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How Does Your Garden Grow?

Grade 2, Science

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Description of Unit

In this project, grade 2 students will research fruits and vegetables that grow well in their region and area. Students will determine which plants would grow well together based on their needs (e.g., sunlight, water, space). Students will then map out a space for this garden using perimeter and area, design a yearlong planting/harvesting calendar, and create a budget for the materials they would need.

This guide links the How Does Your Garden Grow? unit to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for second graders. How Does Your Garden Grow? is a science unit that allows students to study how plants grow and plan a garden. How Does Your Garden Grow? also has interdisciplinary connections to English language arts, mathematics, and social studies disciplines. For example, students will follow a research plan for gathering relevant information, as outlined in the English Language Arts and Reading TEKS; and students will identify ways humans are both producers and consumers, as described in the Social Studies TEKS. The following document includes the applicable TEKS and the details of the How Does Your Garden Grow? unit. The final section of this document presents the applicable Texas College and Career Readiness Standards adopted by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) on January 24, 2008.

Phase I. Learning Experiences

  1. Read a book about garden vegetables to the class. Examples include The Vegetables We Eat by Gail Gibbons or Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert. Discuss plant needs with students by posing questions:
    • What do plants need to survive?
    • What are the parts of a plant that help it get what it needs?
    • Do all plants grow in all places? Why or why not?
  2. Organize students into groups of four and lead them on a weed walk. Try to find a weed that can be pulled up by the root for each group, and let the students take these weeds back to class. Students will record their observations/illustrations in a journal. Students will draw and label the plant with the correct terms and functions. Explain what a root is and what its function is for the plant. Then have the students dissect the root from the weed. Explain what a leaf is to the students and its function for the plant. Have the students dissect the leaf from the plant. Repeat these steps for the flower (if there is one) and the stem.
  3. Bring in (or have students bring in) examples of fruits and vegetables (e.g., carrot, spinach, potato, onion, lettuce, pumpkin, celery, apple, orange, strawberry). Discuss the different parts of the plant with students. Give each group of students a fruit or vegetable and have them determine if they would be eating the root, stem, leaves, or flower of the plant when eating this item. Students will brainstorm a list of how they could find out more information on the fruit or vegetable they are examining. Discuss the use of the Internet, library books, and other resources. Provide access to websites and resources to allow student to find interesting facts about their fruit or vegetable. Have student illustrate their fruit or vegetable and share what they have learned with their classmates in a one- or two-minute presentation. Students will document their sources.
  4. Invite guest speakers from local plant nurseries or landscaping businesses to speak to students about what types of plants grow well in their area, how to care for plants, and how to start a garden. Speakers may also discuss the importance of these plants in the world. Students will take notes on what they learned from the guest speaker. Students will record new vocabulary or language that this professional used in their presentation.
  5. Students will look at pictures of different gardens. Gardens come in many shapes and sizes, such as triangles, squares, rectangles, or circles. Have students practice creating these shapes on graph paper and measuring the perimeter of these gardens.

Phase II. Independent Research

A. Research process

  1. Selecting a topic. Students will work individually or in a small group to research what types of fruits, vegetables, or flowers grow well in their area. They may use Internet resources or advice from guest speakers to make their choices.
  2. Asking guiding questions. Once students have selected between three and five plants, they will come up with three guiding questions that they will research for each plant. Examples include the following:
    • What does this plant need to survive (e.g., soil, space, fertilizer)?
    • What type of environment would you need to plant it in (e.g., sunny, shady)?
    • When is the best time to plant seeds and harvest this plant?
    • How does this plant change over time?
    • What similar patterns in growth and development do you see in the different plants?
    • How could changes in the weather affect the plant growth?
  3. Creating a research proposal. Students will describe how they will find the answers to their guiding questions and how they will record their notes and information. See the attached research notes page that can be used as a guide.
  4. Conducting the research. Students will use Internet resources, books, and other sources to gather information about their chosen plants and how these plants will best grow. Students will take notes on their findings in order to complete the project.
  5. Sharing findings. As part of their research, students will create a map of their garden. The map will include how big the garden would be, how many of each type of plant would be in the space, and where they would be located. The students will also show a monthly schedule of when they would plant each plant and when the plant would be ready to harvest.

    6. B. The product

    Each student will write a report or description explaining which plants they chose and what the plants need to survive. The report will include a map of their proposed garden and a planting schedule. Students will document which resources they used for the report. If physical resources are available, students can actually plant their garden in the school area and use pictures and products of the garden in their report/presentation.

    C. Communication

    Each student will present to the class and invited guests (possibly including local gardeners, nursery owners, etc.) what he or she has learned. The presentation will include the completed report, a planting schedule, and a map of the garden. The audience should be given time for questions and answers. The Q&A session should be unscripted in order to reflect student learning accurately.

    D. A completed project consists of

    1. the research proposal,
    2. research notes in a chart format,
    3. a written report,
    4. a monthly schedule of planting and harvesting,
    5. a map of the garden, and
    6. a presentation to the class and invited guests.

This unit may address the following TEKS.

110.4., English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 2, Adopted 2017

110.4(b)(13)
Inquiry and research: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student engages in both short-term and sustained recursive inquiry processes for a variety of purposes.
110.4(b)(11)
Composition: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts--writing process. The student uses the writing process recursively to compose multiple texts that are legible and uses appropriate conventions.
110.4(b)(8)
Multiple genres: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts--literary elements. The student recognizes and analyzes literary elements within and across increasingly complex traditional, contemporary, classical, and diverse literary texts.
110.4(b)(13)(C)
identify and gather relevant sources and information to answer the questions;
110.4(b)(13)(A)
generate questions for formal and informal inquiry with adult assistance;
110.4(b)(7)(E)
interact with sources in meaningful ways such as illustrating or writing
110.4(b)(2)
Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking--beginning reading and writing. The student develops word structure knowledge through phonological awareness, print concepts, phonics, and morphology to communicate, decode, and spell.
110.4(b)(12)
Composition: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts--genres. The student uses genre characteristics and craft to compose multiple texts that are meaningful.
110.4(b)(1)
Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking, discussion, and thinking--oral language. The student develops oral language through listening, speaking, and discussion.

112.13, Science, Grade 2

112.13(b)(9)
Organisms and environments. The student knows that living organisms have basic needs that must be met for them to survive within their environment.
112.13(b)(9)(A)
identify the basic needs of plants and animals;
112.13(b)(9)(B)
identify factors in the environment, including temperature and precipitation, that affect growth and behavior such as migration, hibernation, and dormancy of living things;
112.13(b)(10)
Organisms and environments. The student knows that organisms resemble their parents and have structures and processes that help them survive within their environments.
112.13(b)(10)(B)
observe, record, and compare how the physical characteristics of plants help them meet their basic needs such as stems carry water throughout the plant;

113.13, Social Studies, Grade 2

113.13(b)(10)
Economics. The student understands the roles of producers and consumers in the production of goods and services.
113.13(b)(10)(A)
distinguish between producing and consuming;
113.13(b)(10)(B)
identify ways in which people are both producers and consumers;
113.13(b)(10)(C)
examine the development of a product from a natural resource to a finished product.
113.13(b)(18)
Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a variety of valid sources, including electronic technology.
113.13(b)(18)(B)
obtain information about a topic using a variety of valid visual sources such as pictures, maps, electronic sources, literature, reference sources, and artifacts;
113.13(b)(18)(C)
use various parts of a source, including the table of contents, glossary, and index, as well as keyword Internet searches to locate information;
113.13(b)(18)(D)
sequence and categorize information;
113.13(b)(19)
Social studies skills. The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms.
113.13(b)(19)(A)
express ideas orally based on knowledge and experiences;
113.13(b)(19)(B)
create written and visual material such as stories, poems, maps, and graphic organizers to express ideas.
113.13(b)(20)
Social studies skills. The student uses problem-solving and decision-making skills, working independently and with others, in a variety of settings.
113.13(b)(20)(A)
use a problem-solving process to identify a problem, gather information, list and consider options, consider advantages and disadvantages, choose and implement a solution, and evaluate the effectiveness of the solution;

128.4., Spanish Language Arts and Reading, Grade 2, Adopted 2017

128.4(b)(8)
Multiple genres: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts--literary elements. The student recognizes and analyzes literary elements within and across increasingly complex traditional, contemporary, classical, and diverse literary texts.
128.4(b)(11)(D)
edit drafts using standard Spanish conventions, including:
128.4(b)(11)(D)(viii)
coordinating conjunctions to form compound subjects and predicates;
128.4(b)(11)(D)(ix)
capitalization of proper nouns and the salutation and closing of a letter;
128.4(b)(11)(D)(x)
punctuation marks at the end of declarative sentences and the beginning and end of exclamatory and interrogative sentences
128.4(b)(11)(D)(xi)
correct spelling of words with grade-appropriate orthographic patterns and rules
128.4(b)(11)(D)(vii)
pronouns, including personal, possessive, and objective, and the difference in the use of formal pronoun usted and informal pronoun tú;
128.4(b)(11)(D)(v)
adverbs that convey time and adverbs that convey place;
128.4(b)(11)(D)(i)
complete sentences with subject-verb agreement;
128.4(b)(11)(D)(ii)
past, present, and future verb tense, including the difference between ser and estar;
128.4(b)(11)(D)(iii)
singular, plural, common, and proper nouns, including gender-specific articles;
128.4(b)(11)(D)(iv)
adjectives, including articles;
128.4(b)(11)(D)(vi)
prepositions and prepositional phrases;
128.4(b)(13)
Inquiry and research: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student engages in both short-term and sustained recursive inquiry processes for a variety of purposes.
128.4(b)(13)(C)
identify and gather relevant sources and information to answer the questions;
128.4(b)(13)(A)
generate questions for formal and informal inquiry with adult assistance;
128.4(b)(13)(D)
identify primary and secondary sources;
128.4(b)(7)(E)
interact with sources in meaningful ways such as illustrating or writing
128.4(b)(13)(G)
use an appropriate mode of delivery, whether written, oral, or multimodal, to present results.
128.4(b)(13)(E)
demonstrate understanding of information gathered;
128.4(b)(6)(I)
monitor comprehension and make adjustments such as re-reading, using background knowledge, checking for visual cues, and asking questions when understanding breaks down.
128.4(b)(6)(A)
establish purpose for reading assigned and self-selected texts;
128.4(b)(6)(B)
generate questions about text before, during, and after reading to deepen understanding and gain information;
128.4(b)(6)(C)
make, correct, or confirm predictions using text features, characteristics of genre, and structures;

This unit may address the following Texas College and Career Readiness Standards.

Science:

S.I.A.1
Utilize skepticism, logic, and professional ethics in science.
S.I.C.1
Collaborate on joint projects.
S.I.D.1
Demonstrate literacy in computer use.
S.I.E.1
Use several modes of expression to describe or characterize natural patterns and phenomena. These modes of expression include narrative, numerical, graphical, pictorial, symbolic, and kinesthetic.
S.I.E.2
Use essential vocabulary of the discipline being studied.
S.III.A.1
Use correct applications of writing practices in scientific communication.
S.III.B.1
Read technical and scientific articles to gain understanding of interpretations, apparatuses, techniques or procedures, and data.
S.III.B.2
Set up apparatuses, carry out procedures, and collect specified data from a given set of appropriate instructions.
S.III.B.3
Recognize scientific and technical vocabulary in the field of study and use this vocabulary to enhance clarity of communication.
S.III.B.4
List, use , and give examples of specific strategies before, during, and after reading to improve comprehension.
S.III.C.1
Prepare and present scientific/technical information in appropriate formats for various audiences.
S.III.D.1
Use search engines, databases, and other digital electronic tools effectively to locate information.
S.III.D.2
Evaluate quality, accuracy, completeness, reliability, and currency of information from any source.
S.V.C.1
Recognize patterns of change.
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