How to Grow a Monster: The Needs of a Zucchini Plant
Students read How to Grow a Monster, describe the needs of a zucchini plant, identify the structure and function of zucchini plant parts, grow classroom zucchini plants, and experiment with different environments and growing conditions.
Background
Lesson Activities
Recommended Companion Resources
Credits
Author
Bekka Israelsen | Utah Agriculture in the Classroom
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.110.2.b.1.C: share information and ideas by speaking audibly and clearly using the conventions of language
- ELA: K.110.2.b.1.D: work collaboratively with others by following agreed-upon rules for discussion, including taking turns;
-
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: 1.110.3.b.1.C: share information and ideas about the topic under discussion, speaking clearly at an appropriate pace and using the conventions of language
- ELA: 1.110.3.b.1.D: work collaboratively with others by following agreed-upon rules for discussion, including listening to others, speaking when recognized, and making appropriate contributions
-
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: 2.110.4.b.1.C: share information and ideas that focus on the topic under discussion, speaking clearly at an appropriate pace and using the conventions of language
- ELA: 2.110.4.b.1.D: 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
-
Social Studies: 1.113.12.c.9
Economics. The student understands the value of work. The student is expected to:
- Social Studies: 1.113.12.c.9.B: describe how various jobs contribute to the production of goods and services
-
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: 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: 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
-
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: 2.112.4.b.1.B: use scientific practices to plan and conduct simple descriptive investigations and use engineering practices to design solutions to problems
- Science: 2.112.4.b.1.C: identify, describe, and demonstrate safe practices during classroom and field investigations as outlined in Texas Education Agency-approved safety standards.
- Science: 2.112.4.b.1.D: use tools, including hand lenses, goggles, heat-resistant gloves, trays, cups, bowls, beakers, notebooks, stream tables, soil, sand, gravel, flowering plants, student thermometer, demonstration thermometer, rain gauge, flashlights, ramps, balls, spinning tops, drums, tuning forks, sandpaper, wax paper, items that are flexible, non-flexible items, magnets, hot plate, aluminum foil, Sun-Moon-Earth model, and frog and butterfly life cycle models to observe, measure, test, and compare
- Science: 2.112.4.b.1.E: collect observations and measurements as evidence
- Science: 2.112.4.b.1.F: record and organize data using pictures, numbers, words, symbols, and simple graphs
-
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.1.B: use scientific practices to plan and conduct simple descriptive investigations and use engineering practices to design solutions to problems.
- Science: K.112.2.b.1.C: identify, describe, and demonstrate safe practices during classroom and field investigations as outlined in Texas Education Agency-approved safety standards.
- Science: K.112.2.b.1.D: use tools, including hand lenses, goggles, trays, cups, bowls, sieves or sifters, notebooks, terrariums, aquariums, samples (rocks, sand, soil, loam, gravel, clay, seeds, and plants), windsock, demonstration thermometer, rain gauge, straws, ribbons, non-standard measuring items, blocks or cubes, tuning fork, various flashlights, small paper cups, items that roll, noise makers, hot plate, opaque objects, transparent objects, foil pie pans, foil muffin cups, wax paper, Sun-Moon-Earth model, and plant life cycle model to observe, measure, test, and compare.
- Science: K.112.2.b.1.E: collect observations and measurements as evidence.
- Science: K.112.2.b.1.F: record and organize data using pictures, numbers, words, symbols, and simple graphs.
-
Science: K.112.2.b.5
Recurring themes and concepts. The student uses recurring themes and concepts to make connections across disciplines. The student is expected to:
- Science: K.112.2.b.5.F: describe the relationship between the structure and function of objects, organisms, and systems.
-
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: K.112.2.b.13
Organisms and environments. The student knows that organisms resemble their parents and have structures and undergo processes that help them interact and survive within their environments. The student is expected to:
- Science: K.112.2.b.13.C: identify and record the changes from seed, seedling, plant, flower, and fruit in a simple plant life cycle.
-
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.1.B: use scientific practices to plan and conduct simple descriptive investigations and use engineering practices to design solutions to problems.
- Science: 1.112.3.b.1.C: identify, describe, and demonstrate safe practices during classroom and field investigations as outlined in Texas Education Agency-approved safety standards.
- Science: 1.112.3.b.1.D: use tools, including hand lenses, goggles, heat-resistant gloves, trays, cups, bowls, beakers, sieves/sifters, tweezers, primary balance, notebooks, terrariums, aquariums, stream tables, soil samples (loam, sand, gravel, rocks, and clay), seeds, plants, windsock, pinwheel, student thermometer, demonstration thermometer, rain gauge, straws, ribbons, non-standard measuring items, flashlights, sandpaper, wax paper, items that are magnetic, non-magnetic items, a variety of magnets, hot plate, aluminum foil, Sun-Moon-Earth model, and plant and animal life cycle models to observe, measure, test, and compare.
- Science: 1.112.3.b.1.E: collect observations and measurements as evidence.
- Science: 1.112.3.b.1.F: record and organize data using pictures, numbers, words, symbols, and simple graphs.
-
Science: 1.112.3.b.5
Recurring themes and concepts. The student uses recurring themes and concepts to make connections across disciplines. The student is expected to:
- Science: 1.112.3.b.5.F: describe the relationship between the structure and function of objects, organisms, and systems.
-
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.
-
Science: 2.112.4.b.5
Recurring themes and concepts. The student uses recurring themes and concepts to make connections across disciplines. The student is expected to:
- Science: 2.112.4.b.5.F: describe the relationship between the structure and function of objects, organisms, and systems
-
Science: 2.112.4.b.12
Organisms and environments. The student knows that living organisms have basic needs that must be met through interactions within their environment. The student is expected to:
- Science: 2.112.4.b.12.A: describe how the physical characteristics of environments, including the amount of rainfall, support plants and animals within an ecosystem
- Science: 2.112.4.b.12.C: explain and demonstrate how some plants depend on other living things, wind, or water for pollination and to move their seeds around