STEAM Challenge: design a dream garden using shapes!
Plant power! Plants are important for the planet. They supply Oxygen to breathe and food to all living things! In our Celebrating Our Planet STEAM Challenge series in partnership with SDG&E, we challenge you to create a dream garden including at least three different plants. Start by observing the different parts of a plant. Then, use Legos, an ink pad, colored pencils and paper to design a geo dream garden!
Plant Parts:
Together, the parts of a plant help the plant survive, make new plants and support our environment. Look closely at real plants or pictures of plants and their parts. Use a magnifying glass, if available. What do you notice? Can you locate its different parts?
- Roots: Hold plants in place and absorb nutrients and water.
- Stem: Support the plant and transport nutrients to it.
- Leaves: Place where food for the plant is made.
- Flowers: Attract pollinators (e.g. bees and birds) to plant.
- Fruits: Protect seeds and invite animals to eat them.
- Seeds: Contain material that can form into another plant.
Geo Garden Challenge Tutorial
GRADE: K-2
SUPPLIES:
- 5 – 6 Legos (different shapes and sizes)
- Black stamp pad (washable ink)
- Heavy-weight white paper
- Colored pencils or crayons
- Wipes (for cleaning off Legos and hands)
- Real plants or images of plants
- Magnifying glass (optional)
Create Your Geo Garden
Make Plant Shapes with Legos
How might you re-create plants using shapes? Practice using a Lego as a stamp by setting it onto the ink pad and then placing it onto a sheet of paper. Notice the shape it made. Can you name it? Explore adding another shape to it to create a new shape. Now, try making a whole plant and its parts in this way.
Design a Dream Garden
Think of someone you know and design a dream garden for them. Use the Legos and stamp pad to build your plants and use the colored pencils to color in your garden. Try to include at least 3 plants and their parts into your finished garden!
Reflection
Congratulations on completing your challenge!
- What did you learn while building your garden using shapes?
- Share your discoveries with others!
- Additional Challenge: Build something else using shapes!
Subject Area Connections and Standards for Grades K-2
Subject Area Connections (Grades K – 2)
Science: Parts of a plant; observing the world
Technology: Tools – Lego stamp; magnifying glass
Engineering: Planning and building
Art: Printmaking; coloring; repurposing materials
Math: Composing and decomposing shapes; counting
Next Generation Science Standards (K – 2)
- Make observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in different habitats.
- Make observations to construct an evidence-based account of how an object made of a small set of pieces can be disassembled and made into a new object.
Common Core Math Standards (K – 2)
- Model shapes in the world by building shapes from components and drawing shapes. Compose simple shapes to form larger shapes.
- Compose two-dimensional shapes or three-dimensional shapes to create a composite shape, and compose new shapes from the composite shape.
National Core Art Standards (K – 2)
- Explore uses of materials and tools to create works of art or design.
- Perceive and describe aesthetic characteristics of one’s natural world and constructed environments.
Additional Video Resources
This program is made possible through charitable support from
