Plant Protectors is a five-day lesson that teaches elementary school students about plant adaptations as mechanisms of natural selection to reduce plant blindness. This lesson highlights plant adaptations that help native Texas species thrive in drought conditions. At the end of the unit, students can plant their own garden of water-wise plants (either as a paper garden decorating the classroom wall or in an outdoor raised garden bed on campus grounds) to showcase what they have learned.
The lesson is a 5-day unit that takes 45-60 minutes per day and requires teacher preparation time of less than 20 minutes per day. The activity can be implemented for no or low cost depending on the selections that are chosen.
Project Team: Kristy Daniel, Carrie Bucklin, Amy Godfrey, & Jill Zipperer (Texas State University)
- Instructor Notes– Start here
- 5E Lesson Plan
- Research Rangers Plant Protectors
- Jr Ed Ranger Reflections Plant Protectors
Additional Research Rangers Handouts:
Aligns with the following ASPB Principles for Teaching Plant Biology:
- Evolution: Species Biodiversity,
- Evolution: Natural Selection
- Evolution: Environmental Response