Grade 1 Science Grading Rubric: Plants

Learning Objectives

• Say that a plant is a living thing: it grows and it needs water, air and sunlight.
• Name and point to the 4 main parts of a plant: roots, stem, leaves and flower.
• Say one simple job for each part: "The roots take in water." "The leaves make food."
• Name the 4 things a plant needs to grow: water, sunlight, air and soil.
• Put 4 pictures in order to show how a seed grows: seed, sprout, small plant, big plant.
• Sort pictures into plants and not plants, and name plant parts we eat (a carrot is a root).

How to Use This Resource

• Keep one copy per class on a clipboard. Score children while they sort, play games, answer exit questions and draw in the Bean Plant Diary. Children color the self-check at the end of the unit.

Classroom Activity Ideas

• Use the self-check in the review lesson with thumbs up / sideways / down first.
• Write one strength and one next step for report cards.

Differentiation

Support: Teach the 4 parts first and add seeds and fruit later. Point to a real plant (or the flashcards) and let children touch each part as they say the word. Accept one word ("Roots!"), then model the full sentence ("The roots take in water.") for them to repeat. Give a word bank for every writing task, and let children point to pictures instead of writing in Parts B and C. Pair a weaker child with a stronger child for the Bean Plant Diary drawings.

Extension: Children explain more jobs ("The stem carries water to the leaves."), label seeds and fruit as well, and add a 5th stage to the seed pictures: the flower makes a fruit with new seeds inside. They predict what will happen to the plant with no water and the plant in the dark ("I think it will …") and check the prediction after one week. They draw a plant from the school garden and label 4–6 parts without the word bank.

Assessment

Add the six scores (6–24): 22–24 Excellent, 17–21 Good, 12–16 Developing, 6–11 Needs Practice.

Teacher Tips

Start a Bean Plant Diary in Lesson 1 and keep it on the window sill for the whole unit. Put 2–3 dry beans (mung beans or kidney beans) between wet paper towel and the side of a clear plastic cup. In 2–4 days children can SEE the root come out first and grow down, then the shoot grow up — the same "seed → sprout" pictures they meet in Lesson 3, but real. Every morning, one child gives the plant a little water and says "Our plant needs water!" Children who have only seen plants in pots often think the roots are not part of the plant; the clear cup shows them roots are real and important.

What's Included

• 1-page rubric with self-check (DOCX + PDF)

Additional Files

• Grade 1 Science Grading Rubric: Plants (DOCX)

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