Environmental Science Activities Manual: 3-5

Life Science Plants F7.00
Process of Science Collecting Data 1.3 bc

CURRICULAR CORRELATIONS

GRADE: ESAM: 3-5

CONTENT STANDARD: Life Science

STRAND: Plants

CONCEPT: Plants have complex structures with specialized functions.

CONTENT OBJECTIVE: F7.00 To understand how green plants differ from non-green plants

INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES: The learner will:

    7.01 list the characteristics of green plants and know the process of photosynthesis.
    7.02 list the characteristics of fungi.
    7.03 explain how fungi obtain food.
    7.04 compare fungi and green plants.
OUTLINE OF CONTENT:
    I. Characteristics of green plants
      A. Make their own food
        1. Materials needed
        2. Steps involved
      B. Have a transport system
      C. Use oxygen in respiration
      D. Produce new plants by reproduction
    II. Photosynthesis
    III. Characteristics of fungi
      A. How they obtain food
      B. How they reproduce
    IV. How fungi compare to green plants

TN COMPONENT OF SCIENCE: Process of Science

TN GOAL:

    To enable students to demonstrate the processes of science by posing questions and investigating phenomena through language, methods and instruments of science.
TN THEME:
    1.3 COLLECTING DATA - The acquiring, recording, arranging and storing of information must be performed in a complete, accurate, concise and user-friendly manner.
TN STANDARD(S): The learner will understand that:
    1.3b Data should be appropriate, accurate, and free of bias.

    BENCHMARK: A journal should be kept describing observations made. Entries should distinguish actual observations about what was observed.

    1.3c Safety features should be observed in all areas of data collection.

    BENCHMARK: Use of proper safety procedures should be followed in the classroom, laboratory, and home environment.

CLASSROOM CONNECTORS

TIME REQUIRED:

    Two Classroom Connectors - one hour each

Classroom Connector One

MATERIALS:

    Charts, green plants, paper for covering plants
SET:
    Today we are going to talk about plants that make their own food.
INSTRUCTION:
    Green plants make their own food. To make food, they need water, carbon dioxide and light energy. The food is usually made in the leaf cells. So the needed materials must be "transported" by the roots, stems and leaves. Photosynthesis is the process by which food is made in the plant. Plants use this food to carry out respiration. Respiration is the process by which living things use oxygen to release energy. Some of this energy released is used for reproduction. Reproduction is the process by which living things produce new living things of their own kind.

    To show how green plants need sunlight, we will cover a few leaves on a green plant. We will leave these for about one week. What do you predict our finding will be? (response) We will observe the color and condition of the covered leaves. You will record observations. (Try to do this so that the day you observe the change you are ready to tell about photosynthesis.)

    Steps in photosynthesis:
    1. Sunlight (energy) passes through to the chlorophyll (green in the plant) leaves. The sunlight is trapped there.
    2. Water is carried to the leaves by the veins.
    3. The sun's light is changed into starch or sugar.
    4. This sugar is carried to the rest of the plant by the veins. When the energy is produced the plant is able to give off oxygen used by all living things. This process enables plants to produce their own food.

CLOSURE:
    (Have students make a list of the characteristics of green plants.) (pause, seek responses, then summarize)

Classroom Connector Two

MATERIALS:

    For each group - 2 slices bread, 2 plastic bags, tie for bags, hand lens
SET:
    Today we are going to talk about plants that do not make their own food.
INSTRUCTION:
    Fungi are organisms like mushrooms and molds that are not green. Fungi do not have chlorophyll for making food. Fungi get their food from other organisms. They usually absorb food from these organisms. Fungi reproduce with spores. These spores are produced in caps, capsules or cases. The spores are spread by the wind. When the spore settles, tiny cells break out of the spore. The cells multiply and spread, forming fuzzy threads. Soon the threads form new caps, capsules or cases. (Refer back to mold grown on bread. Refer back to characteristics of green plants. Allow students to compare fungi to green plants. Point out differences.)
ACTIVE PARTICIPATION:
    (A few days before starting this lesson, grow some bread mold.) Place a dry piece of bread and a damp piece of bread in two separate sealed bags. Place in a warm dark place for a few days. Be sure to mark which one is dry and which one is damp. Observe the mold with a hand lens. Record your findings daily in your journals. (Remember: Do not unseal bags. Some people are severely allergic to molds and yeast.)
CLOSURE:
    Write two differences between fungi and green plants. (Fungi aren't green and don't produce their own food.) (response, then summarize) During our 3 day observation lab on molds, which bag seemed to produce the most mold? Why do you think this happened?

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