I know when I go on Pinterest or cruise around on other blogs I often see a brace map that is adorable and is presented as an art project that is a cut and paste activity. I love how beautifully these turn out and appreciate all the skills that go into creating them. However, (deep breath) now that we are on the Common Core train our thinking has shifted a bit and our students are being asked to think like "scientists" and to draw the parts of a plant themselves (visual imprinting) which is a way for a young students to record their understandings and build knowledge. This can be done in large or small group settings and allows children to label each part with an appropriate word, building academic vocabulary. When doing this you want to encourage children to make the parts to match the "whole" plant on the left side. I talking about putting the pieces of a puzzle together to make the entire picture. Are you on board for this?
Cards can be used to guide student thinking and can help them learn to label these parts more easily. I love making these and using them in my Morning Message, in a pocket chart, on a word wall, or as part of a literacy station. I will post these later as a freebie in my TpT store. Leave a comment if you would like these plant materials for your classroom. Click on any picture to take you to my freebies. Leave a comment if you can and become a follower!
