Objective:
The students will create flower pots and plants out of various art materials.  (This lesson coincides with the Language Arts Lesson.)

Materials

• The writing completed in the Language Arts Lesson.

• Tan construction paper cut in the shape of flower pots.  (One per student.)

• Green construction paper

• A variety of colorful construction paper

• Paint, colored pencils, crayons, etc.

Procedure

1. Discuss the writing that was done in the Language Arts Lesson.  Explain to the students that they are going to create a pot for their "magic seed".

2. Pass out the flower pot shapes and have the students decorate them using the medium of their choice - paint, colored pencils, crayons, etc.  If desired, have them glue the magic seed which was given to them in the Language Arts Lesson onto the back of the pot.

3. Each of the following steps should be done separately, meaning the stem, leaves, flower, and magic object should not be connected.  They will be added to the pot at different times as their magic seeds "grow".
   a. Have the students use the green construction paper to create a stem for the plant.   They should also create some leaves from the same paper.
   b. Using the colorful construction paper, the students should create a flower for their plants.
   c. Using the colorful construction paper, the students should create the object that their magic seed is going to grow.  (For example, if a student has written that his/her magic seed is going to grow a bicycle, he/she should create a bicycle.)

4. The rest of the Art Lesson can be done over a series of days (or hours if more appropriate.)  Tape the flower pots somewhere in the hallway of the school building.  Explain to the students they will be making their seeds "grow" for the rest of the school to watch over the next few days (or hours).  Place a sign over the pots that states "Watch our Magic Seeds Grow!"  After a few hours or on the next day, have the students "sneak" to their pots and place their stems in the pots.  This can be done by sliding the stem behind the pot so only a little shoot appears.  Depending on time constraints, have the students make their plants grow by "sneaking" down periodically and eventually pulling the stem out so it gets longer, adding the leaves, next the flower, and the last step will be the flower turning into the "magic object".  Once the magic object has grown, mount the students' writings underneath their pots.  The rest of the school may then read about the magic seeds.  If possible, recruit other teachers, students, and the principal to comment on the growth of the students' plants as it is occurring.

Other Lesson Ideas

1. Have the students make bouquets of flowers using paint, torn tissue paper, construction paper and any other type of desired medium.

2. Create a classroom garden on a large piece of butcher paper.  Each student may create his/her own flower to be placed in the garden.  Use construction paper, tissue paper, cupcake liners, pipe cleaners, etc. to add variety to the garden.

3. Bring in small terra cotta flower pots.  Have the students decorate them with paint and plant a flower seed in their decorated pot.

4. Make origami flowers.