The learners will:

• identify the basic needs and purposes of flowers (and plants).
  
  
• differentiate between wants and needs (of people).
  
  
• participate in a trust-building exercise.
  
  
• role-play the movements of flowers.

Anticipatory Set:
Sing familiar or new songs about flowers, or play recordings of songs which mention flowers. Ask the children to pay attention to the words and figure out what the songs have in common (flower theme). See Bibliographical References.

• Ask students to recall from prior knowledge what plants and flowers need to grow and survive. Then read them a book about plants, flowers, and the life cycle. Several suggestions are provided in the Bibliographical References. After reading, discuss what plants/flowers need. Discuss flowers as a beautiful part of nature and ask, “what is the purpose of flowers?” (Their purpose, or responsibility, is to create seeds so more flowers can grow.)
  
  
• Have the students act out how a flower would act if it did not get what it needed. Give the students cues such as the following: “You didn’t get any water today.” “You didn’t get water for a month.” “There is not enough sunlight.” “The soil around your roots is crumbling away and roots are exposed.” “The air is cold.”
  
  
• Ask students if they have the same needs as a flower? Brainstorm the basic needs of people. As you make a list on a chart, help the students distinguish between wants and needs. The basic needs are shelter, food, and clothing.
  
  
• Is there a difference between community needs and individual needs? What are some things the class needs in order to get work done? (Do these needs form the basis for rules?) Lead the students to recognize the need for mutual trust in the classroom. Why is it important to trust others and be trusted?
  
  
• Use one or two trust-building exercises to demonstrate our need to trust each other. Ideas: 1. Two students firmly grasp each other’s wrists, then slowly lean away from each other. 2. Several students gather around one student who is lying down. The group picks up the student who remains in a prone position.
  
  
• Play “Waltz of the Flowers” from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite. Each student will improvise the movement of flowers.
  
  
• Using the same music, students will work in pairs to improvise movement demonstrating mutual trust.
  
  
• Not only do people have needs, they also have responsibilities. Introduce the concept of the core democratic values and the responsibility for the common good. Ask students to think of a reason why someone might give or volunteer. For example, why might you give flowers to someone? Why might you volunteer to plant flowers in someone’s yard?

• Interactive Parent / Student Homework:
  Students will investigate what types of flowers they can find in their home environment. This may include their yard, neighborhood or a local park. Have them make sketches or a list of what they find. Ask the students to bring to school the next day a picture of a flower cut from a magazine or newspaper. This picture could also be one that the child creates with crayons or markers. These pictures will be used to fill a classroom bulletin board or a class book. (Teacher may add pictures to fill in as appropriate).

• Carle, Eric. The Tiny Seed. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1987. ISBN: 0887080154
  
  
• Heller, Ruth. The Reason for a Flower. Paper Star, 1999. ISBN: 0698115597
  
  
• Hickman, Pamela. A Seed Grows. Tonawanda, NY: Kids Can Press, 1997. ISBN: 1550742000
  
  
• Swinger, Marlys. Sing Through the Day: Eighty Songs for Children. Plough Publishing House, 1999. ISBN: 0874869714
  
  
• Tchaikovsky, Pyotr Il’yich. “The Waltz of the Flowers,” Nutcracker. Angel Classics, 1999. ASIN: B0000IZSXE (This is just one of many recordings available of this classic.)