Parts of a Plant WebQuest

Virginia Science SOL 4.4

Heather Spaid, Mandie Vest, Lauren Weathers, Kristina Childress
Radford University Teacher Education

Introduction
You are an alien from Pluto and your emperor, Patrick Pickle-Nose needs you to travel to Earth and explore the parts of a plant. This exploration will insure the survival of your planet, so it is vital that you learn everything you can about the parts of a plant.

Task
You will investigate and understand the basic plant anatomy and life processes using the Internet as your tool. Also, you must recognize and understand the structure of a plant, including leaves, stems, roots, seeds, and flowers. Take notes and transfer your work onto the worksheet entitled, "Parts of a Plant." Then to appease Patrick Pickle-Nose you must go into KidPix and draw and label a picture of a plant.

Advice
Read all the information pertaining to plants carefully, because this information is vital to the survival of your plant, Pluto.

Process
Answer the following question on a the paper provided.

	If you were a plant what would be your favorite food?
	Why do all plants make flowers?
	Why can’t plants survive on Mars?
	If you could be any plant what would you be and why?
	Make up a name of a restaurant where a plant might want to eat. Please explain your answer.
	List the five main parts of a plant.
	Give two examples of a food that could also be classified as a stem.
	What is the food factory of a plant?
	What are two things that a leaf takes in? (Hint: Humans drink one and exhale the other.)
	How is a root like an elevator?
	What does a flower turn into after it has been fertilized?
	What can always contain seeds and is also known as a vegetable even though it’s actually a fruit?
	How is a seed like a baby?
	Why is soil so important to a plant?
	A pickle is actually an aged cucumber, so where might Patrick Pickle-Nose classify a pickle? (Hint: Is it a vegetable or a fruit? Explain your answer by using what you read on the Internet.)

Note to alien explorers
Now that you have acted as a root and absorbed all of the educational nutrients provided by these ingenious Internet sites, it is now time to expunge what you have learned. Refer to the worksheet entitled, "Parts of a Plant." Work in-groups to complete this vital information document.

Internet Sites

http://tqjunior.thinkquest.org/3715/index.html
http://www.hhmi.org/coolscience/vegquiz/veggie.htm
http://www.hhmi.org/coolscience/vegquiz/partlist.html
http://www.hhmi.org/coolscience/vegquiz/recipe.html

Evaluation
The alien explorers, which were chosen to go on this mission, will be expected to perform in-class activities, and will be probed by a test created by emperor, Patrick Pickle-Nose, himself.

Conclusion
At the end of this mission, the alien explorers will be able to understand the parts of a plant, and will be able to think abstractly about this subject matter. Hopefully, you alien explorers have insured the survival of your plant and your beloved emperor.

Have a safe trip back to Pluto. We’ll miss you here on planet Earth!

Graphic credits: http://www.hhmi.org/coolscience/, http://www.libsci.sc.edu/miller/plants.htm, & http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/gpe.index.html