Download - Investigating Plants

8/7/2019 Investigating Plants

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Inves tigating P lan tsa mini-unit on plant parts

compiled by April Lorr-emoreClipart by DJ lnkers


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Suggeste d ReC id -C ilo ud s

Flower Garden by Eve 5>unting

Allison's Zinnia by Anita Lobel

Tops and 5>ottoms by Janet Stevens ",_._....,..; t ! . , ' " r i s e ' o,sut' ea"(f1l!'1)

The Surprise Garden by Zoe Hall

Eating the Alphabet by Lois Ehlert

Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois EhlertGrowIng Vegetable Soup

, "WeCan Eat the Plants

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Parts of a Flower

Root- holds the plant in the ground and absorbs water and nutrientsfrom the soil. Anchors the plant. The roots of a plant are spread out.stem- carries water and nutrients to the rest of the plant. It alsohelps support it and direct the leaves towards the sunlight for them toproduce the food source for the plant. It is like a straw. Raises theheight of flowers and leaves.

Leaves- make food for the plant. Are in different shapes. Are almostalways green but are sometimes covered with another color such asred. To make food, leaves need sunshine and C02.Flowers- make the seeds to make new flowers

I?ulb- a type of seedsml- top of the groundGreenhouse- building for growing plants and flowers


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Label the Parts of the Plant

Have students do a crayon resist to create flowers.First, draw a flower with a ll of its parts (roots, stem, leaves, flower,and seeds) using a crayon. Then color in the flower by pressing downvery hard and coloring in the drawing completely. Next, paint over theflower with a blue wash. (To make the wash take blue liquid temperapaint and dilute it down with water.) The wash will not cover up thecolored parts of the paper. When the drawing is dry, have studentsadd labels to the parts of the plant.


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leaf

stemseeds'

skin

flesh

apple

flowers e e d s

leafstem


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Muffin Cup Daffodils

Ma terials N eed ed :12 X 18 sheet of colored construction paper (the background)12 X 6 brown strip (the dirt)11 X 1 ~ green strip (the stem )3 ~ X 2 green rectangles (2) (the leaves) clip 4 corners and round4 X 2 yellow rectangles (5) (the petals) clip 2 corners and roundM uffin cup liners (for the center of the flower)W hite yarn (for the roots)Seeds (for the seeds in the center of the muffin cup)W hen the flower is dry, add crayon details and labels.


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This ideo come from littlegiroffes.comI reolly like this woy of showing the ports of the flower beccuse it USeS0 strewfor the stem and reol seeds for the seeds. Using 0 strew to mqke the stem willhelp students mqke the connection between 0 drinking strew they USeand the jobof the stem. After gluing the seeds on, students con teste them. Discuss howsome seeds con be eoten.

qlso from littlegiroffes.comMcke edible flowers then hove students tell 0 portner cbout the ports of thep lent end whot they do.


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Labeling P lant P a rts

This example is from TLC Lessons- Spring E?ook

You can ecsi Iy make this flower by giving students precut rectangles for them toclip corners and round on.

They need:3 dark colored rectangles for leaves3 light colored rectangles for leaves1 long skinny green rectangle for the stem2 long wide green rectangles for the leaves4 skinny rectangles for the center of the flower

I would add roots and seeds to this if I was going make it again.


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Labeling P lant Pa rts

This example is from http://www.dltk-holidays.com/spring/mflower.htmlThe web page provides templates for creating this flower.

It also suggests watching The Magic School E?usGets planted.(Discovery Streaming Videos)

The lesson also provides the following information:THE INTRa:Plants are made up of different parts. Each part has a specific function. Thereare seven basic requirements that plants need in order to grow properly:temperature, light, water, air, nutrients, time, and room to grow.LEAVES:Photosynthesis means to IIput together using lightll. A plants leaves USesunlightto turn carbon dioxide from the air, and water into food. Plants need all of theseto remain healthy. When the plant gets enough of these things, it produces asimple sugar, which it USeSimmediately or stores in a converted form of starch.We don't know exactly how this happens. E?utwe do know that chlorophyll, thegreen substance in the leaves, helps it to occur.ROOTS:The roots help provide support by anchoring the plant and absorbing water andnutrients needed for growth. They can also Serve as storage organs for sugarsand carbohydrates the plant USeSto carry out other functions. Plants can have
http://www.dltk-holidays.com/spring/mflower.htmlhttp://www.dltk-holidays.com/spring/mflower.html


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either 0 primory top root system (such cs carrots) or 0 fibrous root system(such cs the plont we grew).STEMS:Stems cllow woter qnd nutrients obsorbed by the roots to trove] to the [eqves,qnd then the food produced by the [ecves is oble to move to other ports of theplont.The cells thct do this work qnd ore housed in the stems ore coiled the xylemcells (move woter) qnd phloem cells (move food).Stems clso provide support for the plont ollowing the leoves to recch thesunlight they need to produce food.FLOWERS:Flowers moy look like just onother pretty fcce, but in feet, ore importont in theproduction of seeds.Femole flowers hove 0 pistil. The pistil usually is loccted in the center of theflower qnd is composed of three ports: the stigmo, style, qnd ovcry. The stigmois the sticky knob ct the top of the pistil. It is cttoched to the long, tubelikestructure coiled the style. The style leeds to the ovqry which contoins thefemole egg cells coiled ovules.Mole flowers hove stornens. The stomen is composed of two ports: the cntherend filoment. The cnther produces pollen end the filoment holds it up.Some flowers Ore mole end fernole. Inthis cqse, the stornen surrounds the pistil.petols Ore qlso irnportont ports of the flower becouse they help ottrcctpollinotors (like bees end butterflies).wHAT IF's...vvhot would hoppen to your plont if you ... stopped giving it water? dropped it into on ocecn? stuck it in the dork? pulled it out of the dirt? put it in the refrigerotor? put it in the freezer? put it in the oven? And Why?


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Labeling Plant Parts

A Variation of this idea:Make one large class flower using handprints. Everyone can trace and cutmultiple copies of the hand to add to the mural. Then they con work together tolobel the flower's ports.


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Parts of a PlantSung to the tune of: Whee Is on the 5>us

The roots of the plant grow underground, underground, underground.The roots of the plant grow underground.The roots are a part of the plant.The stem of the plant carries water like a straw, like a straw, like astraw.The stem of the plant carries water like a straw.The stem is a part of the plant.The leaves of a plant are for making food, making food, making food.The leaves of a plant are for making food.The leaves are a part of the plant.

The flower of a plant grows the seeds, grows the seeds, grows theseeds.The flower of a plant grows the seeds.The flower is a part of the plant.


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Plant Part Experiments

Celery Experiment- Cut off a fresh stalk of celery and stand itupright in a cup of colored water (plain water with food coloring addedto it, preferably red or dark blue). Discuss the fact that the celery isthe stem of the plant. Discuss changes in the celery over the next fewdays. You should start to see some coloring from the water moving upthe stalk. This ca n a lso be done with a white carnation.

This picture came from http://mrcobbsclass.wordpress.com/I like how they recorded their observations with the date, time, and a

picture

Popcorn Experiment- Plant popcorn kernels in smal l clear plasticcups. Watch them grow roots. They will grow pink roots.

Plant herb seeds in a Styrofoam cup. When the seedlings appear, thestudents can take them home with a recipe attached that uses thatherb. Suggestions: dill, parsley, or sage. Connect this activity back tohow we can eat different parts of the plant.
http://mrcobbsclass.wordpress.com/http://mrcobbsclass.wordpress.com/


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Carrot Experiment- A sk students "w ill a carrot top grow?" Havestudents graph their answer to the question "Can w e m ake thesecarrots grow ?"Show them a bunch of carrots w ith green leaves. Explain that theorange part of the carrot is the root that grows under the ground andthe leaves are the grow ing tip . Cut off the leaves of each carrotw ithout cutting the grow ing tip. Cut off the top part of the carrot a tleast 2 inches. Fi I I a pie pan w ith sand and push the tops into the sand.W et the sand thoroughly. Have the students predict what they thinkw ill happen. Check the carrots each day and water the sand to keep itw et. In a bou t a w eek, new leaves w iI I sprout.


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Pineapple Experiment- I?ring a pineapple to school. Let the studentswatch you cut it and then let them taste the pineapple. Cut off the topof the pineapple, leaving around 1 inch of the fruit. put it in water,leaving the leaves exposed to the air. When the roots appear, transferthe plant to a pot of dirt, and cover with a plastic bag for three weeks.After three weeks remove the cover and you wi I I discover a cactuslike plant.

This same idea can be used with a sweet potato or avocado pit.Hold a firm sweet potato with the pointy end down. push fourtoothpicks crosswise into the vegetable about two-thirds of the wayup.Put the pointy end of the sweet potato in a g l a s s so the toothpicksrest on the rim. Fill the g l a s s a lm o s t to the top with lukewarmwater. place in a sunny spot and change the water every 2 to 3 days. Ina few days, roots will begin to sprout from the bottom; in about 2weeks, leaves and stems will start sprouting from the top.Keep theplant in the g l a s s until it gets too big - usually in a couple of months -then plant it 3 to 4 inches deep in a pot filled with potting soil. Keepmoist.


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Plant Part Tasting Party

Discuss plant parts and why each is important. Which ones do we eat?Have a tasting party.

Plants We EatFlowers- cauliflower, broccoli

Stems- celery, chivesLeaves- spinach, chard, lettuceRoots- radish, carrot, beets

Seeds- corn, nuts

Tops and Pottorns by Janet stevens is a great book to use for thislesson.


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Observe Plants, Record and Compare Data

Observe several different plants to compare the parts. Record andorganize data including measurements and observations using pictures,numbers, and words. Have students communicate their findings.Have students read a lot of non-fiction texts about plants. Placestudents in smal l groups to learn about plants in general or a specifictype of plant. provide students with a variety of materials for making alarge mural of the plant they learned about. Have them use sentencestrips and pieces of paper to make labels and captions, and to writefacts about plants and their parts. Use this project to focus in onfeatures of non-fiction texts such as labels, captions, and close-upsand why they are important. For example: captions tell us about thepicture and close-ups show detai Is.

On the following pages are several ideas for growing plants that can beobserved and measured.


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Gross Heads

http://www.homemade-gifts-made-easy.com/grass-heads.html(This project uses sandandstockings)http://www.activitytv.com/printables/crafts-grass-head-printable.pdf(This project uses a canister or juice c a n )

http://www.activityvillage.co.uk!grow_a_grass_head_monster.htm
http://www.homemade-gifts-made-easy.com/grass-heads.htmlhttp://www.activitytv.com/printables/crafts-grass-head-printable.pdfhttp://www.activityvillage.co.uk%21grow_a_grass_head_monster.htm/http://www.activityvillage.co.uk%21grow_a_grass_head_monster.htm/http://www.activitytv.com/printables/crafts-grass-head-printable.pdfhttp://www.homemade-gifts-made-easy.com/grass-heads.html


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http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/grass-head-guys-673724/Cracked Egg Grass Heads

How to : Save the shells after cracking eggs. The fastest way to get the insidesout is to g i v e the side of the top a whack with a knife (a butter knife wi I I do) andthen g i v e the other side a whack. The idea is to make a big hole in the top. Nextdraw on the face; make funny, cute, and/or wacky characters. Fi" with potting soiland sprinkle on grass seeds. Rye grass seeds are suggested. Add water andplace on a windowsill. Another idea just for fun, dye the eggs first so that they

are a" different colors.From http://www.funinthemaking.net/category/party-favors/page/2/
http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/grass-head-guys-673724/http://www.funinthemaking.net/category/party-favors/page/2/http://www.funinthemaking.net/category/party-favors/page/2/http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/grass-head-guys-673724/


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You c a n a l s o make grass heads with Styrofoam cups. To do this:Have students decorate their cup with a sharpie so that it looks like aface. After the cups are decorated, c a l l students by table to fill theircups with sci I. Once everyone has a decorated cup of soi I, have themplace one spoonful of grass seed on top of their soil. Have studentsplace thei r cups, a few a t a time, inside aplastic tub. Then have themspray their seeds down with water. They need to make them prettywet to start. Place the cups in a windowsi II. Observe dci Iy and measureand record growth. Continue to water eriodically a s needed.

You c a n use plastic cups, styrofoam cups, juice c a n s , vegetable andfruit c a n s , play-doh containers, and yogurt containers to make yourgrass heads.

There are several ways to sprout lima beans. You c a n do so in a cupor in a zip-Ioc bag.Soak the lima beans overnight in cold water to help start germination.You will only need to soak four or five beans to get a t least two orthree that will sprout. place enough water in a bowl to cover the limabeans.


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Lay four or five sheets of paper towels on top of each other. Spreadthe soaked beans in single layer on the paper towels. Place anotherlayer of four or five paper towels on top of the lima beans.Fill a spray bottle with water. Spray the paper towels with a fine mistof water unti I they are thoroughly damp.Slide the moistened paper towels, with the beans between them, into agallon-size plastic zippered bag.Seal the zippered bag tight. Leave some air inside the bag to aid in thegermination process. Place the sealed bagon a windowsill to allow thebeans to stay warm and receive plenty of sunlight.Check on the beans in the bag every day and spray more water on thepaper towels if they appear dry. Green shoots should beginsproutingfrom the roots in a few dcys' time.Fill a flowerpot with soil. Use your fingers to create a 1-inch hole foreach sprouted lima bean. Keep the holes a t least 3 or 4 inches apart.You may need to use more than one flowerpot.Drop one sprout into each hole and cover with soil. Water enough tomoisten the soil and place the flowerpot in a sunny location.


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We did this experiment, but rather than just put beans in the sunlight,we also placed a bag in the dark. We charted predictions about whichone we thought would grow and the reasons why. Warning: Our beansin the dark actually grew better. We decided the ones we taped to thewindow got so hot that it was harder for them to grow.The nice thing about using the zip-Ioc bag instead of the cup is that youcan really see the roots growing this way.

We sprouted a lima beanand a pumpkin seed to see which wouldsprout faster and if they looked the same when they sprouted.


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5>esure to have students journal about what they did to plant orsprout the seeds, what they observed happen each day, and data theycollected as they observed such as measurement.


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When talking about parts of the plant. Learn about the different partsof the plant that we eat. Read Growing Vegetable Soup. Then makevegetable soup. Kindergarten students can make an interactive chartto show what they put in the soup and first graders can write a how-topaper. Is possible, make using fresh vegetables. You may want to pre-cut ingredients the night before to help the lesson move faster. Frozenand canned vegetables can a lso be used.


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Inside C I SeedObjectives:Students will look inside 0 seed to discover the beginningof 0 plont.Students will discuss elements thct ore importont for plonts to grow- qir, food,qnd woter.

Mcteriols:Limo beons- sock in woter overnightMognifying glossesIllustrotion of 0 limo beqn with 0 boby plont inside

Introduction:How does 0 plont begin? Ask students for thoughts qnd predictions. How does 0seed turn into 0 plont? Tell them thct scientists mqke predictions qnd studythings to find onswers to their questions. Tell them thot todoy they will be 0scientist.

Activity:Give eoch student 0 limo been ( 0 seed) thct hos been socked inwoter so thct it isecsier to open. Show students how to open the seeds corefully. Ask students toSee if they con find out how 0 seed turns into 0 plont. After looking on their own,hove them help friends find out why. Hove them tclk cbout it with their groupscs they look. Moke Sure every student sees 0 boby plont.

Closure:Co" students bock to the corpet end hove them discuss their conclusions. Showthe illustrotion of the ports of 0 seed inclUding the boby plont, seed coot, endp lent food.

Follow up this cctivity by sprouting limo beqns.