ESCI 215

1. ESCI 215 Chapter 18 Teaching Children about the Plant and Fungi Kingdoms

2. What to think about • What is the focus of the chapter? • How is it tied to the curriculum? • What can you take away from it?

3. Outline • Chapter focus • Connections to the curriculum • Review Inquiry • Objectives (science content) - How seeds travel, germinate, and grow into plants, - How plants reproduce, - The parts of a plant and their functions, and, - An introduction to the Fungi Kingdom. • Chapter topics • Discussion and activity

4. Focus • This chapter focuses on teaching children about the plant and fungi kingdom. It presents information on food reproduction in plants; seeds; seedless reproduction of plants; the parts of a plant; and microscopic life forms. There are activities suggested that will help students learn about various aspects of plant life. There are suggested sites and software and information about assessment. The topics are easily applied to southern environments but can be adapted to northern regions.

5. Important Note “Science builds on the networking of knowledge from many people researching the different ideas that often unknowingly build the foundation of a concept one brick at a time” (Friedl & Koontz, 2005, p. 348)

6. Connections (NWT Science and Technology Curriculum K-6 (2004), p. 13) Learning about various aspects of plants are covered in grades 1, 3, 4, and 6

7. Curriculum Connections (NWT Sc. & Tech. Curr. K-6, 2004)

8. Inquiry Review • Steps - Set up the event - Asks students to investigate - Resolve the discrepancy The approach can be applied through an activity or an experiment

9. Case Study Jimmy planned a fall field trip for his grade 3 class. Before the trip, Jimmy introduced some plants to the students. The plants introduced were from the grocery store. He had a fern, a flower (artificial), fruit, and vegetables. He asks the students if they knew what they were. After naming each of the items, he asked the students to put them into groups. When students put them into groups they identified them using a binary sort system: - we eat and we don’t eat - grows above ground and grows in the ground - with a flower and without a flower

10. Case study continued The sorting system was guided by the groups. One group made a classification tree and one listed features under each item. Although each system is different and not complex, the students were able to identify similarities and differences. At the end of the activity, Jimmy provided details about the field trip.

11. Case Study continued – Field Trip • In three days the class would be going to Sylvia Grinnell/ Park/ on the land to collect plants • Each group (groups of two) would have equipment • Students would select two plants to sample and bring back • They had to take notes on the location, colour, type (if they know it), and use They could guess the type and use * If students selected mushrooms, they could still take them as a sample • In class they would try to identify their plant by answering questions and collecting information from resources already selected

12. Case Study – In class Sample of lab questions and notes On the fourth day students took notes and answered questions in their lab books. If there were outstanding questions, they would be answered from their research.

13. Case Study - close • On the fifth day, Jimmy had pictures of all the plants collected printed and labeled on the back. There were additional pictures printed 5 of each with 7 on a sheet. • These images would be used to create a class classification key of the plants they collected based on questions they answered (not a lineage classification system but they are practicing their skills of classifying) • The “Class Classification System” with explanation from the Jimmy would now provide a foundation for learning about plants in our community throughout the unit.

14. Analyze the Case Study • What type of lesson(s) is/are it/they? Activity or experiment? • How is learning through inquiry applied? • Identify process skills and content evident in the case study.

15. General Points – Case Study • The activity in the first class set the stage for an experiment that would result in a classification system that students can refer to when learning about plants in their environment • Inquiry is applied by getting the students to investigate plants of interest to them and providing explanation after the students complete their project • Skills used through out the activity include: - observing - predicting - identifying - classifying - describing - inferring - comparing -contrasting - collecting data

16. Carl Linneaus and the Lineage classification system • Linneaus was a Swedish botanist that developed a system of classifying plants and animals using a two-part descriptive label (binary sort) and was the person known to recognize the sexual nature of flowers • Taxonomic classification for organisms is now done using domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species (Science Desk Reference, 1999)

17. Food Production in Plants • Plants produce their own food via photosynthesis (http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2009/herman_jaci/nutrition.htm)

18. Plant Parts • Roots • Stem • Leaves • Chloroplast • Stomas • Flower *reproductive organ (Brooker, et al. 2010) (Mallory and Aiken, 2004)

19. Seeds • Seeds are the offspring of flowering plants (angiosperms) • Some plants produce fruit that protects seeds • Pollen from male and females mutate in the ovary of the female plant to produce seeds • Some self-pollinate (adaptation) (http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/petal_01)

20. How seeds travel Fly Stick Get carried around

21. Seeds to Plant • Germination • Seeds coat • Food supply • Embryo • Response to gravity – Statocytes and statolisths • Hydroponics

22. Seedless Reproduction RUNNERS BULBS CUTTING AND GRAFTING

23. SEEDLESS REPRODUCTION Cloning http://www.ulster.ac.uk/scienceinsociety/cloning_plants.pdf Student run websites for a cause http://www.earthrangers.com/wildwire/this-just-in/help-save-the-real-reindeer/

24. Microscopic life • Protists – one-celled organisms that manufacture their own food, i.e. Paramecia and diatoms • Monerans – unicellular organisms. i.e bacteria in your food, stomach, intestines, and toilet • Fungi – Eukaryotic organisms that feed off dead matter (decomposers), i.e. yeast and mushrooms

25. Microscopic Communities • Microbial mats in polar regions

26. Resources and Technology • Life science divisions of academic institutions • Nunavut Plant Books • Elderly women • NRI • Online research resource centers • Government Agencies

27. Assessment • Assessment to evaluation • Reflective learning • Research skills • Practice of process skills

28. Discussion and Activity • Growing months for plants in cold climates is relatively short especially within the school calendar year. One of the expectations in the curriculum is that students will learn about their own environment. Considering that there might not be easily accessible local plants and microbes that are alive during a unit that involves them; discuss how you would account for this and still teach about plants and microorganisms from the local environment. • HISTORY OF PLANTS As a group, Organize the information in the beginning of the chapter into a timeline. NOTE: dates and information are not provided for every one so you are expected to get that information to complete the timeline.

29. References