Dandelion Life Cycle

LESSON 2

Children explore the life cycle of a dandelion by gathering a whole plant, sorting its parts, and creating a dandelion garland. 

  • A small shovel or trowel 

  • A sorting tray or 5-6 small bowls

  • Needle and thread 

Materials

  • Gather materials.

Preparations

  • Encourage the use of new vocabulary as you read the story together.

  • Promote language comprehension by asking and answering questions throughout the story.

  • Guide children as they sort parts of a dandelion and discuss the dandelion lifecycle.

  • Demonstrate proper use of a needle and thread as children make a dandelion garland

Objectives for Teachers

  • Children expand their knowledge about plant parts and the purposes.

  • Children activate comprehension and language skills as they listen to and find the parts of the dandelions in the story.

  • Children classify the different parts of a dandelion through sorting, noticing how they are alike and different from other parts.

  • Children strengthen their find motor skills as they string together a dandelion garland. 

Objectives for Children

Collect and Connect

Practice saying the poem “Dandelion” together with the actions you came up with.

Dandelion

Dandelion fluff, 

Floats on a breeze. 

Tickles my nose, 

And makes me sneeze. 

 

Some see a wish, 

Some see a seed, 

Some see a medicine, 

For those in need.

Activity Flow

  1. Start off today's lesson by reflecting on the playful activities we explored with dandelions in the previous lesson. Here are some questions you might ask: 

  • What did you enjoy most about our dandelion exploration?

  • Did you discover anything new or surprising about dandelions?

  • How did you feel while playing and creating with dandelions? 

2. Next, share with your child that we will need a whole dandelion plant for today’s lesson. Ideally one that includes a bud, a flower, and ideally, a seed head if possible. Head outside together to find one. Make sure to dig it out so that the roots are visible.

3. Once you've gathered your dandelion specimen, prepare your sorting tray or bowls so that they are easily accessible. Then, introduce the story "The Dandelion Seed" by Joseph Anthony or the book "A Dandelion's Life" by John Himmelman (this one depicts the parts and life cycle of a dandelion a little more clearly). Explain that the story will talk about parts of the dandelion and encourage them to listen for these parts. If you participated in the “Grow” unit then these might sound familiar!

4. During or after the story, discuss the parts of a dandelion and talk about each one as you sort them.  

  • Seed: The small, round part of the dandelion plant with a little umbrella shape fuzz that carries it in the wind.

  • Roots: The underground part of the dandelion plant that anchors it in the soil and absorbs water and nutrients from the ground.

  • Leaves: Green, flat parts of the dandelion plant that grow from the stem and are usually shaped like elongated ovals with toothed edges.

  • Bud: A small, undeveloped flower on the dandelion plant that has not yet opened.

  • Stem: The long, thin part of the dandelion plant that supports the flower head and connects it to the leaves and roots.

  • Flower head: The round, yellow part of the dandelion plant made up of many tiny yellow petals arranged in a circular pattern.

  • Seed head: The fluffy, white part of the dandelion plant that forms after the flower head has matured and carries the seeds, which are dispersed by the wind. 

5. Once you've finished sorting the different parts of the dandelion, grab your bowl or basket and head out to collect more dandelions. Look for ones that have already bloomed but are now closed, as these will soon open into the fuzzy seed heads.

6. After you return home, work together to string the dandelion buds to create a dandelion garland. Thread a needle through the base of each bud, leaving some space between each flower. Over the next few days, they will open, resulting in a fuzzy dandelion garland!