A 5-week exploration of how plants and animals make a difference to our world
This Plants and Animals unit introduces kindergarten students to the fascinating world of living things and their importance in our lives. Through hands-on activities, observations, and explorations, students will develop an understanding of different plants and animals, their needs for survival, their habitats, and how they can change their environments.
The unit integrates science, language arts, mathematics, art, and social-emotional learning while building critical thinking skills and curiosity about the natural world.
The Plants and Animals unit is designed to engage kindergarten students in observing, describing, and understanding the living things around them. Through a variety of hands-on activities, children will explore different types of plants and animals, their needs for survival, their habitats, and how they interact with their environments.
This unit is organized into five thematic weeks:
How plants and animals make a difference to me
What plants and animals need to survive
Where plants and animals live and why
How plants and animals change their environments
Reducing human impact on the environment
Each week includes daily lesson plans, featured activities, recommended children's literature, and cross-curricular connections to provide a comprehensive learning experience.
How plants and animals make a difference to me
Students begin their exploration by learning about the importance of plants and animals in their daily lives, distinguishing between living and non-living things, and understanding that humans are animals too.
What plants and animals need to survive
Students explore what it means to survive and investigate the basic needs of plants and animals, including water, light, food, and shelter through hands-on experiments and activities.
Where plants and animals live and why
Students learn about different habitats and why specific plants and animals live in certain places, exploring how plants and animals depend on each other and their environment.
How plants and animals change their environments
Students discover how plants and animals (including humans) can change their environments to meet their needs, and learn to identify evidence of these changes.
Reducing human impact on the environment
Students learn how human activities affect the environment and explore ways they can help reduce their impact on the land, water, air, and other living things.
