Teacher's Pages
Activity 17- Creating Models and Concept Maps to Show How Plants Get Their Food
Activity 17 - Students
Pages
Apply new ideas - Teacher Fade
Purpose:
To apply all the ideas about photosynthesis and food
transport in plants in creating models of
the plant processes. The teacher can use these tasks as key
assessment tools.
Materials:
Props for skits:
Large poster board representations of cotyledons, sun, question
mark, etc.,
Watering can container of "plant food" minerals/fertilizers
Construction paper and scissors for students to make some
additional props or labels
Sugar cubes mixer of some sort -- wire whisk, hand mixer
For Concept Maps:
Large poster paper for each group or pair of students
Markers
Scissors
Post-it notes (optional)
"Word cards" (use the word sheet in the masters section
or create your own or have students create their own)
Optional: The Magic School Bus Gets Planted: A Book about
Photosynthesis (based on an
episode from the animated TV series)
Options and Recommendations:
You may choose to have your students to one or both of the
representations. It is NOT wise to have students attempt both representations on the same day.
It is critical that the students get a chance to present and get
feedback about their models, whether they do the skits or the concept maps or both.
FRAME
Read or talk about models as suggested here.
Introduce either activity in terms of creating models.
You may want to establish certain rules for each activity, such
as:
Skits must involve all group members with speaking parts.
Skits must use all the vocabulary words listed on the handout.
Skits must include at least one question that you are still
wondering about plants.
Concept maps must use all the vocabulary words listed on the
handout.
Additional words are encouraged.
Post-its may be used in the planning stages, as the group
negotiates placement of words.
Post-its may be used in the final draft for words that need to
move to different places in the presentation of the concept map.
Arrows connecting words must be labeled to tell the relationship
between the two connected words (this may too advanced for some students to do
effectively at this
point).
ACTIVITY
Group Work: Allow at least 20 minutes for students to work. The
skits will take more time.
REFLECT AND CONNECT
Presentations: Involve the audience as scientists who are
reacting to/critiquing the models that are being presented. Give each audience member a feedback form to guide
their listening (in masters section).