---
title: What Do Plants Need?
created: '2026-05-26'
updated: '2026-05-26'
type: lesson_topic
subject: science
tags:
- science
- grade-2
- homeschool
- ngss
standard: 2-LS1, 2-LS2
phase: 2
phase_name: 'WINTER: Life Science - Plants and Ecosystems (Weeks 11-20)'
weeks:
- 11
source: ''
---
# What Do Plants Need?
Second grade science topic covering what do plants need?. Part of Phase 2 (WINTER: Life Science - Plants and Ecosystems (Weeks 11-20)).
## Key Concepts
Basic plant requirements
- **Objectives:** Identify sunlight, water, air as plant needs
- **Activities:**
- Research plant needs
- Plan a plant growth experiment
- Plant seeds in containers
- **Assessment:** Plant care plan
### Week 12: Plant Growth Experiment Setup
**Focus:** Testing variables
- **Objectives:** Design fair test with one variable
- **Activities:**
- Set up control vs. experimental plants
- Create observation schedule
- Begin daily measurements
- **Assessment:** Experimental design worksheet
### Week 13: Observing Plant Growth
**Focus:** Recording data over time
- **Objectives:** Measure and document growth
- **Activities:**
- Measure plant height
- Count leaves
- Draw plant development
- **Assessment:** Growth journal with drawings
### Week 14: More Plant Growth Observations
**Focus:** Continued data collection
- **Objectives:** Track changes over time
- **Activities:**
- Continue measurements
- Compare plants with different conditions
- Note any differences
- **Assessment:** Data comparison chart
### Week 15: Plant Parts and Functions
**Focus:** Identifying plant structures
- **Objectives:** Name parts (roots, stem, leaves, flowers) and their jobs
- **Activities:**
- Plant dissection (if possible) or detailed observation
- Label plant diagrams
- Match parts to functions
- **Assessment:** Labeled plant diagram
### Week 16: Plant Needs Experiment Results
**Focus:** Analyzing experimental data
- **Objectives:** Draw conclusions from observations
- **Activities:**
- Compare all plants
- Create bar graphs of growth
- Write conclusions about plant needs
- **Assessment:** Experiment conclusion report
### Week 17: Introduction to Habitats
**Focus:** Where animals and plants live
- **Objectives:** Define habitat and identify types
- **Activities:**
- Explore habitat types (forest, desert, ocean, pond, grassland)
- Habitat picture sorting
- Discuss what makes a good habitat
- **Assessment:** Habitat identification quiz
### Week 18: Land Habitats
**Focus:** Terrestrial environments
- **Objectives:** Compare different land habitats
- **Activities:**
- Research forest, desert, grassland habitats
- Create habitat dioramas (paper plates or boxes)
- Match animals to their habitats
- **Assessment:** Habitat diorama with labeled features
### Week 19: Water Habitats
**Focus:** Aquatic environments
- **Objectives:** Compare freshwater and saltwater habitats
- **Activities:**
- Explore ocean, pond, river, lake habitats
- Compare water habitat animals
- Discuss adaptations for water living
- **Assessment:** Water habitat comparison chart
### Week 20: Ecosystems and Interdependence
**Focus:** How living things depend on each other
- **Objectives:** Understand relationships in ecosystems
- **Activities:**
- Food chain introduction (simple 3-4 link chains)
- "What if?" scenarios (what if plants disappeared?)
- Create a mini ecosystem in a jar (if possible)
- **Assessment:** Food chain diagram
---
## Standards
2-LS1, 2-LS2
## Prerequisites
[[solids-liquids-gases-introduction]], [[solids-deep-dive]], [[liquids-deep-dive]], [[gases-and-air]], [[states-of-matter-review-testing]]
---
*Generated from curriculum data* ^[[raw/curriculum/science]]