Great Plant Escape

Empowered Learner

Overview

The Great Plant Escape has students find clues, do experiments, and solve problems as they journey into the world of plants.

Learning Objectives

Students will:

Understand plant life as they complete various missions.
Be able to demonstrate their knowledge through reading, listening and solving mysteries.

Vocabulary

Vocabulary Words:

Herbaceous: A herbaceous plants regrow stems.
Woody: A woody plant stem lives for many years.
Annual: An annual is a plant that completes its life in one growing season.
Perennial: A perennial is a plant that lives for three or more years.
Biennial: A biennial is a plant that needs two growing seasons to complete its life cycle.
Dormant: Dormant means to rest over the winter.
Taproot: A taproot is a large, central, and dominant root from which other roots sprout laterally.
Fibrous root: A fibrous root system is the opposite of a taproot system. It is usually formed by thin, moderately branching roots growing from the stem.
Xylem: Xylem are cells that move water.
Phloem: Phloem are cells that move food.
Simple: A simple leaf is a flat, simple single leaf blade.
Petiole: The petiole is the part that joins the leaf to the main stem.
Cuticle: The cuticle is a protective covering that is found on the outside of leaves, stems and fruit.
Photosynthesis: Photosynthesis is the food making process.
Pistil: The pistil is the female parts of the flower, there are four parts.
Stigma: The stigma is the female part of the flower that is in the center where the pollen lands.
Style: The style is another female part that is the long stalk.
Ovary: The ovary is the part of the flower that has the seeds.
Ovules: Ovules are the part of the ovary that becomes the seed.
Stamens: The stamens are the male part of the flower that has the anther and the filament.
Anther: The anther is the yellow, pouch-like part inside of the flower that holds pollen grains. It is usually on top of a long stalk that looks like a fine hair.
Filament: The filament is the fine hair-like stalk that supports the anther.
Fertilization: Fertilization is the joining of pollen with an ovule to form a seed.
Sepals: Sepals are the parts that look like little green leaves that cover the outside of a flower bud to protect the flower before it opens.
Embryo: An embryo is the baby plant within the seed.
Endosperm: An endosperm is a short-term food supply used by the embryo to help its growth.
Monocots: A monocot is a plant that has only one cotyledon.
Dicots: Dicots are a plant that has not one but two cotyledons.
Nutrients: The nutrients are the food for the plants.
Stem: A stem carries food and water through the plant.
Flower: A flower produces seeds.

Pre-planning

To prepare for this lesson:

The teacher should preview the Extension website and the different cases.
- https://web.extension.illinois.edu/gpe/index.cfm
- https://web.extension.illinois.edu/gpe/tg/index.cfm
Watch the videos
- How Does a Seed Become a Plant
- Parts of The Plant for Kids - Plant Characteristics

Note: The Great Plant Escape is laid out nicely for students to complete independently or with a partner.

Accommodations

See Accommodations Page and Charts on the 21things4students.net site in the Teacher Resources.

Steps

Directions for this activity:

Students:

Log onto The Great Plant Escape.
Click ENTER to begin.
Read the Welcome.
Begin the cases on the top tab.

Assessment Options

Different options for assessing the students:

Observations
Check for understanding
Teacher created assessment
Create or locate a Kahoot on plants
Student-created posters
Class and small group discussion

MITECS Competencies & ISTE Standards

MITECS: Michigan adopted the "ISTE Standards for Students" called MITECS (Michigan Integrated Technology Competencies for Students) in 2018.

Empowered Learner
1a. Students articulate and set personal learning goals, develop strategies leveraging technology to achieve them and reflect on the learning process itself to improve learning outcomes.
1b. Students build networks and customize their learning environments in ways that support the learning process.
1c. Students use technology to seek feedback that informs and improves their practice and to demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways.
1d. Students understand the fundamental concepts of technology operations, demonstrate the ability to choose, use and troubleshoot current technologies and are able to transfer their knowledge to explore emerging technologies.