Instructor: Brittany Wilkinson
Grade Level(s):
Course:
Unit Topic:
Lesson Title:
Greenhouse I
Plant Science
Plant Propagation
# of Students:
9 th
8
Objectives:
Broad Goal/Terminal Objective:
Evaluate aspects of production in plant science.
Specific Objectives:
1.
Describe methods of sexual and asexual propagation in plants, following in-class lecture, in a half-page description. (Comprehension)
2.
Demonstrate proper procedure for preparing a cutting for growth, given proper materials, with complete accuracy. (Application)
3.
Differentiate between various forms of asexual propagation in the plant science industry, given information presented in class, with 85% accuracy on unit test.
(Analysis)
Connections: (Identify the Standards to Which the Lesson Connects)
Skill Standard
AC 004 Investigate sexual and asexual reproduction of plants including tissue culture.
This connection is presented throughout the lesson. All aspects of the material presented are related to sexual and asexual reproduction.
Academic Expectations
2.3
Students identify and analyze systems and the ways their components work together or affect each other
This connection is made when the students are asked to identify the favorable conditions needed for a seed to germinate, and then when we talk about each of these conditions and how it affects the germination of the seed.
Core Content
SC-08-3.4.2 Students will understand that in the development of multicellular organisms, cells multiply
(mitosis) and differentiate to form many specialized cells, tissues, and organs
This content standard can be seen in the description of asexual reproduction and how that a stem can grow roots (cutting) or a piece of a leaf can be formed into plantlets (tissue culture), etc.
SC-H-3.1.5 Plant cells contain chloroplasts, the site of photosynthesis. Plants and many microorganisms (e.g., Euglena ) use solar energy to combine molecules of carbon dioxide and water into complex, energy-rich organic compounds and release oxygen to the environment. This process of

photosynthesis provides a vital link between the Sun and energy needs of living systems.
This can be seen in the description of sexual reproduction because germination of a seed is directly related to the growth of a plant.
Context:
Where are the learners beginning?
This is the 3 rd lesson in the plant science unit. The learners have already been exposed to lessons regarding plant structures and physiology. They have also been exposed to this content in previous science classes.
Any special circumstances?
This will be a demonstration day in the classroom.
Any students on IEPs?/What modifications are necessary?
I have a student that is identified as EBD and as a result, he has anger management issues and using a knife for the cuttings in this activity could be hazardous. I will modify the demonstration by having all students use scissors to make the cutting instead of a knife.
Resources and Materials:
Handouts:

Stem Cutting Demonstration Handout (10)
Materials:

Plant

Styrofoam cups (10)

Bag of soil

Watering can

Scissors (8)

Rooting hormone

Various packets of seed
Resources/References:

Agriscience: Fundamentals and Applications pg. 310-
333
Instructor Directions/Methods Content Outline
Announcements/Review:

Friday – Trip to Creekside Greenhouse – DRESS
APPROPRIATELY!
INTRODUCTION (Preparation/Interest Approach/Learning Context)
Set out basket of flowers
 Brought the flower to class and I’m going to give it away

Who would like to have this flower?

Johnny can have the flower.

Is everyone pleased? Why not?

Is there a way that I could please everyone?
Is there a way that everyone could have this flower to take home with them?

Instructor Directions/Methods Content Outline
 Can’t give actual flower to everyone

Could give cuttings or seeds of plant

Seeds – Sexual Propagation

Cuttings – Asexual Propagation

Today we are going to talk about different forms of plant propagation
LESSON (Presentation, Methods & Application)
Objective 1: Describe methods of sexual and asexual propagation in plants, following in-class lecture, in a half-page description. (Comprehension)
METHOD: LECTURE

What is plant propagation?

Plant propagation = Plant reproduction


Does anyone know the 2 forms of plant propagation?
Sexual reproduction – union of an egg (ovule) and sperm (pollen), resulting in a seed

Asexual reproduction – uses a part of a parent plant in order to make a clone (exact duplicate of the parent)

SEXUAL PROPAGATION

Parts of a seed (seed coat, endosperm, embryo)

Germinate – what happens to a seed when it is given favorable conditions

How do plants get energy ? Chloroplasts convert light energy to food in the presence of carbon dioxide and water through photosynthesis.

Seeds are very similar.

What are favorable conditions for a seed?
Water, Air, Light, and Temperature

Water – must not be too wet or too dry

What happens to the seeds if the soil is too wet?
Too dry?

Too wet = seeds rot

Too dry = seeds stay dormant

Air – Oxygen is required for a viable seed – one that is alive and capable of germinating

Instructor Directions/Methods Content Outline

What soil qualities can affect the amount of
oxygen available to the seed? Compaction, particle size, water content

Optimal soil – loose and well drained

Light – Do all seeds require light to grow?

Is there light underground?

Have you ever seen a potato sprout in your basement? Was there light there?

Some seeds require light, some do not

Some seeds are to be planted under 3-4 inches of
METHOD: ESTABLISHING
CONTEXT soil while others are to be scattered atop the ground

SHOW SEED PACKETS
METHOD: LECTURE

Temperature – Germination Rate is affected by the availability of heat.

Why is this important in nature? If a plant sprouted too early (low temperatures) the chances of another freeze are greater and it could die

ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION

Using the vegetative parts of the plant to increase the number of plants

Certain parts of the plant have the ability to develop specific cells that can turn into roots, leaves, stems, etc. when presented with the right growing conditions.

Primary methods: Cuttings, Layering, Division,
Grafting, and Tissue Culture

Cuttings – stem tip cuttings, stem cuttings, cane cuttings, leaf cuttings, leaf petiole cuttings, root cuttings

Where do you think these different cuttings get their names from?
The location where the cutting is taken from the plant
METHOD: ESTABLISHING
CONTEXT OF LEARNING
ENVIRONMENT

I need you to pay close attention

Stem tip cutting – taken from the end of a stem

Includes the terminal bud

Piece of stem should be between 2-4 inches long

Cut should be made just below the lower node

Instructor Directions/Methods Content Outline

Lower leaves that would be in contact with the medium should be removed

Dip cutting in rooting hormone and gently tap to remove excess

Insert cutting into rooting medium

Should be inserted deep enough that the plant material can support itself

At least one node should be below the surface of the growing medium – this is where the new growth will start
METHOD: FORMATIVE
ASSESSMENT
HOMEWORK:
½ pg description of sexual and asexual propagation
Use your notes
Objective 2: Demonstrate proper procedure for preparing a cutting for growth, given proper materials, with complete accuracy.
METHOD: DEMONSTRATION
Pass out handout with demonstration instructions.
Use examples from class and from outside of class
Who has a question regarding the assignment?

STEM TIP CUTTING DEMONSTRATION

Prepare – We will be doing a demonstration involving stem tip cutting

Tell – Review parts of a stem (where the node is located) and stress safety with scissors

Why does it matter if you use scissors or not?

Show – Run through the following procedure

1. Prepare your workstation for the activity.
Gather your scissors, pot, planting medium, and rooting hormone.

2. Use a sharp knife or single-edge razor blade to remove cutting from parent plant. (Sharp equipment reduces injury to the plant and to yourself) The cutting should include the terminal bud and should be between 2-4 inches long. Make the cut approximately ¼ inch below the lowest node on the stem.

3. Remove flowers, flower buds, and lower leaves from cutting (Energy is used for root development instead of flower production)

4. Apply rooting hormone to end of stem; dip end of stem in hormone and gently tap off excess– rooting hormone is a chemical that will react with the newly formed cells and encourage the plant to make roots faster - DO NOT PUT USED
ROOTING HORMONE BACK INTO ORIGINAL

Instructor Directions/Methods Content Outline
CONTAINER – contamination

5. Insert cutting into growing medium. Cutting should be planted deep enough to support itself and making sure that at least one node is below the surface – this is where the new growth will occur.

6. Stem cuttings should be watered and placed in bright, indirect light to encourage growth. Not the case for all plants – Root cuttings do best in dark locations

Do – Allow students to perform demonstration – walk around and assist.

Review – Who knows the first step to perform when doing a stem tip cutting? What comes next? What is the powder called that we put on the end of the stem? What does it do?

Layering – stems that develop in any area that is in contact with the media while still attached to the
Objective 3: Differentiate between various forms of asexual propagation in the plant science industry, given information presented in class, with 85% accuracy on unit test.
METHOD: LECTURE parent plant

Have any of you all ever seen someone put a brick on a branch of a bush to encourage it to grow roots? This is layering.

Division – Dividing or separating the main part into smaller parts

Does anyone have daylilies in their landscape?
What happens to daylilies? What do you have
to do to manage them? You have to dig them up every few years and divide them because the quality declines when they are so crowded together.

Grafting – procedure for joining two plants together so they grow as one

Used when plants do not root well as cuttings or
METHOD: ESTABLISHING
CONTEXT when the root system is inadequate to support the plant for good growth.

Have any of you ever looked in a garden magazine and seen advertisements for a type of tree that grows more than one variety of fruit?

Show magazine and discuss

Grafting is used to achieve a tree that does produce more than one variety of fruit.

Tissue Culture – Instead of using a large part of

Instructor Directions/Methods Content Outline
METHOD: LECTURE the plant, a very small and actively growing part of the plant is used to develop many new plantlets from a section of a leaf.

Must be done in a clean environment to prevent contamination

Many plants can be created from one small tissue

Why is this fact beneficial? More economical, more efficient, greatly used in biotechnology applications
What form of propagation involves splitting a large
METHOD: FORMATIVE
ASSESSMENT
parent plant into smaller plants? Dividing
What form of propagation involves using a very small
section of leaf to grow many new plantlets? Tissue
Culture
What type of propagation occurs when a section of the parent plant takes root when it touches growing
medium? Layering
What type of propagation consists of joining two plants
together as one? Grafting
Formative Assessment
Summative Assessment
ASSESSMENT
In a half-page paper, discuss the characteristics of sexual and asexual propagation
Demonstrate the proper method to prepare a stem tip cutting in class.
Questions on the unit exam will include:
1. Define and explain sexual propagation
2. Define and explain asexual propagation
3. Describe the process for preparing a stem tip cutting
4. Compare and contrast grafting, division, layering, and tissue culture

1. Prepare your workstation for the activity. Gather your scissors, pot, planting medium, and rooting hormone.
2. Use a sharp knife or pair of scissors to remove cutting from parent plant. The cutting should include the terminal bud and should be between 2-4 inches long. Make the cut approximately 1/4¼ inch below the lowest node on the stem.
3. Remove flowers, flower buds, and lower leaves from cutting
4. Apply rooting hormone to end of stem by dipping the end of the stem in hormone and gently tapping off the excess
5. Insert cutting into growing medium. Cutting should be planted deep enough to support itself and making sure that at least one node is below the surface.
5. Add water to medium and place stem tip cuttings in bright, indirect light to encourage growth.