Simple Plants Web Quest
Name: ______________________ Hr.: __
Date: ___________ Due: _____________
Have you ever been walking in the woods with people and one of them sees this really cool plant growing on
the ground? Did they then ask you (because they know you had Ms. Jeschke as a science teacher) “What
is this awesome plant? If this has happened to you and you didn’t know, this worksheet will help you learn
about all the amazing little green plants that only observant scientists usually notice.
Go to the bookmark “Liverworts 1”: (http://www.bio.umass.edu/biology/conn.river/liverwts.html)
1. The name "liverwort" derives from the Anglo-Saxon word "lifer, meaning ______________ and "wyrt",
the Anglo-Saxon word for _________________.
2. In your own words, summarize what the “Doctrine of Signatures” is. _________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
3. There are approximately __________________ species of liverworts.
4. Most liverworts grow in ______________________ areas although some can grow in dry places.
Go to the bookmark, “Liverworts 2” ( http://www.backyardnature.net/liverwrt.htm )
5. Liverworts basically look like green ____________ growing across the ground that regularly
________ into two branches.
6. The first liverworts arose during the _____________ Era, _______________ years ago.
7. Liverworts anchor themselves to the ground with _____________.
8. Due to the lack of stomata, when the liverwort gets dry, the whole plant ____________________ .
9. Liverworts are divided into two groups, the ______________ and the ______________________.
10. The larger, ribbon-like liverwort is a type of _____________ liverwort.
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11. The cup shape structure, called the ____________, holds the __________________.
If raindrops push this out and it lands in a favorable environment, another
___________________ will develop. This is a type of ______________ reproduction.
12. Sexual reproduction in liverworts involves umbrella-like structures called _________________.
13. When the sperm reaches the egg, a __________________ is formed which will develop into an
___________.
14. The embryo then develops into a ______________________ that contains __________.
15. Where in your backyard would you look for liverworts? ______________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Go to the bookmark , Mosses ( http://www.backyardnature.net/mosses.htm )
16. What is the average number moss species in counties of the U.S. A.? ____________________
17. Take a quick trip to dictionary. com and find out what the definition for a scientific or ecological
“niche” is. Sometimes called an “animal niche”. Write the definition found:
_____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
18. In centimeters, how tall are moss stalks commonly found in backyards? _____________________
(Do the math or on Google search: metric conversion. )
19. Mosses like to live in __________, _________ areas. Often you will find them on ___________ and
__________________________.
20. Why are mosses most likely to be on the north side of trees? ____________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
21. Mosses reproduce with ________. The advantages of these are ________________________.
A disadvantage of these for reproduction is __________________________________________
Are you ready for your hike in the woods yet? Oh, I forgot about the ferns!
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Wow, this site is from the Milwaukee Public Museum! Go to the bookmark “Ferns”
( http://www.mpm.edu/collections/pubs/botany/ferns/index.php )
22. The word “fern” is from the Anglo-Saxon word fearn meaning __________________. Why?
_____________________________________________________________________
23. Most ferns are found in ___________, _____________ ____________________.
24. Ferns reproduce with ____________, which are produced in sacs called ___________________.
These sacks are clustered together in brownish spots called __________________________.
25. Ferns can be recognized by how they look before their leaves uncurl. These are called
_________________.
26. How many species of ferns are there in Wisconsin? ___________27. What two features are used to identify different types of ferns?
1. ______________________________ 2. ___________________________________
28. Where is the fern’s stem located? _____________________________________________
29. Make a drawing of a fern leaf with the sori . Label the sori.
30. Spores develop into a __________________, which is small and heart-shaped. This structure
produces __________ and _______________, which then unite and form a new fern plant. For this
to occur, ______________ must be present so the sperm can swim.
31. Once again, go to dictionary.com and find out what a pteridophyte is. A pteridophyte is ___
____________________________________________________________________
Ptero- means _______________ Phyte means ______________
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Go to the bookmark, “Ferns of Wisconsin”
(http://www.uwgb.edu/biodiversity/herbarium/pteridophytes/pteridophyte_list01.htm )
32. – 34. Select three ferns from this list. Make a sketch of the sori on the fronds and write the fern’s
common and scientific name. (Maidenhair Fern is a neat one…you will see these at Devil’s Lake.)
Common Name: ___________________
Scientific Name: ___________________
Common Name: ___________________
Scientific Name: ___________________
Common Name: ___________________
Scientific Name: ___________________
Go to the brain inside your cranium, go back a couple of months (years?) and think about what you learned
in science about scientific names.
35. What are the two parts of a scientific name? ________________ and _____________________
36. Which name do you capitalize? ____________________________
37. ______________ names are only capitalized when named after a person.
Go to the bookmark, “Fern History” (http://www.thevisitorscenter.com/everhart/fossils/fossil.htm )
38. Fern population was at its peak during the __________________________ Period that occurred
___________ million years ago. Ferns were the ________________ type of plant during this period.
Some fern groups developed _______________ which later gave rise to the _____________ plants.
39. What is Ethnobotany? ________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
40. List four things ethnobotanists study about plant use in different cultures. ________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
41. How do scientist explain how plants were once able to grow near the poles where there is little sunlight?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
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