Skip to page content
®
For teachers

Learn · For teachers

For teachers

Plan five classes over eight weeks. Students keep their notebook on their device and send you a link.

  • Five classes, eight weeks
  • Phones or Chromebooks
  • No student accounts
Student & teacher guideOpen a student’s link
A round white buttonbush flower head with long styles, a green unopened head beside it, among dark green leaves.
The real plantButtonbushPhoto: Tom Glasgow / NC State Extension · CC BY 4.0
  • Flower headsFirst look
  • Fruit headsAlso follow
  • LeavesAlso follow
  • BranchesContext

Run the unit

Students follow one real plant in four steps. Test happens in the Weather lab. The other steps are in My plant.

1 Observe
Pairs choose a plant near school and mark four branches. The first visit takes 20–30 minutes.
2 Test
In the Weather lab they go to the same day in 2025 and answer the same questions.
3 Explain
They compare their plant with the lab record, say why they might differ and write a new idea.
4 Return
They visit the same plant again, compare, and send you a link.
  • Plan at least one visit a week. Reminders are not sent automatically.

Open My plantOpen Weather lab

Eight weeks, five classes

Between classes, pairs visit their plant every week and use the site.

Class 1 · Weeks 1–2
Introduce the eight weeks, the plants and the site. Pairs choose a plant and visit it. In Week 2 they share their first visit.
Class 2 · Weeks 3–4
Teach how temperature, rain and daily sunshine change a plant. Pairs try this in the Weather lab and write what they expect. In Week 4 they share any gap.
Class 3 · Week 5
Pairs guess when their plant will change next, then discuss with classmates who guessed differently, using their evidence.
Class 4 · Week 6
Pairs build their own model of how their plant will change, from what they saw, and keep comparing it with the lab and the real plant.
Class 5 · Weeks 7–8
Pairs present their model and finish a report with its evidence. In the last week, wrap up with what else changes plants, including climate change and recent local examples.

Student & teacher guide

Set up each device

Students need no account. Their notebook stays on the device they use.

  • The help level, the age band, the unit start and the model level are set on each student’s device, at the foot of My plant.
  • On a shared computer, start each learner with a fresh notebook.

Open the settings on this deviceStart a fresh notebook

Levels

A level sets how much of the model a student sees and can change.

Level 1 · Look
Pictures and one slider.
Level 2 · Test
The model’s reasons, the ribbon and your plant’s site.
Level 3 · Tune
Change the model’s own numbers and run your version beside the standard one.
  • A student can only ask. You open a level.

Open the settings on this device

Open students’ work

A student’s link holds their record. Nothing is stored on a server.

  • Open it on the turn-in page, then print it or save it as a PDF.
  • Rate it at Classes 1, 3 and 5: four dimensions, 0–2 each, kept on your device.
  • Class sign-in with a code is coming later.

Open a student’s linkHow class codes will work

Try it before class

A worked year shows made-up visits and ideas from the earlier warmer-year activity. It holds no student data.

A worked year

End of the school year

Download each learner’s notebook, then clear every shared device. The steps are on My notebook.

Clear a device

Sources and privacy

Every number has a source. The privacy section lists what stays on the device and what can leave it.

SourcesWhat Xeed stores and shares