Unit 11 — Growth and Life Processes
Description
Students explore plant growth by planting and observing bean plants over time. They record plant height, identify conditions needed for growth, and design tools to help with gardening. Students analyze growth data, create digital stories documenting their observations, and apply engineering thinking to solve agricultural challenges.
Essential Questions
- What do plants need to grow?
- How can we measure and track growth over time?
- How can engineering help us grow food and plants?
Learning Objectives
- Identify conditions necessary for plant growth
- Measure plant growth using standard tools
- Record and organize growth data over time
- Create graphs showing growth patterns
- Design a gardening tool that solves a specific problem
- Use technology to document observations
- Draw conclusions from growth data
Supplemental Resources
- Rulers for measuring plant height
- Graph paper for recording and displaying growth data
- Index cards for labeling plant pots and dates
- Markers for creating growth charts
- Printed plant care instruction sheets
Life Sciences
Data and Analysis
Engineering Design
Crosscutting Concepts
Disciplinary Core Ideas
Digital Literacy
Measurement
Number and Operations in Base Ten
Operations and Algebraic Thinking
Science and Engineering Practices
Standards for Mathematical Practice
Students engage in scientific and technical writing throughout STEM investigations. They document observations, create digital reports of findings, communicate design solutions, and record data using word processing and presentation tools. Students develop vocabulary through exploration of natural and engineered systems.
Students apply mathematical skills to analyze and interpret data from STEM investigations. They measure distances, record heights of plants, create graphs and line plots, calculate area and perimeter of structures, and use mathematical reasoning to solve design problems. Students employ data collection strategies and statistical analysis.
Formative Assessments
- Observations of seed germination
- Height measurements at regular intervals
- Watering and light variable experiments
- Data recording on student sheets
- Gardening tool design sketches
Summative Assessment
Plant growth data recorded and graphed over unit; designed gardening tool or structure; digital story with photos and words documenting plant growth
Benchmark Assessment
— not configured —
Alternative Assessment
Students may demonstrate understanding through oral descriptions of plant growth conditions and needs rather than written responses. Visual aids such as picture cards showing growth stages, pre-filled data tables, or simplified measurement guides may be provided to support data recording and organization.
IEP (Individualized Education Program)
Students may benefit from graphic organizers or structured data sheets with pre-labeled sections to support recording plant measurements and observations over time. Providing a visual model of a completed graph or design sketch can clarify expectations before students begin independent work. For students who find written expression challenging, allowing oral explanations, dictation, or voice recording as an alternative output for the digital story component supports access to the summative task. Breaking the multi-week observation cycle into small, clearly sequenced checkpoints with teacher feedback helps students stay organized and experience consistent success.
Section 504
Extended time should be provided for measurement tasks and data recording to reduce the pressure of keeping pace during hands-on observation periods. Preferential seating near the plants and materials minimizes distractions and supports students in staying engaged during observation routines. Printed copies of any directions or data collection steps displayed on the board ensure students can reference instructions independently throughout the unit.
ELL / MLL
Visual supports such as labeled diagrams of plant parts, picture-supported vocabulary cards for key terms like germination, root, stem, and conditions, and illustrated measurement guides will help students access the unit's science and engineering content. Directions for planting, measuring, and recording should be given in short, clear steps, ideally paired with a visual demonstration. Encouraging students to use their home language when brainstorming observations or labeling diagrams before transitioning to English supports comprehension and builds confidence.
At Risk (RTI)
Connecting the unit's plant growth concepts to students' everyday experiences with food, gardens, or nature provides a familiar entry point and activates prior knowledge. Simplifying data recording tasks by offering partially completed charts or sentence frames for observation notes reduces barriers while keeping students engaged in the core scientific thinking. Hands-on involvement with the plants — watering, measuring, and photographing — offers meaningful participation even when reading or writing tasks present difficulty, and frequent brief check-ins help students maintain momentum across the four-week unit.
Gifted & Talented
Students who demonstrate early mastery of plant growth concepts can be challenged to investigate how changing a specific variable — such as soil type, light intensity, or water frequency — affects growth rate, designing their own mini-experiment and analyzing the resulting data with more sophisticated graphing or statistical comparisons. Extending the engineering design component by requiring students to consider multiple constraints, iterate on their gardening tool design, and present a justified solution using evidence from their plant data adds meaningful depth. Encouraging students to research agricultural innovations or connect their findings to real-world food systems challenges them to think analytically across science, engineering, and social contexts.