Plants

Plants are amazing.  We grow them in our classroom.

Part 1: Plant Scavenger Hunt

Go around the classroom observing the 18 Plant Cards on the walls. 

Spend ~30 seconds reading and discussing each card.

Fill in your answers on your Plant Scavenger Hunt sheet.

With your table group, come up with one of the 18 items that you think is particularly interesting or surprising, and share that aloud with the class (try for no repeats).

Part 2: Seed Dissection

In your journal, please write a prediction with a reason for the following question.

What do you think the inside of the seed will look like and why?

Materials:

• Bean seed

• Forceps

• Magnifying glass

Procedure:

1. Pick up a soaked bean and examine it.  

2. Rub the soaked bean between your fingers. The seed coat should rub off.

3. In your journal, answer this: Why do you think the seed coat is important?

4. Now split your seed in two. (There is a slit going down the middle of your seed where it should come apart with a little help.)

5. Observe the inside. (Use a magnifying glass if you’d like).

6. In your journal, describe and/or draw what you see. Be sure to identify the following three components of a seed:

   1. seed coat

   2. food supply

   3. embryo (try to identify what will be the root and what will be the leaves)

Watch the Seed Parts PowerPoint.

(Credit to https://www.agclassroom.org/teacher/matrix/lessonplan.cfm?lpid=213)

Part 3: Flower Dissection

Plant reproduction is essential! With no plant reproduction, there can be no plants (and with no plants, there can be no habitat for animal and human life).

Plants have to have their female egg cells (called ova) fertilized by male sperm cells (called pollen), but the plants can’t walk around to find mates!

Flowers have male and female parts. Most species have them on the same flower, while some have them on different flowers. 

There is no typical flower. Flowers come in a great variety of designs.

Watch the Flowers PowerPoint to see examples of the parts of flowers.

(from: bgci.org/files/Worldwide/US_Files/Lesson%203.pdf)

Background information about pollinators:

Pollinators include thousands of species of insects, including bees, wasps, flies and butterflies as well as other animals, like bats and birds, especially hummingbirds. Pollinators are creatures that help plants reproduce by moving pollen from one flower’s male anther to the female stigma of another. Once pollination has taken place, seeds begin to develop. Pollination can also occur with the help of wind, or occasionally water. Some plants even pollinate themselves.

The shape, color and fragrance of flowers all serve to attract certain species of pollinators. For instance, flat-topped flowers such as zinnias act as resting spots for butterflies, and the strong fragrance of lilies attract a number of insects, including bees.

(from: greeneducationfoundation.org/institute/lesson-clearinghouse/348-dissecting_a_flower.html) Also, consider watching this short video about electrical charges and pollination.

You will then dissect a flower.

Materials:

• Flower

• Scalpel (Scissors upon request)

• 2 pairs of forceps

• Magnifying glass

Procedure:

1. Examine your intact flower then remove and observe some petals.

2. Remove and observe a male part. View the pollen with a magnifying glass.

3. Cut the flower lengthwise in three equal sections to expose the ovum/eggs. 

4. In your journal, draw a detailed diagram of what you see. Identify at least the following three structures of a flower: * pollen *ovary/egg * petals 

5. Clean up: Flower parts to trash, scalpels/scissors washed with soap, dried and given to teacher, new paper towels in trays if necessary, materials organized in bin

Plants Extension (*): Flower/Plant Pressing

Collect at least 5 plants from the Stevens Middle School wetlands.  Press them according to the proflowers.com/blog/how-to-press-flowers guidelines.  For each plant, make an identification card including the common name, scientific name, specific location where collected (GPS), date collected, name of collector, and any other notes.