Student Page

Growing Healthy Plants

The Mission

You have been selected by the principal at our school to become Environmental Specialist.  Your task is to observe and conduct experiments on plants to show how plants are important to the environment.  You will be assigned to a group to observe and experiment and record your findings as to what a plant need to grow healthy.

The Process

1.     Explain to students that they are going to be Environmental Specialists.  Your task will be to find out what a plant need to grow healthy.  Detective La Plant, Bud and Sprout will help you to solve many of your questions.  You will start with your investigation of the parts of a plant and why each plant part is so important to growing a healthy plant.

2.     You will be divided into two groups, Environmental Specialist #1 and #2.  Specialist #1 will record what will happen to a plant when not given what it needs to grow.  Specialist #2 will record how a plant grows when given what it needs to grow.

3.     Your teacher will supervise and set up experiments to further your understanding of plants.  The teacher will give you your badges that will be worn during your investigations.  The teacher will display six healthy growing green plants.  You will conduct experiments to see if your plant needs water, air and light to grow.     

4.     After conducting your experiments and observations you will record findings in your plant journal, plant booklet, and worksheets.

5.     Final task, Environmental Specialists, is to create a mural showing plant parts titled "Name Me".  Specialists #1 will draw roots and stems.  Specialists #2 will draw leaves and flower.  Teacher will help copy riddle about plant parts and location on the mural.

Plant corner.  Is it a plant?

Water, water, I need water.

Where is the light?

I can't breathe.

Celery stalk at midnight. (http://www.kidskreate.com/)

Detective La Plant.  (http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu.case1.html