The Girl Who Loves to Grow Lesson Plan

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Academic Standards

 

Reading Objective:

Students will meet Kendall Rae, a kid who turned her love of plants into a business.

 

Social Studies Focus:

Earth Day

 

ELA Skills:

key details, vocabulary, nonfiction text features

 

Page 4 Skill:

read an interview

 

Vocabulary:

business, experiment

 

CCSS:

RI.2.1 key details; RI.2.2 identify main topic; RI.2.5 text features; RI.2.10 read informational texts; SL.2.1 collaborative conversations

 

Lexile level:

510L

Download TEKS Standards
Download Common Core Standards

Provide students with some background on plants.

Build background knowledge (10 min.)

Watch our video “Parts of a Plant." After children have finished watching the video, discuss the following question:

  • What is something new you learned about plants?

Set a purpose for reading (5 min.)

  • Pass out the issue, and discuss the cover. Do any students enjoy planting things?
  • Next, read the As You Read prompt on page 2: “Think about how Kendall Rae turned her love for plants into a hobby then a business.” Encourage children to think about this prompt as they read.

Read together (20 min.)

Pass out the Read and Think skill sheet. Use it to check comprehension as you read the issue together, pausing to ask the questions. 

Review vocabulary (3 min.)

Next, play the online vocabulary slideshow. This issue’s featured terms are business and experiment.

Assessment: Reading Quiz 

Pass out the Reading Quiz to review key concepts from the issue and assess students’ proficiency on key nonfiction reading skills.

In Our Garden by Pat Zietlow Miller  (20 min.)

An urban school comes together to create a rooftop garden, which is the vision of newcomer Millie. Cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, and more grow in this community garden.

  • The “Build a Plant” game reinforces plant parts while letting kids design their own wacky plant!

You can use our printable worksheets to focus on ELA skills. Here’s how.

ELA Focus: Vocabulary (15 min.)

  • Use the Word Work skill sheet to deepen students’ understanding of the words business and experiment.

Editor’s Pick: Nonfiction Text Features (15 min.)

  • Students will analyze the various features of their article with the Text Feature Hunt skill sheet.

ELA Focus: Vocabulary (15 min.)

  • Students can review vocabulary by hunting for words from their issue with the Garden Word Search skill sheet.

 Here are two past issues you can use to extend your lesson on plants:

  • “Where Poison Grows,” March 2024. Students will identify why some plants are poisonous.
  • “The Tough Seeds,” March 2023. This issue compares how three seeds have adapted for dispersal.

You can find a higher-Lexile-level and a lower-Lexile-level version of the article online here:

  • Higher Lexile level: 600L
  • Lower Lexile level: 460L