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A MODIFIED UNIT ON PLANT BIOLOGY FOR STUDENTS IN 40
MINUTE CLASSES

presented by ‘ ,

Beverly K. Baldwin

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1“ Wu

A MODIFIED UNIT ON PLANT BIOLOGY FOR STUDENTS IN 40 MINUTE
CLASSES

BY

Beverly K. Baldwin

A THESIS
Submitted to
Michigan State University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of

Master of Science

College of Natural Science
Division of Science and Mathematics Education

1998

ABSTRACT

A unit on photosynthesis and cellular respiration was developed for a
required high school general biology course. Due to the short class periods,
neither plant anatomy/physiology nor labs related to photosynthesis and
cellular respiration had been taught to these students at this level. To
compound the problems with the shortened classes, the students come from
over fifteen different feeder schools with very diverse backgrounds in science.
Students in previous years seemed to struggle with these topics. Therefore, the
focus of the unit is to give all students a consistent foundation in plant anatomy
and physiology and have students involved in at least one demonstration,
observation or laboratory activity each day of the unit. The hands on activities
will help the students to grasp the general concepts of what takes place in

photosynthesis and cellular respiration.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank the student aides Laura Baldauf, Melissa Hahn,
Bethany Brewster, and Jennifer Sanders, who helped to prepare the
equipment/supplies for the labs/activities in this unit. Without their assistance in
moving things from one end of the building to the other, there is no way things
would have ran as smoothly as they did. Thank you to: Steve Zill, Sr for
allowing me access to his vast library of slides, David Britton and Kris Flora for
the proofreading that they took time to do for me, Doug Guenther for being an
awesome role model.

I would also like to thank Drs. Merle Heidemann and Ken Nadler for all of
their help in developing the activities and ideas and incorporating them into one

unit.

Most of all, I would like to thank the parents of my students. They gave
me a group of students to work with this year that group that were and ideal

group. They were very receptive and responded well to all challenges.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES .............................................................................................................. v
INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................... 1
IMPLEMENTATION .......................................................................................................... 6
EVALUATION .................................................................................................................. 18
DISCUSSION and CONCLUSIONS .......................................................................... 32
APPENDICES ................................................................................................................. 35
APPENDIX A - Pre Unit ..................................................................................... 35
1. Consent Letter ................................................................................... 36
2. Student Survey ................................................................................. 37
APPENDIX B - Laboratory Activities .............................................................. 38
1. Fit to be Dyed ..................................................................................... 39
2. Bubbling Leaves ............................................................................... 4O
3. Seed Dissection and Starch Test .................................................. 41
4. Understanding Plant Tropism ......................................................... 42
5. Plant Pigments .................................................................................. 44
6. Observing the Relationship Between Photosynthesis and
Respiration .................................................................................. 48
7. Fermentation ...................................................................................... 50
8. Energy Release in Respiration ....................................................... 55
APPENDIX C - Classification .......................................................................... 57
1. Classification Outline ....................................................................... 58
APPENDIX D - Evaluation ............................................................................... 63
1. Pretest ................................................................................................. 64
2. Quiz ..................................................................................................... 67
3. Survey Questions ............................................................................. 68
4. Post Test ............................................................................................. 69
BIBLIOGRAPHY .............................................................................................................. 74

Table 1
Table 2
Table 3
Table 4
Table 5

Table 6

LIST OF TABLES

Unit Outline ................................................................................................ 8
Quiz data for all classes ........................................................................ 25
Fifth hour Pretest/Posttest data ............................................................ 27
Sixth hour Pretest/Posttest data .......................................................... 28
Eighth hour Pretest/Posttest data ........................................................ 29
Ninth hour Pretest/Poshest data .......................................................... 3O

INTRODUCTION

The phenomenon of photosynthesis always has been most difficult for
my freshmen biology students to comprehend. Moreover, there had never been
any plant anatomy taught in previous years. The goal of my plant biology unit
was to provide the students with a basic background knowledge of these
topics, because a learner must possess a working or basic knowledge base for
interpreting new or novel experiences (Lumpe and Staver, 1995). When
students have that solid foundation of knowledge, they can understand the new
material with a better comprehension of why it may be important, how it works
and/or how it was developed or discovered. Without that base to start from, full
understanding may not be achieved. The goal of this study was to:
1)incorporate some basic plant anatomy and physiology into a basic biology
course so all students would be starting out with the same foundation, 2) add
labs and activities to a plant biology unit that will work in a 40 minute class
period, 3) try new note taking methods and include group work to help reduce
lecturing in class.

Previously, laboratory activities had not been incorporated in the
curriculum. Therefore, any activities or experiments completed would be
beneficial to the students. The biggest obstacle with adding the labs/activities
is that the class time is at most, forty minutes per day. The school day is divided
into nine equal periods with one of these periods being lunch. The students
have an option of including one or two study halls into their schedule. The
schedule is set up this way so that students can include additional electives to

1

their core curriculum. Many students elect choir and/or band, art classes or
physical education. Students who are college bound often choose two math,
science or foreign language classes in a given year to enhance their
preparation. A major drawback to this scheduling is that the science
department is unable to offer any of the Advanced Placement courses due to
unavailable lab time. The study encompassed sixty-one ninth grade students,
fifteen tenth grade students, four eleventh grade students, and one twelfth grade
student in a suburban parochial high school. The students were divided into
four different classes; fifth hour had twenty-one students and was taught in the
biology room, sixth hour had sixteen students and was taught in the chemistry
room, eighth hour had twenty-four students and was taught in the biology room,
and ninth hour had twenty students and was taught in the chemistry room. The
student body is made up of approximately four hundred and thirty students. The
school is a Class C parochial school, with a student body of over ninety percent
Caucasian, which mirrors the population of the feeder schools. The students
are products of over fifteen different elementary schools and/or middle schools
which span up to a fifty mile radius from the high school. There is no
consistency within these schools with respect to their science curriculum. Some
students come in with little to no science background, while others come with
extensive training in all areas of science.

The high school has forty minute class periods, dictating that many
modifications be made to most laboratory experiences and/or activities which
are typically designed for a fifty to fifty-five minute class period. The 40 minute
time constraint does not always allow time for the instructor to assist all students

who need extra help. One solution is to assign small groups to work on various

tasks. I find that this enables those students who grasp concepts quickly a
chance to help others. Researchers recommend peer collaboration be used to
help students overcome scientific misconceptions (Lumpe and Staver, 1995).
Lumpe and Staver also say that students working in peer collaborative groups
developed more scientifically correct conceptions. According to Pizzini and
Shepardson (1992), students helping students (giving explanations) correlates
positively with achievement. Such assisting is also reported to raise self
esteem. Students who feel good about themselves tend to be more motivated
to do well in school.

Historically, when students begin studying photosynthesis, they have
been less than enthusiastic because they do not like plants. According to
research, students revealed that they prefer animal study over plant study.
(Wandersee, 1986). Although major biological concepts may be applied to all
living systems, examples are most often drawn from animal studies (Uno, 1994).
Through informal discussion in my own classes, students explained that they
prefer animals because they move and are more readily observable than
plants. For balance, incorporating plants into the curriculum wherever possible
became important. Since nomenclature is of value (Wandersee, 1995) and
most students have poor understanding of plant classification (Tull, 1994), these
were the two areas where I elected to incorporate plant examples.

For students in biology, there is no adequate substitute for the first-hand
experience of living material. “What is a biology room without something that
lives, moves, makes noise and is interesting to look at?” (Saunders and Young,
1985) Prior to the unit under discussion, there were two iguanas in the biology

room and no living material in the chemistry room. Perhaps the mere presence

of attractively displayed, living materials in the classroom serves to arouse
student curiosity and interest, and thus stimulates learning beyond that which
would normally be expected in a barren classroom (Saunders and Young,
1985). Studies by Saunders and Young suggest that living displays in the
classroom serve to stimulate interest and curiosity which in turn influences
attitude and achievement.

According to Eichinger, students favored science classes that offered
laboratory work, teacher demonstrations, projects, and audiovisual materials.
Students prefer science teaching and learning in which they take an active and
responsible part (Ebenezer and Zoller, 1993). Students are more interested
when they actually get to do something instead of just sitting and watching.
They are more likely to learn something when actively engaged, in part
because they take ownership for the completed product. This is supported by
recommendations by the National Research Council (1996) which states that
science should be an active, inquiry-based process (Chan, 1996). Not only is
social interaction essential as learners internalize new or difficult
understandings, problems, and processes (Glasson and Lalik, 1993) but with
hands on experience students begin to feel connected to the process of
scientific discovery rather than simply being passive recipients of previously
discovered knowledge (Fail, 1995).

One method of teaching freshman biology is to begin with simple facts
and to progress rapidly to sophisticated conclusions and questions (Slobodikin,
1996). Following that idea, the information presented with this unit began with
general plant anatomy and physiology and proceeded to the topic of

photosynthesis. During this time. students were presented with what is

necessary for the reaction of photosynthesis to take place, what the products of
the reaction are, and general ideas of what takes place in between. With
respect to cellular respiration, aerobic and anaerobic aspects were covered

which included the lab activity on fermentation of cabbage.

IMPLEMENTATION

In conducting my research at Michigan State, photosynthesis was the
topic selected because I judged students at my school needed some type of
activity/laboratory experience with this topic. Also, by incorporating some basic
plant anatomy into the course, I would ensure that all students were starting out
with the same foundation of plant knowledge. The challenge was to develop
activities that could somehow be completed in 40 minute class periods. I also
wanted to include new teaching strategies incorporating plant anatomy but not
increasing the teaching time of the unit on plant biology. To procure the needed
time for these activities/labs, less time was spent using traditional lecture and
students worked at taking their own notes from the book and in small groups.

The unit was eighteen class periods long with special schedules, which
translates to 600 minutes of class time. The topics covered in this unit were:
basic plant classification, plant anatomy and physiology, photosynthesis,
respiration and fermentation. At the completion of this unit, students would have
an understanding of why and how plants are classified; would be able to
identify the parts of a seed and plant and their respective functions; would be
able to identify the requirements for photosynthesis; describe what happens
during glycolysis and respiration; and identify what happens during
fermentation and how that is related to glycolysis.

Parents were notified through a student-delivered letter (Appendix A-1)
that students took home with them. A few weeks later at a Parent Open House,

the letter was discussed and parents had the opportunity to ask questions about

anything with respect to the research or how it would affect their child. They
were very receptive to new activities being tried, especially since their children
would be getting to do hands-on activities in science and it was not simply new
teaching techniques that were being tried.

The following outline is a brief overview of the new materials that were
developed through my research at Michigan State and is referenced as Table 1.
Information is provided for three areas: preunit which is anything completed
before information on this unit was presented, the unit itself including all
information provided and activities done during the three week time period, and

the evaluation tools which includes a quiz, post test, and class discussion.

8

Table 1
Unit Outline
P t - T i Activities
A. Parent Consent Letter
B. Nomenclature Leaf Collection Project
C. Plant Life Cycle “Private Life of Plants” video

D. Biology/Science Survey (Appendix A-2)
E. Pretest
F. Plants displayed in the biology room

ni - T i Activities
A. Plant Classification Classification Outline - fill in
blanks
B. Plant Anatomy/Physiology 1. Fit To Be Dyed

2. Bubbling Leaves
3. Seed Dissection and Starch
Test
4. Plant Tropism
C. Photosynthesis 1. Observing Relationships
Between Photosynthesis
and Respiration
2. Plant Pigments
D. Cellular Respiration 1. Energy Release in Respiration

2. Fermentation Lab

Evaluation Tools
A. Plant Anatomy Quiz

B. Post Test

C. Class Discussion

10

Because students are not normally intrigued by the study of plants,
incorporating plant biology into other aspects of the curriculum was a means to
increase interest. During the first quarter of the year, the students were
assigned a leaf collection project in which they identified and classified leaves.
This project of collecting leaves helped them to see the differences between a
tree, shrub, and herb. A hands-on exposure to plants encouraged students to
be more open to plants during the unit on plant biology. They worked on their
own for five weeks to complete this project and there were two days in class
where books were available for classification purposes. The information they
were to include was the date of collection, location of collection (as specific as
possible), scientific name (genus and species), and common name.

Another way of introducing students to plant biology was with a video
called “The Private Life of Plants" that was shown prior to teaching this unit. It
was an interesting video that held the student’s attention. The video used time-
lapsed photography and showed many aspects of plant life from seed dispersal
to fruit consumption.

Creating an environment where plants were a regular part of daily
activities helped students become more receptive to plant study. The weekend
before the unit began, several small house plants, along with some geraniums,
were added to the biology room with an artificial light source. Bean seeds were
planted in foam cups so that they would have a good start when the week
began. Throughout the unit this set up prompted many questions that were not
necessarily related to the plants directly. One student asked “How did people
figure out to eat the root of a plant instead of the green stuff on top?” . Only two

of the four classes (fifth and eighth hours) were exposed to this set up because

11

they were taught in the biology room while sixth and ninth hours were taught in
the chemistry room. Due to the basic nature and space available in the
chemistry room, there was no plant display set up.

Before the students began any work on this unit on plant biology, a
biology survey (Appendix A-2) was given to each of the students. They did not
put their names on this but did write at the top if they were male or female. This
was given as an attitudinal measurement, as to how they perceived
biology/science and especially plants. A pretest (Appendix D-1) covering basic
plant anatomy and photosynthesis was also given to gauge their prior
knowledge. Students were extremely concerned when they completed the
pretest, realizing that they knew absolutely nothing about plant anatomy or
photosynthesis. It was somewhat reassuring for them to know that the
questions addressed topics/concepts that they were supposed to know at the
completion of this unit.

To begin the unit, students were given group assignments in order to
develop a short class presentation defining a given group of terms. The terms
were randomly divided and could include plant anatomy and photosynthesis
topics. They were given five to ten minutes, depending on the class and how
quickly they worked, to figure out what the meaning of the terms and how they
tied together and then how the group would present this to the class. This was
done to help them become familiar with the upcoming unit.

Incorporating basic plant anatomy and photosynthesis was a major step
to completing the expansion of this unit. The students were given a skeleton
outline (Appendix C) of the background information that included classification,

plant anatomy, and photosynthesis terms. They were given time to work in

12

groups during a class period and then instructed to complete the outline over a
weekend at home. This was done so that traditional lecture style teaching could
be partially eliminated with this unit. The day the classification outline was due,
the class was given a slide presentation that included examples of the different
phyla of plants following the outline. Information was covered that students
should write down as each slide was presented. Working into the
photosynthesis and respiration part of the unit, another way of presenting the
information to students was used. Typically, students would simply read the
assigned sections in the text, come to class and take notes. This information
would usually not make sense to them when gone over by the instructor. With
this unit, I routinely had them read a section of the chapter the night before, and
take their own notes on the material. At first they would complain that they did
not understand their own notes, but after the material was explained in class,
the information made more sense than if they simply would have read over it.
When the students already have written a large portion of the notes and are just
adding bits and pieces, time is saved in waiting for students to copy information.
This is something of great importance when working within a forty minute time
frame.

Student note taking saved sufficient time so that several activities/labs
were incorporated into the curriculum. I began with activities related to plant
anatomy since these took up minimal class time and required small amounts of
guidance. Progressing into the labs that were related to photosynthesis, more
time was needed as well as more analytical thought processes on the part of

the students.

13

The following are activities and laboratories that students completed
during this unit. There is a description of each activity, what students were

suppose to do and find, and where in the appendix each can be found.

1. W (Appendix 3-1)

Students worked through this activity in order to see how water is
transported throughout a plant. A stalk of celery is placed in a glass/jar
of colored water for a period of 24 hours. Students worked with a partner
to slice off a portion of the stalk that was under water and discard it.

Then, they examined the stalk’s cross section with their naked eye to
locate the xylem and phloem. The students answered some questions
on the handout and responded to a survey a week later with respect to

their understanding of how water is transported in plants.

2. Bobblinoleaves (Appendix B-2)

Students were assigned to groups of three or four and asked to
place three different types of leaves (geranium, bean, and Ficus) into hot
water. The hot water caused the stomata to open, which would produce
a bubble at the point of the opening. This activity gave students the
opportunity to see characteristic differences between different types of
leaves with respect to their stomata. The students needed to respond to
analytical questions on a handout and took part in a class discussion at

the end of this activity.

14

3. WW (Appendix 8-3)
Students were to discover that a seed has specific parts
which are important to its development from seed into a plant. Students
acquired been or corn seeds that the instructor had soaked in water for
two days. They cut them open and examined the various embryonic
parts. Then, they tested for the presence of starch using an iodine
solution. If starch is present, the iodine would stain black. The students

responded to survey questions a few days after the activity.

4. Understanding Plant lrooism (Appendix 8-4)

These were set ups of bean and corn seeds put together by the
students. The seeds had been soaked in water for 24 hours and were
placed in a row, in four different directions at right angles to each other,
in a petri dish with a damp paper towel. There were stands made for the
petri dishes out of index cards and then these set-ups were placed in the
dark. This activity was to show the students that the presence of light did
not affect the directional growth of the roots and stems. The students
answered many analytical questions on the lab handout along with

survey questions at a later time.

5. Elamflgments (Appendix 3-5)
In this laboratory exercise students attempted to determine what
type of pigments such as carotenes or xanthophylls are found in leaves

of different colors using paper chromatography. They used an ethyl

15

alcohol solution to separate the pigments from each other. The leaves
were spinach and a red leafed spider plant. With this lab, students were
required to make drawings of their lab set up developed with their
partners. Students were asked to answer application questions upon

completion of this lab.

6. Observing the Relationship: Between Photosynthesis and Respitatiog

(Appendix 8-6)
This activity was done as a demonstration. A student

volunteer would blow through a straw into an Erlenmeyer flask of
Bromthymol Blue solution. This was done with two flasks: one was
placed in the dark, and one was placed in the light for 24 hours. Both
flasks had a sprig of Elodea added to it. When the class met the following
day, the analysis questions in the lab handout were used as the basis for
a discussion on what had happened to the Bromthymol Blue solution in

the flasks.

7. mm (Appendix 8-7)

This long-term laboratory activity was set up early in the second
week of this unit to allow for ten days of observations. The students
worked with a partner and set up a container with cabbage covered by a
ten percent salt solution. Each day students would come into class and
immediately check their set ups for enough liquid covering, texture, smell,
and pH. Students answered questions and completed graphs to be

handed in at the completion of this activity. There was also a class

16

discussion with respect to some of the analytical questions at the end of
the activity. The purpose of this lab was to document the transformation

of cabbage to sauerkraut and study fermentation in the process.

8. Energy Release in Respiration (Appendix B-8)

Seeds were sterilized to see if such treatment affected the amount
of heat energy produced in respiration. The seeds used had not been
treated with a fungicide and were therefore susceptible to mold growth.
This activity was done as a demonstration to conserve class time
and because of equipment constraints. The students were asked to
predict what they thought would happen before the experimental data
were collected. The purpose in this activity was for the students to see
that energy (heat) is produced when seeds “breath” or respire during

germination.

Students were assigned to groups in various ways. The basic function of
these groups was to save on time, supplies, and facilitate discussion and other
inquiries among the students. The peer collaborative groups were set up in
various ways. Most of the anatomy activities (Fit To Be Dyed, Seed Dissection
and Plant Tropism) were done in groups of two and the students were allowed
to choose who their partner would be. This gave them opportunities to take part
in the experiments. With some of the activities that involved more equipment
(Bubbling Leaves and Plant Pigments), l assigned groups, making an attempt
to get a good academic mix within each group. The size of these groups varied

from three to five students. The fermentation lab was an extended (ten class

17

periods) activity so students were allowed to choose their partner but to choose
with the thought that they would be working with this person for two weeks.
Generally, students were more productive in their work with the groups of two
that they got to choose.

A quiz (Appendix 0-2) was given after the point that the classification and
plant anatomy had been completed. The quiz covered the labs/activities up to
that point and the classification outline that had been assigned and then
covered in class. The results of this quiz are presented in the evaluation
section of this document. A post test (Appendix 0-4) was given at the
completion of the unit. This covered plant anatomy/physiology, photosynthesis,
a cellular respiration; much of this overlapped with the questions on the pretest.
It consisted of both objective and subjective questions. There were also some
opinion questions at the end and students were told that they could include any

constructive comments that they would like to add regarding the unit.

EVALUATION

The major goal of this unit was to add lab activities that could be
completed in a 40 minute time frame to a plant biology unit. The restrictions
also included a unit that could not be lengthened. Since the expansion of their
learning opportunities was involved, the students and their parents, were very
receptive to this being done.

By introducing the students to plants through several activities before this
unit formally was initiated, the students were more receptive to the topic than at
the beginning of the year. I observed that they looked forward to doing another
activity each time one was completed because they would ask what they would
be doing next and wondered how soon they would get to do it. As the year
progressed, students were a little disappointed that not as many labs were
done in other units as were done with the photosynthesis unit.

Students responded to a biology survey before the unit began to
determine their attitude with respect to science and plants in general. The first
question revealed their past attitude toward science. 56 students responded
that they liked science as a subject last year while 20 did not like it. The second
question probed whether or not their attitude toward science had changed since
last year. In the responses, 47 said their appreciation for the subject was about
the same, 11 said it was better, and 19 said it was worse. The next question
asked if they enjoyed working with plants in the yard, farm, or garden; 37 said

yes and 40 said no. There was a distinct difference in how males and females

18

19

answered two questions; 12 males responded yes, they enjoyed working with
plants and 24 said no, while females said 25 of them enjoyed working with
plants and 16 said no. That would translate to 61% of the females preferred to
work with plants verses only 33% of males. The next question showed similar
results between males and females as did the previous question. The question
was “Have you enjoyed the topic of plants in the classroom in the past?” Males
responded with 13 yes and 24 no, while females responded with 22 saying yes
and 19 no. This gives 35% of the males enjoying the topic of plants compared
to 54% of the females enjoying the topic. The last question asked “would you
like to learn more about plants”; 26 said yes while 50 said no they did not. The
percentages of males and females on this question was closer to each other
than the previous two questions: 31% of males said they would like to learn
more about plants while 38% of females responded that they would like to
learn more. This survey showed that students had an overall
negative/apprehensive attitude toward plants going into this unit. At the end of
this survey, the students had the opportunity to make any additional comments
on the topic of plants. One male’s response was “I like to learn about plants, but
it can be boring depending on how it is presented. That video was good.”
Another said “I like learning about plants but only if we do activities and not just
go along with the book”. Finding that the students in general had a negative
attitude toward plants, I tried to at some point in each class give them some
practical aspect of what we were talking about. For example, without the sun,
the food chain would have a tough time surviving and in that process, trying to
elicit answers from them. In the end, the students attitudes in general were not

as negative as in years past when the unit was completed.

20

Since students are incredibly concerned with their grades, they were
allowed to respond to survey questions that were built into some lab activities.
They could express their opinions on topics, questions related to the lab
activities, and other areas regarding the unit. Although not graded, it was
understood that these responses were to be constructive and valid. Responses
also reflect input students gave during class discussions and group
conversations. These survey questions/comments are included in each of the
following activity/laboratory evaluations. There are also results that they

acquired during the activity.

Evaluation of Aotivities

1. EIUSLBQDILQQ
The students were able to set up this mini lab up very quickly and

the results were fairly dramatic. At the completion of this activity,
approximately two-thirds of the class commented that they knew how
water was taken up before this activity. However, those students who did
not understand how the water moved did benefit from this activity. One
student said, “ It was kind of neat how the red dye left the trails so we
could see how the water was soaked up.” Another said “It showed the
route of the liquid more clearly”. Because this was a quick activity, the
lab was able to be set up at the end of one class and discussed at the

beginning of the next.

21

2. mm
The leaves that the students used in this activity provided a wide

variety of observable results. The bean leaf showed the best results
because students were able to see the most bubbles with this leaf.
Frustrations set in if the students began with the other two leaves which
did not produce noticeable results. However, when they had to compare
their results with other students, they found that others obtained similar
results from the same types of leaves. Some questions the lab handout
included were related to what had they observed and why did they think
it happened. One student’s response read “There were bubbles on the
leaf; the plant is breathing in air when it is under water”. Another
student's response to why it happens was “the leaves are releasing

oxygeni

3. Seedllisseclicdandfitatclfiest
The students enjoyed the hands-on work that was

associated with this activity. They were very focused and very diligent
about locating the parts to be found. Nearly all the students found the
necessary structures without any help. In the survey conducted at the
end of this activity, one-third responded that they did not know that a dry
seed could grow and when asked if the activity helped, some of the
responses included, “yes, because I could see the actual growth” and

another said “when they were in water they started to grow”.

22

4. W

The students took strong ownership with this laboratory activity.
One student came into class the second day and wanted to know how
her “little ones” were doing. Overall they were very curious to see what
was happening with the seeds. The corn seeds produced more
reliable results than the bean seeds, most likely because it was easier
to hold the corn seeds in place as the petri dish was secured. On survey
questions, students were asked what two structures appeared after a few
days in the dark. Most responded with roots and stems but some put
down just roots or roots and leaves. They were also asked what direction
did these structures grow and why. Two-thirds of the students had the
response that roots grew down with responses such as “roots grow down
towards the source of gravity and leaves grow away from gravity" and

another student said “up and down like they do in the ground”.

5. W
As individuals worked through this laboratory, they thought

logically by questions asked during the process of completing the lab
and by participating in a class discussion on photosynthesis and the
pigments involved in the process. Students executed the procedures
very self conscious and took the activity seriously, asking valid
procedural questions along the way. They appeared to be as precise as
possible with their lab set ups. Unfortunately, the desired results did not
occur. The line of green moved up the filter paper without any separation

of pigments.

23
6. 09 ‘ no 3‘.” i =‘ “1' 00 11‘ -. 03‘ 0-.”

This lab/demonstration failed to produce desired results in all of
the classes. The bromthymol blue solution that had been exhaled into
and having a sprig of Elodea added to it did not perform photosynthesis.
The Elodea may have not been fresh enough to photosynthesize.
Before any testing could be completed on the bromthymol blue solution,

it had been disposed of by the lab assistant.

7. Eermentaticn

This extended laboratory was most likely the one that the students
will remember most. From their responses on the post test questions
relating to this activity, the part that had the biggest impact was the pH
changes over the 10 class periods. This lab took part of one class period
to set up. Once started, it developed into an independent project. The
students would come in at the beginning of each class, and one of the
partners would do the tests for pH, texture and smell before class would
begin. During the first few days, it would take approximately five minutes
for the students to get in the room and check their set up and record their
results. By the end of the two weeks, the daily procedures would be

finished in the first one to two minutes of class.

8. W
In this demonstration, the students followed the instructor
at each step. The seeds were sterilized before class started. It was

difficult for the students to piece the procedures together without

24

explaining why and/or how each step connected to the next. For some
reason unknown to the instructor, this activity was difficult for students to
connect one step/part of the set up and data collection to the next.

In the future, more predemonstration explanation/discussion will be

included.

The first tool of evaluation used during the unit was the plant anatomy
quiz. The results produced by this are presented in Table 2 and include the
mean, median, and mode for all four classes. Compared to the pretest, which
included considerably more information, scores improved roughly forty percent.
The scores of these quizzes are arranged from highest percent to lowest in

each class.

25
Table 2

Plant Anatomy Quiz
(scores given in percentage)

album 5mm album alum

94 1 00 87 87
94 94 87 80
94 87 87 73
87 87 80 73
87 80 80 73
87 80 8O 73
80 73 73 73
80 73 73 73
73 67 67 73
67 6O 67 67
60 47 60 67
60 40 60 6O
60 33 53 53
60 33 53 53
47 27 47 53
4O 20 4O 53
4O 40 53
33 33 53
33 2O 47
33 7 40
2O 33
Number of students 21 16 20 21
Mean 63 63 6O 62
Median 60 7O 64 67
Mode 60 33, 73 80, 87 73
80, 87

Overall Mean = 62

26

The primary tools of evaluation for this unit were a pre and post test as
well as the quiz (Table 2) given after completion of the plant anatomy section.
In comparing pretest to the post test scores, students improved anywhere from
thirty-two to forty five percent. The means for all four classes that were part of
the study improved from the pretest to the post test. Tables 3-6 show the
comparison of pretest and post test scores ranked from highest percentage to

lowest percentage for the four sections involved in the study. The same number
of students took the post test as the pretest except for the 9th hour class (Table

6) where there were two students frequently absent. They were not in school
consistently enough to ever makeup the pretest but were there the day

the post test was given. These students did not finish the semester at this
school. From the t-test assessment, the difference of the means between the
pre and post test scores for each class is significant beyond the 0.001 level.
Therefore it is more than 99.9% certain that there was real learning that took
place during the teaching of this unit. The data tables include the mean,
median, mode and t-test results for each class. The scores are arranged from
highest to lowest percentage and do not necessarily reflect the same person’s
scores in each column. The data comparison shows that the first two classes
did better and this could be attributed to the fact that they have the class earlier
in the day when the students are more alert than the last two classes which are

held during the last two periods of the day.

27
Table 3

5th hour Biology - Biology Room
(scores given in percentage)

fletest 9.0611851

53 93

47 92

38 88

38 84

31 81

31 78

31 76

28 69

28 67

28 67

25 67

25 64

24 61

22 58

19 57

19 56

16 56

16 54

16 39

13 35

3 21

Number of students 21 21
Mean 26 65
Median 25 67
Mode 28, 31 67

T-Test Result = 8.18, significant at 0.001 level

28

Table 4

6th hour Biology - Chemistry Room
(scores given in percentage)

E38251 29.511651

50 94

44 92

41 89

31 86

30 83

28 79

28 76

28 61

26 58

25 57

19 54

19 51

16 46

16 44

1 3 32

6 29

Number of students 16 16
Mean 26 64
Median 27 6O
Mode 28 na

T-Test Result = 6.23, significant at 0.001 level

29

Table 5

8th hour Biology - Biology Room
(scores given in percentage)

2161651 E9611661
34 79
31 78
28 . 76
28 71
28 71
25 69
25 68
25 67
25 67
25 61
23 61
22 61
22 51
22 47
19 46
19 43
19 42
16 39
16 36
16 33
13 29
13 15
Number of students 22 22
Mean 23 55
Median 23 61
Mode 25 61

T-Test Result = 8.02, significant at 0.001 level

30

Table 6

9th hour Biology - Chemistry Room
(scores given in percentage)

81616.51 ED611661

34 85

34 83

31 82

31 81

31 81

25 78

25 76

25 75

22 74

22 71

19 65

16 65

13 63

13 58

13 58

13 51

9 51

38

33

Number of students 17 19

Mean 22 67

Median 22 71
Mode 13 51, 58, 65, 81

T-Test Result = 11.11, significant at 0.001 level

31

The survey questions that the students responded to on the post test
produced results that reflect positively the goal of the unit. Over half of the
students felt that the labs/activities helped them to understand the overall
concepts studied in this unit. The second question resulted in over two-thirds
stating that the labs were what they liked best about the unit. When students get
involved with hands-on activities, they enjoy the class and are more likely to
learn. The third and final question showed that approximately half of the
students liked the homework/study guide/notes portion of the unit the least.
Perhaps by breaking the study guide up into smaller parts instead of one big

assignment, the students would not have felt so overwhelmed by it.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

Since this was the first year that laboratory activities were incorporated
into the plant biology unit, new information was acquired by both the students
and instructor. From an in-class discussion and results on post test survey
questions, students enjoyed the many activities and labs they were asked to
complete during this unit. As each group worked through many of the simple
plant anatomy activities, such as “Fit to Be Dyed” and “Seed Dissection”, the
instructor was able to assess that roughly two-thirds of the class had been
through similar activities. Since these activities tended to be less time
consuming, they were easily worked into the forty minute time frame. Students
who had previously done something similar did not mind the repetition. These
activities were good tools to make sure everyone started at the same point in
their learning. Finding out that many students had completed similar activities
helped the instructor to determine that in future years, combining these activities
on the same day will free up additional days for more extensive laboratories.

Students in these general biology classes were willing to give informal
feedback. Through discussion in class, I learned that the students felt a lot of
pressure from the amount of information they were required to know for one test.
They thought that it would be better to make the plant anatomy quiz longer,
turning it into a test. Finally, they said it would be easier to learn the information
if it were given in two smaller sections: plant anatomy and photosynthesis. I

feel that this was a very valid statement and for next year, I will try to work that

32

33

out as part of the curriculum.

Typically, students in the biology classes work in small groups. Having
the opportunity to work through several activities in a short period of time gave
the instructor a good look at different group sizes. For the activities that were
completed in this unit, a group of two was ideal. This gives the student the best
chance at seeing and doing all there is to see and do.

With only forty minute classes, any deviation from the normal schedule
creates problems. Assembly schedules, late starts and a North Central
Accreditation (NCA) team visit contributed to lost time during this unit. The
assembly schedules and late starts cut class time to thirty-five minutes. The
NCA team visit required that the instructor be prepared to potentially have a
substitute instructor for two days throughout these classes. None of the above
were conducive to the teaching of this unit. Furthermore, some labs, “Observing
the Relationship Between Photosynthesis and Respiration" and “Energy
Release in Respiration”, were changed to demonstrations due to time and
supplies/equipment restrictions.

The note taking method that was tried with this unit seemed to work out
really well. The students asked if they could do that in future units that we
covered as the year progressed. This showed the instructor that they were
concerned about understanding the material and with this in mind, an attempt
will be made to continue and refine this for next year.

Looking at the post test that the students had taken, there were parts that

they did well on as well as some areas that they did not do so well. The areas

34

that they did not do so well on is the objective type of questions and even
though I discuss how to take the different parts of tests, perhaps more
discussion and reemphasis as the year progresses is necessary. Also, if the
student did not study for the test, they found it difficult to answer many of the
short answer questions. For these types of questions, if they paid attention in
class and wrote down information during the review, they did fine. They
especially did well on the questions that related directly to activities or labs that
were done in class, such as the types of indicators used and what they detected
and the function of stomata. The students seemed to be able to express their
thoughts better with the short answer types of questions and part of what I would
like to do for next year is to incorporate more short answer questions and
eliminate some of the objective questions.

Overall, the unit was successful. Students will never forget the smell of
fermenting cabbage as they left for Christmas vacation. Having taught the unit
once has given me significant insight. The student’s suggestions to break the
unit up into two parts is valid. Combining the simple activities to create more
time for more challenging labs and modifying some activities to accommodate

equipment shortage will be planned for next year.

APPENDIX A

Beverly K. Baldwin

Valley Lutheran High School
3560 McCarty Road
Saginaw, Michigan 48603
(517) 790-1676

To Whom It May Concern:

I would like to introduce myself as your daughter/son’s Biology
teacher. During the first semester, your child will complete a unit on
Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration. This unit has been modified
from last year as part of my Master’s degree program through
Michigan State University. During this unit, students will be required
to complete some typical work such as written homework, quizzes,
and tests. The major change comes with the addition of several
demonstrations and laboratory based activities. It is my opinion that
these labs will significantly increase the student’s understanding of
the topic.

Your child’s participation in my research will be in the form of
collection of his/her test scores, as well as observations that I make
of his/her general understanding. In no way will your child’s name
be attached to any data included in my research. Participation in this
study will not affect your child’s grade.

If you have any questions, concerns, or objections to your
child’s scores being included in my research, please contact me by
September 10, 1997. If you are unable to reach me either at school
(517) 790-1676 or home (517) 871-3154, please leave a message
and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Beverly K. Baldwin

36

37

Biology Survey

—L

. What hour do you have Biology? 5 6 8 9

IO

. Did you like Science as a subject last year? Yes No

3. Compared to last year, is your appreciation for the subject:

Better Worse About the same

A

. Do you enjoy working with plants in the yard, farm, garden, etc? Yes No

0'1

. Have you enjoyed the topic of plants in the classroom in the past? Yes No

0)

. Would you like to learn more about plants? Yes No

\I

. If you have any comments as to things you have liked or disliked about
the topic of plants in the past, please feel free to share them. Also, if
there is anything specifically that you would like to learn about them, you
may write that here. If there is anything in general you have to comment
about at this time, now is the opportunity.

APPENDIX B

Fit to Be Dyed

PROCEDURE

1. Fill a medium-sized jar one-fourth full of water. Then add a few drops
of food coloring and stir. Note: Be careful when using dyes, as they can
stain.

2. Place a stalk of celery in the jar so that its leaves are at the top and its
base is at the bottom. Only the base should be submerged in the colored
water.

3. Place the jar where it will not be disturbed. After 24 hours, examine
your stalk of celery. What do you observe?

4. Remove the stalk of celery from the jar. Using a knife, cut off the
portion of the stalk that was under water . Be very careful when using a
knife. Discard this portion.

5. Examine the base of the stalk.

OBSERVATIONS 8: CONCLUSIONS

1. What do you observe?

 

2. Why does this occur?

 

 

39

40

Bubbling Leaves

Photosynthesis uses the gas carbon dioxide and produces the gas oxygen.
Tiny openings in the leaves called stomata allow carbon dioxide to get in and
oxygen to get out. Where are stomata located? Are they in the same position in
all leaves? Discover for yourself by doing this activity.

Procedure and Observations

1. Obtain a variety of fresh leaves and glass container of hot water.
2. Pinch the stalk of a leaf. Then dip the flat part of the leaf in hot water.

What do you observe?

 

 

Why do you think this happens?

 

 

3. Repeat step 2 with some different kinds of leaves. How do your

 

results differ from one another?

 

Analysis and conclusion

1. What can you infer about the structure of the leaves?

 

 

2. Share your findings with your classmates. Compare your results. Are

they similar? Why or why not?

 

 

3. What are some possible sources of error in this activity?

 

 

41

SEED DISSECTION AND STARCH TEST

Problem - Question -Are seeds alive?
-How can you tell if something is alive?
-If something is alive what does it have to do

Materials-
- bean seeds (soaked in water for 2 days)
-com seeds (soaked in water for 2 days)
-scalpel
-petri dish
-iodine solution
-pipet ( medicine dropper)

1. Acquire bean and corn seeds that have been soaked in the water for 2 days.

2. Using the scalpel - and a been seed, make a small cut around the center of
the seed.

3. Carefully peel back and remove the seed coat.

4. At this point you should be able to see the center, where the 2 halves meet.
Slowly separate the 2 parts, make sure you have the embryo
attached to one of the halves.

5. Using the scalpel, make some cuts in the cotyledons.

6. Using a dropper pipet, drop several drops of iodine solution onto the seeds.

7. The visibility of starch will be shown by the dark staining.

42

UNDERSTANDING PLANT TROPISMS

Problem
- How do roots find water and how do leaves find light?
- Does it matter which way seeds are planted?

Materials
-aluminum foil
-2 150 ml beakers or 1/2 pint milk cartons
-transparent tape
-15 com seeds
-cotton- absorbent
-filter paper
-2 index cards
- medicine dropper - pipet
-milk carton or box
-petri dish
-scissors
-potting soil

PROCEDURE
See page 528 in your textbook.

OBSERVATIONS

1. In which directions are the leaves of the corn seeds in the petri dish
growing? The roots?

 

 

2. In which direction are the leaves of the covered corn plants in the
beaker growing?

 

43

3. In which direction are the leaves of the uncovered plants in the beaker
growing?

 

 

ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSIONS

1. Why were the seeds in the petri dish grown in the dark?

 

 

2. What was the main influence on the direction of growth of the leaves
and the roots of the corn plants in the petri dish?

 

 

3. How did the aluminum caps influence the direction of leaf growth in
the corn plants?

 

 

4. What influenced the direction of growth of the leaves of the corn plants
in the beaker?

 

 

44

PLANT PIGMENTS

PRE-LAB DISCUSSION

Photosynthesis begins when light is absorbed by pigments in the plant
cell. One technique for separating and identifying these pigments is paper
chromatography. ln paper chromatography, solvent moves up the paper
carrying with it dissolved substances - in this case plant pigments. The
pigments are carried along at different rates because they are equally soluble in
the solvent and are attracted in degrees to the paper.

Many green leaves contain pigments colors that are not seen until
autumn because they are hidden by the chlorophyll. A few plants have leaves
that are red, orange, or yellow all year long.

In this investigation, you will use paper chromatography to determine
what differences exist in the plant pigments of various colors of leaves. You will
also determine which leaves or which parts of the leaves contain the chlorophyll
necessary to carry out photosynthesis.

PROBLEM
What plant pigments can be found in Spinach leaves?

MATERIALS
1 piece of filter paper
1 150-ml beaker
1 glass plates (cover for beakers)
coin
70% isopropyl alcohol or Ethyl alcohol
Fresh Spinach leaf/Red leaf
Scissors
Stapler
Metric ruler
Pencfl

SAFETY

Put on a laboratory apron if one is available. Put on safety goggles. Handle all
glassware carefully. Alcohol is flammable. Do not expose it to heat or flames.
Do this laboratory investigation in a well-ventilated room. Be careful when
handling sharp instruments. Note all safety alert symbols next to the steps in
the procedure and review the meanings of each symbol by referring to the
symbol guide on page 10.

45

PROCEDURE

1. Make two filter-paper rectangles that are each approximately 12 cm by 7 cm.
Using a pencil, draw a base line 1.5 cm from the bottom of the long side of each
rectangle.

2. Place a spinach leaf over the pencil line on one of the rectangles. Roll the
coin over the leaf so that a horizontal green line is transferred to the pencil line.
Repeat this step with the red leaf and the second filter- paper rectangle.

3. Add just enough isopropyl alcohol to the beakers to cover the bottom. Do not
add more than 1 cm to ensure that the pigment line will not be submerged when
the paper is lowered into the beaker. CAUTION: Avoid inhaling the alcohol.

4. Make a cylinder of each piece of filter paper by stapling it end to end. Lower
each paper cylinder into a beaker contain alcohol. The solvent will begin to
move up the paper and cause the pigments to move as well. Draw a diagram of
your set up.

5. Cover the beaker with a glass plate. Do not disturb the beaker for
approximately 15 minutes, or until the solvent is about 1 cm from the top of the

papen

6. When the solvent is about 1 cm from the top of the paper, remove the paper
and mark the farthest point of the solvent’s progress (front line) with your pencil
before the line evaporates.

7. Allow the filter-paper cylinders to dry, and then make a sketch of the
chromatogram. Some possible colors and the pigments they represent are:
faint yellow-carotenes; yellow-xanthophyll; bright green-chlorophyll a; yellow-
green-chlorophyll b; red-anthocyanin.

46

Observations
Data Table

1. How many pigments were separated in each type of leaf?

 

 

2. How did the pigments in the spinach leaf compare with the pigments in the
red leaf?

 

 

3. Which of these leaves can carry on photosynthesis? Explain your answer.

 

 

47
Critical Thinking and Application

1. Photosynthesis requires the green pigment chlorophyll. Explain how a
Japanese tree, having only red leaves, can carry on photosynthesis.

 

 

 

 

2. Many trees have leaves that are green in the summer and red, yellow, or
orange in autumn. Where were these colors during the summer? How
can they suddenly appear in autumn?

 

 

 

3. In addition to separating plant pigments, what are some other possible
applications for paper chromatography?

 

 

 

48

Observing The Relationship Between
Photosynthesis and Respiration

PROBLEM
What is the relationship between the processes of photosynthesis and
resphaflon?

DEMONSTRATION: Draw a diagram of the set up.

OBSERVATIONS

1. What was the color of the BTB solution before you exhaled into it? After you
exhaled into it?

2. What was the color of the BTB solution in the flask that was placed in the
dark for 24 hours? In the flask that was placed in the light for 24 hours?

49
ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSIONS

1. What substance was released into the BTB solution when you exhaled into
it? How is this substance produced?

2. Explain why the color of the BTB solution changed after you exhaled into it.

3. Why was Elodea placed in both flasks?

4. Which flask is the control? Describe additional controls that you might use
for this experiment.

5. Why are the results for the two flasks different?

6. How are photosynthesis and respiration related?

50

FERMENTATION

INTRODUCTION

Have you ever seen what happens when bread rises or when apple
cider “goes hard”? These actions are the result of fermentation, the
process by which an organism breaks down glucose in the absence of
oxygen. During this process, 2 molecules of adenosine triphosphate
(ATP) are made from a glucose molecule (instead of 36 made in the
presence of oxygen), and a variety of byproducts are produced.
Fermentation is important in making many foods; it produces the
alcohol found in beer and wine. In this lab, you will create conditions in
which cabbage will become fermented in the presence of certain bacteria
and will turn into sauerkraut.

1. When does the human body produce lactic acid?

2. Why is the 002 given off during alcoholic fermentation
important for making bread?

PROCEDURE

Part 1

A. Pack a plastic container with shredded cabbage.

8. Cover with 2.5% NaCl (salt) solution until the container is full.

C. Cover the container tightly. For the next 2 weeks, make sure the
container remains full. Replenish with more NaCI solution as
needed.

3. For Day 0 in the chart, record the color and texture of the
cabbage, the odor , whether any gases are produced
(check for bubbles), and the pH of that solution (use pH
paper). Repeat these observations and recordings every
school day. On the first day (day 0) and the last day of the
experiment, check for the presence of the bacteria and the
condition of the cabbage cell.

Since the day you set up the experiment is designated Day 0,

Day1 occurs after the cabbage has been incubating for one day.

These observations should take just a few minutes at the

51

beginning of each class.

D. To check the condition of the cabbage cell, make a wet mount of a few
cells peeled from the lower epidermis. Stain these cells using
methylene blue. Examine under a microscope using low and high
power. Look carefully to see if the cell membrane has separated
from the cell wall.

4. Why would 2.5% NaCl solution cause such separation?

E. To check for the presence of bacteria, make a wet mount by gently
scraping the bottom of the cabbage with a toothpick and putting it
on a slide with a drop of brine. Stain with methylene blue and
examine under high power.

Part 2

F. Make daily observations and recordings until no more gas bubbles
are produced. This should take 2 weeks. Remember to replenish
with more NaCl solution as needed. On the last day prepare
slides for microscopic observation by repeating steps D and E.

5. Describe any changes over the course of the experiment in the
odor, color, and texture of the cabbage and in the pH of the
brine.

6. Does the number of bacteria increase between the first and last
days of the experiment?

7. Sketch any bacteria you see. Estimate how many you see.

G. You and your teammate should each make your own graph showing
the pH from Day 0 to Day 10 (last day).

8. Make your graph on separate paper.

9. Describe any changes in the appearance of the cabbage cells.
How might the hypertonic brine and the enzyme activity of
the bacteria explain these changes.

POSTLAB ANALYSIS

The bacteria growing anaerobically (without air) in the brine will
convert glucose to lactic acid, carbon dioxide, acetic acid, ethyl
alcohol, mannitol, dextran, and esters. These combine to produce
the characteristics odor and flavor of sauerkraut.

52

10. Why do you think you soaked the cabbage in brine (2.5%
NaCl) instead of water? What do you think would have
happened if you had used water instead of brine?

11. What do you think caused the gas production?

12. What happened to the pH over the course of the experiment?
What do you think caused this change in pH?

13. Which equation in the Prelab Preparation section could
account for the odors produced during this experiment?

14. Why did you keep the container tightly covered at all times?
FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS

1. Yogurt is made by different bacteria from those in the sauerkraut.
You may make yogurt using commercial yogurt cultures and fresh
milk. Look for changes in pH, odor, texture, and the number of
bacteria.

2. Observe how yeast makes bread rise. Look for changes in odor,
texture, and the number of yeast for 002 production and for

changes in pH.

53

FERMENTATION DATA SHEET

 

 

 

 

 

3. Enter your answers on the data chart.

54

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8. Make a graph on a separate sheet of paper.

 

 

10.

 

 

11.

 

 

12.

 

 

13.

 

14.

 

55

ENERGY RELEASE IN RESPIRATION

Burning a peanut or any other food indicates the presence of potential energy in
foods. But we do not see visible flames burning in living things. If living
organisms produce energy, they must do so at a slower rate than the burning
peanut. Slow, controlled energy production in an organism is called
respiration. Germination of seeds is one of the many activities of organisms that
requires energy from respiration.

MATERIALS
4 wide mouth bottles
4 thermometers
couon
cardboard boxes - large enough to hold 4 bottles
masking tape
saw dust, vermiculite, or any other good insulator
100 ml 20% bleach solution
seeds of oats, barley, wheat, or milo, untreated

PROCEDURE

1. Use masking tape to label four wide-mouthed bottles, A, B, C, and D.

2. Fill bottles A, B, and C one-third full of seeds that have not been treated with
a fungicide.

3. Cover the seeds in bottle 8 with the bleach solution for about an hour. Then
pour out the bleach and rinse the seeds five times with tap water.

4. Fill bottles A and B with water. DO NOT add any water to bottles C and D.
After 24 hours pour out the water.

5. Plug all four bottles with cotton. Insert a thermometer through the cotton of
each bottle. The tip should be about 2 cm from the bottom of the bottle.
You may need to put a wad of cotton in the bottom of bottle D to keep the
thermometer bulb from touching the bottom of the bottle. Add a tag at the
top of each thermometer with the letter corresponding to the letter on the
bottle. (i.e. bottle A -- thermometer A)

6. Pour sawdust or insulating material into a cardboard box to a depth of about
3 cm. Set the four bottles in the box. Pour sawdust or other insulating
material into the box until each bottle is completely surrounded and
covered. Sawdust can even cover the cotton plugs loosely.

7. Observe the temperature of the room and the bottles as soon as the
experiment is set up, and then two times daily for four days. Record
your observations in Table 1.

56

8. After 4 days, open each bottle and examine its contents.

9. Plot the data in Table 1 on the graph provided, using a different color or kind
of line for each bottle. The key should include the treatment as well as
the letter of each bottle. Room temperature should also be graphed.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. What did you notice about the contents of bottle A?

 

 

2. Did germination occur in any of the bottles?

 

3. If germination occurred in some bottles but not in others, can you think of any

explanation?

 

 

 

 

4. Did you notice any relationship between temperature change and amount of

germination?

 

 

5. What was the purpose of bottle D?

 

 

APPENDIX C

PLANT OUTLINE

Kingdom Plantae
- Eukaryotic
- multicellular
- nonmotile

- photosynthetic autotrophs
- chlorophylls a, b & other pigments

- scientists use term division rather than phylum

Ph r h
Ehvlunifibacpmda
I Rh h

58

Ebylummitta
h r h h
m i

59

Snoohylnm Pteronsida

lss Gnet l e

60

61

Class Coniferae

Angiosnerms

Class Angiospermae

Subclass Monoootyledonae (monocots)

Subclass Dicotyledonae (dicots)

L661

E11111

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APPENDIX D

Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration Pretest

1. Photosynthesis requires each of the following except

A. light C. enzyme-storing compounds
B. pigment D. oxygen
__2. Which term is least closely related to the others?
A. anaerobic respiration C. lactic acid fermentation
B. aerobic respiration D. alcoholic fermentation

3. The process that involves oxygen and breaks down food molecules to
release energy is

A. respiration C. lactic acid fermentation
B. alcoholic fermentation D. glycolysis

4. The products of photosynthesis are
A. glucose and 02 C. H20 and CO2
B. glucose and C02 D. H2 and 02

5. Bread rises as the result of
A. glycolysis C. lactic acid fermentation
B. Pyruvic acid production D. alcoholic fermentation

_____6. The energy stored by photosynthesis is released by
A. the light reaction
8. the dark reaction
C. respiration
D. digestion
__7. Leaves of a plant appear green because chlorophyll
A. reflects blue light
8. absorbs blue light
C. reflects green light
D. absorbs green light
__ 8. Green plants are
A. heterotrophs only
8. autotrophs only
C. both heterotrophs and autotrophs
D. neither heterotrophs nor autotrophs
__ 9. The dark reactions of photosynthesis are also known as the
A. Calvin cycle
8. Krebs cycle
C. citric acid cycle
D. carbon cycle
__10. Which process does not release energy?
A. glycolysis
B. photosynthesis
C. cellular respiration D. respiration

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11. In the last reaction of respiration
A. a pyruvic acid becomes CO2 and a 2-carbon compound.

8. a 2-carbon compound enters the Krebs cycle
C. ATP is produced for use by body cells.
D. electrons are transferred to the electron transport chain.
___12. A plant’s response to a stimulus is called a(n)
A. auxin
B. gibberellin
C. tropism
D. hormone
_13. The tissue that transports water and nutrients inward through the roots
isthe
A. epidermis
8. root hair
C. vascular cylinder
D. cortex
_14. The primary root is called a taproot in
A. grasses
B. rye
C. carrots
D. wheat
__15. The center of a dicot stern consists of a core of
A. xylem and phloem
B. cork cambium
C. pith
D. vascular cambium
__16. Water moves across root hairs by osmosis from a region of
A. high concentration of water molecules
8. low concentration of water molecules
C. high concentration of dissolved minerals
D. low concentration of dissolved oxygen
_17. In mature woody dicot stems,
A. xylem forms the inner part of bark
B. phloem forms the outer part of bark
C. a ring of xylem surrounds phloem
D. a ring of phloem surrounds xylem
__18. Phloem tissue does not transport
A. organic molecules
8. inorganic ions
C. products of photosynthesis
D. water
_19. The outer bark of trees consists of
A. phloem cells
B. heartwood C. sapwood D. corkcells

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True and False - use a “+” for true and a “O” for false
20. If muscle cells do not get enough oxygen during heavy exercise,
glycolysis is followed by alcoholic fermentation.
21. The most important energy-storing compound that is used by every
living cell is chlorophyll.
22. A leaf has xylem and phloem.
COMPLETION
In the equation 6C02 + 602 ------------- > C5H1205 + 602 for

photosynthesis, the C6H1206 represents

 

The large thin, flat section of a maple leaf is the

 

Short Answer

What is Transpiration?

Why do trees make leaves?

How would you know whether you were observing the cross section of a
monocot or a dicot stem?

Discuss how stomata work.

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Plant Anatomy Quiz

1. In the lab, Fit To Be Dyed, what part of the plant had been dyed red at the
base of the stalk of celery?

2. From the seed dissection, name at least 2 parts of the bean seed that your
group identified.

3. What indicated a positive test for starch in this lab? Explain.

True and False - use a “+” for True and a “0” for False.

__4. Gymnosperms lack flowers.

_5. There are only 2 classes of Gymnosperms

6. Angiosperms are typically plants that we are familiar with.

7. A monocot has 2 cotyledons.

8. A dicot has flowers with parts of flowers in multiples of 4 or 5.
9. The purpose of the flower is to protect the seed.

10. Phloem tissue transports nutrients.

11. What are stomata and discuss how they work.

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FIT TO BE DYED HOUR: __

1. Before you observed the celery in red water, did you understand how water
moved up through a plant?

2. If your answer to #1 was no, did this activity help you to see how this works?
Please explain.

 

SEED DISSECTION AND STARCH TEST HOUR: _______

1. Before you did this activity, did you know that a dry seed could begin to grow?

2. If no, did this activity help you to see that this could happen? Explain.

 

UNDERSTANDING PLANT TROPISM HOUR: __
1. When you put seeds in the petri dish, what were the two parts that appeared
after the few days that they were stored in the dark?

2. What directions did they grow and why?

PHOTOSYNTHESIS STUDY GUIDE AND LECTURE HOUR:

1. When you went through the book and took notes did you understand the
information? Explain.

2. Was the study guide easy to work through, using the book? Explain.

3. Did going through the lecture in class help in understanding the the notes
that you had already taken? Explain. '

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PLANT UNIT TEST

MULTIPLE CHOICE
___1. Photosynthesis requires each of the following except
A. light 0. enzyme-storing compounds
B. pigment D. oxygen
__2. Which term is least closely related to the others?
A. anaerobic respiration C. lactic acid fermentation
B. aerobic respiration D. alcoholic fermentation
__3. The products of photosynthesis are
A. glucose and 02 C. H20 and CO2
8. glucose and CO2 0. H2 and O2

_4. The energy stored by photosynthesis is released by
A. the light reaction
8. the dark reaction
C. respiration
D. digestion
___5. Leaves of a plant appear green because chlorophyll
A. reflects blue light
8. absorbs blue light
C. reflects green light
D. absorbs green light
_ 6. The dark reactions of photosynthesis are also known as the
A. Calvin cycle
8. Krebs cycle
0. citric acid cycle
D. carbon cycle
__7. Which process does not release energy?
A. glycolysis
B. photosynthesis
C. cellular respiration
D. respiration
__8. A plant’s response to a stimulus is called a(n)
A. auxin
B. gibberellin
C. tropism
D. hormone

70

_9. Water moves across root hairs by osmosis from a region of
A. high concentration of water molecules
8. low concentration of water molecules
C. high concentration of dissolved minerals
D. low concentration of dissolved oxygen
_10. Phloem tissue does not transport
A. organic molecules
B. inorganic ions
C. products of photosynthesis
D. water
__11. Lactic acid fermentation takes place in
A. MUSCLE CELLS
B. GREEN PLANTS
C. BREAD DOUGH
D. BONES
___12. The substance that glucose is broken down into in the anaerobic
phase is called
A. PYRUVIC ACID
8. CITRIC ACID CYCLE
C. RDP
D. KREB’S CYCLE
__13. The substance that glucose continues to be broken down into in the
aerobic phase is called
A. C5H12Oe

B. H20

C. RDP
0. CO2

__14. Carbon dioxide and water are the beginning of what reaction
A. CELLULAR RESPIRATION
B. LACTIC ACID FERMENTATION
C. ALCOHOL FERMENTATION
D. PHOTOSYNTHESIS

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MATCHING

_15. With oxygen A. Respiration
___16. Without oxygen B. ATP

_17. Converts light energy to chemical energy 0. Aerobic
_18. Energy is released 0. Anaerobic
_19. Green pigment E. Mitochondria
___20. Gets the sun’s energy directly F. Autotroph
_21. Gets the sun’s energy indirectly G. Photosynthesis
__22. Stores energy H. Chlorophyll
_23. Primary place for Cellular Respiration J. Heterotroph

True and False - use a “+” for true and a “0" for false.

_24. Chlorophyll is necessary for photosynthesis to take place.

_25. Energy is stored during cellular respiration.

_26. The products of alcohol fermentation are not useful in the baking
industry.

_27. Lactic acid fermentation is the process that athletic coaches are
concerned with.

_28. Cellular respiration requires light and chlorophyll.

_29. Photosynthesis breaks down sugar to get energy.

_30. Everything gets its food directly from the sun.

___31. Because they cannot make their own food, autotrophs rely on the
food-making ability of green plants.

__32. The most important energy-storing compound that is used by every
living cell is chlorophyll.

__33. A leaf contains xylem and phloem.

__34. Gymnosperms lack flowers.

___35. There are only 2 classes of Gymnosperms

_36. Angiosperms are typically plants that we are familiar with.

__37. The purpose of the flower is to protect the seed.

__38. Phloem tissue transports nutrients.

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SHORT ANSWER

List the 2 phases of Cellular Respiration.
1.
2.

Explain why muscles need to get enough oxygen during exercise. (3 points)

Explain the difference between a monocot and a dicot. (2 points)

Discuss how stomata work. (2 points)
What are ATP and NADP and why are they important. (2 points)

Write the balanced chemical equation for Photosynthesis. (5 points)

Explain why the series of reactions that make up the Calvin cycle and Kreb
cycle are described as cycles. (2 points)

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Describe the respiration process between plants and animals (similarities,
differences, dependencies) (4 points)

List at least 3 types of indicators that were used in the labs/activities that were
done in this unit and explain what they did and why it was important in the
experimental process of that particular activity.(9 points)

Describe the difference between AMP, ADP, ATP and why one is more
beneficial than the rest. (3 points)

N0 POINTERS
Did the activities we did with this unit help you to understand the overall
concepts?

What were some of the things you liked the best about this unit?

What were some things you liked least (BESIDES THE TEST)

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