Objectives  Identify letters and letter sounds; learn and sort words based on initial

Teaching Guide
sound; describe plant characteristics and needs; describe the life cycle of plants
ABC’s of Plants
Materials  notepads, pencils, magnifying glasses, index cards, construction paper,
crayons or colored pencils, pipe cleaners, foam board, hole punchers, paper strips, twist ties,
pictures of an acorn, a seedling, a sapling, and an oak tree

30 minutes, Days 1–3

Build Background
Activate Prior Knowledge  Tell children: Today, you will learn about different
kinds of plants, like trees, flowers, and grasses. Take children on a nature walk. Have
children use notepads and pencils to write about the plants they see. Hand
out magnifying glasses so children can observe plants closely. After the nature
walk, discuss what you saw as a class. What colors were the plants? Were all of the
plants big? Did all of the plants have colorful flowers? Encourage children to use their
notes while answering the questions.

Introduce the Focus Skill: Letter Sounds  Explain that each plant
name in the book begins with a different letter of the alphabet. Review letters
and sounds using the following routine: This is the letter (Dd). It makes the sound
(/d/) like in (dandelions). Point to (dandelions) on (p. 8). Then have children
repeat the following as you emphasize the (/d/) sound: (Daniel picks dandelions).  
You may wish to use this routine throughout the week to review sounds that children have difficulty with.

Acquire New Vocabulary  Introduce the New Words on p. 33. Read each word aloud and use it in a sentence, emphasizing
the initial letter sound in the key word. For example, say: The flower blooms in spring. Then divide the class into two teams. Have them
write each new word on one side of an index card and the definition on the other side. Give each team time to learn the definitions of
the New Words. Then play “Guess the Word” as a class. Read a definition, using the following routine: This word starts with (o). It means
(very happy). The first team to raise the correct index card gets one point. The team with the most points wins the game!

Read and Respond  Display the book. Read the title and author name aloud as you track the print. After reading each page,
point to the letter and say the plant name. Have children repeat. Then use size and color words to compare and contrast the plants. For
example, after reading pp. 14–15, say: Irises have long, blue petals. But jasmine has short, white petals. Have volunteers compare the weeping
willow on p. 28 with the xotica oriental lily on p. 29. After reading, display pictures of an acorn, a seedling, a sapling, and an oak tree.
Point to each picture as you explain a plant’s life cycle: Plants change as they grow. First, this plant was an acorn. Then, it grew into a small plant.
Next, it grew into a small tree. Finally, it grew into a big oak tree. Change the picture order. Have children tell you the correct picture order to
describe the plant’s life cycle. Encourage them to use words that describe the sequence of events, such as first, then, next, and last.

60 minutes, Days 4–5

Curricular Enrichment: Science  Explain to children that they will work with a partner to make a plant and
L
SCIENCE label its parts. First, they will read the Fun Facts on pp. 34–37. Have them write down the plant parts they learned about and
why they are important. You may want to provide access to a computer for children to conduct additional research on plant
parts. Then distribute construction paper, crayons or colored pencils, pipe cleaners, hole punchers, and strips of paper. Have
children draw flowers with individual petals on construction paper and attach them with twist ties to the pipe cleaner stems.
Leaves can also be drawn individually and attached to the stems. Several pipe cleaners can be twisted along the bottom of
the stem to create roots. Then have partners use the strips of paper to label their plant’s petals, stem, leaves, and roots. Show
children how to use the hole puncher and twist ties to attach the labels to their plants. Insert the plants into a foam board, so
they can be displayed upright. Discuss plant parts and their uses as a class.

Home Connection  (Teacher, you may want to photocopy NATIONAL STANDARDS

this activity for children to complete with a family member.) Talk with
your child about the plants he/she learned about. Take turns
naming a plant part and explaining why it is important. For
example: Roots are a plant part. Roots take in water. Then ask your
child to tell you about how a little acorn becomes a large oak
tree. Encourage him/her to use the words first, then, next, and
last in his/her explanation.
Language Arts: K-12.1, K-12.2, K-12.3, K-12.4, K-12.5, K-12.6, K-12.7, K-12.8, K-12.9, K-12.10,
K-12.11, K-12.12
Mathematics: Numbers PK-2.1; Algebra PK-2.1, PK-2.4; Geometry PK-2.1; Measurement PK-2.1;
Connections PK-12.3
Science: K-4.1, K-4.2, K-4.3, K-4.4, K-4.5, K-4.6, K-4.7
Social Studies: Civics: K-4.4; Economics: K-4.2, K-4.3; Geography: K-12.2, K-12.3, K-12.4;
U.S. History: K-4.1, K-4.3, K-4.4
Health: K-4.1, K-4.2, K-4.3
Visual Arts: K-4.1, K-4.2, K-4.3, K-4.5, K-4.6
Technology: K-12.1, K-12.2, K-12.3, K-12.4, K-12.5, K-12.6

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