Maureen E. Taylor-French
Plant study is among the easiest and most cost effective units which may be employed by Integrated/Life/Earth Science educators. From a simple study of plants and interactions with their environment, students can examine how plants respond to pollutants which also affect us. Given information presented in this unit, Science, Math and Social Studies students can observe impacts of pollution on different plant types, describe how they contribute to local pollution, debate local land use issues, and describe how local actions affect and are affected by global changes.
This four-week unit is written for Grade 7/8/9 integrated science curriculum. It is inquiry-based. Lessons and activities accommodate the City of New Haven's performance standards, many of which are National Science Association standards. The lab experiments are presented in CAPT format, requiring critical thinking, data analysis and reporting, and assessment.
In this unit, students will:
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Complete Controlled Lab Experiments employing the Scientific Method
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Classify living organisms
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Describe plant functioning
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Investigate the sun as an energy source
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Describe and illustrate Cycles in Nature
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Describe pollutants and examine their impacts in lab activities
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Assume personal responsibility for the environment
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Plot and illustrate how global winds carry pollutants
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Debate impact of societal demands and technology on the environment
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(Developed for Integrated/Earth Science, grade 8; recommended for Integrated/Life Science, grade 7, and Integrated/Earth Science, grade 8)
