1. Living Systems
Investigation 2, Part 2 –
Plant Nutrition

2. Wheat Seeds
Design a plan to break these wheat seeds out of their dormancy.
Talk in your group about how to activate these seeds.
What evidence will tell us that the seeds have become active?
What variables do you need to consider?
Living Systems, 2.2: Plant Nutrition
Step 1

3. Materials
These materials are available for you to use to try to break the seeds out of dormancy.
1/2 L containers
potting soil
wheat seeds
5 mL spoons
water
beakers
plastic bags to shield the planted seeds from evaporation
Living Systems, 2.2: Plant Nutrition
Step 2

4. Focus Question How do plants get the food they need?
Living Systems, 2.2: Plant Nutrition
Step 3

5. Discuss What do you think will happen to seeds planted in the dark?
Living Systems, 2.2: Plant Nutrition
Step 4

6. Wheat-Seed Investigation
Fill four 1/2 L containers almost full with soil.
Sprinkle one 5 mL spoon of wheat seeds over the surface of the soil.
Sprinkle soil to cover the seeds.
Pour 100 mL of water carefully over the planted seeds.
Close two of the planters in clear plastic bags, using binder clips. Label the bags with the date and group name.
Close the other two planters in black plastic bags. Label them.
Place the four bagged planters in a warm, lighted location.
Living Systems, 2.2: Plant Nutrition
Step 5

7. Reading in Science Resources
Living Systems, 2.2: Plant Nutrition
Steps 7–9

8. Day 3 Observations Record your observations:
Approximately how many seeds are growing in each environment? (all, most, some, a few, none)
What is their average height?
What is the color of the plants in each environment?
Living Systems, 2.2: Plant Nutrition
Step 10

9. Sense-Making Discussion
Living Systems, 2.2: Plant Nutrition
Step 11

10. Day 3 Observations
Do wheat plants grow in light and dark environments?
Living Systems, 2.2: Plant Nutrition
Step 11

11. Day 3 Observations
How are plants different in light and dark environments?
Living Systems, 2.2: Plant Nutrition
Step 11

12. Day 3 Observations What does the difference in color suggest?
Living Systems, 2.2: Plant Nutrition

13. Day 3 Observations
What does chlorophyll do for plants? Plants need energy to grow. Where does energy that the wheat plants need to start growing in the dark environment come from?
Living Systems, 2.2: Plant Nutrition
Step 11

14. Day 3 Observations
What do you think will happen to plants in the dark after they use up all the food stored in the seed?
Living Systems, 2.2: Plant Nutrition
Step 11

15. Day 6 Observations Record your observations:
What is the average height of the plants?
What is the color of the plants in each environment?
Living Systems, 2.2: Plant Nutrition
Step 12

16. Sense-Making Discussion
Living Systems, 2.2: Plant Nutrition
Step 13

17. Day 6 Observations
Do wheat plants continue to grow in light and dark environments? How are plants different in light and dark environments? What does the difference in color suggest? How do plants and yeast differ in how they get their food?
Living Systems, 2.2: Plant Nutrition
Step 13

18. Vocabulary Review
chlorophyll a molecule that absorbs red and blue light and reflects green light photosynthesis a process used by plants and algae to make sugar (food) out of light, carbon dioxide, and water
Living Systems, 2.2: Plant Nutrition
Step 14

19. Focus Question How do plants get the food they need?
Living Systems, 2.2: Plant Nutrition
Step 15

20. What Happens If…?
What will happen to a plant that is moved from a light environment into a dark environment? What will happen to a plant that is moved from a dark environment into a light environment? Set up this investigation, changing the environment of one dark planter and one light planter and labeling the containers. Keep one original light planter in the light and one original dark planter in the dark as controls. After one day and again after four days, we will make observations and record the results.
Living Systems, 2.2: Plant Nutrition
Step 17

21. Clean Up! Decide what to do with the wheat plants.
Bag the potting soil so that it can be reused.
Remove the labels from the bags and containers.
Rinse the containers thoroughly.
Leave the bags open to dry.
Living Systems, 2.2: Plant Nutrition
Step 19

22. How do plants get the food they need?
Wrap-Up/Warm-Up
How do plants get the food they need?
Pair up with a partner to
share and compare your answers to the focus question
discuss the results of your plant experiments
Living Systems, 2.2: Plant Nutrition
Step 20

23. All rights reserved. Copyright The Regents of the University of California.
Developed at Published and Distributed by
Photo credits:
Cover slide: © photovideostock/Shutterstock
Notebook image: © photastic/Shutterstock TM
Living Systems, 2.2: Plant Nutrition