PLSS Plants and People

Plants and
People
110
Plants and People Overview
There are so many wonderful things about plants that humans have discovered throughout the ages. Early
humans gathered plants of all kinds for many reasons—including food, shelter and even clothing. Our
discovery of plants and plant uses con!nues to grow as scien!sts learn more about the marvels of the
species. Its impossible to look around and not see the impact of plants on our daily lives. Humans, as
crea!ve and opportunis!c beings, have con!nued to find ways to increase the ability to use local plants.
In this unit, students will begin to uncover the various ways that humans have used plants to benefit every
aspect of their lives. All of the discovery around plant uses was done through observa!on, experimenta!on
and science. This is an exci!ng thing for students to understand because as long as humans remain curious
and crea!ve towards the plants around them, the more they can benefit form the incredible things plants
can do!
This unit begins with students exploring how people in their lives may have used local plants throughout
their lives—this is a field of study called ethnobotany. Ethnobotany opens students eyes to understanding
how traits or preferences of humans affects how local plant life does or does not change over !me.
Building off of this concept, students will learn about plants that we need—primarily as food sources– and
how those needs have influenced the kinds of plants and crops that are prevalent in our communi!es.
Next, students will understand how the evolu!on of what we need has led humans to influence the kinds of
plants we want and help to thrive. In these lessons, students will explore how plant materials benefit our
lives as we learn about how the preference for edible crops, natural dyes, na!ve and non-na!ve
landscaping.
As students discover and explore the intersec!on of what plants provide and what people desire they will
gain an apprecia!on for the natural world. This unit engages students in a variety of ways—they will u!lize
cri!cal thinking, research and inquiry based problem solving skills. They will conduct hands on experiments,
complete research and begin understanding complicated concepts include gene!cs—all while having fun!
111
Plants and People Overview
Plants and People Curriculum Plan

Topic 5E Phase Suggested Ac!vi!es Page number
Engage
Family Interviews 113
Ethnobotany Explore
2 sessions Engage
Virtual Field Lab 123
Explore
Explore Domes ca on Sor ng Model 133
Plants We Need Explain

An microbial Species Model 164
3 lessons Explore
Explore Fibers Inves ga on 175
Engage
Natural Dyes 182
Plants We Want Explain
2 lessons Explore
Picking Preferences 195
Expand
Engage
Sustainability and Gene cs 215
Explore
Innova on
Explain
2 lessons Biomimicry 233
Elaborate
PROJECT:
Design a product or process which uses plants to
Innova on Elaborate 243
provide a sustainable solu on to a problem
Challenge
Field Lab at Missouri Botanical Garden –Paper vs.
Field Lab Elaborate FT
Plas!cs
112
Ethnobotany
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Family Interviews
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Students will conduct interviews with older family members regarding their experiences
surrounding ethnobotany, be=er known as the prac cal use of plants by people in daily life. The
findings of these interviews will be further inves gated in class, then reported to the class.
Students will conduct interviews with older family members regarding their experiences
surrounding ethnobotany, be=er known as the prac cal use of plants by people in daily life. The
findings of these interviews will be further inves gated in class, then reported in small
presenta ons/show and tell style.
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· Obtain informa on on plants uses from an elder member of student’s family or community
· Iden fy the causes and effects that can explain the change between what the older
genera on did or knew and current prac ces, what needs and wants changed over me.
· Iden fy the ways in which plants used by the interviewee were a part of the social
interac on and group behavior of people during that me, including what tradi ons,
lifestyle, and coopera ve rela onships led to this behavior being widely prac ced.
· Evaluate how natural resources and prac ces were used to sa sfy a need or want involving
specific requirements and constraints on materials, me, or cost.
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· Which plants were useful in our local environment and what has changed over me?
· Are the same plants s ll available for use or is the local environment now very different?
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· Which plants were useful in our local environment and what has changed over me?
· Are the same plants s ll available for use or is the local environment now very different?
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Materials Needed Quan ty Included in PLSS

kit
No materials needed
113
Ethnobotany
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Family Interviews
3-LS3-2 Use evidence to support the explana on that traits can be influenced by the
environment
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Science and Engineering Disciplinary Core Ideas Crosscutting Concepts:

Practices:
Construc ng Explana ons and LS3.B Varia on of Traits Cause and Effect
Designing Solu ons
· The Environment also affects the
· Use evidence to support an traits that an organism develops
explana on
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· Ethnobotany— The regional study of plants and their prac cal uses through the lens of local
cultures and people
· Genera on — A group of people born and living during the same me
· Interview — A mee ng where people talk to each other asking a set of ques ons designed to
provide informa on
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Ethnobotany
Prior to lesson: If the class sends out a weekly newsle=er, it could be beneficial to let the
Family Interviews
families of your students know that the class will be conduc ng family interviews discussing
how our use of plants have changed over the years.
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· Explain to students that we will be conduc ng an interview with a family member.
· This interview is considered a type of oral history or the collec on of living people’s
tes mony about their own life experiences
· Not necessarily gossip or folklores
· A social historian o_en performs various tasks in collec ng an oral history regarding
everyday life and ac vi es of everyday people. Some of these steps may include:
· Central thema c ques ons or issues
· Conduc ng background research
· Interview of living person
· Organizing and presen ng the interview informa on
· As a historian, this informa on that is derived from a person who
lived through an event is highly valued. Interviewee opinions and
emo ons are recorded is these conversa ons
· If classroom me allows, invite students to research
electronic copies of primary sources interviews throughout
history
· Invite students to begin prac cing an oral history interview
· In order to prepare ourselves for the interview, we need to prac ce
interviewing a partner
· Decide which type of media (recording, video, pencil and paper) students
will be used to interview partner.
· Brainstorm as a whole class, a list of 5 ques ons to ask to their partner
· Note: It may be beneficial to include a ques on such as how many
mes has their classmate landed on the moon.
· Purposeful inclusion of such a far fetched ques on
demonstrates to students that not every answer they may obtain
could be accurate. When asked this par cular ques on,
students may embellish the truth and state they have been to
the moon X amount of mes.
· Some mes historians need addi onal follow up
research to prove if the informa on is factual
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Ethnobotany
· Note: Ques•on topics and amount of ques•ons not important. This is
Family Interviews
a prac•ce exercise to get into the habit of asking ques•ons and recording
informa•on
· You may use the student science notebook to create a graphic
organizer for students to write down ques•ons agreed upon as a
reference and to record responses
Interview of ______________________________
Conducted by ____________________________
Date:___________________________________
Ques•on Ques•on Ques•on

1 2 3
Response Response Response
Ques•on Ques•on
5 4
Response Response
· To prac•ce interviewing, students will be assigned to a partner or partners

and will ask agreed upon ques•ons to their partner
· Provide students amble •me to prac•ce wri•ng down the responses in
science notebook
· Upon conclusion of partners interviews, bring the class back as a whole
· Allow students individual •me to reflect upon the ques•ons that were asked
· Students could create a second science notebook entry with the
following graphic organizer
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Ethnobotany
Family Interviews
I observed . . . . Reflec•on of interview . . . . Follow up ques•ons
Addi•onal notes or items needing further inves•ga•on
· Discuss partner interview responses.

· Were there any similari•es/differences between the partner groups?
· Were there any similari•es/differences between how responses were
collected (recording vs paper). Is there a significant difference
between the two?
· What can you tell each other about the person responding to the
ques•ons
· Summarize findings of the interview results and come up with
a factual statement regarding the class as a whole.
· factual sentence could read “10 of our classmates
favorite pet is a …….
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Ethnobotany
· Inform the students that for the next por•on of our lesson, we will
Family Interviews
iden•fy and then interview elder family members, neighbors or other
educators/staff in the school (librarian, custodian, or administra•on)
who have lived through periods of societal change in terms of lifestyle.
Inform students that they should think about people that they can
easily contact.
· If age appropriate u•lize the Genera•onal Chart, introduce key
events that have defined previous genera•ons as they grew up
· Preferably, students would iden•fy older Baby
Boomers or Silent Genera•on persons that have lived
through periods of a less urbanized experience.
· While “grandma, who grew up on a farm” may seem
ideal, students can also find suitable candidates in the
form of mentoring personali•es that know a li$le about
a wide variety of subjects and can speak on a societal
rather than personal level about what “some folks”
used to do.
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Ethnobotany
· Ask the students to consider how •mes may have changed since this
Family Interviews
iden•fied person’s childhood and how that would affect the
knowledge that he or she would find useful and have to carry with
them.
· In the past, technology was simpler and many of the ways
people met their needs might rely more heavily on the natural
environment.
· In the student science notebook, have the students
write down five possible people to talk to then narrow it
down to the best two or three with backups in case
they cannot be reached in a •mely fashion.
· Once two or three people have been iden•fied for each
individual student, as a class brainstorm ques•ons rela•ng to
how the interviewee may have used or experienced the use of
plants growing up.
· Students should record their selected ques•ons (no
more than five ques•ons) in their student science
notebooks using graphic organizer
· Example of ques•ons include:
· What games or toys were made from
scavenged plant materials when play was
mostly outdoors?
· What flavors of candy, spices, or
vegetables were more common when
you were younger?
· What collec•ng or work with plant
materials have you done as chores or in
meal making?”
· What hobbies or cra%ing projects used
to be popular that made use of materials
collected from nature?
· Are there any ac•vi•es they can recall
that are harder to do now since rules
and public spaces have changed?
· What ac•vity has changed the most or
even disappeared that used to rely more
upon the natural environment or local
farming?
· Who taught the interviewee how to use
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Ethnobotany
this plant and what memories does it
Family Interviews
raise?
· This list can be recorded in the
student science notebook and/or
printed out by the teacher.
· To close the ac•vity, compile and ensure that each student
leaves with a list of ques•ons that the class agrees are the best
ques•ons allowing the interviewees to share their experiences
on using plants as a resource to meet some need people once
had.
· Discuss proper manners when asking ques•ons to an
interviewee
· Provide students with amble •me to conduct the interviews at home or at the
school.
· If students are interviewing rela•ves or neighbors at home, it may be
best to provide students with at a minimum one weekend to conduct
the interview
· It could be beneficial for an adult to be present with the
student when asking ques•ons to the interviewee. Adults can
some•mes speak above the child’s level of understanding
· Students should conduct the interview and record the
responses before star•ng Ac•vity 2
· With family permissions. invite students to bring in pictures or ar•facts
from their family history they uncovered during their interviews and
research.
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· Following the interviews, allow the students a brief period to reflect upon the responses they
received and to include the most interes•ng topics that were discussed in their student
science notebook
· Provide students •me to research details regarding the responses received so the
student can be fully clear on the context, methods and species of plant used and
discussed in the interview
· The following are poten•al topics student interviewees may address:
· Some plants used may require heavy processing or treatments to make
them workable as materials or edible as food. Extrac•ng and
conver•ng from the raw form to the finished product may be an
exhaus•ve process as with cocoa or maple syrup.
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Ethnobotany
· Formerly common produce may have been replaced or fallen off the
Family Interviews
radar as with huckleberry or the original “Gros Michel” strain of
banana.
· Societal changes such as urbaniza•on, stranger danger, priva•za•on of
formerly public resources, and li•giousness, may have changed what
was commonly accepted from one genera•on to the next.
· Ac•vi•es such as victory gardens, feeding on the nectar of a neighbor’s
honeysuckle bush, or whi$ling with a pocketknife at a young age may
have been common for older genera•ons but foreign to the students.
· Some•mes folklore and home remedies can turn out to be old
wives tales under closer examina•on, or there can be
confusion with common names as to which plant was actually
used.
· As a whole class, invite students to share excerpts from their
interviews. Students could discuss
· Who is the person and when did you record the oral history
· Did this persons account match with a historical event
· What did you learn from this persons story
· Did the interview seem conversa•onal or more ques•on and
answer sessions
· Did this story have an emo•onal impact on the interviewer
· Was any informa•on surprising and if so why was it surprising?
· What media did you use to ask ques•ons
· Do you ques•on the accuracy of any of the informa•on
· What informa•on did you gather about plant use changes in
everyday life?
· Allow students who share responses to compare and contrast key
findings in classmate interviews
· Provide amble class •me for electronic or book resource access
· Students to research a stock image and informa•on of a plant
men•oned by their interviewees
· At a minimum, students should a$empt to find a good photograph of a
plant men•oned in the interview as well as any recipes or images that
121
Ethnobotany
can show how the par•cular plant was used.
Family Interviews
· Upon researching the plants that were discussed within their
family interviews, students can share their findings and pictures
with a partner or the whole class
· Allow students to explain how and why the par•cular
plant was being used and if their was a par•cular
problem that was being solved by using this plant
· If school policy allows, family members can be invited into the
classroom to discuss a first hand account of how plants were
used in their life•me
· The following are some follow up ques•ons to student
presen•ng or to family member guest:
· What may have changed that has caused this
plant use to happen less?
· Is the plant based solu•on or process s•ll done
today the same way as it has been done in the
past or is it being completed a different
manner?
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· Relate to students the importance of recognizing that the ethnobotany of different
genera•ons and cultures is not only a form of science and technology akin to engineering
design but also a societal prac•ce of people communica•ng this knowledge and coopera•ng
to use it in groups.
· As humans, one of our greatest skills is discovering and sharing informa•on that
everyone can put to good use. It is no accident that publica•on and peer review are
huge part of science.
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Ethnobotany
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Virtual Field Lab
Virtual Field Lab

Students will cross use the iNaturalist website to iden•fy the loca•ons of plants men•oned in
the interviews that may be growing locally. Then, students will synthesize inquiry ques•ons to
determine pa$erns in their distribu•on and conserva•on. Students will select a specific plant
that is ethnobotanically useful and follow-up with a second round a$emp•ng to locate the
plant using further inquiry to determine whether the pa$erns can be corroborated or refined.
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· Use maps to analyze and interpret pa$erns in distribu•on and ecology of plants with
valuable ethnobotanical use
· Gather informa•on on the impact of human ac•vi•es on the processes affec•ng and
affected by ecosystems and organisms we may want.
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· Navigate iNaturalist website to understand more about plants that humans use.
· Connect the availability, or lack of availability, of plants we use to how the local
environment has changed for other human needs.
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· How do compe•ng human interests and needs affect the ways local environments or
communi•es change?
· How do decisions made by humans in one genera•on affect the local environment and
plants that are available for future genera•ons?
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Materials Needed Quantity Included in PLSS

kit
Green Onion
Clear Plas!c Cups 25
Field Guide to Medicinal Wild Plants 1
Edible Wild Plants: Eastern/Central North America 1
Wild Edibles of Missouri by Jan Phillips 5 (electronic copy on flash drive)

Educator or students will be asked to bring a canned plant based food item brought from home for discussion
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Ethnobotany
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Virtual Field Lab

5-LS1-1. Support an argument that plants get the materials they need for growth chiefly from
air and water
5-LS2-1. Develop a model to describe the movement of ma#er among plants, animals,
decomposers and the environment
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Science and Engineering Practices: Disciplinary Core Ideas Crosscutting

Concepts:
Develop and Using Models LS1.C Organiza•on for Ma6er and Energy Flow in System and System
Organisms Models
· Develop a model to describe phenomena
· Plants acquire their material for growth chiefly Energy and Ma#er
from air and water
LS2.A: Interdependent Rela•onships in Ecosystems
· The food of almost any kind of animal can be

traced back to plants. Organisms are related in
food webs in which some animals eat plants for
food and other animals eat the animals that eat
plants. Some organisms, such as fungi and bacteria,
break down dead organisms (both plants or plants
parts and animals) and therefore operate as
“decomposers.” Decomposi!on eventually restores
(recycles) some materials back to the soil.
Organisms can survive only in environments in
which their par!cular needs are met. A healthy
ecosystem is one in which mul!ple species of
different types are each able to meet their needs in
a rela!vely stable web of life. Newly introduced
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· Distribu•on — The way in which similar plants are spread over a defined area
· Ethnobotany— The regional study of plants and their prac•cal uses through the lens of local cultures and
people
· iNaturalist — A free observa•on pla2orm that acts as a place for people to record biodiversity
observa•ons, interact with other enthusiasts, and to learn about organisms across the globe
124
Ethnobotany
Virtual Field Lab Instruc!on
Virtual Field Lab

· Invite students to share as a whole class what they know about plants, interac!ons
they have had with plants and what plants need in order to survive
· Following this ini!al brainstorm discussion, inform the students that the
following lesson will be an introduc!on for the students to the needs of
plants in order survive/grow and how we (humans) interact with plants as a
food source
· As students brainstorm, educator may need to move the
conversa!on that plants need specific things in order to survive.
These items, in no specific order include: Air, sunlight, space,
temperature, water and food.
· When discussing water, it is important to dis!nguish with the
students that the plant does not get the water it needs from
the soil. The plant uses the soil as an anchor via its roots and
root hairs. With the roots, the plant is able to absorb a water
molecule that is moving through the soil.
· As a comparison, water flows through a plant in a
similar fashion as blood does through an animals
body
· Water keeps the plants cool, provides support and
assists in the photosynthesis process
· Air and water are used by the plant in order to provide itself
with large quan!!es of hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon.
· Although soil is the most visible to students, they are
not the only place a plan can be provided nutrients
from
· Water supports the nutrient uptake and these nutrients
travel throughout the plant via the water
· Space: roots and leaves need room to grow
· Sunlight, water and temperature are used by the plant in the
photosynthesis process. photosynthesis is the process by which
plants use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to create oxygen and
energy in the form of sugar
· Invite students to view Aerophytes online (or provide living
125
Ethnobotany
samples) . Aerophytes are air plants that grow on the side of
Virtual Field Lab

a trees. They do not grow in the soil, highligh!ng the fact
that plants get their energy air and water
· To further expand on the idea that plants can grow
without soil, provide individual students with the
following materials:
· 1 green onion
· Ruler
· 1 clear plas!c cup w/ water filled half way
· Using the student science notebook, students should
observe and sketch what their green onion looks like
prior to placing the onion in the plant in a clear plas!c
cup
· Allow students measure from the base of the
green onion to the !p and make note of this
measurement in their student science
notebook
· On the clear plas!c cup, have students mark the pre-
filled water level with a dark water resistant marker.
This will be our line to refill to when the water begins
to evaporate.
· This ac!vity can span 2+ weeks and students will be able to
visibly see growth during this !me frame.
· Students should log in the student science notebook
growth and observa!onal changes over a set period
of !me
· Green onions were chosen due to their ability to
· grow quickly and easily, low cost of purchase at a
grocery store and ability to be consumed
· Further tests in the class can be conducted to
observe which vegetable plants also can be
grown only in water
· Other variables could we add to the test
include adding a dome over the cup and
126
Ethnobotany
adding addi!onal CO2 This could be delivered
Virtual Field Lab

via human exhale of oxygen
· During the growth of the green onion, u!lize the student science
notebook, to students to create a graphic organizer to create a basic
model this plant process.
· It is advisable when crea!ng the model to provide students with the
below generic framework to assist. The below model is a
Photosynthesis GIF made available via Wikimedia Commons and can
be viewed at h#ps://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/
File:Photosynthesis.gif
· An addi!onal ac!vity that can be conducted during green onion growth is

to ask students to name their favorite food from a plant. If students have
trouble iden!fying a food, a virtual internet search of grocery stores can
provide a jumping off place for conversa!on
· Students will perform a virtual field trip using the iNaturalist website
and Google maps in satellite and street view.
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Ethnobotany
· Students should begin by entering the names of plants men!oned in
Virtual Field Lab

the previous family interviews or plants discussed as a class into the
species search bar of iNaturalist.
· Once students have typed in a single plant name, students
can then zoom into an area and surrounding communi!es to
view the various points where people have reported seeing
student iden!fied plant growing.
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Ethnobotany
· As students navigate the iNaturalist webpage, ask students if
Virtual Field Lab

the plant in ques!ons is easily found your school? Is it
around locally (city, county, state)?
· If not, what do you believe the habitat needs are of
the plant that can not be met locally?
· To assist with this, allow students to use
Google maps street view
· Students can a#empt to find the area
the plant was recorded at in iNaturalist
and allow students inves!gate the
surrounding environment.
· If toggling through iNaturalist and
Google Maps is challenging for the
students, iNaturalist does have a
satellite view feature that could allow
students to draw general conclusions
from the plant loca!on site
Screenshot from iNaturalist

Google Maps image of the loca!on
· U!lizing the student science notebook, ask

students to record what natural features they
no!ce from Google Maps that could help
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Ethnobotany
understand the distribu!on and survivorship
Virtual Field Lab

of the searched plants in the current
landscape.
· Students could record/anser the
following discussion ques!ons:
· Looking at the iNaturalist data
and Google Maps Street View,
is your plant in a wild space, a
space that is frequented and
maintained, or abandoned and
una#ended?
is this plant more or less
successful at living and
successfully reproducing in
par!cular areas?
is this plants distribu!on
related to certain condi!ons or
resources?
· Is there a difference in the
condi!ons and which types of
plants are common between
recently disturbed sites vs
more established natural
communi!es?
· Introduce students to the wild edibles guidebooks
and/or provide websites lis!ng wild plants used for
foods, natural dyes, and sources of fiber
· Allow students free explora!on !me of these
guides
· Students are to iden!fy one plant they
would like to learn more about its
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Ethnobotany
species distribu!on via the iNaturalist
Virtual Field Lab

pla@orm
· Students should begin by entering the name
of a plants found in the wild edible guides into
the species search bar of iNaturalist.
· Have students select addi!onal plants
to go “virtual foraging for” on
iNaturalist using the previously
iden!fied search feature.
· Apply the same inves!ga!on
and ques!ons as previously
discussed
· U!lizing the student science
notebook or as a classroom
discussion do the same
pa#erns apply with the
addi!on of these plants or do
new pa#erns emerge?
· Are there categories
into which we could
group like plants with
similar characteris!cs
and preferences ?
· Where do fruit
and nut trees
pervade?
· What types of useful plants are
weedy and opportunis!c
enough to live in urban areas?
· What pa#erns might be hard
to inves!gate given the tools
you have?
· To help students
connect back to the
family interviews and
131
Ethnobotany
historical uses
Virtual Field Lab

· What sort of
impact are the
pa#erns of land
use having on the
availability of
plants with
tradi!onal uses?
· Does a built
environment affect
all of the species
available for
human use in the
same way?
· Is there any
pa#ern to the
distribu!on of
na!ve vs
introduced
species?
· What evidence do
you see of
communi!es using
ecology and
conserva!on
concepts to
protect natural
resources such as
wild plants
V-*&:+J F-$J2 L+K 0J/1-'Q 2-10:11-/'
· Ask the students to consider what sort of trends can be seen affec!ng the plants people have
tradi!onally found to be beneficial given the way people also choose to alter their local
environment.
· What recommenda!ons would they make in terms of preserving tradi!onal benefits? What
changes could be made to make the most of untapped or poten!al benefits?
132
Plants We Need
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Domestication Sorting Model

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People are and have always been highly dependent on plants for their needs. Our earliest
ancestors gained essen!al nutri!on from vegetable sources. Over !me, various cultures
around the world began to experiment in managing the ecology to favor species they depend
on. This gave rise to ac!ve cul!va!on, which led to domes!cated plants and se#led socie!es.
The choices made of what traits the people growing them required are wri#en in the DNA of
many plant species. Plants are grown for basic nutri!on and as herbs and spices, which affect
the flavor and preserva!on of food. Some plants have been a cri!cal need for the most basic of
medicines. S!ll other plants have been grown not for material uses like clothing and
construc!on, storage and services of the ecosystem that are carried from nature to the
engineering of our human environment. In this unit we will examine the vital func!ons plants
provide for human beings.
L$11/' OKY$0&-Z$1
· Describe how plants provide the source of energy and material needs for people as part of
the food web and natural landscape.
· Explain how heredity and selec!ve pressures have created the variety of crops we have
today
· Recognize that not all plants in the same species look like same (diversity).
S&:2$'&1 X-JJ K$ +KJ$ &/
· Sort plants into categories and consider the differences and the similari!es between eaten
plants.
· Understand that humans have had an impact on the plants we see in stores versus in the
wild.
E11$'&-+J [:$1&-/'1:
· How have humans affected which plants survive and thrive?
· What are the differences between crops, wild edibles and weeds? How do we know the
differences?
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Plants We Need
C#$%&'*,-. *$/ N#$-0#$%&'*,-. M*3.45*-% N.././

kit
Brassica Oleracea sheet 1 (electronic copy)
Diagram of a Missouri Prairie Food Web 1 (electronic copy )
Green Yarn 1 roll
M+M’s candy 1 container
Prairie Food Web Cards 1 set (electronic copy)
Edible Domes!cated Flash Cards 1 set (electronic copy )
Purple Yarn 1 roll
Ski"les 1 container
Vegetable seed catalogs 2 catalogs
Yellow Yarn 1 roll
N.63 G.$.4*35#$ S05.$0. %3*$/*4/% –P.47#4'*$0. E68.03*35#$%

5-PS3-1 Use models to describe that energy in animals’ food was once energy from the sun
5-LS2-1 Develop a model to describe the movement of ma"er among plants, animals,
decomposers, and the environment
N.63 G.$.4*35#$ S05.$0. %3*$/*4/% –F#&$/*35#$ B#6.%

Concepts:
Developing and using Models PS3.D: Energy in Chemical Processes and Everyday Life Energy and Ma•er
· Use models to describe a phenomena · The energy released [from] food was once energy from Systems and
the sun that was captured by plants in the chemical System models
process that forms plant ma"er (from air and water).
Con!nued on next page
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Science and Engineering Disciplinary Core Ideas Crosscutting
Practices: Concepts:
LS2.A: Interdependent Rela!onships in Ecosystems
· The food of almost any kind of animal can be traced

back to plants. Organisms are related in food webs in
which some animals eat plants for food and other
animals eat the animals that eat plants. Some
organisms, such as fungi and bacteria, break down dead
organisms (both plants or plants parts and animals) and
therefore operate as “decomposers.” Decomposi!on
eventually restores (recycles) some materials back to
the soil. Organisms can survive only in environments in
which their par!cular needs are met. A healthy
ecosystem is one in which mul!ple species of different
types are each able to meet their needs in a rela!vely
stable web of life. Newly introduced species can
damage the balance of an ecosystem.
S3&/.$3 V#0*,&-*4> I$34#/&0./

· Crops—A plant or plant product that is grown and harvested
· Consumer— A living thing that must eat other organisms to obtain energy necessary for life
· Food web—A system of interlocking and interdependent food chains
· Introduced species—Through human ac!vity, an organism that is not na!ve to a par!cular loca!on and
typically causes harm to the ecosystem
· Na!ve species—Plants or animals that originated or live in an area without any human interven!on
· Photosynthesis — The process in which green plants use sunlight to make their own food. The process
requires sunlight, chlorophyll, water and carbon dioxide
· Producer — Able to produce their own food. i.e plants
· Weeds—A plant that tends to grow where not wanted to prevents the growth of more desirable plants by
taking up space
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D#'.%350*35#$ M#/.- A035@53> H

· As a whole group, ask students the following ques!on:
· What did you eat for breakfast/lunch/dinner (choose one meal)
· List all responses on the board
· Once all answers are on the board, prompt students with the following
discussion ques!on:
· Did anyone eat sunshine at breakfast/lunch/dinner?
· Educator can inform students the energy in everyone’s food
can be traced back to the sun.
· In the following lesson ac!vi!es, we will determine how this
occurs and how we as humans and other living things are
connected via food webs
· In their student science notebooks, inform each student to recall as many
food items they ate for breakfast/lunch/dinner
· Educator should assist in the science notebooking process by
walking through the prompt with the students on the whiteboard
· Students could select one item from their list that they would like to
trace back to the sun (Educator does the same on the board)
· With one food item selected, students are now going to trace that
par!cular food item back to the sun.
· Using a separate page in the student science notebooks have
students write their name and circle their name in the lower right
hand corner. Once student name has been completed, instruct
students to add a second interlocking circle to their name and insert
the name of their food item.
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French Fries
Ma•hew
· Educator will then prompt the student to think about where

that par!cular food item has came from.
· Instruct students to add a third interlocking circle to
their food and insert the name of where their food
item came from
· In our example above, the French fries came
from a potato
· Students might need help iden!fying that
bread and baked goods trace back to wheat
or other cereal grains like rice, corn, oats, rye,
etc.
· If the item selected comes from an animal,
students may need help iden!fying the animal
the food comes from
Potato
French
Fries
Ma•hew
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· Educator will prompt students to think about and write where the
third interlocking circle food gets its energy from. In our example,
the potatoes received is energy from the sun
· The plants produce their own food through photosynthesis
using sunlight. Please note that Many elementary textbooks
will only teach/imply that photosynthesis produces sugar,
but in actuality it performs carbon fixa!on, the first step in
pu•ng together all manner of carbohydrates, oils, proteins,
and vitamins, and fiber.
· Plants also absorb dietary minerals from the soil and
make them available to organisms that consume
them.
· Instruct students to add a fourth interlocking circle and write inside
the circle where that par"cular item gets its energy from.
· As noted above, our potato receives its energy from the sun.
In this case, the students could draw a circle and write the
word sun
·
Sun
Potato
French Fries
Ma•hew
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· Other examples of a food chain could include the

following examples
Oranges Sun
Hamburger Cow Grass Sun
Chicken Insects leaves sun
· Working with a partner or solo, add a second food item to

the food chain created in student science notebooks and
repeat the process
· If possible, students can use a second color pen/
pencil to note the different connec"on
· If "me does not allow, educator can use mul"ple
examples from students on the whiteboard
Sun
Potato
French Fries
Ma•hew
· Students should see that everything that the

class ate can be traced back to the sun
· To model that this is not only the case for humans, distribute or show
students a sample food web of a Missouri ecosystem in the diagram of a
food web
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· While looking at the food web sheet, the educator can discuss the
terms food web, producer and consumer.
· Food web—A system of interlocking and interdependent food
chains
· Producer — Able to produce their own food. i.e plants
· Consumer— A living thing that must eat other organisms to
obtain energy necessary for life
· A$er students are familiar with the terms, ask students
where will the producers get their food from?
· Answer: the Sun: the path for food
consump"on with any level consumer begins
with energy from sun. In any living system,
plants are the original source of “food”
· As a model of the interconnectedness of a food web, students will be
able to create a model food web of a Prairie Ecosystem found in
Missouri
· Teacher states that the sun is the source of energy for the
grasses and wildflowers in our diagram.
· Pass out one “Sun” card to a student along with 6 strips
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of yellow yarn and invite a student to stand in place

where the acidity will be conducted
· Educator states that since the sun is feeding our
producers, we can have a growth of grasses and
wildflowers in our classroom ecosystem
· Pass out “Grasses” and “Wildflower” cards to 6
students along with 2 strips of purple yarn.
· The yellow yarn will represent the transfer of
energy from the sun to the grasses and
wildflowers whereas the purple yarn will
represent the transfer of energy to our next
round of consumers
· Each student that received a grass or wildflower
card will stand and hold a piece of the yellow
string that is being held by the student with the
sun card. All producers should be connected to
the sun student with all holding the yellow
string
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· Teacher states that since we have a large growth of

wildflowers and grasses, we have a set of consumers that are
able to come into our ecosystem.
· Pass out “Deer” “Rabbit” and “Grasshopper” cards to 8
students along with 2 strips of purple yarn
· Each student that received a Deer, Rabbit or
Grasshopper card will give their pieces of the purple
string to two students with the producer (grasses/
wildflower) cards.
· All producers should be connected to the sun
student with all holding the yellow string and
now to the Deer Rabbit and Grasshopper cards
via the purple string.
· In each case , the colored yarn
represents the transfer of energy. In
this round, the purple yarn represents
the transfer of energy from the grasses
and wildflowers to our consumers
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· Teacher states that since we have deer, rabbits and

grasshoppers move into our ecosystem we now have a new
set of consumers enter our ecosystem
· Pass out “Coyote” “Prairie Chicken” “Red-tail Hawk”
“Spider” and Brown Thrasher, ” cards to 10 students
along with two pieces of green string .
· Referencing to the diagram of a food web, the
new consumer students (Coyote” “Prairie
Chicken” “Red-tail Hawk” “Spider” and Brown
Thrasher are to give their green string to their
food source depicted in the previous round
(grasshopper, deer, rabbit).
· Some consumers will have mul"ple food
sources
· Coyote” “Prairie Chicken” “Red-tail
Hawk” “Spider” and Brown Thrasher
consumers should be connected to the
students holding the green and the
purple string (Deer Rabbit and
Grasshopper cards) which in turn is then
a&ached to the students with the yellow
string that flows back to the sun
·
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· All students should now be connected in a way that

highlights all the energy consumers receive comes
from the sun ini"ally. That sun energy is then passed
on to other consumers throughout the food web
· As a class discussion while students are holding
the yarn pose the following ques"ons:
· What would happen to our food web, if
one of the producers and/or consumers
where to leave our ecosystem?
· Of if only one consumer was allowed to
be a&ached a consumer or producer?
How could humans alter this ecosystem
landscape?
· Where does the energy for the coyote
begin?
· What would happen if included humans
into our hood web?
· As a wrap up to the ac"vity, students could view the PBS Science Trek
Food Web Special
h&ps://www.pbs.org/video/science-trek-food-web/
· Video length is 28 m and aired on 3/16/15
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D'*+-479;47'< M'=+> A947@74J K

· As a whole class, teacher is to display the Edible Domes"cated Flash Cards.
· Educator Note: If using the cards supplied by the PLSS kits, note that each individual
plant has been cut , folded and laminated. If not using the kit edible domes"cated
flash cards will need to be printed, cut and folded. Cards are located at the end of
this ac"vity lesson
· Without looking at the back side of the cards, mix-up the plant photo cards and ask
the students to sort them into the following groups:
· Plants they think are weeds,
· Plants they think are wild edibles
· Plants they think are crops.
· Allow students to discuss their ra"onale about why they sorted the edible
domes"cated flash cards the way that they did.
· They should come to their conclusions about which plant is which.
· Ask students to note which plants they think might be na"ve species to North
America vs introduced species.
· Introduced species—Through human ac"vity, an organism that is not
na"ve to a par"cular loca"on and typically causes harm to the
ecosystem
· Na"ve species—Plants or animals that originated or live in an area
without any human interven"on
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Plants We Need
· Flip the cards over and reveal the true answers.

· Have students note that none of the cards are actually weeds,
but that wild edibles do not always have “plump and juicy”
parts that signal their edibility.
· Only fruits, which plants tend to produce so that
animals will disperse the seeds within them adver"se
their edibility.
· In nature, looking tasty is a disadvantage since being
eaten means damage to part of, or the whole plant.
· Next invite students to pair the cul"vated plants
with their wild ancestors or rela"ves.
· How are the farmed plants different
from the wild ones?
· Are there any wild plants that aren’t
farmed, any farmed plants that are the
same as those in the wild? Why might
this be?
· If plants like the cul"vated crops don’t
exist in the wild, how do students think
human farmers originally got ahold of
them?
· Distribute copies of the vegetable seed catalogs and have students count the
different varie"es of crops they recognize.
· Ask students to find the following:

· How many types of peppers are there?
· Tomatoes? Squash or Pumpkins?
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Plants We Need
· Now distribute or view electronically the “Brassica Oleracea” sheet

and have students review it.
· All of the plants on this sheet are the same species, but they come in
varia"ons that people consider to be totally different vegetables
· Educator Note: Brassica is a genus of plants in the mustard
family . The members of the genus are informally known as
cruciferous vegetables, cabbages, or mustard plants. Crops
from this genus are some"mes called cole crops—derived
from the La"n caulis, deno"ng the stem or stalk of a plant
· For a class discussion, ask students:

· Where did all these new and special types of plants known as
cul"vars, landraces and heirloom varie"es come from?
· To demonstrate the different types of plants and their uses in a farm
se•ng, mix jumbo bags of ski&les and M&Ms and distribute a small
handful (10 candies) from the mix to each student.
· Ask students not to eat immediately. This candy is for science.
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Plants We Need
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· Ask students to iden•fy which candy they like the most.

· Explain that the candy represents edible plants that the
students have collected from the wild and have decided to
grow in a garden. If they like a candy, they will want to keep it
for their garden.
· Tell the students that these plants are perennials,
which means they will produce year a!er year and they
will reproduce and create an offspring of iden•cal color
each year if they have •me and room to take care of it
· But, there’s one problem with the garden right
now - it is full!
· Because of this, students can only replace
candies with offspring (the same color as one of
the candies already in their garden) rather than
ge$ng new candies in their pile.
· The main objec•ve is for students to get candies that
they like in their garden and get rid of those they do
not prefer.
· If students choose to get rid of a par•cular color
or kind, they can replace it with a candy that
matches the color of another candy s•ll in their
garden from the mixed.
· In an original bag of Ski%les, colors
include: red, orange, yellow, green and
purple
· In a regular bag of M&M’s, colors
include: Red, orange, green, blue, yellow
and brown
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· During each round of the demonstra•on one color of candy

can be replaced with the same color of a different candy
· Have students replace the candies in their pile over several
rounds of simula•ons
· Brown and blue M&Ms or purple Ski%les are “true breeding” ”

for flavor a can be replaced for a different candy type in any
color
154
Plants We Need

· Brown and blue M&Ms or purple Skittles are “true
breeding” ” for flavor and can be replaced for a different
candy type in any color
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Plants We Need
· When the students have a uniform crop bearing the desired

trait of either M&M or ski!le, the simula"on ends.
· As a wrap up discussion ques"ons ask students the following
· How has favoring and taking care of plants with a
par"cular characteris"c changed all of the plants in the
garden over "me?
· If people make choices in which varie"es of wild plants
they favor growing, will the plants resemble their wild
rela"ves a#er a while or start to seem different?
· If people all around the world were doing this, would
they all favor the same characteris"cs or would
different things work be!er for different people or
groups of people?
· Plants are extremely important to people not only as a source
of food but as a source of our food’s food.
· Over "me people tend to go from collec"ng edible
plants from the wild to taking care of them directly. In
doing this, they have to make choices about which
plants are worth growing based on whether they have
desired traits.
· Some wild edibles aren’t desired enough or don’t do
well enough on farms, but the ones that people have
changed over "me through breeding are said to be
domes"cated - which means they are no longer wild.
· The truly interes"ng thing is that domes"ca"on
has not only transformed plants from their wild
forms but split species into en"rely different
and diverse parallel lines based on who bred
them and with what desired traits in mind.
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Antimicrobial Species Model

P%'()* '(+ P-/0%-—P%'()* 1- N--+
A()23245/62'% S0-42-* M/+-%
Over "me, various cultures around the world began to experiment in managing the ecology to
favor species they depended on, this in turn gave rise to ac"ve cul"va"on, which in turn led to a
coevolu"on of domes"cated plants and se!led socie"es. Wri!en in the literal DNA of many plant
species are the choices made of what traits the people growing them required and today,
consciously considering those choices has become a hotbed of social and scien"fic debate. In
addi"on to plants grown for basic nutri"on, there are also plants grown as herbs and spices,
which affect the flavor and preserva"on of food. Some of these have doubled as, and sa"sfied
the cri"cal need for, the most basic of medicines. S"ll other plants have been grown not for food,
but rather material uses like clothing and construc"on, storage and services of the ecosystem
that must be carried over from nature to the engineering of our human environment.
L-**/( O69-4)2:-*
· Students consider how climate affects the taste of plants grown there and the perishability of
certain foods
· Students create and test hypotheses involving natural chemical reac"ons that plants can
ins"gate
S);+-()* 12%% 6- '6%- )/
· Describe how plants have posi"vely impacted the cuisine of hot, humid climates.
· Conduct an experiment iden"fying dependent and independent variables.
E**-()2'% <;-*)2/(*:
· How did natural experimenta"on impact how humans used plants in tropical climates?
C/(*;3'6%- '(+ N/(-4/(*;3'6%- M')-52'%* N--+-+
Materials Needed Quantity Included in

PLSS kit
Cornstarch 1 container
Dried Bakers Yeast 1 container
Latex free gloves 50 gloves
Plas!c cups 25
Regional Spices and Culinary Herbs Southeast Asia 2 posters
Sugar 30 packets
Various spices 6 per spice
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Plants We Need

N••• G••••••!"• S#!••#• $•••%••%$ –P••&"•'••#• E•(•#•••!"•$
5-PS1-4 Conduct an inves)ga)on to determine whether the mixing of two substances results in
new substances
N••• G••••••!"• S#!••#• $•••%••%$ –F"*•%••!"• B"••$
Planning and Carrying Out Inves)ga)ons PS1.B Chemical Reac)ons Cause and Effect
· When two or more different substances are mixed,
· Conduct an inves)ga)on collabora)vely
a new substance with different proper)es may be
to produce data to serve as the basis
formed
for evidence, using fair tests in which
variables are controlled and the
number of trails is considered
S•*%••• V"#•+*,••- I•••"%*#•%

· An)microbial—An agent that stops microorganism growth
· Climate—The average course of weather condi)ons for a par)cular loca)on over a period of many years
· Food Cultures— A live bacteria, yeast or mold used in food produc)on
· Geography— The study of the Earth’s surface, its climate, natural resources such as rivers, oceans and
mountains
· Microbial—A characteris)c of a microorganism that causes fermenta)on
· Yeast—A microscopic organism that is able to convert sugar into carbon dioxide
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Instruc)on
A••!'!#•"+!•, S(•#!•$ M"%•, A#•!2!•- 3
· Referring to the included spice poster, introduce students to spices that are used in
culinary dishes around the world.
· Food and cuisine is an essen)al part of culture—and cultural cuisine relies on the
plants in and around its environment. Learning about the local plants in an area can
be an interes)ng way to explore how humans use plants.
· In this lesson, students will examine the phenomena of spicy foods prolifera)on in
tropical and equatorial country cuisine. Students will then conceive and assemble a
basic experiment to test the an)microbial effects of several spices, and construct
an argument to support a cause and effect rela)onship between food sanita)on
and seasoning.
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· Allow students )me to name foods from that are known to be spicy and locate
where in the world they come from. Point out that all spices are derived from
plants.
· La)n American dishes will likely be most familiar but other cuisine such as
curry, should be men)oned or pointed out.
· Ask students to make predic)ons about food in places in Brazil,
Malaysia, and the Congo.
· Facilitate the conversa)on to ensure the students can make a
connec)on that spicy food is prevalent in tropical areas
· Inform students that there are other places with higher la)tudes but
a warmer we6er climate that also have spicy foods such as creole
country and Sichuan in China.
· Ask students if they think there is a correla)on of spicy foods
to geography or climate?
· How much sense it makes for people in hot muggy
climates to be adding to that feeling with spicy foods
· On a hot day in St. Louis, do many people
want an extra spicy burrito covered in a very
hot spice? .
· Ask students what do they think would happen to meat and
dairy if le7 out of the refrigerator?
· What happens to bread if excess moisture gets into
the bag? (The spoiling that occurs is caused by
microbial growth).
· Could seasoning impact microbial growth on food or
even be taken with food as an inocula)on against
food poisoning?
· In this ac)vity students will examine the phenomena of spicy foods prolifera)on in
tropical and equatorial countries cuisine then conceive and assemble a basic
experiment to test the an)microbial effects of several spices, and construct an
argument to support a cause and effect rela)onship between food sanita)on and
seasoning
· To begin the discussion on an)microbial species, provide students with materials
for tes)ng the impacts of seasoning on microbes.
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· Included materials are:
· Dried baker’s yeast cultures
· Sugar for the yeast to feed on
· Wide rimmed plas)c cups for the cultures to be grown in
· Various spices to test by adding to the cultures.
· Surgical gloves for capturing CO2 released by the yeast
· Explain that in the dry form the yeast is dormant but when dissolved into water
they ac)vate and will feed on carbohydrates (sugar and cornstarch), slowly
“burping” Carbon Dioxide as a waste product.
· Yeast is a small organism that can be seen all around us
· Students will experiment with cultures of yeast so that we will know if
growth is impaired by the Inclusion of different spices.
· If they are unclear that the released CO2 can be captured by
stretching the opening of the glove over the rim of the cups you may
blow into a glove, infla)ng it as a hint.
· During the first test, we will be crea)ng a control using yeast, cornstarch,
sugar and water.
· Prior to beginning the experiment, pass out the Nitrate gloves and
safety glasses. Place a table covering or paper towels down prior to
beginning the experiment
· Inform students they are to stretch the opening of glove
· The plas)c cups may break when placing a glove over the cup
if the students did not stretch the glove wide enough
· Steps for control experiment
1. Procure warm water (slight above 100F), enough water to be
used in each of the plas)c cups to be used
2. To warm water, place one cup of water in a microwave for
10—20 seconds (length of )me based on the power of the
microwave)
3. Add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
4. Add 2 tablespoons of yeast (not ac)ve at this point) *Have
students observe what the yeast looks like recording
observa)on into their Student science notebook
5. Add 1/2 cup of water and s)r the yeast and cornstarch
mixture
*Have students observe what the yeast looks like recording
observa)on into their student science notebook
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6. Add two tablespoons of sugar to the yeast water mixture
7. A7er adding the sugar quickly cover the plas)c cup lid with
the glove (fingers pointed up)
*If needed, rubber band the glove over the mouth of the cup
· The general picture is that growing cultures in the cups will release gas,
gradually infla)ng the gloves so that they stand up and wave hello.
· Using the student science notebook, students can record
observa)ons such as:
· did the glove inflate?
· If so, how long did it take?
· Did the students no)ce any smells, sights, or sounds?
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· Repeat the above procedure for the control however, we will be
adding a spice to the mixture to see if the spices enhances or inhibits
the carbon dioxide release of the yeast
1. Procure warm water (slight above 100F), enough water to be
used in each of the plas)c cups to be used
2. To warm water, place one cup of water in a microwave for
10—20 seconds (length of )me based on the power of the
microwave)
3. Add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
4. Add 2 tablespoons of yeast yeast (not ac)ve at this point)
5. Add 1/2 cup of water and s)r the yeast and cornstarch
mixture
6. Add one tablespoon of a singular spice. Included spices are
Onion Powder, Cayanne, Garlic Powder, Ground Cinnamon,
Ground Thyme, ground Sage
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7. Add two tablespoons of sugar to the yeast water mixture
8. A7er adding the sugar quickly cover the plas)c cup lid with
the glove (fingers pointed up
· Using the student science notebook, students can
record observa)ons such as:
· which spice was used,
· did the glove inflate faster or slower than the
control?
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· One point of cri)cal scien)fic thinking that should be applied to the
students test is the concept of applying controls. To be a fair test students
will have to single out and eliminate variables aside from what they are
tes)ng for, in this case the effects of the spices added to the cultures, in
order to control the effect of unwanted factors confusing they’re results.
· Once the students have completed seZng up their experiments, place the
cups in a warm dark loca)on.
· Students can check in on the experiment over the course of a few

days and record their observa)ons in their student science
notebook
Sample Science Notebook Observa!on
Sample (spice) Ini•al Observa•ons Time sugar was added Time glove fully raised (check every 15 minutes)
172
Plants We Need
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· A1er a period of a few days storing the cultures in a warm dark loca2on, con2nue to
record, observe and interpret the results in the student science notebooks.
· Use this por2on to gauge student understanding of science prac2ces since some
par2cular factors for students to consider are:
· The concept of tes2ng nega2ve or posi2ve for the presence or absence of
something. I
· In this design an inflated glove means happy yeast, and happy yeast
means the spice was not effec2ve as an an2microbial agent, so is an
inflated glove tes2ng posi2ve or nega2ve? Is tes2ng posi2ve for the
presence of yeast the same as tes2ng nega2ve for an2bio2c
proper2es? Is this a direct or indirect test?
· Correla2on vs Causa2on.
· Going back to the conversa2on that spicy foods are common in
countries where the risk of spoilage and food poisoning are high,
which of these two things we observe is caused by the other
(independent vas dependent)?
· How do we argue against the idea that spicey foods are a
cause of the germ risk rather than a response since the two
appear together?
· Did germ favoring condi2ons force people to spice their
foods or did spicy foods allow people to eat safely in these
countries?
· Do the plants that produce the specific compounds having
this effect do so as an adapta2on against pathogens or is it
happenstance that humans stumbled upon?
· Can we say what specifically causes these things to happen
or just understand the co-occurence is significant?
Inten2onal design or adap2ve result? Students to discuss
and support their conclusions.
· Community science and natural experiments.
· Odds are that people in warm muggy loca2ons did not perform a
controlled experiment tes2ng the effects of plant material on live
cultures with intended applica2ons towards sanita2on, food safety
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Plants We Need
and microbial theory. In fact, there is much herblore, tradi2onal

hearsay stories and supers22ons about culinary herbs and spices
which come about from people in less scien2fically developed
socie2es a;ribu2ng sickness to evil spirits ( incidentally, this is why
we burn sage to ward off haun2ngs and vampires fear garlic).
Nevertheless it was worked out in various cultures that tradi2onal
prepara2on of spicy dishes served a valued purpose for human
health.
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Plants We Need
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Fibers Investigation
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Humans need stuff. This may seem to be a simplis2c statement, however compared to species
with more physical adapta2ons we are par2cularly dependent on tools and material resources.
Origina2ng from the cell walls of plants, cellulose is the most abundant organic polymer on
earth, so naturally people have used this readily available resource un2l very recently as the
substance for manufacturing of most of our material stuff. In this session, students iden2fy and
explore the use of natural fibers.
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· Explore and describe how plant cellulose can look, feel and func2on differently.
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· Compare and contrast cellulose in various materials and describe using their senses.
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· How have humans used plant fibers (cellulose) to improve human lives?
· What are some typical plant fibers found in students homes or classroom?
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Materials Needed Quantity Included in

PLSS kit
Bamboo skewers 25 skewers
Burlap 1 roll
Cardboard 5 pieces
Co!on Balls 1 bag
Denim One roll
Jute twine 1 roll
Straw hat 1
Toilet paper 1 roll
Wood Block 1 block
Hand lenses 10
175
Plants We Need
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5-ESS3-1 Obtain and combine informa)on about ways individual communi)es use science ideas
to protect the Earth’s resources and environment
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Concepts:
Obtaining, Evalua)ng, and Communica)ng ESS3.C Human Impacts on Earth Systems Systems and
Informa•on · Human ac•vi•es in agriculture, industry, and System Models
everyday life have had major impacts on land,
· Obtain and combine informa•on from
vegeta•on, streams, oceans, air, and even outer
books and/or other reliable media to
space. But individuals and communi•es are doing
explain phenomena or solu•ons to a
things to help protect Earth’s resources and
design problem
Environments
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· Cellulose— basic structural component of plant cell walls. It is the most abundant of all naturally occurring
organic compounds: 90% of co2on and 50% of wood is cellulose.
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Plants We Need
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· Today, humans o2en use plas•cs in a variety of ways. We can see their use in straws,
bo4les, packaging, cutlery, bags, etc.
· Consumers and manufactures like using plas•cs due to their durable and long-
las•ng nature,
· However, there is an environmental impact to using these items. Plas•c is
made from petroleum. Petroleum aka crude oil, is a fossil fuel and is
extracted from beneath land or the ocean floor with giant drilling machines
· Pose the ques•on to student:
· How does using petroleum to make plas•cs, affect the
Earth’s resources?
· Topics of discussion could include:
· the burning of fuel made from petroleum
releases harmful gases into the air.
Contributes to climate change and acid rain.
· Limited supply
· Invite students to read online or print
ar•cles about the use of petroleum
· Ask the ques•on to students: What can we as humans do to reduce
the use of fossil fuels?
· One way to reduce our petroleum use is by using sustainable
prac•ces such as plants.
· Plants are used as a natural fiber in such items as our
clothing (co4on).
· Insects such as the silk worm creates silk
· Animals too can be used for natural fivers (wool from
a sheep)
· Fibers from plants and animals come from a
renewable natural resource
· Inform students that in this lesson, we are going to explore
the natural fiber materials commonly found from plants
· As an introduc•on to the ac•vity show students the
following •me lapse of bamboo growth from
YouTube (Bamboo 24hr Time Lapse Growth uploaded
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Plants We Need
by kaboomclothingco.
h4ps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfDOMwFX5Hg
· The video highlights how Bamboo packs on a
great deal of mass, and we know from the
sec•on on food that plants create the
chemical energy that animals live off of by
photosynthesizing carbon dioxide and water
with energy from the sun.
· However, the material mass of the bamboo is
not eaten, instead it is solid fibrous woody
material.
· Explain to students that they are going to go looking
for samples of cellulose this compound, the main
material component of trees and other plants. To
isolate and iden•fy it they will be using basic
dissec•on tools, microscopes and hand lenses to
examine it up close.
· However rather than sourcing the samples
from plants directly, they are going to be
looking at “human made” items constructed
from the plant material. These items
usefulness is dependent on how the general
proper•es and behaviors of the substance
affect its strength, texture and consistency
when treated or arranged in different ways.
· Distribute the following
· Bamboo Skewers
· Denim
· Jute Twine
· Cardboard
· Toilet paper
· A wood block.
· A straw hat
· A sample of Burlap.
· Using the student science notebook, students are to make
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Plants We Need
observa•ons about the width, length, and arrangement of fibers in
the listed items
· Provide characteris•cs of the of the sample objects
themselves.
· How are rigid and pliable arrangements different?
Strong versus easily torn? How does weaving versus
tangling or ma@ng the material affect it.
· Cellulose is not considered to be water soluble but some items like
wood or toilet paper so2en and break easier when soggy, Why
might this be?
· Is it hard for students to believe that each sample is
effec•vely the same “stuff”? Why or why not?
· Seeing as fiber was used to construct all of the items examined
previously, it is •me to perform some experiments with
arrangements of fiber to see what can be done with small samples.
· Distribute the following to each student
· two co4on balls
· a shorter and longer length of jute twine
· a sample of raffia to each student.
· Co4on balls- Gently tugging and twis•ng small tu2s from the co4on
balls, can students spin it into threads like those in fraying denim?
· Repeated gentle tugs and twists may be able to generate a

longer strand if the student goes slowly.
· What effect is had by con•nuously rubbing a larger batch of
co4on between their fingers, causing the fibers to tangle and
•ghten into a denser arrangement this way is similar to the
way felt is formed
· Co4on is the fruit of the co4on plant.
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Plants We Need
· Jute twine- if a student pulls and peels the fibers of the smaller segment
looser un•l they peel apart, is any weaving or braiding present, or is twine
simply loose fibers twisted •ghtly?
· What happens when they twist the twine •ghter or double it over?
· Is the jute stronger or weaker than the co4on
· Can the pa4ern be repeated to turn twine into rope.
· Teachers may try providing students with a spiral telephone
handset cord to make this repea•ng pa4ern more easily
apparent, or draw parallels to illustra•ons of DNA and
histones
· Jute comes from the stalk of the jute plant
· Raffia- Raffia is a compara•vely bri4le source of natural fiber used in woven

cra2s. What happens to its pulling strength when a knot is •ed in it?
· Since it is a cra2 material students might a4empt to braid bracelets
or weave small mats or bags from the material.
· What amount of •me and skill would be required for
someone living in a nonindustrial society to create large
baskets or thatch panels for architectural reasons?
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Plants We Need
· States and proper•es of ma4er are incredibly important for
an area of engineering and technology called material
sciences.
· O2en when choosing materials to build a specific tool
or machine, modern engineers turn to ar•ficial
substances or metamaterials, mining minerals for
obscure alloys or polymerizing chemicals from oil into
plas•cs.
· However, ethnobotany has long used the same go to
material for a wide variety of func•ons, but the weird
part is that plants literally produce this green and
environmentally friendly substance from thin air
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Plants We Want
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Natural Dyes
Students will examine the par•culari•es of human preference on trade, cul•va•on and use of
plants by observing the elaborate methods behind prior and current applica•ons of prized
plant based products before engaging in a cri•cal assessment of ornamental cul•va•on and
modern agriculture.
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· Students will learn the differences between pigments and dyes.
· Students test and observe how various plant dye work as paints.
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· Describe how plants can be used for humans to dye fabrics.
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· How have humans experimented with the vibrant colors that show up in plants?
· What are some of the differences between natural and commercially produced dyes?
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Materials Needed Quan•ty Included in PLSS kit
Paper bookmarks 25
Strainers 1
Glass jars 3
Paper towels 1 roll
rubbing alcohol 1 container
Watercolor paint brushes and blender are not included in the kit
Please contact Ma4hew Magoc at mmagoc@mobot.org or at 314-577-0819 to receive the loanable materials needed
to conduct this lesson. Please allow 1—2 weeks lead •me. Addi•onally, if educator does not have the •me to prepare
the dyes, we would be happy to make mixture on your behalf. Note the dyes need to be refrigerated from crea•on
un•l using
182
Plants We Want
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Natural Dyes
4-PS4.2 Develop a model to describe that light reflec•ng from objects and entering the eyes
allows objects to be seen
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Concepts:
Developing and using models PS4.B Electromagne!c Radia!on Cause and effect
· An object can be seen when light reflected from its
· Develop a model to describe phenomena
surface enters the eyes
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· Anthocyanin—soluble glycoside pigments producing blue to red coloring in flowers and plants
· Chlorophyll—a pigment plants use to trap sunlight (mainly red and blue, and some purple light) for
photosynthesis, as it exposed to light some of it is used up but replaced by the plant over •me.
· Dye— is a substance produced by humans from some source in order to appear and retain a par•cular
color for our eyes.
· Pigment—substance produced by plants or animals to absorb a par•cular color of light.
183
Plants We Want
Natural Dyes Ac!vity 1
Natural Dyes
· Begin with class discussion about plants and natural dyeing through the lens of tradi!onal
peoples. A range of colors can be created with limited materials that are found in either a
backyard se$ng or in your kitchen spice drawer
· Consider all of the beau!ful colors on fabrics that surround us each day - our
clothes, bed linens, towels and more are threaded then dyed to be whatever color
we prefer. What an amazing thing!
· One of the staymates of civiliza!ons throughout the world is colored fabric -
it gives personality and most people can find their preferences in colors
around them.
· However, long before commercial dyes were produced with chemicals,
plants were the main way to dye fabrics and paint. This is another really
neat way to use plants for human needs. In the next lesson, you and your
students will extract pigment from plants around you
· Plants have been used as a natural dye prior to recorded history
· Na!ve peoples throughout the world have used natural dyes for genera!ons. The
knowledge of these dyes were passed through wri'en and oral storytelling.
· O(en !mes the color or colors chosen had a significance for individual
communi!es.
· Today, color is s!ll a large component of our human existence. From
wearing light colors in the summer to wearing a par!cular color or color
pa'ern that we want to use to express oneself
· Students could ask one another why they chose the color of shirt
they did today.
· Colors also have meaning in our American society. At
stoplights we understand that red means stop, green means
go and yellow means to slow down in prepara!on to stop,.
· Natural dues have enhanced human lives through the decora!on of animal skis,
cra(s and bodies. Natural dyes can be created from plants, insects or minerals.
· Na!ve peoples have been using natural dyes for thousands of years.
Environmentally speaking, these dyes are environmentally friendly as they
contain no toxic chemical inclusions.
184
Plants We Want
Educator Note: If appropriate for students age, introduce students to a basic overview of the
light spectrum and thin layer chromatography. This guide does not go into great detail about
Natural Dyes
these process but the below text can be a springboard to a larger conversa!on with students.
If not age appropriate, skip to next page for con!nua!on of lesson
· We can only see light within a certain range of wavelengths and
frequency, also known as the visible spectrum. The colors humans
can see are: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. Light
waves such as X-rays, microwaves and radio waves are examples of
light waves we can not see but are important in science and
technology
· As a comparison, students can view the Science Magazine
YouTube Video “What does the man!s shrimp see?”
h"ps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiVKwpWXDic
· When we seen an object, we are seeing reflected light. If we are
seeing the color blue, the object is absorbing all other colors other
than blue. The blue color is reflected and we see that object as
blue
· The color white is a combina!on of all colors; the object that
is white reflects all colors of the light the same
· The color black is the opposite; when we see black the
object is absorbing all colors of light
· Photosynthesis is the food making process in plants.
· Sunlight hits a green leaf (it is green because of chlorophyll)
· Chlorophyll absorbs the red and blue light energy needed for
photosynthesis but absorbs very li"le green light. T
· Light energy is harvested by chlorophylls and used to drive the
synthesis of sugars from water and carbon dioxide
· This reac!on is dependent on the Sun’s energy
· In the subsequent ac!vi!es, the students will be engaged with a technique
called thin layer chromatography
· Students can view CanalDivulgacion video Thin Layer
Chromatography (TLC), anima!on on YouTube
h"ps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmHFVxTxkGs
185
Plants We Want
· Discussion ques!on
· How would this differ from the tex!le industry , whom is
Natural Dyes
o(en associated with less than friendly to the environment.
· Tex!le industry can be a polluter of water if the
le(over water from the dyeing process in discarded
into a river or ditch
· Educator note: For this lesson, we will only iden!fy plants (or parts of) that
can be used to create natural dyes.
· The following plants na!ve to Missouri were used to create the following
color
· Bloodroot—orange/red color dye
· Sumac—Leaves collect in fall created a brown dye and a yellow dye
is obtained from roots in the spring
· For further examples of plants used for dyes, visit website
Nature American Ethnobotany DB website at
h!p://naeb.brit.org/
· In an"cipa"on of the lesson, the educator may wish to create a selec"on of natural dyes
ahead of "me to assist the class. Depending on the age of the students, students crea"ng
natural dyes may not be appropriate due to the use of blenders, the need for a heat source
and pigments that could stain clothing or classroom furniture. For this ac"vity it is
recommended that educators s"ck to three or four primary colors due to "me constraints
as some colors take 60 minutes to create
· The easiest recommended dyes include: beets (for red), powdered turmeric (for
yellow), cranberries (deep red), yellow onion skin (deep yellow), coffee/tea
(browns), spinach (green), red cabbage (purple) and water used to soak mul"ple
rounds of black beans (for blue).
· Large amounts of dye are not needed for this project. Small amounts may
be made, but the more colors available the be!er. direc"ons follow.
· Materials needed include blender, plant material, saucer, heat source (stove
top), mixing spoon and kitchen strainer
· Please follow the below steps to create a plant based natural dye
· In a stove top safe saucer, add twice the amount of water as compared to
the plant material (e.g., 2 cups plant material and 4 cups water)
186
Plants We Want
· Place pot on a heat source and simmer the mixture for approximately one
hour, s"rring occasionally.
Natural Dyes
· The mixture will reduce in volume by about a third.
· Remove the pot from the heat and let it stand to cool.
· Put on protec"ve gloves, strain the liquid into a glass jar. Label the jar with
the type of plant used to make the dye.
· Cover and store in a cold loca"on un"l ready to use.
· For a stronger blue the water used in the repeated soaking of black
beans can be used to blend and strain blueberries,
· However the blueberry pulp strains exceedingly slowly.
· Along with the dyes, similar looking samples of Anthocyanin (made
by blending and straining red cabbage) and chlorophyll (Spinach
leaves blended with Alcohol before straining rather than hot water).
187
Plants We Want
· Inform students that in this ac"vity, they are going to paint using colors made from
plants!
Natural Dyes
· Provide students with watercolor brushes and small dishes that include a
sample of the plant derived dyes.
· Provide students a paper bookmark to test the three or four natural dye
colors that were pre-made
· If students were not present in the natural dye making, discuss the
pre-process that was conducted to create the colors.
· Make men"on of which plant types where used to create the
different color
· Instruct students when discussing the color of the given substances
to sue the term as dyes.
· Introduce some issues that have arisen with the pigments.
· Chlorophyll is not soluble in water, which is why
alcohol had to be used, but in addi"on, sunlight
bleaches it out rather easily and it must be very
concentrated to remain bold.
· Anthocyanin, is similarly not very concentrated and
bleaches in light over "me, it however may also
change color in a litmus reac"on to the acids and
bases in the paper.
· Anthocyanin is a pigment plants use to
protect themselves from harmful UV light the
188
Plants We Want
way animals, including humans, use melanin.
While animals tan in the sun, plants purple.
Natural Dyes
· Discussion ques"on
· Ask students to suggest ways people would naturally
choose plants to make dyes, where do you see vivid
colors that can be taken and made into stains?
· Ini"ally, it might seem obvious to take a
flower or fruit, mush it into a paste, and
smear it around as paint, however explain to
students that there is a difference between a
dye and a pigment.
· Tell students that they are going to conduct and experiment to see
what color a leaf would be without chlorophyll.
· To do this, divide students into groups of 3.
· For each small group, give them 2 small, green leaves, a clear
plas"c cup, and about a ¼ cup of rubbing alcohol. Have
students write their names on a piece of paper that the cup
can be placed on later.
· In student science notebooks, have students describe
what the leaf looks like using descrip"ve words and
drawings as appropriate
· Have students place the leaves inside the cup and cover the
leaves with rubbing alcohol.
189
Plants We Want
· Next, allow students to gently s"r and record the color of the
leaf and rubbing alcohol.
Natural Dyes
· Have students place the cups, with the paper with their
names on it, somewhere in the classroom out of the way.
· In one hour (es"mated "me) have students observe their
cups and record the color of the leaf and the alcohol in their
student science notebooks.
· The next morning, have students observe the leaf and
liquid once more.
· Discussion Ques"on
· Ask students what they think will happen to
the chlorophyll over "me if taken out of a leaf
and le& in the sun?
· How much chlorophyll do students think is in
a leaf, is it all filled up throughout or just
concentrated on the surface where we see it?
· Ask students which colors are being absorbed
and which reflected with the color changes.
· Where might variable color absorp"on be
helpful to the plant?
· Have students seen flowers with similar
colors?
· How might the environment affect how plants
express this pigment?
· Actual dyes are made/discovered by finding chemicals that not only appear
a certain color but chemically bond to material strongly cra"ng a stain.
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· In this second ac"vity, students will observe the pigments of several red flower petals to
determine if all red pigmented petals are the same.
· Pigments a!ract pollinators
· This a!rac"on is due to the pigments ability to absorb ultraviolent light so
they could be easily seen by insects, i.e., the pollinator.
190
Plants We Want
· To start the pigment ac"vity, provide students with the flower of three
different red plants
Natural Dyes
· Once students have flowers, cut paper towels into 1-inch wide strips.
· Make each strip the same height as a large-mouth glass jar. Cut at
least one strip for each type of flower.
· From the bo!om end of each paper strip, draw a 1-inch long pencil
line.
· At the other end of each paper strip, use a pencil to label which
flower will be spo!ed on the strip.
· In a clean jar or measuring cup, mix ¼ cup of water with ¼ cup of

rubbing alcohol. Pour a small amount of the mixture into the large-
mouth glass jar, a li!le less than 1 inch deep.
· Put one of the paper towel strips on top of a piece of scratch paper.
Lay a flower petal on the paper strip over the line you drew.
· Roll a coin on its edge like a wheel over the petal and across the
pencil line.
· Push down hard so the petal is crushed and a strip of the pigment is
visibly transferred to the paper towel strip.
· Repeat this 3-4 "mes using a fresh part of the petal each
191
Plants We Want
"me so a thick line of pigment is transferred to the pencil
line.
Natural Dyes
· Record observa"ons of how the pigment looks inside student
science notebooks.
· Tape the strip to the pencil so that when the pencil is laid
horizontally across the top of the glass jar, the strip hangs straight
into the jar and the bo!om edge of the strip is just barely immersed
in the rubbing alcohol mixture.
192
Plants We Want
· The pigment line should not be immersed in the liquid.
Natural Dyes
· Lay the pencil across the top of the large-mouth glass jar and let the
liquid rise up the paper towel strip un"l the liquid is about an inch
from the top of the strip.
· Remove the strip.
· Observe and Record what happened to the pigment on the
strips in student science notebooks.
· Allow the strip to dry out.
· Students record their observa"ons in their science
notebooks.
· In small student groups instruct students to follow the same steps for the
other types of flower petals.
· As a class, look at all the finished paper towel strips. If you see the
same colored band around the same height on different paper
strips, it is likely the same pigment.
· Ask students to record their observa"on results in their
science notebooks.
· Do any of the flowers have more than one pigment?
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· Thinking about laundry, what stains do their parents get really upset about or have trouble
geZng out?
· Are these stains always a bright color, or can dark or subtle colors s"ck around just
193
Plants We Want
as well?
· Do we always decorate or color clothes with bright colors? What does this say
Natural Dyes
about what we look for in dyes?
· Do dried stains always match the color they went on as? Does mustard? Does
ketchup?
· Would we immediately see the color of a dye stand out in an environment, or could
the plant look plain and s"ll produce a colorful stain and dye?
· What might make for good colora"on in a book illustra"on but not an ar"cle of
clothing on a clothesline?
194
Plants We Want
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Picking Preference
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What people want in the plants is a huge driving force in what we ul"mately see reflected in
the human landscape. In the following lessons, students will inves"gate the results of choosing
plants based on a single considera"on at the expense of everything else vs a more holis"c or
systems based approach. Through the lessons, students will begin to understand the effects of
those preferences - which are similar whether choosing which species to plant or between
traits within a species.
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· Students learn how human preference for favorable traits have impacted the plants that
thrive.
· Students understand differences between na"ve and invasive plants.
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· Share how the search for traits in tomatoes allowed them to be shipped and handled for
consump"on.
· Describe traits of na"ve plants and understand the benefits they bring to the natural
environment—including pollinators.
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· How do the traits humans find desirable impact the way plants we grow for food have been
cul"vated in the United States?
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kit
Tomato (variety) and na•ve seed packets Prior to conduc•ng this lesson
contact, Ma"hew Magoc to
receive the materials
mmagoc@mobot.org
Tarp 1
Missouri Wildflower Catalog online
195
Plants We Want
Picking Preference
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3-LS4-2 Use evidence to construct an explana•on for how the varia•ons in characteris•cs among
individuals of the same species may provide advantages in surviving, finding mates, and
reproducing
3-LS4-3 Construct an argument with evidence that in a par•cular habitat some organisms can
survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all
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Concepts:
Construc•ng Explana•ons and Designing LS4.B Natural Selec•on Cause and effect
Solu•ons · Some•mes the differences in characteris•cs
between individuals of the same species provide
· Use evidence to construct an explana•on
advantages in surviving, finding mates, and
Engaging in Argument from Evidence reproducing
· Construct an argument with evidence , LS4.C Adapta•ons
data, and/or a model · For any par•cular environment, some kids of
organisms survive well, some survive less well, and
some cannot survive at all
S%:2#&% V-/*;:<*'= I&%'-2:/#2

· Varie•es—-Regarding plants, it is the the individual iden•ty within a larger plant family or species
· Strains— Varia•ons found within plant cul•vars
· Glade—The open space that is surrounded by woods
· Wetland—Land consis•ng of marshes or swamps, saturated land
· Rainscaping—combina•on of plan•ngs, water features permeable pavement and other ac•vi•es that
manage storm water as close as possible to where it falls
· Non-na•ve plants- Through human ac•vity, an organism that is not na•ve to a par•cular loca•on and
typically causes harm to the ecosystem
· Na•ve Species—Plants or animals that originated or live in an area without any human interven•on
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Plants We Want
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Picking Preference
· According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the average American uses
nearly 90 pounds of tomatoes a year, though odds are that you haven't had any good
tomatoes unless you grew some yourself. The tomatoes seen in a grocery store are meant
to be picked all at once, survive being jostled through farm equipment and transporta•on
and s•ll las•ng through the trip without spoiling. Garden tomatoes are meant to be
gradually supplied over the course of the growing season, handpicked and eaten in short
order when ripe, and actually taste good even if they look a li"le funny.
· In other words, garden tomatoes are selected for a number of factors including
hardiness, yield, phenology, and use in cuisine.
· Commercial tomatoes are selected mainly on one trait at the expense of every
other - the ability to take a bea•ng. This form of selec•on began with ag
researcher Gordie C. Hanna, a plant breeder at UC Davis.
· Hanna was tasked crea•ng a strain of tomato capable of surviving the rough
treatment that came from machine harves•ng. He did so in the weirdest way - one
that your students will now reproduce.
· Begin the ac•vity with a discussion about the different parts of a plant and the func•on
these plant parts do in order for the plant to survive.
· Once students begin iden•fying the different parts of a plant, draw the par•cular
plant part on the board
· Be sure to include roots, stem, flower, leaves, seeds and fruit in your drawing
· Use the Plant Parts Poster as a reference
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Plants We Want
· Discuss with students that there are different parts of the plant that
Picking Preference
we as humans consume.
· Show students a picture of a potato.
· Ask students if they know what part of the plant a potato is?
· As a guide, ask students if the potato is green like a
leaf or firm and tall like a stem?
· If you available, show students a real potato.
· With a real potato look closely on the outside of the
potato. These “hairs” are li"le roots growing out of
one large root
· Other roots we et include: carrots, parsnips, beets
· If a real potato is brought into the
class, a simple expirment with the
potato can be conducted to
demonstrate the potato is a root
1. Cut the potato in half
2. Place a toothpick through the
uncut top sec•on of the potato
so the toothpick s•cks out of
both ends.
3. Fill a mason car with water
4. Place the potato in the water
5. The toothpick should be
suspended on the opening of
the mason jar. The cut half of
the potato will be in the water
6. In a week or two, students
should no•ce that a stem will
begin to grow out of the top of
the potato. Also visible at this
•me are root hairs growing
from the bo"om of the potato
7. In a months •me, the potato
may start to sprout. These
sprouts are called slips
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Plants We Want
Picking Preference
· Show students a picture of celery.
· Ask students if they know what part of the plant the celery
comes from?
· Ask students if the part of the celery we eat is leafy
like a leaf of firm like a stalk?
· Celery is the stem of the plant
· Show students a picture of broccoli.

· Ask students if they know what part of the plant the broccoli
comes from?
· Ask students if the part of the broccoli we eat is leafy
like a leaf or a flower?
· Broccoli is the flower
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Plants We Want
· Show students a picture of le"uce.
Picking Preference
· Ask students if they know what part of the plant the le"uce
comes from?
· Ask students if the part of the le"ucewe eat is leafy
like a leaf or a flower?
· Le"uce is the leaf
· Show students a picture of beans.

· Ask students if they know what part of the plant the bean
comes from?
· Ask students what part of the plant a bean is?
· Bean is a seed
· Show students a picture of a tomato.

· Ask students if they know what part of the plant the tomato
comes from?
· Ask students what part of the plant a tomato is?
· Tomato is a fruit
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Plants We Want
· Ask students to discuss with one another what they perceive each of these
Picking Preference
plant parts taste like
· While students are discussing, prompt the students to discuss the
taste, not if they do or do not like a par•cular plant part
· Guide the conversa•on to show that the flavors and taste of these
plant parts should be similar.
· As a consumer, we want our foods to taste consistent. And
over •me, farmers have farmed plant seeds that have a
par•cular taste profile.
· Not only have farmers bred plants to have similar taste
profiles, they also bred plants to be able to be stored and
shipped across the country.
· To demonstrate how tomatoes have been bred for this exact
purpose, lead students outside to where a large tarp has
been set down over a sidewalk or parking lot.
· Nearby there should be a selec•on of different
varie•es of tomatoes to “road test”.
· If able set aside a sample of each type of

tomato for taste tes!ng later.
· Invite students to take turns lo"ing tomatoes underhanded
out onto the tarp.
· Using the student science notebook, count and
record the number of tosses each tomato survives
before taking damage, and un!l destroyed.
· Average the scores for varie!es of tomatoes that had
mul!ple test subjects.
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Plants We Want
Picking Preference
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Plants We Want
· Based on the data recorded in the student science
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notebook, note the toughest strains of tomato.
· Explain that this procedure is exactly what Gordie
Hanna did.
· Gordie Hanna was a lead professor at the University
of California—Davis Vegetable Crop department
· In the 1940’s the tomato industry was in
decline due to a labor storage (World War 2)
He wanted to create a strand of tomato that
could withstand a mechanical tomato
harvester and rolling over a conveyer belt
Hanna’s experiment was conducted In order
to select the parent strains from which he
bred the VF-145 tomato, a “square” tomato
that refused to roll, and had a less quality
taste.
· Working under a swi" deadline, durability had
been the only concern, and the VF-145 was
rushed into produc!on replacing the older
heirloom varie!es and giving rise to several of
the cul!vars we have today.
· (Other modern varie!es are picked while
underripe and hard, then exposed to ethylene
a"er shipping so they “ripen” a"er being
separated from the plant and the nutrients it
supplies to the developing fruit).
· Following the “road test”, have the students perform a taste test on
the samples set aside earlier.
· Are any tomatoes tasty and tough, or are the two mutually
exclusive?
· Inform students that a single gene, TomLoxC, was
recently found to be responsible for the presence or
absence of much of a tomato’s flavor.
· Do students think the road test selects for this
gene?
· Another gene was also found to
trigger earlier flowering so that more
tomatoes that are riper and more
sugary are produced.
· Would the commercial industry jump
on growing tomatoes with that
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varia!on? Why or why not?
Picking Preference
· Does choosing which plants to grow
based on a single characteris!c
guarantee other desirable features will
be included?
· What does this say about gene!cally
modified crops, which are all the
descendants of a single gene!cally
modified individual?
· Would gene!cally modified crops with
an introduced resistance to one insect
be resistant to a different one if the
original plant transformed lacked the
capacity to deal with the second bug?
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· Explain to students that o"en!mes people select plants for landscaping their proper!es
based on one quality - they want plants to look beau!ful and enhance how their property
looks.
· This is a behavior that you can see repeated in neighborhoods, in parks, on school
campuses, and areas all over your city - maybe in your own yard or at places you
like to visit with your family.
· This is not necessarily a bad thing - humans who appreciate beau!ful plants
want to be surrounded by them. They make lots of people happy
· Today, we are going to look at a variety of plants and learn more about what na!ve
plants or non-na!ve plants are. Then, we’ll talk about some benefits that na!ve
plants, specifically, can lend to humans and the environment.
· Distribute the plant cards and ask students to sort the cards according to the
following:
· Separate plants you think are from Missouri from those you think may be
introduced from elsewhere. One group to the le" the other to the right.
· Separate plants that you think would do well here from the plants that may
die off in local condi!ons over !me.
· Separate plants that people might want from those that people might
consider to be ugly or weeds.
· When finished, have students flip the cards of less desirable plants over,
looking at the informa!on on back do you wish to reconsider the value of
any of them or move them to another pile?
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Plants We Want
· Ask students to consider whether these divisions might go together.
Picking Preference
· Have students answer yes or no to the following ques!ons:
· Are all pre>y plants na!ve to our state of Missouri?
· Could plants from outside be pre>y but not well suited for
living here long term?
· Non-na!ve plants not adapted may fail to thrive and need to
be replaced
· This is common with a lot of ornamental plants taken from
places where weather and soil condi!ons are quite different.
· A number of domes!cated vegetables may also suffer
this way but for these, varie!es may be bred for
different growing zones and hardiness. Plants that
perish or need human care to be happy are typically
contained
· Ask students: Could plants from outside be pre>y but
very well suited to living here long term, and spread
wildly? term, and spread wildly?
· Non-na!ve plants from places with similar
condi!ons generally have all of the
requirements necessary to thrive, they do not
have any of the predators, compe!tors, pests,
and other natural controls that keep them
from prolifera!ng. There may also be overlap
in things like climate or soil condi!ons such
that the refuges with desirable condi!ons for
a species back home are the norm here. In
these cases the introduced species will spread
uncontrollably and compete with or otherwise
disrupt na!ve species.
· Ask students: Could plants from outside that spread
compete with or cause other problems for na!ve
plants and wildlife?
· Non-na!ves that spread and do not disrupt
na!ve species, just se>ling into a vacant role
in the environment are said to be naturalized.
Many naturalized plants are ecologically
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Plants We Want
friendly but they also tend to reproduce
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quickly, survive on minimal resources, and
quickly fill empty areas. Species which behave
this way are called pioneer species and can be
na!ve or nonna!ve. However in landscaping
pioneer species are also o"en known as
weeds.
· Ask students: Do plants na!ve to our state usually
spread wildly or cause problems?
· Ask students: Are plants na!ve to our state well
suited for living here or not?
· Explain to students that plants are classified
into na!ve or non-na!ve (invasive). Na!ve
plants are those that are intended to thrive in
a specific environment because of the specific
environmental condi!ons of that area. Non-
na!ve plants are plants that are in a specific
environment but are not intended to thrive/
survive there due to the environmental
condi!ons and was directly or indirectly
introduced to that area by humans.
· Missouri Grow Na!ve is an organiza!on that
suggests desirable na!ves for plan!ng
because of issues that may arise with non-
na!ves
· Direct students to the Missouri Grow Na!ve
plant lis!ngs at: h>p://growna!ve.org/na!ve-
plant-info/plant-picker/
· The Plants suggested by Missouri
Grow Na!ve are all listed here and can
be sorted according to 13 different
filters which take into considera!on
features that landscapers might want
when selec!ng which species to plant.
· Allow students to explore theses tabs
and the different subdivisions under
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Plants We Want
each as they are not binary yes/no or
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more/less selec!ons.
· Ask students to list which filters
appear to be based more on aesthe!c
choice which are based in ecological
concerns, and which might be a
combina!on of the two.
· Have students select the following and
answer the associated ques!ons
· A#racts> Hummingbird: what
color flower do hummingbirds
seem to be par!cularly
a#racted to? If you wanted
hummingbirds but also wanted
your favorite color in your
garden how would you
choose?
· Sun> Full Sun: Do plants that
grow in full sun typically have
very large showy leaves or are
they smaller and/or grassy?
Assuming you wanted
something like a Hosta in a
bright part of your yard would
it be easy? Are Hostas na!ve?
Can they tolerate sun? How do
they like Missouri climate in
general?
· Special usage> rainscaping,
Na!ve environment>wetland:
Imagine the neighbors
associate wetlands with the
worst parts of swamps and
marshes, believing they are
slimey, gross, and a breeding
ground for snakes and
mosquitos. How might seeing
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Plants We Want
the plants shown here affect
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their opinion differently then
saying you plan to install a
pond?
· Special usage> rainscaping,
Na!ve environment> Glade:
are certain communi!es or the
services they provide possible
in every set of ecological
condi!ons? Should we want all
of our landscape to resemble
one uniform environment or is
it necessary to have varia!on?
Should every yard be a mowed
lawn?
· Now, have students look up the
following plants (plants selected are
chosen based off the above
selec!ons):
· Blue False Indigo (sun) (glade)
h#p://growna!ve.org/plant-
picker/plant/blue-false-indigo/
· Bu#erfly milkweed (sun)
picker/plant/bu#erfly-milkweed/
· Purple Coneflower (sun)
picker/plant/purple-coneflower/
· Royal Catchfly (hummingbird)
picker/plant/royal-catchfly/
· Cardinal Flower (hummingbird)
(wetland)
picker/plant/cardinal-flower/
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Plants We Want
· Glade Coneflower (glade)
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picker/plant/glade-coneflower/
· Black-eyed Susan (sun)
picker/plant/black-eyed-susan-2/
· As students are going through the plants above on the Missouri
Grow Na!ve website, ask them to record in their science notebook 3
-5 of the na!ve plants that they like and the reason why.
· They might really like bu#erflies, so plants that a#ract
bu#erflies might be on their list.
· They might prefer sun to shade, so would select a plant that
likes full sun; or the color blue. Or, they can just pick the
plants they think look the coolest.
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· Remind students that we have now looked at the types of traits people want from plants at
a gene!c, species, and landscape level.
· We have also looked at how those wants are decided in two career paths -
Agricultural scien!st, and Landscape architecture. However, these are not the only
two careers involving plants.
· Ask students to think about what job they might want to have when they are an
adult.
· What jobs do you want to have when you grow up?
· What subjects in school do you think would be helpful for those jobs?
· What are some things you could start doing now to learn more about that
career?
· Divide students into small groups and have students go to your school’s default
search engine.
· Ask students to choose 3-5 of the following careers that they would like to learn
more about.
· Students will research the following careers to determine how plants are
selected by people in these jobs.
· Forester , Farmer, Carpenter , Gardener, Herbalist , Nature guide,
Environmental educator, Lumberjack ,Florist ,Plant breeder, Chef ,
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Plants We Want
Tree surgeon, Ar!sanal cra=smen and women
Picking Preference
· Students should record answers to the following ques!ons
for each of the careers they researched in their science
notebooks:
· What does a person with this career do?
· What traits does this career require?
· Why do plants ma#er for this career?
· What does a person in this career want from plants?
· Let students briefly report their findings
before the end of the session.
· What do students think people really want from plants? Or are there plenty of
people, careers and industries that benefit from a diverse cross sec!on of plants
and their quali!es?
· A big part of using botany in the future may include managing plants and
the environment so that it is viable for mul!ple uses. A builder forming a
house may want a different kind of forest than a birdwatcher going on a
hike, and a farmer figh!ng a drought may prefer a different carrot than the
chef cooking a gourmet meal. These situa!ons require careful
considera!on on what lengths are people willing to go through and what
compromises are they willing to make to get what they want from plants.
210
Plants We Want
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Plants We Want
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Plants We Want
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Sustainability and Innovation
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G1+17&'6
The following lessons will help students to understand how studying plants has significantly
Genetics
increased scien!fic study in other areas. In fact, a botanist, Gregor Mendel can be credited
with studying pea plants to understand gene!cs – or who traits are passed from “parent”
species to offspring. This cri!cal scien!fic breakthrough – and the many that follow – were only
possible through the study of plants. In these lessons, students will engage in the prac!ce of
defining a model organism then elaborate on how observable shared quali!es between a
model and related systems aid in the study and understanding of more complex systems.
L166Q+ OXY1'7&816
· To learn about model organisms and how they were used historically (peas) and in modern
!mes (Wisconsin fast plants) to further our understanding of gene!cs.
· To understand the three basic laws of gene!c: segrega!on, independent assortment, and
dominance .
· Introduce the topic of DNA and relate that to gene!cs
S7VK1+76 Z&@@ X1 JX@1 7Q
· Begin understanding how plant gene!cs determine which traits are passed down from
genera!on to genera!on.
E661+7&J@ [V167&Q+6:
· How did scien!sts use plants and plant gene!cs to understand more complex sciences?
CQ+6V\JX@1 J+K NQ+-'Q+6V\JX@1 MJ710&J@6 N11K1K
Materials Needed Quan!ty Included in PLSS kit
Bromelain 1
Container 3 large plas!c containers
Isopropyl alcohol 1
Liquid dish detergent 1
Petri dishes
Split peas 1 container
Strainer 1
Table salt 1 container
Toothpicks 1 container
Wisconsin FastPlants
215
N1_7 G1+10J7&Q+ S'&1+'1 67J+KJ0K6 –P104Q0\J+'1 E_U1'7J7&Q+6

<-LS<-` Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence that plants and animals have traits
Genetics
inherited from parents and that varia!on of these traits exists in a group of similar organisms
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Concepts:
Analyzing and Interpre•ng Data LS3.A Inheritance of Traits Pa•erns
· Many characteris•cs of organisms are inherited
· Analyze and interpret data to make sense
from their parents
of phenomena using logical reasoning
S7VK1+7 VQ'JXV@J09 I+70QKV'1K

· Inherited Characteris!cs— Gene!c characteris!cs that are given to offspring from their parents. All living
things get half their genes from one parent and half their genes from the other parent
· Law of Dominance—A pair of inherited traits will be dominant and the other recessive, unless both factors
are recessive
· Law of Independent Assortment—Chromosomes separates independently of the other pairs so the results
are random
· Law of Segrega!on– the genes that determine every characteris!c are random from each parent
· Model organism —A species that has been widely studies due to its par!cular experimental advantage
· Organism — an individual animal, plant or single-celled life form
· Traits— a dis!nguished quality or characteris!c
216
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· Educator note: Though the scien•fic concepts in these lessons are complicated – and
students will surely learn and understand more about them throughout their educa•onal
Genetics
careers – it is s•ll cri•cal to introduce them to these concepts that were built upon the
study of plants in early ages. For now, we are not looking for mastery, but simply the
understanding that studying plants helped scien•sts make huge leaps in other areas of
research and scien•fic understanding
· Introduce the topic of inherited characteris•cs to students by showing the following video
created by Genera•on Genius “Varia•on of Traits” (12min 39 sec)
· h/ps://www.genera•ongenius.com/videolessons/varia•on-of-traits-video-for-kids/
· Students will be introduced to the topic by learning that different individuals
have different traits. These traits were passed down from parents of the
individuals
· As an example: If a mother red cat and purple and yellow father cat
had a li/er of four ki/ens, the babies could have the following color
combina•on
· One baby is red
· One baby is yellow
· One baby is purple
· One baby is purple and yellow
· Traits from the mother and father were passed to the
babies (offspring)
· These traits vary from each individual baby even
though they all came from the same set of parents
· Varia•on of traits occur in both animals and plants.
· Plants are similar as to the above men•oned
scenario.
· If possible, look at living specimen of two flowers of
the same species.
· Count the number petals on the flower
217
Genetics
· Students could no•ce that each flower (in the
example above) has 8 petals
· Ask students to think about why they
think each flower has the same color
and number of petals?
· This is an example of inherited
characteris•cs in a plant.
· These are common set of
physical traits found in this
plant
· These traits are
important for the plant
to survive. The color,
number of petals or
petal shape can help
pollinators find the
plant. Once the
pollinator pollinates the
plant, reproduc•on can
occur and plant seeds
will form.
· This new
genera•on of
plants will share
traits from both
sets of parents
and also share
218
common
characteris•cs
· However, this
Genetics
new genera•on
of plants (seeds)
also need help
from the
environment in
terms of
temperature,
air, water,
nutrients and
sunlight. A lack
of these will
impact how the
seed could
grow.
· As an example,
if the plants
trait were to
grow large, and
the above
requirements
were not met,
then the plant
will not grow as
large as its
poten•al
· Show students a picture or a living specimen of two
different types of plants. What are the differences
between both plants.
· These no•ceable differences are due to each
plants inherited characteris•cs.
219
Genetics
· Scien•sts also use a similar process when learning about plants
· Discuss Gregor Mendel, the 19th century Austrian Friar
credited as the Father of Gene•cs.
· Show students Wiki page dedicated to Gregor Mendel
h/ps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregor_Mendel
· Explain to students that Gene•cs is now a very
advanced science that allows us to move desired
traits from one organism to another unrelated one,
diagnose and treat illnesses, tell how organisms are
related by looking at their DNA, and perform several
other tasks that would be impossible without very
high tech and advanced science.
· Mendel looked at seven characteris•cs of pea plants:
height, shape of pod, color of pod, seed color, seed
shape, flower posi•oning and color
· Mendel found that when a true yellow pea
and a true green pea where cross bred, their
offspring always produced yellow seeds.
· This discovery produced what we
know as dominant and recessive genes
· Ask students how they think
Gregor was able to figure out a
topic as complex as gene•cs by
observing pea plants.
· Do peas seem like they
are very complex
organisms?
220
· Do peas do some of the
same basic things as
organisms that are
Genetics
more complex?
· If you are just figuring
something out do you
want to study
everything going on
with it or just focus on
the basic stuff that is
broadly applicable
· Explain that Mendel’s Peas are what we call a Model
organism.
· Scien•sts use models to mimic the basic behaviors of
more complex systems. If a more complex organism
passes traits from parents to offspring in the same
way as peas, then we can study the peas to
understand how both behave then make predic•ons
about how they act..
· Show students the Wisconsin Fast plants they
will be studying over the course of the next
three days.
· Over the course of the three days, students

can observe, measure and record their
observa•ons of the Fast Plants in their
student science notebooks.
· Fast plants go through the whole lifecycle
from seed to flower in around a month. This
allows researchers to do more experiments
more quickly, while s•ll working with
221
rela•vely simple gene•cs
· Students can watch a •me lapse of video on
YouTube en•tled Wisconsin Fast Plants Life
Genetics
Cycle uploaded by FastPlants
h/ps://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=P_PFiuVsSDw&feature=youtu.be&start=31
· What’s more, fast plants are closely related to several kinds
of vegetables like turnips, canola, broccoli, and Brussel
sprouts, so the lessons learned can be applied directly to
working with important plants we eat.
· Studying a simple model organism lets us learn the basics of
how other organisms work. More generally, models are not
only organisms, but anything that simulates what we want to
study in simple ways.
· When we begin to figure out the basics of how something
works, we then some•mes call the overall picture formed
from that collected knowledge our “working model”.
· So in short, Gregor Mendel is famous for using pea
plants as a model organism to develop a working
model of gene•cs at large.
· Today scien•sts s•ll use all sorts of models to study
everything from gene•cs to meteorology to traffic
jams. Finding and developing good models is a
regular part of modern research.
G!"!#$%& A%#$'$#( ;
· As we are watching our model organisms grow (ac•vity 1), inform students that they will
be using a different model to explain some of the things that Mendel saw when breeding
peas, and what he was able to guess about how traits are passed to offspring from their
parents.
· Explain that more recently, scien•sts and students studying gene•cs in plants have
switched to a specially bred kind of weedy mustard species nicknamed Wisconsin
fast plants.
· For student understanding of inherited characteris•cs, review the concept
using pennies.
222
· Ask students: How many parents do most organisms have that they
can take traits a<er? Two.
· We are going to look at a coin because it has two sides. Show
Genetics
students the two sides of a penny
· If we imagined a “Baby” coin were born from two parents,

could it have two heads and two tails sides? Or does a coin
only have two sides?
· So how many sides can it receive from each parent?
· 1 from each of the two parents.
· That means each parent can only contribute one side
or the other to the baby coin and the parent coin
received one of its two sides from each of its parents.
· When a parent coin gives its offspring one side, the
other side the parent possesses is not passed on so
now we are going to see how that works out.
· Explain to students that the “side” of the coin that is
passed on to the child are called traits. Traits are like
instruc•ons that explain what to do.
· Distribute two coins to each student.
· Explain that Mendel had guessed that each parent
pea plant could only pass half of the instruc•ons it
had for each trait peas had onto its offspring,
otherwise the amount of instruc•ons would double
223
with every genera•on and things would be a mess.
· He also guessed that odds were fi<y-fi<y as to
which of the two sets of instruc•ons it had (1
Genetics
from each parent) would be passed on.
· Have students flip the two coins and
record heads or tails for each flip
within their student science notebook.
· Ask through a show of hands how
many students had both come up
heads, how many both tails, and how
many one of each?
· If each coin was one parent then the
babies would be two headed coins,
two tailed coins, and regular coins.
· Gregor called the fact that each parent could
only send on one set of instruc•ons for a trait,
the same way each of our model coins can
only come up on, and contribute one side,
The LAW of SEGREGATION.
· Explain that Mendel also was able to
figure out that most traits were sorted
out independently.
· For example, if a father pea
passed on the trait for flower
color that it received from its
mother, not every other trait
given to the grandchild had to
come from the father’s mother
as well.
· Otherwise how could you ever
get traits from both
grandparents.
· Mendel called this the LAW of
INDEPENDENT ASSORTMENT.
224
Genetics
Grandmother Grandfather
Father
Grandchildren Grandchildren
· Draw diagram on a whiteboard

to allow students to visually
see how the Law of
Independent Assortment
works.
· Distribute two nickels
to each student
· To •e this back into our coins,
225
have students flip all four coins
(two pennies and two nickels)
and record heads or tails in
Genetics
their student science notebook.
· Ask through a show of hands
how many had the first pair
come up the same way as the
second (Only one example is
shown, there a mul•ple
combina•ons that could arise)
· Sta•s•cally, only about half of

the students will have the same
outcome only using two pairs
of coins (less if more pairs of
coins are added).
· If each set of coins
represents a separate
trait, we do a separate
set of coin flips each
•me.
· Have the students flip all the
four coins once more and
record heads or tails in their
student science notebook.
· Ask through a show of
hands who had double
tails for the first set,
then the second.
226
Genetics
· Share with students that, by law of
averages, this only happens 1 in 4
•mes,
· 75% (3 of 4) of the •me a head
will come up on at least one
coin.
· Tell students that Gregor no•ced that some•mes a
trait would skip genera•ons when he crossed true
breeding individuals, or parents, whose ancestors had
all carried the same trait as them, but those
disappearing traits would reappear in 1 of 4 of the
next genera•on.
· He figured from the numbers that traits
behaved like the coins, but some•mes one of
the possible sets of instruc•ons for a trait
didn’t do anything, while the other set of
instruc•ons determined what showed.
· This meant seeing a trait on the organism
would be more like asking the ques•on “did
you have at least one coin come up heads or
not?”;
· Pea offspring showed traits with the
same frequency as coin sides under
certain condi•ons. In other words,
they followed the same model.
· Gregor called this the LAW of
DOMINANCE because one set of
instruc•ons for a trait would
some•mes dominate the other in a
227
predictable way.
· Please note that this is a pre$y
complex topic to figure out,
Genetics
and students will only really be
expected to fully grasp
Mendelian gene•cs in high
school.
· The important thing here is
that the coins act as a model to
help them visualize how traits
in pea plants are passed down.
G&'&*+-/ A-*+0+*2 6
· Introduce students to the following scien•sts: Rosalind Franklin, James Watson, Francis
Crick
· Collec•vely, these three discovered the structure and code of DNA.
· Rosalind was the first to get a decent picture of it with scien•fic equipment,
while Watson And Crick built a model based on prior chemistry work and
Rosalind’s image.
· Another benefit of a model organism is that we can do things in studying
them that might not be appropriate for more complex living things.
· In this case we are going to isolate DNA from peas in a manner that
would be difficult or impossible if tried on people or animals.
· Inform students that, as a class, you will isolate DNA for observa•on
and that we will use model organisms to do illustrate this.
· Follow the procedure below with students.
1. In a blender combine and blend 1/2 cup of split peas ,1/8
teaspoon coarse table salt, and 1 cup cold water. (This step is
to separate the contents of the cell from the cell wall and is a
mechanical step.)
228
2. Pour your thin pea-cell soup through a strainer
into another container.
Genetics
3. Add 2 tablespoons liquid dish detergent (about
30ml) and swirl to mix. (This step is to separate
the contents of the nucleus from the cell
membrane and organelles which are formed from
a phospholipid bilayer, which in very simple terms,
is essen•ally a double layered grease bubble.)
4. Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes.

5. Add a pinch of meat tenderizer (bromelain). (This
step is to free the DNA from what remains of the
nucleus and the histones that the DNA spools
around by dissolving their proteins with an
enzyme. ) Be very careful s•rring at this stage as
229
free-floa•ng DNA is a 1 molecule thick fine thread
and breaks easily.
6. At this stage, you may divide the slurry into
Genetics
separate containers, pouring slowly.
7. For students to see and manipulate the DNA you
will need to •lt the viewing container and pour
isopropyl alcohol down the side of it so that it
gently covers the green mixture. The DNA being
hydrophobic and compara•vely buoyant will float
out above the green appearing as a thin
translucent material.
8. Suspended, the DNA may appear to look like

cobwebbing, and students may spin toothpicks in
it to capture it like spagheK on a fork. When
removed from the alcohol, the DNA appears more
mucus like. (Note that this is raw, mixed DNA from
mul•ple cells)
230
G&'&*+-/ CQU/+'V D+/-X//+U'
· Science at its best is collabora•ve and makes the most progress when informa•on from
mul•ple sources is shared and cross referenced. Gregor Mendel was clearly a botanist,
Genetics
but his research became part of a much bigger work.
· Similarly, model organisms may seem like a small and obscure tool to work with
but lead to greater discoveries when the lessons are applied more broadly. In
our next session we will further explore how research into specific phenomena
can be used for broader applica•ons.
· The work of Franklin, Watson and Crick followed up on Mendel’s work, which
sat forgo$en for a •me, by proposing the idea that the instruc•ons for traits
now known as genes, were wri$en in the DNA structure, which varies between
organisms according to the genes.
· This idea was further confirmed by the fact DNA is packaged into large bundles
called chromosomes that behave in exactly the sort of way necessary for the
laws of segrega•on and independent assortment to be true. They even come in
matching pairs,
231
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B+U]+]+-^2
Biomimicry
The following lessons will help students to understand that biomimicry is a prac•ce that learns
from and mimics the strategies that are found in nature to assist a human design challenge
how studying plants has significantly increased scien•fic study in other areas. For billions of
years, plants and animals have adapted and solved issues in order for their species to survive.
Many of these adapta•ons took thousands of years; today humans face similar problems that
animals and plants overcame in the past billion of years. Through the study of plants and
animals, humans can deduct what has worked, what has lasted and was had not worked.
Famously, Leonardo da Vinci applied the concept of biomimicry in his study towards human
flight. Leonardo observed and studied birds and through this he sketched the “flying machine”
Although not successful, future flyers Wilbur and Orville Wright succeeded in flight by
overserving pigeons in flight. Who knows what future designs will come out of student
observa•ons in nature!
L&//U' O\j&-*+0&/
· To understand how we can use plants and “biomimicry” to learn about quali•es to deal
with harsh environments.
· introduce and discuss biophilia through natural pa$erns.
· To understand that some naturally occurring pa$erns, such as Phi, occur in nature and
have an impact in various aspects of life.
S*XZ&'*/ {+QQ \& Y\Q& *U

· Students can choose natural pa$erns that they find appealing and discuss what it is about
them they like.
· Have students discuss Phi and its occurrence in plants and other organisms. Con•nue the
discussion by talking about Phi’s impact in human-made designs
E//&'*+YQ |X&/*+U'/:
· How can humans can use and study plants to learn about quali•es to survive in different
climates?
· How do the environments we put ourselves in as humans affect us?
232
CU'/X]Y\Q& Y'Z NU'--U'/X]Y\Q& MY*&^+YQ/ N&&Z&Z
Materials Needed Quan•ty Included in PLSS kit
Biomimicry
5-ounce measuring cup
Ar•ficial cards 1 set
Baking soda 5 packets
Nature Cards 1 set
Pine Cones 10
Small Plas•c Jars 3
Sheets of paper 25
Strips of paper 30
Tape 4 rolls
N&}* G&'&^Y*+U' S-+&'-& /*Y'ZY^Z/ –P&^~U^]Y'-& E}[&-*Y*+U'/
3-LS3-2 Use evidence to support the explana•on that traits can be influenced by their
environment
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Concepts:
Construc•ng Explana•ons and Designing Inheritance of Traits Cause and Effect
Solu•ons · Other characteris•cs result from individuals
interac•ons with the environment, which can range
· Use evidence (observa•ons, pa!erns) to
from diet to learning. Many characteris•cs involve
support an explana•on
bother inheritance and environment
Varia•on of Traits
· The environment also affects the traits that an
organism develops
S*XZ&'* VU-Y\XQY^2 I'*ÛZX-&Z

· Adapta•on — The act or process of changing to be$er suit a situa•on
· Biomimicry — Using nature as a model for human inven•ons
· Biophilia— the tendency to interact or be closely associated with other forms of life in nature
233
B#$%#%#&'* A&+#-#+* /
· Inform students that in the following lesson ac•vi•es we are going to study the idea of
Biomimicry
biomimicry.
· Students will use the concept of Biomimicry to iden•fy sound engineering
considera•ons and explore Biophillia, a concept where natural forms are used to
meet design criteria.
· Biomimicry focuses more on func•on while biophilia is aesthe•cally focused,
but due to elegance in nature, the two o0en overlap.
· Every day engineers look to the natural world for design inspira•on.
· This could be a large built structure such as air and sea vessels or processes
to treat water in a natural way.
· These and many other designs all look to nature for a crea•ve way to solve a
problem
· Students when they were younger probably engaged with a product
that was designed from the idea of biomimicry.
· Velcro was designed by a Swiss engineer named George de Mestral.
· The idea for the product came from a walk in nature with his
dog.
· During this walk, burrs from plants in the burdock family
stuck into his dog hairs. Burrs are the seed of the plant and
require they hitch a ride with mammals for seed dispersal.
· Over •me, the mammal with grow irritated that the
bur is in its fur (in our human case on our clothes or
shoes) and pick the burr off. Once off, the seed will
fall to the ground and begin the germina•on process
for a new plant
· Through careful observa•on of these burrs, de
Mestral was able to mimic this process and created
the same method in the product Velcro
· Ask students: how is Velcro different than
bu!ons or zippers
· If possible, locate Common Cocklebur
plant seeds.
· These burrs are a great Missouri
example of the similari•es between
234
burrs and Velcro
· Invite students to test the
Biomimicry
strength of the burrs by s•cking
them to various objects to find
the li0 strength of the burr
· The reason for its ability
to cling to objects is its
hook and loop
structure/
· Are their objects the
burr does not s•ck to?
· In student
science
notebooks,
record student
observa•ons
· Ask students to suggest defini•ons for the word “adapta•ons”
· Behavioral or structural features/characteris•cs which help an
organism to survive in their environment.
· While adapta•ons aren’t “designed” features, characteris•cs which
suffer a failure under the normal range of environmental condi•ons
typically don’t last long enough to be passed on to later genera•ons.
As a result, we can look at plants and animals for features which
have been thoroughly “tested” and proven successful by nature.
· The idea of copying successful adap•ve strategies found in
nature is called biomimicry. As an example, we can look at
plants that live in cold places to see how we should build
structure and choose materials in cold se3ngs.
· Another unique example is that of pinecones
· Pinecones will fold their scales during a
rainstorm to ensure that their seeds to not
spread a short distance when the condi•ons
are not favorable for seed germina•on
· In the following vide on Closing pine cones—Time
lapse video posted on YouTube the videographer
shows the process of the pinecone slowing closing
235
over the course of one hour. If presoaking the
pinecones, the linked video could be shown to allow
students to visualize the process.
Biomimicry
h!ps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y42e2ixRKJU
· In student science notebooks, students
record their thoughts about why the pinecone
responded to water in order to protect the
seeds inside the cone.
· Poten•al entry topics could include
· Do you no•ce any other changes in the
pinecones?
· How does the length of •me in water
chance the shape and size of the
pinecone?
Pine Cone—Dry Pine Cone—1 hour in water
236
· Have students ever witnessed a pinecone open and close
before? The process of opening and closing is to protect the
seeds inside the pinecone.
Biomimicry
· All pine trees start as seeds.
· Pine tree seeds are located inside the pinecone and
are dispersed via wind from the pinecone.
· During a rain storm, the pine one will close to ensure
that the seeds to not get washed out of the pine cone
and land at the base of the parent tree
· This ensures the pinecones release seeds on
dry days, giving the next genera•on the best
shot at a wide dispersal.
· Thinking back to our adapta•ons defini•on, can
students think of features at school or in the home
that have been engineered to be closed or shut off
automa•cally when condi•ons are wet?
· Ask: what about a fireplace?
· If the chimney shut en•rely it would fill the
building with smoke, looking at the scales of
the pinecone is there anything about it that
would protect the interior from water even
when it isn’t en•rely shut?
· Invite students to see this process of opening and closing in
the classroom.
1. In their student science notebook, students are to
measure the length and width of three pinecones.
Note any no•ceable features of the pinecones should
be noted as well
2. Procure three mason jars and label one as warm
water, one as cold water and label the third as control
3. Fill the jar labeled warm water with warm water and
cold water in the jar labeled cold water. The control
will have no water added to it
4. Place a pineconein each jar and start a •mer.
237
5. In their student science notebook, students are to
draw what is occurring at 15 minute intervals for each
of the pine cones
Biomimicry
6. Record other observa•ons no•ced by students
7. A0er an hour+, instruct students to remove the pine
cones from their jars and record the length and width
of the pinecones In their student science notebook
· Students should note any changes in the pine
cone
· To assist student understanding of the purpose of the form
and structure of the pine cone, conduct the following
demonstra•on
1. Distribute long strips of paper to students
2. Ask students to fold the strips into different shapes
(like squares, circles, triangle) that can stand up on
their own when taped to a flat sheet of paper
3. Instruct students to tape the ends of their paper to

set their shapes down on a spread tarp or newspaper
so that the shapes stand upright.
4. Using the 5 -ounce Measuring Glass, instruct students
to sprinkle baking soda over the shapes and 1 ounce
intervals and have students record observa!ons in
their student science notebook. Notebook prompts
could also include the following ques!ons:
· Which shapes collapse under accumulated
weight, which shed the baking soda easily? Is
238
there any shape that resembles a pine tree?
· How would students or engineers design a
Biomimicry
roof of a house in a place that has lots of
snowfall?
B"#$"$"%&' A%(")"(' *
· Show students pictures selected by Google image by searching “pa+erns in nature”
· When conduc!ng the Google search, ensure that the usage right filter is set to
“Labeled for reuse with modica!ons” to give you images that have the least restric!ve
usage rights
239
· If needed, give proper cita!ons when prin!ng and allow students choose to
print and hang pa+erns in nature pictures as would be seen at an art gallery.
Biomimicry
· As a classroom, students could make a case why they like a par!cular picture
and can defend this stance by communica!ng why it is their favorite by
using words that can be used to compare/contrast or emphasize a point.
· Take students outside to view natural pa+erns or allow them to think
about something they have seen in nature that has a pa+ern. Using
the student science notebooks, students can depict found pa+ern(s)
in nature with a drawing or words
· While back in the classroom, ask students to draw something they
have no!ced in their school or home that appears to have been
designed a3er something in nature.
· Design choices made with the considera!on that people are living
things and do be+er in environments that focus on and support
living things, o3en mimicking the enjoyable aspects of what is found
outdoors, are called biophillic design.
· Generally speaking, Biophillia focuses on pre+y forms while biomimicry
looks for useful func!ons in nature. As a whole class facilitate the following
discussion ques!ons
· Have students look back at the images of pa+erns in nature; are the
organisms just trying to be pre+y or do these features do a job?
· Do the repea!ng pa+erns have shapes, measurements and
geometry? Are the pa+erns perfectly uniform or do they
have breaks
· Do some pa+erns gradually increase or decrease as the
organism grows, or as the anatomy tapers out to an
extremity? Does form follow func!on? Can the form be the
func!on if we are being biophillic?
· Ask the students to think about how much !me they have
spent outside in the last week.
· Ask them what they were doing – and how being
outside made them feel.
· Share with students that being outside affects people’s moods in posi!ve
ways – it makes people feel happy and calm.
240
· Ask students what their first impression is when they are shown a picture
from the nature cards
Biomimicry
· Explain that it has been shown that features of an ar!ficial environment like
blank walls with high contras!ng objects, weird random noises from people
and machines, unusual smells, and unnatural ligh!ng, don’t just affect
people’s moods but their ability to think and do work without feeling !red,
distracted, or stressed.
· Present students with the ar!ficial cards: telephone poles, a !n can,
cubicles. Ask students for their preference, the nature cards or the
ar!ficial cards.
241
· Challenge yourself and your students to create a list of ways
that nature can be incorporated in your classroom. Create
the list and follow through with a few of the ideas
Biomimicry
· Hang a bird feeder outside a classroom window
· Hang the pa+erns in nature printed pictures
· Grow plants in your classroom
· Collect seeds, leaves, s!cks, moss, etc. throughout
your classroom
B"#$"$"%&' C6#7"89 <"7%=77"#8
· Observing natural structures in plants is useful in designing structures people use such
as buildings, bridges, and infrastructure like railroads or sewers. Since plants essen!ally
live si>ng s!ll in one place, they must be able to withstand and recover from whatever
stresses come their way. They are actually quite tough when you think about it. At the
same !me, they manage to be a pleasant and a+rac!ve part of the natural
environment.
· When making design choices of whether it is important to be pre+y or prac!cal, plants
demonstrate that it is possible to do both. In the next few days, look for plants surviving
in tough places, even if they look beaten up, what elegant solu!ons can you see them
using to meet the challenges they face?
242
Student Project
P6@8(7 @8< PF#J6F—I88#)@("#8 CK@66F89F
Innovation Challenge
Plants are really valuable to humans because they can be used in many ways to benefit our
lives. Beyond using plants as products, studying plants and how they func!on for survival can
help is innovate and apply learnings to solve problems. This final lesson is intended to have
students think cri!cally about what plants can help us do. Using our five senses - hearing,
seeing, touching, tas!ng, and smelling - students consider how we can we apply what we know
about plants to solving a common problem.
Students will become engineers in this lesson! An engineer is someone who iden!fies a
problem that needs to be solved. They research, study and read - and then, they come up with
ideas to solve the problems they see. Students will begin this lesson by iden!fying a problem
they want to solve - and they’ll use what they know about plants to solve it. Solving the
problem involves coming up with lots of ideas - some good and some not so good. Students
will choose the best idea and use plants to design a solu!on. Then, they’ll explain how the
design will work - or even build it to test it out.
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· Students will par!cipate in a design challenge, using biomimicry, to design a gadget to solve
a problem in their classroom or school. The gadget will be based on a plant part.
· Students will develop an understanding about material literacy in determining what
materials would be a good or poor choice for this challenge.
S(=<F8(7 X"66 RF @R6F (#

· Collaborate with one another to discuss poten!al problems that need solving and how
plants and animals can help them in solving that problem.
· U!lize the so3 skills of teamwork, collabora!on, and nego!a!on with one another.
E77F8("@6 Y=F7("#87:
· What observable traits in plants are advantageous to humans?
· What are the steps of the engineering design process?
243
Student Project
C#87=$@R6F @8< N#8-%#87=$@R6F M@(F&"@67 NFF<F<
Materials Needed Quan!ty Included in PLSS kit

Biomimicry student graphic organizer 30
Biomimicry teacher cards 2 sets of cards
Engineering design process poster 1
Think—Write– Pair– Share graphic organizer 30
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3-5 ETS1-1 Define a simple design problem reflec!ng a need or a want that includes specified
criteria for success and constraints on materials, !me, or cost
NFZ( GF8F&@("#8 S%"F8%F 7(@8<@&<7 –F#=8<@("#8 B#ZF7

Concepts:
Asking Ques!ons and Defining Problems ETS1.A Defining and Delimi!ng Engineering Problems Influence of
· Possible solu!ons to a problem are limited by Engineering,
· Define a simple design problem that can available materials and resources (constraints) The technology and
be solved through the development of an success of a designed solu!on is determined by
Science on Society
object, tool, process or system that considering the desired features of a solu!on
(criteria). Different proposals for solu!ons can be and the Natural
includes several criteria for success and
compared on the basis of how well each one meets World
constraints on materials, !me, or cost
the specified criteria for success or how well each
takes the constraint into account
244
Student Project
I !"#$%! C'#(() *) A+$%"%$, -
· Using plants to solve a human problem is not a new concept. Humans have been using
plants and plant parts for thousands of years to help solve a problem
· Commonly used products that come from plants include:
· Corks come from the bark of a Cork OaK tree
· Willow bark was used before aspirin as a pain reliever
· Gum originated from the bark of a mas/c tree
· Rubber is the sap from the Rubber tree
· These are just a few of the many products that were used by humans to solve a
problem.
· Inform students that over the next few weeks, while in small working groups of students,
groups will iden/fy solu/ons to the common problem plants not surviving as well in pots
compared to in the ground.
· Throughout many areas in the world, growing plants in a container inside and
outside is encountered on a daily basis in both home life and in an laboratory
se1ng.
· Students will ini/ate the process of designing a innova/ve engineering solu/on that
incorporates growing a plant in a container taking into account the various growing
condi/ons of plants.
· Educator note: This lesson does not proceed to include instruc/ons for the
crea/on of the student design or tes/ng of the design.
· If /me and resources allow in the classroom, students should be
invited to create the design, test to see if it works as an/cipated and
share their solu/on with others (classmates, other educators, or
create a video)
· If students want to design a different product for a plant or a product
designed while using a plant, students should be encouraged to do
so. Since this lesson write up stops at the create and improve
por/on of the engineering design process, students are able to think
as large as they would like
· Remind students of previous PlantLab Student Scien/sts lessons conducted and the
informa/on that students learned about plants during these lessons
· Plants are invaluable resources that have had millions of years of adap/ng to
a loca/on. Our task as engineers is to take this knowledge of plant needs
and plant history and turn this knowledge into a new product.
245
Student Project
· To begin the engineering design process, post The Engineer Design Process poster
in the classroom where students can see it every day as they work on their student
project (wri5en on the board, or posted on a wall):
· The first step in the engineering design process is to Ask Ques/ons that will
be the guide to the design. Poten/al ques/ons to pose to students to begin
the process include the following:
· We know our need or problem is to help ensure plant growing
success in a container. What is currently available for use in a
residen/al or laboratory se1ng
· What will our limita/on be for designing a new pot? Is it cost
to manufacture,
· As a whole class, define the criteria or the
requirements a solu/on needs in order to be
successful.
· The constraints for a project are the limita/ons a
solu/on has. For example, these may be the funds
and materials available, /me, etc. cost to sell, material
sourcing?
· What is our goal or how will we define success? Is our goal to
create something that is available for low cost to the
consumer, a higher cost that meets all the plants needs or
somewhere in the middle?
· With our ini/al ques/ons being posed, invite students to research
informa/on regarding growing plants in a pot?
· What currently exists for consumers? Are there different
shapes or containers, sizes, colors etc. and does these
characteris/cs effect plant growth success?
· Has plant containers changed in the past 5, 10, 15 50+
years?
· What type of materials are the containers
made out of?
· Are the plant pots designed for atheis/c looks, for
fi1ng in a small space or for the plant to grow to its
full poten/al ?
· Do different parts of the world have different types of
246
Student Project
containers?
· How can we use or adapt new 21st technologies to help us in
our crea/on of a new container for plants?
· What does a plant need in order to survive and how does a
container provide (or does not provide) for these needs
· Allow students to talk with educators, parents ,
grandparents or provide students with internet access
to view common plant container products. Typing in
“plant container products” in a search engine should
provide students with a wide variety of images.
· In small groups, work together to brainstorm as many ideas and
solu/ons as possible. Student groups should record their ideas in
their student science notebook. This is the imagina/on stage of the
engineering design process
· While in small groups, all ideas should be encouraged and
expected. If the idea is on topic, there should be no
limita/ons to the ideas. Crazy ideas are encouraged in this
stage and even may allow other work group students the
ability to build upon that “crazy” idea
· Groups should go for quan/ty of ideas not quality of
ideas
· Ask students to think about the following: What
makes our brainstormed idea (s) be5er than the
products that we researched in the previous step?
· Encourage students to think about what types of
materials could be used. Remind students of the
goals that were discussed during the “ask” por/on of
the engineering design process.
· Allow students to write in their student
science notebook the materials and why the
group thought these materials would be
beneficial in our solving our problem
· With students in small working groups, instruct the group to select
one idea from the brainstormed list during the imagina/on sec/on.
· This is the planning stage of a promising solu/on
247
Student Project
· In the groups student science notebook, provide students the
/me to add the following details
Problem: Create a new container for growing a plant
Rough Sketch of the idea Lis!ng of materials needed to build

prototype
Ques!ons or concerns with the idea
· Sketch their design solu/on

· Label parts and add detailed notes regarding
size, materials, etc.
· Iden/fy materials needed
· Any ques/ons that arose during the sketching process
· The following steps are the crea/on and tes/ng of the design solu/on. The
following steps in this lesson plan does not go into great detail for the
create, test and improve sec/ons. These sec/ons will be very specific to the
students designs.
· Create a prototype of the student design. In this step, students will
be building the actual design based on the student sketches.
· Verify with the group that the design will meet the criteria set
forth and within noted constraints
· Put student working group designs to the test!
· Did the new container work to ensure plants survive be5er in
248
Student Project
that than in a commercial pot?
· Did it solve our need?
· Invite student groups to share their prototype design with
the class.
· Explain how the design fits our criteria and constraints
· Did it work?
· Invite the classroom as a whole to suggest poten/al
improvements that could be done to ensure success.
· Back in the small working group, groups take classroom feedback
and group feedback to improve the design. Make revisions!
· How can you make it be5er?
· Sketch the new design and repeat the create, test and
improve sec/ons of the engineering design process
· Share– Share your design with your class, school or Missouri Botanical Garden!!
249

PLSS Plants and People

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PLSS Plants and People

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Plants and

Plants and People Curriculum Plan

Explore Domes ca on Sor ng Model 133

Plants We Need Explain

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this plant and what memories does it

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can show how the par•cular plant was used.

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