Plant Growth & Development
Lesson 10
Looking at Flowers
Students will be using their bee sticks to cross-pollinate their Fast Plants. Students will also focus in on the anatomy of flowers.
Reading and highlighting the objectives in each lesson assures that participants are with you at the beginning of each lesson.
4. Lesson set up and Management
GLE 1.1.6 Understand the characteristics of living organisms.
(Lessons 1-7, 9, 10, 16)
*Identify observable characteristics of living organisms (e.g., plants have roots, stems, leaves, seeds, flowers; bees have two antennae, compound eyes, six legs, two pairs of wings, a head, thorax, and abdomen).
*Describe how plants and animals get food differently.
GLE 1.2.1 Analyze how the parts of a system go together, and how these parts depend on each other.
(Lessons 1-14, 16)
*Identify the parts of a system (e.g., roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds) and how the parts go together.
*Describe the function of a part of a system (e.g., leaves are the food factories of Wisconsin Fast Plants.)
*Explain how one part of a system depends upon other parts of the same system.
*Predict and explain how a system would work if one of its parts was missing or broken.
GLE 1.2.2 Understand that energy can be transformed from one object to another and can be transformed from one form of energy to another.
(Lessons 3-8, 10-12, 16)
*Identify sources of energy in systems (light energy is the source of energy in a plant system; food energy is the source of energy in an animal system).
GLE 1.2.3 Know that substances are made of small particles.
(Lessons 1, 2, 6, 9 10, 11)
*Observe and describe that some particles can only be seen with magnification (e.g., parts of seeds, parts of flowers, parts of bees).
GLE 1.2.7 Understand the life cycles of plants and animals, and the differences between inherited and acquired characteristics.
(Lessons 3-12, 16)
*Observe and describe the life cycle of a plant or animal (e.g., Wisconsin Fast Plant).
*Describe that the young of plants and animals grow to resemble their parents as they mature into adults (e.g., Wisconsin Fast Plants; bees).
*Describe inherited characteristics (e.g., leaf shape, flower shape and color).
GLE 1.3.8 Understand that living things need constant energy and matter.
(Lessons 3-12, 16 and EXTENSIONS: students also earn information from listed books, videos, web sites)
*Identify sources of energy and matter used by plants and animals to grow and sustain life (e.g., air, water, light, food, mineral nutrients).
*Identify sources of energy and matter used by animals to grow and sustain life (e.g., air, water, light, food, mineral nutrients).
*Explain how plants and animals obtain food (e.g., plants make food from air, water and sunlight, mineral nutrients; animals obtain food from other living things.)
GLE 2.1.1 Understand how to ask a question about objects, organisms, and events in the environment.
(Lessons 1-16)
*Ask questions about objects, organisms, and events based on observations of the natural world.
GLE 2.1.2 Understand how to plan and conduct simple investigations following all safety rules.
(Lessons 1-16)
*Make predictions of the results of an investigation (e.g., growth rate of the Wisconsin Fast Plant during the growth spurt).
* Generate a logical plan for, and conduct, a simple controlled investigation with the following attributes: 1) appropriate materials, tools, and available computer technology, 2) gather, record, and organize data using appropriate units, charts, and/or graphs
*Identify and use simple equipment and tools (such as magnifiers, rulers) to gather data and extend the senses.
*Follow all safety rules during investigations.
GLE 2.1.5 Understand how to report investigations and explanations of objects, events, systems, and processes.
(Lessons 1-16)
*Report observations or data of simple investigations without making inferences.
*Summarize an investigation by describing: -materials used in the investigation, -observations, data, results, -explanations and conclusions in written, mathematical, oral, and information technology presentation formats, -safety procedures used
GLE 2.2.1 Understand that all scientific observations are reported accurately and honestly even when the observations contradict expectations.
(Lessons 1-12, 15, 16)
*Explain why scientific observations are recorded accurately and honestly.
*Explain why scientific records of observations are not changed even when the records do not match initial expectations.
*Explain why honest acknowledgement of the contributions of others and information sources are necessary.
GLE 2.2.3 Understand why similar investigations may not produce similar results.
(Lessons 3-12, 15, 16)
*Describe reasons why two similar investigations can produce different results (e.g., identify possible sources of error, different rates of plant growth).
GLE 2.2.4 Understand how to make the results of scientific investigations reliable.
(Lessons 3-12, 15, 16)
*Describe how the method of investigation insures reliable results (i.e., reliability means that repeating an investigation gives similar results).
GLE 2.2.5 Understand that scientific comprehension of systems increases through inquiry.
(Lessons 3-12, 15, 16)
*Describe how scientific inquiry results in facts, unexpected findings, ideas, evidence, and explanations.
GLE 3.2.2 Understand that people have invented tools for everyday life and for scientific investigations.
(Lessons 1-12, 15, 16)
*Describe tools (technology) invented to advance scientific investigations (e.g., rulers, plant lights, automatic watering system, magnification devices, the development of Wisconsin Fast Plants by Dr. Paul Williams for classroom investigations).
- Many plants follow a life cycle that begins with growth from a seed then proceeds through the production of many new seeds.
- Plants have different stages in their life cycle.
- To live and grow, plants need light, water, carbon dioxide from the air, and mineral nutrients from the soil.
- Flowering plants must be pollinated in order to produce seeds.
- Many plants are pollinated by bees.
- A flower's pollen clings to a bee, but some rubs off when the bee feeds at other flowers.
The rapid-cycling Brassica rapa, which is the scientific name for Wisconsin Fast PlantsTM, belongs to a large family of plants called the Cruciferae. They are so named because the flower petals are always arranged in the shape of a crucifix, or cross. Figure 10-1 (pg. 63) shows the Brassica flower. This same petal arrangement is shared by all members of this family of plants. A sampling of plants in the crucifer family is shown in Figure 10-2 on page 64.
4. Lesson set up and Management
Materials:
Transparency: figures 10-1 and 10-2
For each student:
1 flowering plant
1 student notebook
1 Observation Sheet (optional)
For every two students:
1 hand lens
Teacher Tip:
At this point, a few students may not have open flowers on their Brassica plants yet. Have them pair up with students who do have open flowers.
Students draw and label the parts of their plants in their science notebooks. Students should also begin writing the function of each part they are labeling, helping them to understand that a plant is a system made of parts that work together.
Wisconsin Fast Plant flower magnified 10X: note the 4 petals arranged in the shape of a cross (which places them in the crucifer family of plants), the 6 anthers, 1 stigma, and 4 sepals.
FINAL ACTIVITIES
Depending on the time of year when this unit is taught, the expectations you have for writing will need to be taken into account.
Show student work from your classroom if available.
EXTENSIONS
NOTE: Lilies are great to use for flower dissection because students can easily see all the flowering parts without magnification. Students will be able to feel the sticky pistil. Ask students to tell you why they think the pistil is sticky. (It keeps the pollen from falling off or blowing away.)
Writing Support:
- Students write important information in their science notebooks, and draw and label their plants.
Reading Support: Students use non-fiction reading strategies.
- ScienceSaurus (use as a resource)
- How A Plant Grows
Have students partner-read and write interesting facts and questions they may have on sticky notes. Students leave their sticky notes on the pages of the book until they are ready to transfer their sticky notes into their student notebooks. Students will read this book cover to cover over the course of this science unit.