Introduction
You are an alien from the planet Mars. You are on a mission to seek out new planets and study the different kinds of life on each. You have recently come across the planet called Earth and are surprised at the variety of life forms on the planet. You see humans and insects and fish, but the life form that interests you the most is.... the plant. You have never seen a plant before and want to learn everything about this interesting living thing. You can't wait to get started so you pull out your Observation Notebook and get right to work!
Task
Your task is to answer these questions:
What is a plant?
How do they grow, survive, and reproduce (make new plants)?
You will be working with a partner to complete this task. Your role is to pretend that you are alien botanists (people who study plants). You will work together to complete your Plant Life Observation Journal and your final project. As you work together, both of you should be actively searching to fill out your Observation Journals.
Because it is important that both of you do your own part, you will receive a participation grade for this activity. Click on the Evaluation button on the left to see a rubric that tells you how you will be graded on this activity.
CLICK ON THE PROCESS BUTTON.
Process
Before you begin, you will need the following resources:
- One computer with the Internet for you and your partner to share
- A pencil
- Two copies of the Plant Life Observation Journal (one for you and one for your partner)
- Markers, crayons, and/or colored pencils
- Two copies of the Letter Graphic Organizer to help you complete your final project
- Loose-leaf notebook paper
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Now that you have everything that you need, you and a fellow botanist (a person who studies plants) can begin your investigation of plants. Your partner will be chosen at random by your teacher. Your role and your partner's are the same. You will both be working together to complete your Plant Life Observation Journal in order to send back to your planet Mars so that your honorable leader, Oobleck can read it. Because the Honorable Oobleck is your supreme leader, it is important that your Observation Journal is fully complete, accurate, and to the best of your ability.
When you have completed your Observation Journal, you and your partner will complete a final project to send back to the Honorable Oobleck. This final project will be a letter to Oobleck describing what you learned about plants from completing this investigation. This letter will be sent with your Observation Journal back to the planet Mars.
Altogether, it should take you and your partner 10 days to complete your Observation Journals and letters to Oobleck.
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Now you are ready to begin your project. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU FOLLOW EACH STEP LISTED BELOW. EACH STEP SHOULD BE COMPLETED BEFORE YOU MOVE ON TO THE NEXT STEP!
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Click HERE to print out a copy of the Plant Life Observation Journal. Staple the journal together in the right order and look it over to make sure the everything looks okay before beginning.
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1. First, you will study the LIFE CYCLE OF A PLANT. Click HERE to learn more about life cycles. (Click on any of the plants or animals to find out what a life cycle is.)
Your job is to look at, read, and complete the activities at each of the websites listed below. Then, use the information that you learn to answer the questions on PAGE 1 of your Observation Journal. Make sure that you answer all the questions on PAGE 1 of your Observation Journal before moving on to step 3.
Click on each website below to learn more about the life cycle of a plant:
Life Cycle of a Wisconsin Fast Plant Movie
Now that you are finished looking at the websites, complete the questions on PAGE 1 of your Plant Life Observation Journal. Remember to be neat and complete.
2. NEXT, you will study HOW PLANTS GROW.
Remember that your job is to look at, read, and complete the activities at each of the websites listed below. Then, use the information that you learn to answer the questions on PAGE 2 of your Observation Journal. Make sure that you answer all the questions on PAGE 2 of your Observation Journal before moving on to step 4.
Click on each website below to learn more about the how plants grow:
What are the Plant Parts? Quiz
Now that you are finished looking at the websites, complete the questions on PAGE 2 of your Plant Life Observation Journal. Remember to be neat and complete.
3. NEXT, you will study HOW PLANTS SURVIVE.
Remember that your job is to look at, read, and complete the activities at each of the websites listed below. Then, use the information that you learn to answer the questions on PAGE 3 of your Observation Journal. Make sure that you answer all the questions on PAGE 3 of your Observation Journal before moving on to step 5.
Click on each website below to learn more about the how plants survive:
Now that you are finished looking at the websites, complete the questions on PAGE 3 of your Plant Life Observation Journal. Remember to be neat and complete.
4. NEXT, you will study HOW PLANTS REPRODUCE.
Remember that your job is to look at, read, and complete the activities at each of the websites listed below. Then, use the information that you learn to answer the questions on PAGE 4 of your Observation Journal. Make sure that you answer all the questions on PAGE 4 of your Observation Journal before moving on to step 6.
Click on each website below to learn more about the how plants reproduce:
Nonflowering Plants & Reproduction
What are the Parts of a Flower? Quiz
Now that you are finished looking at the websites, complete the questions on PAGE 4 of your Plant Life Observation Journal. Remember to be neat and complete.
5. NEXT, you will study HOW PLANTS DIFFER.
Remember that your job is to look at, read, and complete the activities at each of the websites listed below. Then, use the information that you learn to answer the questions on PAGE 5 of your Observation Journal. Make sure that you answer all the questions on PAGE 5 of your Observation Journal before moving on to step 7.
Click on each website below to learn more about the how plants differ:
Now that you are finished looking at the websites, complete the questions on PAGE 5 of your Plant Life Observation Journal. Remember to be neat and complete.
6. NEXT, you will study HOW PLANTS AND ANIMALS INTERACT.
Remember that your job is to look at, read, and complete the activities at each of the websites listed below. Then, use the information that you learn to answer the questions on PAGE 6 of your Observation Journal. Make sure that you answer all the questions on PAGE 6 of your Observation Journal before moving on to step 8.
Click on each website below to learn more about the how plants and animals interact:
Plants & The Food Chain Quick Flick (Watch the movie and take the quiz!)
Now that you are finished looking at the websites, complete the questions on PAGE 6 of your Plant Life Observation Journal. Remember to be neat and complete.
8. Your final step is to complete your final project. Before you begin, check over your Observation Journals to make sure every question is complete and to the best of your ability.
Take this quiz about plants to show what you know -- Plants Quiz
Your final task is to write a letter to Oobleck. This letter should describe what you learned while completing your plant investigation. This letter should tell what 5 of the most important or interesting pieces of information that you learned about plant life.
You and your partner will NOT be working together for this part of the project. You can use your own copy of the Plant Life Observation Journal to help you.
This first thing to should do is to get a copy of the letter graphic organizer. Fill out the letter graphic organizer completely.
If there is enough time, you can use the Letter Generator at www.readwritethink.org to publish your letter. However, if there is not enough time, you must hand write your final copy. HINT: When using the letter generator, you can NOT save your work so you must have everything on your graphic organizer complete before starting to type.
WHEN YOU ARE FINISHED, CLICK ON THE EVALUATION BUTTON ON THE LEFT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU KNOW HOW YOUR OBSERVATION JOURNAL AND LETTER WILL BE GRADED.
THEN CLICK ON THE CONCLUSION BUTTON.