Life Systems

Grade 3: Life Systems

Growth & Changes in Plants

For PDSB Educators: if you are looking to reach out to the Peel Field Centres for further ways to connect your learning to the environment visit the PDSB Field Centre Share Point site.

Nature Journaler: Aspen Orr

Nature Journaling: I Notice..., I Wonder...?, It Reminds me of...

IF YOU ARE NEW TO NATURE JOURNALING PLEASE LOOK AT OUR NATURE JOURNALING PAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Nature journaling is an incredible way for students to observe plants in their community. They can observe them over time as well as investigate their growth and changes. The nature journal allows them to write/draw their observations helping to cement the concepts being taught.

At this age all three prompts "I notice..., I wonder...?, and "It reminds me of..." become very intuitive. However the last statement becomes very important for connection making. Encourage them to begin writing themselves using single words or simple sentences. Please note that spelling is not a focus in the nature journal. At this age you may start to see art fears - please ensure you are re-iterating it is not about a pretty picture. It is about their observations. Please see the link feedback at the bottom of this lesson for tips on this. Using words, pictures and numbers allows the students multiple tools to document their observations. With permission Bethan Burton has allowed us to link to her website as she has written a blog post for Teaching nature journaling at all ages.

Here are some more ideas to get you started.

Engage the fives senses (whenever possible)
Make leaf prints ( paint the leaf and press the print into the journal)
Make leaf rubbings
Trace the items they are looking at
Add leaves into the journal using tape
Count the birds/squirrels/insects etc.
Measure as much of the phenomena as the students can using non standard and standard units of measurement.

Here is a downloadable lesson from John (Jack) Muir Laws and Emilie Lygren book: How to Teach Nature Journaling. All resources shared with permission. "I Notice..., I Wonder...?, It Reminds me of..."

GIVING FEEDBACK here is a fantastic resource from Jack and Emilie

NOTE: You are encourage to spend time in the outdoors Nature Journaling. However, you can also bring nature inside, look out your wonder window, have a refrigerator Safari or even observe a house plant or pet.

Photo by: @billiejooutdoors

Safety/care rules

- Make sure you are following the safety/care rules
- Be gentle with the insects, the idea is to catch them for a few minutes, observe them and then let them go.
- Be cautious when catching insects that can sting
- Make sure the whole critter is on the inside of the container as not to squish it
- Do not shake the container with the critter inside
- Be stealthy and quite
- MOST IMPORTANTLY HAVE FUN!

Catch a Bug!

Insects play a major role in plant reproduction, during this activity you will investigate these incredible animals up close. To start you will need to create a bug catcher using recycled materials.

Step 1:

- Collect 2L pop/drink bottles and the lids from sour cream and yogurt containers
- Clean the lids and bottles
- Cut the middle section of the bottle away, along the ridges of the bottle. This will leave the right amount of space and you will have two bug catchers.
- Leave the lid on the top section
- Make sure the edges have been smoothed out to ensure no one gets cut on the plastic
- Once that is complete pair it with a lid (sour cream or alternative) and you are done
- If you do not have 2L pop bottles be creative and use what you have

Step 2: The following can be done orally

- Head outside and search for insects/bugs (a critter that is like an insect but does not have the correct physical characteristics) on flowers, plants, trees or the grass.
  - How do you know if it is a insect? What physical characteristics must it have?
- Observe what the insect/bugs are doing? Are they:
  - Drinking nectar
  - Collecting pollen (can you see the pollen on the insect?)
  - Eating the leaves or bark
  - Or any other behaviours you see
- What type of insects are you noticing the most on each of the above sections?
- Using the Peel BYOD library (link on the left) and your own observations, choose one insect that you observed and write a small paragraph explaining the relationship between the insect and the plant.

Check out the virtual choice board to give you more fun facts about some of the insects you may find!

NOTE: This can be used with the Nature Journaling activity at the top of the page.

Click on the insect pictures as well as the field journal to see some amazing videos!

Insect Virtual Choice Board

Photo by: @billiejooutdoors

Planting

This activity requires the student to do some online research. Click the Library link to the PEEL BYOD or use the internet.

IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT THIS LESSON BE SPLIT UP OVER A NUMBER OF DAYS

1) Draw a picture of a plant and label all the parts

Go on a walk , look out the window or look around the house at a real plant and find all the parts that you labeled

2) What role do each of the parts play in the survival of the plant?

3) What is the life cycle of a plant? Draw a picture to illustrate.

Go outside into the garden or use containers indoors to plant some seeds
Keep track of your plants growth and how you are helping it in a journal

4) Research the following?

- What are the basic needs of a plant?
- How do plants make their own food?
- What is photosynthesis? Draw a simple picture illustrating this
- What is pollination?
- Describe the relationship between plants and animals

5) Describe ways in which humans from various cultures, including Indigenous peoples, use plants for the following:

Food, shelter, medicine, clothing, etc.
Go for a walk, look out the window or around the house and list evidence of where you see how humans have used plants

6) What are examples of environmental conditions that threaten plants?

Go for a walk, look out the window or around the house to find evidence of this?

Curriculum Links:

NOTE: This can be used with the Nature Journaling activity at the top of the page.

Photos by: @billiejooutdoors

Silly Names

It's time to get your "silly" on! Go for a walk or look out your window and make up a new name for any living thing you see.

Focus on plant characteristics for this activity. However, if you see another living thing that you want to give a new name, go for it! Be sure to use the characteristics of the living thing in your new name. Be creative and have fun!

Look at the pictures on the left for some inspiration.

Try taking a photo or drawing a picture of your living thing to go along with your silly name.

NOTE: This can be used with the Nature Journaling activity at the top of the page.

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