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Learning about how to classify or group plants. |
OBJECTIVES:
VOCABULARY:
MATERIALS:
BACKGROUND:
The study of plants is called botany or plant biology. Botanists believe that the plants that live on the land today are descendants of tiny green plants that lived about 350 million years ago in the ancient seas. There are over 300,000 types of plants in several large groups. There are slightly different classification systems for plants, but most recognize two basic groups, the nonvascular plants, and the vascular plants. The vascular plants can either be herbaceous or woody.
Herbaceous plants
do not have specialized woody tissue for water transportation from the
roots to the shoots. Woody plants have conducting tissues
called xylem and phloem tissues. Xylem tissue transports water and
phloem tissue transports food products. These tissues are absent in
herbaceous vascular plants and nonvascular plants.
Nonvascular plants in the classification used in this curriculum include
the Thallophytes (green algae, brown-green algae, brown-red
algae) and Bryophytes (mosses, and liverworts). Vascular plants or
Tracheophytes include ferns (filicopsids), sphenopsids (horse
tails), gymnosperms (needle leaves), and angiosperms (flowering plants).
Gymnosperms (NEEDLE LEAF)
(which include Ginkgoes) or conifers (just the pine-like trees) are mainly
cone-bearing plants. There are only about 550 species of living conifers.
Gymnosperms produce unenclosed seeds located on the upper surface of
scales, which are usually parts of cones. Most conifers are woody plants
and are usually large with leaves that are usually evergreen needles or
scales. Conifers are the most abundant gymnosperm today. Pines, spruce,
fir, cedars, sequoias, redwoods, and yews are all conifers. Conifers cover
large areas of North America, China, Europe, and Australia. The leaves of
conifers are long and thin, and are often called needles. Even though the
name evergreen is commonly used for these plants, it isn't accurate
because needles don't remain on conifers forever. Angiosperms produce specialized structures called flowers in which seeds develop. Angiosperms are the dominant members of the world's flora. Angiosperms are flowering and fruit producing plants. The angiosperms may be divided into the monocots and the dicots. Seeds and fruits may be variously modified, a factor that frequently assists in seed dispersal. Wind, animals, (including humans), and water are the most important agents of dispersal. Angiosperms or flowering plants are the most dominant group of the vascular plant world. The term angiosperm was devised to describe one of the most definitive elements of flowering plants, namely the enclosure of the potential seeds within a hollow ovary. The angiosperms are considered to be advanced as compared with the gymnosperms and other tracheophytes (plants and trees). Flowering plants occur in a wide range of habitats including both salt and fresh water. The basic food supply of the world is derived from the seeds and fruits of angiosperms (rice, wheat, corn) and fibers, wood, drugs, and other products of great economic value. The diagram below is just for instructors information and a visual difference between angiosperms and gymnosperms.
PROCEDURE:
Note: if there are samples in
the classroom of tree rings, cones, or other tree parts, try and
incorporate into lesson.
1.
Read “What is a tree?” to begin the discussion about plants.
The story just goes over gymnosperms and angiosperms.
So you might talk about the other plants mentioned above.
2.
Discuss with students the needs of plants which include water, air, soil,
light, space, and moderate temperatures. You may want to make an overhead of the
worksheet and discuss with children why or why not each is a plant. For
each box ask students to answer the following questions in their mind
before they answer yes or no. Does it move? (no); Does it make its own
food? (yes); Can it live in the dark? (no); Does it need soil to grow big?
(yes); Is it green? (yes)
4.
You may want to suggest that look at home to see if there are seeds or
cones so they can classify into gymnosperms and angiosperms.
7.
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