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Life Cycle of a Plant (2025)

  • Lesson Plan Creator: Ursula Perry
  • Grades: Grade 3
  • Subjects: Science
  • Part of Class: Creative Movement
  • National/State Fine Arts Standards: Create, Respond
  • Tags: Creative Movement

This creative movement lesson designed for 3rd grade explores the process of a plant’s life cycle through elements of dance.

Learning Objectives/Goals

Using the elements of dance, including levels, positive/negative space, kinesthetic memory and group/self-spatial awareness to explore the process of a plant's life cycle.

Materials Needed

Drum and Music

Introduction

Set up the goals for the class, define the movement space and all behavior expectations. 

Warm-Up

Talk with the students about concepts of seeds, germination, growth, reproduction, pollination and seed spread.  Then using movement explore the many different shapes of seeds by creating frozen body shapes. Add to this different levels (high, medium, and low) and then create opportunities to travel, moving slowly, quick and freezing. 

Investigate

Talk with the students about concepts of seeds, germination, growth, reproduction, pollination and seed spread.  Then using movement explore the many different shapes of seeds by creating frozen body shapes. Add to this different levels (high, medium, and low) and then create opportunities to travel, moving slowly, quick and freezing.

Investigate – Using traveling ideas (locomotor movements) travel through the space as a pollinator. Add qualities of movement to each pollinator.

Be a seed! What shape is your seed? How does it grow from the ground to a seedling, show different ways of growing using body parts and different energies. Add branches, roots, and leaves as the shapes get bigger.

Using a traveling locomotor pattern, how does pollen transfer from one plant to another, show qualities, like sticky, light, dusty, etc.

Where do the seeds land? Show the traveling of seeds through the space.

Create

Divide students into small groups of 3-4 students. Have them create a plant cycle on their own based off of the above investigation. Make sure to include levels, speeds, textures and patterns. Show to the class and see if they can guess what type of plant each group chose.

Reflect 

Have them create a plant cycle based on the above investigation. Make sure to include levels, speeds, textures, and patterns. Show to the class and see if they can guess what type of plant each group chose.

Extension to the Lesson

 

Follow-up Resources

 

    

 

Details


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What People are Saying

The diversity of the dancers really spoke to my students! It was great to see boys and girls dancing, and different races. The high level of engagement was so refreshing and got students excited about thecontent.
This activity was valuable because it helped students make connections between dance, rhythm, healthy lifestyles, and expression. The students were impressed by the talent of the dancers and it was motivating to them.
Opportunities for art and expression are so limited at school but so essential and valuable for all students, especially those who struggle to learn through traditional methods. My Kindergarteners have been dancing since you left!
This was so engaging. I looked around the auditorium and every student was watching. Not one person was talking or distracted
This activity is valuable to teachers and students because it gives them a creative outlet. We need movement in the classroom to engage, energize and deepen student learning.
I got great ideas on how to incorporate movement into math and science lessons.
I loved how you made movement and exercise relatable to the students. The dancers were full of energy and there was very little down time so students stayed engaged.
Our children were captivated by the performance. They listened to you and they were learning without knowing. They usually giggle when bodies are shown and talked about. But the way you presented it was so tastefully done, they now do poses and movement around the room and outside. You brokesome barriers and they took that permission and literally ran with it!