How to use this document to create “Narrative Input”:

• Print “slides” in color

• Cut out the pictures and text

• Glue the picture to one side of a piece of construction paper and the text to the other side

• Read the text while showing the pictures.

• Tape the story cards to a background.

• 1. One sunny spring afternoon Hanna was walking home from Hawthorne Elementary School. In Hanna’s first grade class they had been learning about plants and how new plants are formed.

2. Suddenly, Hanna had a great idea! She would ask her mom if they could plant a garden. Hanna raced the rest of the way home. She pushed open the front door and shouted, “Mom, I’m home. Can we plant a vegetable garden today?” Her mom laughed and said, “We’ll see. First, let’s talk about the materials we will need.” Hanna told her mom that she had learned that some plants can be formed from seeds. Can we try growing my favorite vegetables like beans, carrots, and corn?

• 3. That’s a good idea” said her mom. Then she told her mom that she had learned that some plants can be form from stems. “Potatoes are stems” she said “maybe we could plant some potatoes in our garden, too” I love potatoes said Hanna’s mom.

4. Hanna’s mom said her favorite vegetable was carrots. Hanna told her that carrots are the roots of a carrot plant. Her mother was surprised! “Another way new plants are formed is from a cutting,” Hanna said.

5. “I also know that plants are living things and they need nutrients to grow but I learned that they will get the nutrients from the soil. We already have soil in our garden. And I know plants need light and warmth to grow, but the sun will give them that.”

6. Hanna told her mom that her class also made a new plant from a cutting of another plant. “We should cut off a piece of your ivy plant and see if we can make a new one for grandma’s birthday!” said Hanna. Then Hanna added, “We will have to be sure to cut it off just under the node so roots can form and a new plant will grow. We will keep the cutting on the window sill while the roots form.” Hanna’s mom agreed and they decided to do it after they planted the vegetable seeds.

node

7. When they returned from the store, they gathered the materials and went out into the garden. Hanna’s mom used the shovel and dug a small hole for the seeds. Hanna gently placed the vegetable seeds in the hole. Her mother covered up the seeds with some soil and Hanna watered them.

• 8. A few days later when Hanna was outside she notice something small and green sticking out of the ground. “A seedling!” shouted Hanna and she ran to tell her mom. Everyday they watched the vegetable grow taller! They saw the stem form and the leaves grow. Some of the plants began to grow flowers. Hanna knew that the flowers would eventually fall off and fruits would form.

Seedling

9. Hanna saw bees landing on the plants. She wondered what they were doing. Her mom told her that the bees were pollinating the flowers. She said the pollen sticks to their legs and when they fly to another flower where it rubs off onto the flower. Hanna remembered her teacher talking about that!

10. Weeks past and the vegetable were finally read to be picked. Hanna was so excited to pick the vegetable that she had actually grown. That night at dinner Hanna was amazed at how good the food tasted. After she was done eating she said to her mom, “Maybe we should save some of the seeds from our vegetables so we can start the life cycle all over again next year!”Her mom thought this was a great idea.