Episode 1 phenomenon: Students will watch a short time-lapse video of a seed growing into a plant. As students view the video they will come up with observations using the words “matter” and “energy” that they will record these on a T-chart. They will then briefly share observations with a partner (think-pair-share). Watch video a second time. This time record questions using the words “matter” and “energy” about each observation on the right side of the T-chart.
Episode 2 Students will brainstorm where the mass of a plant comes from and what plants need to grow. They will then design and run an experiments on growing plants to determine what is necessary for plants to grow. They will return to at the end of this standard to form the final conclusions about plants and how they grow.
Episode 3 Students will conduct an investigation to look at an aquatic plant to make observations about the amount of gas being made with different intensities of light. They will form a conclusion about how light affects photosynthesis.
Storyline Narrative 8.3.1
Conceptual Understandings
Plants get bigger and gain mass.
Where did the mass come from?
Snapshot
Watch a time-lapse video on the growth of a bean plant. (Search: time lapse plant or something similar in your favorite search engine)
Episode 1
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Question
Where does the mass for plant growth come from?
Episode 2
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Question
How do energy and matter affect plant growth and where does the plant’s mass come from?
Snapshot
Plan and conduct an investigation on how light, water, and carbon dioxide affect the mass of plant after it's grown.
Conceptual Understandings
Water, carbon dioxide and light amount are the variables that promote plant growth
What gas is produced by photosynthesis?
Episode 3
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Question
What does elodea do in the sun/light source?
Snapshot
Students will conduct an investigation on an aquatic plant to identify the amount of gas being made with different intensities of light.
Conceptual Understandings
Plants make a gas during photosynthesis
What gas is it?
Episode 5
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Question
What else is needed for photosynthesis?
Snapshot
Students read an article about photosynthesis and what is being produced.
Conceptual Understandings
Plants take in light, water, and carbon dioxide they make sugar, and oxygen.
What did plants actually need to grow besides these things?
Conceptual Understandings
The gas being made is oxygen.
What else is needed for photosynthesis?
Snapshot
Run an experiment with the elodea and collect the gas produced over a 24 hour period in front of a light. Take the test tube the next day and demonstrate that the oxygen will reignite a recently blown out match.
Episode 4
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Question
What is the gas in the bubbles?
Conceptual Understandings
Plants get their mass from water and carbon dioxide they do not require soil to grow but they do need light, and carbon dioxide
Snapshot
Students look at their plant data and form a conclusion