Unit 2:Plants

Essential Questions

How do plants obtain water and nutrients needed for survival?

How do plants minimize water loss through their leaves?

What is photosynthesis and how is it accomplished?

What factors affect the rate of photosynthesis?

Day 1: Mineral and Water Uptake by Plants

Required Readings: 2.22, 2.27

Learning Objectives: To know that plants require minerals and what

their functions are To understand that water can enter and leave

cells by osmosis To understand that dissolved substances may

enter and leave cells by diffusion and active transport

Starter

Read the “Mineral Nutrients” information

Choose 5 minerals and explain why they are important for plant growth and development.

Time: 15 minutes

Activity 1

Design an experiment that would test how different mineral deficiencies affect the growth of a plant

Include: Question – what are you testing? Variables & control Method and materials Expected outcomes

Time: 20 minutes

Activity 2

How do fertilizers have a negative effect on the environment?

Research the various ways that fertilizers can be harmful to the environment and the other organisms that can be effected (with a partner).

Write a 1-2 page paper on the harms fertilizers can cause

Due: September 24

Time: 30 minutes

Activity 3

Draw a picture (on paper provided) to show how water and minerals (ions) are taken into a plant.

Include: What processes are occurring? (What mode of

transport? There are 3 different ones occurring.)

The structures needed in order for this to happen

How does the shape of these structures allow the transport of water to occur?

Time: 20 minutes

Closing and Homework

Discuss the following questions: Why would farmers drain fields that are

susceptible to flooding? Why would farmers cover their fields with black

polythene? Why would they not cover it with white polythene?

Homework: Fertilizer paper (September 24)

Day 2

Required Readings: 2.28

Learning Objectives: To appreciate that water and dissolved

substances are transported around the plant in specialized transport tissues

Starter

Look at the microscope drawings in the back

Draw a picture of what you see

Compare and contrast the different slides

How do these structures accomplish water and mineral transport?

Time: 20 minutes

Activity 1

Create a slide of a piece of celery to view under the microscope

The celery needs to be thinly sliced

Draw a diagram of what you see

Time: 20 minutes

Activity 2

Look at the picture of the potato plant.

What is a source and what is a sink in plants?

How can a potato be both?

Time: 15 minutes

Activity 3

Create a concept map to show how various materials are transported from the roots to the leaves of a plant.

You may include diagrams/pictures as well

Time: 25 minutes

Closing and Homework

Discuss the following questions: What are the two vascular tissues in flowering

plants and what is their job? Why does the direction of sugar transport vary

from season to season? Why must sugar be transported to sinks?

Homework: Fertilizer paper (September 24)

Day 3: Transpiration

Required Readings: 2.29 Transpiration: Water Movement Through

the Plant Questions from wiki

Learning Objectives To recall that water movement through a plant

begins with water loss from the leaves To understand that water is lost from leaves via

the stomata, through which the exchange of gases occurs

To understand how environmental conditions can affect water movement through plants

Starter

Draw a picture that shows the following water flow in a plant: Where is water lost from? Where and how does water uptake occur? What structure does water flow up the plant in? What causes water to move up the stem of the

plant?

Time: 15 minutes

Activity 1

Brainstorm with your group the various conditions (environmental and physical) that affect the rate of transpiration in plants.

From these different conditions, rank them in order of highest transpiration to lowest transpiration.

Time 10 minutes

Activity 2

Move and sit with your lab group

Together choose one of the environmental factors (humidity, light intensity, wind, temperature) to test

Using the “Measuring Transpiration” sheet, devise a plan for how you will test your factor Remember you will need 3 plants to test: 1

control and 2 in extremes

What are you going to measure (what data will you collect?)?

Time: 20 minutes

Activity 3

Carry out the investigation, we will make a change to the set up (as per previous diagram)

Give yourself 15 minutes to set up and 20 minutes to record data

You need to create a table to record your data

Time: 35 minutes

Closing Activity

Sit with 2-3 other people who are not in your lab group and discuss your results

Questions: How did your results compare to your expected

outcomes? Do you think the results would be different if

you used different plants? How so? What structure(s) is/are responsible for water

loss in a plant?

Time: 10 minutes

Homework

Reading for section 2.30

Completed plan for your investigation done today. To be included: Aim/Objective of lab What variable you tested and how you changed

it What was controlled What materials you needed Procedure Due: Tuesday, October 2

Day 4 (60 minutes)

Required Readings: 2.30: The Leaf and Water Loss Questions from wiki

Learning Objectives: To understand that stomata are opened to allow

carbon dioxide to enter the leaf, and that this allows water vapor to diffuse out of the leaf

To describe adaptations of leaves to reduce water losses

Starter

Draw a picture of a stoma when it is open and closed.

In what conditions is a stoma closed?

When does a stoma open?

Where are stomata usually located?

Time: 15 minutes

Activity 1

Obtain 2 leaf samples from outside from 2 different plants

Using the “Stomata Lab” handout, complete the procedure

Draw the 2 pictures of the stomata on the different leaves

Time: 30 minutes

Closing & Homework

Complete the discussion questions on the “Stomata Lab” handout

Due: Friday, September 28

Transpiration Lab: October 2

Day 5

Required Readings: 2.17: Photosynthesis and Plant Nutrition

Learning Objectives: To understand that plants, like all living

organisms, must receive nourishment To know the basic definition for photosynthesis To know word and symbol equations for

photosynthesis To remember that a plant body has organs that

are well suited to carry out particular functions

Starter

If plants make energy in the form of sugar, why do they need to store it?

What do plants need energy for?

Time: 15 minutes

Activity 1

What is photosynthesis and where does it occur?

Write a word and symbol equation for photosynthesis

Time: 10 minutes

Activity 2

Look at the graph on the next slide.

What do you think it is representing?

Chloroplasts are green because of the pigment chlorophyll. At what colour of light do you think plants absorb light best in? What colour of light are plants not effective at absorbing light in?

Would this change if a leaf had a different colour?

Time: 20 minutes

Activity 3

Photosynthesis has 2 stages: Light dependent Light independent

Use the picture on the following slide to figure out which reactants are used for each stage, and what is produced in each stage.

What would happen if there was no light available?

Time: 15 minutes

Activity 4

What are the four macromolecules present in living organisms?

What do plants need these four macromolecules for?

How are the macromolecules synthesized from the products of photosynthesis?

Time: 15 minutes

Closing and Homework

You may use this time to work on your lab plan for the transpiration lab

You may use this time to get caught up on any missing work or re-do any assignments

You may use this time to make your test corrections