Unit Plan 16 (PreK Science): How Plants & Animals Grow

Focus: Notice and describe how plants and animals grow and change over time by making repeated observations, recording simple evidence, and retelling growth changes with models and pictures.

Grade Level: PreK

Subject Area: Science (Life Science • Inquiry/Observation)

Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 25–35 minutes per session

I. Introduction

This week, children become careful “growth detectives.” They observe real examples of change—like a seed sprouting, a plant getting taller, or baby animals that look different from adults. Children practice returning to the same objects across several days, noticing what stays the same and what changes. They use drawings, photos, and simple measurements (like “taller/shorter” or “more leaves”) to build the big idea: living things grow and change in ways we can observe and describe.

Essential Questions

• What does it mean when something grows?
• How do plants change from a seed to a bigger plant?
• How do animals change as they get older?
• How can we use observations and pictures to show change over time?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Make repeated observations of plants and animals and describe changes using simple words (bigger, taller, longer, more).
2. Use drawings/photos to show how something looked on Day 1 compared to later days.
3. Put pictures of growth in order (first → next → last) to show a sequence of changes.
4. Use simple tools (magnifying glass, ruler/cubes, height chart) to record evidence of growth.
5. Share an explanation of growth using a simple model (sequence strip, mini-book, or class chart).

Standards Alignment — PreK (NGSS-based custom)

• PK-LS1-2 — Notice that plants and animals grow and change.
  • Example: Observe a seed sprout or compare baby vs. adult animals.

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can look closely and tell what I notice.
• I can show how something changed from before to after.
• I can put growth pictures in the right order: first, next, last.
• I can use pictures and drawings as evidence of growth.
• I can tell the “growth story” using my model or chart.