Incredible Plants
 
Juliette M. Walker             Crown Community Academy
                               2128 S. St. Louis
                               Chicago IL 60623
                               (312)534-1680

Angela Patrick                 Crown  
Victor McFarlene               Kanoon

Objective:
   (1) Students will be able to label the parts of a plant.
   (2) Students will be able to classify and sort plant parts.
   (3) Students will observe capillary action in flowers.
   (4) Students will observe sprouted seedlings and roots.

Materials Needed:  
  (20 students)
  Assorted Vegetables              String (3 pieces; 3 yards each)
  -roots, stems, leaves            Small Cups
  seeds, fruits, flowers           Food Coloring
  White Carnations                 Forks, Plates
  Bowls                            Eye Dropper 
  Salad Mix                        All Natural Salad Dressing
  Sprouting Seedlings              Hot water
  Scissors                         rulers

Strategy:
    (1) Students will be placed into 3 cooperative learning groups.
    (2) The classroom will be set up into three stations:
         (A) Plant Sort (Station 1)
         (B) Botany Board (Station 2)
         (C) What Are You Eating? (Station 3)
    (3) Each group will spend approximately 15 minutes at each
        station.

STATION 1: PLANT SORT
    (1) Students will cooperatively sort vegetables according
        to plant parts.
    (2) Using a string, students will create a venn diagram grouping
        their plant parts according similar attributes.

STATION 2: BOTANY BOARD 
 DEMO A    (1) Students will examine sprouted seedlings.
           (2) Using a ruler, students will measure the thickness and
               length of the sprouts.
           (3) Students will compare and contrast roots.
           (4) Student will record their findings.
 
 DEMO B    (1) Students will cut a flower stem close to its base.
           (2) Students will place 8 drops of food coloring into
               a cup.
           (3) Students will then mix in two tablespoons of hot
               water into the cup with the food coloring.
           (4) Students will observe the experiment for twelve
               minutes.
           (5) Students will record and will answer three questions
               about their observations:
                a) What does the flower look like?
                b) What is the part of the plant that receives the
                   water first?
                c) What is the purpose of the hot water?

STATION 3: WHAT ARE YOU EATING?
            (1) Teacher will review the parts of a plant orally with
                students.
            (2) Students will be told that they will eat a salad.
            (3) Students will each take one plate and one fork.
            (4) Students will take one scoop of salad and will
                put it on their plate.  (Salad dressing is optional.)
            (5) Students will return to their seats and should begin
                to eat their salad.  As they eat their salad, students
                will list the parts of the plants that they ate on a
                worksheet under the following headings:
                 ROOTS    STEMS    FRUITS   LEAVES    FLOWERS    SEEDS
            
Performance Assessment:

At the conclusion of this mini-teach the following performance assessments
will take place:

STATION 1: PLANT SORT
            (1) Students must create a venn diagram of their plant sort.
            (2) Students must list their reasons for their sort.
STATION 2: BOTANY BOARD
DEMO A      (1) Students must examine the sprouted seedlings from an
                existing botany board.
            (2) Student must compare the roots by thickness and write
                their findings on a worksheet.

DEMO B      (1) Students must complete the following exercises:
                a) Students must describe how the flower looks during
                   the activity.
                b) Describe the part of the plant that receives the water
                   first.
                c) Explain the purpose of the hot water.
STATION 3: WHAT ARE YOU EATING?
            (1) Students must eat a salad and list what plant parts
                they ate in the appropriate spaces on their worksheet.
            (2) Students must label the main parts of a plant.

References:
    Ewers, Katherine  " Showing Nature's Way - Plant Development and 
                        The Plant Parts We Eat" Smile BIOL07.87
                        Burke Elementary School.
    Handelman, Judith   Gardens From Garbage.  Milbrook Press, Conn. 1993 
    Oppenheim, Joanne   Floratorium. Bantam Books, New York, 1994
    Science On The Go!  Chicago Academy of Science. 1996