Vocabulary

Structure of a plant: living being with cellulose walls, and often chlorophyll and starch; it has neither a mouth nor a nervous system; its mobility and sensitivity are weaker than those of animals.
Flower: colored and usually scented part of the plant responsible for reproduction.
Fruit: product of a plant after pollination and contains the seed.
Seed: a small package containing the embryonic plant and food for the offspring.
Leaf: part of the plant that is an offshoot of the stem and is usually green.
Stem: part of the plant that supports the leaves and transports water and nutrients.
Root: underground structure which feeds the plant and anchors it in place.
Shoot: above ground part of the plant.
 

Attention Grabber

Raise your hand if you’ve ever eaten a plant before! Have students share an example of different plants they’ve eaten. If they need help, give an example of some commonly eaten fruits, such as an apple to help get them started. These things come from a plant and there are 6 different plant parts that we can eat. Have students show with their fingers the number of plant parts. Today, we are going to learn about those different plant parts and then we’ll get to eat them in the garden. Sing the song and do body movements to help connect the part of the plant (for example, for the roots, point to their feet. For their stem, point to the legs, etc.) Refer to a picture as well:

Roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds,
Roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds,
Roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds,
Roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds,
Teacher:
Well that’s six parts!

Children shout:
Six parts!

Teacher & children repeat:
Six plant parts that plants and people need.

*Have the chorus written out in large letters for the students to see as they sing.
 

Garden Activity

•    Sing the chorus of the 6 plant part song and use the picture of the 6 plant parts included.
•     In the garden, students harvest one of each plant part.  Examples of parts include:

•    Roots- carrots, radishes
•    Stem- rhubarb, celery
•    Flower- calendula, broccoli
•    Fruit and seeds- sugar snap pea or cherry tomatoes (point out they are eating seeds inside of the fruit)
•    Leaves- lettuce, sorrel leaf
   

*Note: If you do not have the 6 plant parts growing, bring and eat an example from the store.
•    Have students make a burrito from their harvest; use the leaf as the tortilla and the rest can go inside. Or, students can eat as they go.
•    While the students are collecting each part, you can give a brief explanation of the role in the plant.  For example; roots soak up water, stems hold up the plant, leaves are the “kitchen” where food is made, flowers attract insects, fruit holds the seed, and seeds grow new plants.  
 

Wrap Up & Assessment

•    Students can eat the garden burrito and sing the song one more time. Have them tell a friend what they ate and tell them what part of the plant it came from. Model how to you’d like to see this done.
•    Color in and label the 6 plant part worksheet included in the appendix. Review what those plant parts do for the plant.
•    Enlarge the “Structure of a Plant” picture included in the appendix. Cut out the fruit and vegetable cards. Have students sort pictures according to the different plant parts. Try to use examples that are already familiar to the students. If they are not familiar with some of the examples, have students eat them or grow them in your garden!
 

What’s Next?

•    See if students can think about other roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds they’ve eaten.
•    Have the students do a seed sort. Give students a variety of seeds and sort them according to shape, color, and size.
•    Create a 6 plant part list and have students share different vegetables that they have eaten. Add to the list throughout the year!

Download Materials

Student Worksheets