Exploring Texture in the Garden (Grades K-2)

Students explore living and nonliving things, determine how nonliving resources help sustain plant life, and experiment with visual arts techniques through an examination of texture in the natural world. Activities in this lesson include collecting and categorizing items from the natural environment, creating seed and soil mosaics, making clay imprints, and coloring cloth with plant materials.

Grades
K – 2
TX: Grades K – 2
Estimated Time
Activity 1: 12 hours, Activity 2: 1 hour, Activity 3: 30 minutes
Updated
September 22, 2022

Background

Lesson Activities

Credits

Author

Debra Spielmaker | Utah Agriculture in the Classroom

Sources

  1. A Handful of Dirt by Raymond Bial.

Standards

Texas Content Area Standards

  • ELA: K.110.2.b.1

    Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking, discussion, and thinking - - oral language. The student develops oral language through listening, speaking, and discussion.

    • ELA: K.1.C: The student is expected to share information and ideas by speaking audibly and clearly using the conventions of language.
    • ELA: K.1.D: The student is expected to work collaboratively with others by following agreed-upon rules for discussion, including taking turns.
  • ELA: K.110.2.b.3

    Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking -- vocabulary. The student uses newly acquired vocabulary expressively.

    • ELA: K.3.C: The student is expected to identify and use words that name actions; directions; positions; sequences; categories such as colors, shapes, and textures; and locations.
  • ELA: K.110.2.b.5

    Comprehension skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student uses metacognitive skills to both develop and deepen comprehension of increasingly complex texts.

    • ELA: K.5.G: The student is expected to evaluate details to determine what is most important with adult assistance.
    • ELA: K.5.H: The student is expected to synthesize information to create new understanding with adult assistance.
  • ELA: K.110.2.b.6

    Response skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student responds to an increasingly challenging variety of sources that are read, heard, or viewed.

    • ELA: K.6.E: The student is expected to interact with sources in meaningful ways such as illustrating or writing.
  • ELA: 1.110.3.b.1

    Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking, discussion, and thinking - - oral language. The student develops oral language through listening, speaking, and discussion.

    • ELA: 1.1.C: The student is expected to share information and ideas about the topic under discussion, speaking clearly at an appropriate pace and using the conventions of language.
    • ELA: 1.1.D: The student is expected to work collaboratively with others by following agreed-upon rules for discussion, including listening to others, speaking when recognized, and making appropriate contributions.
  • ELA: 1.110.3.b.3

    Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking -- vocabulary. The student uses newly acquired vocabulary expressively.

    • ELA: 1.3.D: The student is expected to identify and use words that name actions, directions, positions, sequences, categories, and locations.
  • ELA: 1.110.3.b.6

    Comprehension skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student uses metacognitive skills to both develop and deepen comprehension of increasingly complex texts.

    • ELA: 1.6.G: The student is expected to evaluate details to determine what is most important with adult assistance.
    • ELA: 1.6.H: The student is expected to synthesize information to create new understanding with adult assistance.
  • ELA: 1.110.3.b.7

    Response skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student responds to an increasingly challenging variety of sources that are read, heard, or viewed.

    • ELA: 1.7.E: The student is expected to interact with sources in meaningful ways such as illustrating or writing.
  • ELA: 2.110.4.b.1

    Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking, discussion, and thinking -- oral language. The student develops oral language through listening, speaking, and discussion.

    • ELA: 2.1.C: The student is expected to share information and ideas that focus on the topic under discussion, speaking clearly at an appropriate pace and using the conventions of language.
    • ELA: 2.1.D: The student is expected to work collaboratively with others by following agreed-upon rules for discussion, including listening to others, speaking when recognized, making appropriate contributions, and building on the ideas of others.
  • ELA: 2.110.4.b.6

    Comprehension skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student uses metacognitive skills to both develop and deepen comprehension of increasingly complex texts.

    • ELA: 2.6.G: The student is expected to evaluate details read to determine key ideas.
    • ELA: 2.6.H: The student is expected to synthesize information to create new understanding.
  • ELA: 2.110.4.b.7

    Response skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student responds to an increasingly challenging variety of sources that are read, heard, or viewed.

    • ELA: 2.7.E: The student is expected to interact with sources in meaningful ways such as illustrating or writing.
  • Social Studies: 2.113.13.c.16

    Social studies skills. The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms. The student is expected to:

    • Social Studies: 2.113.13.c.16.E: communicate information visually, orally, or in writing based on knowledge and experiences in social studies
    • Social Studies: 2.113.13.c.16.F: create written and visual material such as stories, maps, and graphic organizers to express ideas
  • Social Studies: K.113.11.c.13

    Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a variety of valid sources, including technology. The student is expected to:

    • Social Studies: K.113.11.c.13.D: sequence and categorize information
  • Social Studies: K.113.11.c.14

    Social studies skills. The student communicates in oral and visual forms. The student is expected to:

    • Social Studies: K.113.11.c.14.C: communicate information visually, orally, or in writing based on knowledge and experiences in social studies
    • Social Studies: K.113.11.c.14.D: create and interpret visuals, including pictures and maps
  • Social Studies: 1.113.12.c.16

    Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a variety of valid sources, including technology. The student is expected to:

    • Social Studies: 1.113.12.c.16.D: sequence and categorize information
  • Social Studies: 1.113.12.c.17

    Social studies skills. The student communicates in oral, visual, and written forms. The student is expected to:

    • Social Studies: 1.113.12.c.17.C: communicate information visually, orally, or in writing based on knowledge and experiences in social studies
    • Social Studies: 1.113.12.c.17.D: create and interpret visual and written material
  • Social Studies: 2.113.13.c.15

    Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a variety of valid sources, including technology. The student is expected to:

    • Social Studies: 2.113.13.c.15.D: interpret oral, visual, and print material by sequencing, categorizing, identifying the main idea, predicting, comparing, and contrasting
  • Science: 2.112.4.b.1

    Scientific and engineering practices. The student asks questions, identifies problems, and plans and safely conducts classroom, laboratory, and field investigations to answer questions, explain phenomena, or design solutions using appropriate tools and models. The student is expected to:

    • Science: 2.112.4.b.1.A: ask questions and define problems based on observations or information from text, phenomena, models, or investigations
  • Science: K.112.2.b.1

    Scientific and engineering practices. The student asks questions, identifies problems, and plans and safely conducts classroom, laboratory, and field investigations to answer questions, explain phenomena, or design solutions using appropriate tools and models. The student is expected to:

    • Science: K.112.2.b.1.A: ask questions and define problems based on observations or information from text, phenomena, models, or investigations.
  • Science: K.112.2.b.6

    Matter and its properties. The student knows that objects have physical properties that determine how they are described and classified. The student is expected to identify and record observable physical properties of objects, including shape, color, texture, and material, and generate ways to classify objects.

    • Science: K.112.2.b.6: Matter and its properties. The student knows that objects have physical properties that determine how they are described and classified. The student is expected to identify and record observable physical properties of objects, including shape, color, texture, and material, and generate ways to classify objects.
  • Science: K.112.2.b.10

    Earth and space. The student knows that the natural world includes earth materials and systems that can be observed. The student is expected to:

    • Science: K.112.2.b.10.A: describe and classify rocks by the observable properties of size, shape, color, and texture.
  • Science: K.112.2.b.11

    Earth and space. The student knows that earth materials are important to everyday life. The student is expected to observe and generate examples of practical uses for rocks, soil, and water.

    • Science: K.112.2.b.11: Earth and space. The student knows that earth materials are important to everyday life. The student is expected to observe and generate examples of practical uses for rocks, soil, and water.
  • Science: K.112.2.b.12

    Organisms and environments. The student knows that plants and animals depend on the environment to meet their basic needs for survival. The student is expected to:

    • Science: K.112.2.b.12.A: observe and identify the dependence of plants on air, sunlight, water, nutrients in the soil, and space to grow.
  • Science: 1.112.3.b.1

    Scientific and engineering practices. The student asks questions, identifies problems, and plans and safely conducts classroom, laboratory, and field investigations to answer questions, explain phenomena, or design solutions using appropriate tools and models. The student is expected to:

    • Science: 1.112.3.b.1.A: ask questions and define problems based on observations or information from text, phenomena, models, or investigations.
  • Science: 1.112.3.b.6

    Matter and its properties. The student knows that objects have physical properties that determine how they are described and classified. The student is expected to:

    • Science: 1.112.3.b.6.A: classify objects by observable physical properties, including shape, color, and texture, and attributes such as larger and smaller and heavier and lighter.
  • Science: 1.112.3.b.10

    Earth and space. The student knows that the natural world includes earth materials that can be observed in systems and processes. The student is expected to:

    • Science: 1.112.3.b.10.A: investigate and document the properties of particle size, shape, texture, and color and the components of different types of soils such as topsoil, clay, and sand.
  • Science: 1.112.3.b.11

    Earth and space. The student knows that earth materials and products made from these materials are important to everyday life. The student is expected to:

    • Science: 1.112.3.b.11.A: identify and describe how plants, animals, and humans use rocks, soil, and water.
  • Science: 1.112.3.b.12

    Organisms and environments. The student knows that the environment is composed of relationships between living organisms and nonliving components. The student is expected to:

    • Science: 1.112.3.b.12.A: classify living and nonliving things based upon whether they have basic needs and produce young.