Experiments with PlantsExperiments with Plants

6th Grade ScienceKyrene School District

6th Grade ScienceKyrene School District

Before We Begin.

• We are beginning our plants unit with Wisconsin Fast Plants.

• You will need to do some background reading and research about plants.

• All information for this unit should be kept in your science notebook and binder.

• If you are absent, please review with your group about what you missed.

Science NotebooksScience Notebooks

Early Efforts to Keep a Science Notebook

Science Notebooks• A tool for scientists to record their thinking and their

learning before, during and after a science investigation. • It reflects a chronological accounting of the progression of

an investigation as the student records questions, materials, procedures, observations, data, explanations and reflections.

• As a working document, the science notebook is a rough draft whose primary audience is the scientist.

• It allows the scientist:– To organize thoughts and information. – To reflect.– Self-assessment. – To see the developmental progression of an investigation. – To keep for future study or inquiry. – A resource for the creation of a final product. – To help develop a habit of mind.

Types of Entries• Drawings• Tables, Charts, and Graphs • Graphic Organizers • Notes and Practice Problems• Reflective and Analytical Entries • Inserts • Investigation Formats • Writing Frames

Drawings

Tables, Charts, & Graphs

Graphic Organizers

OBSERVATI ONS ORGANI ZER Writing Frame

Think of properties you can see such as size, shape, color, lines, texture, pattern, behavior…

I observed

Think of the other senses of smell, sound, touch, and perhaps taste!

I noticed

Connect it with something that you already know.

I t reminds me of

Add more detail as needed.

This is so because

Be curious and ask questions you could investigate.

I am curious about I t surprised me that I wonder what would happen if

Notes & Practice Problems

Reflective & Analytical Entries

Inserts

Examples of Science

Notebooks

from the REAL WORLD OF

“SCIENTISTS”

The scientists’ notebooks featured in this section come from those working at Battelle Pacific NW National Labs.

Computational Chemist

“Something wrong with this”

Computational Chemist

“will have all of these checked for instability and optimize”

Materials Scientist

Reference graphs and tables pasted into notebook

Materials ScientistSample

sketch

Materials Scientist

Results (crossed out)

ECOLOGIST

Describing the problem – the purpose of the study

ECOLOGIST

Identifying the site including selection criteria

ECOLOGIST

Specifications regarding the Elk Enclosures

REFLECT…

Which of those things do you think you could incorporate in YOUR notebook?

LET’S GET STARTED…

Cover or Title Page Give your science notebook a title.

This should give the reader an idea of what this notebook will be about.

THEN…

Don’t forget to let your notebook reflect your…

NUMBER YOUR PAGES

1

NUMBER YOUR PAGES THROUGH 10

32

NOW ADD TODAY’S DATE

1

September 4

OK!Let’s begin Our Plants Unit!

OK!Let’s begin Our Plants Unit!

Lesson 1 What Do You Know About

Experiments?

Lesson 1 What Do You Know About

Experiments?

What is a fair test? It’s like a race.

• In order for a race to be fair, all participants must start from the same place and end at the same finish line. Other important variables are:

• The time that the runner begins the race • The length and condition of the path• If all these variables are held as constant as

possible, the variable that is tested is the running ability of the racers.

What constitutes a fair test?

• In your group turn to page 2 and select one of the questions from # 6.

• How would you design a fair test?

• Best way to study for a spelling test

• Best way to remove a spaghetti stain

• Testing new dog food brands

Plants: August 20

In your group:1. Discuss and record how scientists do

experiments.2. What makes something a good

experiment.

What do we know about experiments?• In your science notebook on page 1, write the

title “What I know about Science Experiments”.• Write 1- 2 paragraphs explaining everything you

know about conducting a science experiment. • Think about how you would set up an

experiment to find out which flavor of gum lasts the longest.

• Suggested Word Bank:Experiment Control Variable

Fair Data ObservationProblem Conclusion Measurement

Answers

1. Researcher develops a good plan and follows it.

2. Topic of experiment is interesting and worthwhile.

3. Researcher makes careful observations over a period of time.

4. Researcher keeps accurate, honest, and regular records.

5. Something is measured.6. After experiment, researcher draws

conclusions based on data.7. Findings are communicated.

Plants Pre-Assessment.• On the 2nd page in your science notebook,

write the title “A Flowering Plant”• Write down today’s date.• Draw and label all the parts of a flowering

plant that you know.• This drawing is a record of your current

knowledge and will be used as a basis for comparison at the end of the unit.

• Do not go back and add to this drawing at any time.

Fast Plants for Fast Times• Read Fast Plants for Fast Times (pages 4 & 5) in

your student book.• List 5 things you learned about Fast Plants in

your student notebook. • Read What Do Wisconsin Fast Plants Need to

Grow Best (page 6 & 7).• List the 6 items Fast Plants need to grow best in

your student notebook.• Read and review the Calendar of the Life Cycle

of a Normal Brassica Plant (page 8)• www.fastplants.org• Brainpop: Plant Growth

In closing:

1. What would happen if you did an experiment in which you put a cactus in a pool and a water lily in the desert?

2. What changes would you observe in each plant?

Lesson 2Lesson 2

Identifying Variables and Planning a Fair Test

Identifying Variables and Planning a Fair Test

Individually…..

• Review pages 6 and 7, then record this question and write down your responses.

1.What are all of the things that Wisconsin Fast Plants need to grow?

Answer

Variables that Wisconsin Fast Plants need to grow

• Light• Water• Fertilizer• Space• Pollination• Temperature

Make corrections in your notebook at this time.

Refer to reading selection on page 6

• What are all of the things that Wisconsin Fast Plants need to grow best?

Answers

• Light: Needs 24 hours of continuous light. Not only that, the light must come for cool, white, fluorescent bulbs.

• Fertilizer: Regular dose is three fertilizer pellets per planter quad cell.

• Space: 1 plant per planter cell si the spacing recommendation.

• Pollination: In order for the plants to produce seeds, pollen must be transferred form one plant to another. This is called cross-pollination.

• Temperature:70degrees F to 80 degrees F.

• Water: Plants require a continuous supply of water. Must not be allowed to dry out for more than a few hours.

Your Job is to: 1. Design an experiment by changing one

of these variables.2. Which one would you like to work with?3. Remember, the first step in planning a

good science project is asking a good question which can be experimented on.

In closing…discuss in your group these questions:

• Do you think that changing one variable would make a difference in the life cycle of the plant?

• How would they be different?• How might their cycle be slowed down or

speeded up?• Would they still produce flowers?• Would they produce seeds?

http://www.fastplants.org/

August 22:In your group….

• Decide which variable to test in this experiment.

• Each person is responsible for making careful observations and recording information.

• Decide who will take care of the control plants and who will take care of the experimental plants.

In your group, your next challenge is to….

• Decide which question or problem to investigate.

• Remember to develop a question with a narrow focus so that you investigate a specific topic.

Good Question example….• What happens to the number of seeds a

plant produces if we double the normal amount of fertilizer?

Question that is too broad or vague….

What happens if we give the plant a lot of fertilizer?

Use the illustration of page 18

• This illustration will help you to formulate good, specific questions.

Identifying Variables• Look in your notebook where you listed the 6

items Fast Plants need to grow best in your student notebook.

• What variables do Wisconsin Fast Plants need to grow?– Light– Water– Fertilizer– Space– Pollination– Temperature

• Variable: a component or part of an experiment that can change.

Start Activity Sheet 1A by listing all the variables that you could possibly change

Light

Water

Fertilizer

Space

Temperature

Pollination

Planning Your Experiment

• In your groups, you will each receive four complete quads, or 16 plants to work with.

• Two of the quads will be the control group.– Grown under ideal conditions to represent the

normal stages of growth & development

• Two of the quads will be your experimental group.– Must decide on the ONE variable you will

change for your experimental group.

MMMMM….What would happen if

• The plants were shielded from the light for 3 hours a day?

• The plants received no fertilizer?• The plants got twice as much fertilizer?• The plants were overcrowded?• The blossoms were not pollinated?• The plants were under a different color

light?• The plants were given Red Bull in addition

to water?

Getting Started• Read Lesson 2 (pages 9 & 10)• Read The Life Cycle of Wisconsin Plants (12-15)• Think about the variable you would like to

change.– Light (change amount of light or light color)– Fertilizer– Space– Pollination

• The following variables might be too hard to change in our classroom. You would have to come up with a good plan.– Water (or type of liquid)– Temperature

Variable: FERTILIZER• Sample Big Question: Will the

experimental plants grow taller/have more leaves/produce more seeds with 2x/3x/4x the amount of fertilizer?

• Sample Big Question: Will the experimental plants be shorter/have less leaves/produce less seeds with no fertilizer?

• Control group – 3 pellets of fertilizer per cell

• Experimental group – more or less than 3 pellets per cell

Variable: SPACE

• Sample Big Question: If we do not thin out the experimental plants to one plant per cell, will the plants be shorter/have fewer leaves/produce fewer seeds than the control plants?

• Control group – Plant 2 seeds per cell and thin.

• Experimental group – plant 2 or more seeds per cell and do not thin

Variable: Light

• Sample Big Question: What will happen to the number of leaves/height or the plant if the type or amount of light is altered?

• Control group- UV light 24 hours a day.• Experimental group – create a colored

light cover or deprive plants of light for a part of the day.

Variable: Pollination

• Sample Big Question: Will a plant produce seeds if it is not pollinated?

• Control group – Make a bee stick and pollinate.

• Experimental group – do not pollinate with the bee stick.

How Each Variable Affects the Plants

Lesson 3 Lesson 3

Outlining the Experimental Plan

Outlining the Experimental Plan

Include the following in you plan

• Choose one variable to change and list the other variables as constants

• Identify a specific testable question involving that variable

• Identify something to measure• Identify any foreseeable difficulties with

equipment• Choose a project that is possible to do• Identify some observable features to monitor,

such as height, color, time of flowering and number of leaves and pods.

Fertilizer Predictions

1. Will the experimental plants grow taller (have more leaves, produce more seeds), if we give them 2, 3, or 4 times the amount of fertilizer?

2. Will the experimental plants be shorter than the control plants if we reduce or do not give them any fertilizer at all?

Space Predictions

• If we do not thin out the experimental plants to one plant per cell, but leave them over- crowded with two (or more) plants per cell will they be shorter (or have fewer leaves or produce fewer seeds) than the control plants?

Light Predictions

• What will happen to the number of leaves (or the height of the plant) if the experimental plants are in the dark for 5, 4, 3 etc. hours per day every school day?

Pollination: Predictions

• Will a plant produce seeds if it is not pollinated?

• Will a plant produce seeds if it is self pollinated and not cross pollinated?

Lesson 4Lesson 4

Planting ProceduresPlanting Procedures

Planting Procedures: Step 1

• Pick up all of your supplies from the distribution station (front lab table). Be sure that you and your group have these items in your tray before you begin planting.

• There are enough wicks, seeds, and fertilizer for all of the classes today. Use only the amount indicated in your material list.

Step 2

• Note that I have numbered and labeled your planter with the following information:– Period number and table number– C C which is your control plants numbered

1 & 2– E E which is your experimental plants

numbered 3 & 4

Step 3

• Place one wick in each cell of the planter quad. Use your forceps to pull the wick through the hole until the tip sticks out about 1 centimeter. Use the ruler that we are handing out.

Step 4

• Using the spoon, fill each section of the planter quad halfway with potting mix.

Step 5

• If you are not experimenting with fertilizer, add three fertilizer pellets to each cell. Look closely. The fertilizer pellets are much larger than the seeds.

* If you are experimenting with fertilizer, add to each cell the number of pellets called for in your experimental plan. Only add to the experimental plants. The control plants do not change.

Add 3 pellets.

Step 6

• Fill each cell to the top with potting mix. Press down a little with your fingers.

Step 7

• Put a drop of water on your tray using the dropper and dip your toothpick in it.

• Use the wet toothpick to pick up one seed. • Place the seed just below the top of the potting mix in

one cell and cover it. • Plant a second seed in this cell in the same way. • Repeat until there are two seed in each cell of the

planter. ** If you are experimenting with overcrowding,

plant in each experimental cell the number of seeds called for in your plan. **

Step 8

• Using the dropper, water very gently, a drop or two at a time, until water drips from the bottom of each wick.

Step 9

• Write your period number, and today’s date on the label and place it in the planter.

Step 10• Place your quad under the lighting

system with the label facing out. • Be sure that your quad is about 5 to 7.5

centimeters (2 – 3 inches) form the light bulbs.

• Double-check to ensure that your planter is completely on the water mat.

How to complete the daily data

record and how to complete the

graph

How to complete the daily data

record and how to complete the

graph

Completing the Daily Data Record

• Observations are done daily for your plant• Include a detailed sketch• Written description of appearance

– Height, color, number of leaves and buds– Note of any changes, new developments– Or a “no change” notation

Completing the Daily Data Record Continued

• Things that can be measured or counted– Number of seeds germinated– Number of leaves, buds, flowers, and length

of leaves– Time it takes for developments to occur– Dates of germination, appearance of true

leaves, first flowering and pod formation

Graphing Plants

Daily Growth

.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

1 2 3 4 5

Lesson 5Lesson 5

Thinning and TransplantingThinning and Transplanting

Why is it important to thin plants?

What is a plant? Answers

1. B and D2. True3. Cell Wall4. Cellulose5. a) cell wall, b) nucleus, c) cytoplasm,

d) cell membrane, e) vacuole, f) chloroplast6. False7. Tissue

Answers cont.8) a. Have ways to obtain water and other nutrients b. Retain Water c. Transport materials within their bodies d. Support their bodies e. Reproduce9) Soil10) Because there is more water in plant cells than

in air, water from the plant evaporate into the air causing the plant to dry out.

Answers cont.

11. C12. Vascular tissue13. True14. A sperm cell unites with an egg cell.15. D16. They study fossils and compare the

chemicals in modern plants to the those in other organisms.

Answers cont.

17. Chlorophyll18. Plants and green algae have the same

form of chlorophyll.19. Sporophyte, Gametophyte20. False21. a) sperm cells b) egg cells

Answers cont.

17. Chlorophyll18. Plants and green algae have the same

form of chlorophyll.19. Sporophyte, Gametophyte20. False21. a) sperm cells b) egg cells

Angiosperms: Answers1. Angiosperms2. B3. A. Produce flowers B. Produce fruits4. C5. B6. D7. A

Answers cont.8. A. stamen

B. antherC. filamentD. petalE. stigmaF. styleG. pistilH. ovaryI. sepal

Answers cont.9. Stigma10. Ovule11. False12. Animals get coated with pollen and

brush pollen onto the stigma from one plant to another.

13. A) monocots B) dicots14. Cotyledon

Answers cont.

15. A16. B17. B18. A19. B

20. A21. B22. a23. A & B24. True

Characteristic of Seed Plants: Answers

I. B) SeedsII. A) seed structure

B) Seed Dispersal C) Germination

1. C, D2. Sporphyte, gametophyte3. A. Supports the plants

B. Transports water, food and minerals

4. b

5. A6. Leaves7. Roots8. A plant structure

that contains a young plant inside a protective covering

9. false

10. B11. C12. A13. Light, water and

nutrients14. False15. Animals, water,

wind, shooting out of a plant

16. The sprouting of the embryo out of a seed

17. B, d

18. A) anchors the plant

B) absorbs water and minerals from soil

C) stores food

• Select the variable you will want to change for your experiment.

• Cross off the variable from the list you will not change to the variable you will change

• Complete the rest of the form.

Light

Water

Fertilizer

Space

Temperature

Pollination

Fertilizer

We predict that the experimental plants will grow taller with 2 times the amount of fertilizer because they will receive more of the nutrients needed to grow.

The 2 control group plants will receive 3 pellets of fertilizer per quad cell.

The 2 experimental group plants will receive 6 pellets of fertilizer per quad cell.

We will measure the height of the control group plants and the height of the experimental group plants in cm.

Fertilizer

Water

Temperature

Space

Pollination

Light

No

We will measure the height of the experimental plants and the height of the control plants

We will observe the height of the experimental plants compared to the height of the control plants

We predict that the experimental plants will grow taller with 2 times the amount of fertilizer because they will receive more of the nutrients needed to grow.

Will the experimental plants grow taller with 2 times the amount of fertilizer?

We will count the number of seeds, leaves, and flowers of the experimental plants and the control plants.

TEAM NAME & PERIOD

Planting Your Wisconsin Fast

Plants!

Planting Your Wisconsin Fast

Plants!Lesson 4Lesson 4

Read How To Plant Brassica Seeds

Read How To Plant Brassica Seeds

Pages 19-22Pages 19-22

Keeping a Daily RecordKeeping a Daily Record

Monitoring Your ExperimentMonitoring Your Experiment

Each day you will need to keep a daily

record of your plant growth.

Observations should be detailed.

Include the number of

leaves, seeds, flowers, and

stems.

Measurements should include height of the

plant.

Each day you will need to keep a daily

record of your plant growth.

Observations should be detailed.

Include the number of

leaves, seeds, flowers, and

stems.

Measurements should include height of the

plant.

# of plants/ Stems# of leaves # of seeds # of flowers

In cm

Thinning & Transplanting

The Brassica Flower

Getting a Handle on your Bee• 12 days after planting

Germination

• 13 days after planting

Harvesting & Thrashing the Seeds

• 40 days after planting