Student Exploration
of
Plant Parts

Students listen as the poem, Dandelion, by Susan Painter is read. 

Following the poem, students will share their stories of dandelions with the class.

STEP ONE:  Explore all the parts of your dandelion then answer the following questions.

Separate your dandelion into parts.  How many parts can you find?  

Explore each part of the dandelion.  

Group Work


STEP ONE:  
Group Member 1:  Select a plant part (Shhhh.  Do not tell anyone which part you chose.)  
Group Member 2:  Make a two-column list in your journal.  Write the clues on one side and the guesses on the other side.
Group Member 1:  Give clues to the plant part without telling the "name" of the part.
                              Hint, be sure to tell them the color, feel, and why that part may be important.   
Group Member 3:  Try to guess the part described by Group Member 1.
Group Member 1:  When the correct plant part is guessed, switch roles with another group member.

Describe each part in a sentence.  (There should be at least five sentences.)  

STEP TWO:  Collect a poster board, a piece of paper and a container of rubber cement.  

STEP THREE:  Notice there is a line separating your poster board into two sides.  Paste all of your dandelion parts onto one side of the poster board.  Be creative.  You do not have to paste them in any order.  The crazier the better!

STEP FOUR:  Create a Pantoum poem or a short story about your dandelion on the paper provided.

STEP FIVE:  Paste your poem/story onto the remaining side of the poster board.