Plant Books and Videos

I love teaching all about plants in the spring. The kids are so interested and always want to learn more. I love having extra resources like these plant books and videos on hand to engage interested minds! Here are a few of my favorite books and videos to use when teaching about plants in the elementary classroom. These can easily be incorporated into your science lessons or added to science learning centers.

Plant Books:

Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons

This book is a classic plant read aloud that you can easily find in just about all school libraries! It is a beautifully illustrated non-fiction story that introduces kids to the processes of pollination, seed formation, and germination.

Oh Say Can You Seed by Bonnie Worth

Another kid favorite from the Dr. Suess library that teaches about the different parts of plants, seeds, and flowers. It also illustrates an intro to photosynthesis and pollination from the Cat in the Hat!

How A Seed Grows by Helene J. Jordan

I absolutely love these “Let’s Read and Find Out” science books in the classroom! They have great pictures and details that are perfect for kids of all ages. This book explores how various seeds grow, some fast and some slow, into different flowers, plants, and trees.

Videos:

Photosynthesis: Dr. Bionics Show

Fun and animated, Dr. Bionics is a classroom favorite! This almost 4-minute video teaches all about how plants make their own food through photosynthesis. I know your students will love this one!

Photosynthesis: Happy Learning English

This short video introduces kids to the process of photosynthesis with a mix of animated and real life video scenes. I have used a lot of Happy Learning videos in the classroom and they are always a hit!

Both of these videos are from YouTube channels with a wide variety of science videos on most topics taught at the elementary level. Certainly take the time to check them out!

These resources are great to use whole group or in a small group. In addition to incorporating them into your whole group lessons, make them a part of your reading centers. For example, I always put themed books to go with my science or social studies lessons in a read to self center to help integrate science content into the reading block. Similarly, I add also use the short videos as part of a technology center for independent learning.

If you are interested in more videos on plants my complete Plants Unit has a list of all of my favorite videos and a video viewing guide. The unit also includes a variety of QR codes linked to my favorite plants websites for students. Check out my plant resources here!