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Plant Fun

Identification:

My name is Dalia Gorham, I teach 3rd grade at Samuel B. Huey located in West Philadelphia.  I intend to use the grant money to enhance my current science curriculum.  It is my hope to aquire materials to help promote inquiry in my classroom. These materials will allow students to "play", explore, and learn.

Specific Aim/ Goal:

The objective is for my students to be able to engage in hands-on activities and explorations.  In order to successfully persue inquiry-based learning many materials are needed. However, funding is extremely limited. I will purchase such supplies with the mini-grant.  I would like for my students to be able to specifically explore plants.

Sample Lesson:

Philadelphia Science Standards:  Generate questions about objects, organisms, and/or events that can be answered through scientific investigation.

Materials:

1. fast plants  2. artifical light (plant lamps)  3. Window area with a lot of natural sunlight 

4. tap water   5. fresh spring water  6. soil 

Rationale/Objectives:

Students will be introduced to structured inquiry so that the teacher may lead students into guided inquiry. Students will also be able to use  scientific method as a guide for inquiry.

Lesson:

1. Teacher will assess students prior knowledge through the use of a KWL chart.

(what we know, what we want to learn, what we learned)

2. Teacher will explain the scientific method (as a refresher) to students.

3. Teacher will convey to  the students that we will be conducting an experiment to find out what environment a plant will grow best in, artifical light vs. natural sunlight  &  tap water vs. bottled spring water.  Teacher will ask students to brainstorm in their groups to decide the best way they think we could conduct this experiment.  As a whole group we will develop the procedures for the experiment.

4. Students will work in groups to develop a hypothesis about what environment they think the plants will grow best.

 5. In groups students will plant their seeds, and place their plants in the different environment (natural light, artifical light).  They will water their plants as labled (spring water, tap water)

6.  Students will keep a journal and record data collect, students will measure the plants, draw pictures, note observations- how many flowers, strength of stem. etc.

7. At  the end of 3 weeks students will report results and draw conclusions. In groups students will discuss what variables may have accounted for any differing results.

8. Students will refer back to WHAT section on the KWL, to develop a inquiry experiment.

EX: Will the color of a light bulb affect how a plant grows, Is there better fertilizer, etc.

9. In groups students will conduct new experiments.

Proposal:

The materials I plan to purchase will allow my students  to conduct experiments and explorations. The materials purchased will enhance our current science curriculum. Most of the materials are needed to grow plants in order to conduct experiments.

Equipment:

Carnivorous Plant Set                                        $24.95

E-Z Garden Kit                                                    $98.00

Nitty Gritty Soil Science Kit                                  $29.95

Root-Vue Farm                                                    $32.95

Seed Assortment Set                                          $15.95

The Soil-Less Garden Lab Investigation              $45.95

Sprout & Grow Greenhouse with Wonder soil   $45.95

Growing Lab Activities for Growing Minds             $31.15