Pre-Visit
Activities : Plant Habitats
K-Second Grade Online Curriculum : Habitats
K-Second Grade Online Curriculum : Habitats
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Pre-Visit
Activities : Plant Habitats
K-Second Grade Online Curriculum : Habitats |
|
MAIN Focus
Question Activity
Synopsis Time
Frame Student
Key Terms
Teacher
Key Terms
What do plants need to survive in their habitats?
Students will plant rice seeds and observe them over a
period of two weeks to see how different factors (lack of
light, lack of air, lack of nutrients (soil), lack of water
and lack of space) affect their growth and development. Students
will come to understand that plants need all of these things
in their habitat to survive.
2 weeks
OBJECTIVES The learner
will be able to:
STANDARDS
Standards Supported in Plant Habitats Activity
Grade Level |
Standards |
Kindergarten |
K-1.1, K-1.2, K-1.3, K-1.4, K-1.5, K-2.1, K-2.4, K-2.5 |
1st Grade |
1-1.1, 1-1.2, 1-1.3, 1-1.4, 1-2.1, 1-2.2, 1-2.4, 1-2.5, 1-2.6 |
2nd Grade |
2-1.1, 2-1.2, 2-1.3, 2-1.4, 2-1.5 |
| * Bold standards are the main standards addressed in this activity. | |
Kindergarten Indicators
| K-1.1 | Identify observed objects or events by using the senses. |
| K-1.2 | Use tools (including magnifiers and eyedroppers) safely, accurately, and appropriately when gathering specific data. |
| K-1.3 | Predict and explain information or events based on observation or previous experience. |
| K-1.4 | Compare objects by using nonstandard units of measurement. |
| K-1.5 | Use appropriate safety procedures when conducting investigations. |
| K-2.1 | Recognize what organisms need to stay alive. (including air, water, food, and shelter) |
| K-2.4 | Compare individual examples of a particular type of plant or animal to determine that there are differences among individuals. |
| K-2.5 | Recognize that all organisms go through stages of growth and change called life cycles. |
First Grade Indicators
| 1-1.1 | Compare, classify, and sequence objects by number, shape, texture, size, color, and motion, using standard English units of measurement where appropriate. |
| 1-1.2 | Use tools (including rulers) safely, accurately, and appropriately when gathering specific data. |
| 1-1.3 | Carry out simple scientific investigations when given clear directions. |
| 1-1.4 | Use appropriate safety procedures when conducting investigations. |
| 1-2.1 | Recall the basic needs of plants (including air, water, nutrients, space, and light) for energy and growth. |
| 1-2.2 | Illustrate the major structures of plants (including stems, roots, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds). |
| 1-2.4 | Summarize the life cycle of plants (including germination, growth, and the production of flowers and seeds). |
| 1-2.5 | Explain how distinct environments throughout the world support the life of different types of plants. |
| 1-2.6 | Identify characteristics of plants (including types of stems, roots, leaves, flowers, and seeds) that help them survive in their own distinct environments. |
Second Grade Indicators
| 2-1.1 | Carry out simple scientific investigations to answer questions about familiar objects and events. |
| 2-1.2 | Use tools (including thermometers, rain gauges, balances, and measuring cups) safely, accurately, and appropriately when gathering specific data in US customary (English) and metric units of measurement. |
| 2-1.3 | Represent and communicate simple data and explanations through drawings, tables, pictographs, bar graphs, and oral and written language. |
| 2-1.4 | Infer explanations regarding scientific observations and experiences. |
| 2-1.5 | Use appropriate safety procedures when conducting investigations.. |
BACKGROUND Key
Points Detailed Information Like
animals, plants are also dependent on habitats as places where
they can get the things they need in order to survive. Like
animals, plants depend on air, food, water and space to survive
and these are the things they need in their habitat. Plants
differ from animals, though, in the way they acquire and use
their habitat needs. For example, to get the food they need,
plants must be able to get air, water, sunlight and nutrients.
Because of this, a plant's habitat needs could more specifically
be listed as air, water, sunlight, nutrients and space.
Plants
are defined as multicellular organisms that get their energy
through photosynthesis. There are currently estimated to
be 400,000 species of plants on earth and they come in all
shapes and sizes. In South Carolina one can find everything
from the tiny foamflowers of the mountains to the majestic
live oaks of the coast. One
of the reasons plants need air and water in their habitat
is because they use these things to make the food energy
that they need. Through photosynthesis,
plants use the energy of sunlight to convert water and carbon
dioxide into energy. This energy takes the form of the carbohydrate,
glucose
(sugar). Plants use glucose as energy to allow it to grow
and build structures such as leaves, flowers and fruits.
Glucose that is not used immediately is converted into starch
and carbohydrates, which are stored in the plant for future
use. These are stored in the roots, stems and leaves. Some
of these roots, stems and leaves are the vegetables found
at the grocery store, such as potatoes, celery and spinach. In order
for photosynthesis to occur, plants need air, water and
sunlight. Plants get air through pores in their leaves,
water through the roots in the ground and sunlight through
cell structures in the leaves known as chloroplasts.
Chloroplasts contain the pigment chlorophyll,
which can absorb sunlight (except the green waves of light,
which are reflected out and give plant leaves their green
coloration). The energy from the sunlight is used to provoke
a chemical reaction between carbon dioxide and water to
produce glucose and oxygen. The plant uses glucose as energy
and the oxygen is released in the atmosphere. This oxygen
is then used by animals, such as humans, to allow them to
carry out their life processes. This is a simplified explanation
of photosynthesis but provides a basic understanding of
the concept. Besides
water, air and sunshine, plants also need minerals and space
to survive. Plants draw nutrients, such as potassium and
nitrogen, out of the soil through their roots. These nutrients
are used in processes important to plant survival, such
as osmosis regulation or enzyme production. Plants also
need space so they are not in competition with other plants.
If certain plants are too close together, their roots will
compete for nutrients and water out of the soil and thus
may not be able to get enough of what they need to survive.
Also, larger plants, such as trees, can block enough sunlight
to make it impossible for other plants to grow underneath
them, as the smaller plants cannot get the light they need
to perform photosynthesis. Rice,
the focus of this activity, is a plant very important to
the cultural and natural history of South Carolina. Rice
is a type of grass that can grow from two to six feet tall.
Originally, rice flourished in dry climates, but thousands
of years of cultivation have lead to varieties of rice that
do very well in water-saturated areas. Today, rice is perhaps
the world's most important crop and provides more calories
to the human race than any other food. Annually about 570
million tons of rice is harvested worldwide. In antebellum
times, rice was one of the major crops grown in South Carolina.
It began in 1694 and at its peak in 1850 between 100,000
to 150,000 acres of land in the state was being cultivated
for rice production. This had both cultural and environmental
impacts. The intensive labor required to grow rice encouraged
slaveholding, and thus strengthened and increased this practice.
Slaves were used to clear forests, drain wetlands and build
impoundments for rice fields, and so much of the original
habitat was changed to grow rice. Impoundments
were areas in which earth banks were built up to hold reserves
of water in place to be used to supply water to the rice
fields. These impoundments used systems of water control
devices and drainage ditches to allow water to flow in and
out. Today about 70,000 acres of impoundments still remain.
Though a major alteration of the natural landscape, these
impoundments have become important habitat for migrating
waterfowl. The South Carolina Aquarium has an exhibit representing
the habitat of rice impoundments.
To grow
rice, other organisms' habitats were changed to make the
area more suitable to the adaptations of rice. Like all
plants, though, rice is dependent on air, water, sunlight,
nutrients and space in order to survive. Because, the habitat
created for cultivating rice contained these things, many
other plants are now able to thrive on this land, because
it is suitable habitat for them as well.
Key Points will give you the main information you
should know to teach the activity.
Detailed Information gives more in-depth background to
increase your own knowledge, in case you want to expand upon
the activity or you are asked detailed questions.
PROCEDURES Materials
Procedure
2.
Explain to students that they will be determining what
plants need to survive. Set six flower pots up in the
classroom near a sunny window. Fill four with potting
soil. Another one will have potting soil with grass growing
in it. This can be accomplished either by planting grass
seed in the pot a few weeks before the activity begins,
or by buying a square of grass turf at a nursery and cutting
it out to fit the pot. The last one will have not have
soil in it. Each pot will be labeled. The pot with no
soil will be labeled "No soil". The pot with
grass will be labeled "No space". The other
four will be labeled "No air", "No water",
"No sunlight" and "Control". Each
pot will have a seedling placed in it. The ones with soil
will have the seedlings transplanted into the soil.. The
empty pot will have the seedling placed on the bottom
of it. Except for the pot labeled "No water",
all of the pots will be watered. After watering, the "No
air" pot will be placed in a sealed Spacebag with
the air removed and the "No light" pot will
be placed under an aerated opaque cover.
3.
Each day the students will water the pots, except the
"No water" pot, and observe what is happening
in each of them. They will write or draw their observations
in a journal. If the students are not able to write yet,
the teacher should record the students' observations in
a classroom journal or have students draw their observations
in their own journals. They should do this each day with
the day labeled. If they see no change, they should write
"No change". For example:
4.
After two weeks, the students should compare what happened
to each of the rice seedlings. The students will
review their journals, compare the things each plant was
receiving or not receiving, what happened to each plant
because of this and make guesses about what plants need
to survive. Class will discuss the results and consider
whether they think their results are true of all plants.
Follow-up question
Day 3
No soil: No change
No space: No change
No air: No change
No sunlight: No change
No water: Turning brown, leaves wilting
Control: Growing
ASSESSMENT Give
each student 3 rice seeds to plant as well as accessible flower
pots, soil, water and window sills with sunlight. Tell students,
based on what they have learned, they must make the rice seed
grow. Students must determine on their own that they will
need to put soil in the flower pot, plant the seed in the
soil, place the flowerpot in the sunlight and water it regularly.
Have students write their response in a journal. Scoring
Rubric (Out of 5 points) Cross-curricular
Extensions Cooking
extension Social Studies extension Language
Arts extension Language
Arts extension Language Arts extension
Science extension
Have students plant oak tree acorns or tulip bulbs to
see the similarities in what these plants need to grow.
Have students make and eat rice pudding. Have them think
about how doing this is meeting one of the student's own habitat
requirements.
Most of the rice plantations in South Carolina were found
right near the Coast. Rice crops need lots of water. Show
students a map of South Carolina and point out where most
of the rice plantations would have been found. Ask students
why they think the plantations were built where they were.
Have students research and bring in samples of different types of rice that
are sold at the grocery store. Use senses to determine how the rice are different.
Have students gather rice recipes and create a rice recipe
cookbook.
Read any of the children's books listed below to students.
This book is written for preschool to first grade audiences
and provides an introduction to seeds and plants. The words
and illustrations are both very simple.
This book provides students with nice photographs of how
rice is grown, produced, and packaged for human consumption
as well as showing students some of the ways humans use
rice in their daily lives.
This book tells a story about a child who travels from house
to house looking for her brother, but instead of finding
her brother she discovers how people of all different cultures
cook rice. A set of recipes is provided at the end of the
book.
This book is beautifully illustrated and is about the sawah,
or rice field, in Bali.
RESOURCES Teacher Reference Books The National Audubon
Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers: Eastern Region, Alfred
A. Knopf, Inc., New York 1979. The National Audubon
Society Field Guide to North American Trees: Eastern Region, Alfred A. Knopf,
Inc., New York 1980. Porcher, Richard D. Wildflowers
of the Carolina Lowcountry and Lower Pee Dee, University of South Carolina
Press, Columbia, SC, 1995. Raven, Peter H., Ray F.
Evert and Susan E. Eichhorn. Biology of Plants, W.H. Freeman and Company,
New York, 1999. Teal, John and Mildred.
Life and Death of the Salt Marsh, Ballantine Books, New York, 1969. Teacher Reference Videos Teacher Reference Websites The Botanical Society
of America The South Carolina Native
Plants Society Student Reference Books Eyewitness Books: Tree,
Alfred A. Knopf, Inc, New York, 1988. Kalman, Bobbie D. How
A Plant Grows, Crabtree Publishing Company, 1996. The National Audubon
First Field Guide: Trees, Scholastic, Inc, 1999. The National Audubon
First Field Guide: Wildflowers, Scholastic, Inc, 1998 Zim, Herbert and Alexander
Martin. Trees: A Golden Guide, Golden Press, New York, 1987. Zim, Herbert and Alexander
Martin. Flowers: A Golden Guide, Golden Press, New York, 1987. Student Fiction Books Morrison, Gordon. Oak
Tree, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 2000. Curricula For more information click
on: Hunken, Jorie and the New
England Wild Flower Society. Botany For All Ages: Discovering Nature Through
Activities For Children and Adults, The Globe Pequot Press, Old Saybrook,
Connecticut, 1993. Project WILD For more information click
on: Field Trip Sites Plants If
you are aware of other books, videos, websites, curricula,
fieldtrip destinations or other materials that would make
excellent resources for this activity, please e-mail them
to us for inclusion in this list at: Education@scaquarium.org
Eyewitness Visual Dictionaries: The Visual Dictionary of Plants, DK
Publishing, Inc., New York, 1992.
Using visually striking photographs and illustrations, this book identifies
the various parts and structures of a variety of plants.
The National Audubon Society Field Guides not only contain information to allow
the user to identify specific plants, but also provide information on the habitat,
range and life history of that plant. They also contain beautiful photographs.
Written by a biology professor at the Citadel, this book contains identification
information as well as general information on the ecology and natural history
of Lowcountry wildflowers. It contains beautiful photographs.
Though admittedly college textbooks are often a little too dry and complex,
they are often the best resources for finding information on a particular subject.
This college textbook is an excellent resource for anyone wanting to know more
about the biology of plants.
An in-depth look at one of the most important and productive ecosystems in South
Carolina, with chapters on spartina grass and the other marsh plants and their
effect on the surrounding wildlife communities.
Attenborough, Sir David. The Private Lives of Plants (Video series),
Turner Home Entertainment, 1995.
Sir David Attenborough, who was responsible for the heralded Trials of Life
video series, has put together this amazing documentary series that uses advanced
camera techniques to show the life processes of plants. Though the entire series
may be too advanced for elementary students, it is a wonderful resource for
teachers.
About.com: The Human Internet: Botany
botany.about.com/science/botany/
Information, other website links and live people who can answer questions about
plants.
www.botany.org
Information on the society whose mission is to increase public awareness of
botany. Includes links to kids' websites on plants.
cufp.clemson.edu/scnativeplants/
Information on the society, on the native plants of South Carolina and on the
issues related to native and exotic species. Contains links to related websites.
Eyewitness Books: Plant, Alfred A. Knopf, Inc, New York, 1988.
These very attractive books use photographs, illustrations and text to teach
the readers about plants and trees. Contains every thing from photographs that
show how a seedling grows to photographs that show how fallen leaves decompose.
Text for students on plants that includes information on photosynthesis and
the importance of plants to food chains. Includes experiments and activities.
These field guides for children use photographs and text to allow students to
identify plants and to learn about their natural history. Also handy as references
for teachers.
These field guides for children use illustrations and text to allow students
to identify plants and to learn about their natural history. Though not as attractive
as the Audubon guides, they are good references for students and teachers.
Fleischmann, Paul. Weslandia, Candlewick Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts,
1999.
This is a picture book, but it is one that can be appreciated by 3rd, 4th and
5th graders. It is the story of an unpopular boy who uses the plants growing
in his backyard to create his own civilization. It is a very entertaining story
and is effective for showing the dependence of humans on plants.
The story of an oak tree, how it changes through the seasons and how different
animals in the community make use of it. Each page contains natural history
information on the various organisms mentioned.
Aquatic Project WILD
Aquatic Project WILD is an interdisciplinary curriculum for K-12 teachers
on aquatic wildlife and ecosystems. The activities cover a broad range of environmental
and conservation topics. For information on signing up for workshops, call the
South Carolina Department of Natural Resources at (803) 734-3814.
www.dnr.state.sc.us/cec/educate/edu1.html#teacher
A collection of hands-on activities about plants.
Project WILD is an interdisciplinary curriculum for K-12 teachers on a broad
range of environmental and conservation topics. For information on signing up
for workshops, call the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources at (803)
734-3814.
www.dnr.state.sc.us/cec/educate/edu1.html#teacher
Plants in a Salt Marsh
One of the best places to see the importance of plants in a habitat is in
salt marshes. The Spartina grass that is so important to this habitat as the
base of the food chain can be seen everywhere. Many other species (wading birds,
fiddler crabs, oysters, periwinkle snails) can be easily observed participating
in these food chains. Below are listed some of the sites where salt marshes
are accessible to students.
Located near Awendaw, this refuge preserves 64,000 acres
of marshes, open water and barrier island. The Sewee Visitor
and Environmental Education Center is an interpretive center
for the public and school groups that is open Tuesday through
Sunday. A boat tour to undeveloped Bulls Island is also
available that allows a close up view of the marsh. For
more information on Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge
call (843) 928-3368. For information on the boat trip to
Bulls Island call (843) 881-4582.
Located on Charleston Harbor, this division of the South Carolina Department
of Natural Resources offers interpretive programs that take students directly
into a salt marsh. For information on making arrangements for a program call
(843) 762-5437.
This reserve, located between Edisto Beach and Hunting
Island, contains 12,000 acres of tidal marshes and estuarine
waters. The area is rich in wildlife: fish, crustaceans,
birds and even mammals can all be found here. Boat tours
are available through this area for high school and college
students. For more information call (843) 762-5032.
Plants are an integral part of any habitat, and are found
almost anywhere. Certain sites in South Carolina are well
known for the rare and interesting plants they contain. Below
is a listing of some of these sites.
Devils Fork State Park is located in the Northwest corner
of South Carolina near Pickens. It is renowned for its wildflowers
including the very rare Oconee bells. For more information
call (864) 944-2639 or click on www.southcarolinaparks.com.
Located just south of McCormick near the Savannah River,
this geologically interesting site offers a unique array
of plants. A variety of wildflowers can be found in the
forest and floodplain habitats of this site. For more information
call (803) 734-3893.
Located outside of Rock Hill, this preserve contains
plant species more common to prairie habitats than to South
Carolina. The site is home to many rare plant species. For
more information call (803) 734-3893.