I have a 4-weeks free plant unit study and some fun hands-on ideas. Also, look at my pages Best Homeschool Unit Studies for more unit study themes.
Kids love learning about plants.
You can teach about the parts that make a plant.
How do they get their food and how do they reproduce is another question.
And there are different kinds of plants. For example, there are trees, flowers, bushes and grasses.
Too, this unit study could be exhaustive if were to list what plant we eat at every meal.
And we use plants to make clothes, make furniture and even to make medicine.
In addition, learn about the basic needs of a plant or if plants need soil to grow.
Plus, I will list some vocabulary words in the unit
First, look at some of these books.
BOOKS ABOUT PLANTS FOR KIDS
Use them as a spine or for additional reading.
9 Plant Books for Kids Who Read and Love to Be Read To
Add a few of these books about plants to your home library or to your unit study.
Living Sunlight shows children, teachers, and parents the remarkable magic of what makes us human.This informative yet dramatic book will mesmerize readers and help further a child's understanding of the energy we share with all living things in nature. We are all dancing sunlight. The book is co-authored by award-winning M.I.T. professor Penny Chisholm, a leading expert on ocean science. A perfect addition to any library!
In 1882, Black botanist and mycologist Charles S. Parker sprouted up in the lush, green Pacific Northwest. From the beginning, Charles’s passion was plants, and he trudged through forests, climbed mountains, and waded into lakes to find them. When he was drafted to fight in World War I, Charles experienced prejudice against Black soldiers and witnessed the massive ecological devastation that war caused. Those experiences made him even more determined to follow his dreams, whatever the difficulties, and to have a career making things grow, not destroying them.As a botanist and teacher, Charles traveled the United States, searching for new species of plants and fungi. After discovering the source of the disease killing peach and apricot trees, Charles was offered a job at Howard University, the famed historically Black college where he taught the next generation of Black scientists—men and women—to love plants and fungi as much as he did.
How do mothers and fathers—whether they are apple trees, sheep, or humans—pass down traits to their children? This question fascinated Gregor Mendel throughout his life. Regarded as the world’s first geneticist, Mendel overcame poverty and obscurity to discover one of the fundamental aspects of genetic science: animals, plants, and people all inherit and pass down traits through the same process, following the same rules.
This picture book biography examines the life and career of naturalist and artist Anna Comstock (1854-1930), who defied social conventions and pursued the study of science. From the time she was a young girl, Anna Comstock was fascinated by the natural world. She loved exploring outdoors, examining wildlife and learning nature's secrets. From watching the teamwork of marching ants to following the constellations in the sky, Anna observed it all. And her interest only increased as she grew older and went to college at Cornell University. There she continued her studies, pushing back against those social conventions that implied science was a man's pursuit. Eventually Anna became known as a nature expert, pioneering a movement to encourage schools to conduct science and nature classes for children outdoors, thereby increasing students' interest in nature. In following her passion, this remarkable woman blazed a trail for female scientists today.
Sally is a young girl living in rural Alabama in the early 1900s, a time when people were struggling to grow food in soil that had been depleted by years of cotton production. One day, Dr. George Washington Carver shows up to help the grown-ups with their farms and the children with their school garden. He teaches them how to restore the soil and respect the balance of nature. He even prepares a delicious lunch made of plants, including "chicken" made from peanuts. And Sally never forgets the lessons this wise man leaves in her heart and mind. Susan Grigsby's warm story shines new light on a Black scientist who was ahead of his time.
Covering more than twenty-five subjects, from photosynthesis and permaculture to the hidden world of Victorian plant hunters, this stylish illustrated guide is packed with scientific insight into the critical role plants play in the drama of life on Earth. Did you know that some plants steal while others defend themselves against attack? That the largest cacti can reach sixty-six feet tall and weigh more than a car? That there are meat-eating plants the size of footballs? Readers young and old will marvel at the wondrous diversity and adaptability of plants, from trees and tropical species to those that have evolved to master extreme conditions. A brisk narrative bursting with facts—all carefully organized with maps and charts in richly patterned vintage-style illustrations—make for a vivid guide to all that grows . . . and a beautiful gift book for anyone interested in the environment.
Originally published in the early 1900's by Anna Comstock. This book, Notes on Plants and Flowers, contains the following information: How to Understand a Plant, How to understand a flower; along with multiple forms to fill in while in the field, to aid in the identification of plants and flowers.
Anna Comstock intended that the pupil would use these notebooks to create their very own field guides by observing local flora and fauna with which they should be very familiar.
This is an 8.5x11 workbook for students, featuring short illustrated chapters on identifying parts of plants and flowers along with multiple forms for the pupil to complete.
A guide to discovery of the forces at work in the world of plants. Through germinating seeds and varying their growing conditions, students learn by observation the different ways seeds germinate and young plants respond to moisture and light. Further experiments shed light on the manner of nourishment, respiration, and reproduction. The reader is given plenty to ponder since the text often poses questions without supplying answers. The life stories of the sweet pea, oak, ferns, moss, and mushrooms and an account of some of the forces plants have to contend with in their struggle to survive encourage students to continue to read and interpret their surroundings. An engaging introduction to botany for middle school and beyond.
A tree that sheds poison daggers; a glistening red seed that stops the heart; a shrub that causes paralysis; a vine that strangles; and a leaf that triggered a war. In Wicked Plants, Stewart takes on over two hundred of Mother Nature’s most appalling creations. It’s an A to Z of plants that kill, maim, intoxicate, and otherwise offend. You’ll learn which plants to avoid (like exploding shrubs), which plants make themselves exceedingly unwelcome (like the vine that ate the South), and which ones have been killing for centuries (like the weed that killed Abraham Lincoln's mother). Menacing botanical illustrations and splendidly ghastly drawings create a fascinating portrait of the evildoers that may be lurking in your own backyard. Drawing on history, medicine, science, and legend, this compendium of bloodcurdling botany will entertain, alarm, and enlighten even the most intrepid gardeners and nature lovers.
Next, look at some of these ideas for history and geography.
HISTORY & GEOGRAPHY PLANT UNIT STUDY IDEAS WEEK 1
The historical use of plants in ancient civilizations, exploration, and trade have been valuable to human society.
You can focus on a time like Native Americans and their uses of plant for medicine to the amazing Dr. Carver who helped farmers with poor soil.
And think about preparing trioramas to learn about the different biomes or geography of plants.
Look at some of these ideas from the beautiful gardens in Ancient Babylon to early making of paper.
In addition, learn about plant based food around the world while learning geography.
NATURE & SCIENCE PLANT UNIT STUDY IDEAS WEEK 2
Next, since this is a study of plants it is heavy science based.
For example, one cool fact is that chlorophyll helps plants make food from sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water.
Also, look at this fun plant lapbook to give your child a hands-on tool for learning about plants.
You can get it now!
MATH & LANGUAGE ARTS PLANT UNIT STUDY IDEAS WEEK 3
Additionally, you can use some of these hands-on math ideas below.
- Have your child plant multiple seeds (e.g., in a grid). Then calculate how many seeds they planted and how many plants might grow if each seed sprouted successfully (multiplication).
- Measure the growth of a plant. For example, measure the height, volume, and length.
- Discuss patterns in math. For example, look at the leaf patterns and flower petals.
Also, look at these vocabulary words.
- nutrients substances needed to live and grow
- coniferous bearing seeds in cones or similar structures
- nettles plants whose leaves create a burning feeling when you touch them
- water a clear liquid, chemical formula: H2O, that is essential for all plant and animal life.
- photosynthesis the process that occurs in green parts of plants. The chlorophyll in the plant reacts with water, carbon dioxide, and sunlight to produce oxygen and simple sugars.
- algae single or multi-celled plants, usually living in water
- soil a mixture of dirt, humus (organic matter), and living and dead organisms
- annuals plants that complete their life cycle (grows, flowers, produces
- seed, and dies) in one year
- biennials plants that grow during one year and flower, produce seed, and die during the next year. They live for two years.
- perennials are plants that live for more than two years. They can grow year after year without replanting.
- propagation to increase in number, to reproduce
ARTS & CRAFTS PLANT UNIT STUDY IDEAS WEEK 4
MORE BEST HOMESCHOOL UNIT STUDY IDEAS
Look at these other homeschool unit study ideas.
- Mushroom Unit Study and Kids Learning Activities
- How to Plan And Start an Easy Gardening Unit Study for Kids
- George Washington Carver Fun Peanut Quick Unit Study & Notebooking Pages
- Easy Seeds and Gardening Unit Study for Kids (Middle – Upper Elementary)
- Printable Strawberries Lapbook and Fun Homeschool Unit Study Ideas
- Free Kids Insect Unit Study┃ How to Make Clay Insects
- Free Summer Unit Study For Kids and Fun Starfish Craft
- Above & Below: Pond Unit Study, Hands-on Ideas, & Lapbook
- John Muir Spring Unit Study (and Hands-on Geography Ideas)
- Carnivorous Plants Lapbook and Homeschool Unit Study
- Kids Dandelion Flower Unit Study and Easy Tea Recipe & Notebooking Pages
