustrating events in “The Gigantic
Turnip” (RL.K.2)
 With prompting and support, use narrative language to describe
characters and events in “The Gigantic Turnip” (RL.K.3)
 Define and use new words, such as gigantic, from the read-
aloud and the discussion about “The Gigantic Turnip” (RL.K.4)
 Listen to a variety of texts, including fictional stories such as
“The Gigantic Turnip” (RL.K.5)

Plants 4 | The Gigantic Turnip 43

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
 Describe an image of a turnip accompanying “The Gigantic
Turnip,” using the image to check and support comprehension
of the read-aloud (RL.K.7)
 Actively engage in fiction read-alouds (RL.K.10)
 Prior to listening to “The Gigantic Turnip,” identify orally what
they know about gardens
 While listening to “The Gigantic Turnip,” orally predict what will
happen in the read-aloud based on text heard thus far, and then
compare the actual outcome to the prediction

Core Vocabulary
budge, v. To move a little
Example: Tisha and I tried very hard to push the big rock out of the way,
but it would not budge.
Variation(s): budges, budged, budging
gigantic, adj. Very large
Example: By studying the bones of dinosaurs, scientists know that
some were small and others were gigantic.
Variation(s): none
stew, n. A soup, usually with meat and vegetables, cooked a long time
Example: I am helping my mom cut vegetables for the beef stew she is
making for dinner.
Variation(s): stews

At a Glance Exercise Materials Minutes

a real turnip with stems
What Do We Know?
Introducing the Read-Aloud and leaves, if available 10
Purpose for Listening
Presenting the Read-Aloud The Gigantic Turnip 10
Comprehension Questions 10
Discussing the Read-Aloud
Word Work: Gigantic 5

 Complete Remainder of the Lesson Later in the Day

Instructional Master 4B-1;
Extensions A Turnip’s Life Cycle drawing paper, drawing tools, 15
scissors, glue

44 Plants: 4 | The Gigantic Turnip

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
The Gigantic Turnip 4A
Introducing the Read-Aloud 10 minutes
What Do We Know?
 Show image 4A-1: Turnip

Tell students they are about to hear a story called “The Gigantic
Turnip.” Explain that a turnip is a plant that some people grow
in their gardens, and show them a real turnip (if available). Ask
students what they already know about gardens. What are some
other plants that people grow in gardens? Why might people plant
gardens?
Explain that one reason people have gardens is to grow food, such
as turnips, to eat. Tell students that some people like to eat the
turnip leaves, or greens, that grow above ground. Tell students
that another part of the turnip that people like to eat grows
underground and is actually the root of the plant. When a farmer
wants to harvest a turnip, he has to dig it up or pull the root out of
the ground. Tell students that this story is about a very big turnip.

Purpose for Listening

Tell students to listen carefully to find out who helps the farmer pull
the turnip out of the ground.

Plants 4A | The Gigantic Turnip 45

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Presenting the Read-Aloud 10 minutes
The Gigantic Turnip
 Show image 4A-2: Farmer planting a turnip seed

Once upon a time there was an old man who planted vegetable
seeds every year, to grow vegetables for himself and his wife.
One spring day, he planted turnip seeds in a field just over the hill
from his house. He let the sun shine on them and the rain water
them, and when he thought they should be ready to eat, he went
to have a look. As he came up over the hill, to his surprise he saw
a strange bush growing in the middle of the field. When he drew
nearer, he saw that it was not a bush, but the top of a gigantic
1 Gigantic means very large. What turnip! 1
part of the turnip plant was the
farmer looking at? “I’ve never seen a turnip as big as this one!” he said to himself.
“I must show it to my wife.”
 Show image 4A-3: Farmer pulling turnip 2

So he took hold of the turnip top, and with a great grunt, he

2 [Point to the top of the turnip.]
pulled and pulled and pulled, but the turnip would not budge. 3 So
3 When something will not budge,
that means it will not move. the old man shouted for his wife to come and help.
“All right,” said the old woman. “I’m coming.”
 Show image 4A-4: Farmer and wife pulling turnip

The old woman took hold of the old man, the old man took
hold of the turnip, and they pulled and pulled. But they couldn’t
pull the turnip out of the ground. So the old woman called to their
granddaughter.
“All right,” said the granddaughter. “I’m coming.”
The granddaughter took hold of the old woman, the old woman
took hold of the old man, the old man took hold of the turnip, and
they pulled and pulled, but they couldn’t pull the turnip out. So the
granddaughter called the grandson over.
“All right,” said the grandson. “I’m coming.”

46 Plants: 4A | The Gigantic Turnip

The grandson took hold of the granddaughter, the

granddaughter took hold of the old woman, the old woman took
hold of the old man, the old man took hold of the turnip, and they
pulled and pulled, but they couldn’t pull the turnip out. So the
4 Why do you think the grandson grandson called the dog over. 4
called the dog over?
The dog barked four times. If it could have spoken, it would
have said, “All right. I’m coming.”
The dog took hold of the grandson, the grandson took hold of
the granddaughter, the granddaughter took hold of the old woman,
the old woman took hold of the old man, the old man took hold of
the turnip, and they pulled and pulled, but they couldn’t pull the
turnip out.
So the dog called the cat over.
 Show image 4A-6: Farmer, wife, granddaughter, grandson, dog, and cat
pulling turnip

The cat meowed loudly. If it could have spoken, it would have

said, “All right. I’m coming.”
The cat took hold of the dog, the dog took hold of the
grandson, the grandson took hold of the granddaughter, the
granddaughter took hold of the old woman, the old woman took
hold of the old man, the old man took hold of the turnip, and they
pulled and pulled, but they couldn’t pull the turnip out. So the cat
called the mouse over.
The mouse squeaked. If it could have spoken, it would have
5 Do you think they will be able said, “All right. I’m coming.” 5
to pull the turnip out with the
mouse’s help? The mouse took hold of the cat, the cat took hold of the dog,
the dog took hold of the grandson, the grandson took hold of the
granddaughter, the granddaughter took hold of the old woman, the
old woman took hold of the old man, the old man took hold of the
turnip, and they pulled and pulled.

Plants 4A | The Gigantic Turnip 47

Finally, the turnip popped out, sending everybody tumbling

6 What do you think the farmer and along the ground. 6
his family will do with the turnip?
That evening, the old woman peeled the turnip, sliced it up, and
7 A stew is a type of soup.
cooked a delicious turnip stew. 7
 Show image 4A-8: Turnip stew

She invited the grandson, the granddaughter, the dog, the cat,
and the mouse to eat the stew with them. She gave the mouse an
extra helping, because he had shown that sometimes a little bit of
8 What does “a little bit of help can help can make a big difference. 8
make a big difference” mean?

Discussing the Read-Aloud 15 minutes

Comprehension Questions 10 minutes
If students have difficulty responding to questions, reread
pertinent passages of the read-aloud and/or refer to specific
images. If students give one-word answers and/or fail to use
read-aloud or domain vocabulary in their responses, acknowledge
correct responses by expanding students’ responses using richer
and more complex language. Ask students to answer in complete
sentences by having them restate the question in their responses.
1. Literal Who are the characters in this story? (The characters in
this story are the old man, the old woman, the granddaughter,
the grandson, the dog, the cat, and the mouse.)
2. Literal What does the old man plant? (The old man plants
turnip seeds.)
3. Literal What grows out of the turnip seed? (A turnip grows
from the turnip seed.)
4. Inferential Why does the old man want to plant a turnip? (The
old man wants to plant a turnip so he and his wife can eat it.)
5. Inferential Why does the old man need so much help pulling
the turnip out of the ground? (The old man needs help
because the turnip is gigantic and too large for him to pull out
alone.)

48 Plants: 4A | The Gigantic Turnip

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
6. Literal Are all turnips as large as the turnip in the story? (No,
all turnips are not as large as the turnip in the story.)
7. Inferential Why does the mouse get an extra serving of turnip
stew? (It was with his help that they were finally able to pull
the turnip out of the ground. “A little help can make a big
difference.”)
[Please continue to model the Think Pair Share process for
students, as necessary, and scaffold students in their use of the
process.]
I am going to ask a question. I will give you a minute to think about
the question, and then I will ask you to turn to your neighbor and
discuss the question. Finally, I will have several of you share what
you discussed with your partner.
8. Evaluative Think Pair Share: Do you think a turnip plant could
really grow as large as the one in the story? Why or why not?
What would a plant that large need? (Answers may vary.)
9. After hearing today’s read-aloud and questions and answers,
do you have any remaining questions? [If time permits, you
may wish to allow for individual, group, or class research of
the text and/or other resources to answer these remaining
questions.]

Word Work: Gigantic 5 minutes

1. In the read-aloud you heard, “When [the farmer] drew nearer,
he saw that it was not a bush, but the top of a gigantic turnip!”
2. Say the word gigantic with me.
3. When someone says something is gigantic, it means that
thing is very, very large.
4. That house is gigantic—it has twenty bedrooms!
5. Tell about something you have seen that is gigantic. Try to
use the word gigantic when you tell about it. [Ask two or three
students. If necessary, guide and/or rephrase the students’
responses: “I saw a gigantic .”]
6. What’s the word we’ve been talking about?

Plants 4A | The Gigantic Turnip 49

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Use a Making Choices activity for follow-up. Directions: I am going
to name some things. If the thing I name is gigantic, say, “That
is gigantic!” If the thing I name is not gigantic, say, “That is not
gigantic.” Remember to answer in complete sentences.
1. a mouse the size of your thumb (A mouse the size of your
thumb is not gigantic.)
2. a mouse the size of a shoebox (A mouse the size of a shoebox
is gigantic!)
3. a person the size of your hand (A person the size of your hand
is not gigantic.)
4. a pizza as big as a truck (A pizza as big as a truck is gigantic!)
5. a book the size of a door (A book the size of a door is
gigantic!)

 Complete Remainder of the Lesson Later in the Day

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The Gigantic Turnip 4B
Extensions 15 minutes
 A Turnip’s Life Cycle (Instructional Master 4B-1)
Have students color the four images. Next, have them cut out
each of the images of the turnip and put them in the correct
order of the life cycle of the turnip. Students should then glue the
pictures in the correct sequence onto a separate sheet of paper.

➶ Above and Beyond: Have two or three students describe the life
cycle of a turnip plant, using their pictures as a guide.

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© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Pausing Point PP
Note to Teacher
You should pause here and spend one day reviewing, reinforcing, or
extending the material taught thus far.
You may have students do any combination of the activities listed
below, but it is highly recommended that you use the Mid-Domain
Student Performance Task Assessment to assess students’
knowledge of plants, their parts, and their life cycles. The other
activities may be done in any order. You may also choose to do an
activity with the whole class or with a small group of students who
would benefit from the particular activity.

Core Content Objectives Up to This Pausing Point

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© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Student Performance Task Assessment
 Plant Parts (Instructional Master PP-1)
Using Instructional Master PP-1, have students add to the drawing
of the plant stem. Check to ensure they include roots, leaves, and
flowers. Walk around and talk with students about each plant part
as they complete the worksheet.

Activities
Image Review
Show the images from any read-aloud again, and have students
retell the read-aloud using the images.

Image Card Review

Materials: Image Cards 15–19
In your hand, hold Image Cards 15–19 fanned out like a deck of
cards. Ask a student to choose a card but to not show it to anyone
else in the class. The student must then perform an action or
give a clue about the picture s/he is holding. For example, for the
seeds, a student may give the clue, “These are what plants grow
from.” The rest of the class will guess what is being described.
Proceed to another card when the correct answer has been given.

Plant Parts Review

Materials: Various plants; drawing paper, drawing tools
Bring in different plants and ask students to identify the parts.
After talking about plants, have students design and illustrate
their own plant on a piece of paper, instructing them to include all
parts of a plant (root, stem, leaf, etc.). Instruct students to share
their drawings and identify the parts of their plant while sharing.
Their classmates may also want to guess where the parts of that
particular plant are located on the drawing.

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© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
➶ Above and Beyond: Humans vs. Plants
Compare and contrast human beings and plants. What do we
need to keep our bodies healthy that plants also need to stay
healthy? Record student answers on a Venn diagram.

“See-Through” Planter
Using a sealed package of bean seeds and paper towels, create a
“see-through” planter. Wet the paper towels and “plant” beans in
them. Place the paper towels and bean seeds in sealed, clear, plastic
bags. Observe the roots as they form during the next few days.

Class Book: Plants

Materials: Drawing paper, drawing tools
Tell the class or a group of students that they are going to make
a class book to help them remember what they have learned thus
far in this domain. Have students brainstorm important information
about plants, plant parts, and the life cycle of plants. Have each
student choose one idea to draw a picture of and then have him or
her write a caption for the picture. Bind the pages to make a book
to put in the class library for students to read again and again.
You may choose to add more pages upon completion of the entire
domain before binding the book.

Domain-Related Trade Book or Student Choice

Materials: Trade book
Read an additional trade book to review a particular concept; refer
to the books listed in the Introduction. You may also choose to
have students select a read-aloud to be heard again.

Nature Walk
Note: This activity requires additional adult support. If you are not
able to take your students outside, you may wish to bring some
different plants into the classroom for students to observe.
Go on a nature walk to observe plants. Divide the class into three
groups. The first group should take note of the specific places
plants live. The second group should take note of the different

54 Plants | Pausing Point

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
sizes of the plants. (You may wish to give these students a
nonstandard unit of measurement, like Unifix cubes, to help them
differentiate among the sizes of the plants.) The third group should
take note of the different colors of the plants.
Back in the classroom, record students’ observations on a chart
with three columns, one for each group (places, sizes, colors).
Explain to students that you are going to write down what they
say, but that they are not expected to be able to read what you
write because they are still learning all the rules for decoding.
Emphasize that you are writing what they say so that you don’t
forget, and also tell them that you will read the words to them.

Plant Dramatization
Have students crouch down and pretend that they are a seed.
Have students use their bodies to stretch upward and “grow” into
a plant. Make sure that students talk about what they are doing
as they are doing it. Encourage students to use key words like
seed, seedling, roots, ﬂowers, leaves, and stems. Ensure that as
students become full-grown plants, they use their body parts to
identify each part of the plant.

Plant Experiment
Materials: Four packets of seeds; four containers; soil; water;
sunlight
Plant seeds in four different containers. With the first group of
seeds, provide no water or sun. With the second group of seeds,
provide water but no sunlight. With the third group of seeds, provide
sunlight, but no water. With the fourth group of seeds, provide water
and sun. Be sure to explain to students what you are doing.
Have students make predictions about which of the seeds will
sprout and grow the best. Observe each of the containers every
couple of days. Discuss with your class the changes that have
occurred, if any. After a week or two, revisit the predictions and
discuss with students whether their predictions were correct, and
why or why not.
Note: If students completed this experiment at home with their
families, ask them to share the results.

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© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Polly the Honeybee’s
Flower Tour 5
 Lesson Objectives
Core Content Objectives
Students will:
 Identify the petals on a flower
 Describe how bees collect nectar and pollen
 Describe how bees make and use honey
 Describe the important role bees play in plant pollination

Language Arts Objectives

 Define and use new words, such as pollination, from the read-
aloud and the discussion about “Polly the Honeybee’s Flower Tour”
(RI.K.4)

 Describe an image of Polly and a flower to identify the flower’s

petals in “Polly the Honeybee’s Flower Tour,” using the image to
check and support comprehension of the read-aloud (RI.K.7)
 Actively engage in the nonfiction/informational read-aloud “Polly
the Honeybee’s Flower Tour” (RI.K.10)
 Listen to a variety of texts, including informational text such as
“Polly the Honeybee’s Flower Tour”

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 Prior to listening to “Polly the Honeybee’s Flower Tour,” identify
orally what they know about flowers

Core Vocabulary
honey, n. A sweet, sticky food made by bees from the nectar of flowers
Example: Elana often puts honey in her tea to make it taste sweeter.
Variation(s): none
nectar, n. A sweet liquid found in flowers that bees and some birds collect
Example: The bee collected the nectar from the lilac flower.
Variation(s): nectars
petals, n. The colored, outer parts of a flower that are not usually green
Example: Some roses have red petals.
Variation(s): petal
pollen, n. A fine, usually yellowish powder found in the center of flowers
Example: Bees keep pollen in special pouches on their legs.
Variation(s): none
pollination, n. When pollen from one flower lands on another flower and
the second flower makes seeds
Example: Bees help with pollination by carrying pollen from one flower
to another.
Variation(s): none

At a Glance Exercise Materials Minutes

What Have We Already Learned? different kinds of flowers
Introducing the Read-Aloud 10
Purpose for Listening
Presenting the Read-Aloud Polly the Honeybee’s Flower Tour 10
Comprehension Questions Image Card 1 10
Discussing the Read-Aloud
Word Work: Pollination 5

 Complete Remainder of the Lesson Later in the Day

scraps of paper, cotton balls,
or other small objects
Extensions Pollination Simulation 15
[This exercise requires
advance preparation.]

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Polly the Honeybee’s
Flower Tour 5A
Introducing the Read-Aloud 10 minutes
What Have We Already Learned?
Remind students that plants have many different parts. Review
with students the names of the important parts of a plant (roots,
stems, branches, leaves, flowers, and seeds). Explain that today
the students are going to learn more about flowers. If possible,
show students examples of different kinds of flowers, and help
them name each kind.
Tell students that many animals like flowers, just like people do.
Today they will get a chance to listen to a special guest, Polly the
Honeybee. Polly loves flowers! Tell students that today they will
hear about how Polly and her honeybee friends help flowers.

Purpose for Listening

Tell students to listen carefully to learn about how Polly and her
honeybee friends help flowers.

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Presenting the Read-Aloud 10 minutes
Polly the Honeybee’s Flower Tour
 Show image 5A-1: Polly in meadow

Hello, my name is Polly and I’m a honeybee. I live in a beehive

1 A meadow is a flat area of land that in a meadow not too far from here. 1 Your teacher asked me to
is usually covered with grass and come here today to tell you more about flowers, my favorite part of
flowers.
plants. As you have learned, flowers contain seeds and seeds can
grow into new plants.
I am delighted to come and tell you about flowers, because
flowers are one of my favorite things in the whole world. The
meadow near my beehive is full of all different kinds of flowers that
come in many different colors.
 Show image 5A-2: Polly and yellow ﬂower

Earlier today, I visited a particularly delicious yellow flower.

2 Why might Polly describe a flower Come along, and I’ll show it to you. 2
as delicious?
Here’s the flower I was telling you about. Do you see this ring of
3 [Point to the petals in the picture.] bright yellow parts around the flower? Those are called petals. 3
The petals look like brightly colored leaves. The petals are the
parts of the flower that grab my attention when I am out buzzing
around. Once I see a pretty flower, my favorite thing to do is crawl
inside the petals, into the center of the flower.

 Show image 5A-3: Polly and interior of ﬂower

What’s it like to crawl inside a flower like this? 4 Imagine for a

4 [Have students close their eyes and
imagine what is described.] minute that you are crawling under the bright yellow blankets of a
very comfortable bed. Bright yellow is all around you. Now imagine
that you stay under the blankets drinking the world’s tastiest drink
through a straw. You are so happy that you wriggle around and
get covered with a yellow powder that smells great and feels good
5 How does Polly feel when she visits against your skin. That’s what it’s like for me when I visit a flower. 5
a flower?
As far as I’m concerned, the world’s tastiest drink is called
nectar, which is a sweet juice that plants make, and the yellow

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6 [Have students repeat the words powder that I like to rub up against is called pollen. 6 I find both
nectar and pollen after you.] nectar and pollen inside flowers, and, frankly, I’m not sure which
one I like better!
I visit more than fifty flowers in one outing—sometimes as many
as a hundred. I visit these flowers because we bees get our food
from flowers. My job is to fly around and find nectar and pollen,
which I gather up and take back to my hive. I have a special pouch
inside my body that holds nectar, and there are special hairs on my
back legs that form a little basket that I brush pollen into. When it’s
time to go back to my hive, sometimes my load of pollen and nectar
7 Do you think it is easy or difficult weighs half as much as I do! 7
for a bee to take nectar and
pollen to its hive? Why? [Pause for
When I get back to the hive, I turn the nectar and pollen over to
students’ responses.] the worker bees in the hive. They mix the pollen with a little bit of
nectar and feed it to the baby bees. Then they fan the rest of the
nectar with their wings until most of the water is gone. Nectar with
most of the water gone turns into something that both bees and
people love.
 Show image 5A-4: Polly with honey in hive

Nectar with most of the water removed is called honey. Here’s

the honey in my hive. People use honey to sweeten their food, but
we bees use honey for food. We keep it in a bunch of little cubbies
that we call the honeycomb.

 Show image 5A-5: Polly and cornﬁeld

I visit flowers to get food, and that’s reason enough for me.
But it turns out that I am also doing something else besides
finding food for myself and the other bees. I am helping the plants
reproduce, or make more plants! In order to make a seed that can
develop into a new plant, most plants need to mix pollen from
8 Remember, pollen is the yellow their own flowers with pollen from other plants that are like them. 8
powder bees find inside flowers.
For example, a corn plant needs pollen from another corn plant
9 Pollination is when pollen from to allow it to make seeds. When pollen from one corn plant lands
one flower mixes with the pollen
of another flower so that the plant on another corn plant, something called pollination takes place. 9
can make seeds. Pollination is really important because, if it doesn’t happen, the

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plant won’t be able to make any seeds. If there are no seeds, then
there will be no new plants.
 Show image 5A-6: Polly and pollen

How do plants get pollen from other plants? Plants can’t walk
around like human beings. And they can’t flap their wings and fly
like us bees, either. Luckily, the pollen grains themselves are very
10 [Imitate the wind for your students small. They can be blown from one plant to another by the wind. 10
by blowing something small and So the wind helps pollinate plants so they can make new plants.
light off of a desk.]
But bees, like me, also help pollinate plants! How do my trips
from one plant to another help pollinate plants? When I visit a
flower and roll around inside, I pick up a lot of pollen. When I fly on
to the next flower, I carry some pollen from other flowers with me,
and some of it rubs off on the next flower I visit. That’s why I am
an excellent pollinator of plants, and that is why they call me Polly
11 Take a guess: Which do you think the Pollinator! 11
pollinates more plants—the
wind or bees? [Pause for students’
I don’t like to brag, but we bees are the most important
responses.] pollinators in the world! Oh, sure, the wind helps pollinate, and
some other insects also carry grains of pollen from one plant to
another as they feed. Butterflies do it. So do moths, beetles, and
wasps. Some birds, like hummingbirds, are also good pollinators.
Bats are good pollinators, too! But no other creature pollinates as
12 So, do bees or the wind pollinate many flowers as bees do. 12
more plants?

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Discussing the Read-Aloud 15 minutes
Comprehension Questions 10 minutes
If students have difficulty responding to questions, reread pertinent
passages of the read-aloud and/or refer to specific images. If
students give one-word answers and/or fail to use read-aloud
or domain vocabulary in their responses, acknowledge correct
responses by expanding students’ responses using richer and more
complex language. Ask students to answer in complete sentences
by having them restate the question in their responses.
1. Literal [Show Image Card 1 (Polly and the flower) or image
5A-3.] Where are the petals in this picture? [Students should
identify the petals on the flower.]
2. Inferential Why do bees visit flowers? (Bees visit flowers
because they use nectar and pollen from flowers for food.)
3. Literal What is nectar? (Nectar is a sweet juice made by plants.)
4. Literal What is pollen? (Pollen is a yellow powder made by
plants.)
5. Inferential How do bees collect nectar and pollen? (Bees store
the nectar in a special pouch on their belly. Bees brush the
pollen into a little basket made by the hairs on the back of
their legs.)
6. Inferential How do bees help a plant pollinate, or mix its pollen
with the pollen of another plant? (When bees visit another
plant, some of the pollen bees carry from the first plant rubs
off onto the second plant.)
7. Inferential Why is pollination important? (Pollination is
important because plants need pollen from other plants in
order to make seeds.)
[Please continue to model the Think Pair Share process for students,
as necessary, and scaffold students in their use of the process.]
I am going to ask a question. I will give you a minute to think about
the question, and then I will ask you to turn to your neighbor and
discuss the question. Finally, I will have several of you share what
you discussed with your partner.

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8. Evaluative Think Pair Share: Why is pollination important?
What would happen if pollination did not occur? (Sharing
pollen is important so flowers can make seeds. If there are no
new seeds, then no new plants can grow.)
9. After hearing today’s read-aloud and questions and answers,
do you have any remaining questions? [If time permits, you
may wish to allow for individual, group, or class research of
the text and/or other resources to answer these remaining
questions.]

Word Work: Pollination 5 minutes

1. In the read-aloud you heard, “When pollen from one corn
plant lands on another corn plant, something called pollination
takes place.”
2. Say the word pollination with me.
3. Pollination happens when the pollen from two flowers mix and
seeds are made.
4. Honey bees help a lot with the pollination of plants.
5. What other ways could pollination happen? [Answers could
include the wind, moths, beetles, wasps, butterflies, birds,
and bats, among others.] Try to use the word pollination when
you tell about it. [Ask two or three students. If necessary,
guide and/or rephrase students’ responses: “Pollination could
also happen when . . .”]
6. What’s the word we’ve been talking about?
Use a Discussion activity for follow-up. Directions: What are the
different ways that pollination can happen? [Answers could include
the wind, moths, beetles, wasps, butterflies, birds, and bats,
among others.] Be sure to begin your responses with “Pollination
can happen when . . .”

 Complete Remainder of the Lesson Later in the Day

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© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Polly the Honeybee’s
Flower Tour 5B
Extensions 15 minutes
Pollination Simulation
Have several students stand in a circle and pretend to be flowers—
holding scraps of paper or cotton balls representing pollen in their
hands. Have other students pretend to be bees, drinking nectar
and picking up a few scraps of paper or cotton balls from each
flower. Then, those students should give a few scraps of paper or
cotton balls to another “flower,” simulating pollination. Repeat this
exercise so that every student can be involved.

➶ Above and Beyond: Have a student narrate the pollination

simulation. This student should explain the process of pollination
as other students act out pollination. The student should use
words such as pollen, nectar, ﬂower, and pollination in his or her
explanation.

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The Fruits of Polly’s Labor 6
 Lesson Objectives
Core Content Objectives
Students will:
 Explain that seeds are the beginning of new plants
 Explain that some plants produce fruit to hold seeds
 Compare and contrast fruits and seeds of different plants
 Identify the parts of specific plants that are eaten by people

Language Arts Objectives

The following language arts objectives are addressed in this
lesson. Objectives aligning with the Common Core State
Standards are noted with the corresponding standard in
parentheses. Refer to the Alignment Chart for additional standards
addressed in all lessons in this domain.
Students will:
 Define and use new words, such as fruit, from the read-aloud
and the discussion about “The Fruits of Polly’s Labor” (RI.K.4)
 Describe images of fruits and their seeds in “The Fruits of Polly’s
Labor,” using the images to check and support comprehension
of the read-aloud (RI.K.7)
 Actively engage in the nonfiction/informational read-aloud “The
Fruits of Polly’s Labor” (RI.K.10)
 Identify multiple meanings of pit and use them in appropriate
contexts (L.K.4a)
 Listen to a variety of texts, including informational text such as
“The Fruits of Polly’s Labor”
 Discuss personal responses to favorite foods and fruits they eat and
connect those to the fruits discussed in “The Fruits of Polly’s Labor”

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© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Core Vocabulary
blossoms, n. The flowers on a plant or tree
Example: The blossoms on the apple tree were beautiful and white.
Variation(s): blossom
core, n. The center or middle part of something
Example: Juan ate his apple all the way to the core.
Variation(s): cores
fruit, n. The part of the plant that contains the seed
Example: Apples are Abigail’s favorite fruit.
Variation(s): fruits
produce, v. To make
Example: Apple trees produce apples.
Variation(s): produces, produced, producing
scrumptious, adj. Something that tastes very good
Example: Dinner last night was so scrumptious that I wish we could eat
it every night.
Variation(s): none

At a Glance Exercise Materials Minutes

What Have We Already Learned? different kinds of fruit
Introducing the Read-Aloud 10
Purpose for Listening
an apple, cut in half to show
Presenting the Read-Aloud The Fruits of Polly’s Labor
the seeds
10

Comprehension Questions Image Cards 2–4 10

Discussing the Read-Aloud
Word Work: Fruit 5

 Complete Remainder of the Lesson Later in the Day

Image Cards 5–12;
various fruits;
Fruits and Seeds chart paper, chalkboard, or
Extensions whiteboard 15
[This exercise requires
advance preparation.]
Multiple Meaning Word Activity: Pit Poster 3M: Pit
Take-Home Material Family Letter Instructional Master 6B-1 *

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The Fruits of Polly’s Labor 6A
Introducing the Read-Aloud 10 minutes
What Have We Already Learned?
Remind students that plants have different parts. Review with
students the names of the important parts of plants (roots,
stems, branches, leaves, flowers, and seeds). Explain that today
students are going to learn more about another plant part, the
fruit. If possible, show examples of different kinds of fruit, and help
students name each kind.
Review with students that the pollination process helps plants
make seeds. The fruit is the part of the plant that contains the
seed.

Purpose for Listening

Tell students that the title of today’s read-aloud is “The Fruits of
Polly’s Labor.” Explain to students that the fruits of someone’s
labor are the results of, or what happened because of, someone’s
hard work. Tell students to listen carefully to find out more about
the fruits of Polly’s labor and this delicious plant part.

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© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Presenting the Read-Aloud 10 minutes
The Fruits of Polly’s Labor
Buzz, buzz! It’s Polly the Honeybee again. Last time I told you
that I visit flowers to collect nectar and pollen for food. I also told
you that I help to pollinate flowers by carrying pollen from one
1 What else carries pollen from one flower to another. 1 Today I want to show you some of the results
flower to another? [The wind, other of my hard work. You see, after I pollinate a flower, the plant
insects, birds, and some animals
can all carry pollen from one flower begins to produce seeds. 2 Lots of plants also produce a special
to another.] part to hold the seeds called the fruit.
2 To produce means to make.
Come along and I will show you some different kinds of fruit
that I helped create.
 Show image 6A-1: Apple tree

Here’s an apple tree. Earlier this year, this tree put out
blossoms, which is another word for flowers. Apple blossoms
are full of delicious nectar, which makes me especially love to
buzz over and roll around in those blossoms. The nectar was
3 Scrumptious is another word for scrumptious! 3
delicious. But, look! It was good for the tree, too. Remember that when
bees visit the flowers of plants, they carry pollen from one
4 Remember, this is called flower to another. 4 This apple tree is now full of apples because
pollination. my honeybee friends and I did such a good job pollinating the
blossoms. The apples are fruit, and inside each apple are seeds
5 [Show students an apple cut in half that can grow into new apple trees. 5
to display the seeds.]
The apples took weeks to grow. They were small at first, but
then they got bigger and bigger. Now they are almost ripe. When
the apples are ripe, they will drop off the tree so the seeds can fall
to the ground and start growing into a new apple tree. Or, a person
may come and pick the apple and eat it.
 Show image 6A-2: Sliced apple 6

Here’s an image of an apple that has been picked off the tree
6 This is an image of an apple that
has been sliced, or cut, in half. and sliced open. You can see the seeds. The seeds are the dark
brown things in the center part, called the core. Some people like

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to cut the seeds out of the apple before they eat it. Some people
also cut off the peel on the outside of the apple.
 Show image 6A-3: Cherry tree branch with cherries

Here’s another tree I pollinated. It’s called a cherry tree. Some

time ago, this tree produced lovely pink blossoms, or flowers. Let
me tell you—there’s almost nothing more beautiful than a cherry
tree in full bloom. My bee buddies and I spent a lot of time visiting
this tree when the blossoms were out, and look what’s happened
since then! The flowers are all gone now, but that’s okay because
they did what they were supposed to do. Now the tree has begun
to make seeds and fruit.
 Show image 6A-4: Cherries

Have you ever bitten into a fresh cherry? If you have, your teeth
7 Here, the word pit means the hard have probably bumped into a cherry seed. Inside a cherry is a big
part in the middle of some fruits
that contains the seed. The word pit
hard thing called a cherry pit. 7 The seed of the cherry is actually
can have other meanings. The word inside the cherry pit. The tasty part of the cherry that people
pit also means a hole.
eat is the soft fruit around the pit. To people, that seems like the
8 Why do you think the seed is the important part of a cherry. But, to the plant, the most important
most important part of the plant?
part is the seed that can grow into a new plant. 8
 Show image 6A-5: Strawberry plant

Now here’s a different kind of plant. This is a strawberry plant.

It put out flowers a while ago, and my honey-making pals and I
9 Who are Polly’s honey-making visited those flowers as well. 9 Now you can see that the plant is
pals? making seeds and fruit. We must have pollinated it! The fruits on
10 “The other way around” means the this plant are called strawberries. You saw how the seeds of the
opposite. What is the opposite of apple and the cherry tree grow inside the fruit. With the strawberry
inside the fruit? [Outside the fruit!]
it’s the other way around. 10
 Show image 6A-6: Strawberry

Look at this ripe strawberry. You can see the seeds all over the
outside of the strawberry. The seeds on this strawberry are so
small that people can eat them along with the fruit.

Plants 6A | The Fruits of Polly’s Labor 69

Here’s one last plant. It’s a watermelon plant. This watermelon

plant bloomed a few weeks ago. I visited its flowers and found
the nectar to be quite delicious. I brought some back to my
hive, where the worker bees made it into honey. But, look! The
watermelon plant has been busy making something, too! This
big green thing is the fruit of the watermelon plant. It’s called a
watermelon.
 Show image 6A-8: Watermelon slice

The green part on the outside of the watermelon is called the

rind. The seeds of the watermelon are on the inside of the rind,
along with some red, juicy fruit that people like to eat. Here’s a
watermelon that’s been sliced open. Can you see the black and
white seeds inside? People spit out the seeds when they are
eating the red, squishy part of the watermelon.
Well, that about concludes my little tour. I’m very proud of the
11 Delicious fruit is truly the result of
Polly’s hard work carrying pollen
pollinating work I did this year, and hope you will think of me as
from flower to flower! you are munching on the fruits of my labor! 11

Discussing the Read-Aloud 15 minutes

Comprehension Questions 10 minutes
1. Literal What do we call the special part of a plant that holds
seeds? (The fruit is the special part of a plant that holds
seeds.)
2. Literal What is another word for blossom? (Another word for
blossom is ﬂower.)

70 Plants: 6A | The Fruits of Polly’s Labor

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
3. Literal What are some of the fruits that Polly mentioned?
(Some of the fruits that Polly mentioned include apples,
cherries, strawberries, and watermelons.) Do people eat
these fruits? (Yes, people eat these fruits.) Can you describe
the seeds of each of these fruits? (The seeds of apples are
small and dark brown inside the core. The seeds of cherries
are hard, light-brown pits inside the cherry. The seeds of
strawberries are teeny-tiny seeds on the outside. The seeds
of watermelons are black and sometimes white and are inside
the watermelon.)
4. Inferential Why are the seeds important? (The seeds are
important because they are the beginning of new plants.)
5. Evaluative [Show Image Cards 3 (apple/apple seeds) and 4
(cherry/cherry pits).] How are cherries and their seeds the same
as or different from apples and their seeds? (Cherry seeds are
inside cherry pits, while apple seeds are in the center, or the
core, of the apple. Both cherries and apples have seeds that
are inside the fruit.)
[Please continue to model the Think Pair Share process for
students, as necessary, and scaffold students in their use of the
process.]
I am going to ask a question. I will give you a minute to think about
the question, and then I will ask you to turn to your neighbor and
discuss the question. Finally, I will call on several of you to share
what you discussed with your partner.
6. Evaluative Think Pair Share: [Show Image Cards 2 (strawberry/
strawberry seeds) and 3 (apple/apple seeds).] How are
strawberry seeds different from apple seeds? (Strawberry
seeds are smaller and lighter in color than apple seeds.
Strawberry seeds are on the outside of the fruit, and apple
seeds are on the inside of the fruit.)
7. After hearing today’s read-aloud and questions and answers,
do you have any remaining questions? [If time permits, you may
wish to allow for individual, group, or class research of the text
and/or other resources to answer these remaining questions.]

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© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Word Work: Fruit 5 minutes
1. In the read-aloud you heard, “Lots of plants also produce a
special part to hold the seeds called the fruit.”
2. Say the word fruit with me.
3. Fruit is the part of the plant that holds the seeds.
4. My favorite fruit is the apple because it is delicious in pies.
5. Tell about your favorite fruit, and then say why it is your favorite
fruit. Try to use the word fruit when you tell about it. [Ask two
or three students. If necessary, guide and/or rephrase the
students’ responses: “My favorite fruit is because . . .”]
6. What’s the word we’ve been talking about?
Use a Making Choices activity for follow-up. Directions: I am
going to name some foods. If I name a fruit, say, “That is a fruit.”
If I name something that is not a fruit, say, “That is not a fruit.”
Remember to answer in complete sentences.
1. a banana (A banana is a fruit.)
2. pizza (Pizza is not a fruit.)
3. a lemon (A lemon is a fruit.)
4. a grape (A grape is a fruit.)
5. a hot dog (A hot dog is not a fruit.)

 Complete Remainder of the Lesson Later in the Day

72 Plants: 6A | The Fruits of Polly’s Labor

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
The Fruits of Polly’s Labor 6B
Extensions 15 minutes
Fruits and Seeds
Play a guessing game using Image Cards 5–12 (various fruits
and seeds). Have students try and guess which seed goes with
which fruit. Record their answers on chart paper, a chalkboard, or
whiteboard, and then show students which fruits go with which
seeds. See how many they get right!
If possible, also bring in a few different kinds of fruit, and show
students the seeds of the fruits.

 Multiple Meaning Word Activity

Definition Detective: Pit
1. In the read-aloud you heard, “Inside a cherry is a big hard
thing called a cherry pit.”
2. With your neighbor, think of as many meanings for pit or ways
you can use the word pit.
3. [Show Poster 3M: Pit.] Which picture on the poster shows
how the word pit is used in the lesson? [Have students hold
up one, two, or three fingers to indicate which image on the
poster shows this meaning.]
4. Pit can also mean other things. Pit can mean a hole in the
ground. [Have students hold up one, two, or three fingers to
indicate which image on the poster shows this meaning.]
5. Pit can also mean to compete against each other, like in a
race. [Have students hold up one, two, or three fingers to
indicate which image on the poster shows this meaning.]
6. Now quiz your neighbor on the different meanings of pit. For
example you could say, “I ate my peach all the way down to
the pit.” Your neighbor should hold up one finger to show you
that you meant that kind of pit.

Plants 6B | The Fruits of Polly’s Labor 73

74 Plants: 6B | The Fruits of Polly’s Labor

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Johnny Appleseed 7
 Lesson Objectives
Core Content Objectives
Students will:
 Identify the parts of specific plants that are eaten by people
 Explain that seeds are the beginning of new plants
 Demonstrate familiarity with the tall tale “Johnny Appleseed”

Language Arts Objectives

The following language arts objectives are addressed in this
lesson. Objectives aligning with the Common Core State
Standards are noted with the corresponding standard in
parentheses. Refer to the Alignment Chart for additional standards
addressed in all lessons in this domain.
Students will:
 Recall facts from “Johnny Appleseed” and accurately answer
questions such as who, what, where, when (RL.K.1)
 Interpret information to answer questions and express opinions
about “Johnny Appleseed,” including answering why questions
that require recognizing cause/effect relationships (RL.K.1)
 Sequence and describe seven pictures illustrating events in
“Johnny Appleseed” (RL.K.2)
 With prompting and support, use narrative language to describe
characters and events in “Johnny Appleseed” (RL.K.3)
 Define and use new words, such as hero, from the read-aloud
and the discussion about “Johnny Appleseed” (RL.K.4)
 Listen to a variety of texts, including fictional stories such as the
tall tale “Johnny Appleseed” (RL.K.5)
 Actively engage in fiction read-alouds (RL.K.10)

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© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
 Prior to listening to “Johnny Appleseed,” identify orally what
they know about seeds, flowers, and fruit from the previous
read-alouds
 Use temporal language to express story events in sequential
order

Core Vocabulary
eventually, adv. At some later time; in the end
Example: After weeks of practice, the boy eventually mastered his piano
piece.
Variation(s): none
hero, n. A very brave person
Example: The fireman who saved the cat stuck in the tree was a hero.
Variation(s): heroes
orchards, n. Areas of land where fruit trees are grown
Example: They were picking apples in the orchards.
Variation(s): orchard

At a Glance Exercise Materials Minutes

What Have We Already Learned?
Introducing the Read-Aloud 10
Purpose for Listening
Presenting the Read-Aloud Johnny Appleseed map or globe 10
Comprehension Questions 10
Discussing the Read-Aloud
Word Work: Hero 5

 Complete Remainder of the Lesson Later in the Day

chart paper, chalkboard, or
Extensions Image Review
whiteboard
15

76 Plants: 7 | Johnny Appleseed

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Johnny Appleseed 7A
Introducing the Read-Aloud 10 minutes
What Have We Already Learned?
Discuss with students what they remember about seeds,
blossoms or flowers, and fruits. You may wish to prompt them with
the following questions:
• The life cycle of a plant begins with what part of the plant?
(seed)
• What is another word for blossom? (flower)
• What do we call the special plant part that holds seeds? (the
fruit)
• What are some of the fruits that Polly talked about? (apples,
cherries, strawberries, and watermelons)
Tell students they are about to hear a tall tale about a famous
man named Johnny Appleseed, who lived long ago. A tall tale is a
humorous story that stretches the truth. Ask students if they can
guess, from his name, what Johnny Appleseed’s favorite fruit was.

Purpose for Listening

Tell students to listen carefully to find out about the special things
Johnny Appleseed did that make us remember him today.

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© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Presenting the Read-Aloud 10 minutes
Johnny Appleseed
 Show image 7A-1: Johnny Appleseed

A long time ago in the rolling hills, there lived a man called
Johnny Appleseed. Johnny Appleseed did not have a home, but
1 Wander means to travel from
place to place without knowing
instead wandered across the country from Massachusetts to
exactly where you are going next. Pennsylvania to Ohio to Indiana to Illinois. 1 Johnny wasn’t born
[Trace the path Johnny Appleseed with the name Johnny Appleseed, but he got that name as he
wandered on a map.]
moved from one small town to the next. Listen to hear how Johnny
2 A hero is a very brave person.
got that name and why he became a hero to many people. 2
 Show image 7A-2: Johnny Appleseed in the woods

Johnny was born in Massachusetts with the name John

Chapman. When Johnny grew up, he decided to travel across
the country. People could tell from Johnny’s clothing that he was
really very poor. His clothes were shabby, and he walked around
3 When something is shabby, it is barefoot—even in the winter. 3 His hat was so threadbare that
very old and torn. To walk around you could see his hair beneath it. But despite his loneliness and
barefoot means to walk around
wearing nothing on your feet. poverty, Johnny had a brave heart. 4 He believed in the power of
4 Even though Johnny was usually love. He loved all the people and all the animals he met along the
alone and very poor, he was happy way. In fact, Johnny often thought to himself that he loved all the
and brave.
people and all the animals in the world even though he had never
met them.
 Show image 7A-3: Johnny Appleseed playing violin

The people Johnny met along the way enjoyed his company.
They would often invite him to share in a simple meal. Johnny
would accept the invitation with a smile. After the meal he would
take out the one possession he owned that was worth anything—
5 [Point to the violin in the image.] his violin. 5 Then he would play for the people who had been kind
to him. Sometimes his music was happy, and sometimes it was
sad. People loved to hear Johnny play. Whether his music was
happy or sad, they said it soothed their soul and made them feel
happier.

78 Plants: 7A | Johnny Appleseed

Johnny lived most of his adult life this way. He wandered from
place to place and survived as best he could. You might think
that Johnny left no mark upon the land, or no great memory of
6 This means that you might think his existence once he had passed away. 6 After all, how could he
Johnny was not an important
have, as he was just a poor old man who wandered from place to
person and that people might
forget about him. place? But Johnny did indeed leave something of himself behind:
7 or amazing something quite extraordinary 7 and something that would give him
the name Johnny Appleseed.
You see, as he traveled across the country from town to town,
and from farm to farm, he collected apple seeds. The apple seeds
came from the apples kind strangers gave him to eat along the
8 What happens when you plant
seeds?
way. Johnny saved the seeds and planted them in the rich earth.
He planted them here, there, and everywhere. 8
 Show image 7A-5: Apple trees dotting the landscape

When wintertime came, and the earth was frozen, he saved the
seeds in his pockets as if they were precious diamonds. Then,
when springtime came again, he planted the seeds as he moved
from place to place. Johnny hoped that one day orchards, or
places where fruit trees grow, would eventually grow up from the
9 When something happens
eventually, it does not happen rich soil and feed all the people and animals he loved so much. 9
quickly, but happens after some Johnny did this until his tired old body could plant no more.
time has passed.
10 An oasis is a nice and comfortable
However, what Johnny hoped for came to pass. The apple
place to be. The apple trees made seeds took root and young saplings began to grow. As the years
the land look very good and went by, beautiful apple trees dotted the landscape. Apple
pleasant to live in.
orchards appeared like an oasis on the wide-open prairies. 10
 Show image 7A-6: Farmhouses dotting the landscape

Eventually, more and more people began to move West.

Wagons full of hopeful people rolled across the land. Later, the
railroad brought even more hopeful people. All of these people
were searching for new places to make a home.
Incredibly, many people chose to build their homes near the
apple trees and orchards that Johnny had planted. The sight of the

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© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
11 Prosperous means successful. trees gave people hope of a fruitful and prosperous future. 11 Farm
houses, and then towns, were built near the trees that Johnny had
12 Why might people call Johnny planted. He became a hero to all those who loved the apple trees
a hero? How did planting apple
seeds help people?
as much as Johnny did, and they began to call John Chapman
Johnny Appleseed. 12
 Show image 7A-7: Kids playing around an apple tree

As the years went by, people harvested the apples from the
trees Johnny had planted, and stored them away for the winter
months. They made pies, apple butter, and jam. Children played
beneath the branches of the apple trees or sat in the cooling
shade. These things happened because Johnny Appleseed had
cared about all the people of the world, whether he knew them or
not.

Discussing the Read-Aloud 15 minutes

Comprehension Questions 10 minutes
1. Literal Who is the main character in this story? (Johnny
Appleseed is the main character in this story.)
2. Literal Where did Johnny Appleseed get apple seeds for
planting? (The apple seeds came from the apples kind people
gave him to eat.)
3. Inferential How did John Chapman get the nickname Johnny
Appleseed? (John Chapman was called Johnny Appleseed
because he loved apple trees and planted apple seeds.)
4. Literal What was the beginning of the life cycle of the trees
planted by Johnny Appleseed? (The beginning of the life cycle
of the trees planted by Johnny Appleseed is the apple seed.)
5. Inferential Why did people decide to build their homes near
the apple trees that Johnny had planted? (The people liked
the way the apple trees looked. The apple trees gave them
hope for a fruitful and prosperous future.)
[Please continue to model the Think Pair Share process for students,
as necessary, and scaffold students in their use of the process.]

80 Plants: 7A | Johnny Appleseed

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
I am going to ask a question. I will give you a minute to think about
the question, and then I will ask you to turn to your neighbor and
discuss the question. Finally, I will have several of you share what
you discussed with your partner.
6. Evaluative Think Pair Share: How did the apple seeds that
Johnny planted help people? (Answers may vary.)
7. After hearing today’s read-aloud and questions and answers,
do you have any remaining questions? [If time permits, you may
wish to allow for individual, group, or class research of the text
and/or other resources to answer these remaining questions.]

Word Work: Hero 5 minutes

1. In the read-aloud you heard, “Listen to hear how Johnny got
[his] name and why he became a hero to many people.”
2. Say the word hero with me.
3. A hero is a very brave person who has done important things.
4. A person may be considered a hero to a small group of people
like your family, or to a larger group of people such as the
people in our country or the people around the world. George
Washington is considered a hero because he was very brave
and became our first president.
5. Think about some of the people that you know or have heard
about that have been very brave and done important things.
Try to use the word hero when you tell about them. [Ask two
or three students. If necessary, guide and/or rephrase the
students’ responses: “My grandma is my hero because . . .”]
6. What’s the word we’ve been talking about?
Use a Sharing activity for follow-up. Directions: Who do you consider
a hero? You may choose people in the school or community, or
people you have studied or read about in the classroom. Be sure to
begin your responses with “I think is a hero because . . .”

 Complete Remainder of the Lesson Later in the Day

Plants 7A | Johnny Appleseed 81

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Johnny Appleseed 7B
Extensions 15 minutes
Image Review
Show images 7A-1 through 7A-7. Ask students to explain what is
happening in each picture. Help them to create a continuous retelling
of the narrative that follows the life and adventures of Johnny
Appleseed. As students discuss each image, remember to repeat
and expand upon each response using richer and more complex
language, including, if possible, any read-aloud vocabulary. Also
encourage the use of temporal vocabulary to help in introducing and
sequencing events and ideas: ﬁrst, then, next, later, ﬁnally, etc. You
may want to record the students’ story on chart paper, a chalkboard,
or a whiteboard, so that you can reread their version to them.

82 Plants: 7B | Johnny Appleseed

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Deciduous Trees 8
 Lesson Objectives
Core Content Objectives
Students will:
 Explain that deciduous trees are one type of plant that loses its
leaves in the fall and becomes dormant in the winter
 Compare and contrast deciduous and evergreen trees
 Identify how deciduous trees are important to people and nature

Language Arts Objectives

The following language arts objectives are addressed in this
lesson. Objectives aligning with the Common Core State
Standards are noted with the corresponding standard in
parentheses. Refer to the Alignment Chart for additional standards
addressed in all lessons in this domain.
Students will:
 With prompting and support, identify the main topic and retell
key details from “Deciduous Trees” (RI.K.2)
 Define and use new words, such as bare, from the read-aloud
and the discussion about “Deciduous Trees” (RI.K.4)
 Describe an image of a forest full of deciduous and evergreen
trees in “Deciduous Trees,” using the image to check and
support comprehension of the read-aloud (RI.K.7)
 Actively engage in the nonfiction/informational read-aloud
“Deciduous Trees” (RI.K.10)
 Color a picture of deciduous trees to show the colors of the
seasons: spring, summer, fall, and winter (W.K.2)
 Create a drawing with sufficient detail of deciduous trees in
spring, summer, fall, and winter (SL.K.5)

Plants 8 | Deciduous Trees 83

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
 Listen to a variety of texts, including informational text such as
“Deciduous Trees”
 Prior to listening to “Deciduous Trees,” identify orally that
Johnny Appleseed loved apple trees because they provide food
for many people
 Prior to listening to “Deciduous Trees,” orally predict whether
apple trees are deciduous or evergreen trees based on the title,
pictures, and/or text heard thus far, and then compare the actual
outcome to the prediction

Core Vocabulary
bare, adj. Without any covering
Example: He walked around the house in bare feet.
Variation(s): barer, barest
deciduous, adj. Losing leaves every year
Example: A deciduous tree starts losing its leaves in autumn.
Variation(s): none
dormant, adj. Not active; asleep
Example: The tree was dormant during the long winter.
Variation(s): none
habitat, n. A place where an animal or plant lives that has food, water, and
shelter
Example: A plant that needs a lot of water lives in a habitat where there
is a lot of rain.
Variation(s): habitats
sheds, v. Drops, loses, or separates from something
Example: Our dog sheds hair from his coat wherever he lies.
Variation(s): shed, shedding

84 Plants: 8 | Deciduous Trees

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
At a Glance Exercise Materials Minutes
What Do We Know?
Introducing the Read-Aloud 10
Purpose for Listening
Presenting the Read-Aloud Deciduous Trees 10
Comprehension Questions 10
Discussing the Read-Aloud
Word Work: Bare 5

 Complete Remainder of the Lesson Later in the Day

Instructional Master 8B-1;
Drawing the Read-Aloud
drawing tools
Extensions 15
Vocabulary Instructional Activity:
drawing paper, drawing tools
Year

Plants 8 | Deciduous Trees 85

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Deciduous Trees 8A
Introducing the Read-Aloud 10 minutes
What Do We Know?
 Show image 8A-1: Winter forest

Ask students to describe what they see in the picture. Tell students
that this is a picture of a forest. Forests are made up of many trees
and other plants. Ask students to describe the trees in the picture.
You may wish to prompt discussion with the following questions:

• What time of year is it?

• What living things do you see?
• How are these trees different from one another?
Explain that there are two types of trees in this picture: deciduous
(dih-SIJ-oo-uhs) and evergreen. Point to each type of tree as you
describe it. Tell students that the evergreen trees in this picture
still have their leaves, even in the winter. A good way to remember
these trees is by the word ever in their name. Ever means always.
So an evergreen tree is always green. Ask students if they can see
the green in the picture.
Explain that deciduous trees do not keep their leaves in the winter.
Deciduous means that the trees lose, or shed, their leaves in the
fall and grow them again in the spring. Have one volunteer point to
a deciduous tree and one volunteer point to an evergreen tree in
the picture.

Purpose for Listening

Tell students that the main topic, or main idea, of today’s lesson
is deciduous trees. Tell them to listen carefully to find out what
happens to deciduous trees throughout the year.

86 Plants: 8A | Deciduous Trees

There are many different kinds of plants in the world. Although

each is unique and special in its own way, most plants found on
1 [Point again to each type of tree in land are either deciduous or evergreen. 1 Remember, a deciduous
the picture.] plant is one that loses its leaves; an evergreen plant is one that
does not lose its leaves and is always green.
 Show image 8A-2: Apple tree in winter

This is a picture of an apple tree in the winter. An apple tree

2 Here, the word sheds means loses.
sheds, or loses, its leaves every year, so it is a deciduous tree. 2
The word sheds can have other
meanings. The word sheds also Deciduous is a tricky word to say because it has four parts. Let’s
means small buildings used to say the word together. 3 The four parts of the word deciduous can
store things.
actually help you remember that deciduous trees change in each
3 [Clap out the four syllables of dih-
S I J -oo-uhs as you say them. Have of the four seasons. Seasons happen in a cycle, or circle, over and
students clap as they say the word over again: spring, summer, fall, and winter. Let’s start with spring,
with you.]
when new things start growing.

 Show image 8A-3: Apple tree in spring

In the spring, the apple tree produces new leaves and apple
blossoms, or flowers. Remember Polly the Honeybee? This is
the time of year when she starts taking nectar from the inside of
4 Who remembers what this is
called? [Pollination.] flowers. When she flies from flower to flower, she helps spread the
pollen that is going to help the apples grow. 4
 Show image 8A-4: Apple tree in summer

In the summer, the apple tree grows many more green leaves.
Apples begin to grow out of the blossoms.
 Show image 8A-5: Apple tree in fall

In the fall, the apples of the apple tree are fully grown and
ready to pick. The leaves on the apple tree start to change to red
and yellow, and then they fall off onto the ground. Over time, the
5 Who remembers what nutrients leaves on the ground will break down into tiny pieces and become
are?
nutrients in the soil. 5

Plants 8A | Deciduous Trees 87

Here is the apple tree again in winter. Remember, the seasons

repeat in a cycle, or circle, over and over again, every year. This
apple tree has bare branches again, meaning they are empty and
without covering or leaves. That is because plants do not get
as much sunlight during the winter as they do during the spring
and summer. In the apple tree’s habitat, the weather becomes
6 A habitat is a place where an cold, and there is less light from the sun. 6 With less light from the
animal or plant lives.
sun, the tree’s leaves cannot make food through photosynthesis.
7 To become dormant means to
be asleep and not active. [Have Because the apple tree cannot make food during the winter, it
students act like they are sleeping. must conserve, or save, its energy. It does this by becoming
Explain that when they sleep, they
are not able to do anything.] dormant. 7 When the apple tree goes dormant, it stops making
leaves, blossoms, and apples, and its branches become bare.
 Show image 8A-7: Apple tree in the four seasons 8

This image shows an apple tree in all four seasons. Remember,

8 [Point to each season as you
the apple tree is a deciduous tree because it loses its leaves every
review.]
year. In the spring, an apple tree is nice to look at with its white
blossoms. In the summer, you can climb its branches, sit under
the shade of its large green leaves, and admire the apples as they
grow out of the blossoms. In the fall, you can pick the apple tree’s
fruit and watch its leaves change colors before falling off. In the
winter, you can play in the snow under its bare branches.
Although trees are special to us in many ways, it is important
to remember that trees are also very important in nature. Trees—
more than any other plants—help keep the air clean and safe to
breathe, which you will learn more about later. They also provide
food and homes for countless animals. So, next time you see a
big deciduous tree, wrap your arms around it and give it a big hug,
just to show you understand how important it is.

88 Plants: 8A | Deciduous Trees

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Discussing the Read-Aloud 15 minutes
Comprehension Questions 10 minutes
1. Inferential What is the main topic, or main idea, of today’s
read-aloud? (The main topic of today’s read-aloud is
deciduous plants.)
2. Literal What are deciduous plants? (Deciduous plants are
plants that lose their leaves.)
3. Literal When do deciduous plants start to lose their leaves?
(Deciduous plants start to lose their leaves in the fall.)
4. Inferential Why are deciduous plants bare in the winter?
(Deciduous leaves are bare in the winter because they do not
get enough sunlight to make food.)
5. Inferential Which kind of plant is the apple tree? (An apple tree
is a deciduous plant.) How do you know? (Apple trees lose
their leaves in the fall.)
[Please continue to model the Think Pair Share process for
students, as necessary, and scaffold students in their use of the
process.]
I am going to ask a question. I will give you a minute to think about
the question, and then I will ask you to turn to your neighbor and
discuss the question. Finally, I will have several of you share what
you discussed with your partner.
6. Evaluative Think Pair Share: How can people enjoy apple trees
during the different seasons? (Answers may vary, but should
reflect an understanding of the different seasons of the apple
tree.)
7. After hearing today’s read-aloud and questions and answers,
do you have any remaining questions? [If time permits, you
may wish to allow for individual, group, or class research of
the text and/or other resources to answer these remaining
questions.]

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© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Word Work: Bare 5 minutes
1. In the read-aloud you heard, “This apple tree has bare
branches again, meaning that they are empty and without
covering or leaves.”
2. Say the word bare with me.
3. If something is bare, it is not covered.
4. We might talk about parts of our body being bare, such as
going barefoot. Or we might talk about objects being bare,
such as cupboards that don’t have anything in them.
5. Can you think of some things that you might describe as
being bare? Try to use the word bare when you tell about
it. [Ask two or three students. If necessary, guide and/or
rephrase the students’ responses: “The is bare.”]
6. What’s the word we’ve been talking about?
Use a Making Choices activity for follow-up. Directions: I am
going to read some sentences. If I say something that is bare, say,
“ is bare.” If I say something that is not bare, say, “ is
not bare.” Remember to answer in complete sentences.
1. The branches of the tree are covered with leaves. (The
branches of the tree are not bare.)
2. My hands are cold because they are not covered. (My hands
are bare.)
3. There is nothing on my desk. (My desk is bare.)
4. The ground is covered with acorns. (The ground is not bare.)
5. My grandfather has no hat on his head. (My grandfather’s
head is bare.)

 Complete Remainder of the Lesson Later in the Day

90 Plants: 8A | Deciduous Trees

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Deciduous Trees 8B
Extensions 15 minutes
Drawing the Read-Aloud (Instructional Master 8B-1)
Ask students to think about how a deciduous apple tree looks in
each season: spring, summer, fall, and winter. Ask students to
think about how they can show this in a picture with the parts of
the tree and with different colors.
Give each student a copy of Instructional Master 8B-1, and have
them color the trees and backgrounds to show the seasons.

 Vocabulary Instructional Activity

Word Work: Year
1. In the read-aloud you heard, “An apple tree sheds, or loses,
its leaves every year, so it is a deciduous tree.”
2. Say the word year with me.
3. A year is one way we measure time. There are four seasons in
a year: spring, summer, fall, and winter.
4. On my birthday, I am one year older. This year, I will turn six
years old.
5. What is something you do every year? Try to use the word
year when you tell about it. [Ask two or three students. If
necessary, guide and/or rephrase the students’ responses:
“Every year, I . . .”]
6. What’s the word we’ve been talking about?
Use a Drawing activity for follow-up. Directions: Draw a picture
of what has happened to you so far this school year. Then talk
to your partner about what you drew. Be sure to begin your
responses with “So far this school year, I have . . .”

Plants 8B | Deciduous Trees 91

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Evergreen Trees 9
 Lesson Objectives
Core Content Objectives
Students will:
 Explain that evergreen trees are one type of plant that stays
green all year and does not become dormant in the winter
 Compare and contrast deciduous and evergreen trees
Language Arts Objectives
The following language arts objectives are addressed in this
lesson. Objectives aligning with the Common Core State
Standards are noted with the corresponding standard in
parentheses. Refer to the Alignment Chart for additional standards
addressed in all lessons in this domain.
Students will:
 With prompting and support, identify the main topic and retell
key details from “Evergreen Trees” (RI.K.2)
 Define and use new words, such as evergreen, from the read-
aloud and the discussion about “Evergreen Trees” (RI.K.4)
 Describe an image of a forest of deciduous and evergreen trees
in “Evergreen Trees,” using the image to check and support
comprehension of the read-aloud (RI.K.7)
 Orally compare and contrast deciduous trees (from the previous
read-aloud) and evergreen trees (from this read-aloud) (RI.K.9)
 Actively engage in the nonfiction/informational read-aloud
“Evergreen Trees” (RI.K.10)

92 Plants: 9 | Evergreen Trees

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
 Draw an evergreen tree that includes cones and green needles
and that reflects different seasons or weather, (e.g., snow-
covered in winter) (W.K.2)
 Create a drawing with sufficient detail of an evergreen tree
(SL.K.5)

 Listen to a variety of texts, including informational text such as

“Evergreen Trees”
 Prior to listening to “Evergreen Trees,” identify orally what they
learned about deciduous trees in the previous read-aloud

Core Vocabulary
cones, n. The parts of some evergreen plants that contain the seeds
Example: Evan picked up the cones from under the evergreen tree.
Variation(s): cone
conifers, n. Evergreen trees that have needle-like leaves
Example: Evelyn tried not to prick her finger on the sharp needles of the
conifers.
Variation(s): conifer
deciduous, adj. Losing leaves every year
Example: A deciduous tree starts losing its leaves in autumn.
Variation(s): none
evergreen, adj. Having green leaves all year round
Example: The evergreen tree still looked green in the winter.
Variation(s): none
needles, n. Very thin leaves
Example: The needles on the pine tree were prickly.
Variation(s): needle

At a Glance Exercise Materials Minutes

What Have We Already Learned?
Introducing the Read-Aloud 10
Purpose for Listening
Presenting the Read-Aloud Evergreen Trees 10
Comprehension Questions 10
Discussing the Read-Aloud Word Work: Deciduous and
5
Evergreen

 Complete Remainder of the Lesson Later in the Day

drawing paper and drawing
Extensions Drawing the Read-Aloud
tools
15

Plants 9 | Evergreen Trees 93

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Evergreen Trees 9A
Introducing the Read-Aloud 10 minutes
What Have We Already Learned?
 Show image 9A-1: Winter forest

Review with students what they have learned about deciduous

trees. Prompt discussion with the image and the following
questions:

• What are the two main types of trees? (evergreen and

deciduous) How are they different? (Evergreen trees stay green
all year; deciduous trees lose their leaves in the fall.)
• What happens to the leaves of deciduous trees in the fall or
autumn? (The leaves of deciduous trees are shed in autumn.)
• Why do deciduous trees lose their leaves in the fall? (Deciduous
trees lose their leaves because they become dormant and stop
making leaves to conserve energy during the winter.)
• When do deciduous trees begin to grow new leaves?
(Deciduous trees grow new leaves in the spring.)

Purpose for Listening

Tell students that the main topic, or main idea, of today’s lesson
is evergreen trees. Tell students to listen carefully to learn about
evergreen trees and to find out how they are different from
deciduous trees.

94 Plants: 9A | Evergreen Trees

The trees in this picture are all evergreen trees. Evergreen trees
are similar and different to the deciduous trees you learned about
earlier.
We use the word evergreen to describe plants that have leaves
1 Do you remember what word is and stay green year-round. Evergreens come in a variety of shapes
inside the word evergreen that and sizes, but they all have at least one obvious thing in common:
helps us to know they are always
green? they are always green. 1 Are there any evergreen trees like these
near your home?
 Show image 9A-3: Christmas tree

One type of evergreen tree is called a pine tree. Pine trees have
a pleasant smell, which many people like to have in their homes
during the winter months.
 Show image 9A-4: Pine needles

The leaves of most evergreen trees are called needles. 2 This

2 Needles are very thin leaves.
picture shows the needles of a pine tree. Evergreen trees, like
deciduous trees, make food through photosynthesis, which occurs
3 Do you remember what in these tiny, needle leaves. 3 Photosynthesis slows down during
photosynthesis is? [Photosynthesis the winter in evergreen trees, but it does not stop altogether as it
is how plants use light to turn
water and air into food.] does in deciduous trees. Because the needles of an evergreen tree
are much smaller than the leaves of a deciduous tree, it is easier
for the evergreen tree to make enough food to keep most of its
leaves alive and on the tree all year long.
 Show image 9A-5: Pine cones on ground

Wherever you find evergreen trees, you are also likely to find
4 Here, the word cones means the
parts of some evergreen trees that these things scattered around on the ground. If you look up while
contain the seeds. The word cones standing under an evergreen tree, you might see some of these
can have other meanings. The word
growing on the tree’s branches. They are called cones. 4
cones also means shapes like ice-
cream cones.

Plants 9A | Evergreen Trees 95

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Most evergreen trees are called conifers, which is another word
for trees that have needle-like leaves and make cones. The cones
in this picture are called pine cones. Unlike deciduous trees, which
have flowers and fruit, conifer trees do not have flowers and they
do not grow fruit. Instead, conifer trees make cones, and seeds
grow inside their cones. When a cone opens on the ground, the
5 Why are the seeds important?
seeds fall out and are spread by the wind. 5 If a seed falls into the
6 Do you remember what a sapling
is? [A sapling is a baby tree.] soil and has the right amount of food, water, air, and light, it might
grow into a seedling and then a sapling. 6
 Show image 9A-6: Pine sapling

The first plants you will notice in this picture are ferns, which
are not evergreens or trees. Ferns are short plants that grow in
the woods. If you have sharp eyes, though, you can see another
type of plant in this picture. There is a little pine sapling—a baby
7 [Point to the pine sapling in the tree—pushing its way through the ferns. 7 If the sapling is tough—
picture.] as many pine trees are—it will continue growing until it stands high
above the ferns. It may grow big enough to produce its own pine
cones one day. Remember that the seeds to make new pine trees
are inside the cones.
 Show image 9A-7: Tree rings

Did you know that a tree adds a new layer of wood each year?
This new layer forms what is called a growth ring. When you cut
down a tree, you can see the growth rings. You can tell exactly
8 How old do you think this tree is? how old a tree is by counting the rings. 8
This tree was a little more than fifty years old, which is actually
pretty young for a tree. If it hadn’t been cut down, this tree might
have lived to have a hundred or more growth rings!
 Show image 9A-8: Pine branch and oak branch

Remember, evergreen trees and deciduous trees are the two

main types of trees found in the world. Next time you see a tree,
try to figure out whether it is an evergreen or a deciduous tree. The
leaves may give you your first clue.

96 Plants: 9A | Evergreen Trees

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Discussing the Read-Aloud 15 minutes
Comprehension Questions 10 minutes
1. Inferential What is the main topic, or main idea, of today’s
read-aloud? (The main topic of today’s read-aloud is
evergreen trees.)
2. Literal What is an evergreen tree? (An evergreen tree is a tree
that stays green year-round.)
3. Literal What important part of a plant is found in cones?
(Seeds are found in cones.)
4. Inferential What are the leaves of an evergreen called?
(The leaves of an evergreen are called needles.) Why are
the needles of an evergreen important? (The needles of an
evergreen are important because that is where the plant’s food
is made during photosynthesis.)
5. Inferential How can you tell how old a tree is? (You can tell
how old a tree is by counting the growth rings. Each ring
equals one year.)
[Please continue to model the Think Pair Share process for
students, as necessary, and scaffold students in their use of the
process.]
I am going to ask a question. I will give you a minute to think about
the question, and then I will ask you to turn to your partner and
discuss the question. Finally, I will have several of you share what
you discussed with your partner.
6. Evaluative Think Pair Share: How are deciduous trees and
evergreen trees alike? How are they different? (They both
need the same things and have some of the same parts.
Deciduous trees have broad leaves that all fall to the ground
in the autumn, while evergreen trees have thin needles that do
not all fall to the ground at the same time.)
7. After hearing today’s read-aloud and questions and answers,
do you have any remaining questions? [If time permits, you may
wish to allow for individual, group, or class research of the text
and/or other resources to answer these remaining questions.]

Plants 9A | Evergreen Trees 97

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Word Work: Deciduous and Evergreen 5 minutes
1. In the read-aloud you heard, “Evergreen trees are similar and
different to the deciduous trees you learned about earlier.”
2. Say the word deciduous with me. Now, say the word
evergreen.
3. If a plant is deciduous, it loses all of its leaves in the fall. If a
plant is evergreen, it keeps some green leaves or needles all
year long.
4. We can look at most trees and identify them as deciduous or
evergreen.
5. Have you ever seen deciduous trees or evergreen trees? Try
to use the words deciduous and/or evergreen when you tell
about them and what they look like. [Ask two or three students.
If necessary, guide and/or rephrase the students’ responses: “I
saw a deciduous tree . . . and an evergreen tree . . .”]
6. What are the words we’ve been talking about?
Use a Making Choices activity for follow-up. Directions: I am going to
read a sentence. If the sentence I read describes a deciduous tree,
say, “The sentence describes a deciduous tree.” If the sentence I
read describes an evergreen tree, say, “The sentence describes an
evergreen tree.” Remember to answer in complete sentences.
1. The trees in the forest are beautiful in the autumn with their red
and yellow leaves. (The sentence describes deciduous trees.)
2. The ground is covered with pine cones that have fallen from
the tree. (The sentence describes an evergreen tree.)
3. In winter, the branches of the tree are bare. (The sentence
describes a deciduous tree.)
4. The trees in our backyard stay green all year long. (The
sentence describes evergreen trees.)
5. The tree makes its food in the thin leaves called needles. (The
sentence describes an evergreen tree.)

 Complete Remainder of the Lesson Later in the Day

98 Plants: 9A | Evergreen Trees

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Evergreen Trees 9B
Extensions 15 minutes
Drawing the Read-Aloud
Give each student a piece of paper, and have them draw an
evergreen tree. Remind them to include cones and green needles.
Remind them that although evergreen trees are always green, they
can look different depending on the season or weather. Encourage
students to draw a background to help show these differences.
Remember to repeat and expand upon students’ responses using
richer and more complex language, including, if possible, any
read-aloud vocabulary.

Plants 9B | Evergreen Trees 99

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Plants and People 10
 Lesson Objectives
Core Content Objectives
Students will:
 Identify things that plants provide to people: oxygen, food, and
important products

Language Arts Objectives

The following language arts objectives are addressed in this
lesson. Objectives aligning with the Common Core State
Standards are noted with the corresponding standard in
parentheses. Refer to the Alignment Chart for additional standards
addressed in all lessons in this domain.
Students will:
 With prompting and support, describe the connection between
the read-aloud on fruits and what parts of plants people eat, and
the ways plants are important to people (RI.K.3)
 Define and use new words, such as bouquet, from the read-
aloud and the discussion about “Plants and People” (RI.K.4)
 Describe an image of fruits and vegetables in “Plants and
People,” using the image to check and support comprehension
of the read-aloud (RI.K.7)
 Actively engage in the nonfiction/informational read-aloud
“Plants and People” (RI.K.10)
 Listen to a variety of texts, including informational text such as
“Plants and People”
 Prior to listening to “Plants and People,” identify orally what they
learned about fruit and what parts of fruit people eat

100 Plants: 10 | Plants and People

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Core Vocabulary
bouquet, n. A bunch of flowers that has been arranged and wrapped
Example: I gave my mom a bouquet of roses on Mother’s Day.
Variation(s): bouquets
lumberjack, n. A person who cuts down trees; a logger
Example: The lumberjack carefully cut down the huge oak tree.
Variation(s): lumberjacks
medicines, n. Substances given to a sick person to help them feel better
Example: The doctor gave Javier two different medicines to help him
feel better.
Variation(s): medicine
oxygen, n. A gas found in air and water
Example: We breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide.
Variation(s): none
provide, v. To supply or give something
Example: Your teacher will provide the paper, but you must bring a
pencil.
Variation(s): provides, provided, providing

At a Glance Exercise Materials Minutes

What Have We Already Learned?
Introducing the Read-Aloud 10
Purpose for Listening
Presenting the Read-Aloud Plants and People 10
Comprehension Questions 10
Discussing the Read-Aloud
Word Work: Bouquet 5

 Complete Remainder of the Lesson Later in the Day

Extensions Plant Parts We Use Instructional Master 10B-1 15

Plants 10 | Plants and People 101

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Plants and People 10A
Introducing the Read-Aloud 10 minutes
What Have We Already Learned?
Remind students that they have already learned several different
ways that people make use of different parts of plants. Guide
them as needed in remembering the different fruits and the parts
of those fruits that people eat. Ask students to name a couple of
the fruits that they have learned about. Remind students about the
gigantic turnip they heard about, and review with them the parts of
a turnip that people eat (both the tops, or greens, and the roots).
Tell students that in today’s lesson, they will learn that plants
provide two very important things for animals and humans to
survive: oxygen and food. Have students take a deep breath. Tell
students that when you breathe in, oxygen goes into your body.
Just like we must eat everyday, we must also breathe oxygen in
order to survive.

Purpose for Listening

Tell students that eating and breathing are only two of the many
ways that people use plants. Tell students to listen carefully to find
out how plants provide oxygen as well as some other ways people
use plants.

102 Plants: 10A | Plants and People

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Presenting the Read-Aloud 10 minutes
Plants and People
 Show image 10A-1: Woman eating lettuce

Where would we be without plants? The truth is that life for

animals, insects, and human beings would be impossible if it
weren’t for plants.
The most obvious reason plants are important is that they
1 Provide means to give or supply provide food. 1 People, including you, eat plants or parts of
something. plants every day. What does the woman in this picture have
in her mouth? It’s lettuce! Of course, you don’t see too many
people chomping on lettuce in this way, but you will find lettuce in
salads and on sandwiches. Lettuce is good for you. It is a healthy
vegetable that comes from a plant.
 Show image 10A-2: Fruits and vegetables collage 2

Just like fruit, all vegetables are parts of plants, including

2 What fruits and vegetables do you
see in this picture? potatoes, beans, peas, carrots, peppers, cucumbers, and squash.
Each comes from different plants—and from different parts of
3 [Briefly review the different parts plants—but they all come from plants nonetheless. 3 Many fruits
of the plant.]
and vegetables are healthy and tasty, so you should try to eat
some every day.
 Show image 10A-3: Corn

This is a picture of an ear of corn and a cornfield. Believe it or

not, corn comes from a special type of grass. Do you like to eat
corn on the cob?
 Show image 10A-4: Wheat and wheat products

Have you eaten any bread lately? It is likely, then, that you have
eaten wheat. Wheat also comes from a type of grass. Its seeds are
ground up and used to make wheat flour, and wheat flour is used
in many kinds of breads, cereals, and cakes.

Plants 10A | Plants and People 103

This is a picture of a bowl of rice and a rice paddy, or field.

People all over the world eat rice. It is used to feed billions of
people every day!
You have just learned about three important grains: corn,
wheat, and rice. Grains are seeds that come from different types of
grasses.
 Show image 10A-6: Cotton crop

Plants and plant products can also be used to make fabric,

or cloth. Fabrics are used to make clothing, blankets, and other
everyday things. This picture shows cotton plants. Fluffy, white cotton
is often dyed, or colored, to make colorful clothing and blankets.
 Show image 10A-7: Flowers

When people are feeling sick or sad, it is nice to give them a

4 A bouquet is a bunch of flowers
bouquet of flowers. 4 Flowers can cheer people up and let them
arranged together.
know they are loved. Have you ever received or given flowers?
 Show image 10A-8: Rubber tree and tire

There are many things that you would not guess have anything
5 [Explain to students that the white at all to do with plants, such as the tires on a car, which are made
liquid coming out of this rubber
of rubber. In fact, much of the rubber we use—for everything
tree is sap, which is turned into
rubber.] from tires to rubber bands to basketballs—comes from the sap of
rubber trees. 5
 Show image 10A-9: Sap of a maple tree 6

Another type of sap we use comes from maple trees. This type
6 [Point to the different parts as you
talk about them.] of sap is clear and gives us something much better-tasting than
rubber: maple syrup! In early spring, people drill small holes into
the trunks of maple trees and insert spouts, which allow the sap to
drip out into buckets or holding tanks. When the sap is boiled, it
turns into maple syrup. Don’t worry—the holes don’t hurt the trees!
They heal during the summer and fall, and people pick a different
spot on the trunk to drill the next spring.

104 Plants: 10A | Plants and People

Some plants and plant parts can be used to make medicines

for curing diseases or healing wounds. Using plants to make
medicine requires a great deal of knowledge. A person must
know how to find the right kind of plant, and he or she must
know exactly which part of the plant to use and how to use it. In
some parts of the world, knowledge of medicinal plants has been
passed down from generation to generation—from parents to their
children—for thousands of years.
 Show image 10A-11: Aloe vera plant

One very common medicinal plant is the aloe vera plant. Inside
its thick green leaves is a clear gel, which many people use to
help heal small cuts and to soothe sunburns. Some doctors and
scientists think that eating or drinking parts of the aloe plant is
good for your stomach, and can help prevent many diseases.
 Show image 10A-12: Lumberjack

People use the wood from trees to build houses and to make
many other things. This lumberjack, a person who cuts down
7 Why do you think this lumberjack is trees, is using a powerful chain saw to cut down a great big pine. 7
wearing ear plugs? After he chops this tree down, the lumberjack will saw off all the
branches. The bare trunk will be loaded onto a truck and taken to
a lumber mill, where it will be turned into boards.
 Show image 10A-13: Uses for wood

People also use the wood from trees to make fires when it is
cold outside. This person is splitting logs to burn in the fireplace.
Wood is also used to make tool handles, instruments, and other
objects. Baseball bats are often made of wood from the ash tree,
one of the strongest trees in the forest. It is very important to plant
a new tree for every old tree that is cut down, so that there will be
plenty of trees for other people to use in the future.

Plants 10A | Plants and People 105

Here is another important thing to know about plants: they help

keep the air clean and fresh. When plants make their own food,
8 What is this process called? they release oxygen into the air. 8 When you breathe in, that same
(Photosynthesis.)
oxygen travels to your lungs. Oxygen keeps you alive; you need
9 Take a deep breath. You just oxygen all day, every day. 9
breathed in oxygen.
Did you have any idea how important plants are to people?

Discussing the Read-Aloud 15 minutes

Comprehension Questions 10 minutes
1. Literal What are some foods that plants provide? (Plants
provide corn, wheat, rice, vegetables, and maple syrup.)
 Show image 10A-6: Cotton crop

2. Literal What can people make from cotton plants? (People

can make clothes and blankets from cotton plants.)
3. Literal What kind of plants are car tires, basketballs, and
rubber bands made from? (Car tires, basketballs, and rubber
bands are made from rubber trees.)
4. Literal Many plants are used for medicine. Which plant is used
for cuts and burns? (The aloe vera plant is used to heal cuts
and burns.)
5. Literal What is lumber, or wood from trees, used for? (Lumber
is used for building houses and making things, like baseball
bats.)
6. Inferential How do plants help people breathe? (Plants help
people breathe by providing oxygen.)
[Please continue to model the Think Pair Share process for
students, as necessary, and scaffold students in their use of the
process.]
I am going to ask a question. I will give you a minute to think about
the question, and then I will ask you to turn to your neighbor and
discuss the question. Finally, I will have several of you share what
you discussed with your partner.

106 Plants: 10A | Plants and People

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
7. Evaluative Think Pair Share: Which of the ways that people
use plants surprised you the most? Why? (Answers may vary.)
8. After hearing today’s read-aloud and questions and answers,
do you have any remaining questions? [If time permits, you may
wish to allow for individual, group, or class research of the text
and/or other resources to answer these remaining questions.]

Word Work: Bouquet 5 minutes

1. In the read-aloud you heard, “When people are feeling sick or
sad, it is nice to give them a bouquet of flowers.”
2. Say the word bouquet with me.
3. A bouquet is a bunch of flowers, sometimes tied together with
a string or placed in a vase.
4. Ava gave her mother a bouquet of flowers for her birthday.
5. Tell me who you would like to give a bouquet of flowers to and
why. Try to use the word bouquet when you tell about it. [Ask
two or three students. If necessary, guide and/or rephrase
the students’ responses: “I would give a bouquet to ,
because . . . ”]
6. What’s the word we’ve been talking about?
Use a Sharing activity for follow-up. Directions: Share which
favorite flowers you would use to make a bouquet, (e.g., roses,
tulips, irises, daisies, etc.). What other kinds of decorations would
you add to the bouquet (toys, balloons, etc.)? Whom would you
give this bouquet to? Be sure to begin your responses with “I
would use to make a bouquet because . . .”

 Complete Remainder of the Lesson Later in the Day

Plants 10A | Plants and People 107

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Plants and People 10B
Extensions 15 minutes
Plant Parts We Use (Instructional Master 10B-1)
With your help, have students match each item on the left with the
plant that it comes from on the right. This instructional master is
not intended to be used as an assessment; instead, it should be
used for informational purposes and to allow for more discussion
before the actual assessment. Remember to repeat and expand
upon students’ responses, using richer and more complex
vocabulary, including, if possible, any read-aloud vocabulary.

➶ Above and Beyond: Have students complete this activity on their

own.

108 Plants: 10B | Plants and People

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
George Washington
Carver 11
 Lesson Objectives
Core Content Objectives
Students will:
 Describe the life and scientific achievements of George
Washington Carver

Language Arts Objectives

The following language arts objectives are addressed in this
lesson. Objectives aligning with the Common Core State
Standards are noted with the corresponding standard in
parentheses. Refer to the Alignment Chart for additional standards
addressed in all lessons in this domain.
Students will:
 Recall information from the read-aloud “Johnny Appleseed,”
particularly that he loved apple trees, to connect to information
in this read-aloud, “George Washington Carver,” about a
botanist who loved plants (RI.K.3)
 Define and use new words, such as crops, from the read-aloud
and the discussion about “George Washington Carver” (RI.K.4)
 Describe an illustration from “Johnny Appleseed” prior to
listening to “George Washington Carver,” using the illustration to
check and support comprehension of the read-aloud (RI.K.7)
 Actively engage in the nonfiction/informational read-aloud
“George Washington Carver” (RI.K.10)
 Explain the meaning of “great oaks from little acorns grow” and
use in appropriate contexts (L.K.6)
 Listen to a variety of texts, including a biography such as
“George Washington Carver”

Plants 11 | George Washington Carver 109

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
 Prior to listening to “George Washington Carver,” identify orally
what they have learned about Johnny Appleseed
 Evaluate and select read-alouds or stories on the basis of personal
choice for rereading

Core Vocabulary
botanist, n. Someone who studies plants
Example: The botanist studied the strange plants.
Variation(s): botanists
botany, n. The study of plants
Example: Jan wants to study botany when she grows up.
Variation(s): none
canvas, n. A piece of material on which one can paint
Example: The artist painted a rose on the canvas.
Variation(s): canvases
crops, n. Vegetables or plants that are grown on a farm for food
Example: The farmer planted three different crops: corn, soybeans, and
wheat.
Variation(s): crop

At a Glance Exercise Materials Minutes

What Have We Already Learned?
Introducing the Read-Aloud 10
Purpose for Listening
Presenting the Read-Aloud George Washington Carver map or globe 10
Comprehension Questions 10
Discussing the Read-Aloud
Word Work: Crops 5

 Complete Remainder of the Lesson Later in the Day

Sayings and Phrases: Great Oaks
from Little Acorns Grow
Extensions 15
Domain-Related Trade Book or
Student Choice

110 Plants: 11 | George Washington Carver

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
George Washington
Carver 11A
Introducing the Read-Aloud 10 minutes
What Have We Already Learned?
 Show image 11A-1: Johnny Appleseed

Have students identify the person in the illustration. Ask students

what they remember about Johnny Appleseed. As students
respond, repeat and expand upon each response using richer and
more complex language, including, if possible, any read-aloud
vocabulary. If a student’s response includes inaccurate factual
information, refer back to earlier read-alouds and/or illustrations to
correct any misunderstandings.
Remind students that Johnny Appleseed became famous because
he traveled throughout the United States, planting apple seeds
wherever he could so that apple trees would grow everywhere.

Purpose for Listening

Explain to students that today they are going to learn about
another person who became famous because of his love for
plants. Tell students to listen carefully to find out what this person
did because he loved plants and how he became famous.

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Presenting the Read-Aloud 10 minutes
George Washington Carver
 Show image 11A-2: George Washington Carver

Today you are going to hear about another man who, like
Johnny Appleseed, became famous because of his love for
1 Do you remember what Johnny plants. 1 He, too, lived many years ago, though not quite as long
Appleseed did that made him ago as Johnny Appleseed. His name was George Washington
famous?
Carver. He became famous throughout the United States as a
botanist—which is a scientist who studies plants. George first
developed his interest in plants as a young boy.
 Show image 11A-3: Young George

As a child, George used his free time to explore the forests

2 [Point to the state you live in, then surrounding his home on a farm in Missouri. 2 He spent many
point to Missouri on a map.] hours roaming the woods discovering all sorts of wonderful things.
George liked to collect things that caught his eye.
 Show image 11A-4: Young George planting a new plant in his garden

George was especially curious about the different kinds of

plants that he noticed during his explorations. He wanted to study
these plants further, but he knew that if he pulled them out of the
3 Why would the plants die? What do ground and took them back to the cabin, they would die. 3 So
plants need to survive? when George found an interesting plant, he would carefully dig it
up and remove it from the place it was growing, roots and all, so
4 Here, the word garden means that he could plant it in a special garden close to the cabin. 4
a plot of land where plants are
grown. The word garden can have George moved plant after plant to this special garden, where he
other meanings. The word garden looked after each and every plant, watering and caring for them
also means what you do when you
all to make sure that they continued to grow. As an adult, George
put living things in the soil so they
can grow. later wrote, “I literally lived in the woods. I wanted to know every
strange stone, flower, insect, bird, or beast. Day after day I spent
time in the woods alone in order to collect my floral beauties and
put them in my little garden I had hidden in the brush not far from
5 What are floral beauties? What did the house . . .” 5
George do with the floral beauties?

112 Plants: 11A | George Washington Carver

Fascinated by the plants in his garden, George spent hours

tending, observing, and studying them. In time, he came to learn
about the special needs of each plant—how much water each
needed, whether it grew best in full sunlight or with some shade.
George also took a special interest in caring for plants that were
not growing well. He became so skillful at caring for these sick
plants that people throughout the neighborhood began to call him
the “plant doctor.”
 Show image 11A-6: George painting

George’s passion for plants led him to develop another talent,

that of an artist. Of course, his favorite subjects to paint were his
beloved plants! Though he did not have a proper canvas or paints,
6 A canvas is something you paint he improvised with what he could find. 6 George made his first
on. When you improvise, you make paints from different plant parts. He mashed bark, roots, and wild
or do something with whatever
you have. berries, and used them to paint on old boards or even flat rocks.
George continued to paint throughout his entire life.
 Show image 11A-7: Photo of George as an adult

George was truly a remarkable and talented person. He was

an excellent student who learned quickly. He went on to study at
college, eventually becoming an expert in botany, the study of
7 [Point to the state you live in, then
plants. After he finished college, George became a professor at a
point to Alabama on a map.]
famous university in Alabama. 7
 Show image 11A-8: Collage of products

There, he spent the rest of his life continuing to study plants and
experiment with ways to make them grow better. He discovered
many ways to help farmers improve how they grew plants and
8 Crops are plants that are grown crops on their farms. 8 George encouraged farmers to grow crops
in large numbers to be used by other than cotton—especially peanuts and sweet potatoes. He also
people.
found many ways to use peanuts in all different types of products
like dyes, oils, and makeup. He even came up with a number of
recipes for foods that used peanuts. George Washington Carver is
especially remembered today for these discoveries.

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Discussing the Read-Aloud 15 minutes
Comprehension Questions 10 minutes
1. Literal What is a botanist? (A botanist is a scientist who
studies plants.)
2. Literal Who was the botanist you heard about in the read-
aloud? (The botanist we heard about was George Washington
Carver.)
3. Inferential How did George Washington Carver learn so much
about plants? (He learned so much about plants because
he took care of plants, made his own garden when he was a
child, and studied botany in college.)
4. Inferential Why was George Washington Carver called the “Plant
Doctor”? (George Washington Carver was called the “Plant
Doctor” because he was very good at caring for sick plants.)
5. Inferential How did George Washington Carver make his
paints? (George Washington Carver made his paints from
bark, roots, and mashed berries, which are all parts of plants.)
6. Inferential How did George Washington Carver help farmers?
(George Washington Carver helped farmers by discovering
ways to help farmers improve how they grew crops and
encouraging farmers to use other crops.) What two plants did
he encourage farmers to plant? (He encouraged farmers to
plant peanuts and sweet potatoes.)
[Please continue to model the Think Pair Share process for students,
as necessary, and scaffold students in their use of the process.]
I am going to ask a question. I will give you a minute to think about
the question, and then I will ask you to turn to your neighbor and
discuss the question. Finally, I will have several of you share what
you discussed with your partner.
7. Evaluative Think Pair Share: George Washington Carver was
an extraordinary and special person in many ways. Of all
the different things that George did or accomplished during
his life, which one do you think was the most extraordinary?
Why? (Answers may vary.)

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8. After hearing today’s read-aloud and questions and answers,
do you have any remaining questions? [If time permits, you
may wish to allow for individual, group, or class research of
the text and/or other resources to answer these remaining
questions.]

Word Work: Crops 5 minutes

1. In the read-aloud you heard, “[George Washington Carver]
discovered many ways to help farmers improve how they grew
plants and crops on their farms.”
2. Say the word crops with me.
3. Crops are plants that are grown in large numbers for people to
use.
4. The farmer grew wheat and corn crops for people to eat.
5. What other types of plants do you think could be grown as
crops? Think about some of the plants that people eat. Try to
use the word crops when you tell about it. [Ask two or three
students. If necessary, guide and/or rephrase the students’
responses: “ could be grown as crops.”]
6. What’s the word we’ve been talking about?
Use a Sharing activity for follow-up. Directions: Share what
types of crops you would like to grow and why you would like to
grow them. Be sure to begin your responses with “I would like to
grow as crops because . . .”

 Complete Remainder of the Lesson Later in the Day

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© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
George Washington
Carver 11B
Extensions 15 minutes
Sayings and Phrases:
Great Oaks from Little Acorns Grow 5 minutes
Remind students of the saying, “great oaks from little acorns
grow.” Have students explain the meaning of the saying. If
students have trouble, remind them that this saying means that
just as a small acorn can grow into a towering oak tree, something
that starts out small or not really important can become big or
really important.
Ask students if they think George Washington Carver’s life was an
example of the saying, “great oaks from little acorns grow.” Why or
why not?

Domain-Related Trade Book or Student Choice

Domain-Related Trade Book
Refer to the list of recommended trade books in the Introduction at
the front of this teacher’s guide, and choose one to read aloud to
the class. As you read, use the same strategies that you have been
using when reading the read-aloud selections in this anthology—
pause and ask occasional questions, rapidly clarify critical
vocabulary within the context of the read-aloud, etc.
After you finish reading the trade book aloud, lead students in a
discussion as to how the story or information in this book relates
to the read-alouds they have heard in this domain.
Student Choice
Ask students which read-aloud they have heard recently that
they would like to hear again. If necessary, reread the titles of
recent read-alouds to refresh students’ memories and/or show
key illustrations from several read-alouds. You may also want to
choose one yourself.

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Reread the text that is selected. Feel free to pause at different
places, and talk about vocabulary and information that you did not
discuss previously during the read-aloud.
After the read-aloud, ask students if they noticed anything new or
different during the second reading that they did not notice during
the first reading. Also, ask them to try to express why they like this
read-aloud. Remember to repeat and expand upon each response
using richer and more complex language, including, if possible,
any read-aloud vocabulary.

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Domain Review DR
Note to Teacher
You should spend one day reviewing and reinforcing the material
in this domain. You may have students do any combination of the
activities provided, in either whole-group or small-group settings.

Core Content Objectives Addressed in This Domain

Students will:
 Explain that different kinds of plants grow in different environments
 Explain that plants are living things
 Describe what plants need to live and grow: food, water, air, and
light
 Identify the root, stem, branch, leaf, flower, fruit, and seed of a plant
 Explain that roots anchor the plant and take in water and nutrients
 Explain that stems support the plant and carry water and
nutrients to the various parts of the plant
 Explain that the plant makes its food in its leaves
 Explain that seeds are the beginning of new plants
 Explain the basic life cycle of plants
 Explain that some plants produce fruit to hold seeds
 Compare and contrast the fruits and seeds of different plants
 Identify the parts of specific plants that are eaten by people
 Identify the petals on a flower
 Describe how bees collect nectar and pollen
 Describe how bees make and use honey
 Describe the important role bees play in plant pollination
 Demonstrate familiarity with the tall tale “Johnny Appleseed”

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 Compare and contrast deciduous and evergreen trees
 Explain that deciduous trees are a type of plant that loses its
leaves in the fall and becomes dormant in the winter
 Explain that evergreen trees are a type of plant that stays green
all year and does not become dormant in the winter
 Identify how deciduous trees are important to people and nature
 Identify things that plants provide to people: oxygen, food, and
important products
 Describe the life and scientific achievements of George
Washington Carver

Review Activities
Image Review
Show the images from any read-aloud again, and have students
retell the read-aloud using the images.

Image Card Review

Materials: Image Cards 1–14
In your hand, hold Image Cards 1–14 fanned out like a deck of
cards. Ask a student to choose a card but to not show it to anyone
else in the class. The student must then perform an action or
give a clue about the picture s/he is holding. For example, for the
evergreen plant, a student may give the clue, “This type of plant
stays green all year long.” The rest of the class will guess what
is being described. Proceed to another card when the correct
answer has been given.

Key Vocabulary Brainstorming

Materials: Chart paper, chalkboard, or whiteboard
Give students a key domain concept or vocabulary word such as
fruit. Have them brainstorm everything that comes to mind when
they hear the word examples. Record their responses on chart
paper, a chalkboard, or a whiteboard for reference.

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Plant Parts Review with Deciduous and Evergreen Trees
Materials: Various plants; drawing paper, drawing tools
Show students images of deciduous and evergreen trees and
ask students to identify the parts. After talking about plants, have
students design and illustrate a deciduous tree and an evergreen
tree on a piece of paper, instructing them to include all parts of a
plant (root, stem, branch, and leaf). Instruct students to share their
drawings and identify the parts of their trees while sharing. Their
classmates may also want to guess where the parts are located
on the drawing.

Deciduous vs. Evergreen

Materials: Chart paper, chalkboard, or whiteboard
Compare and contrast deciduous trees and evergreen trees. What
do these plants have in common? How are they different? Record
student answers on a Venn diagram.

Teacher Choice
Reread a particular read-aloud to students in order to review
important domain concepts.

On Stage: Johnny Appleseed

Materials: Drawing paper, drawing tools
Have students draw a picture of what they think is the most
important or most interesting thing that they learned about Johnny
Appleseed. Divide the class into groups and have students take
turns acting out their drawings. Make sure that students talk about
what they are doing and encourage them to use key vocabulary
words like seed or fruit.

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Domain Assessment DA
This domain assessment evaluates each student’s retention
of domain and academic vocabulary words and the core
content targeted in Plants. The results should guide review and
remediation the following day.

There are four parts to this assessment. You may choose to do the
parts in more than one sitting if you feel this is more appropriate
for your students. Part I (vocabulary assessment) is divided into
two sections: the first assesses domain-related vocabulary and the
second assesses academic vocabulary. Parts II, III, and IV of the
assessment address the core content targeted in Plants.

Part I (Instructional Master DA-1)

Directions: I am going to say a sentence using a word you have
heard in the read-alouds and the domain. First I will say the word
and then use it in a sentence. If I use the word correctly in my
sentence, circle the smiling face. If I do not use the word correctly
in my sentence, circle the frowning face. I will say each sentence
two times. Let’s do number one together.
1. Plant: Some people like to plant flowers in their garden.
(smiling face)
2. Soil: Soil is the part of the ground where plants are planted
and grow. (smiling face)
3. Photosynthesis: Photosynthesis is how plants make food for
themselves. (smiling face)
4. Pollination: Sprinkling water over a plant is pollination.
(frowning face)
5. Fruit: Fruits hold the seeds of plants. (smiling face)
6. Evergreen: The leaves of evergreen trees change colors.
(frowning face)
7. Deciduous: Deciduous trees lose their leaves in the winter.
(smiling face)

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8. Roots: The roots of a plant hold the plant in place in the soil.
(smiling face)
9. Petals: Plants drink water through their petals. (frowning face)
10. Crops: Crops are plants, like wheat and corn, that people eat
and use. (smiling face)
Directions: I am going to read more sentences using other words
you have heard in the read-alouds. First, I will say the word and then
use it in a sentence. If I use the word correctly in my sentence, circle
the smiling face. If I do not use the word correctly in my sentence,
circle the frowning face. I will say each sentence two times.
11. Year: A year is an amount of time we use to measure how old
we are. (smiling face)
12. Survival: Plants do not need water and light for survival.
(frowning face)
13. Hero: A hero is someone who gives up and does not help
others. (frowning face)
14. Cycle: The life cycle of a plant begins with a seed. (smiling
face)
15. Bare: The branches of deciduous trees become bare when
they lose their leaves in the fall. (smiling face)

Part II (Instructional Master DA-2)

Note: You will need crayons for each student in the following colors:
dark brown, light brown, dark green, light green, red, blue, and yellow.
Directions: Color the part of the plant I describe with the color I tell
you to use.
1. Color dark brown the part of the plant that keeps it in the
ground and soaks up nutrients and water. (roots)
2. Color light brown the part of the plant that is sealed in a
protective covering and will grow into a new plant. (seed)
3. Color dark green the part of the plant that supports it and
carries water and nutrients to the other parts of the plant.
(stem)

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4. Color light green the part of the plant that makes food during
photosynthesis. (leaves)
5. Color red the part of the plant that makes the seeds. (flower)
6. You learned that plants need three things to live. One is food.
On the picture of your flower, draw the other two things that
plants need. (water, sun)

Part III (Instructional Master DA-3)

Directions: Listen carefully for the following things I would like you
to circle.
1. Circle the things that we get from plants. (apple, corn,
bouquet)
2. Look at the two pictures of trees on your worksheet. Think
about the differences between these trees. Draw a brown
circle around the tree that is a deciduous tree. Draw a green
circle around the tree that is an evergreen tree.

Part IV (Instructional Master DA-4)

Directions: I am going to read some sentences to you. If the
sentence is correct, circle the smiling face. If the sentence is not
correct, circle the frowning face. I will say each sentence two
times. Let’s do number one together.
1. Plants are all exactly the same. (frowning face)
2. Plants make their own food. (smiling face)
3. Deciduous and evergreen trees both shed, or lose, all of their
leaves in the fall. (frowning face)
4. When Polly the Honeybee goes from flower to flower for food,
she is also helping with pollination. (smiling face)
5. George Washington Carver was known as the “Plant Doctor.”
(smiling face)

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Culminating Activities CA
Note to Teacher
Please use this final day to address class results of the Domain
Assessment. Based on the results of the Domain Assessment
and students’ Tens scores, you may wish to use this class time
to provide remediation opportunities that target specific areas of
weakness for individual students, small groups, or the whole class.
Alternatively, you may also choose to use this class time to extend
or enrich students’ experience with domain knowledge. A number
of enrichment activities are provided below in order to provide
students with opportunities to enliven their experiences with
domain concepts.

Remediation
You may choose to regroup students according to particular area
of weakness, as indicated from Domain Assessment results and
students’ Tens scores.
Remediation opportunities include:
• targeting Review activities
• revisiting Lesson Extensions
• rereading and discussing select Read-Alouds
• reading the corresponding lesson in the Supplemental Guide, if
available

Enrichment
Class Book: Plants
Materials: Drawing paper, drawing tools
Tell the class or a group of students that they are going to make
a class book to help them remember what they have learned thus

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far in this domain. Have students brainstorm important information
about pollination, as well as about deciduous and evergreen plants.
Have each student choose one idea to draw in a picture. Bind the
pages to make a book to put in the class library for students to
read again and again.

➶ Above and Beyond: Captions

You may choose to have some students write captions for their
class book pictures.

Grow a Potato Plant

Materials: Potato that is starting to sprout eyes; glass of
water; toothpicks; potting soil; container
Tell students that the potatoes we eat are used to store nutrients
by the potato plant. Explain that you can grow a potato plant
from a potato. Place the sprouted end of the potato into a glass
of water, supported by toothpicks so that the potato is resting in
the water. Place the supported potato in a full glass of water on a
warm, sunny windowsill. Make sure the glass stays full of water.
The class can watch the potato sprout roots and grow leaves.
Once the potato has sprouted leaves, you may wish to transfer the
plant into a container filled with potting soil.

Edible Plant Parts Collage

Materials: Baby carrots; celery; spinach; strawberries;
sunﬂower seeds; paper
Note: Please double-check any potential allergies to these
materials before proceeding with this activity.
Tell students that they will be using these yummy foods to create
an edible plant on their paper. Have students place three baby
carrots at the bottom of the paper as the roots. The students
should then place the celery as the stem, the spinach as the
leaves, and the sunflower seeds as the seeds in the center of the
strawberries. Have students talk about each plant part and what it
does to help the plant survive before enjoying their creation.

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Domain-Related Trade Book or Student Choice
Materials: Trade book
Read a trade book to review a particular concept; refer to the
books listed in the Introduction. You may also choose to have
students select a read-aloud to be heard again.

On Stage: Johnny Appleseed

Exploring Student Resources

Materials: Domain-related student websites
Pick appropriate websites from the web for further exploration of
stories.

Videos of Plants
Materials: Videos of plants
Carefully peruse the web for short (five-minute) videos related to
the plant topics covered in the domain. Prepare some questions
related to the videos. Discuss how watching a video is the same
as and different from listening to a read-aloud.

126 Plants | Culminating Activities

Dear Family Member,

Over the next several days, your child will be learning about plants and plant parts. In
addition, your child will learn that plants are living things and that there are many different
kinds of plants.

Below are some suggestions for activities that you may do at home to continue to
enjoy learning about plants.

1. Plant Experiment

Plant seeds in four different containers. With the first group of seeds, provide no water
or sun. With the second group of seeds, provide water, but no sunlight. With the third
group of seeds, provide sunlight, but no water. With the fourth group of seeds, provide
sun and water. Be sure to explain to your child what you are doing.

Make predictions with your child about which of the seeds will sprout and grow the
best. Observe each of the containers every couple of days. Discuss with your child the
changes that have taken place, if any. After a week or two, revisit the predictions and
discuss with your child whether the predictions were correct and why or why not.

2. Words to Use

Below is a list of some of the words that your child will use and learn about. Try to use
these words as the come up in everyday speech with your child.
• plants— What do you think about those plants over there?
• plant—I think we should plant some flowers in the garden.
• ﬂowers—Look at that beautiful flower.
• soil—I used a shovel to dig into the soil to plant my flower.

3. Plants Out and About

Any time you are outside with your child, talk with them about the plants you see
around you—their size, shape, color, etc. Have your child identify the different plant parts
for you.

Set aside time to read to your child each day. The local library has many nonfiction
books about plants, as well as fictional selections. A list of books and other resources
relevant to this topic is attached to this letter.

Be sure to let your child know how much you enjoy hearing about what s/he has been
learning about at school.

Recommended Resources for Plants

Trade Book List
1. The Boy Who Didn’t Believe in Spring, by Lucille Clifton
and illustrated by Brinton Turkle (Puffin, 1992) ISBN
978-0140547399
2. The Carrot Seed, by Ruth Krauss and Crockett Johnson
(HarperTrophy, 2004) ISBN 978-0064432108
3. City Green, by DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan (HarperCollins, 1994)
ISBN 978-0688127862
4. Daisy (Looking at Life Cycles), by Victoria Huseby (Smart
Apple Media, 2009) ISBN 978-1599201795
5. Eating the Alphabet: Fruits & Vegetables from A to Z, by Lois
Ehlert (Voyager Books, 1993) ISBN 978-0152244361
6. The Empty Pot, by Demi (Henry Holt, 2007) ISBN
978-0805082272
7. Eyewitness Plant (DK Eyewitness Books), by David Burnie (DK
Publishing, 2011) ISBN 978-0756660352
8. Flower Garden, by Eve Bunting and illustrated by Kathryn
Hewitt (Voyager Books, 2000) ISBN 978-0152023720
9. From Bud to Blossom (Apples), by Gail Saunders-Smith
(Capstone Press, 2006) ISBN 978-1560659518
10. From Seed to Plant, by Gail Gibbons (Live Oak Media, 2012)
ISBN 978-1430110798
11. The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rainforest, by
Lynne Cherry (Sandpiper, 2000) ISBN 978-0152026141
12. Growing Vegetable Soup, by Lois Ehlert (Voyager Books,
1990) ISBN 978-152325800
13. The Honey Makers, by Gail Gibbons (HarperTrophy, 2000)
ISBN 978-0688175313

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14. How a Seed Grows (Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science 1), by
Helene J. Jordan and illustrated by Loretta Krupinski (Collins,
1992) ISBN 978-0064451079
15. I Am a Leaf (Hello Reader! Science, Level 1), by Jean Marzollo
and Judith Moffatt (Cartwheel, 1999) ISBN 978-0590641203
16. I Am an Apple (Hello Reader! Science, Level 1), by Jean
Marzollo and Judith Moffatt (Scholastic, 1997) ISBN
978-0590372237
17. I’m a Seed (Hello Reader! Science, Level 1), by Jean Marzollo
and Judith Moffatt (Cartwheel, 1996) ISBN 978-0590265867
18. Jack’s Garden, by Henry Cole (HarperTrophy, 1997) ISBN
978-0688152833
19. Johnny Appleseed, by Reeve Lindbergh and illustrated by
Kathy Jakobsen Hallquist (Little, Brown Young Readers, 1993)
ISBN 978-0316526340
20. Johnny Appleseed (Rookie Biographies), by Christin Ditchfield
(Children’s Press, 2003) ISBN 978-0516278162
21. The Life and Times of the Honeybee, by Charles Micucci
(Houghton Mifflin, 1997) ISBN 978-0395861394
22. The Life and Times of a Peanut, by Charles Micucci (Houghton
Mifflin, 2000) ISBN 978-0618033140
23. Mama Miti: Wangari Maathai and the Trees of Kenya, Donna
Jo Napoli and illustrated by Kadir Nelson (Simon & Schuster,
2010) ISBN 978-1416935056
24. Maple Syrup Season, by Ann Purmell and illustrated by Jill
Weber (Holiday House, 2008) ISBN 978-0823418916
25. Oak Tree (Looking at Life Cycles), by Victoria Huseby (Smart
Apple Media, 2009) ISBN 978-1599201788
26. OLIVIA Plants a Garden (Olivia Ready-to-Read), by Emily
Sollinger and illustrated by Jared Osterhold (Simon Spotlight,
2011) ISBN 978-1442416758
27. One Bean, by Anne Rockwell and pictures by Megan
Halsey (Walker Publishing Company, Inc., 1998) ISBN
978-0802775726

28. Plant a Little Seed, by Bonnie Christensen (Roaring Brook

Press, 2012) ISBN 978-1596435506
29. Planting a Rainbow, by Lois Ehlert (Voyager Books, 1992)
ISBN 978-0152626105
30. The Reason for a Flower (Ruth Heller’s World of Nature), by
Ruth Heller (Topeka Bindery, 1999) ISBN 978-0833590008
31. The Seasons of Arnold’s Apple Tree, by Gail Gibbons
(Sandpiper, 1988) ISBN 978-0152712457
32. Seed, Soil, Sun, by Cris Peterson and photographs by David
R. Lundquist (Boyds Mills Press, 2010) ISBN 978-1590787137
33. Soil Basics/Lo Básico de la Tierra, by Carol Lindeen
(Capstone, 2010) ISBN 978-1429653473
34. The Tiny Seed (The World of Eric Carle), by Eric Carle (Aladdin,
2001) ISBN 978-0689842443
35. Wangari’s Trees of Peace: A True Story from Africa, by
Jeanette Winter (Harcourt, 2008) ISBN 978-0152065454
36. Why Do Leaves Change Color? (Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out
Science, Stage 2), by Betsy Maestro and illustrated by Loretta
Krupinski (HarperCollins, 1994) ISBN 978-0064451260
Note: This book is more appropriate for individualized reading.

Websites and Other Resources

Student Resources
1. Parts of Plant Game
http://www.softschools.com/science/plants/plant_parts/

2. Plant Games
http://www.cookie.com/kids/games/grow-plant.html

3. “Groovy Garden” Game

http://pbskids.org/arthur/games/groovygarden/groovygarden.html

Plants 133
© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Family Resources
4. George Washington Carver
http://www.ideaﬁnder.com/history/inventors/carver.htm

5. “Biology of Plants”
http://www.mbgnet.net/bioplants/main.html

134 Plants
© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Directions: The worksheet shows the parts of a plant. Cut out and paste the parts to make a whole plant.
2B-1
Name




Plants 135
136 Plants
© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Directions: The worksheet shows the parts of a plant. Cut out and paste the parts to make a whole plant.
2B-1
Name
Answer Key

Plants 137
138 Plants
© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Directions: Color the pictures of the turnip at various stages, then cut them out. Sequence the pictures, starting with
the beginning of the turnip’s life cycle and ﬁnishing with the picture that demonstrates the end of the turnip’s life
cycle. Last, glue the pictures in the correct order onto a separate sheet of paper.
4B-1
Name



Plants 139
140 Plants
© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Directions: Color the pictures of the turnip at various stages, then cut them out. Sequence the pictures, starting with
the beginning of the turnip’s life cycle and ﬁnishing with the picture that demonstrates the end of the turnip’s life
cycle. Last, glue the pictures in the correct order onto a separate sheet of paper.
4B-1
Name

4
Answer Key

Plants 141
142 Plants
© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Directions: The worksheet shows the stem of a plant growing out of the earth. Draw in and color the other parts of the
plant. PP-1
Name

Plants 143
144 Plants
© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Directions: The worksheet shows the stem of a plant growing out of the earth. Draw in and color the other parts of the
plant. PP-1
Name
Answer Key

Dear Family Member,

Over the past several days, your child has been learning about plants, plant parts,
and pollination. Your child will soon learn about germination, the difference between
deciduous and evergreen trees, interesting plants, plants and people, and George
Washington Carver.

Below are some suggestions for activities that you may do at home to continue to
enjoy learning about plants.

1. Leaf Rubbings

If possible, collect a number of different types of leaves. Have your child compare and
contrast the different types of leaves—size, color, shape, etc. Have him or her make a
rubbing of the leaves by placing a sheet of paper over the leaves and gently rubbing the
paper with the side of a pencil or crayon.

2. Words to Use

Below is a list of some of the words that your child will use and learn about. Try to use
these words as they come up in everyday speech with your child.
• fruit—The apple you are eating is a fruit.
• deciduous—That is a deciduous plant; it loses its leaves in the fall.
• evergreen—That evergreen tree keeps its leaves all year!
• bouquet—Isn’t that a pretty bouquet? It is so nice to receive a bunch of flowers!

3. All About Roots

One way to illustrate roots for your child is to buy seedlings and shake away the dirt
to reveal the root system.

4. Plants as Food

While eating with your child, explain which parts of the meal come from plants and
identify those plants by name. Also, tell your child which part of the plant the food comes
from. You may wish to talk about which plants are considered fruits and which plants are
considered vegetables. The chart below shows commonly eaten foods and the plant
parts they come from:

Plants 147
© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Roots Stems Leaves Seeds Flowers Fruits
potato celery lettuce wheat cauliflower apple
carrot sugar cane cabbage corn broccoli tomato
beet asparagus spinach rice orange
radish parsley beans
turnip basil oats
barley

5. Read Aloud Each Day

Set aside time to read to your child each day. The local library has many nonfiction
books about plants, as well as fictional selections. Please refer to the list of books and
other resources sent home with the previous family letter, recommending resources
related to plants.

6. Sayings and Phrases: Great Oaks from Little Acorns Grow

Your child will also learn the well-known saying “great oaks from little acorns grow.”
Things or people that may seem small and insignificant at first can often turn into
something or someone important. You may wish to find opportunities to apply this saying
for your child.

Be sure to let your child know how much you enjoy hearing about what s/he has been
learning about at school.

148 Plants
© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Directions: Think about how a deciduous apple tree looks in each season: spring, summer, fall, and winter. Think
about how you can show this in a picture with the parts of the tree and with different colors. Decorate the trees to
show the seasons.
8B-1
Name

Plants 149
150 Plants
© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Directions: With your teacher’s help, match each item on the left with the plant that it comes from on the right.
10B-1

5.
4.
3.
2.
1.
Name

Plants 151
152 Plants
© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Directions: With your teacher’s help, match each item on the left with the plant that it comes from on the right.
10B-1
12B-15

5.
4.
3.
2.
1.
Name
Answer Key

1.
 
2.
 
3.
 
4.
 
5.
 
6.
 
Directions: Listen to your teacher’s instructions.

1.
 
2.
 
3.
 
4.
 
5.
 
6.
 
 
Directions: Listen to your teacher’s instructions.

water

sun

red

light brown

light green

dark green
Directions: Listen to your teacher’s instructions.

dark brown

2.
Directions: Listen to your teacher’s instructions.

brown (deciduous) green (evergreen)

1.
 
2.
 
3.
 
4.
 
5.
 
Directions: Listen to your teacher’s instrucations.

Plants 169
© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
Tens Recording Chart
Use this grid to record Tens scores. Refer to the Tens Conversion Chart that follows.

Name
Tens Conversion Chart
Number Correct
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
1 0 10
2 0 5 10
3 0 3 7 10
4 0 3 5 8 10
5 0 2 4 6 8 10
6 0 2 3 5 7 8 10
7 0 1 3 4 6 7 9 10
Number of Questions

8 0 1 3 4 5 6 8 9 10
9 0 1 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 10
10 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 0 1 2 3 4 5 5 6 7 8 9 10
12 0 1 2 3 3 4 5 6 7 8 8 9 10
13 0 1 2 2 3 4 5 5 6 7 8 8 9 10
14 0 1 1 2 3 4 4 5 6 6 7 8 9 9 10
15 0 1 1 2 3 3 4 5 5 6 7 7 8 9 9 10
16 0 1 1 2 3 3 4 4 5 6 6 7 8 8 9 9 10
17 0 1 1 2 2 3 4 4 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10
18 0 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10
19 0 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10
20 0 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 10

Simply find the number of correct answers the student produced along
the top of the chart and the number of total questions on the worksheet
or activity along the left side. Then find the cell where the column and
the row converge. This indicates the Tens score. By using the Tens
Conversion Chart, you can easily convert any raw score, from 0 to 20,
into a Tens score.
Please note that the Tens Conversion Chart was created to be used
with assessments that have a defined number of items (such as written
assessments). However, teachers are encouraged to use the Tens system
to record informal observations as well. Observational Tens scores are
based on your observations during class. It is suggested that you use the
following basic rubric for recording observational Tens scores.
9–10 Student appears to have excellent understanding
7–8 Student appears to have good understanding
5–6 Student appears to have basic understanding
3–4 Student appears to be having difficulty understanding
1–2 Student appears to be having great difficulty understanding
0 Student appears to have no understanding/does not participate
CORE KNOWLEDGE LANGUAGE ARTS
SERIES EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
E. D. Hirsch, Jr.

PRESIDENT
Linda Bevilacqua

EDITORIAL STAFF DESIGN AND GRAPHICS STAFF

Carolyn Gosse, Senior Editor - Preschool Scott Ritchie, Creative Director
Khara Turnbull, Materials Development Manager
Kim Berrall
Michelle L. Warner, Senior Editor - Listening & Learning
Michael Donegan
Mick Anderson Liza Greene
Robin Blackshire Matt Leech
Maggie Buchanan Bridget Moriarty
Paula Coyner Lauren Pack
Sue Fulton
Sara Hunt CONSULTING PROJECT MANAGEMENT SERVICES
Erin Kist ScribeConcepts.com
Robin Luecke
Rosie McCormick ADDITIONAL CONSULTING SERVICES
Cynthia Peng Ang Blanchette
Liz Pettit Dorrit Green
Ellen Sadler Carolyn Pinkerton
Deborah Samley
Diane Auger Smith
Sarah Zelinke

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
These materials are the result of the work, advice, and encouragement of numerous individuals over many years. Some of those singled out here already
know the depth of our gratitude; others may be surprised to find themselves thanked publicly for help they gave quietly and generously for the sake of
the enterprise alone. To helpers named and unnamed we are deeply grateful.

CONTRIBUTORS TO EARLIER VERSIONS OF THESE MATERIALS

Susan B. Albaugh, Kazuko Ashizawa, Nancy Braier, Kathryn M. Cummings, Michelle De Groot, Diana Espinal, Mary E. Forbes, Michael L. Ford,
Ted Hirsch, Danielle Knecht, James K. Lee, Diane Henry Leipzig, Martha G. Mack, Liana Mahoney, Isabel McLean, Steve Morrison, Juliane K. Munson,
Elizabeth B. Rasmussen, Laura Tortorelli, Rachael L. Shaw, Sivan B. Sherman, Miriam E. Vidaver, Catherine S. Whittington, Jeannette A. Williams

We would like to extend special recognition to Program Directors Matthew Davis and Souzanne Wright who were instrumental to the early
development of this program.

SCHOOLS
We are truly grateful to the teachers, students, and administrators of the following schools for their willingness to field test these materials and for
their invaluable advice: Capitol View Elementary, Challenge Foundation Academy (IN), Community Academy Public Charter School, Lake Lure Classical
Academy, Lepanto Elementary School, New Holland Core Knowledge Academy, Paramount School of Excellence, Pioneer Challenge Foundation
Academy, New York City PS 26R (The Carteret School), PS 30X (Wilton School), PS 50X (Clara Barton School), PS 96Q, PS 102X (Joseph O. Loretan),
PS 104Q (The Bays Water), PS 214K (Michael Friedsam), PS 223Q (Lyndon B. Johnson School), PS 308K (Clara Cardwell), PS 333Q (Goldie Maple Academy),
Sequoyah Elementary School, South Shore Charter Public School, Spartanburg Charter School, Steed Elementary School, Thomas Jefferson Classical
Academy, Three Oaks Elementary, West Manor Elementary.

And a special thanks to the CKLA Pilot Coordinators Anita Henderson, Yasmin Lugo-Hernandez, and Susan Smith, whose suggestions and day-to-day
support to teachers using these materials in their classrooms was critical.

Plants 173
© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation
CREDITS
Every effort has been taken to trace and acknowledge copyrights. The editors tender their apologies for any accidental infringement where
copyright has proved untraceable. They would be pleased to insert the appropriate acknowledgment in any subsequent edition of this
publication. Trademarks and trade names are shown in this publication for illustrative purposes only and are the property of their respective
owners. The references to trademarks and trade names given herein do not affect their validity.

The Word Work exercises are based on the work of Beck, McKeown, and Kucan in Bringing Words to Life (The Guilford Press, 2002).

All photographs are used under license from Shutterstock, Inc. unless otherwise noted.

EXPERT REVIEWER
Joyce G. Latimer

WRITERS
Michael L. Ford, Rosie McCormick, Becky Thomas

ILLUSTRATORS AND IMAGE SOURCES

Cover: Steve Morrison; Title Page: Steve Morrison; Domain Icon: Shutterstock; Take-Home Icon: Core Knowledge Staff; 1A-1: Shutterstock; 1A-2:
Shutterstock; 1A-3: Shutterstock; 1A-4: Shutterstock; 1A-5: Shutterstock; 1A-6: Shutterstock; 1A-7: Shutterstock; 1A-8: Shutterstock; 2A-1: Steve
Morrison; 2A-2: Shutterstock; 2A-3: Shutterstock; 2A-4: Shutterstock; 2A-5: Shutterstock; 2A-6: Shutterstock; 2A-7: Shutterstock; 2A-8: Kristin Kwan;
3A-1: Steve Morrison; 3A-2: Shutterstock; 3A-3: Shutterstock; 3A-4: Shutterstock; 3A-5: Shutterstock; 3A-6: Shutterstock; 3A-7: Shutterstock; 3A-8:
Shutterstock; 3A-9: Shutterstock; 3A-10: Shutterstock; 3A-11: Core Knowledge Staff; 4A-1: Shutterstock; 4A-2: Rebecca Miller; 4A-3: Rebecca Miller;
4A-4: Rebecca Miller; 4A-5: Rebecca Miller; 4A-6: Rebecca Miller; 4A-7: Rebecca Miller; 4A-8: Rebecca Miller; 5A-1 (bee): Jed Henry; 5A-1 (orange
flowers): Shutterstock; 5A-2 (bee): Jed Henry; 5A-2 (daffodils): Shutterstock; 5A-3 (bee): Jed Henry; 5A-3 (yellow flower): Shutterstock; 5A-4 (bee): Jed
Henry; 5A-4 (honeycomb): Shutterstock; 5A-5 (bee): Jed Henry; 5A-5 (corn field): Shutterstock; 5A-6 (bee): Jed Henry; 5A-6 (daffodils): Shutterstock;
6A-1 (bee): Jed Henry; 6A-1 (fruit trees): Shutterstock; 6A-2 (bee): Jed Henry; 6A-2 (apple): Shutterstock; 6A-3 (bee): Jed Henry; 6A-3 (cherry branch):
Shutterstock; 6A-4 (bee): Jed Henry; 6A-4 (cherry): Shutterstock; 6A-5 (bee): Jed Henry; 6A-5 (strawberry plant): Shutterstock; 6A-6 (bee): Jed
Henry; 6A-6 (strawberry): Shutterstock; 6A-7 (bee): Jed Henry; 6A-7 (watermelon plant): Shutterstock; 6A-8 (bee): Jed Henry; 6A-9 (watermelon):
Shutterstock; 7A-1: Steve Morrison; 7A-2: Steve Morrison; 7A-3: Steve Morrison; 7A-4: Steve Morrison; 7A-5: Steve Morrison; 7A-6: Steve Morrison;
7A-7: Steve Morrison; 8A-1: Shutterstock; 8A-2: Shutterstock; 8A-3: Shutterstock; 8A-4: Shutterstock; 8A-5: Shutterstock; 8A-6: Shutterstock; 8A-7:
Shutterstock; 9A-1: Shutterstock; 9A-2: Shutterstock; 9A-3: Shutterstock; 9A-4: Shutterstock; 9A-5: Shutterstock; 9A-6: Shutterstock; 9A-7: Shutterstock;
9A-8: Shutterstock; 10A-1: Shutterstock; 10A-2: Shutterstock; 10A-3: Shutterstock; 10A-4: Shutterstock; 10A-5: Shutterstock; 10A-6: Shutterstock; 10A-7:
Shutterstock; 10A-8: Shutterstock; 10A-9: Shutterstock; 10A-10: Shutterstock; 10A-11: Shutterstock; 10A-12: Shutterstock; 10A-13: Shutterstock; 10A-14:
Shutterstock; 11A-1: Steve Morrison; 11A-2: George W. Carver, from “”Portraits of Outstanding Americans of Negro Origin Painted by Two Women
Artists””, compiled ca. 1943–ca. 1963, documenting the period 1941–ca. 1963, Collection H: Harmon Foundation Collection, 1922–1967; 11A-3: Shari
Griffiths; 11A-4: Shari Griffiths; 11A-5: Shari Griffiths; 11A-6: Shari Griffiths; 11A-7: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs, LC-J601-302; 11A-8:
Shutterstock; 2B-1: Steve Morrison; 2B-1 (Answer Key): Steve Morrison; 4B-1: Steve Morrison; 4B-1 (Answer Key): Steve Morrison; PP1: Steve Morrison;
PP1 (Anser Key): Steve Morrison; 8B-1: Core Knowledge Staff; 10B-1: Shutterstock; 10B-1 (Answer Key): Shutterstock; DA-2: Steve Morrison; DA-2
(Answer Key): Steve Morrison; DA-3: Shutterstock; DA-3 (Answer Key): Shutterstock

Regarding the Shutterstock items listed above, please note: No person or entity shall falsely represent, expressly or by way of reasonable
implication, that the content herein was created by that person or entity, or any person other than the copyright holder(s) of that content.

Listening & Learning™ Strand

kindergarten

The Core Knowledge Foundation

www.coreknowledge.org

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