Documentation about the plant’s anatomy and how it reacts to light.

Student Journal

Learn about the essential role plants offer for sustaining life on earth. Covered in the lesson is going through the parts, processes, and full life cycle of plants. Students will create a flower which senses light and responds to the stimuli in its environment, opening and closing with light.

Please note this resource was tailored for US schools and may require adjustments to suit UK schools.

🇬🇧 Teacher Notes

Teacher Notes

Overview and Objectives

Materials

Facilitation and Collaboration Work

#### Teachers: Preparing Your Students (10 min)

When students begin the lesson, they start in [Overview and Objectives](#overview-and-objectives), then transition to this [Preparation](#preparation) section. Presented in their view is a vocabulary list of terms and infographics illustrating concepts across STEAM domains throughout this entire lesson.

There are extra guides and optional short intro lessons for preparing student readiness for their first engagement of new terms and content knowledge. Print or distribute the student journal and guides digitally. 

* Review the [Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)](https://sdgs.un.org/goals) blueprint based on global needs to create a more sustainable world by 2030 before starting the lesson. (5 minutes)
* Read through the vocabulary list. (5 minutes)

#### Before Starting (15 minutes)

* Collect 3 AAA batteries for each Robotic board.
* Review and familiarize students with the [Robotic Inventions Onboarding Guide](https://s3.amazonaws.com/strawbees-learning-cms-stage/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/20083944/robotic-inventions-onboarding.pdf). (10 minutes)
* Review the[ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)](https://sdgs.un.org/goals) blueprint based on global needs to create a more sustainable world by 2030 before starting the lesson. (5 minutes)
* [SDG 2](https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal2) – End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.
* [SDG 15](https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal15) – Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems.

#### Vocabulary

This is the list of vocabulary terms used throughout the lesson. They will be in **bold** and the definition listed throughout the different sections and in the **Student Journal** asset. Students can always revisit the vocabulary definitions with media and questions in the lesson.

Student journal

#### Vocabulary (5 minutes)

This is the list of vocabulary terms used throughout the lesson. They will be in **bold** and the definition listed throughout the different sections and in **Student Journal** asset. Students can always revisit the vocabulary definitions with media and questions in the lesson. (5 minutes)

Preparation

#### Facilitation and Collaboration Work

The Warm-up section can be facilitated as whole-group reading and discussion, or it can be facilitated in small groups or with partners. The images stimulate discussion and help students think about the concepts in the text. Questions can be used as formative assessments to check for comprehension.

SDGs

Common Core ELA

Florida - NGSSS

Warm-up

A plant's stems, leaves, and even flowers exhibit positive **phototropism** when they grow towards the sun. Roots exhibit negative **phototropism** when they grow away from light.

A plant needs carbon dioxide, which is a component of air, water, and sunlight. Chlorophyll converts light energy into chemical energy. Then, it uses water and this chemical energy to create glucose for its food. Lastly, it releases oxygen into the air, as a byproduct of **photosynthesis**.

Rainforest plants have different physical adaptations to help them survive. The rainforest is composed of dense **vegetation**, receives a high amount of precipitation, and is both hot and humid. Some trees are adapted to grow rapidly and extremely tall, reaching out and above the top levels of the rainforest to access the sun. Shorter plants, growing closer to the ground, have developed larger leaves to receive the limited amount of sunlight that penetrates to the forest floor.

NGSS

Imagine

#### Facilitation and Collaboration Work

You can have students work on the instructions together in pairs or groups of 3.

From a sheet of paper make a folded triangle

Fold the triangle again in half to make a smaller triangle

Fold triangle in half again for an even smaller triangle

Draw a curved line then cut along the line

Try cutting additional petals from other bright sheets then combine

Make the stigma and attach to petals

Create a linkage for the stem

Make the vase top

Create

#### Facilitation and Collaboration Work

You can have students work on the instructions together in pairs or groups of 3.

#### Sharing Ideas

Students may want to set up their flowers in a group display.

Make a vase structure to hold the plant

Attach the vase top to the structure to complete shape

Assemble the micro:bit, clip, and servo motor

Connect to computer using USB cable

Start a new project on Makecode

Add Strawbees extension

Pair the micro:bit

Zero the servo motor

Turn on the Robotics board

Attach the Robotics board and servo motor to vase then the servo connector

Attach the flower stem to the servo connector

Program the flower to open in reaction toward light

Test the performance and motion of the blossoming petals

ISTE Students

CSTA

Build

For this section of the lesson, the following questions below can be discussed all together as a class or within each group. You can use the **Student Journal** asset as a helpful resource to capture ideas and process on the computer or printed and distributed beforehand.

Reflect

Challenges

References and Extra Resources

STEAM Classroom Robotics - micro:bit

United States

End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.

Goal 2

Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.

Goal 15

Use evidence to support the explanation that traits can be influenced by the environment.

3-LS3-2

Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.

4-LS1-1

Support an argument that plants get the materials they need for growth chiefly from air and water.

5-LS1-1

Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.

3-5-ETS1-1

Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

3-5-ETS1-2

Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.

3-5-ETS1-3

Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.

MS-ETS1-1

Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

MS-ETS1-2

Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for the role of photosynthesis in the cycling of matter and flow of energy into and out of organisms.

MS-LS1-6

Describe how internal and external parts of computing devices function to form a system.

CSTA.1B-CS-01

Model how computer hardware and software work together as a system to accomplish tasks.

CSTA.1B-CS-02

Determine potential solutions to solve simple hardware and software problems using common troubleshooting strategies.

CSTA.1B-CS-03

Students build knowledge by actively exploring real-world issues and problems, developing ideas and theories and pursuing answers and solutions.

1.3.d Knowledge Constructor

Students know and use a deliberate design process for generating ideas, testing theories, creating innovative artifacts or solving authentic problems.

1.4.a Innovative Designer

Students select and use digital tools to plan and manage a design process that considers design constraints and calculated risks.

1.4.b Innovative Designer

Students develop, test and refine prototypes as part of a cyclical design process.

1.4.c Innovative Designer

Students exhibit a tolerance for ambiguity, perseverance and the capacity to work with open-ended problems.

1.4.d Innovative Designer

Students understand how automation works and use algorithmic thinking to develop a sequence of steps to create and test automated solutions.

1.5.d Computational Thinker

Students communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively by creating or using a variety of digital objects such as visualizations, models or simulations.

1.6.c Creative Communicator

Describe structures in plants and their roles in food production, support, water and nutrient transport, and reproduction.

SC.3.L.14.1

Recognize that plants use energy from the Sun, air, and water to make their own food.

SC.3.L.17.2

Recognize ways plants and animals, including humans, can impact the environment.

SC.4.L.17.4

Explain that although characteristics of plants and animals are inherited, some characteristics can be affected by the environment.

SC.4.L.16.2

Compare and contrast the function of organs and other physical structures of plants and animals, including humans, for example: some animals have skeletons for support -- some with internal skeletons others with exoskeletons -- while some plants have stems for support.

SC.5.L.14.2

Describe how, when the environment changes, differences between individuals allow some plants and animals to survive and reproduce while others die or move to new locations.

SC.5.L.15.1

Describe how models and simulations can be used to solve real-world issues in science and engineering.

SC.35.CS-CS.1.2

Identify ways that technology can foster teamwork, and collaboration can support problem solving and innovation.

SC.35.CS-CC.1.3

Create a simple model of a system (e.g., flower or solar system) and explain what the model shows and does not show.

SC.35.CS-CS.1.4

Explain that computers model intelligent behavior (as found in robotics, speech and language recognition, and computer animation).

SC.35.CS-CS.6.3

Create, test, and modify a program in a graphical environment (e.g., block-based visual programming language), individually and collaboratively.

SC.35.CS-CP.2.2

Detect and correct program errors, including those involving arithmetic operators, conditionals, and repetition, using interactive debugging.

SC.35.CS-CP.2.5

Decompose a problem and create a function for one of its parts at a time (e.g., video game, robot obstacle course, making dinner), individually and collaboratively.

SC.68.CS-CS.2.5

Select appropriate tools and technology resources to accomplish a variety of tasks and solve problems.

SC.68.CS-CP.3.1

Identify and describe the use of sensors, actuators, and control systems in an embodied system (e.g., a robot, an e-textile, installation art, and a smart room).

SC.68.CS-CS.4.4

Design and demonstrate the use of a device (e.g., robot, e-textile) to accomplish a task, individually and collaboratively.

SC.68.CS-CS.6.6

Explain how text features contribute to the meaning and identify the text structures of problem/solution, sequence, and description in texts.

ELA.4.R.2.1

Explain how text structures and/or features contribute to the overall meaning of texts.

ELA.5.R.2.1

Explain how individual text sections and/or features convey meaning in texts.

ELA.6.R.2.1

Explain how individual text sections and/or features convey a purpose in texts.

ELA.7.R.2.1

Analyze how individual text sections and/or features convey a purpose and/or meaning in texts.

ELA.8.R.2.1

Explain how an author establishes and achieves purpose(s) through rhetorical appeals and/or figurative language.

ELA.8.R.2.3

Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.3

Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.7

Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information in the text.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.3

Draw on information from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the ability to locate an answer to a question quickly or to solve a problem efficiently.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.7

Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text (e.g., through examples or anecdotes).

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6.3

Integrate information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6.7

Analyze the interactions between individuals, events, and ideas in a text (e.g., how ideas influence individuals or events, or how individuals influence ideas or events).

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.3

Analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events (e.g., through comparisons, analogies, or categories).

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.8.3

Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using different mediums (e.g., print or digital text, video, multimedia) to present a particular topic or idea.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.8.7

The student asks questions, identifies problems, and plans and safely conducts classroom, laboratory, and field investigations to answer questions, explain phenomena, or design solutions using appropriate tools and models.

TEKS Science

3.1A

3.1B

3.1D

3.1E

3.1G

The student analyzes and interprets data to derive meaning, identify features and patterns, and discover relationships or correlations to develop evidence-based arguments or evaluate designs.

3.2D

The student develops evidence-based explanations and communicates findings, conclusions, and proposed solutions.

3.3A

3.3B

The student knows the contributions of scientists and recognizes the importance of scientific research and innovation for society.

3.4A

3.4B

The student understands that recurring themes and concepts provide a framework for making connections across disciplines.

3.5A

3.5B

3.5C

3.5D

3.5F

3.5G

The student knows the nature of forces and the patterns of their interactions.

3.7A

The student knows that energy is everywhere and can be observed in everyday life.

2.8B

The student understands how natural resources are important and can be managed.

3.11A

3.11B

The student describes patterns, cycles, systems, and relationships within environments.

3.12A

3.12B

3.12C

The student knows that organisms undergo similar life processes and have structures that function to help them survive within their environments.

3.13A

The student explores the core concepts of computational thinking, a set of problem-solving processes that involve decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction, and algorithms.

TEKS Technology Applications

3.1C

The student, with guidance from an educator, applies the fundamentals of computer science.

Plant Physiology (micro:bit)

Overview and Objectives

Lesson Structure

After this lesson, students will be able to:

Structure