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 it. You have recently come across the blue planet called Earth and are surprised at the variety of life forms on the planet. You see humans, 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:
1. What is a plant?
2. How do plants grow, survive, and reproduce?
You will be working with a group of three 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 with the group, all of you should be actively searching to fill out your Observation Journals.
Because it is important that three of you do your own part, you will receive a participation grade for this activity.
Process
Before you begin, you will need the following materials and supplies:
- One computer with the Internet for you group to share
- A pencil or ballpen
- Three copies of the Plant Life Observation Journal ( each one for every member)
- Markers, crayons, and/or colored pencils/ballpen
- Two copies of the Letter Graphic Organizer to help you complete your final project
- Loose-leaf notebook paper
Now that you have everything that you need, you and fellow botanists can begin your investigation of plants. Your groupmates will be chosen at random by your teacher. The role of each member is the same. All of you will be working together to complete your Plant Life Observation Journal in order to send back to your planet Mars so that your honorable leader, Bruno Mars can read it. Because the Honorable Bruno Mars 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 our groupmates will complete a final project to send back to the Honorable Bruno Mars. This final project will be a letter to Bruno Mars 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 your group 10 days to complete your Observation Journals and letters to Bruno Mars.
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!
1. First, you will study the LIFE CYCLE OF A PLANT. 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:
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.
7. 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.
8. Your final task is to write a letter to Bruno Mars. 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 groupmates 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.
Evaluation
The following rubric shows you how you will be graded on this Plant Power WebQuest activity. Refer back to this page often to make sure that you are on task and have everything completed for this project.
|
|
Beginning 6 or Below |
Developing 7 |
Accomplished 8 |
Exemplary 9 |
Score |
|
Observation Journal Questions (Each page is a single grade) |
Student accurately completes 6 or less questions to the best of his/her ability. |
Student accurately completes 7 out of 9 questions to the best of his/her ability. |
Student accurately completes 8 out of 9 questions to the best of his/her ability. |
Student accurately completes 9 out of 9 questions to the best of his/her ability. |
|
|
Final Project - Letter |
Less than 75% of the required content listed on the Letter Graphic Organizer is present. |
At least 75% of the required content listed on the Letter Graphic Organizer is present. |
Almost all of the required content listed on the Letter Graphic Organizer is present. |
All of the required content listed on the Letter Graphic Organizer is present. |
|
|
Final Project - Understanding of Content |
Student accurately describes 2 or less facts learned about plant life. |
Student accurately describes 3 important or interesting facts learned about plant life. |
Student accurately describes 4 important or interesting facts learned about plant life. |
Student accurately describes 5 important or interesting facts learned about plant life. |
|
|
Participation |
Student hardly makes an effort to participate in the WebQuest process. |
Student sometimes makes and effort to participate in the WebQuest process. |
Student makes an effort to actively participate in the WebQuest process. |
Student constantly makes an effort to actively participate in the WebQuest process. |
Conclusion
CONGRATULATIONS!!
You have successfully sent your Plant Life Observation Journal and letter to the Honorable Bruno Mars. He has already replied and is high satisfied with your work.
Although this makes you happy, you are even more excited that you have learned so much about plants. You now know what a plant is and how they grow, survive, and reproduce.
You have already got your next assignment. You are going to visit the orange planet called Venus and study the life form that they call the Ferocious Barking Spiny-Tailed Angry Mordorf. You have heard that they are 100 feet tall and like to eat anything. You take a big gulp and get in your ship for your next adventure.
GOOD LUCK!
Credits
Allen, D. & Allen D. (2003). Photosynthesis.Plants. Retrieved July 22, 2006, fromhttp://www.snaithprimary.eril.net/vphoto.htm
BBC.(2005). Life Cycles.Science Clips. Retrieved July 22, 2006, fromhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/9_10/life_cycles.shtml
BBC. (2006). Living Things: Plants. Revisewise. Retrieved July 22, 2006, fromhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/revisewise/science/living/06_act.shtml
BrainPop. (2006). Retrieved July 22, 2006, from http://www.brainpop.com/
Cosmetic Toiletry and Perfumery Association.(2006). Plant Life.Catie for Schools. Retrieved July 22, 2006, from http://www.catie.org.uk/plants_galore_page.html
Do You Know Your Leaves? (2006). Bonus.com. Retrieved July 22, 2006, fromhttp://www.bonus.com/bonus/nav/scooter/scooterize.htmp?loc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ebonus%2Ecom%2Fbonus%2Fcard%2Fscs%5Fquiz%5Fleaves%2Ehtml%3Fscooterize%3D1&useragent=Mozilla%2F4%2E0+%28compatible%3B+MSIE+6%2E0%3B+Windows+NT+5%2E1%3B+SV1%29&refv=1&referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fclassroom%2Ejc%2Dschools%2Enet%2Fsci%2Dunits%2Ffood%2Ehtm&entry=bonus&SERVER=www%2Ebonus%2Ecom
Harcourt School.(2006). Root Factory. Retrieved July 22, 2006, fromhttp://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/root/rootfac.html
Hinkle Creek ThinkQuest Team. (2001). Photosynthesis.Plants and Our Environment. Retrieved July 22, 2006, from http://library.thinkquest.org/3715/photo3.html
Hinkle Creek ThinkQuest Team. (2001). Seeds.Plants and Our Environment. Retrieved July 22, 2006, from http://library.thinkquest.org/3715/seeds.html
Holmes, T. (2001). What is the life cycle of a plant? Fullerton Arborteum. Retrieved July 22, 2006, from http://arboretum.fullerton.edu/grow/primer/cycle.asp
Howard Hughes Medical Institute. (2006). Meet the plant parts. Retrieved July 22, 2006, fromhttp://www.hhmi.org/coolscience/vegquiz/plantparts.html
IRA/NCTE.(2006). Letter Generator. Read, Write, Think. Retrieved July 22, 2006, fromhttp://readwritethink.org/materials/letter_generator/
KidsConnect 2000.(2006). Life Cycles. KidsConnect.com. Retrieved July 22, 2006, fromhttp://www.kidskonnect.com/LifeCycles/LifeCycleHome.html
Missouri Botanical Gardens.(2006). Biology of Plants. Retrieved July 22, 2006, fromhttp://www.mbgnet.net/bioplants/
Morguefile Pictures. (2006). Retrieved July 25, 2006, from www.morguefile.com
RM Company. (2006). The parts of a plant/What plants need to grow. Primary Resources. Retrieved July 22, 2006, fromhttp://www.primaryresources.co.uk/science/plants.htm
Staffordshire City Council. (2001). The Life Cycle of a Plant. Staffordshire Learning Net. Retrieved July 22, 2006, from http://www.sln.org.uk/science/lifecycle/
Scherer, J., Stack, G., & Wolford, R. (2002).The Great Plant Escape.Urban Programs Resource Network. Retrieved July 22, 2006, fromhttp://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/gpe/index.html
Splash.(2005). Flower Facts.Mather Field Vernal Pools. Retrieved July 22, 2006, fromhttp://www.sacsplash.org/mather/flowers.htm
Woodlands Junior School.(2006). Interactive Plants Quiz.Science Games and Activities for Kids. Retrieved July 22, 2006, from http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/revision/Science/plant.htm