Activity 1: How to Grow a Monster (In the Right Environment)

1. Ask the students, "What is an environment?"
2. Explain that an environment is the surroundings or conditions where people, animals, or plants live. Give examples of various environments.
3. Ask the students, "Why is an environment important for plants?"
4. Explain that you are going to read a book about growing a "monster." 
5. Instruct the students to pay close attention to the environment needed to grow a zucchini.
6. Read the story How to Grow a Monster by Kiki Thorpe.
7. As you read the story, stop and compare the characteristics of the zucchini plant to the students' monsters. (Green in color, yellow flower, likes the sun and water, etc.)
8. After completing the book, ask the students, "What kind of environment did Kara and Gabe provide for the zucchinis?"
9. As a class, make a list describing the growing environment from the book:
   1. The zucchinis were planted in a sunny area.
   2. The zucchini plants were thinned out, which gave them room to grow big.
   3. Kara and Gabe picked the small zucchinis, which stimulated more growth.
   4. They watered the zucchini plant weekly; sometimes more if it was really hot.
   5. Gabe managed pests and bugs by picking them off plants and planting marigolds around the zucchini plants.
10. Ask the students, "Do all plants need the same exact environment as zucchini plants?" (No, some may require more/less sunlight, more/less water, different temperatures/climate, etc.)

Activity 2: How to Draw a Monster: The Structure and Function of Plant Parts

1. Using the Zucchini Slide Deck, display the first slide of zucchini images and ask the students to identify the different parts of the plant.
2. Point out each of the parts on the image:
   • Yellow flower (male)
   • Yellow flower (female)
   • Leaves
   • Fruit
   • Seeds
   • Stem
3. Display the Parts of a Zucchini image on the slide deck (slide 3).
4. Ask the students to draw a new "monster" (zucchini plant) on the right side of their How to Draw a Monster Handout. Allow them to use the images on the board for reference. They may draw all the parts on one plant, or individually like the parts displayed. This zucchini monster should include the following plant parts:
   1. A green zucchini (fruit)
   2. Female flower
   3. Male flower
   4. Leaves
   5. Stem
   6. Seeds
5. Review the parts of the zucchini plant with the students. Ask the following questions to lead a discussion:
   1. Why do zucchini plants need seeds?
   2. Why do plants need flowers?
   3. Do all plants have flowers?
   4. What other plants produce a bright yellow flower? (Pumpkins, squash, other varieties of zucchinis)
   5. Why do plants need leaves?
   6. How can you tell if a food is a fruit or vegetable?

Activity 3: Let's Grow a Monster!

1. Supply each student with a cup/container, potting soil, and a zucchini seed. (Clear cups may allow students to see root development.)
2. Instruct the students to plant each seed about 1/2" below the surface.
3. Assist the students with watering their seeds. The soil should be kept moist for germination to occur.
4. Instruct them to write their names on their own cup.
5. Plant three classroom zucchini seeds. These seeds will have their growing environments altered.
6. Explain to the students that their personal zucchini seeds will be placed in a warm area and will receive the correct amount of moisture in order to germinate or sprout. Explain that their zucchinis are called the "control group" of the science experiment—they will be used as a comparison for the other three plants.
7. Tell the students that they will change the environment of the three classroom zucchini seeds.
   • Classroom Zucchini #2: Water the seed and keep the soil moist. Place in a dark room or put a dark/black box over the cup. Ask the students to hypothesize what will happen if the seed is in the dark. (Students may observe that seeds will germinate in the dark but will eventually need light to turn green and photosynthesize.)
   • Classroom Zucchini #3: Place the seed in dry soil and do not water. Ask the students to hypothesize what will happen if a seed is in dry soil.
   • Classroom Zucchini #4: Water the seed and keep the soil moist. Place the seed in a cold environment such as a refrigerator. Ask the students to hypothesize what will happen to the seed in a cold environment.
8. List the students' hypotheses on the board.
9. On the first page of their My Zucchini Monster Journal, instruct the students to describe the environment of each seed.
10. Determine how often students should make observations in their journals—every day, every other day, twice a week, etc. Students should describe what they see and illustrate what they see in each cup.
11. Over the next few weeks, allow the students to track the growth and progress of each plant. If possible, continue to grow the class zucchinis and transplant to a school garden or area outside, weather permitting. See if your students can grow a monster! (Note: If zucchinis continue to grow indoors—under grow lights or in a greenhouse—it is possible to pollinate zucchini plants by hand.)
12. Discuss the needs of a zucchini plant with the class.