What makes a plant a plant?

These labs allow students to practice scientific methods. They will investigate the natural world and make observations. Variables will be controlled and manipulated. Data will be collected, analyzed and interpreted

Part 1 - Garden Planning

Part 2 - Chlorophyll extraction demo: go through the steps of this lab while reviewing the unit. It can also be used as a preview for the topics of SOL Bio 2. (protocol/data sheet)

Part 3 - Salt Tree -demonstrate chemical and biological principles

Part 4 - Seed Starting

Part 5 - Flower Observations/Microscopic Plant Cell Observations

Other Resources- Notes - A History of Plants (Presentation), there is also a Handout/WS with a phylogenetic tree

Activities, Assignments, Etc

Warning- Some of these links are to Wikipedia! It is not a "reliable source," but it is a good starting place (follow links to sources...)

1. Garden Planning- Small Group Activity

#content #community #collaboration #communication #criticalthinking #creativity

Materials Needed:

Handouts (in plan book)

- Students are provided with maps of my garden from the last four years. They work in small groups to create a list of the plants I have grown, Students are then given information about Family Solanaceae and must research which plants in the garden are within that Family.

- Further discussion includes their specific soil needs and the purpose of three year rotation. As a final assessment, the groups must present a map for next year that identifies the appropriate planting locations for plants in that group. Jobs (recorder, researcher, facilitator,...) can be rotated or assigned based on individual or group needs.

2. Seed starting

#content #community #collaboration #communication #criticalthinking #creativity

Materials Needed:

Cafeteria Breakfast Trays - they are perfect!

Seed Blocking tools (personal equipment)

16c. Sphagnum Moss

4 c. sifted Compost

1/4c. Rock Phosphate

1/4c. Greensand

6+ c. water

mix dry materials well, add water (it will be squishy) and form blocks on trays

- Students will plant and maintain seeds.Developing plants can be used for future lessons. Extensions are limitless as you can manipulate countless variables (water, light, heat, etc...)

3. Flower Investigation

#content #community #collaboration #communication #criticalthinking #creativity

Materials Needed:

Handout (in plan book)

Flowers from a garden, florist, students' yards

- Students examine and dismantle flowers. If you have "dead heads" with seeds, collect them and use them for SEED STARTING LAB.

4. Chlorophyll extraction

#content #community #collaboration #communication #criticalthinking #creativity

Materials Needed:

Leaves (the greater diversity, the better)

Oven

Centrifuge (if possible)

Water

Beakers

Hot Plates

Sharpies

Scissors

Gloves

Goggles

Foil

Paper towels

Pipettes

Mortar and Pestle

Test tubes and stoppers

Test tube racks

Solvents (Acetone, Methyl Ethyl Ketone, Denatured Alcohol, (Xylene- don't use, doesn't evaporate...)

Solvent disposal container

- Students extract chlorophyll from leaf samples. Working in pairs, they will follow protocol to extract chlorophyll from leaf samples to make a simple qualitative analysis of the pigments from the leaves of a specific species. *use the centrifuge to speed up this process, making this a 60 minute lab

LAB DATA SUMMARY SHEET

NOTE- if you use alcohol-based solvents you can place the sample in a blacklight and it will glow red (the chlorophyll absorbs UV and emits within the visible spectrum)

5.Chromatography

#content #community #collaboration #communication #criticalthinking #creativity

6.Microscopic investigation of plant samples

#content #community #collaboration #communication #criticalthinking #creativity

Materials Needed:

Microscopes

Prepared plant slides

Living plants

Microscope slides and coverslips

Water, pipettes

- Students will make observations of plant cells and tissue, as well as living plant tissue, using light microscopes. Students will change magnifications and work cooperatively/share results.

Vocabulary activity - Botany Prefix/Suffix - students use root terms to determine the meaning of words associated with plants#content #communication #criticalthinking

Closure Assignment - Plant Review Bookwork - students use textbook to review Botany material #content