Thrive and Survive
Plant structures, functions, and adaptations for
survival.
Becky Welch, Jill Ellington, Megan Mcghee
ICE5 Summer Institute 2009
Thrive and Survive
Description
Learners explore the importance of plant structures, their functions, and various
adaptations made for survival. They will investigate how leaves and seeds are adapted
for survival and reproduction. Students will cooperatively research plants from various
biomes and report on their adaptations.
Suggested Grade Levels: 2 – 4
Lesson Objectives Connecting to the Standards
The student will identify the needs of plants.
The student will know structural organs of plants, and their functions.
The students will know that adaptations allow plants to survive in their
environment.
The students will know that leaf adaptations are structural adaptations that
help contribute to a plant’s survival.
The students will understand that there are a variety of seed adaptations that
help seeds scatter.
The student will understand that structures of living things are adapted to their
function in specific environments.
The student will use reference materials to obtain information related to
science concepts.
The student will use a variety of tools to observe and study minute details of
objects.
The student will pose questions about objects, organisms, and events in the
environment.
The student will compare and contrast observations and results.
The student will develop descriptions and explanations using evidence.
MO GLE’s
3.1.A.
3.1.B.
3.1.D
3.1.D.c
3.1.D.a.
Describe the basic needs of most plants (i.e., air, water, light, nutrients,
temperature)
Describe and sequence the stages in the life cycle (for a plant) of seed germination,
growth and development, reproduction, and death (i.e., a flowering plant)
Plants and animals have different structures that serve similar functions necessary
for the survival of the organism.
Identify the relationships between the physical structures of plants
and the function of those structures (e.g., absorption of water, absorption of light
energy, support, reproduction)
Identify the major organs (roots, stems, flowers, leaves) and their
functions in vascular plants (e.g., absorption, transport, reproduction) (Do
NOT assess the term vascular)
4.3.C
7.1.A
7.1.B
7.1.C
7.1.D
7.1.E
Natural selection is the process of sorting individuals based on their ability to
survive and reproduce within their ecosystem.
Scientific inquiry includes the ability of students to formulate a testable question
and explanation, and to select appropriate investigative methods in order to obtain
evidence relevant to the explanation.
Scientific inquiry relies upon gathering evidence from qualitative and quantitative
observations.
Evidence is used to formulate explanations.
Scientific inquiry includes evaluation of explanations (hypotheses, laws, theories)
in light of scientific principles (understandings).
The nature of science relies upon communication of results and justification of
explanations.
Scott Foresman Textbook
4th Grade – Chapter 2, pp. 41-72
3rd Grade – Chapter 1, pp. 2-31
2nd Grade – Chapter 1, pp. 1-32
Leveled Readers: Animals and Plants (1st), How Plants and Animals Live (1st),
All About Plants (2nd), Desert Plants (2nd), How Living Things Grow and
Change (2nd), Plants (2nd), Plants and Animals (2nd), Plants and How They
Grow (3rd), Plants and Trees Growing (3rd), Where Plants and Animals Live
(3rd), Energy from Plants (4th), How Plants Grow and Change (4th), Plant and
Animal Classification (4th), Weird Plants (4th), Plants (5th)
Featured Picture Books
Title: The Tiny Seed
Summary:
Author: Eric Carle
A simple description of a
flowering plant’s life
cycle through the seasons.
Publisher: Simon &
Schuster Books for
Young Children
Year: 1987
Title: Lucy’s Secret
Author: Mireille Levert
Publisher: A Groundwood Book
Douglas & McIntyre
Year: 2004
Summary:
When Anna
Zinnia and Lucy
plant some
seeds, Lucy
can't wait for
the baby plants
to come up.
Title: Plant
Summary:
Author: Star, Fleur
Discover the world of
plants -- from the tallest
tree to the smallest seed.
Find out why algae are
amazing, how some leaves
eat insects, and why plants
are vital to life on Earth.
Publisher: DK Publishing,
Inc.
Year: 2005
Genre: Non-Fiction
Time Needed
This lesson will take several class periods. Suggested schedule as follows:
Day 1: Engage (DOK 1) by reading the book Lucy’s Secret and planting “secret
seeds.” Explore (DOK 2) plant life cycles with ongoing plant observations. Evaluate
Prior Knowledge with student journaling and OWL chart.
Day 2: Explain (DOK 1) plant structures with foldable model of a plant. Explain
(DOK 2) the function of each plant structure using Scott Foresman 3rd grade text or the
Leveled Reader Plants and How they Grow. Engage (DOK 1/2) students by setting
up Potted Plant demonstration.
Day 3: Explain (DOK1) transpiration with potted plant demonstration. Explore
(DOK 3) with Leaf Lab. Explain (DOK 1) structural leaf adaptations. Explain
(DOK 1) by reading DK Eye Wonder Plants.
Day 4: Explain (DOK 1) scattering by reading The Tiny Seed. Explore (DOK 3)
with Seed Lab. Explain seed adaptations. Students explain results of the experiment
to the class. Explain (DOK 1) by reading DK Eye Wonder Plants.
Day 5: Explore (DOK 2/3) with research groups. Students explain (DOK 1)
examples of adaptations to classmates.
Day 6: Evaluate (DOK 4) with Alien Plant Project or GPS Lab (DOK 1)
Academic Vocabulary Words
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adaptations
biome
environment
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germinate
habitat
pollinate
scatter
seedling
structure
survive/survival
transpiration
Background Knowledge
This unit should follow an animal unit where the students learned about animals, their
needs, and adaptations for survival. Students should have an understanding of some of
the various biomes around the world. Students should also have some background about
plants needs and life cycle as this will only be reviewed.
Materials
Secret Seeds:
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Seeds 5 seeds per student (use something other than Lima Beans). The lesson
authors suggest Great Northern Beans.
Plastic Test tubes 1 per student. The test tubes should be pre-drilled with two
holes at the top on opposite sides.
Other items needed: string or yarn for creating test tube necklaces, potting soil,
Dixie cups , graduated cylinders, hand lenses, rulers, and science notebooks.
Potted Plant Demonstration:
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A living house plant(s) or large potted plant
A plastic sandwich bags (1 per pair of students)
A twist-tie for securing the bag closed (1 per pair of students)
Leaf Lab:
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Paper towels (4 sheets per group) The authors suggest using Select-A-Size
towels for a quicker experiment time.
Water
Baking sheet (cookie sheet) or Scott Foresman Plastic Trays (2 per
group)
Waxed paper (2 sheets per group)
Adhesive tape
Heat lamp or other light source (optional)
Seed Lab:
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Hand lenses
Variety of seeds for each station
Fan(s)
Tub(s) of water
Pieces of fux fur, felt, cotton socks
Measuring tape (cm)
The authors suggest setting up two of each station based on a class size of 24.
Other Materials:
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Construction paper for foldable book (Day 2) – one piece per student
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Posterboard or large chart paper for demonstration foldable (teacher use Day 2)
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Paper and wide variety of craft supplies for Alien Plant Project (Day 6)
Student Pages
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Leaf Lab Sheet and Rubric
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Seed Lab Sheet and Rubric
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Biome Adaptation Sheet
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Alien Plant Student Sheet and Rubric
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Example of Plant Foldable
Narrative
Day 1
Engage Read Lucy’s Secret to the class. Ask students to practice making
connections as you read the text aloud. Some teachers like to have
students write their connections on sticky notes as they read to share after
the story.
Explore After reading and sharing connections engage the students by
telling them that today they will get to choose “secret seeds” to grow
themselves. The teacher will have a variety of different seeds for students
to plant. The students will plant the seeds in plastic test tubes which they
will wear around their neck at school until germination is complete. Have
students predict what their plant will look like. Each student should draw
what he/she believes the adult plant will look like. (Tip: Don’t use Lima
Beans-kids have seen these Great Northern beans will grow thorns on the
stem within 2 weeks.)
Evaluate Prior Knowledge The teacher can use this first journal entry
to assess the students’ prior knowledge and any misconceptions on plants.
After students have time to journal make a whole class OWL chart.
Students will use simple hand tools (i.e hand lens) and notebooks to study
and journal about their “secret seed” for the duration of the plant study.
Day 2
Explain The teacher and students will make a model of a plant using a trifold foldable (see example in Student Pages). The teacher will model
making the foldable using large butcher paper or posterboard. Explain
Then using SF Text the teacher will lead the students though a
determining importance lesson focusing on the needs of all plants and
the function of each plant organ. Use either the third grade book pages 613 or the leveled reader Plants and How they Grow. As students read about
the function of each part they will add details and descriptions to their
foldable. See a sample foldable in student pages section. Have students
place foldable into science notebook. Assess the students understanding by
noting one or more new or interesting facts they understand better about a
plant after the lesson. This may be a simple line of learning in their
notebook.
Engage students again by setting up the Potted Plant Demonstration. At
the end of the lesson, the teacher will ask students to journal in their
science notebooks about a plant observation lesson. The teacher will place
a living plant near a window. Pairs of students will cover one of the largest
leaves with the sandwich bag and secure the bag closed with the twist-tie.
(Remind students to be careful not to injure the plant by twisting the tie too
tightly.) The teacher will ask the students to draw a picture of the plant
with bagged leaf at that time of day. The students will then be asked to
predict what they bagged leaf will look like the next day.
Day 3
Explain Potted Plant Demonstration.
Observe the bag preferably after several hours depending on light and
temperature conditions. (Quick tip: You may be able to speed the
transpiration process by adding a sun lamp.) Have the students draw and
journal again about the plant. Ask the students to respond in their
notebooks about their initial prediction. Did they think the plant would
change? Did it change? If so, how?
Explain to students that upon careful observation, you will see that the bag
has collected water from the plant’s leaves. Plants absorb water from the
soil through their roots. This water travels up the stem to the leaves and
that which is not used during the process of photosynthesis is released
through the leaf. This loss of water is called transpiration. Ask students to
record a line of learning in their science notebook.
Elaborate Leaf Study-Leaf Lab on Structure and Function
Next tell the students that based on the knowledge that a plant loses water
through its leaves, you would like them to make a hypothesis for a science
experiment. Hand out Leaf Lab student sheet Question: Do you think a
plant with larger or smaller leaves would lose more water? Do you think a
plant that has a waxy covering would retain more or less water than one
without a waxy covering?
The students should make their prediction on their Leaf Lab Student Sheet.
Wet each of the paper towel sheets so they are equally damp, but not
dripping. Lay one of the paper towels so it is flat on the cookie sheet to
represent a large flat leaf shape such as Oak leaf. Roll a second paper towel
lengthwise and place it on the cookie sheet near the first paper towel. The
rolled towel represents a Pine needle. The third paper towel will be left flat
and covered with a sheet of waxed paper to represent a large leaf with a
waxy coating. The final paper towel will be rolled lengthwise, and then
covered by rolling a sheet of waxed paper around it. Place the waxed papercovered towel roll on the cookie sheet with the other towels. (Make sure the
waxed paper is securely wrapped around the paper towel. A small amount
of adhesive tape would work best ) Position the cookie sheet so it will
receive direct sunlight from a window or place outdoors in direct light.
Have students check the status of their “leaf” models every 10-15 minutes.
After 45 minutes, unroll the rolled paper towels and compare the dampness
of ther towels. The flat towel without wax paper layer should be driest. The
rolled towel should be drier on the outside, but still damp in areas on the
inside. Both waxed paper-covered towel should be the wettest of all.
Have students document their results on the Leaf Lab student page.
Explain to students that the more surface area a leaf has, the greater the
amount of transpiration that can and will occur. Plants that have very
large leaves transpire great amounts of water and therefore need to live
near where water is abundant, such as the Sycamore tree which lives in the
Riparian woodland.
Smaller surface areas allow less water loss. Therefore plants that have very
tiny leaves can survive in areas where plants with large leaves would dry up.
In other words, the Chamise can live in the driest areas of the Chaparral
because it has very tiny lives.
Some plants retain more water by covering their leaves with a waxy coating,
as does the Scrub Oak.
Plants have adapted their leaf shapes and coverings (such waxy or nonwaxy) to help them survive in their environment So, if you see a plant with
large leaves, you know it requires a great deal of water to survive. Plants
with small or stiff, wax-covered leaves do not require as much water.
Provide students with more examples of how plants adapt to drier climates
or areas with limited water supplies by reading DK Eye Wonder Plant
pages 38-39.
Day4
Explain Read the book The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle. Determine
important science material in the story review the life cycle of a plant.
Prompt the students to think of other ways that seeds move. (Wind
scattering is in the story) Introduce the term “scattering” and discuss the
function of scattering seeds.
Explore Tell students that today will be exploring the special adaptations
seeds have for being scattered. The teacher may wish to model how to fill
in data tables and/or demonstrate station directions.
Testing Stations
A. The Wind Test
Stand fan on chair at edge of desk so center of fan is aligned with desktop. Hold each seed 10 cm above
and 10 cm in front of blowing fan. Let go. Record how far it travels. Repeat for each seed. 4 seeds
B. The Hitchhiker Test
Press seeds onto different test materials/fur to see if they stick. Record your observations.
Faux fur (craft store) felt
cotton sock
C. The Water Test
Drop seeds one at a time into tub of water and stir. Record your observations.
Explain After the lab have students share their results. Compile data to
make a class table for each station. Ask students to examine the data by
considering these questions. What characteristics do the seeds that passed
each test have in common? Is any one travel trick "better" than the others?
Will all methods work equally well in all environments? How might the
ability to travel in more than one way benefit a seed? Then read SF pg 1819 or read DK Eye Wonder Plants pg 20-21 to further their understanding.
Day 5 Explore
The students will be grouped an assigned a biome to research. Each biome
group will work cooperatively using a variety of resources to complete their
Biome Adaptation Sheet. One good resource could be the 2nd grade Scott
Foresman Science book pg 16-25. Then the students will be mixed into
teams with a representative from each Biome Research team. Explain
Then students will then be responsible for teaching each other about their
biome’s plants and their adaptations.
Day 6 Evaluate
The students will invent a new alien plant species. They will apply scientific
concepts as they independently create models and develop a written
description of the plant to demonstrate their newly acquired knowledge.
Teachers may also assess students using one of the three provided GPS
Labs. The labs would also work well as a review before the Alien Plant
Project.
Misconceptions
Organisms adapt quickly instead of slowly, through several generations
Traits are developed by individuals in response to their individual needs.
All plants grow in dirt
All plants have flowers
All seeds get planted and grow
Recognize various types and shapes of leaves (i.e Pine Needles)
Safety
Read activities correctly before you start
Listen to teachers directions; ask questions about things you do not understand
Keep your work area neat and clean; clean up spills right away
Help keep plants that you use safe
Tell your teacher if you have an accident or see something unsafe
Put materials away when you finish
Wash your hands well when you are finished
Do not taste or eat any of the seeds or plant material.
Remind students about fan and electricity safety.
General Suggestions
Secret Seeds use seeds students haven’t had previous experience with. Use only plastic
test tubes that cannot break. Remember to pre-drill holes for necklace string. Carefully
select seeds that are safe for accidental ingestion.
Seed Lab set up prior to students entering class (volunteers if possible to assist at each
station) Set up more than one of each station for quicker class rotations. Attach
measuring tape to table surface for wind test.
Bibliographies of more information
Internet Resources
•Is It Dust, Dirt, Dandruff, or a Seed?
www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/gpe/case3/index.html
•Seed Dispersal
www.offwell.free-online.co.uk/seed_dispersl/worksheet.htm
www.mbgnet.net/bioplants/seed.html
www.countrysideinfo.co.uk/seed_dispersl/worksheet.htm
•Habitat Game
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/8_9/habitats.shtml
Book Resources
Batten, Mary. Aliens from Earth: When Animals and Plants Invade Other Ecosystems
Batten, Mary. Hungry Plants
Dell, Pamela. Ocean Plants
Dell, Pamela. Rain Forest Plants
Fowler, Allan. Plants that Eat Animals
Grieveson, Margaret. World About Us : Plants
Halfmann, Janet. Plant Tricksters
Kalman, Bobbie. How Does it Move?
Kenah, Katharine. Weird and Wacky Plants
Macken, JoAnn Early. Flip, Float, Fly: Seeds on the Move
Mockford, Caroline. What’s this?: A Seed Story
Morgan, Sally. The Plant Cycle
Nicholls, Judith. The Small Seed
Preszler, June. Meat-Eating Plants and Other Extreme Plant Life
Sievert, Terri. Prairie Plants
Sievert, Terri. Wetland Plants
Wade, Mary Dodson. Plants Grow!
Wade, Mary Dodson. Plants Live Everywhere!
Welch, Catherine A. Desert Plants
Welch, Catherine A. Polar Plants
Reader’s Workshop Books