Download Lesson 5.2 Grading Plants Unit Posttest

Name _______________________________ Teacher _________________ Date __________
Lesson 5.2 Grading Plants Unit Posttest
At this point, students can be held accountable for correct answers. Level 4 (correct)
responses to the questions are in blue bold italics below. There are also comments
about responses you are likely to see from students, which are designed to help you
connect these questions to Activities in the Units in blue italics.
1. Answer these questions about what happens when a plant grows.
Do you think that materials (solids,
Do you think that energy is going into
liquids, or gases) are going into the
the plant? (circle one answer below)
plant? (circle one answer below)
Yes
No
I’m not sure
Yes
No
I’m not sure
What materials do you think are going
What forms of energy do you think are
into the plant?
going into the plant?
Carbon dioxide, oxygen, water,
Light energy. Level 2 or 3 students may
minerals from the soil. Level 2 and 3
answer this question by writing names of
students may suggest that light is a
materials (e.g., air).
“material” and suggest that this goes
into the plant as well.
Do you think that the plant is making
Do you think that the plant is
materials as it grows? (circle one answer) transforming energy as it grows? (circle
one answer below)
Yes
No
I’m not sure
Yes
No
I’m not sure
What materials do you think the
What forms of energy do you think are
growing plant is made of?
stored inside the growing plant?
Carbon dioxide, oxygen, water. Level 3
Heat energy. Level 2 students might
Plants Unit, Lesson 5, Activity 2
Environmental Literacy Project
Michigan State University
and 2 students may not recognize that
suggest that plants need energy to live
plants release CO2 and water in addition
and grow, avoiding providing a form of
to oxygen.
energy.
How do you think that materials are
How do you think that energy is
changing inside the plant?
changing inside the plant?
The carbon atoms from CO2 molecules
Light energy from the sun is taken into
are used to build glucose during
the plant during photosynthesis and
photosynthesis. Glucose is used to
stored in the C-H and C-C bonds of
form larger organic molecules called
glucose during photosynthesis. This
polymers (starch, carbohydrate, fats,
chemical energy can either be stored in
proteins) during biosynthesis. The
organic molecules, or released as heat
atoms from glucose are used to build
energy during cellular respiration. Level
CO2 and water during respiration. Level
3 students may not have a complete
3 students might suggest that the plant
story about energy at this point, or they
takes in carbon dioxide and gives off
might suggest that energy turns into
oxygen, or that the materials are burned
matter. Level 2 students might suggest
off or turned into energy. Level 2
that the plant needs energy to grow.
students might suggest that the
materials are helping the plant grow.
What are you not sure about in your answers? Explain what you need to know to
answer these questions better.
Level 4 students and some Level 3 students will be able to identify gaps in their
own knowledge. This may be more challenging for some Level 3 and most Level
2 students.
The Three Questions Framework applied to the inquiry investigation and the
molecular modeling activity will help students answer all the above questions.
2. Grass needs energy to live and grow. How does it get its energy?
Which of the following statements is true? Circle the letter of the correct answer.
Plants Unit, Lesson 5, Activity 2
Environmental Literacy Project
Michigan State University
2
a. ALL of the grass’s energy came originally from sources outside the plant, OR
b. SOME of the grass’s energy was made by the plant as it grew.
Circle the best choice to complete each of the statements about possible sources of
energy from outside the grass.
How much of the grass’s energy come from the AIR?
All or most Some
None
How much of the grass’s energy come from the
All or
Some
None
SUNLIGHT?
most
How much of the grass’s energy come from the WATER?
All or most Some
None
How much of the grass’s energy come from the SOIL
All or most Some
None
NUTRIENTS?
Explain your choices. How does the grass get its energy?
Grass gets its energy from the sun. This comes in the form of light energy and
is transformed to chemical energy in the plant during photosynthesis. The
energy is stored in high energy C-H and C-C bonds in organic molecules in the
plant’s body.
3. Like all materials, the wood of a large oak tree is made of atoms. There were
some atoms in the original acorn that the oak tree grew from.
Where do you think the additional atoms came from? Circle the letter of the correct
answer:
a. ALL of the additional atoms were originally outside the tree, OR
b. SOME of the additional atoms were made by the tree as it grew.
Circle the best choice to complete each of the statements about possible sources of
mass from outside the tree.
How much of the dry mass comes from the AIR?
All or
Some
None
most
Plants Unit, Lesson 5, Activity 2
Environmental Literacy Project
Michigan State University
3
How much of the dry mass comes from SUNLIGHT?
All or most Some
None
How much of the dry mass comes from WATER?
All or most Some
None
How much of the dry mass comes from SOIL
All or most Some
None
NUTRIENTS?
Explain your choices. How does the oak tree gain mass as it grows?
The majority of a plant’s mass comes from CO2 it takes from the air. During
photosynthesis, the carbon is transformed from CO2 into organic molecules that
are used to build the mass of the plant. A very small, trace amount of the
plant’s mass comes from nutrients in the soil, but most of the mass comes from
the air.
4. When a tree is alive it has energy stored in its living parts (roots, trunk, branches
and green leaves). When the tree dies all the parts are still there (including fallen
brown leaves). How much of the energy stored in the living tree is still there in the
dead tree?
a. ALL of the energy
b. MOST of the energy
c. SOME of the energy
d. A LITTLE of the energy
e. NONE of the energy
Explain your answer.
What kinds of energy are stored in the living tree? Where did they come from?
The tree stores chemical potential energy in the bonds of the organic molecules
in the leaves, trunk, and roots of the tree. This energy remains in the dead tree
until decomposition occurs and the decomposers release the energy as heat
during cellular respiration.
Plants Unit, Lesson 5, Activity 2
Environmental Literacy Project
Michigan State University
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What kinds of energy are stored in the dead tree (if any)? How are they connected
to the energy in the living tree?
Potential chemical energy is stored in the bonds of the organic molecules that
make up the mass of the tree. This is the same energy that was stored in the
living tree.
5. Answer these true-false questions:
True False Carbon is a kind of atom.
True
False Carbon is a kind of molecule.
True False There is carbon in a tree’s leaves.
True False There is carbon in a tree’s roots.
True False There is carbon in the wood of a tree’s trunk.
Plants Unit, Lesson 5, Activity 2
Environmental Literacy Project
Michigan State University
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