Introduction
Greetings Fellow Scientists!
Have you ever watched a nature show where a cute little bunny is sitting there minding her own business nibbling on a yummy carrot, when out of the corner of her eye, she notices….the wolf lurking.. What does she do? She RUNS for her life! She uses her perceptions and previous memories to guide her actions exhibited in her “flight” response. Why? Survival.
Have you ever wondered how plants defend themselves against predators?
Doesn’t it look like they just “stand there” and submit to their attackers?!
Think again.
These plant superheroes will surprise you with their strategy.
Plants. Boring? I think not!
Did you know that some plants have bodyguards?
Scientists, it's your job to learn some ways these "sessile" (look up the definition) plants survive. Start with clicking on the "Task" tab at the top clicking through each tab (left to right) until you've completed the "Conclusion" tab.
Task
Exploration #1
Click the link to watch the PBS video called “How Plants Defend Themselves” (6min. 27 secs). https://cptv.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/nat14.earth.geol.tec.defend/defend/#.WXqJuPkrK
Let's see what you learned!
Write a paragraph about two things you learned in the video.
List three questions based on the new information.
Briefly answer the below questions as concisely as possible.
- Why do plants like wild tobacco have so much more of their genome devoted to environmental perception than animals?
- Wild tobacco seeds require "activation" by a wildfire to grow. Why does this attribute require wild tobacco to be particularly swift to adapt to environmental threats?
- What is wild tobacco’s "secret chemical weapon?"
- What is wild tobacco’s defense against predators like the hornworm caterpillar, which is immune to nicotine?
- How does the wild tobacco plant distinguish one type of predator from another and defend itself accordingly?
Next in the "Process" Tab:
Exploration #2 Discovering The Venus Fly Trap - A Brief Experiment.
Exploration #3 Discovering Plant Adaptations In Different Biomes - Research.
Process
Exploration #2 - Discovering the Venus Fly trap - A Brief Experiment
- Plant provided by Mrs. B or, if preferred, you can purchase one very inexpensively at Home Depot or Lowes.
- Observe the inside of the plant.
- Predict this plant’s super power in writing using one sentence.
- Using the paintbrush, touch the inside of the “trap” once and then again 10 seconds later.
- Design a very simple experiment involving this plant using at least one measuring tool.
- Record data in a table in MS Excel.
- Click on "Evaluation" tab for assessment requirements.
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Exploration #3 - Biomes of the World - Research
Peruse the site below that will show you other ways that plants adapt to survive a lack of water, food, and predators in different environments!
Be prepared to give a 1-2 minute presentation to the class about two adaptations from two different biomes that plants make to survive that you learned from this web site. You must state the first biome, the type of ecosystem, and two facts. Next, state the second biome, ecosystem, and two facts.
Evaluation
I'm proud of you for all of your hard work! I hope you enjoyed the learning journey.
You're almost done.
All you need to do is the following for the venus fly trap experiment:
- Express results in visual form (e.g. graph, picture, model).
- Write your conclusion.
- Formulate one new question based on your experience with this plant.
- What is this plant's defense mechanism?
For Extra Credit: Do one of the lesson extensions – See Mrs. B.
You may now "jump to conclusions" by clicking on the "Conclusion" tab. Corny, I know.
Conclusion
Plants exhibit intentional behavior that can be observed. The “sessile life style” calls for an extensive and nuanced understanding of one’s immediate environment. Plants find everything they need and defend themselves all while remaining fixed in place. A highly developed sensory apparatus is required to locate food and identify threats.
Final Wrap Up: Watch Youtube video called “Can Plants Think” by ASAPScience.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2GWd2j3qJ8
Next, specified cells in different parts of plants.
Credits
"How Plants Defend Themselves" by PBS Learning Media
https://cptv.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/nat14.earth.geol.tec.defend/…
National Science Literacy Standards
5F/H6a ( Grades: 9-12 ): Natural selection leads to organisms that are well-suited for survival in particular environments.
NGSS Standards
Grade Level Disciplinary Core Ideas
HS-LS1.C.1 ( High School Life Sciences ): The process of photosynthesis converts light energy to stored chemical energy by converting carbon dioxide plus water into sugars plus released oxygen.
HS-LS2.B.1 ( High School Life Sciences ): Photosynthesis and cellular respiration (including anaerobic processes) provide most of the energy for life processes.
HS-LS4.C.2 ( High School Life Sciences ): Natural selection leads to adaptation, that is, to a population dominated by organisms that are anatomically, behaviorally, and physiologically well suited to survive and reproduce in a specific environment. That is, the differential survival and reproduction of organisms in a population that have an advantageous heritable trait leads to an increase in the proportion of individuals in future generations that have the trait and to a decrease in the proportion of individuals that do not.
HS-PS3.D.2 ( High School Life Sciences ): The main way that solar energy is captured and stored on Earth is through the complex chemical process known as photosynthesis.
HS-PS3.D.3 ( High School Physical Sciences ): Solar cells are human-made devices that likewise capture the sun’s energy and produce electrical energy.