Lesson 1 - Monday, Apr 15 (Day 0)
Focus Question: What is the life cycle of a flowering plant?
What We Did…
We planted our Wisconsin Fast Plant seeds today. The scientific name of this plant is Brassica rapa (or B. rapa for short). This common name for this plant is a rapid-cycling mustard plant. When planting our seeds, we set up two different pots in which we can do an investigation. In one pot we placed 3-4 older (age) mustard seeds. In the other pot we placed 3-4 younger (age) mustard seeds. Our plan is to compare these two differently aged seeds to see if they have the similar germination, growth, development, and reproductive rates.
Homework: There is no science homework tonight.
Lesson 2 - Tuesday, Apr 16 (Day 1)
Focus Question: What is the life cycle of a flowering plant?
What We Did…
Dr. M introduced students to two different data logs today, both of which are in the Google Science Classroom. The WFP Growth & Development Log is a table-based Google Doc in which we will record our plant height and other plant structure observations. The WFP Photographic Log is another table-based Google Doc in which we will upload photos of our plants throughout their life cycle. Students will be responsible for making multiple entries in each of these Data Logs for the next 5-6 weeks.
To help us visualize what our seeds are doing below the soil, we set up a petri dish investigation in which we placed 10 B. rapa seeds sandwiched between multiple layers of moistened paper towel. These seeds will serve as a model for the seeds we planted below the soil, and as a phenomenon to generate other noticings and wonderings about the early stages of the life of flowering plants. Today, students also had time to make drawings and take photos of ungerminated (unopened) B. rapa seeds with the aid of a stereo microscope.
Homework: There is no science homework tonight.
Lesson 3 - Wednesday, Apr 17 (Day 2)
Focus Question: What is the life cycle of a flowering plant?
What We Did…
Students had the entire lesson to make entries into both of their WFP data logs. This work meant not only measuring the height of any plants growing above the soil (and photographing them), but also photographing any successfully germinated seeds in the petri dish investigation. During today’s lesson, Dr. M projected an image onto the whiteboard to help students begin learning the names of the parts of the seedlings (small, young plants) visible to them today.
Homework: There is no science homework tonight.
Lesson 4 - Friday, Apr 19 (Day 4)
Focus Question: What is the life cycle of a flowering plant?
What We Did…
Students again had the entire lesson to make entries into both of their WFP data logs. During today’s lesson, Dr. M showed students a new resource in the Google Science Classroom containing labelled diagrams of Wisconsin Fast Plants at different stages in their life cycle. The expectation, which was emphasized repeatedly in class, is that students use the labelled diagrams to help them 1) write more scientific captions for their photos, and 2) transform their photos into accurately labelled diagrams.
Homework: There is no science homework this weekend.
Announcements...
The DRIVING QUESTION of our current unit is: Where does food come from and where does it go next?
#1 - WFP vocabulary introduced this week included the following terms: seed, seed coat, radicle, root hairs, hypocotyl, cotyledon, and true leaf/leaves.
#2 - WFP processes worth knowing this week include: germination.