Science
Grade 3
Unit 4
PLANT GROWTH and DEVELOPMENT
(based on STC Kit)
INTRODUCTION
Plants are organisms that can
reproduce and survive if they live in environments that meet their basic needs. Plants need to find ways to obtain
water, air, nutrients and protection in the areas in which they live. Some plants live on land and others
live in water. Sometimes, plants
can adapt to their environments in order to find survival. Understanding how plants survive can
help us gain a greater understanding of living things.
SCIENCE STANDARDS AND
INDICATORS
Content Standard 2.2: Plants
change their forms as part of their life cycles.
A19 Describe the life cycles of flowering
plants as they grow from seeds, proceed through maturation and produce new
seeds.
A20 Explore and describe
the effects of light and water on seed germination and plant growth.
Content
Standard 3.2: Organisms can survive and reproduce
only in environments that meet their basic needs.
B3: Describe how different plants and
animals are adapted to obtain air, water, food and protection in specific land
habitats.
B4: Describe how different plants and
animals are adapted to obtain water, food and protection in water habitats.
SCIENCE
INQUIRY: Scientific inquiry is a
thoughtful and coordinated attempt to search out describe, explain and predict
natural phenomena.
SCIENCE
LITERACY: Science literacy includes
speaking listening, presenting, interpreting, reading and writing about
science.
SCIENCE
NUMERACY: Mathematics provides
useful tool for the description, analysis and presentation of scientific data
and ideas.
EXPECTED
PERFORMANCES
BINQ.1 Make observations and ask questions about objects, organisms and the
environment.
BINQ.4 Employ simple equipment and measuring tools to gather data and extend
the senses.
BINQ.6 Analyze, critique and communicate investigations using words, graphs and
drawings.
BINQ.9 Use mathematics to analyze, interpret and present data.
BIG IDEA
Plants survive and thrive in environments in which
their basic needs are met.
Key
Vocabulary: environment, spines, thorns, toxins,
needle, adaptations, stems, leaves, roots, pollination, fertilize, pollen
LINKS
TO OTHER STANDARDS
MATH
4.1.a Design surveys for the collection of data and justify
conclusions drawn from the data.
4.2.a Analyze data to identify a typical element or event.
4.3.a Use samples and simulations to determine probability,
and to make and test predictions.
|
SCIENCE CONTENT STANDARD 2.2
|
|
CONCEPTUAL
THEME:
Structure
and Function - How are organisms structured to ensure efficiency and
survival?
CONTENT STANDARD:
2.2 – Plants change their forms as part of their
life cycles.
|
GRADE-LEVEL CONCEPT: u The life
cycles of flowering plants include seed germination, growth, flowering,
pollination and seed dispersal.
GRADE-LEVEL EXPECTATIONS:
- Flowering plants progress through a sequenced
life cycle. First, seeds
sprout (germinate), then seedlings grow into adult plants with leaves
and flowers. If the flowers
are pollinated, seeds develop that will grow into new plants to continue
the life cycle.
- Roots, stems, leaves, flowers and seeds are
structures that develop during different stages of the plant’s life
cycle.
- Seeds contain the beginnings of a new plant
(embryo) and the food (energy source) the new plant needs to grow until
it is mature enough to produce its own food. Different plant varieties produce seeds of different
size, color and shape.
- Environmental conditions, such as temperature,
amount of light, amount of water and type of soil, affect seed
germination and plant development.
- A plant’s seed will grow into a new plant that
resembles but is not identical to the parent plant or to other new
plants. For example,
marigold plants produce marigold seeds that grow into new marigold
plants. Individual
marigolds, however, vary in height, number of leaves, etc.
- Seedlings are young plants that produce the
structures that will be needed by the plant to survive in its
environment: Roots and leaves begin to grow and take in nutrients, water
and air; and the stem starts to grow towards sunlight.
- Adult plants form more leaves that help the
plant collect sunlight and air to make its food. They produce flowers that are
the structures responsible for reproduction.
- Flowers have structures that produce pollen,
attract pollinators and produce seeds that can grow into new
plants. Some flowers have
structures that develop into fruits, berries or nuts that contain the
seeds that can grow into new plants.
- Some seeds fall to
the ground and germinate close to the parent plant; other seeds are
carried (dispersed) by wind, animals, or water to places far away. The structure of the seed
is related to the way it is dispersed.
KEY SCIENCE VOCABULARY: life cycle,
structures (body parts), seed, germinate, reproduce, flower, pollen,
pollinator, seed dispersal
|
CMT EXPECTED PERFORMANCES
A19 Describe the life cycles of flowering plants as they grow from seeds,
proceed through maturation and produce new seeds.
A20
Explore and describe the effects of
light and water on seed germination and plant growth.
|
|
SCIENCE CONTENT STANDARD 3.2
|
|
CONCEPTUAL
THEME:
Heredity
and Evolution - What processes are responsible for life’s unity and
diversity?
CONTENT STANDARD:
3.2 – Organisms can survive and reproduce only
in environments that meet their basic needs.
|
GRADE-LEVEL CONCEPT: u Plants and animals have structures and behaviors
that help them survive in different environments.
GRADE-LEVEL EXPECTATIONS:
- Plants and animals have physical and behavioral
adaptations that allow them to survive in certain environments. Adaptations are passed from
parents to offspring. Individuals that happen to be bigger, stronger or
faster can have an advantage over others of the same kind for finding
food and mates.
- Plants have adaptations for getting the
sunlight they need to survive.
Examples include growing or facing toward sunlight and sending
out chutes or tendrils to get taller than neighboring plants.
- Plants have adaptations for protection from
predators. Examples include
spines, thorns and toxins (for example, poison ivy).
- Plants have adaptations for surviving in
different environmental conditions. Examples include dropping leaves in winter when
sunlight and water are limited, having needle-shaped leaves that shed
snow, or surviving drought by storing water in thick stems.
KEY SCIENCE
VOCABULARY: adaptation, camouflage, hibernation,
migration
|
CMT EXPECTED PERFORMANCES
B 1.Describe how different plants and animals are adapted to obtain air,
water, food and protection in specific land habitats.
B 2.Describe how different plants and animals are adapted to obtain air,
water, food and protection in water habitats.
|
CONCEPTS
- Many plants follow a life cycle that begins with
growth from a seed and proceeds through the production of seeds.
- Plants have distinct stages in their life cycle.
- To live and grow, plants need light, water and
nutrients from the soil.
- Flowering plants must be pollinated in order to
produce seeds.
- Many plants are pollinated by bees.
- A flower’s pollen sticks to a bee, but some rubs
off when the bee feeds at other flowers.
- One seed produces one plant; one plant can
produce many seeds.
SKILLS:
·
Planting and caring for
Brassica rapa.
·
Observing, describing
and recording changes in plants.
·
Comparing and
discussing changes occurring in plants over time.
·
Measuring and recording
the growth of plants.
·
Using graphs to display
and compare growth patterns.
·
Predicting future
growth from observations and measurements.
·
Reading to learn more
about plants.
·
Communicating results
and reflecting on experiences through writing, drawing and discussion.
ESSENTIAL
QUESTIONS TO GUIDE INSTRUCTION AND ASSESSMENT:
- What factors affect plant growth?
- What are the basic needs of plants?
- How do plants get their basic needs met?
- What makes plants grow and flourish?
- What predictions can be made about future plant
growth from observing a plant?
- What is the relationship between plants and
other living things (i.e. bees)?
MATERIALS
AND SUPPLIES
- STC Plant Growth and Development Kit
OBJECTIVES
AND GOALS (as summarized from STC Kit, “Plant Growth and Development”)
LESSON
ONE
What Do
You Know About Plants?
- Students share what they know about plants and
discuss what they would like to know.
- The teacher evaluates students’ prior knowledge
of plants.
- Students practice observation and prediction
skills.
LESSON
TWO
What is
Inside a Seed?
- Students observe how the bean seed changed after
being soaked in water overnight.
- Students record their observations.
- Students open the bean and observe inside.
- Students draw and label the parts of a bean
seed.
LESSON
THREE
Planting
the Seeds
- Students collect and organize their own
materials for planting.
- Students set up their planters with wicks,
fertilizer, potting mix and seeds.
LESSON FOUR
Thinning
and Transplanting
- Students discuss the purpose of thinning and
transplanting.
- Students learn how to carry out these two tasks.
LESSON
FIVE
How Does
Your Plant Grow?
- Students learn how to measure their plants to
the nearest centimeter.
- Students begin keeping records of their plant growth
on a bar graph.
LESSON
SIX
Observing: Leaves and Flower Buds
- Students observe two major developments: the true leaves and the flower
buds.
- Students record their observations in their
notebooks.
- Students review the life cycle of a plant
through this stage of development.
LESSON
SEVEN
Observing
the growth spurt
- Students measure plant height in centimeters and
record it on a graph every day for one week.
- Students predict how much their plants will grow
each day.
- Students analyze their data on the growth spurt.
LESSON
EIGHT
Why are
bees important?
- Students share information about bees and raise
questions about them.
- Students draw a picture of what they think a bee
looks like.
LESSON
NINE
Getting
a Handle on Your Bee
- Students use a hand lens to observe dried bee.
- Students make bee sticks to be used as a tool
for pollination.
LESSON
TEN
Looking
at Flowers
- Students observe details about a flower’s
anatomy and identify the major parts.
- Students learn more about the crucifer family.
LESSON
ELEVEN
Pollinating
Flowers
- Students use the bee sticks to cross-pollinate
their plants.
- Students read more about the interdependence of
bees and flowers.
LESSON
TWELVE
Observing
Pods
- Students observe the development of the
fertilized pods between Day 17 and Day 35.
- Students record their observations by drawing,
writing and graphing.
LESSON
THIRTEEN
Making a
Brassica
Model
- Students apply skills they have learned to
construct an accurate model of the Brassica.
- Students work together on a group project.
LESSON
FOURTEEN
Making a
Bee Model
- Students construct an accurate model of a bee.
- Students work together on a group project.
LESSON
FIFTEEN
Interpreting
Graphs
- Students interpret information on two different
graphs.
- Students apply math skills to reading graphs.
LESSON SIXTEEN
Harvesting
and Threshing the Seeds
·
Students harvest and
thresh the seeds
·
Students count the
seeds and compare that number with the original number of seeds planted (8) to
determine their profit or loss.
·
Students think about
additional questions they have about plants and experiments that might help
answer them.
Significant Task
POST
UNIT ASSESSMENT
Overview:
Students revisit their lists from lesson one, and review their science
notebooks. They make suggestions
for revising the first list and offer evidence to support their
suggestions. They answer many of
the questions on the second list and add new questions to it. These activities and discussions help
students realize how much they have learned about plant growth and development.
Materials: Each
student must have his/her student notebook, and the two class lists from Lesson
1 should be available to all students.
Procedure:
1.
Students are told that
they will now discuss and reflect on some of the questions they discussed at
the beginning of the unit.
2.
Display the two class
lists from Lesson 1. Ask students
to first focus on the part of the list entitled: What We Know About Plants.
a.
Ask students to
identify statements on the list that they now know to be true without a doubt.
b.
Ask students to identify
statements on the list that need correcting or improvement. Again, have students give reasons for
their suggestions.
3.
Now direct student attention to the list
entitled: What We Would Like to
Know about Plants.”
a.
Tell students to go
through the list and pick the questions they can now answer. Have them support their ideas with
evidence from the unit experiments.
b.
Ask students how they
might find answers to the questions that they are still unable to answer.
4.
Ask students whether
they have any new questions and encourage them to read and research to answer
them.
5.
Ask students to
summarize in their notebooks some of the important things they have learned
about plant growth and development.
Encourage them to illustrate their comments with specific examples
whenever possible.
6.
Ask students to write a
few sentences about good record keeping and observations. Urge them to use examples of how they
used these strategies in their unit investigations.
Rubric: (use if desired)
|
Name: ________________________
|
Teacher: __________________________
|
|
|
Date : ___________________
|
Title of Work: ___________________
|
|
|
|
|
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
|
|
Final Assessment: Plant Growth
and Development
|
Student responses show little to no
understanding of main concepts regarding plant survival and adaptation;
responses are unclear and do not cite examples to support ideas.
|
Student responses show some understanding of
main concepts regarding plant survival and adaptation; responses may be
unclear and cite few examples to support ideas.
|
Student responses adequate understanding of main
concepts regarding plant survival and adaptation; responses are clear and
cite some examples to support ideas.
|
Student responses show mastery of concepts
taught. Students use vocabulary properly, show understanding of plant
adaptation as well as how plants meet their needs. Students also show
ability to cite examples to support points of view and can verbalize
understandings clearly.
|
____
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total---->
|
____
|
|
|
|
Teacher Comments:
Common Misconceptions:
·
Plants,
fungi, eggs and seeds are not living.
·
Plants
obtain their energy directly from the sun.
·
Sunlight
is composed of molecules.
·
Plants produce oxygen
for our benefit.
·
Plants
absorb water through their leaves.
·
Sunlight is a food.
·
Sunlight is “consumed”
in photosynthesis.
|
|
|
Sample
Literacy Component
http://www.world-builders.org
All About Plants!
1 - Plants can be divided into two types:
flowering plants and non-flowering plants. There are many flowering plants such
as the rose, daisy, tulip and others. Non-flowering plants include coniferous
trees such as the pine and spruce.
2 - Both types of plants follow a similar
process of growth. Plants have
both male pollen and female parts of the flower. Pollen from a plant is carried by the wind, or by insects,
to fertilize the female parts of the plant. Once fertilized, a cone or seed is produced that is capable
of creating a new plant.
3 - Many
plants, such as grass, weeds and even large pine trees, rely on the wind for
pollination. The pollen is small
and light, allowing it to be blown by the wind. The pollen lands on other
plants and fertilizes them.
4 - Worker bees collect pollen and nectar
from flowers in order to create the wax they need to build their hive. The queen bee creates the wax in her
abdomen, or lower half, which she uses to build chambers or cells where she
lays her eggs.
5 - In the process of building their
hive, bees play a very important role pollinating flowers and plants. As a bee gathers nectar from a
flower, tiny grains of pollen will stick to its hairy legs and body. When the bee flies to another flower
for nectar, the pollen on its legs and body brushes off to help fertilize the
flower.
6 - Since most plants cannot travel from
place to place, they rely on animals and the wind to scatter their seeds. Seeds come in a wide variety of
sizes, from small flower seeds to large acorn seeds and pine cones.
7 - Many plants and flowers reproduce
from bulbs. The parent plant
produces buds or bulbs that split off and start to grow a new plant.
8 - Plants
are very important to our world.
Without them, we would not have food, shelter, furniture, clothing and
many other things, including the paper you are reading from right now! Plants are like the glue that holds the
world together!
From http://www.kidport.com/RefLib/Science/HowPlantsGrow/HowPlantsGrow.htm#PlantsFlowers
by Debbie
Macomber