What’s Growing?

What’s Growing? lesson plan

What’s growing in your classroom? Record how a plant, animal, or you are changing. It’s a cinch with Crayola® Markers!

  • 1.

    Find out how plants, animals, and even people go through stages in their growth and development. Plants grow quickly, so that’s what our sample shows.

  • 2.

    <STRONG>Plant a seed</STRONG>. Place a bean seed in a damp paper towel and put it in a paper cup. Cover the cup with plastic wrap, and then put it in a dark place. Check the seed in a few days for any changes.

  • 3.

    <STRONG>Record what happens.</STRONG> Fold construction paper into at least four parts. Number the sections. In the first section, use Crayola Markers to draw the seed as it looked when it first sprouted.

  • 4.

    Plant the sprout in soil in a paper cup. Continue to watch the plant grow. Draw the changes you see. Date your observations.

Benefits

  • Children research the life cycle of a plant and identify the characteristics of each stage.
  • Children germinate and plant a bean seed to observe its growth stages.
  • Children accurately illustrate at least four stages of the plant’s growth.

Adaptations

  • Label each part of the plant. Measure its growth each day. Keep daily records of how much water, sun, and plant food it received.
  • Older children might compare and contrast several different types of plants and the variations in their growth processes.
  • Compare the growth processes of plants to those of familiar animals such as chickens or favorite pets.
  • Collect pictures of people (yourself?) at various ages. Draw how they changed through the years.