New York Botanical Garden: Enid A. Haupt Conservatory

Grade: 9th Grade Biology

Learning Standards: MST Standard 1, standard 6

Time: 3 hour preparation and three class periods.

Topics covered by this lesson:

Biomes

Symbiotic relationships between plant and animals.

Biodiversity.

The role plants and agriculture played in modern and ancient societies.

Plant adaptations for survival in hostile environments.

Biotic and abiotic factors

Pre- visit:

Purpose: The Enid A. Haupt Conservatory contains five distinct climactic regions. The plant on display represents the diversity of plants found in those regions of the world. The Plant hunt gives the student a fun way to find out the interaction of human beings and plant. Plants are our main source of food and in many places shelter as well. Over time plants have developed chemical defense against certain microorganisms. We can extract these chemical and used them a medicine to treat many diseases. Living in the city might make one forget the important of plant in our world.

Objectives: Student will be able to ...

Identify the twelve plant presented in the Plant Hunter guide.

State the commercial food or medicinal value of the plant they encounter in the Conservatory.

State how plants have develop physical and chemical defense against predation.

Recognized how climate has influence plant morphology.

Learning prerequisite:

Students should be aware of the components that make up an ecosystem as well as limiting factors. Students should be taught about symbiosis with special emphasis on the ones that involve plant and animal relationships.

The movement of energy through an ecosystem as well as the organism that make up a food web. Student should also be able to identify the basic anatomy of a flower and a plant

Visit: Split the class into small group accompanied by an adult chaperone. As the student move through the Conservatory they should try and locate the 12 plants featured in the Plant Hunter guide. They should note how the plant has evolved to thrive in it environment. They should also be aware of the economic or medicinal value of the plant featured in the guide. Student will learn more about the relationship between plant and people at the Discovery Stations located throughout the Conservatory. Students should be ware of how plant morphology changes as you move from one climate to another.

Post Visit: Have students make a list of the all the products that they have in their house or school that was derived form plant product. Ask student to write fictional essay entitled “ A World without Plants”

Possible Question:

What abiotic or biotic factors that ere important for various biomes?

What can we to do to conserve our natural resources?

MSTEP Webmaster | NYU home page | School of Education | School of Education Webmaster