Plant Science

On Wednesday we started our science experiments looking for evidence that plants meet all the requirements of something that is 'alive'.

We are covering the Science E&O 1-01-A, which talks about distinguishing between living and non living things.

In the first session students provided suggestions for what defines something as alive and took photographs of things in the playground to categorise.
This brought up a few discussion points as they listed blood, bones, heart and brain as a prerequisite for being classed as alive, but listed grass and sunflowers as living things in the playground. When I pointed this out to the students we realised we needed to change our suggestions on the brainstorm.

In the second session we prepared an experiment that shows us whether plants breathe or not. We went out into the playground and collected some leaves. Then in our table groups in class set up the experiment which was a cup full of water, with a leaf weighted down with a stone.

Next week the students and I will discuss our observations. Lots of bubbles appeared in the glasses and around the leaves, what does this show us?