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.

Teacher Notes

Overview and Objectives

Materials

Facilitation and Collaboration Work

#### 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)
* [Goal 2](https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal2) – End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.
* [Goal 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.

* **Vascular** (adjective) – Referring to the tissue which conducts water, nutrients, and sap, throughout a plant.
* **Heirloom** (noun or adjective) – Plants which have been passed down from generation to generation for at least 50 years without genetic modification.
* **Open-Air Pollination** (noun) – The process by which insects, birds, or the wind naturally pollinates a plant.
* **Pollinate** (verb) – The act of moving pollen from one part of the flower to another to reproduce.
* **Reproduce** (verb) – Making a new copy of itself or a new generation, such as a plant making seeds.
* **Biodegradable** (adjective) – Having the ability to break down into organic components and become part of soil.
* **Phanerogams** (noun) – Plants that produce seeds.
* **Photosynthesis** (noun) – The process by which a plant makes its food using sunlight, and water to convert carbon dioxide into food.
* **Vegetation** (noun) – Plant growth in an area or region.
* **Phototrophic** (adjective) – The property of plants or other living things that move or orient towards the light.

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.

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.

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

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 ahead of time and distributed.

Reflect

Challenges

References and Extra Resources

STEAM Classroom Robotics - micro:bit

United States

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

NGSS

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

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

SDGs

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

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.

Common Core ELA

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.

Plant Physiology (micro:bit)

Overview and Objectives

Lesson Structure

After this lesson, students will be able to:

Structure