Lesson Plan Science - Apple Life Cycle

Katie Tessier
10/14/15 and 10/15/15
Domain/Curricular Structure:
Science - First Grade
Goal/Concepts to be explored:
The children will sequence the steps of the apple life cycle and write a sentence explaining each
step in an apple life cycle from seed to eating the fruit.
Objectives/Indicators:
Standards:
1.S.1: The student will use the science and engineering practices, including the processes and
skills of scientific inquiry, to develop understandings of science content.
1.L.5: The student will demonstrate an understanding of how the structures of plants help them
survive and grow in their environments.
Indicators:
1.S.1A.1 Ask and answer questions about the natural world using explorations, observations, or
structured investigations.
1.L.5A.2 Construct explanations of the stages of development of a flowering plant as it grows
from a seed using observations and measurements.
ELA Writing:
Standard 3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective
techniques, well-chosen details, and well structured event sequences.
3.1 Explore multiple texts to write narratives that recount two or more sequenced events, include
details, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide a sense of closure.
Content/Rationale:
Students have been learning about apples for the past two weeks as a thematic unit to relate to
fall. Students understand basic concepts about the apple, such as it comes in a variety of colors
and it is a fruit, however, they have not covered material relating to the life cycle of an apple yet.
The lesson is an extension and continuation of the apple unit the students are currently involved
in. Students are ready to participate in this material as they all are able to understand and write
short sentences, and have the ability to sequence pictures based off of images and information in
a text.
Professional Resources:
Interactive Reading Journal Worksheets from Teachers Pay Teachers

Materials:
Apple Trees by Robin Nelson
The Seasons of Arnolds Apple Tree by Gail Gibbons
Pencil
Smartboard
Crayons
Worksheet of Apple Life Cycle cut-outs
Reading Journal
Procedures: (What you will do and say):
Students will be seated on the carpet before teacher introduces book for the day.
Teacher will introduce the book Apple Trees and ask the students why they think
theyre reading that book today with response time.
Teacher will allow students to respond and then will expand by saying since we have
been learning about apples for the past week, we are going to be learning about the life
cycle of an apple tree today
Teacher will then read the book to the students and have the images of the book shown
on the smartboard.
Teacher will place emphasize on pages in the book that have information regarding the
life cycle.
When the book is finished the teacher will ask the students if they saw any of the apple
life cycle stages in the book.
Then, the teacher will place an image of the worksheet on the smartboard.
Teacher will explain that the students will take the information they learned today to
color the images of the apple life cycle in appropriately, cut out the pictures, and glue
them into their reading journals in order from the first to last step of the life cycle.
Students are dismissed to their learning clubs by the teacher calling each learning clubs
number.
Students have 15-20 minutes of work time with examples modeled on the board.
After the 15 minutes is up, all students clean up their materials and return to the carpet.
Teacher allow for reflection of the information by asking students if they can name
something new they learned about apples, or if they can list one of the steps of the life
cycle in order.
The second day of this lesson, the students meet on the carpet and are introduced to
another book: The Seasons of Arnolds Apple Tree.
Teacher asks students why they think we will read this book today and allows response
time.
Teacher reminds students that they are learning about the apple life cycle.

 Teacher asks students to listen for key words that describe the apple life cycle while she
is reading the book and if they hear a word they should put their thumb on their knee. (i.e.
sapling, seed, blossom, apple picking etc.)
Teacher reads the book.
When the book is finished the teacher will prompt the students to share the apple life
cycle steps.
The teacher then pulls up the smartboard document with the worksheet of apple life cycle
cutouts again and explains that the students will now sequence and write the steps of the
life cycle in their reading journals.
As a whole group the students determine one or two sentences to write under each flap
that explains the life cycle using sequencing words (first, next, then, last)
After all the steps are written on the board and the students read over them aloud with the
teacher, students are dismissed to their learning clubs by learning club numbers to
complete their own work in their journals.
Students have approximately 15-20 minutes to write all the responses in and the teacher
moves around the room to monitor student writing and need for assistance.
After the time is up the students are instructed to clean up their areas and as they line up
for related arts they are told to brainstorm one thing they learned about apples or one step
of the apple life cycle.
Once all students are lined up and their materials are put away the teacher instructs
students to turn to their neighbor and whisper the new information they learned about
apples.
Students are dismissed for related arts.
Differentiated Teaching Strategies:
This lesson is differentiated through the various methods of instruction. The lesson begins as a
whole group lesson through communication, then the information is presented again through
visual aids. The students have hands-on access to the images so they can sequence them as well.
The time allotted for students is flexible, so for those students who have difficulty completing the
lesson in 20 minutes, they have the opportunity to complete the work at a later time. Teacher
assistance is available throughout the entire lesson.
Assessment:
Students are assessed based on the accuracy of the image sequences in their notebooks and the
accuracy of the sentences they use to describe the apple life cycle. Students were assessed using
simultaneous response in the whole group discussions on the carpet for their knowledge of the
apple life cycle. All assessments were informal and the results were used to determine if the
information needed to be reinforced at later times.