Activity Set A: Background for Inquiries Investigating Pollen in Plant Reproduction

24 May 2016 | Contributor(s): plantingscience

Summary: Students gain background knowledge for inquiry investigations through dissecting flowers and/or cones and observing pollen grains through compound microscopes. In addition, students conduct either a guided or open inquiry investigation by growing pollen tubes. Through these activities,...

Activity Set B: Exploring Pollen in the Atmosphere

24 May 2016 | Contributor(s): plantingscience

Summary: Students explore wind-pollination through investigating pollen in the atmosphere. They construct simple pollen traps and set them outdoors. Using a staining technique to distinguish pollen from other material on microscope slides, students conduct pollen counts from the collected...

Activity Set C: Field Study of Flowers and Pollinators

24 May 2016 | Contributor(s): plantingscience

Summary: In outdoor field settings, students investigate animal pollinators, most likely insects and hummingbirds. Student inquiry questions will be explored by collecting data on pollinator visits to flowers. Students count the number of pollinator visits to flowers during timed observation...

Agronomy Feeds the World - Experimental Design for Guided Inquiry

27 Dec 2016 | Contributor(s): plantingscience

This guide will help teachers walk their students through the guided inquiry that is part of the Agronomy Feeds the World module.

Agronomy Feeds the World - Field to Table Discussion Items

27 Dec 2016 | Contributor(s): plantingscience

Goals, purposes and objectives centered around a core concept (big idea):Where exactly does my food come from: Field to table?Objectives:Understand the connection between our food and farmsDetermine the infrastructure necessary to transport foodUnderstand the costs...

Agronomy Feeds the World - Geography and Water

27 Dec 2016 | Contributor(s): plantingscience

Goal: To understand how geography and water quantity and quality impact food and fiber production.Objectives:To understand what an ecoregion is and how crops are impacted by weather, climate, and geography among various ecoregions.To understand how water stress impacts crop production.To conduct...

Agronomy Feeds the World - Mentor's Guide

30 Aug 2018 | Contributor(s): PlantingScience Staff

The purpose of this tip sheet is to help you as a scientist mentor anticipate and respond to students as they post online about their agronomy-related investigations. After initial inquiries – such as watching purple Kool-Aid run through 3+ types of soil, evaluating water-holding capacity of...

Agronomy Feeds the World - Plant Measurements

27 Dec 2016 | Contributor(s): plantingscience

This is a brief resource to assist students in deciding how best to measure plants and record data in their experiments. 

Agronomy Feeds the World - Plant Stresses

27 Dec 2016 | Contributor(s): plantingscience

OverviewThis investigation introduces students to sources/types of plant stress and how plants deal/combat with stress.Also include emphasis on how plant stresses reduce yield quantity/quality; how does this affect the food supply?Talk about how growers help plants...

Agronomy Feeds the World - Soil Nutrition and Fertility Resources

27 Dec 2016 | Contributor(s): plantingscience

Goals, purposes and objectives centered around a core concept (big idea):The goal of this project is to allow students to understand the roles of soil nutrients and how they affect plant growth and plant nutritional status.Objectives:Understand the roles of macronutrients...

Agronomy Feeds the World - Teacher's Guide

27 Dec 2016 | Contributor(s): plantingscience

Premise: One in nine people in the world are hungry, and as the population expands to 9 billion by 2050, food production must rapidly rise to the challenge to reduce hunger. Although food is a basic need for mankind, fewer citizens today are aware of the process of food production and its...

C-Fern Module - Mentor's Tip Sheet

16 Jun 2016 | Contributor(s): plantingscience

The purpose of this tip sheet is to help you as a scientist mentor anticipate and respond to students as they post online about their C-Fern® investigations.

C-Fern Module - Teacher's Guide

16 Jun 2016 | Contributor(s): plantingscience

Module Big Ideas and Design: This module is designed to expose students to the plant life cycle. They will gain firsthand experience with the alternation of generations, a phenomenon that is typically difficult for students to understand. Students work in teams to grow, observe and document...

C-Fern: Seeds and Spores Power Point

13 Oct 2017 | Contributor(s): PlantingScience Staff

Referred to in the Teacher's Guide for the C-Fern module, this file will assist you with this module.

Celery Challenge - Mentor Tip Sheet

16 Jun 2016 | Contributor(s): plantingscience

The purpose of this tip sheet is to help you as a scientist mentor anticipate and respond to students as they post online about their investigations on how water moves through plants, using celery.

Celery Challenge - Student's Guide

16 Jun 2016 | Contributor(s): plantingscience

In this module, you will think about transpiration, osmosis, and different cell types by trying to cause celery stalks to bend as much as possible. Carrying out several experiments while blogging with a plant biologist will help you develop ideas about these processes.

Celery Challenge - Teacher's Guide

16 Jun 2016 | Contributor(s): plantingscience

Premise: Many students know that plants require water to live, but fewer understand the processes by which plants take up, transport, and release water. Although plants and plant organs clearly have different structures, students are often surprised to learn that all plant cells are not the...

Celery Challenge - Toolkit

30 Dec 2017 | Teacher Resources | Contributor(s): PlantingScience Staff

Class Overview Template

03 Jan 2017 | Teacher Resources | Contributor(s): plantingscience

Please use this template to provide information to potential mentors for your classroom. Answer the prompts in this template, then copy and paste the whole text into the group overview. This will help mentors you invite to your group (i.e., invite to mentor one of your project...

Corn Competition - Student's Guide

16 Jun 2016 | Student Resources | Contributor(s): plantingscience

In this module, you will think about germination and plant growth by working to grow the tallest possible corn seedlings. After growing your plants, you will discuss what you learned with your classmates.

Corn Competition - Teacher's Guide

16 Jun 2016 | Teacher Resources | Contributor(s): plantingscience

Premise: Most students are familiar with seeds and plants, but compared to a generation ago, fewer students today have grown plants from seed. Seeing the influence of environmental conditions on germination and plant growth is a direct way to learn that plants, like other organisms, succeed...

CORN COMPETITION RESOURCES

24 May 2016 | Teacher Resources | Contributor(s): plantingscience

Videos, WebPages, Books, and Peer-Reviewed Articles toSupplement the Corn Competition Teacher’s Guide

Field Research

09 May 2016 | Teacher Resources | Contributor(s): plantingscience

Field ResearchSome science is best carried out in nature. Studies where you need to identify all the different plant species in a habitat, count the number of pollinators that come and go from a certain kind of plant, or track changes in the color of autumn leaves might require outdoor...

Foundation of Genetics - Glossary and Appendices

16 Jun 2016 | Teacher Resources | Contributor(s): plantingscience

Foundation of Genetics - Growing System Logistics

16 Jun 2016 | Teacher Resources | Contributor(s): plantingscience

The EnvironmentHere we focus on setting up your growing system, including light, and soil / nutrition, and water system.This is also a perfect opportunity to explore with your students the environmental needs of plants.Plants need light, air, water, appropriate temperature, and nutrition...