Parts of a Flowering Plant: Lesson for Grades 2-4

Parts of a Flowering Plant: Lesson for Grades 2-4
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This lesson on life science is designed for students in grades 2-4. It teaches students the four basic plant parts, as well as their function. It will keep students engaged because they will be observing a real live plant and doing some drawings of their own.

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Lesson Objectives

1. Label the parts of a plant on a diagram

2. Name the four parts of a plant

3. Tell the function of each part of the plant

4. Observe a live plant and name its parts

Materials

  • chart paper
  • markers
  • picture of a plant
  • cards with words: root, stem, leaf, flower
  • tape
  • live plant
  • drawing paper
  • crayons
  • seeds
  • dirt
  • cups

Lesson Procedure

1. Begin with a KWL chart on chart paper to activate prior knowledge. Ask students: What do you know about plants? What do you want to learn about plants? Write down any reasonable student responses. Return to the chart at the end of the lesson to add what the students learned.

2. Display a large picture of a plant with a view of the roots. Have the following words written on cards: root, stem, leaf, flower. Ask four students to come up and place a card on the appropriate place on the picture.

3. Next, show students a live plant and point out all the parts that were previously labeled. Be sure to carefully remove the roots from the dirt so students get a good view of the root system.

4. Tell students that each part of the plant has a special job. Hand out a sheet with the four parts with space for students to fill in the job, or have students take notes in a notebook (depending on age.) Discuss and take notes on each plant part:

  • Root – anchors the plant, absorbs water

  • Stem – supports plant, holds leaves up to sun, carries water, minerals, and sugar

  • Leaf – captures energy from the sun for photosynthesis

  • Flower – allows plant to reproduce

5. Go back to the KWL chart and ask students: What did you learn about plants in this lesson?

Homework/Extension Activities

1. Have students draw a picture of a plant with all four parts. Glue folded pieces of paper around the picture with the parts labeled on top of the paper. Have students write the part’s function on the inside of the paper so it’s seen when the label is lifted.

2. Grow a plant in the classroom and record its growth each week by having students draw the plant. This can be done by folding a piece of construction paper into quarters and drawing a picture of what the plant looks like once a week for four weeks. If you prefer to have a plant growth book, students can draw each week’s picture on a full sheet of paper and staple the four sheets (or more) to make a book.

Assessment

Give the students a picture of a plant to label the four parts. On the back, have the students write a sentence using each plant part to tell its function.

I hope this lesson gets your students excited about all the wonderful things that occur in the spring. There are many fun, hands-on lessons that can be done with plants.