This is a kindergarten unit that addresses Next Generation Science Standards on life sciences. This unit also touches on math and writing for kindergarten. My purpose in writing this unit is to help my students better understand the growth and development of plants. Students will come to understand photosynthesis in its most basic form. Student will be engaged in hands-on activities modeling the plant structure, photosynthesis, and the sun. My students will be making connections from the energy provided by the sun to the growth of plants. I will be making several connections for the students on the foods they eat coming from vegetation. Activities included in this unit are growing bean pods, a community garden, and a fruit and vegetable sampling. I will use several teaching strategies including but not limited to: journaling, listening comprehension, and class discussions. This unit will be tied back to several nonfiction texts on photosynthesis and the growth of plants. My unit on photosynthesis can easily be adapted for the early elementary grades.

(Developed for Science, grade K; recommended for Science, grades K-3)