Green leaves sprouting from the ground with a brown background

This resource is a part of the Climate Science and Food Systems Traveling Trunk

Plant Inquiry

Overview

Students will spend time exploring and nature journaling fruits, vegetables, and other plants to prepare them for their discussions on photosynthesis, what plants need to grow, and how plants are critical to sequestering carbon in the carbon cycle.

Activity Type:

Lesson

Target Grade Level:

3-5, 6-8, 9-12

Estimated Duration:

1 hour

Topics:

Food Systems

Possible Connections to NGSS

Performance Expectations

3-LS3-2: Use evidence to support the explanation that traits can be influenced by the environment.

4-LS1-1: Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.

MS-LS1-5: Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how environmental and genetic factors influence the growth of organisms.

MS-LS1-6: Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for the role of photosynthesis in the cycling of matter and flow of energy into and out of organisms.