Science MYP Unit Planner
Unit Title:
Teacher(s):
Subject and grade level:
Time frame and duration:
Learning Profile
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Plant Nutrition and Transport
Andrew Thomas & Zoe Badcock
Science Grade 9
6.5 weeks
Learning Profile
1.CARING
2.OPEN-MINDED
4.PRINCIPLED
5.INQUIRERS
3.BALANCED
6.THINKERS
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Learning Profile
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7.KNOWLEDGEABLE
8.COMMUNICATORS
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9.REFLECTIVE
Significant Concept (Big Ideas)
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Energy in cells (photosynthesis and respiration) – plant nutrition
Energy flow in an ecosystem
Chemical reactions
the concept of transport and transfer of energy in living systems – transpiration & photosynthesis
Structure and function of plant cells
Biological diversity within and across species and the selective advantage for survival (xerophytic adaptations)
The concept of sustainable development and the capacity of human society to maintain the delicate balance
between man and the natural environment – use of minerals in agriculture
The role and responsibilities of individuals and societies in the sustainable use and exploitation of natural
resources – role of agriculture in plant production
The analysis of social, economic, political, cultural and ethical aspects in relation to sustainable development
initiatives – role of agriculture
Controversial science issues such as climate change, genetically modified crops, and their social, economic,
political, environmental, cultural and ethical implications – one world assignment looking at unit question for
climate change or GM crops or biofuels
Learning Profile
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10.RISK TAKERS
11.CREATIVE
(Riverside Addition)
12.PROACTIVE
(Riverside Addition)
AOI Focus (Context)
ATL (Skills)
Community and Service
Organisation
Collaboration
Communication
Information Literacy
Reflection
Thinking
Transfer
Environments
Human Ingenuity
Health and Social Education
MYP Unit Question
“Can plants save the world?”
How does the AOI provide a focus for the question
Environments – How plants might be useful to mankind, particularly with respect to modern environmental issues such as global warming (forestation;
biofuels) or feeding the world (crop production in changing climate; vegetarianism)
Summative Assessment Task
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Criterion(s) assessed
DE
B,C
DEF
B,C
A, B
C, E?
Factors affecting rate of photosynthesis – practice planning lab
Creative essay/cartoon/etc. of choice – Fate of Glucose
Transpiration planning Lab
Radio programme for farmers
OW Presentation on “Can Plants Save the World
End of Unit Test – Plants
Unit Overview
Subtopics
Diversity & structure of plants –
evolutionary adaptation
Objectives
Introduction to importance and diversity of plants with a check on prior knowledge.
Evolutionary importance - structural adaptations for survival
Learning Experiences, Teaching Strategies and
Resources used. (Including Formative Assessment
Task and Criterion links)
Group work – ideas about why plants are important;
Complete wiki about “Can plants save the world?” as a
class – brainstorming guiding question
group work on plants with special adaptations in
leaves, stems, roots and dispersal; complete overview
diagram with labels of parts of plant
Plant a seed ion yoghurt pots
Structure of plant cell and
function of the parts of cell
Nucleus; Chloroplast; Permanent vacuole; Cell wall; Cell membrane; Cytoplasm
Build a plant cell from transparencies; make drawing in
book
Photosynthesis
From cell - photosynthesis; importance of chlorophyll – ultrastructure of chloroplast (grana, stroma,
thylakoid membranes – emphasis on location of chlorophyll)
Ppt showing cells, chloroplasts and oxygen being
produced; extraction of chlorophyll; fluorescence
Overview of photosynthesis; molecules involved and fact that it is a two step process – light
dependent reaction (splitting of water to provide hydrogen ions for next step; produces oxygen) – light
independent reaction (joining H and CO2 to form carbohydrate (CHO) as glucose)
Brainstorm current knowledge; Build molecular
models; outline steps involved; develop a role play to
illustrate the process of photosynthesis
Word and chemical equation for photosynthesis (conservation of matter – balancing equation)
Limiting factors questions
Factors affecting rate of photosynthesis and understanding of planning labs
Practice planning lab – brainstorm variables; come up
with a plan with hypothesis and prediction in groups;
swap plans and mark against criterion D; investigate
how a variable affects rate;
Fate of glucose; transport in
phloem goes both ways
What is glucose used for; why is it so important (proteins, fats/lipids, starch, cellulose and location of
these in plant)
Role play to show fate of glucose and role of roots
Movement of water and
minerals into the roots of plants.
Structure of root – root hairs, root cap, large surface area, principles of osmosis – high to low water
concentration.
demo water movement in capillary tube
Transportation of reactants and
products for photosynthesis
Structure and function of vascular tissue.
Construct model of leaf and show arrows for direction
and sources of gases. Complete worksheet showing
Xylem is a dead tissue and transpiration is passive (major component of wood). Occurs in an upward
Creative essay on “A day in the life of glucose/captain
C (B&C)
look at root hairs
throughout the plant
direction only.
structure of xylem and phloem and comparisons.
Phloem tissue is alive and translocation is active (requires energy) (sieve tubes). Occurs up and down
the plant.
Examining a variety of leaves for water loss
adaptations
Structure of leaf and xerophytic adaptations
Structure of stomata – guard cells and stoma
Transpiration
Transpiration is the loss of water from any part of a plant (mainly the leaves)
celery with dye demonstration;
Factors affecting the rate of transpiration – humidity, wind, temperature, number of stomata
limiting factors in transpiration;
transpiration planning lab
Importance of nutrients for
plant growth
Active transport of nutrients into root cells; data analysis of NPK fertilisers.
Social, economic, political,
environmental, cultural and
ethical implications for climate
change or GM crops or biofuels
Summative One World Essay on “Can Plants Save the World?”
Use of understanding of photosynthesis, transpiration and mineral nutrition for agriculture and
feeding the world.
Produce a radio programme for Farmers explaining the
options for maximising their productivity in an
environmentally friendly way.
Differentiation
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The activities are designed for a range of learning styles
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Grade 10 Cells Unit
Content Links (Preceding or Succeeding Units)
Cross-Curricula Links
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Grade 9 Humanities Unit on Development
Approaches to Learning
Communication
Literacy - using and interpreting a range of content-specific terminology
Being informed – using a variety of media
informing others - presentation skills using a variety of media for a variety of messages
Thinking
generating ideas - including the use of brainstorming planning
inquiring - including questioning and challenging information and arguments, developing questions, using the inquiry cycle
applying knowledge and concepts - including logical progression of arguments
identifying problems - including deductive reasoning, evaluating solutions to problems
creating novel solutions - including the combination of critical and creative strategies, considering a problem from multiple perspectives
Reflection
Teacher(s) Signature _____________________________
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HOD Signature _________________________________