Teacher:  Janet Turner

School:  Lexington   

Title:  Leaf Matters
 
Subject:  Science

Grade Level:  2 - 4

Overview:
This is a good activity for the beginning of school. Students will work in groups to categorize leaves they collect form home or the playground.    

Approximate Duration:
60 minute class period

Content Standards:
Science as Inquiry
The students will do science by engaging in partial and full inquiries that are within their developmental capabilities.
Benchmarks:
SI-E-A2
planning and/or designing and conducting a scientific investigation;
SI-E-A3
communicating that observations are made with one's senses;
SI-E-A4
employing equipment and tools to gather data and extend the sensory observations;
SI-E-A6
communicating observations and experiments in oral and written formats;
SI-E-A7
utilizing safety procedures during experiments.
SI-E-B1
categorizing questions into what is known, what is not known, and what questions need to be explained;
SI-E-B2
using appropriate experiments depending on the questions to be explored;
SI-E-B3
choosing appropriate equipment and tools to conduct an experiment;
SI-E-B4
developing explanations by using observations and experiments;
SI-E-B5
presenting the results of experiments;
SI-E-B6
reviewing and asking questions about the results of investigations.
Interdisciplinary Connections:
English/Language Arts : Standard Three
Students communicate using standard English grammar, usage, sentence structure, punctuation, capitalization, spelling, and handwriting.
English/Language Arts : Standard Four
Students demonstrate competence in speaking and listening as tools for learning and communicating.

Educational Technology Standards:
Identify, explain, and effectively use input, output and storage devices of computers and other technologies (e.g., keyboard, mouse, scanner, adaptive devices, monitor, printer floppy disk, hard drive).
Use technology tools (e.g., publishing, multimedia tools, and word processing software) for individual and for simple collaborative writing, communication, and publishing activities for a variety of audiences.

Objectives:
The learner will place leaves into groups according to leaf characteristics.
The learner will communicate orally and in writing the characteristics used in grouping.

Lesson Materials and Resources:
assortment of leaves
tape or glue
construction paper
Science journal
handout

Technology Tools and Materials:
Hardware:
computer

Software:
Microsoft Word

Background Information:
Review what characteristics are and how they can be used to group things.

Lesson Procedures:
1. Place students into groups of 3 or 4.
2. Pass out their Science Journals and leave on their desks while they collect leaves.
3. Instruct students to collect leaves from the playground. Take 15 minutes to do this as you walk around the building. Ask them to only take one leaf per plant per group. You may want to bring leaves for the class to save time if necessary.
4. Go back to the classroom. Have the students lay the leaves out in front of the group so that everyone in the group can see them.
5. Ask the students, "How are the leaves alike?"
Record their answers under the heading "Alike" on the board. Students will copy this in their Science Journals as it is placed on the board.
6. Ask the students, "How are the leaves different?" Record under the heading "Different". Have students copy.
7. Ask the students, "How do the leaves feel?"
Explain that this is the texture of the leaf. Record under the heading "Texture". Have students copy.
8. Pass out the handout, "Grouping Leaves from your Area".
9. Give students time to answer the questions using complete sentences. They will answer the questions based on the leaves they collected within their group. (All groups will not have "fuzzy" leaves, for example.) Instruct them to use the list from the board to help them with this.
10. When they have answered question 1-3 in their journal from the handout, allow them time to work within their groups to decide what 2 ways they will group their leaves.
11. Pass out the construction paper and glue or tape.
12. Divide the paper in half and label each half with the group choice.
13. Tape or glue the leaves onto the construction paper.
14. Have students complete the questions on their handout, answering them in their Science Journal.
15. Each student will write a brief summary of this activity in their Science Journal to inform other groups how they grouped their leaves and why.
16. Group members will share their summaries with the other members of the group and construct one group summary from all of them.
17. One member of the group will write the summary with help from the others in the group. It will them be typed on a Word document to be printed and placed with their leaf groups on construction paper.

Assessment Procedures:
Team Work Rubric

Accommodations/Modifications:
None

Reproducible Materials:
Leaf Matters Rubric
Leaf Matters

Explorations and Extensions:
Some students may want to use more than 2 characteristics to group their leaves.
 

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