BEST PRACTICE Grade: 7th Grade Adaptable to HS
Duration: 40 + days
Lesson/Project Title: Using Wisconsin Fast Plants for understanding of basic laboratory
techniques.
Author(s): Mark Wyn
District(s): Fremont Public Schools
Phone(s): 924-8139
E-mail(s) Mwyn@fremont.net
Professional Courtesy Notes: (optional) None
I. Description: The Wisconsin Fast Plant is a fast growing hybrid mustard plant that
goes through its entire life cycle in 30 days. This on-going lab gives students the
opportunity to watch a plant develop through its entire life cycle. The purpose of the
lab is to teach lab data collection and reporting, scientific method, and plant structure
and function. Students maintain a control group of plants and two test groups that
they manipulate. Hypotheses and predictions are made and final conclusions drawn.
Additional purposes of scientific writing, computer graphing, measuring and
recording, oral presentation, and basic genetics are also met.
II. Materials/Hardware/Software needed:
For the finished product to be successful the following items are necessary:
WFP Basic Brasica rapa seeds
A light bank using normal fluorescent lights
Water reservoir and felt material
Other supplies are very basic and would be found in most classrooms or science
labs.
III. Newaygo County Outcomes addressed are:
SC-07-043 Describe Evidence About Plants
SC-07-003 Use Tools and Equipment
SC-07-004 Use Metric Measurement Devices
SC-07-005 Construct Charts and Graphs
SC-07-001 Generate Scientific Questions
SC-07-014 Identify Need for Evidence
SC-07-002 Design/Conduct Scientific Investigations
SC-07-006 Identify Patterns in Data.
SC-07-007 Analyze Information
SC-07-009 Communicate and Defend Findings
SC-07-010 Draw Conclusions
IV. Activities/Procedures:
1. A care and maintenance manual should be obtained from your district or a
biological supply company. The manual should be followed exactly with respect to
the plant needs; however liberties can be taken with equipment construction.
2. Teacher should pick a 40-day time period in the school year to direct the lab.
3. Detailed instructions are given to the students that include the details of the lab,
on-going data collection, and final project.
4. Final project should involve both an oral and written reports that include data
graphs, hypotheses conclusions
5. Planting should be done at the beginning of the week to enable adequate watering
during the initial couple days.
6. Students are given the responsibility of growing three groups of seeds, a control
group, a test 1 group, and a test 2 group.
7. Students manipulate variables for their test groups-except water and light.
8. Hypotheses are written for the test groups and the lab begins.
9. Data of plant height, leaf development, and overall plant observations are recorded
near daily.
10.Careful attention is given to the growing calendar found in the care and
maintenance manual.
11.Pollination is carried out using bee sticks or Q-Tips.
12.Harvesting is done according to instructions.
13.Final project is due.
V. Assessment/Evaluation:
Assessment for this project would involve three parts, all of which can be tailored
according to teacher discretion.
1) The entire Lab process itself—how well did students follow instructions,
work together, etc.
2) Oral report
3) Written report
VI. Follow-up Activities:
Given enough time in the school calendar, some students will want to and should be
challenged to extend the lab to a second generation. Doing so will allow the student
to see if there is any reaction to second-generation plant given a first generation
manipulation.
VII: The Characteristics of Best Practice addressed are:
Student-centered: Students choose their own test variables.
Reflective: Lab reports both oral and written allow students to review their
hypotheses and reflect on whether they were supported or rejected and what
contributed to the outcome.
Developmental: The length of the lab activity allows student to refine their data
collection and graphing skills. This is not a one-time chance lab; rather each student
has the opportunity to participate, on numerous days, in the activities of data
collection.
Experiential: This goes with out saying—the extended duration of the lab is highly
manipulative and experiential.
Social: This lab is done in groups of three allowing for numerous opportunities for:
cooperative learning, conflict resolution, group think and listening etc.
Constructivist: This is a very constructivist activity in that it is an ongoing project
that involves the scientific process
Holistic: This lab involves the whole process of plant structure and function – from
seed to seed. By utilizing an ongoing lab the students get to see the big picture of
plant development rather than just one stage.
Collaborative: This lab is collaborative in its approach by involving every student in
his or her own work. That is, the lab will not be successful unless each student in the
group contributes to the project.
Challenging: Because of the on-going nature of this lab, students are faced with
numerous challenges and consequently responsibilities along the way.
Authentic: Many of the variables introduced reflect real life experiences—the farmer
may use manure as a variable, the landscaper a specialty fertilizer, etc.
Democratic: Because students are working in groups, they are faced with making
group decisions, finding consensus, cooperating etc.
Expressive: The expressive area of this lab takes place at the end of the project with
an oral report. Students are required to represent their project visually and
creatively.
Cognitive: The entire project requires high order thinking as students move through
the scientific process. The lab requires initial inquiry and conceptualization that end
in a wonderful discovery at the close of the lab.
Home Connection: Parents are often invited in during to few the plant project. Final
projects are also displayed in the classroom and go home for parent review at the
conclusion of the lab.
VIII. The Standards for Teaching and Learning addressed are:
Higher-Order Thinking Skills: Because this best practice is lab based the scientific
method of study is greatly utilized-emphasizing areas of learning that include:
generalizing, explaining, synthesizing and arriving at conclusions. All these areas of
learning are expressed in both oral and written form at the conclusion of the lab.
Deep Knowledge: Student knowledge is deep because of the on-going nature of the
lab. Students have the opportunity to fully engage the lab principles and plant
development process by being immersed in the study.
Substantive Conversation: Students will engage in dialogue with their teachers and
lab group about their lab work and process. Again, because of the length of this lab
substantive conversation is on-going.
Connections to the Real World: Students choose their own variable to introduce to
the lab, many times their choice is based on previous or background knowledge.
Furthermore, there is real world connection in the plant study as the necessity and
importance of plants in our world is more fully understood when plant structure and
function are understood.
IX: The Best Practice also includes:
(Briefly describe those that apply.)
Integration of Technology: Students will use their computer skills to generate growth
graphs for their final project. Computers will also be used in word processing for the
written report.
Career Development Goals: This lab gives students their first experience in an on-
going, cooperative activity that requires problem solving, teamwork and concluding
reports—all of which meet career development standards.
Cross-curricular/Cross-content areas: (integration): Students can enhance their
reports by utilizing skills learned in technology class. Teachers can also integrate
with language arts class by focusing on the skill of technical writing for the lab
report.