Los Angeles Charter Schools Science Partnership
Model-Based Inquiry Lesson Plan
Lesson Title: Plant Transport
Topic/ Focus Area: The transport of water, nutrients, and food through plants
Grade: 5
Major Concept of Lesson:
In vascular plants, water, food, and nutrients are transported throughout the plants by specialized
tissue called xylem and phloem. The driving force behind the upward movement of water
through the plant xylem is transpiration.
In nonvascular plants, water and nutrients simply diffuse through the plant. The lack of xylem
and phloem in nonvascular plants results in the smaller size of these plants compared to vascular
plants.
Model :
Diagrammatic and Verbal Models:
1. Initial Model: Students will create individual initial models.
2. Modified model:
 Students will create a modified model based on their lab observations. After sharing
models, group members will come up with one model to share with the class.
 Students will further revise/modify their individual model after the teacher explanation,
selected reading, and the elaborate activity.
3. Final Model: Students post their final models and use a criteria checklist to evaluate their own
and their peers’ models.
California Standard(s) to be addressed:
2a. Students know many multicellular organisms have specialized structures to support the
transport of materials.
2e. Students know how sugar, water, and minerals are transported in a vascular plant.
Student Objectives:
Students will make detailed observations and create a model that explains how water and nutrients are transported
throughout a plant.
Students will revise their models several times based on new learnings gained from investigations, teacher
presentations, collaboration with peers, and selected readings.
Students will use their models to make a prediction regarding nonvascular plants.
Students will evaluate both their own and their peers’ models based on a criteria checklist.
Materials and Resources:
For each group:
One long stalk each of normal and red-colored celery, with the leaves still attached
Observation tools such as microscopes and slides, hand lenses, etc.
Dissecting tools for students such as plastic knives and/or scissors
Paper plates, one per student
Paper towels for clean up
Prepared cross-sectional slides of root, stem, and leaves (available from science supply houses)
For Class:
Red food coloring
Dissecting tools for teacher: knife, razor blade (optional)
Projector for power points
Samples of mosses and liverworts or other nonvascular plants (if no samples available, photos
can be used)
Lesson Implementation Logistics:
 About 2 days before Day 1 of the lesson, celery should be soaked in concentrated red
food coloring. Be sure to have enough non-dyed celery (one long stalk) for each group as
well.
 If necessary, review safety practices such as the safe handling of any sharp objects such
as scissors.
 If necessary, review microscope parts and how to use.
 Collect samples of moss and/or liverworts ahead of time.
 If doing the prepared slides activity, be sure to order the slides well in advance.
Vocabulary: xylem, phloem, vascular, vascular plants, vascular tissue, nonvascular,
evaporation, transpiration, moss, liverworts, cross-section, longitudinal section, pores, stoma
Steps of the Lesson
Learning Activities which lead to
Model
ENGAGE
Before Day of Lesson:
1. Power Point: “What Makes a Good
Model?”
Teacher Questions for
Activity:
1. Power point focus questions to discuss
with Ss:
What do you think is the purpose of the
model shown on this slide?
What do you notice about the models?
What does each model include?
2. Two nights before the lesson, soak
celery in concentrated red food coloring.
(Be sure to prepare enough celery for
each group to use later on in the Explore).
Day of Lesson:
3. Initial Model: Teacher shows Ss both a
dyed and non-dyed celery stalk in their
set up containers (with water and dyed
water). Explain how the stalk bottoms
were placed inside the liquids.
T asks Ss: “What do you observe? What
do you think happened to cause the color
change in the dyed celery?Why do you
think this happened?
Ss create an initial model in their science
journals to explain the color change in
the dyed celery.
T tells Ss that in the Explore section, they
will have an opportunity to make very
detailed observations of the celery in
order to modify their models.
3. What do you observe? What do
you think happened to cause the
color change in the celery? Why do
you think this happened?
Anticipated
Student
Responses,
Questions and
Errors:
Teacher
Response to
Students and
Teacher
Intervention
Activities or
Strategies
1. Features of Good
Diagrammatic
Models:
Clear labels
Pictures
Diagrams
Arrows
Directionality
Size
Insets
Titles
Sci.vocabulary
Color
Progressionnumbered steps
Different views
(cross-section,
longitudinal, aerial,
etc)
Bullet points
Paragraph Captions
1. If Ss do not
understand crosssectional and
longitudinal cuts,
T can use a straw,
paper towel tube,
cucumber to demo
these cuts.
EXPLORE
Making Detailed Observations:
1. Teacher distributes a long nondyed stalk of celery and a long
dyed celery (with leaves) to each
group.
Focus question: “What do you think
happened to cause the color change in
the celery?Why do you think this
happened?
2. T says to Ss: “In order to find out,
you will make as many kinds of
observations as you can. For
example, you can make a crosssectional cut to examine the
inside. How else can you make
observations?”
3. Ss use the Observation Guide to
record their observations.
EXPLAIN
A. Student Explanation
1. T reviews with students the
features that make a good model.
2. Modified Model: Sts will revisit
their initial model to make
revisions. Focus Question:“Now
what do you think happened to
2. How else can you make
observations?
(use a microscope, lens, make cuts,
both longitudinal and crosssectional, pull out the long fibers of
vascular tissue, project on document
camera, etc).
“What are the red dots at the
bottom? If you follow them, where
do they go in the celery?” Some Ss
may not realize that the red dots are
actually the long red fibers running
the length of the celery.
How does the dye help you to learn
about celery structure when you
compare it to the non-dyed celery?
A2. “Now what do you think
happened to cause the color change
in the celery?”
A2. Ss might give the following
2. If Ss ask what
the red dots are,
teacher can have
Ss pull out the
fibers as long as
they can, so that
the fibers look like
“stripes”. This
helps students
understand the
connection
between the dots
and fibers and that
water travels
through these
structures.)
2. Use teachable
moments during
the lab to teach Ss
the names of the
various parts:
xylem, phloem,
etc.
A2. If Ss tend to
spend an excessive
amount of time
drawing, one
solution is to have
them do the
cause the color change in the
celery?” Point out to students
that they should refer to their
data/observations in modifying
their models. Ss to include 1-2
sentences explaining how this
new model is different from their
initial model.
explanations in their models:
Sucking, absorption, going
up/moving up, diffusion, plant
“breathed” in the water
written explanation
first, then the
diagrammatic part
of their model.
3. Ss take turns sharing their model with
group members. T asks a few Ss to share
model with class, including how it differs
from initial model.
B. Teacher Explanation
Teacher Presents a Possible Model:
T shows or makes his/her own model
including what Ss gave as good features
to include.
1. T explains the transport of water
and materials through vascular
plants. Review: Be sure to pull
out the “stripes/fibers” to show Ss
how they travel the entire length
of the celery.
Highlight and label vocabulary
such as xylem, phloem, vascular,
vascular plants, vascular tissue,
evaporation, transpiration, etc.
Major concepts to teach:
 Basic structure of the
xylem and phloem
 Adhesion/cohesion of
water in the xylem tissue
 Transpiration from leaves
as the driving force for
water going up
 Diffusion of water from
environment to roots
 Vascular tissue provides
stiffness and allows some
plants such as sequoias to
grow to great heights
2. T checks for understanding.
B2. Additional possible questions
teacher can ask:
a. What do you think would happen
if we sealed the opening of the
container with saran wrap, leaving a
hole for the celery?
(The water level should go down
due to water uptake by the stalk as
transpiration takes place.)
b. Look at your model. Does it
indicate in some way that it applies
to other plants, not just celery? How
can you add this info to your model?
Can you think of a more appropriate
title for your model?
B1. Ss might think
of questions
related to maple
tree sap, or tree
rings they have
seen, etc. Be sure
to include slides of
these plants to
make explanation
easier.
3. Lab- Students view cross-sectional
slides of roots, stems, and leaves of
various plants to examine the xylem and
phloem tissue.
4. Reading Activity
Students read FOSS article entitled
“Vascular Plants” and take Cornell Notes
on template. Teacher guides reading and
notes, gradually releasing responsibility
to students. Students read actively by
asking questions, identifying key words,
main ideas, important details. At the end
of the reading, students write a short
summary of the article.
Connect it to previous learnings:
What does this have to do with what
we’ve learned about the kinetic
molecular theory of matter?
Clarify some concepts that Ss may
have shown in their models, such as:
Sucking, absorption, going
up/moving up, diffusion, plant
“breathed” in the water
4. Students Revise Models
Based on the teacher explanation and
new information in the reading, students
again revise their models. Students can
now incorporate new and/or missing
information such as phloem, sugar/food,
examples of plants other than celery,
transpiration/evaporation, adhesion and
cohesion of water molecules, etc.
ELABORATE
Guided Discussion
Vascular vs. Non-Vascular Plants
1. Focus Question:
“What do you think plants would look
like if they had no vascular tissue, that is,
no xylem and phloem? Predict what you
think they would look like. Refer to your
model for ideas or information. Write
your response in your notebooks.”
2. After Ss have responded, teacher
distributes a sample of moss and
liverworts for each group to
observe. T says: “Here are some
samples of plants with no xylem
or phloem. The names of these
plants are mosses and liverworts.
1. Possible S
predictions:
No ridges like in
celery. The plant
would be plain,
smooth and flat,
irregularly shaped.
2. What do you notice about the
mosses and liverworts? Was your
prediction correct? How are they
different from more common plants
that you have seen?
2. Hopefully Ss
will notice that
mosses and
liverworts are
much smaller and
have no clear
roots, stems,
leaves.
2. Provide lenses
or microscopes for
Ss to make
observations.
What do you notice about them?
Was your prediction correct?
Write your thoughts in your
notebooks.”
3. Allow Ss to share ideas with
group members.
EXPLAIN
1. Student Explanation
Students share their responses to the
question: “What would plants look like if
they had no xylem or phloem?”
2. Teacher Explanation
Power Point: Vascular and Nonvascular
Plants
3. Final Model:
T to Ss: “Now go back and look at your
model. Does your model explain how
water and nutrients are transported
through ALL types of plants, including
mosses and liverworts? If not, modify
your model so that it includes these
nonvascular plants.”
Students will work in pairs to create their
final models on 11x17 poster paper.
Teacher will provide a checklist for Ss to
use as they create their models.
EVALUATE
1. Peer Evaluation of Final Model
PostersStudents post final posters around the
room and use the criteria checklist to
assess peer models.
The Criteria Checklist includes:
a. Vocabulary: xylem, phloem,
transport, water, minerals, food,
root, stem, leaves, vascular,
3. Does your model apply to all
types of plants? How will you
modify your model?
nonvascular, evaporation,
transpiration.
b. Processes are shown in a series
of steps with correct direction for
xylem and phloem
c. Vascular and nonvascular
plants and examples
d. a written explanation
2. Teacher Evaluation: T uses the same
criteria checklist to assess models.