Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2026

Abstract

The goal of this lesson is to engage students in learning how plants get the nutrients they need in order to survive. Further, this lesson is focused on fifth grade students but can be adapted to other grades. This lesson takes a place-based learning approach. Place-based learning is an approach that uses locations, environments or topics that are related to the community and incorporates it with the curriculum that is being used in the classroom. Specifically, this lesson is based on Clay County in Minnesota and is supposed to be used in tandem with the Regional Science Center in Glyndon, Minnesota. This lesson could also be used for the wider Clay County area as well. In addition to place-based learning, this lesson follows the 5E model framework. The 5E model contains five separate sections in the lesson, Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate. For the engage potion of the lesson, it will be fully in the classroom before transitioning into the place-based learning location. After the engage portion, the rest of the lesson will occur in the Regional Science Center. The benchmark and standards for this lesson were taken from the Minnesota Department of Education standards. More specifically, the standards from 2019 that were implemented in 2021. Again, these standards can be adapted to different grade levels and other state standards as well. The plants being used in this lesson are again focused on Clay County and the plants that grow in the Regional Science Center. If you are adapting the lesson to fit another area or another state, make sure to research the plants that are located in the location that you are focused on.

Comments

This lesson was created for a Science Methods class.

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