What does a seed need to Grow?

Introduction

Created By: Kelsey Miles, Mary Hooten & Marissa Marburger, Columbia College

Students will become elements (sun, soil, water, air) necessary for plants to grow. Students will become knowledgable on what a plant needs to grow and most importantly why a plants needs it. Students will then come together and discuss this important topic.

Introduction:

Plants are an important part of our enviornment. They create the oxygen that we breathe and serve as food that we eat. It is important that we understand how to take of the plants that are found on the Earth.

You are now a seed from a plant. What do you need to grow? Why is it importnat for you to have these things? You will soon find out as you become a element that is necessary for plants to grow.

Task

By the end of this WebQuest, you will:

Research what plants need and why they need them by exploring various websites
Have completed an interactive game exploring what a plant needs to grow
Create journals from the point of view of a seed
Put together your research to prepare to present your findings for a commercial on the Gardening Talkshow

Process

You are now a seed! Now you need to figure out what a seed needs to grow and why you need it.

Your teacher will divide up into groups of four. Each member of your group will choose to be: the sun, soil, water, or air. No two members can choose to be the same element.
Once you have decided who will play which role, you need to read about plants.

Find your role on the chart and explore the links next to it.

Role	Websites to Look At
Sun	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xeYNnzwpSE - Watch to the end of the video! http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/environmental/how-light-affects-the-growth-of-a-plant-problems-with-too-little-light.htm
Soil	http://www.soil-net.com/dev/page.cfm?pageid=secondary_intro_plants http://www.blm.gov/nstc/soil/Kids/soilimpt.html http://www.kidsgardening.org/node/61046 - Use the section "HOW SOIL IMPACTS THE GARDEN"
Water	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xeYNnzwpSE http://kids.britannica.com/comptons/article-206629/plant http://www.kidsgardening.org/node/61046
Air	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xeYNnzwpSE http://www.nysipm.cornell.edu/teaching_ipm/sole/green_sci/plants_need.pdf - Start on PAGE 4

Provided below is the graphic organizer needed. Your teacher will provide you with a copy of the graphic organizer. You are to fill out the section on your role (sun, soil, water, or air). It is important that you keep this graphic organizer. You will use this to fill in information that your groupmates present later on.

Element	Questions to Answer	Notes and Interesting Facts
Sun	What does the sun provide for the plant? How does the plant use the sun? What is this process called?
Soil	Why do plants need soil? How does the plant use the soil?
Water	What does the water provide for the plant? How does the plant use (drink) the water? Do plants need a little or a lot of water?
Air	What does the air provide for the plant? How does the plant use the air?

3. Share the information from you graphic organizer with your group. Also share anything that found interesting on the websites that you explored.

4. Go to this website, as a group, and take part in making a virtual plant grow. Think of how a plant would feel if it did not recieve all of the neccessary elements.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/7_8/plants_grow.shtml

5. Based on the information that you have found, you are to write a journal from the point of view of a seed or plant. You are to write your journal on a blank piece of notebook paper. Hold on to your journal because you will come together with your group and share them. Your teacher will collect the journals at the end of the webquest. Below are the journal prompts for your role:

Sun: You are now a seed or plant. You are trying to grow but you do not have any sun. How does this make you feel? Why do you feel this way?
Soil: You are now a seed or plant. You are trying to grow but you do not have any soil. How does this make you feel? Why do you feel this way?
Water: You are now a seed or plant. You are trying to grow but you do not have any water. How does this make you feel? Why do you feel this way?
Air: You are now a seed or plant. You are trying to grow but you do not have any air. How does this make you feel? Why do you feel this way?

Evaluation

Below you will find a rubric for how your work will be assessed! Your teacher will also provide a hardcopy for you in class.

What Does a Plant Need to Grow?

Great!

2 points

Good

1.5 points

Working on it

1 points

Needs Improvement

0.5 points

Journals

Student uses correct information

Student maintains the viewpoint of a plant

Student focuses on their element of growth throughout the writing

Student uses mostly correct information

Student maintains the viewpoint of the plant most of the time

Student focuses on their element of growth most of the time

Student uses little information that is correct

Student uses a different viewpoint other than the plant most of the time

Student has difficulty focusing on their element needed for plant growth

Student does not use correct information

Student does not use the viewpoint of a plant

Student does not focus on their element needed for growth.

Individual research

(graphic organizer)

Student answers all of the questions for their assigned element needed for growth

Student answers most of their questions for their assigned element needed for growth

Student answers few of their questions for their assigned element needed for growth

Student does not answer questions for their assigned element needed for growth

Group Members’ Research

(graphic organizer)

Student answers all of the questions for all three other elements during group discussion

Student answers most of the questions for some of the other elements during group discussion

Student answers few questions for the other elements during group discussion

Student does not answer questions for the other elements during group discussion

Presentation of Commercial on Gardening Talk Show

Group presents correct information to the audience

Group presents information in a creative way

Each group member participates

Group presents mostly correct information to the audience

Group presents information in a somewhat creative way

Most group members participate

Group presents mostly incorrect information to the audience

Group presentation is not creative

Few Group members participate

Group does not present correct information to the audience

Group presentation is not creative

One group member presents information

Working in a Group

Student worked well in a group (using manors, asking questions, being respectful of other members)

Student was on task during independent research

Student was on task during group discussion

Student worked well most of the time with their group (using manors, being respectful, asking questions)

Student was on task most of the time during independent research

Student was on task most of the time during group discussion

Student worked well some of the time with their group (using manors, being respectful, asking questions)

Student was on task some of the time during independent research

Student was on task some of the time during group discussion

Student did not work well with their group (did not use manors, was not respectful, did not ask questions)

Student was not on task during independent research

Student was not on task during group discussion

Total:

____/10 points

___ points

___points

___ points

Conclusion

Now that you have explored what seeds need to grow and why they need it you are ready to share your knowledge with the whole class! You are going to serve as gardening experts and present your findings for a commercial on the Gardening Show, a popular Gardening talkshow! Your group will serve as experts for the commercial!

See the Chart Below for instructions based on your role.
After you read your instructions based on your role, your teacher will tell you to meet with your groups. As a group, you are going to decide what information you want to share in your commerical. Think about to your research! Be Creative!

Role	Instructions
Sun	Your job is to describe how and why you, the sun, help plants grow. Describe what would happen if a plant did not receive any sun.
Soil	Your job is to describe how and why you, the soil, help plants grow. Describe what would happen if a plant did not receive any soil.
Water	Your job is to describe how and why you, water, help plants grow. Describe what would happen if a plant did not receive any water.
Air	Your job is to describe how and why you, air, help plants grow. Describe what would happen if a plant did not receive any air.

Now that you have read the instructions and came up with important facts to share, your group needs to come together and come up with a creative way to display this information on the commercialfor the Gardening Show. For example, you could come up with a song to sing, a rap, a dance or a poem; just be sure that your research is included! Think about how the plant uses each of you (sun, soil, water, air) together to grow and develop! For example, what would happen to the plant if it did not receive one of you. Be creative!

Have fun! See you on the air!!!

Credits

Thanks to:

Dr. Noble, Education Professor at Columbia College, for teaching us how to create WebQuests and how to teach science
Kelsey Miles, Mary Hooten, and Marissa Marburger for creating the WebQuest

Teacher Page

Students will become elements neccessary for seeds to grow (sun, soil, water, and air) and will come together and discuss why seeds need these elements to grow.

Teacher Introduction:

This WebQuest is intended to serve as an introductory activity on what plants needs to grow; but, most importantly, why plants need these elements to grow. Students will be guided on an inquiry based quest online to find out about different elements plant need. This WebQuest integrates the arts into learning about life science into a fun unit! Use this WebQuest to challenge your students to learn about what plants need and why they need them!

Enjoy!

Standards Covered:

1.L.5B.1

Learners:

This webquest is intended for 1st grade students who are learning about what plants need to grow.

Teacher Process:

This WebQuest is intended to take one week to complete
The beginning of the week should be focused on allowing students ample amounts of time to research their intended element. This is an inquiry based activity; students should have plenty of time to answer the posed questions as well as answer questions they come up with on thier own. The middle of the week should be focused on students sharing thier information with their group, completing the interactive game and completing thier journals.The end of the week should be focused on students brainstorming and completing creative ways to display their research on the commercial for the Gardening Show.