Plant Structure

Now let's dig our hands into some plants!

You will be divided into 5 teams, each with four members. Each team will complete a worksheet based on your research and then create a poster about the plant that you are assigned to.

Team #1: Iris

Team #2: Sunflower

Team #3: Daffodil

Team #4: Lily

Team #5: Tulip

Each member of the group will have an important job. The jobs will be assigned to each student by the teacher.  The jobs are:

Investigator: This person will be in charge of choosing which websites to visit and decide what information from the websites will be used to answer the worksheet as well as be used on the poster.

Recorder: This person will be in charge of writing down the answers on the Plant Structure and Life Cycle worksheet as well as taking down notes about the group's assigned plant.

Reporter: This person will be responsible for presenting the information on the poster to the rest of the class.

Artist: This person will be in charge of designing and creating the poster of the assigned plant.

While each member of the group will have their own jobs, everyone is expected to help out with each job and work together cooperatively. Everyone must put forth an equal amount of effort.

The investigator of the group must go through the websites below looking for information that is going to help the group learn about plant structure and the plant life cycle. The investigator must also decide what information is going to be most important about the assigned plant.  The recorder must work with the investigator and take notes about the information that is found. The worksheet Plant Structure and Life Cycle is at the bottom of this page under "Resources". Please fill this worksheet out along the way because it is part of your assignment and will be graded for accuracy.

Remember: when navigating the internet, DO NOT go to any other websites besides the ones given to you.

When the group has filled out the worksheet, they will then look at the websites specific to the assigned plant.  The artist will then design a poster that will include the following: a drawing of the plant with labels of its parts, what the plant needs to grow, the plant's life cycle, and where the plant can be found.  A piece of poster paper and coloring supplies will be given to you.  Eveyone in the group must be involved in deciding what facts will be displayed on the poster.

After the posters are complete, the reporter from each group will present the information they learned about their plant to the rest of the class. Everyone in the audience must be quiet and pay attention to the other groups.

Here are some websites about general plant information:

• http://urbanext.illinois.edu/gpe/case1/index.html
• http://www.biology4kids.com/files/plants_main.html
• http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/gamesactivities/lifecycles.html (click on the "OK" in the blue box)
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/gardening_with_children/didyouknow_photosynthesis.shtml

          You may also watch the short Plant Structure and Function Movie below.

Here are some websites to help you discover more about your assigned plant:

Iris- http://www.theflowerexpert.com/content/mostpopularflowers/morepopularflowers/iris

          http://www.gardenersnet.com/flower/iris.htm

Sunflower- http://www.theflowerexpert.com/content/mostpopularflowers/morepopularflowers/sunflower

http://www.sunflowernsa.com/all-about/

Daffodil- http://www.theflowerexpert.com/content/mostpopularflowers/morepopularflowers/daffodil

http://www.daffodilusa.org/daffodils/faq.html

Lily- http://www.theflowerexpert.com/content/mostpopularflowers/lilies

          http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/dg1112.html

Tulip- http://www.theflowerexpert.com/content/aboutflowers/exoticflowers/tulips

              http://www.backyardgardener.com/plants/tulip.html