This is a classroom activity where students will make plant rubbings and plant pressings of Minnesota plants.
This activity is a field investigation where students compare leaves, share observations and develop an investigable question to be explored by the class in small groups.
This activity is a guided inquiry where students will find their own lichen and classify it into one of three categories. They will collect, analyze, and present their finding to the class.
Students plant sunflower seeds in plastic cups, and once germinated, expose them to varying light or soil moisture conditions. They measure growth of the seedlings every few days using non-standard measurement (inch cubes). After a few weeks, they compare the growth of plants exposed to the different conditions and make bar comparative graphs, which they analyze to draw conclusions about the needs of plants.
In this activity students will explore leaves using inquiry and their senses.
What do plants need? Students examine the effects of light and air on green plants, learning the processes of photosynthesis and transpiration. Student teams plant seeds, placing some in sunlight and others in darkness. They make predictions about the outcomes and record ongoing observations of the condition of the stems, leaves and roots. Then, several healthy plants are placed in glass jars with lids overnight. Condensation forms, illustrating the process of transpiration, or the release of moisture to the atmosphere by plants.
This is a field investigation where students observe plants in a school forest setting. Students then compare adaptations of plants from different parts of the forest.
This activity is a field investigation where students identify native MN plants and record the common name, scientific name, and important information about each.
This activity is a field-based investigation involving identifying and investigating common trees on the schoolyard and creating a field guide containing pressed leaves.
This activity is a year long project observing the changes in a specific tree. It includes using all the senses in the observation and making two different booklets to record what we observe. It also includes several picture story books that enhance the lesson.
This activity involves seed collection and exploration of common seeds.
The students will observe a maple tree throughout the year and recognize changes in weather and phenology using their 5 senses.
This activity is a tree leaf collection, identification, and display of dried and pressed leaves. It teaches students about distinguishing leaf characteristics as well as a way to display and label their collection.
This is a field and classroom activity in which students will observe tulip growth and identify and describe the parts of the tulip flower.
The teacher leads a discussion in which students identify the physical needs of animals, and then speculate on the needs of plants. With guidance from the teacher, the students then help design an experiment that can take place in the classroom to test whether or not plants need light and water in order to grow. Sunflower seeds are planted in plastic cups, and once germinated, are exposed to different conditions. In particular, within the classroom setting it is easy to test for the effects of light versus darkness, and watered versus non-watered conditions. During exposure of the plants to these different conditions, students measure growth of the seedlings every few days using non-standard measurement. After a few weeks, they compare the growth of plants exposed to the different conditions, and make pictorial bar graphs that demonstrate these comparisons.
This activity is a field investigation where students gather leaves and make observation about the leaves and based on their data determine which leaves are the most common where they live.