Download Investigating Simple Plants

Investigating
Simple Plants
Editors:
Brian A. Jerome Ph.D.
Stephanie Zak Jerome
Assistant Editors:
Louise Marrier
Lyndsey Canfield
Heidi Berry
BIOLOGY
Graphics:
Fred Thodal
Dean Ladago
Instructor’s
Manual
Reviewers:
Stephen Trombulak Ph.D.
Professor of Biology
Middlebury College
Matthew Landis
Associate Proffessor of Biology
Middlebury College
Visual Learning Company
1-800-453-8481
www.visuallearningco.com
Visual Learning is an independently-owned company specializing in the creation
of science programs. As former classroom science teachers, we have designed
our programs to meet the needs and interests of both students and instructors.
Our mission is to help educators and students meet educational goals while
experiencing the thrill of science!
Investigating Simple Plants
A Message from our Company . . .
Viewing Clearances
The video and accompanying instructor’s manual are for educational use only.
In showing these programs, no admission charges are to be incurred. The
programs are to be utilized in face-to-face classroom instructional settings,
library settings, or similar instructional settings.
Duplication Rights are available, but must be negotiated with the Visual
Learning Company.
Digital Rights are available, but must be negotiated with the Visual Learning
Company.
Television, cable, or satellite rights are also available, but must be negotiated
with the Visual Learning Company.
Closed circuit rights are available, and are defined as the use of the program
beyond a single classroom but within a single campus. Institutions wishing to
utilize the program in multiple campuses must purchase the multiple campus
version of the program, available at a slightly higher fee.
Discounts may be granted to institutions interested in purchasing programs in
large quantities. These discounts may be negotiated with the Visual Learning
Company.
Visual Learning Company 1-800-453-8481
2
Investigating Simple Plants
Use of Materials . . .
Use and Copyright:
The purchase of this video program entitles the user the right to reproduce
or duplicate, in whole or in part, this instructor’s manual and the black line
master handouts for the purpose of teaching in conjunction with this video,
Investigating Simple Plants. The right is restricted only for use with this video
program. Any reproduction or duplication, in whole or in part, of this manual
and student masters for any purpose other than for use with this video program
is prohibited.
The video and this instructor’s manual are the exclusive property of the
copyright holder. Copying, transmitting, or reproducing in any form, or by
any means, without prior written permission from the copyright holder is
prohibited (Title 17, U.S. Code Sections 501 and 506).
Copyright © 2010
ISBN 9781592345779
3
Visual Learning Company 1-800-453-8481
A Message from our Company .............................
2
Viewing Clearances ..............................................
2
Use and Copyright ................................................
3
Student Learning Objectives ...............................
5
Assessment .........................................................
6
Introducing the Program ......................................
7
Investigating Simple Plants
Table of Contents
Program Viewing Suggestions .............................. 7
Video Script ........................................................... 8
Answer Key to Student Assessments ...................
13
Answer Key to Student Activities ..........................
14
Preliminary Assessment .......................................
15
Post Assessement ................................................
17
Video Review ........................................................
19
Investigating Simple Plants Vocabulary ................
20
Mosses ................................................................. 21
Ferns .................................................................... 22
The Life Cycle of Ferns ........................................ 24
Visual Learning Company 1-800-453-8481
4
Investigating Simple Plants
Student Learning Objectives
Upon viewing the video and completing the enclosed activities, students will be able
to do the following:
• Understand that the first land plants are thought to have evolved from green algae.
• List a couple of the similarities between simple land plants and green algae. Examples include
similar kinds of chlorophyll, similar pigments, similar food storage starches, and similar cellulose
components in cell walls.
• Describe some of the obstacles simple land plants needed to overcome to adapt to life on land.
Some of these include developing a means to prevent drying out, developing a way to exchange
gases with the air, devising a way to support the plant body, and developing a means by which to
reproduce.
• Explain the term “alternation of generations” in plants. Understand the difference between
gametophyte and sporophyte generations.
• Differentiate between vascular plants and nonvascular plants. Explain the general characteristics
of each plant group and describe some of their differences.
• Generally describe some of the main characteristics of bryophytes. State some examples of
bryophytes.
• Identify and describe some of the general characteristics of liverworts, hornworts, and mosses.
• Describe the role and nature of vascular tissue in land plants. Discuss some of the advantages of
vascular tissues.
• List the four major phyla of seedless vascular plants. Describe some of the general features of
specific groups of seedless vascular plants.
• Explain the general characteristics of ferns including their overall form and means of
reproduction.
5
Visual Learning Company 1-800-453-8481
Preliminary Assessment (p. 14-15):
The Preliminary Assessment is an assessment tool designed to gain an understanding of
students’ preexisting knowledge. It can also be used as a benchmark upon which to assess
student progress based on the objectives stated on the previous pages.
Investigating Simple Plants
Assessment
Post Assessment (p. 16-17):
The Post Assessment can be utilized as an assessment tool following student completion
of the program and student activities. The results of the Post Assessment can be compared
against the results of the Preliminary Assessment to assess student progress.
Video Review (p. 18):
The Video Review can be used as an assessment tool or as a student activity. There are
two sections. The first part contains questions displayed during the program. The second
part consists of a ten-question video assessment to be answered at the end of the video.
Visual Learning Company 1-800-453-8481
6
Investigating Simple Plants
Introducing the Program
Before showing students the video ask them if they have ever seen low-lying plants that form mats
on rocks, tree trunks, or in damp places. Ask them to describe the appearance of these plants. How
do these plants differ from other familiar plants? Explain to students that these plants are most likely
mosses. But, tell students they may also be examples of other seedless nonvascular plants such as
liverworts or hornworts. Write these terms on the board. Tell students to pay close attention to the
video to learn more about mosses, liverworts, and hornworts.
Next, write the following terms on the board: “vascular” and “nonvascular”.
know the role of vascular tissue in their bodies. Explain that vascular tissue
veins helps conduct blood and other materials throughout the human body.
plants also contain vascular tissue to conduct materials throughout the plant.
nonvascular plants and vascular plants.
Ask students if they
found in arteries and
Tell them that many
Discuss examples of
Then, show students a picture or actual example of a fern. Explain that ferns are vascular seedless
plants. Ask students to describe some of the ferns they have seen. Tell students to pay close attention
to the video to learn more about ferns, as well as nonvascular plants.
Program Viewing Suggestions
The student master “Video Review” (p. 19) is provided for distribution to students. You may choose to
have your students complete this master while viewing the program or do so upon its conclusion.
The program is approximately 20 minutes in length and includes a ten-question video assessment.
Answers are not provided to the Video Assessment in the video, but are included in this manual on
page 13. You may choose to grade student assessments as an assessment tool or to review the answers
in class.
The video is content-rich with numerous vocabulary words. For this reason you may want to
periodically stop the video to review and discuss new terminology and concepts.
7
Visual Learning Company 1-800-453-8481
1. Have you ever taken a walk in a forest or along a stream and noticed low-lying, green plants
such as moss clinging to rocks...
2. ... or to decaying logs?
3. Maybe you’ve seen moss growing in damp places around your house.
4. Or, perhaps you’ve observed larger leafy plants called ferns growing in forests…
5. These are just a few examples of plants generally referred to as simple plants.
6. What are some of the different types of simple plants? What are their characteristics?
7. How do they reproduce?
8. How are they grouped? And, are simple plants really simple?
9. During the next few minutes we are going to answer these questions,...
10. ... and others as we investigate some of the fascinating features of simple plants.
11. Graphic Transition – Origin of Nonvascular Plants
12. It is hard to imagine Earth without plants.
13. Even in incredibly hostile environments, such as Death Valley, plants are still able to thrive.
14. Plants have lived on Earth for less than 500 million years. But, during that time they have
blanketed the planet and changed the course of life on Earth.
15. Plants evolved about 725 million years ago as green algae, and were restricted to living in water
until about 470 million years ago when plants first evolved to live on land.
16. You have probably seen green algae in shallow ocean waters along the seashore,...
17. ... or in bodies of freshwater.
18. Green algae are organisms that live in water, carry out photosynthesis, and are hypothesized to be
the ancestors of early land plants.
19. Green algae are the organisms most similar to land plants. They have similar kinds of
chlorophyll, similar pigments, similar food storage starches, and similar cellulose in their cell
walls.
20. But, plant life on land was much different than that in water.
21. You Decide! What obstacles did plants need to overcome in order to live on land?
22. To live on land, plants needed to develop ways to protect themselves from desiccation, which is
the tendency of organisms to lose water to the air.
23. Plants also needed to devise a way to exchange gases with the air.
24. They needed to find a way to reproduce on land, and to support themselves.
25. An adaptation that helped early plants prevent water loss was the development of a cuticle – a
waxy waterproof coating that covers plants.
26. They also may have developed early stomata, small openings that allow gas diffusion in and out
of plants.
27. Due to the fact that they were small, early plants did not need much support. That, too, was
helpful on land.
28. Fossil evidence indicates that early land plants had a life cycle that involved alternation of
generations.
29. Most likely early plants needed water to reproduce. Water was required so sperm could swim to
an egg to fertilize it.
Visual Learning Company 1-800-453-8481
Investigating Simple Plants
Video Script: Investigating Simple Plants
8
Investigating Simple Plants
Video Script: Investigating Simple Plants
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
9
For this reason, early plants likely lived in moist places.
Graphic Transition – Bryophyte Characteristics
Today simple nonvascular plants are quite prolific and live in a wide range of environments.
Nonvascular plants do not possess specialized conducting tissues common in plants such as
trees, and most soft-stemmed plants.
There are over 20,000 simple nonvascular plants generally referred to as bryophytes.
There are three distinct phyla of bryophytes – hornworts, liverworts, and mosses.
While bryophytes differ greatly, most tend to have several common characteristics.
You Observe! Describe the appearance of this typical bryophyte.
Most bryophytes like this one tend to be small and low-lying, usually not exceeding 7
centimeters in height.
They lack true roots and leaves, and absorb most of the water they need through the plant body.
Bryophytes have a life cycle that involves the alternation of generations.
The prominent life phase in most bryophytes is the gamete-producing form called the
gametophyte phase.
In the gametophyte phase the organism’s cells have one set of chromosomes.
The spore-producing form called the sporophyte phase, possesses two sets of chromosomes.
The reproductive cycle in the bryophytes alternates between the gametophyte and the
sporophyte phases with each having a very distinct appearance.
In the Arctic and Antarctic, bryophytes are the most abundant plants.
But, the greatest diversity of bryophytes is found in the moisture-rich tropics.
Graphic Transition – Liverworts and Hornworts, and Mosses
Liverworts, in the phylum Hepaticophyta also called Marchantiophyta, include over 7,000
species.
The most prominent phase of the liverwort life cycle is the gametophyte phase.
While lobe liverworts are the best-known liverworts, they make up only about 20 percent of the
species in the phylum.
The other 80 percent are leafy, and tend to resemble mosses. Most species are flat growing
and are only a few centimeters tall. Because they lack vascular tissue, they must absorb water
through the plant body.
Hornworts, in the phyla Anthocerotophyta, are somewhat different than liverworts.
Numbering only about 100 species, hornworts have sporophytes that resemble tiny green
broom handles that rise from flat gametophytes.
By far the most abundant bryophytes are mosses in the phylum Bryophyta. In fact, there are
over 10,000 species of mosses in the phylum Bryophyta.
The short, soft, green mats that you may have noticed growing on rocks, trees, and in other
moist places are the gametophyte phase of moss.
The gametophyte produces eggs and sperm.
Typically gametophytes consist of small, leaf-like structures arranged on a stem-like axis.
Only a few cell layers thick, the leaf-like structures lack vascular tissue and are not true leaves.
The axis is anchored to the Earth or other substrates by root-like rhizoids.
Visual Learning Company 1-800-453-8481
60. The moss sporophytes consist of a stalk anchored to the gametophyte. At the tip of the slender
stalk is a capsule that contains spores that are released when mature. The sporophytes are
nonphotosynthetic and depend on the gametophyte for nutrition.
61. Mosses are valuable ecologically in that many help decompose dead wood, and hold soil in
place, preventing erosion.
62. They also provide shelter for insects and other smaller animals.
63. Sphagnum moss, commonly called peat moss, is a valuable garden ingredient prized for its
ability to absorb and hold great quantities of water.
64. Graphic Transition – Seedless Vascular Plants
65. About 420 million years ago plants made an important evolutionary step - the development of
vascular tissues.
66. Vascular tissues enable plants to move water and other materials throughout the plant.
67. You Decide! Why were vascular tissues advantageous?
68. The development of vascular tissues was helpful because they enabled plants to live in drier
environments, and to grow much larger.
69. Plants containing vascular tissues are collectively referred to as Tracheophytes.
70. What exactly is vascular tissue? Vascular tissue consists of different types of specialized
elongated cells that form a network throughout the plant structure.
71. The network extends from the roots to the stem and into the leaves. Different types of vascular
tissue move various materials throughout the plant body.
72. There are two main groups of vascular plants – those that reproduce via spores and those that
reproduce via seeds.
73. Early vascular plants were seedless, reproducing via spores.
74. Several phyla of seedless vascular plants are modern descendants of these ancient plants that
became prolific in the Carboniferous period.
75. Today, there are four living phyla of seedless vascular plants.
76. Modern-day club mosses, in the phylum Lycophyta are ancient relicts from the past.
77. Club mosses number over 1,200 species and are distributed worldwide.
78. They are the most abundant in the tropics and in moist temperate regions.
79. While they resemble true mosses, their internal structures and reproductive processes are quite
different.
80. Whisk ferns, in the phylum Psilotophyta, are among the oldest vascular plants dating back over
400 million years. They consist of simply forked green stems.
81. There are only half a dozen known species in this phylum.
82. Another small group of nonvascular seedless plants, horsetails, are in the phylum Sphenophyta
and number only about 20 species.
83. Horsetails date back over 300 million years with some of their relatives being tree-like.
84. The sporophyte phase consists of ribbed, jointed, photosynthetic stems.
85. They are common in shaded woods, and around swamps, ponds and streams.
86. In North America horsetails are sometimes referred to as scouring brushes because early settlers
used them to scrub pans.
Visual Learning Company 1-800-453-8481
Investigating Simple Plants
Video Script: Investigating Simple Plants
10
Investigating Simple Plants
11
Video Script: Investigating Simple Plants
87. Graphic Transition – Ferns
88. By far the most abundant and well known of the seedless vascular plants are the ferns in the
phylum Pteridophyta.
89. You’ve probably seen ferns near your home, in the forest, or in a bouquet of flowers.
90. The fossil record indicates that ferns originated about 350 million years ago
91. Throughout their first 50 million years they flourished. In fact, the late Carboniferous period,
about 300 million years ago, is sometimes referred to as the Age of Ferns.
92. All ferns have true leaves, stems, and roots.
93. They are referred to as being “true” because they possess vascular tissue in their structures.
94. A fern sporophyte phase, the most prominent phase, can vary greatly in size between species.
95. Fern sporophytes typically possess an underground stem, called a rhizome.
96. The rhizome grows in a horizontal fashion. Hair-like roots grow downward from the rhizome
deeper into the soil.
97. Leaves, called fronds, first emerge as tightly rolled up coils, sometimes called fiddleheads.
98. Some species of fiddleheads are edible when carefully cooked.
99. As coils unroll and expand, fronds emerge into tiny leaflets, giving many ferns a feathery
appearance.
100. Like other plants, ferns alternate between a haploid gamete-producing phase and a diploid
spore-producing phase.
101. This large sporophyte is probably most familiar to you.
102. Adult fern sporophytes commonly produce spores contained in structures called sporangia.
In turn, sporangia form clusters called sori that are typically found on the underside of fern
fronds.
103. Once a spore is mature and lands in a suitable location, it develops into a gametophyte.
104. In ferns the gametophyte is quite small, but is capable of carrying out photosynthesis.
105. In the gametophyte form, referred to as a prothallus, the sperm swims through dew or
rainwater to the egg where fertilization occurs.
106. Over time the zygote grows into a new sporophyte fern.
107. Graphic Transition – Video Review
108. During the past few minutes we have explored some of the fascinating features of simple
plants.
109. We began by discussing the origin of the first plants from green algae about 470 million years
ago.
110. We focusied on the obstacles they needed to overcome to survive on land.
111. We then explored some of the general characteristics of bryophytes.
112. We focused specifically on the major bryophyte phyla including liverworts, hornworts, and
mosses.
113. Next, we investigated the origins and characteristics of seedless vascular plants.
114. Characteristics of the major phyla of seedless vascular plants were highlighted, including
whisk ferns, club mosses, horsetails, and ferns.
Visual Learning Company 1-800-453-8481
115. Graphic Transition – Video Assessment
Fill in the blank with the correct word to complete the sentence.
1. It is hypothesized that early plants evolved from green _____.
2. Based on fossil evidence the first land plants evolved about ____ million years ago.
3. ____ plants such as mosses do not contain conducting tissues.
4. Bryophytes need ____ to reproduce and tend to grow in moist places.
5. The most abundant nonvascular plants are mosses in the phylum _____.
6. Visible green mats of mosses are made up of the ____ phase.
7. ____ tissues enable plants such as ferns to conduct materials throughout the plant body.
8. Early vascular plants were seedless, reproducing via ___.
9. The most abundant seedless vascular plants are ____.
10. The ____ phase is the most prominent phase in ferns.
Visual Learning Company 1-800-453-8481
Investigating Simple Plants
Video Script: Investigating Simple Plants
12
Investigating Simple Plants
Answer Key to Student Assessments
Preliminary Assessment (p. 15-16)
1. c - green algae
2. a - cuticle
3. b - alternation of generations
4. d - swamps, marshes, and moist places
5. b - bryophytes
6. d - sporophyte phase
7. a - mosses
8. c - vascular tissue
9. a - tracheophytes
10. a - moving materials throughout the plant
11. d - Psilotophyta
12. b - club mosses
13. c - Pteridophyta
14. a - the tropics
15. a - rhizome
16. In order to survive on land the first plants needed to
develop ways to protect against desiccation; they needed
to devise means for gas exchange; they needed to support
themselves; and they had to develop a method by which to
reproduce.
17. Nonvascular plants generally appear as relatively flat,
low-lying green mats that grow in moist places.
18. Alternation of generations involves the changing of
life stages between a haploid gamete-producing phase and
a diploid spore-producing phase.
19. Plants containing vascular tissue are collectively
referred to as tracheophytes. Vascular tissue consists of
different types of elongated cells that form a network
capable of transporting materials throughout the plant.
20. Ferns possess “true” leaves, stems, and roots. They
are referred to as “true” because these structures contain
vascular tissue. Ferns reproduce via spores. The large,
leafy sporophyte forms possess an underground stem
called a rhizome. While ferns are common in temperate
regions, the majority are found in moist, tropical regions.
Video Review (p. 19)
1. To live on land, plants needed to develop ways to
protect themselves from desiccation. Plants also needed
to devise a way to exchange gases with the air, a way to
reproduce, and to support themselves.
2. Most bryophytes tend to be small and low-lying,
usually not exceeding 7 centimeters in height.
3. The development of vascular tissues was
helpful because they enabled plants to live in drier
environments, and to grow much larger.
Video Assessment (p. 19)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
13
algae
470
nonvascular
water
bryophyta
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
gametophyte
vascular
spores
ferns
sporophyte
Post Assessment (p. 17-18)
1. b - bryophytes
2. a - moving materials throughout the plant
3. a - rhizome
4. d - sporophyte phase
5. b - club mosses
6. c - green algae
7. d - swamps, marshes, and moist places
8. a - tracheophytes
9. a - cuticle
10. a - mosses
11. d - Psilotophyta
12. b - alternation of generations
13. a - the tropics
14. c - vascular tissue
15. c - Pteridophyta
16. Ferns possess “true” leaves, stems, and roots. They
are referred to as “true” because these structures contain
vascular tissue. Ferns reproduce via spores. The large,
leafy sporophyte forms possess an underground stem
called a rhizome. While ferns are common in temperate
regions, the majority are found in moist, tropical regions.
17. Plants containing vascular tissue are collectively
referred to as tracheophytes. Vascular tissue consists of
different types of elongated cells that form a network
capable of transporting materials throughout the plant.
18. In order to survive on land the first plants needed to
develop ways to protect against desiccation; they needed
to devise means for gas exchange; they needed to support
themselves; and they had to develop a method by which to
reproduce.
19. Alternation of generations involves the changing of
life stages between a haploid gamete-producing phase and
a diploid spore-producing phase.
20. Nonvascular plants generally appear as relatively flat,
low-lying green mats that grow in moist places.
Vocabulary (p. 20)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
i - green algae
o - cuticle
a - alternation of generations
f - bryophytes
m - liverworts
b - mosses
g - spores
j - tracheophytes
c - club mosses
l - Psilotophyta
h - horsetails
d - ferns
n - rhizome
k - frond
e - sori
Visual Learning Company 1-800-453-8481
Mosses (p. 21)
A
B
3a. Nonvascular plants do not possess specialized conducting
tissues common in plants such as trees and most soft-stemmed
plants.
3b. The three main phyla of bryophytes are hornworts,
liverworts, and mosses.
3c. Most bryophytes tend to be small and low-lying, lack true
roots and leaves, and absorb most of the water they need through
the plant body.
3d. In the gametophyte phase eggs and sperm are produced.
The gametophyte consists of small, leaf-like structures arranged
on a stem-like axis. The axis is anchored to the Earth or other
substrates by root-like rhizoids. The moss sporophytes consist
of a stalk anchored to the gametophyte. At the tip of the slender
stalk is a capsule that contains spores that are released when
mature.
Capsule
Sporophyte
C
Gametophyte
D
Rhizoids
Investigating Simple Plants
Answer Key to Student Activities
The Fern Life Cycle (p. 24-25)
Ferns (p. 22-23)
D - This is the sporophyte phase. The fern is large
and leafy. The plant produces spores in this phase.
Blade
Rachis
Pinna
Pinnacles
A - Spores are contained in structures called
Sporangia. The sporangia form clusters called sori
that are typically found on the underside of fern
fronds. When mature, spores are released.
E - Once a spore is mature and lands in a
suitable location it develops into a heart-shaped
gametophyte called a prothallus. The prothallus
contains male and female sex cells.
C - Fertilization occurs when the sperm swims
through dew or rainwater to the egg.
Rhizome
Roots
B - The zygote grows into a new sporophyte form
over time.
1. The gametophyte is small and produces both male and
female gametes. The sporophyte is large and leafy. Adult fern
sporophytes produce spores.
2. Sporangia are structures that contain spores. The sporangia
form clusters called sori on the underside of fern fronds.
3. A prothallus is the fern gametophyte form. It is quite small.
The prothallus produces both male and female gametes.
4. Fertilization occurs when sperm swim through dew or
rainwater to the egg.
Visual Learning Company 1-800-453-8481
14
Preliminary Assessment
Directions: Circle the best answer for each of the following:
Name:
1. The earliest land plants are thought to have evolved
from:
a. flowering plants
b. ferns
c. green algae
d. vascular plants
9. Plants containing vascular tissue are collectively
referred to as:
a. tracheophytes
b. bryophytes
c. gymnosperms
d. ferns
2. An adaptation that helped plants prevent water loss was
the development of a waxy, waterproof coating called
the:
a. cuticle
b. skin
c. epidermis
d. mesophyll
10. Vascular tissues perform the primary job of:
a. moving materials throughout the plant
b. protecting the plant
c. reproduction
d. photosynthesis
3. Fossil evidence indicates that early land plants had a
life cycle that involved:
a. flowers
b. alternation of generations
c. long stems
d. pollination
4. Early land plants needed water to reproduce and likely
lived in the following environment(s):
a. deserts
b. alpine ecosystems
c. lakes
d. swamps, marshes, and moist places
5. There are thousands of species of simple nonvascular
plants generally referred to as:
a. ferns
b. bryophytes
c. gymnosperms
d. angiosperms
6. The reproductive cycle in bryophytes alternates
between the gametophyte phase and the:
a. adult phase
b. reproductive phase
c. flower-producing phase
d. sporophyte phase
7. The most abundant bryophytes are:
a. mosses
b. ferns
c. liverworts
d. hornworts
11. Which of the following phyla represent a group of
seedless vascular plants?
a. Angiospermae
b. Bryophyta
c. Gymnospermae
d. Psilotophyta
12. Seedless vascular plants in the phylum Lycophyta
include:
a. liverworts
b. club mosses
c. horsetails
d. flowering plants
13. Ferns are seedless vascular plants in the phylum:
a. Arthropoda
b. Angiospermae
c. Pteridophyta
d. Lycophyta
14. The majority of ferns grow in:
a. the tropics
b. the arctic
c. temperate regions
d. saltwater marshes
15. Ferns are anchored in the soil by a structure called a:
a. rhizome
b. stem
c. pistil
d. stolon
8. Mosses are flat, low-lying plants that lack:
a. cells
b. chloroplasts
c. vascular tissue
d. spores
Investigating Simple Plants
15
Visual Learning Company
Preliminary Assessment
Name:
Directions: Answer the following using complete sentences:
16.
List two examples of adaptations the first land plants needed to survive on land.
17. Generally describe the appearance of nonvascular plants.
18. What is meant by alternation of generations?
19. What are tracheophytes, and what is vascular tissue?
20. What are some of the characteristics of ferns?
Visual Learning Company
Investigating Simple Plants
16
Post Assessment
Directions: Circle the best answer for each of the following:
1. There are thousands of species of simple nonvascular
plants generally referred to as:
a. ferns
b. bryophytes
c. gymnosperms
d. angiosperms
2. Vascular tissues perform the primary job of:
a. moving materials throughout the plant
b. protecting the plant
c. reproduction
d. photosynthesis
3. Ferns are anchored in the soil by a structure called a:
a. rhizome
b. stem
c. pistil
d. stolon
4. The reproductive cycle in bryophytes alternates
between the gametophyte phase and the:
a. adult phase
b. reproductive phase
c. flower-producing phase
d. sporophyte phase
5. Seedless vascular plants in the phylum Lycophyta
include:
a. liverworts
b. club mosses
c. horsetails
d. flowering plants
6. The earliest land plants are thought to have evolved
from:
a. flowering plants
b. ferns
c. green algae
d. vascular plants
7. Early land plants needed water to reproduce and
likely lived in the following environment(s):
a. deserts
b. alpine ecosystems
c. lakes
d. swamps, marshes, and moist places
Name:
9. An adaptation that helped plants prevent water loss was
the development of a waxy, waterproof coating called
the:
a. cuticle
b. skin
c. epidermis
d. mesophyll
10. The most abundant bryophytes are:
a. mosses
b. ferns
c. liverworts
d. hornworts
11. Which of the following phyla represent a group of
seedless vascular plants?
a. Angiosperms
b. Bryophyta
c. Gymnospermae
d. Psilotophyta
12 Fossil evidence indicates that early land plants had a
life cycle that involved:
a. flowers
b. alternation of generations
c. long stems
d. pollination
13. The majority of ferns grow in:
a. the tropics
b. the arctic
c. temperate regions
d. saltwater marshes
14. Mosses are flat, low-lying plants that lack:
a. cells
b. chloroplasts
c. vascular tissue
d. spores
15. Ferns are seedless vascular plants in the phylum:
a. Arthropoda
b. Angiospermae
c. Pteridophyta
d. Lycophyta
8. Plants containing vascular tissue are collectively
referred to as:
a. tracheophytes
b. bryophytes
c. gymnosperms
d. ferns
Investigating Simple Plants
17
Visual Learning Company
Post Assessment
Name:
Directions: Answer the following using complete sentences
16.
What are some of the characteristics of ferns?
17. What are tracheophytes, and what is vascular tissue?
18. List two examples of adaptations the first land plants needed to survive on land.
19. What is meant by alternation of generations?
20. Generally describe the appearance of nonvascular plants.
Visual Learning Company
Investigating Simple Plants
18
Video Review
Name:
Directions: Answer these questions as you watch the video:
1. You Decide!
What obstacles did plants need to overcome in order to live on land?
2. You Observe!
Describe the appearance of this typical bryophyte.
3. You Decide!
Why were vascular tissues advantageous?
Video Assessment
Directions: After you watch the video, fill in the blank to complete the sentence.
1. It is hypothesized that early plants evolved from green _______________.
2. Based on fossil evidence the first land plants evolved about __________ million years ago.
3. ____________________ plants such as mosses do not contain conducting tissues.
4. Bryophytes need _______________ to reproduce and tend to grow in moist places.
5. The most abundant nonvascular plants are mosses in the phylum ____________________.
6. Visible green mats of mosses are made up of the ____________________ phase.
7. ____________________ tissues enable plants such as ferns to conduct materials throughout the
plant body.
8. Early vascular plants were seedless, reproducing via _______________.
9. The most abundant seedless vascular plants are _______________.
10. The _____________________ phase is the most prominent phase in ferns.
Investigating Simple Plants
19
Visual Learning Company
Investigating Simple Plants
Vocabulary
Name:
Directions: Unscramble the vocabulary words in the first column. Match the words to the definitions in the second
column.
____ 1) enrge aagel ____________ _____________
____ 2) tluecci _________________________
____ 3) etannatlroi fo eigastnerno ______________
________ ___________________________
____ 4) tpreosyhby _________________________
____ 5) sltirvoewr_________________________
____ 6) osssme _______________________
____ 7) roepss ________________________
a. Plant life stages that alternate between a haploid
gamete-producing phase and a diploid spore-producing
phase.
b. Over 12,000 species of simple plants in the phylum
Bryophyta.
c. Seedless vascular plants in the phylum Lycophyta;
includes about 1,200 species.
d. Plants in the phylum Pteridophyta; are the most
abundant seedless vascular plants with over 11,000
species.
e. Clusters often found on the underside of fern fronds that
contain spores.
f. Generally refers to several phyla of seedless nonvascular plants; includes mosses, hornworts, and
liverworts.
g. A haploid reproductive cell released from the
____ 8) stertaychhpeo ________________________ sporophyte phase that can give rise to a new organism.
____ 9) lbcu msseos ____________ _____________
____ 10) ahittolypsaop _______________________
____ 11) loasteshir __________________________
h. A group of vascular seedless plants in the phylum
Sphenophyta; number only about 20 species.
i. Organisms thought to be the ancestors of the first
simple land plants; unicellular or simple multicellular
photosynthetic organism.
j. Collective term for plants that contain vascular tissue.
____ 12) rfsen _________________________
k. Leaf structures of ferns; often form narrow delicate
feathery leaflets.
____ 13) hzmroie _________________________
l. Referred to as the whisk ferns; thought to be some of the
oldest vascular plants dating back over 400 million years.
____ 14) nrdof __________________________
____ 15) rois __________________________
m. Low-lying plants in the phylum Hepaticophyta; also
called Marchantiophyta.
n. The underground central root-like structure belonging to
the fern sporophyte.
o. A waxy waterproof coating covering the epidermis; in
many plants it helps prevent water loss.
Visual Learning Company
Investigating Simple Plants
20
Mosses
Name:
Background: Today, simple nonvascular plants are quite prolific and live in a wide range of environments.
Nonvascular plants do not possess specialized conducting tissues common in plants such as trees, and most
soft-stemmed plants. There are over 25,000 simple nonvascular plants generally referred to as bryophytes.
There are three distinct phyla of bryophytes - hornworts, liverworts, and mosses. While bryophytes differ
greatly, most tend to have several common characteristics. Most bryophytes tend to be small and low-lying,
usually not exceeding 7 centimeters in height. They lack true roots and leaves, and absorb most of the water
they need through the plant body.
The most abundant bryophytes are mosses in the phylum Bryophyta. In fact, there are thousands of mosses
in the phylum Bryophyta. The short, soft, green mats you may have noticed growing on rocks, trees, and in
other moist places are the gametophyte phase of moss. Typically gametophytes consist of small, leaf-like
structures arranged on a stem-like axis. Only a few cell layers thick, the leaf-like structures lack vascular
tissue and are not true leaves. The axis is anchored to the Earth or other substrates by root-like rhizoids.
Water passes from cell to cell via osmosis. Mosses, like most other plants, alternate between a haploid
gametophyte phase and a diploid sporophyte phase. The gametophyte produces eggs and sperm. The moss
sporophytes consist of a stalk anchored to the gametophyte. At the tip of the slender stalk is a capsule that
contains spores that are released when mature. The sporophytes are nonphotosynthetic and depend on the
gametophyte for nutrition.
The diagram below is a representative moss. Look closely at the diagram. Notice that the plant is made up
of two very different structures: sporophytes and gametophytes. The sporophytes are the tall thin stalks with
a capsule on top. When mature, the capsules release spores. The gametophytes are the lower spiky or leaflike structures. The gametophyte produces sex cells. Mosses are held in the ground or soil by thread-like
structures called rhizoids.
A
B
C
D
Directions:
1. Label the main structures of the moss plant diagram.
2. Describe the general function of each structure.
3. Answer the following questions:
a. What are nonvascular plants?
b. List the three main phyla of bryopyhtes.
c. What are the general characteristics of bryophytes?
d. How do the gametophyte phase and the sporophyte phase differ from each other?
Investigating Simple Plants
21
Visual Learning Company
Ferns
Name:
Background: About 420 million years ago plants made an important evolutionary
step - the development of vascular tissues. Vascular tissues enable plants to move
water and other materials throughout the plant. The development of vascular tissues
was advantageous because they enabled plants to live in drier environments, and to
grow much larger. Plants containing vascular tissues are collectively referred to as
Tracheophytes. What exactly is vascular tissue? Vascular tissue consists of different
types of specialized elongated cells that form a network throughout the plant structure.
The network extends from the roots to the stem and into the leaves. Different types of
vascular tissue move various materials throughout the plant body.
There are two main groups of vascular plants -- those that reproduce via spores and
those that reproduce via seeds. Early vascular plants were seedless, reproducing via
spores. Several phyla of seedless vascular plants are modern descendants of these
ancient plants that became prolific in the Carboniferous period. Today there are
four living phyla of seedless vascular plants.
The most abundant and well known of the seedless vascular plants are the ferns in the phylum
Pteridophyta. You’ve probably seen ferns near your home, in the forest, or in a bouquet of flowers.
The fossil record indicates that ferns originated about 350 million years ago. Throughout the next 50
million years they flourished. In fact, the late Carboniferous period, about 300 million years ago, is
sometimes referred to as the Age of Ferns. Of the roughly 11,000 species, in the phylum Pteridophyta,
about 75% live in the moist tropics. But, ferns are also common in temperate regions and can even be
found in deserts.
All ferns have true leaves, stems, and roots. They are referred to as being “true” because they possess
vascular tissue in their structures. The fern sporophyte phase, the most prominent phase, can vary
greatly in size between species. Fern sporophytes typically possess an underground stem, called
a rhizome. The rhizome grows in a horizontal fashion. Hair-like roots grow downward from the
rhizome deeper into the soil. Leaves, called fronds, first emerge as tightly rolled up coils, sometimes
called fiddleheads. Some species of fiddleheads are edible when carefully cooked. As coils unroll and
expand, fronds emerge into tiny leaflets, giving many ferns a feathery appearance.
Visual Learning Company
Investigating Simple Plants
22
Ferns
Name:
Directions:
Ferns have several parts. Here is a list of some of the major parts. Label the fern below with the
correct term.
Blade - leafy part of the fern
Rachis - stem or stalk with the blade
Pinna - extending from rachis are whisk-like leaves
Pinnacles - pinna are divided into smaller pinnacles
Rhizome - below the ground is a large horizontal anchor
Roots - small hair-like roots extend downward from rhizome
Investigating Simple Plants
23
Visual Learning Company
The Life Cycle of Ferns
Name:
Background: Similar to other plants, ferns alternate between a haploid gamete-producing phase,
and a diploid spore-producing phase. Both forms are distinct, and are quite different from each other.
In ferns, the large, leafy sporophyte phase is probably most familiar to you. Adult fern sporophytes
commonly produce spores contained in structures called sporangia. In turn, sporangia form clusters
called sori that are typically found on the underside of fern fronds. Once a spore is mature and lands
in a suitable location, it develops into the gametophyte fern. In ferns the gametophyte is quite small,
but is capable of carrying out photosynthesis. It is referred to as a prothallus and produces both
male and female gametes. For fertilization to occur the sperm swims through dew or rainwater to the
egg where fertilization occurs. Over time the zygote grows into a new sporophyte form.
Materials:
scissors, glue, blank piece of paper
Directions:
Cut out the diagrams on the next page illustrating the different stages of the fern life cycle. Place the
different stages in the correct order in the cycle. Next to each diagram describe the various feature of
the stage.
Questions:
1. Explain the differences between the haploid gamete-producing phase and the spore-producing
phase of a fern.
2. What are sporangia?
3. What is a prothallus? Describe it.
4. How does fertilization occur in a fern?
Visual Learning Company
Investigating Simple Plants
24
The Life Cycle of Ferns
Name:
B.
A.
C.
D.
E.
Investigating Simple Plants
25
Visual Learning Company