Sixth Grade Curriculum Project: Plant Kingdom, Photosynthesis, and Global Effects

1. Sixth Grade Curriculum Project:Plant Kingdom, Photosynthesis, and Global Effects Amy Aieta and Sarah Carter

2. Day 1: Introduction to the Plant Kingdom • Ask students to brainstorm their thoughts on the plant kingdom; what is it, what makes plants unique from other living things? • Mini-lecture regarding plant life, cell structures, and the different types (vascular/non-vascular). • In STAD groups. • Vocabulary worksheets on the definitions.

3. Vocabulary for Day 1 Cell Wall Cellulose Chloroplasts Vacuole Chlorophyll Vascular Tissue Cuticle Bryophytes Vascular and Non Vascular plants Ferns Shrubs Trees

4. Day 2: Non Vascular Plants: Bryophytes • Notes on bryophytes. • STAD worksheets on new vocabulary. • The students will perform a lab “Will Mosses Absorb Water?” shown right. • Vocabulary for Day 2: Rhizoids Bog/Peat Gametophyte Sporophyte • Students will be asked to study their new vocabulary for the quiz the next day on non-vascular plants.

5. Day 3: Vascular Plants, an introduction to Ferns • Students will begin the class by taking a quiz on non-vascular plants. • Students will take notes on vascular plants. • Students will perform a lab called “How quickly can water move upward?”. • Students will be asked to study for their vocabulary quiz the next day on vascular plants and ferns.

6. A quiz on vascular plants and ferns will be given. Venn diagrams will be shown and a discussion will be held regarding the differences/comparisons between vascular and non-vascular plants. Second part of the class will be used to understand how photosynthesis was historically discovered. Students will be divided into STAD groups and will read over the photosynthesis lab to be performed the next day. Day 4: Compare and Contrast Vascular and Non-Vascular PlantsPhotosynthesis; its history and makeup

7. Day 5: Photosynthesis Lab and an Introduction to Global Issues Project. • Lab, “Eye on Photosynthesis” • There is a 30 minute waiting period during the lab and during this time the students will be introduced to the global issues research project. • Students will be shown different internet search engines and sites to use and will be given a library tour to gain research materials. • They will finish the lab and take books or printed internet resources home to prepare their global issues project.

8. Day 6: Global Issues • In groups of four mixed by race, gender, and ability students will present the global issue assigned to them to research. • Students will be able to choose from: • global warming • greenhouse effect • clear cutting • Biosphere • Deforestation • Ozone depletion • Students will have research time in class on Friday afternoon to use internet connections and the school library. Over the weekend the students are expected to create a presentation to aide them in teaching the rest of the class their assigned global issue.

9. Criteria for Global Issues Presentations • Students are asked to answer the following questions in their presentations: • What is your Global Issue? • Why is it a problem in the environment today? • Have any reforms or laws formed to protect or fix your global issue? • When was it discovered (realized to be a problem)? • Is there anything students can do to prevent this global issue from intensifying? • These questions will be expected to answered in the presentation given.