Some resources from federal government sites are currently unavailable; when possible, we’ve provided alternative non-government links to ensure continued data access.

Observing Our Natural World

Provided by: Ten Strands |Published on: June 26, 2025

Lesson Plans

Synopsis

This 7-lesson Seeds to Solutions unit from Ten Strands and the San Mateo County Office of Education engages students in reading stories, exploration and observation of their school environment, and understanding how humans and other living things are impacted by environmental factors.
Students will learn the difference between observation and exploration, understand how the environment influences how they feel, discuss how weather can change their environment, evaluate the ways different weather can help or harm plants, and collaborate to find ways to improve their school environment.
This unit sets students up with foundational knowledge for talking about subjects like climate adaptation, human impacts on Earth's systems, and the importance of the environment for mental health.
Each lesson will take roughly two 30-minute class sessions, apart from Lesson 6, which is one 40-minute session, and Lesson 7, which is two 45-minute sessions.

Related Teaching Resources

Subjects: Science, English Language Arts

Authors: Seeds to Solutions, Ten Strands

Region: Global

Languages: English

View Resource

Teaching Materials

Positives

The teacher modeling utilized in this lesson is a great scaffold to help students understand and engage.
This unit emphasizes the importance of honoring students' ideas, giving them a sense of ownership and empowerment in their learning.

Prerequisites

Teachers will need the story books Wonder Walkers, The Listening Walk, Come On, Rain!, and The Tiny Seed.
Students should be familiar with the five senses, basic shapes, and colors.

Differentiation & Implementation

The lessons have excellent suggestions for making learning equitable for all students by adapting activities or highlighting alternative perspectives, located in the text box to the right of the lesson steps.
During the session on plant needs, teachers can tap into students' funds of knowledge by asking if anyone has plants at home or in their life, such as house plants, a garden, or a farm. Teachers can ask students what they have observed when plants get too much or too little of something, such as water or sunlight.
Depending on the project selected by students and the required curriculum, teachers can build time for working on the project by using the chosen project to guide standards-based instruction. For example, teachers can support the project of moving objects on the playground by describing the size of the object and the area it will need to be moved to in kindergarten-appropriate measurement terms. The project of planting more greenery can support writing standards by having students use a combination of pictures and words to inform others how to plant and care for seeds.

Scientist Notes

Teaching Tips

Standards

Resource Type and Format

About the Partner Provider

Ten Strands

Ten Strands is a California–based nonprofit established in 2012. Their mission is to strengthen the partnerships, strategies, and systems that advance environmental literacy, ensuring all California TK–12 students thrive in sustainable, resilient schools and engage in meaningful environmental learning experiences, both in and beyond the classroom. They operate with a small, diverse, and nimble staff and strategic partners throughout the state. Ten Strands utilizes the largest and most diverse institution in California—the public school system—to impact 58 county offices of education, more than 1,000 school districts, approximately 10,000 individual schools, over 300,000 teachers, and 5.8 million children.

Related Teaching Resources

All resources can be used for your educational purposes with proper attribution to the content provider.