WCNY-TV
National Teacher Training Institute 2004
I Transpire, You Perspire
Author: Cherilyn Dempsey
Grade Levels: 6 – 8 grade
Subject Matter: Science
Time Allotment: Three 40-minute class periods
Overview: Students have difficulty understanding and mastering the processes of cellular respiration and photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the creation of glucose in the presence of sunlight and the process of cellular respiration is the "burning" of that glucose to gain energy to perform all functions of life in the organism. Students are aware that plants are green but the processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration which take place in plants requires careful direction if teachers hope to have the students truly understand and be able to develop experiments or analogies of these processes.
In this lesson students will gain a better understanding of photosynthesis, and cellular respiration by observing videos, using websites and completing a hands-on activity.
The videos will show plant parts, photosynthesis and cellular respiration. Actual experiments will be conducted on screen. Moving diagrams will give further explanations of these processes.
Two web-based components are included in the lesson. The first is a diagram of a plant to be used as a plant's parts review.
The second is an interactive web site in which the students can devise and carry out experiments in the virtual world that would take weeks, months or years in real-world time.
The culminating experience is a hands-on activity. In this activity students will be given the opportunity to decide how to plan a growth strategy for a simulation of a young plant.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this lesson the students will be able to:
- Demonstrate their understanding of the processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration.
Standards
USA-American Assc. for the Advancement of Science: Benchmarks for Science Literacy
Area 5: The Living Environment
Key Concept E.: Flow of Matter and Energy
Grade Level: Grades 6 through 8
Benchmark: Food provides molecules that serve as fuel and building material for all organisms. Plants use the energy in light to make sugars out of carbon dioxide and water. This food can be used immediately for fuel or materials or it may be stored for later use.
Benchmark: Energy can change from one form to another in living things. Animals get energy from oxidizing their food, releasing some of its energy as heat. Almost all food energy comes originally from sunlight.
USA- Intl. Technology Education Association: Standards for Technology Literacy
Category: Abilities for a Technological World
Standard 12: Students will develop the abilities to use and maintain technological products and systems.
Grade Range : 6-8
Benchmark
J: Use computers and calculators in various applications.
Computers can be used to control production systems and to research answers
to problems.
NY- New York State Standards
Subject: Mathematics, Science, and Technology
Standard
4: Science
Students will understand and apply scientific concepts, principles, and theories
pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the
historical development of ideas in science
Level: Intermediate
Key
Idea: Physical Setting 2:
Many of the phenomena that we observe on Earth involve interactions among components
of air, water, and land
Performance Indicator: Explain how the atmosphere (air), hydrosphere (water), and lithosphere (land) interact, evolve, and change
Key
Idea: The Living Environment 5:
Organisms maintain a dynamic equilibrium that sustains life.
Performance Indicator: Compare the way a variety of living specimens carry out basic life functions and maintain dynamic equilibrium.
All of these standards were obtained by using the website Task Stream: Task Stream's web-based tools enable educators to design lessons and units, map and track standards, create rubrics, develop electronic portfolios and web pages, and compile and distribute shared curriculum resource collections . The URL is:
http://www.taskstream.com/main/login/default.asp
Media Components
Photosynthesis, is produced by BFA Phoenix Films, Inc. copyright 1987
This video explores the chemical processes, which are involved in photosynthesis and cellular respiration using detailed animation and microscopic photography. The entire video is 12 minutes long.
Web Site
Enchanted Learning, which produces children's educational web sites and games designed to capture the imagination while maximizing creativity, learning, and enjoyment. The URL is: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/plants/
The
Last Straw Project
The Last Straw is a pilot project funded by the Informal Science Education program
of the National Science Foundation. The intent of this program is to enable
interested students to experience topics in current scientific research in an
independent, self-paced environment. The Last Straw features current research
by BTI scientist Dr.
Jonathan Comstock on climate and plant water-use characteristics.
It is web-based and consists of three parts:
The URL is: http://cycas.cornell.edu/ebp/projects/laststraw/ise.info.html
Materials
Per Class
- 40 copies of Template for $ugars, Leaves and Flowers, cut into individual cards ($ugar, leaf, and flower), if possible laminate cards
- One box (100 pieces) of 1-inch long paper clips
- One standard die (6 sided)
Per Group
- Student Handout 2: Weather Report Card & Growth Costs Chart, if possible laminate this handout
- One 100 ml graduated cylinder
- One 10 ml graduated cylinder
- Small container to act as a reservoir
- Coffee stirrer
- One paper clip
Per Student
- One copy for each student of Plant Anatomy Printouts from the Enchanted Learning website
- One copy for each student of the Student Handout 1: Student instruction sheet
Prep for Teachers
• Load and begin the two PowerPoint Slideshow attachments onto your desktop.
• Prepare and bookmark the Web site: Enchanted Learning , the URL is: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/plants/
• Cue Video Photosynthesis , produced by BFA Phoenix Films, Inc. Insert into VCR and FAST FORWARD the tape until the screen shows a blue sun with rays shining down onto a flat horizon with a few trees.
• Create one copy for each student of Plant Anatomy Printouts from the Enchanted Learning website. Once at the website, choose plant printouts. Then scroll down and choose ” Plant Anatomy Printout: Label Me! ” Next right click and copy the diagram. Create a new document and paste the diagram onto the page. Choose File, print. You may not save this diagram but are allowed to copy and print it for educational purposes.
• Prepare and bookmark the Web site: The Last Straw , the URL is: http://cycas.cornell.edu/ebp/projects/laststraw/ise.info.html
• Obtain all materials on the materials list.
• Copy Plant Anatomy Printouts from the Enchanted Learning website and Student Handout 1: Student Instruction Sheet, Student Handout 2: Weather Report Card & Growth Costs Chart and 20 Copies of Template for $ugars, Leaves and Flowers. Laminate the Template and Weather Report Card & Growth Costs Chart copies if possible. Cut the Template into individual cards.
Introductory Activity:
Day One
Step 1. Provide students with a FOCUS FOR MEDIA INTERACTION, by asking students to be prepared to answer questions about this review following the discussion. To accomplish this goal encourage the students to take notes while viewing the slideshow .
Review plants by discussing this PowerPoint Slideshow: see attachment
\\ms2\staff\dempseyc\master teacher workshop\Plants an overview.ppt
Review the definitions of plant terms with this PowerPoint Slideshow: see attachment
\\ms2\staff\dempseyc\master teacher workshop\Plant terms defined.ppt
Step 2. Supply copies of Plant Anatomy Printouts from the Enchanted Learning Website. Instruct the students to label the parts of the plants and state the functions of each part. Next have each student connect to the Enchanted Learning Website and direct them to the plant anatomy web page. Provide students with a FOCUS FOR MEDIA INTERACTION, by asking students to review their answers to the worksheet and correct any mistakes. Ask them to continue to complete the handout by writing the functions of each plant part in their own words on the back of the handout.
Then have them visit the website to review their answers and correct any mistakes.
Step 3. Show the previously cued video to review photosynthesis and cellular respiration. FOCUS FOR MEDIA INTERACTION, by asking students to review the processes of cellular respiration and photosynthesis while viewing video.
STOP the video at the following sections to emphasize the processes and allow the students to get a longer look at the pictures. Rewind and replay as needed at each section.
Learning Activities
Day Two
Step 4. Provide students with a FOCUS FOR MEDIA INTERACTION, by asking students to create hypotheses about how a plant will survive and thrive in different environmental conditions then test their hypotheses by using the interactive features of the website.
Instruct the students to go to the last straw website and carefully read the instructions.
This website is self-paced, so the teacher should expect students to be at different locations throughout the website at different times.
Each student must devise a hypothesis about a certain plant type and condition then grow that plant using the websites interactive qualities.
Require the students to create, test and analyze 4 hypotheses changing the plant types and conditions. Ask him or her to record each hypothesis, test and outcome on a piece of paper. Then arrange the students into groups of 4 to share their hypotheses and outcomes with one another.
Step 5. Near the end of the class period provide closure by asking several different groups to share their hypotheses and describe how they tested their growth strategies using the website and what their results were.
Culminating Activity
Day Three
Step 6. Organize all members of the class into two member teams. Handout the Copies of the student instruction sheet to each student.
Review how to begin and play the game.
Distribute Student Handout 2: Weather Report Card & Growth Costs Chart, a 100 ml graduated cylinder (to represent the plant stem), a 10 ml graduated cylinder (for measuring), a small container filled with water to act as a reservoir, a coffee stirrer, one paper clip and one leaf card to each group.
Throw the dice and perform a practice turn of play.
Ask for and answer any questions the students or groups may have.
Begin to play the game.
When the class is almost over state “It is getting cold in here” as a warning that the game is ending.
When it is the appropriate time to conclude the game say “Killing Frost”. Be sure to allow clean-up time at the end of the class before the students are scheduled to leave your classroom.
Cross-Curricular Extensions
MATH
• Using information given orally and facts written on a chart determine how to add or subtract numbers to achieve a result.
ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS
• Write a fictional story about the life of a plant, in which you are the plant. Choose a type of plant and describe what growth strategies you use as that plant to survive and reproduce.
SOCIAL STUDIES
• Research the history of agriculture and describe how science and technology has helped increase crop yields.
• Create a timeline describing the advances in agriculture from the days of using animals as plows to present farming techniques.
• Research agriculture pioneers and write a biography of their lives and accomplishments.
Community Connections
• Visit local plant nurseries and green houses and ask the technicians how they take care of different types of plants.
• Visit local florists and ask them how long cut flowers and potted plants will stay fresh or live and how they keep them fresh or alive as long as possible. If a visit is not possible, invite florists to visit your class to discuss how and why they became florists and how they keep their inventory at acceptable levels.
Student Materials
• Copies of Plant anatomy printout from Enchanted Learning website
• Student Handout 1: Student Instruction Sheet
• Student Handout 2: Weather Report Card & Growth Costs Chart
• Copies of Template for $ugars, Leaves and Flowers:
The Plant Game - Student Instructions
To Start the Game:
Each team sets up their newly germinated seedling. A graduated cylinder is filled with water, a coffee stirrer is placed through one end of a paper clip (so the clip hangs down) and then the coffee stirrer is placed across the top of the cylinder. The graduated cylinder starts off filled to the top with water because the soil has been fully soaked with water from melting snow and spring rains. The tiny embryonic plant has already synthesized a tiny root (one paper clip) and cotyledon leaf (one leaf card) from the stored food from the seed. Place one leaf card next to the graduated cylinder on the desktop, this represents the cotyledon leaf. Now it is up to each team to plan a growth strategy for the young plant.
To Continue Play:
A plant in nature cannot control the weather. Neither can the teams in this game. Each day, the weatherman (teacher) will determine that day's weather by rolling one standard die. Rolling a 4 on the die, for example, means the day is warm and partly cloudy . It's sunny enough to allow your plant to make 3 $ugars for each leaf it has. But it's warm enough for the soil to lose 2 ml of water for each leaf it has.
The Weather Report Card (see student materials) tells the weather for each roll of the die, the amount of $ugar produced by photosynthesis that day, and the water lost through transpiration that day. You must collect your $ugar cards and adjust the water in your cylinder according to the weather report each day:
Keep in mind, the more leaves your plant has the faster it will accumulate $ugars, but the faster it will lose water. If your root is completely out of the water, your plant no longer can photosynthesize but it will also not lose any water to transpiration. If you have stored up some $ugar, then your plant can convert some of that stored energy into other plant parts such as roots and you can “purchase” another root to reach the water. If you have no stored $ugar, your plant will have to wait for a rainy day. Your plant is free to store $ugar, as long as it likes. To spend or “burn” the $ugars use the Growth Costs Chart (see student materials). Although, remember the $ugars do not have to be spent each day.
In nature, a plant cannot know exactly when a killing frost will come to end the growing season. However, plants are stimulated by changes in the environment: shorter days, cooler nights and other autumn signals, the teacher will indicate this by saying “It is getting colder.” Our signal will be the amount of time left in the period. The teacher will call out “FROST” when he/she feels there is adequate “clean-up” time before the bell rings. Therefore, keep in mind the time left in the class period as you plan your plant's growth strategy.
WINNING :
The winner of the game is the team with the most flowers. The plant with the most flowers has the greatest chance of having more of its genes represented in the next generation. Therefore that is the winning survival strategy.
1 chilly, downpour no photosynthesis gain 20 ml of water, total
2 cool, light rain gain 1 $ugar X # leaves gain 5 ml of water
3 humid, overcast gain 2 $ugar X # leaves lose 1 ml of water X # leaves
4 warm, part cloudy gain 3 $ugars X # leaves lose 2 ml of water X # leaves
5 humid, sunny gain 4 $ugar X # leaves lose 2 ml of water X # leaves
6 sunny, hot & dry gain 4 $ugar X # leaves lose 4 ml of water X # leaves
The following growth cost chart tells you how much $ugar your must spend or “burn” to produce a leaf or a root or a flower.
Structure Cost: Needed for Cellular Respiration
1 new leaf 10 $ugars
1 ne w r oot 10 $ugars
1 flower 21 $ugars
Template for $ugars, Leaves and Flowers:
$ugar
|
$ugar |
$ugar |
$ugar |
$ugar |
$ugar
|
$ugar
|
$ugar
|
$ugar
|
$ugar
|
Leaf
|
Leaf |
Leaf
|
Leaf
|
Leaf
|
Leaf
|
Leaf
|
Flower |
Flower |
Flower |