Flower Parts Sorting Mats

I did this lesson with my Pre-k students and was amazed at their level of engagement and increased language.

During a small group activity, we looked at a small plant. Together we used scissors to cut the plant into pieces: roots, flower, stem, and leaves and sorted them onto these sorting mats. The students used magnifying glasses to observe the parts of a plant and drew their observations on a paper.

Although it seems like a simple science project, the students amazed me with their high level of engagement and language. They discussed the plant parts with other in the group and noticed small details. In drawing the details we focused on drawing what  we see and labeling their drawings. They noticed details like the leaves are jagged and the petals are yellow and smooth. I would definitely do this project every spring.