What Grows Above and Below

1. The teacher will have students come to the carpet to begin the lesson. 

2. The teacher will explain that they will be learning about what items grow above and below the ground, and ask students what that means. 
 
3. Have students share what they know. 

4. The teacher will read the story Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens. During the read-aloud, the teacher will stop and ask questions throughout to check for understanding. 
 
5. After the read-aloud, the teacher will discuss some items that grow above and below the ground and have students come up and place the cards under below or above in the pocket chart as they discuss each item. (Choose what items you would like to discuss with your students. Have multiple examples of fruit and vegetables for each.) 

6. After charting all the items, the teacher will explain the worksheet and send students back to their tables to work independently. Students will have 10 minutes to complete the worksheet. (During this time, the pocket chart that was done during the whole group part of the lesson should be hidden so that students do not just copy what is on the chart. You want to see what they have learned!) 
 
7. As students are working on the worksheet the teacher will go around and give students a paper towel with a carrot (below) and a piece of broccoli (above) on it. Students will have the opportunity to taste each item and decide whether they like the crop that grows above or below the ground. Once they know and are finished with their worksheet, they will come up and place a carrot or broccoli card on the classroom graph. 

8. After each student has recorded which one they like more on the graph, the students will come back to the carpet to discuss the results.

Any items can be used for tasting depending on your class interests or needs. Items that are discussed for what grows above and below the ground are optional as well. 

Students will be assessed through the questioning that is done during the read-aloud and throughout the entire lesson. They will also be assessed during the time they pocket chart the items as a whole group. The worksheet will be taken up and reviewed as well. When using this as the assessment, the teacher will be able to tell if the students are able to label the items correctly on the worksheet and graph which item they like more (above or below). If the students are not able to label the items and graph what they like most on their own, then the teacher will know that they do not fully understand the concept and will need more practice on this topic.