Download CITY PLANTS AND SEEDS

NN-12: PL;ANTS AND SEEDS
MATERIALS LIST
Small containers with assorted seeds:
1. black beans
2. chick peas
3. corn kernels
4. dill seeds
5. fava beans
6. fennel seeds
7. lima beans
8. mung beans
9. pinto beans
10. pumkin seeds
11. rice
12. soy beans
13. sunflower seeds
14. tomato seeds
15. wheat kernels
16. chia seeds
Large baggie with:
sesame seeds
bird seed
seed packets
pussy willow flowers
liquid amber
pepper seeds
pea seeds and packet
Large baggie with pine cones
Coconut seed
Peanuts (unshelled, provide shelled)
Tupperware of assorted seeds, pods, nuts
15 paper plates for exhibiting the various seeds, etc.
knife
The Plants (book)
Eyewitness book
'how a tree grows' poster
'THE REASON FOR A FLOWER' or MPV-2 visual
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CITY PLANTS AND SEEDS
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OBJECTIVES:
Through this activity students will:
1. be introduced to a variety of green plants that grow in the urban environment.
2. verbally identify that basic resources, sun, water, soil and air, needed by all green plants.
3, be introduced to the basic parts of a green plant and the function of each part.
4. be introduced to the purpose and physical qualities of a seed.
5. investigate, through hands-on experience, the physical qualities of a seed.
SCIENCE THEMES:
Systems and interactions
PROCESS SKILLS:
Comparing, observing, categorizing
GRADE LEVELS:
1—3
FOCUS WORDS:
Note: this NN activity was originally compiled under a 1980’s grant that specified that key words
would be given in Spanish in order to facilitate dialogue with Spanish speaking children. Because of
the conditions of the grant, focus words will continue to given in English and Spanish.
1. Investigate/investigar: Mirar atentamente con la intención de descubrir algo específica acerca del
objeto o lugar o tópicl.
2. Plant/plantas 3. Tree/árbol
4. Weed/yerba
5. Flower/flor
6. Bush/arbusto 7. Seeds/ semillas
8. Fruit/ fruta
9. Grass/hierba
10. Stem/tallo: La parte de una planta verde que lleva agua y minerals a las hojas desde las raices
queostiene la planta.
The stem is the part of the green plant through which water and minerales travel from the roots.
11. Roots/raices: La parte de la planta verde que absorbe el agua y minerales de la tierra. El sistema
deraices (todas las raices juntas) mantiene la planta en la tierra.
The roots are the part of the green plant that absorbs the water and minerals from the soil. The whole
system of roots holds the plant in the ground.
12. Leaf/hoja: La parte de la planta verde que absorbe anhidrido carbonico del aire y arroja oxigeno
(por poros pequenos). La hoja los usa para hacer azucar simple que es la comida para la planta.
The leaf is the part of the green plant that absorbs carbon dioxide from the air and gives off oxygen
(through small pores). It is in the leaf that the simple food for the plant is manufactured through a
process called photosynthesis.
13, Fruit/fruta: La part de una planta verde que rodea y protégé la semilla.
The fruit is the part of the green plant that surrounds and protects the seed. Most fruit is designed to
distribute the seeds.
14. Seed/semilla: La parte de una planta verde que containe el bebe de la planta, comida para que
cresca ese bebe, y una cascara para proteger el bebe adentro de la planta.
The seed is the part of the green plant that contains the baby plant, food for that baby to sprout, and a
coat that protects the baby inside.
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MATERIALS YOU SUPPLY:
Peanuts in shells; one for each student
Variety of city plant specimens with roots, leaves and flowers if possible; (at least 10 specimens).
Spring;
Fall
Winter
mustard
fennel
pine
wild radish
thistle
dandelion
stork’s bill
yarrow
green grass
dried grasses
Two examples of fresh fruit with seeds, suggestions: apple, grape (with seeds), orange (with seeds)
Live potted plant (optional)
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Plants are an important part of life on earth. One of the most important thing that plants contribute
to all life on earth is oxygen. Oxygen that mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects, and even fish
breathe comes from green plants. Plants supply food, directly or indirectly, for all living things.
The parts of plants, how they develop, and how they are used is the subject of this learning station.
There is a great variety of plants growing in the urban environment. Some have been planted by
humans and others grow voluntarily often where we don't want them. Like all living things, plants
have habitats and need soil, sun, air and water to live. A plant growing up through a crack in a
sidewalk in the shade of a tall building looks like it is growing without any of these resources at all,
but it has, indeed, found enough to survive in its urban environment.
Exotic plants, weeds, are especially successful at adapting to a habitat, often more successfully than
native plants who they may crowd out of existence. Ask students if they can think of plants that
they see regularly that would be called weeds. You may want to ask the teacher in advance to have
the children bring in a plant they think is a weed. They should pick their “weeds” only in places
where they have permission to do so, their own yards, empty lots or near the school playground.
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City plants offer us a range of benefits, the most obvious being, perhaps, their decorative value. A
large street tree was probably planted to soften the impact of the asphalt, but it also offers shade on
a hot day, and a place for city animals to nest and find shelter. Plants also benefit city dwellers in
other ways. In a food producing process called "photosynthesis," plants take in carbon dioxide and
give off oxygen. Plants give off moisture into the atmosphere in a process called "transpiration."
They supply food for herbivores and shelter materials for small urban animals.
In this activity, plant parts are introduced, including a variety of seeds. Through hands-on
investigation, the students will investigate the physical qualities of plants and seeds, find out
where they grow and discover the great number of city plants all around them. The city is rich with
vegetation waiting to be noticed. Most plants are overlooked by those of us who walk right by
without looking. This activity's main objective is to have children explore some of the natural
plants of the city with the hope that they will begin to notice and appreciate the great variety of city
plants that inhabit their neighborhood environment.
ACTIVITY:
1. Divide larger group into smaller groups of six to ten students.
2. Put various seeds in open containers and have available to show.
3. Display visual displays where they can easily be seen by all the students
4. Have plant specimens on table (use chalkboard for "plants we eat").
5. Have fruit knife available.
GROUP SIZE: 12 MAXIMUM
TIME: 20-30 MINUTES
Accompanying Activities: Backyard Soil, Weaving A Food Web
LESSONS: A GREAT VARIETY OF GREEN PLANTS LIVE IN AN URBAN/SUBURBAN
ENVIRONMENT.
SOME PLANTS ARE PLANTED AND CARED FOR BY PEOPLE AND SOME ARE
INVADERS.
GREEN PLANTS NEED SOIL, AIR, SUN AND WATER IN AN ENVIRONMENT TO LIVE.
THIS IS HOW THEY PRODUCE FOOD, THE PROCESS IS PHOTOSYNTHESIS.
DO: Have some samples of local plants (with roots, stems, leaves) available, as well as some
seeds and fruit.
SAY: We are going to talk about plants that grow around us.
ASK: Many of these plants grow without our help, but what do they all need in the
environment to stay alive?
RESPONSE: Sun, air, water and soil.
ASK: What kinds of plants grow in our neighborhood environment?
RESPONSE: Trees, flowers, weeds, bushes, grass.
(NOTE: Do not ask for specific names, just types; e.g., tree, weed, bush, etc.)
DO: Show a variety of plant specimens.
ASK: What kinds of plants do you see here?
(NOTE: Do not ask for the specific name of a plant, but generic, e.g., tree, weed, flower,
etc.).
RESPONSE: Trees, flowers, weeds, bushes, grass, etc.
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ASK:
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EXPLAIN:
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What kinds of plants do you see here?
(NOTE: Do not ask for the specific name of the plant but the generic, e.g., tree, weed,
flower, etc.).
Have students look at the variety of plant specimens while you verbally identify the
types of plants they see.
Where do plants get the energy to grow, flower and make fruit?
From the Sun.
Green plants can take Sun energy and using water and carbon dioxide make food
so they can grow. This is called PHOTSYNTHESIS.
Do you use sunlight to make food? Do you photosynthesize?
Animals can not make food from sunlight, they depend on plants to make food that
they will eat.
What plants do you eat? (Lead this discussion to a variety of commonly eaten
plants, fruits and seeds.)
Hand each student a plant specimen. Have the plant parts model available.
Each type of plant has the same basic parts.
As you point to each part shown on the relief model ask who knows the name of this
part of a plant?
(NOTE: Order of plant parts shown should be: roots, stem, leaves, flower, fruit, seeds.
Ask students to find those parts on their plant specimens.
Describe the function of each of the plant parts as it is named by the students. (See
focus words for definitions of each plant part.)
What is one way we grow plants?
Plant seeds.
Show fruit sample (apple, pear, orange or grape).
Where did this fruit come from before we bought it at the grocery store.
It grew on a (tree), (vine), (bush).
Do you know why the (plant) grows this fruit?
To hold the seeds.
Cut open the fruit to show where the seeds grow.
Have students to investigate where the seeds grow in the fruit.
Have available pods (pea pods).
If you wish, show a variety of pods.
Pass out samples to each student.
Can you find seeds inside your pod?
Have available seeds in containers.
Show a variety of seeds.
Discuss the differences in shapes, size and colors.
Encourage a variety of responses.
Give each student one of each type of seed.
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ASK:
RESPONSE:
ASK:
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EXPLAIN:
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Can you arrange these seeds in order of size, color?
Have students to arrange seeds as asked. Encourage other "arrangements" of their
choosing.
How many of you have planted a seed and watched a new plant grow from it?
Have available peanuts in shells.
Pass out a peanut in the shell to each student.
Direct each student to take off the outer hull of the peanut.
Peanut seeds grow among the roots of the peanut plant. After the flower is pollinated,
the ovary (fruit portion) elongates and grows down into the soil where it matures into
the peanut.
You have just removed the seed's protective coat. Now we see the seed that is inside.
Direct each student to carefully open the peanut seed along the seam that splits it in
half and look for the new plant that is beginning to grow inside the seed.
(NOTE: Leader may need to help some of the students open their seeds and see the
sprout inside.)
This seed will not grow anymore because it was roasted and salted for us to eat. If we
had a raw (unroasted) peanut we could plant it and it should grow into a new plant.
CITY PLANT
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Optional, students may eat their peanuts, if they wish but only if you are sure no one
is allergic to peanuts.
What other seeds do we eat?
Acknowledge the responses given by the students.
(NOTE: You should also mention that some seeds are toxic. We should not eat any
plant material unless we know what it is.)
Point to the plastic relief of a plant and parts.
We eat seeds and we also eat other plant parts.
Discuss parts of plants we eat.
SUGGESTIONS:
Roots: beets, carrots, radishes
Stems: celery
Leaves: lettuce, spinach,
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SAY:
ASK:
DO:
RESPONSE:
Flowers: broccoli, cauliflower
Seeds: beans, peas, nuts, rice, wheat, corn
Plants supply all of the necessary nutrients humans need to stay alive. In fact, in many
parts of the world people eat only different kinds of plants. Some day, due to the
negative affect on the environment, raising meat for food will no longer be possible.
What good things do plants do for us? Should we pick plants (even weeds) we see
growing in our neighborhoods?
Encourage a variety of responses.
Responses may include: provide homes for animals, food, lumber, paper, shade,
oxygen, beauty.
TO GO FARTHER:
Leave some seeds you investigated for the children to plant
Record how long it takes different seeds to sprout.
Sprout beans on a wet sponge, under plastic, so students can see which parts
grow first.
Put seeds in a variety of light conditions to see how light affects sprouting and growth.
Record numbers of types of plants found in a specific area(s).
Measure the height of each plant weekly and record the number on a chart or graph kept near each
plant.
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