Culminating Activity - Franklin College

Culminating Activity
The unit on plants has allowed the students to explore many areas and aspects of
plants and nature. After the students have successfully completed the unit on plants along
with all the assessments and projects, the students are to participate in the culminating
activities. The culminating activity is a “Fun Friday” where the students can celebrate their
knowledge of plants. The students are to use their new understanding and knowledge of
plants in order to complete the planned activities.
To begin the day, the students are to make the classroom’s decorations during their
morning work period. The teacher needs divide the students into three groups. Each
group of students is responsible for making a different type of decoration. The three
different decorations are: three-dimensional fruits and/or vegetables, bouquets of flowers,
and decorated string vines. The goal of all the decorations is to transform the classroom
into a showcase of the students’ knowledge of plants.
During guided reading, the students are to read books about plants that the teacher
provides. The teacher needs to place the students into groups of two. Each student is
required to choose a book from the teacher’s selected books to read. The students are
supposed to read their books aloud together; each student reads his or her book aloud.
After the students have finished reading aloud both of their books, each student needs to
retell the book he or she read in front of the whole class using his or her own words.
For math, the students are to learn how to plant various flowering plants. The
students are expected to read the back of the seed’s package in order to learn about each
flowering plant. They should learn how deep the seed needs to be planted for each type of
plant. Then, the students are to use a ruler in order to visualize the actual depth the hole

will need to be dug. The students must record their findings on an index card. They need
write the name and depth for each flowering plant along with drawing a line the length of
the depth.
During writing, the students have been working on writing a newspaper article
about plants. Each student already know their topic. The topics are: one of the stages of
development, a part of a plant, one item a plant needs, photosynthesis, etc. The students
have to include a main idea with supporting details. The students are only responsible for
their topic. As the students finish writing their article, the teacher must proofread it and
have the student makes corrections. The students then can type their newspaper article in
order to display them in the hallway and read it aloud for their guests at the end of the day.
For spelling, the students are required to take their weekly spelling test. The weekly
spelling test’s words correlate with the basal reading story and the phonics lessons.
However, the week’s challenge words revolve around plants. They have to spell these
words: sunlight, soil, scatter, spread, flower, root, leaf, stem, germination, and
photosynthesis. The teacher needs to encourage the students to take the challenge word’s
spelling test, but it is not mandatory.
After lunch and specials, the students are allowed to go outside in order to plant
seeds and some already gown plants. (The teacher has already asked the students to bring
in a small, hand-held shovel.) The students need to bring their index card with the depths
of how to plant each flowering plant and their hand-held shovel. If a student does not have
a hand-held shovel, the teacher will provide the student with one. The teacher needs to
bring the seeds that are sorted according to the type of plant. The students are given the
opportunity to plant the seeds around the school in order to help improve the school’s

landscape. They are paired with a buddy and can only plant seeds on the side of the
building the adults and teacher are on. The guests have already been asked to participate
and help their child.
With about thirty to forty minutes left in the day, the teacher needs to get the fruit.
The students and guests can choose from an apple, banana, or grapes to eat as a snack
before getting on the bus to go home. While they are eating their snacks, the students
present their newspaper article. Each student has to read his or her article aloud. After all
of the articles have been presented, the teacher and students must take down the
classroom’s decorations in order for the students to take home their decorations they
made.
The teacher will publicize the “Fun Friday” along with the activities that will be
completed by sending a letter home to the students’ parents/guardians. If the students’
parents/guardians wishes to participate in planting the seeds and watching their child
present his or her newspaper article, they will be invited. The teacher will also send a
similar letter to the school board members and school cooperation administration because
they too will be invited.

How to Make Decorations for the Classroom
Three-Dimensional Fruits and Vegetables
1. Fold two pieces of construction paper in half (make sure color of paper resembles the
actual fruit or vegetable
2. Draw the outline of half of a fruit and/or a vegetable along the fold line
3. Cut along the line
4. On one piece of the fruit or vegetable, cut halfway through the fold line from the bottom
5. On the other piece, cut halfway through the fold line from the top
6. Slip the slits inside each other which make one three-dimensional fruit or vegetable.
7. Attach the fruit or vegetable to string
Bouquets of Flowers
1. Use green construction paper to role the stems
2. Take green construction paper to make leaves
3. Use multicolored construction paper to make flowers
4. Glue both the flowers and the leaves to the stem
Decorated Vine Strings
1. Use a string to connect the pictures
2. Incorporate pictures of different kinds of plants, flowering and non-flowering plants
3. Use pictures of flowers at different developmental stages
4. Make different parts of a plant out of construction papers

A Fun Friday with Plants
Dear Parents/Guardians,
For the past couple of weeks, your child has been learning about plants. Each
student has studied many areas and aspects of plants. Your child has learned about
the parts of a plant and which parts of the plant humans eat. The students were
given the opportunity to participate in various hands-on activities and eat various
parts of plants to learn this knowledge. Your child has also learned about how a
plant develops. Each student was given the opportunity to grow his or her own
plant and complete a daily Plant Journal in order to keep track of his or her plant’s
growth. The students have learned about the life of a seed. Each student conducted
various experiments with seeds. The students were able to conclude that some
seeds survive and grow into plants, but other seeds die because they are eaten, fall
in places they cannot grow, freeze, wilt from the sun, or get soaked from water.
Your child has also learned about the needs of a plant. Through different
experiments, your child has learned how to supply what plants need. The students
have enjoyed completing the hands-on activities and experiments.
After completing all the plant activities and experiments, the students are
being rewarded with a “Fun Friday” where they can celebrate their learning. I
would like to invite you to come help your child plant seeds around the school. Your
child and I have decided to help improve the school’s landscape by planting flowers.
We will begin planting seeds at 1:45 on Friday. After planting the seeds, each
student will present his or her newspaper article about what they learned. Your
student has worked very hard throughout this entire plant unit. I think not only you
will enjoy watching your child’s success, but your child will enjoy having you here to
help and support him or her. Come and join your child and me in celebrating their
learning!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Stevens & Mrs. Creed

A Fun Friday with Plants
Dear school administrator or school board member,
For the past couple of weeks, my second grade students at Coulston
Elementary School have been learning about plants. The students have studied
many areas and aspects of plant life. They have learned about the parts of a plant
and which parts of the plant humans eat. The students were given the opportunity
to participate in various hands-on activities and eat various parts of plants to learn
this knowledge. They have also learned about how a plant develops. Each student
was given the opportunity to grow his or her own plant and complete a daily Plant
Journal in order to keep track of his or her plant’s growth. The students have
learned about the life of a seed. Each student conducted various experiments with
seeds. The students were able to conclude that some seeds survive and grow into
plants, but other seeds die because they are eaten, fall in places they cannot grow,
freeze, wilt from the sun, or get soaked from water. They have also learned about
the needs of a plant. Through different experiments, the students have learned how
to supply what plants need. The students have enjoyed completing the hands-on
activities and experiments.
After completing all the plant activities and experiments, the students are
being rewarded with a “Fun Friday” where they can celebrate their learning. I
would like to invite you to come help the students plant seeds around the school.
The students and I have decided to help improve the school’s landscape by planting
flowers. We will begin planting seeds at 1:45 on Friday. After planting the seeds,
each student will present his or her newspaper article about what they learned.
Each student has worked very hard throughout this entire plant unit. I think not
only you will enjoy watching each child’s success, but each student will enjoy having
you here to help and support him or her. Come and join the students and me in
celebrating their learning!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Stevens & Mrs. Creed