Explore Science: Plants

Discover the wonderful world of Plants with four lessons and 11 hands-on science activities.

Each lesson takes about 50-90 minutes to complete. Use this unit during fall or spring, or whenever you have access to plants.

Explore Science: Plants

• Lesson 1: Plants & How They Grow — Plant bean seeds and watch them grow roots and leaves. Learn that a plant needs soil, water, and sunlight to grow.
• Estimated Lesson Time: 60 min 
• 2 Activities: Planting Seeds & Planting Seedlings
• Lesson 2: From a Seed to a Plant — Discover where a plant begins by dissecting a bean seed.
• Estimated Lesson Time: 50 min
• 2 Activities: Parts of a Seed & A Baby Plant Grows Up Worksheet
• Lesson 3: Jobs Plant Parts Have — Learn the jobs each of a plant's main parts play in helping the plant grow and stay healthy. Discover photosynthesis.
• Estimated Lesson Time: 90 min
• 4 Activities: Bubbling Leaf, What Gives?, Matching Plant Parts to Their Jobs Worksheet & The Ins & Outs of Photosynthesis Worksheet
• Lesson 4: Eat Up! Plants as Food — Learn the six different plant parts humans can eat and how to identify what part of a plant your food is.
• Estimated Lesson Time: 60 min
• 3 Activities: Seed Sorting, Edible Plant Parts, with worksheet & Food-Plants Match-Up! Worksheet

What is Explore Science?

From Home Science Tools, Explore Science is a new topical curriculum for grades K-2.

Based on the 5E teaching model, lessons begin with hands-on activities. Standalone one-box kits provide a month of science at roughly one lesson per week.

What can I expect from each Explore Science unit?

• 1-4 hands-on activities per lesson
• 4-6 lessons per unit
• 1 month of K-2 science instruction
• Curriculum + activity supplies in one box
• Step-by-step teaching guide with discussion Q&A

Where do I start?

We recommend using  Explore Science: An Intro to Scientific Skills first. It includes concepts, vocabulary, and materials needed for other units.

What are the 5Es?

• Engage students.
• Explore key concepts.
• Explain new discoveries.
• Extend student learning.
• Evaluate new understanding. 

Note: This kit is intended for parent/teacher use to complete curriculum lab activities with students. It includes items that are not designed or intended primarily for children ages 12 and under.

Explore Science: Plants

• 1 Seeds, baby lima bean, pack
• 1 Construction paper, black
• 1 Aluminum pie plate, 5" diameter
• 8 Cup, clear plastic, 9 oz
• 1 Bird seed, 1lb
• 1 Explore Science: Plants text, 48 pages

This kit includes enough supplies for 2 students.

You provide: small planting pot & soil, clear plastic tape, kids scissors, water, paper towels, a house plant, glue sticks, plant leaf with stem, glass container to submerge the leaf & stem, timer, weeds growing in the ground, food coloring, pencil per student, one apple per student, cutting board, sharp knife, and one paper plate per student.

You will also need the following items, provided in the introductory Explore Science unit, An Introduction to Scientific Skills: science notebooks, colored pencils, and magnifying glass.