Through investigations and experimentation in a variety of environments, students determine the needs, structure, and adaptations of plants. Measuring and recording growth give students the opportunity to compare different life cycles. Activities Students grow plants under a variety of conditions and infer the best conditions for plant growth. Students look at videos, pictures, and examples of plants living in a variety of ecological conditions, and compare and contrast their characteristics and requirements. Partners then attempt to identify the object that left the imprint.
Students observe a variety of plant fossils and infer the plant associated with the fossil.
They then research to find scientists' inferences about the same type of fossil, and evaluate their own inferences. Students research a variety of endangered or extinct plants and infer reasons why they are endangered or extinct. They then compare their reasons with those given by scientists. They demonstrate their scientific skills and processes by observing, conducting investigations, and communicating their observations to others. The teacher may wish to make them part of an ongoing assessment record.