3 rd Grade Revisiting Plants

The student will: Build an understanding of plant growth and adaptations Observe and measure how the quantities and qualities of nutrients, light and water in the environment affect plant growth. Observe and describe how environmental conditions determine how well plants grow and survive in a particular environment. Investigate and describe how plants pass through distinct stages in their life cycle including: –Growth –Survival –Reproduction Explain why the number of seeds a plant produces depend on variable such as light, water, nutrients, and pollination Observe and discuss how bees pollinate flowers Observe, describe and record properties of germinating seeds

Desired Results Students will understand that: Organisms have basic needs. Plants can survive only in environments in which their needs can be met. Plants are part of an organized system that regulates their life cycles and their interactions with the environment. Many plants follow a life cycle with distinct stages that begins with growth from a seed and proceeds through the production of seeds.

Students will know: Plants require air, water, nutrients and light to survive. Environmental conditions will determine how well plants grow. Plants have distinct stages in their life cycle that begins with a seed and proceeds through the production of new seeds.

Wisconsin Fast Plant- Brassica Review –24 hours embryonic root appears –28 hours seedling emerges –Day 3 root system and cotyledons (seed leaves) continue to grow –Day 5 true leaves appear –Day 4-7 growth spurt –Day 9 flower buds appear

Essential Questions: Will the absence of basic needs affect the life cycle of plants? (How? Use scenarios such as the absence of light.) How do plants interact with their environment?(Plants can require “help” with seed production.) How do environmental factors affect plants in a habitat?(Reflect on where certain plants grow. What conditions are different from one area to another?) What are the similarities and differences between the growth of Wisconsin fast plants and other plants grown in the classroom? (Compare to lima bean plants.)

Vocabulary Air growth spurt planting seed leaves Brassica fast plant life cycle potting soil sprout cotyledon lighting system prediction stem embryo measurement reproduce sunlight fertilizer observation root true leaves flower buds nutrients seed watering system fruit petals seedling germinate photosynthesis seed coat

Observe and measure how the quantities and qualities of nutrients, light and water in the environment affect plant growth. n/MainSessionPart2.htm Joshua and Kate test the growth of cress seeds. Animations help students see how variations of water, light and temperature affect plant growth. n/MainSessionPart2.htm plants_grow/play.shtml Helping plants grow is harder than it looks. See what they need to stay alive. plants_grow/play.shtml

Observe and describe how environmental conditions determine how well plants grow and survive in a particular environment. Plant Force, find the optimal conditions for a new super crop (upper elementary/middle school) sims/plants/data.html Growing Alien Plants-- What are optimal conditions? sims/plants/data.html

Investigate and describe how plants pass through distinct stages in their life cycle including: Growth Survival Reproduction 2pop.htm Investigate plant survival through pollination to seed dispersal. 2pop.htm e/plants_pt2/index.htm Activities that teach seed growth, parts of a flower and seed dispersal. e/plants_pt2/index.htm biology of plants from starting to grow, plant parts, making food, pollination, seed dispersal and plant adaptations. What is a flower, spreading seeds, how plants grow, pollination and germination (with poems by 4rth graders) plant explorerhttp://

Explain why the number of seeds a plant produces depend on variable such as light, water, nutrients, and pollination /content/article/64-factors-affecting-seed-quality Factors that affect seed productionhttp:// /content/article/64-factors-affecting-seed-quality

Observe and discuss how bees pollinate flowers Magic School Bus Plants Seeds Scholastic Inc.--slide show of the book 0wcGRzulK5I98JwzFNZcY?previous_view=lt_embedded_urlhttp:// 0wcGRzulK5I98JwzFNZcY?previous_view=lt_embedded_url

Observe, describe and record properties of germinating seeds When will seeds germinate? Seed germination...the stages. XYXA Abiotic and Biotic factorshttp://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid= AA2 XYXA

Plant Quizzes Who wants to be a millionaire on Plants? plant power-play with a friendhttp:// Great Plant Escape--parts of a planthttp://urbanext.illinois.edu/gpe/case1/c1m1a.html What do you know about Roots?