5.3 Plant Doctor – Challenges With Growing Plants
This middle school lesson, “Plant Doctor – Challenges with Growing Plants,” teaches students the five major challenges of growing plants: insects, nutrients, weeds, disease, and weather. Through a “plant doctor” detective competition using scenario puzzles and a field guide, students practice critical thinking and problem solving to identify the causes of plant problems. The lesson is part of the Middle School Food and Agricultural Literacy Curriculum.
At a glance
- Learning objectives
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- As a result of this unit the students will… Discuss technologies and methods related to plant production.
- As a result of this lesson the students will… Identify challenges related to growing plants.
- Time required
- Instruction time for this lesson: 45 minutes.
- Grade level
- Middle School
- Materials
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- Overhead projector/transparencies
- Writing Surface
- Various Healthy and Unhealthy Plants
- MS.PS.5.3.TM.A – one per teacher
- MS.PS.5.3.TM.B – one per teacher
- MS.PS.5.3.AS.A – one per student
- MS.PS.5.3.ASSESS.A – one per student
- Lesson number
- MS.PS.5.3
- Precepts
- J. Mental Growth — J1. Think critically; J2. Think creatively; J3. Solve problems
- Key Terms
- Insects, Weather, Nutrients, Weeds, Disease
- Resources
- Herren, R.V. (2007). The Science of Agriculture: A Biological Approach. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Learning — National FFA Organization. (2009). LifeKnowledge Online. Retrieved July 9, 2009, from http://agedlearning.org
Downloads & Links
Aligned Standards
National Standards
- CS.02.04.01.c.Demonstrate critical and creative thinking skills while completing a task.
- CS.02.04.02.c.Implement effective problem solving strategies.
- NL-ENG.K-12.5Communication Strategies – Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
- NRS.02.01.01.aIdentify hazards associated with the outdoor environment.
- NRS.02.06.09.aDescribe climatic factors that influence natural resources.
- NS.5-8.3Life Science
- NS.5-8.5Science and Technology