Measuring plants and growing roots.
Last year my students had doubts in January but they were thrilled by the changes they noticed in the ivy plants when we did the second portion in April.
Objectives:
This can be a realistic prediction project. This is a strong language experience activity that proves to children why we use language to record information.
Materials:
1. Two very similar ivy plants
2. Fertilizer
3. A yardstick or tape measure.
Two or three months from now you will need:
4. Root stimulator. You can do it without the stimulator but the results are less dramatic.
5. Potting soil
6. Enough cups for each student.
Focus:
Discuss growth and changes the children themselves have experienced since being babies until now. Ask your students if we can measure, record and compare growth in people and plants and animals.
Model and Procedure:
1. Label one plant "A" and label the other "B". Measure the length of the longest vine of each ivy and have the students record the measurements in their journal. The students write ( more or less):
The longest vine of plant A measures 14 inches. The longest vine of plant B measures 12 inches.
2. Count (in a slow chorus) the leaves on each plant. If the plants are bushy a grease pencil might be very useful in distinguishing which leaf has been counted. Record the number of leaves for each plant in the journals.
3. Show the students how you must read the directions and measure the fertilizer in order to prepare a gallon container of fertilizer solution.
WARNING!: Emphasize that the fertilizer is poison to us and if swallowed will make a person extremely sick. Put it in a safe place OUT OF REACH when not applying to the plant "A".
Explain to the students that this fertilizer is just like very nutritious food. It helps the plant grow. Plant "A" will always receive fertilizer from the gallon container and plant "B" will receive water only. Have the students record predictions in their journals of what they expect to see in the coming months. How will the differences be noticed? What will we measure?
In the mean time: Keep the plants in the same area so that they receive the same amount of light!! Once or twice a week take a moment to show the class that plant A always is watered with the dissolved fertilizer and B receives only water.
About three months later find the page where we made the original measurements and read what was written.
1. Measure plant "A" again. Subtract the earlier measurement from the later and make a new entry into the journal. (for example):
"Plant "A" grew 12 inches since September 14, 1997." Now do the same with plant "B": "Plant "B" grew 8 inches since September 14 , 1997."
2. Count the leaves of each plant again. Subtract the earlier count from the later and record the difference: "Plant "A" has 16 more leaves than it did three months ago." "Plant "B" has only 10 more leaves than it did three months ago.
" WHY DID "A" GROW FASTER THAN "B"?
Have the students verbally explain things in order to generate ideas for writing simple sentences. Revise so that they use accurate language.
Close:
Focus a discussion on describing how the fertilizer is like vitamins and minerals in very nutritious food.
Extension and enrichment:
Now cut each plant's vine into three inch segments. Each student puts their name on their cup. Give each student a cutting to put in their cup and keep the cups continually full of root stimulator solution. Ask the children to draw pictures and write descriptions in the journals of how the cuttings appear in the cups now.
WARNING! Keep these OUT OF REACH if the root stimulator you purchased is poison.
In a month the cuttings will have lots of roots. Have the students find the earlier pictures and descriptions. Ask them to write and draw pictures in their journals of the differences they noticed in their plant. Then buy a few pounds of potting soil and put the soil into the cups (outside, this is messy) and they can take home their new little ivy plants.
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