A Seed is a Promise
This story by Claire Merrill is a non-fiction informational selection that compares a seed to a promise because there is the promise of a new plant contained within every seed. Using text and illustrations, the story explains how seeds form, how they grow, and what conditions are necessary in order for them to keep their promise.
Read the story with the class. Make a classroom chart that lists all the different seeds named in the story and what they produce after they grow and mature.
Make a list of all the conditions that need to be in place for a seed to grow into a healthy adult plant. Contrast these factors with all and many things which can go wrong, such as the inability for a seed to land in healthy soil, or a seed being eated by squirrels.
Begin to talk about the promise of a healthy, educated, happy adult that each child will someday become. What plans do any of the children have for themselves in terms of their lifestyles or careers? Explain that these desires are like seeds that are growing, being fed by everything they do now as children. What factors are feeding and preparing the students right now? How does school help? How does rest and healthy eating help? How does the way they treat each other prepare them for their future as adults?
Make a “Promise in a Seed” bulletin board. Make some colorful flowers, a bright background, and indicate a soil line. Below each flower (or fruit), display a seed from which it is growing. On each seed write the name of the adult plant in the following form:
“This seed holds the promise of a (fill in name of plant).
On additional plants interspersed between these, make some more flowers, one for each student. In the middle of each flower head put a drawing or photograph of the student. On the seed from which the flower grows, have each student write their personal promise. Responses might include:
“This seed holds the promise of a computer scientist.”
“This seed holds the promise of a teacher.”
“This seed holds the promise of a track star.”
“This seed holds the promise of a very kind friend.”
“This seed holds the promise of a great reader.”
Be sure to talk about values, especially that people should always be held in high esteem when they display an honest character. Career choice and intelligence are secondary to behavior both in childhood and adulthood.
Stack the Deck
Teacher dialogue
“Do you have a cat, or do you have a friend who has a cat? You probably know that there are many different kinds of cats. Some cats have long, soft hair and fluffy tails. Others have short, curly hair and skinny tails. There is even one kind of cat that seems to have no hair at all! Even though cats can have many different kinds of variations, you have no problem knowing that they are cats. Why is this so? What makes one cat different from another cat, and yet still recognizable as a member of the cat family? The answer is found in the study of the science of genetics.
The study explains why one cat is different from all other cats and also why a cat is different from a person or a tree. All living things, including cats, resemble their parents. But each person has unique characteristics that make it different from every other living thing on earth. In our study and experiments with the study of genetics, you will hear a fascinating story of mystery and discovery. You will learn a lot about who you are, because of who your parents are, and more importantly, who you choose to become.”
Activity
You will need lots in index cards and two colors of magic markers. Brainstorm with the class all the human physical characteristics that you can think of. Write each one down on an index card. (You might want to make two copies of these so that it can become a learning center activity later on.) Make sure to include traits such as height, skin and hair color, facial features, etc.
Now, using new cards, change the color of the marker, and brainstorm all the talents, interests, and other characteristics of people that can be considered learned behavior, or something that you were not necessarily born with.
To play the activity, spread all the cards face down on a table. Working in small groups or in two teams, the first players to begin turn over two cards. The player then identifies the two cards as being either learned or inherited traits. If the two traits match in terms of being either both learned or both inherited, then the team (or player) keeps the cards. If not, then the cards are returned to their original position. Play proceeds to the next team or player. The game continues until all the cards are picked up and identified, and the team or player with the most cards wins.
Cold Weather Combo
Teacher dialogue
“All living things contain something called DNA. DNA is a blueprint, like the set of instructions that an architect uses to build. This “blueprint” gives directions that decide who we will be before we are born. Our bodies are made up of many, many cells. In fact, there are so many cells in our body, that we couldn’t count them here in our time in third grade! Inside each of the cells in our body is a complete set of chromosomes. A grasshopper has 12 pairs of chromosomes, a fruit fly has four pairs of chromosomes, and a person has 23 pairs of chromosomes. What are chromosomes made of? They are made of genes. In fact, there are so many genes on a chromosome, that scientists have been busy for many years studying them all! Genes are responsible for the traits that we have been talking about all along. They are what make us somewhat alike, and somewhat different. There is an enormous amount of variety in the ways our physical characteristics can be combined. We can be tall or short, have different colored eyes and hair, we can have a variety of skin colors, and we can look very much different. We are going to play a game that will help us to understand this variety.”
Activity
Gather and display five different-colored and styled hats, gloves, and scarves. Give the children time to view these items and think about what they see. Choose a volunteer to put on a hat, scarf, and a pair of gloves. Ask another volunteer to put on a different combination of hat, scarf, and gloves. Repeat this process several times. Remind the children that more combinations can be reached by using the same items over again with new choices. Make a large grid and begin writing down all the combinations that are modeled by the volunteers, and other combinations too. As an extention activity, make cut outs of the 15 items, and do a “Paper Doll” version of the activity. This will address the needs of the more visual learners in your classroom. Remember to stress that this activity illustrates the many combinations of genetic variety that can result in nature.
1
“What are chromosomes and genes?
The main objectives for this segment of study are:
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-Changes that occur in certain genes can cause changes in the characteristics of the next generation of organisms.
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-Changes in the genetic code can result in different traits.
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-Genes are located on chromosomes, which are made up of long strands of DNA molecules. These DNA molecules are arranged like the rungs on a twisted ladder.
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-All living organisms contain DNA, and variations in the genetic code account for the diversity of traits among organisms. Even though each species is different, all species’ DNA is made of nitrogen bases, sugar molecules, and phosphate groups.
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-DNA replicates; each DNA molecule makes an exact duplicate of itself so that the genetic code in a parent can be passed on to each new daughter cell.
KEY VOCABULARY: gene, DNA, chromosome, molecule, chemical.