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
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