1. Plants Unit Activity 3.1GL Predictions about Radish Plants Growing
Carbon: Transformations in Matter and Energy
Environmental Literacy Project Michigan State University
Plants Unit Activity 3.1GL Predictions about Radish Plants Growing

2. Plants Unit Map You are here (down the triangle) Application
Lesson 2: Foundations: Zooming into Organisms
Lessons 4 & 5: Explaining How Plants Make Food, Move, Function, and Grow
Lesson 3: Investigating Plants
Lesson 1: Pretest and Expressing Ideas
Lesson 1: Pretest and Initial Ideas
Lesson 6: Explaining Other Examples of Plant Growth and Functioning
Observations
Patterns
Models
Data from mass of plants growing from seed.
Data from plants in the light and dark with BTB.
Plants gain mass (more).
Soil loses mass (less).
Plants take in CO2 in the light.
Plants release CO2 in the dark.
Photosynthesis
Biosynthesis
Cellular Respiration
Pre Lesson: Investigation Set-Up
(up the triangle)
Inquiry
Evidence-Based Arguments
Model
(down the triangle)
Application
Observe
Coach
Use the instructional model to show students where they are in the course of the unit.
Show slide 2 of the Predictions about Radish Plants Growing PPT.
Pre Lesson
Pretest
Establish the Problem
Found-ational
Knowl-edge and Practice
Predict & Express Ideas
Fade
Post test
Maintain
Next Unit

3. Lesson 3: Plant Growth Investigation
Introduce Lesson 3.
Tell students that in this lesson, they will be investigating what happens when plants eat and grow to learn more about what happens to matter and energy during chemical changes.
Use the link in slide 3 of the PPT (or above) to watch the short timelapse video of plants growing to prepare students to think about the investigation.

4. Evidence We Can Observe
Answer each of the questions (numbered 1-4) below to explain how matter and energy move and change in a system.
Note that matter movement is addressed at both the beginning (1) and end (4) of your explanation.
Question
Where are molecules moving?
How do molecules move to the location of the chemical change?
How do molecules move away from the location of the chemical change?
Rules to Follow
All materials (solids, liquids, and gases) are made of atoms that are bonded together in molecules.
Scale: The movement question can be answered at the atomic-molecular, cellular, or macroscopic scale.
Evidence We Can Observe
Moving solids, liquids, and gases are made of moving molecules.
A change in mass shows that molecules are moving.
Review the Matter Movement Question.
Display slide 4 of the PPT. Put a copy of the Three Questions 11 X 17 Poster on the wall for reference if it is not there already. Give each student one copy of the Three Questions Handout or have them take out their existing copies.
Draw students’ attention to the poster and point out that each question is accompanied with “rules to follow” as well as ways to “connect atoms to evidence.”
Have students highlight, underline, or box the following rule about matter: Atoms are bonded together in molecules.

5. Evidence We Can Observe Rules to Follow Question
Answer each of the questions (numbered 1-4) below to explain how matter and energy move and change in a system. Note that matter movement is addressed at both the beginning (1) and end (4) of your explanation.
Evidence We Can Observe
BTB can indicate CO2 in the air.
Organic materials are made up of molecules containing carbon atoms:
• fuels • foods
• living and dead plants and animals
• decomposers
Rules to Follow
Atoms last forever in combustion and living systems.
Atoms can be rearranged to make new molecules, but not created or destroyed.
Carbon atoms are bound to other atoms in molecules.
Scale: The chemical change question is always answered at the atomic-molecular scale.
Question
How are atoms in molecules being rearranged into different molecules?
What molecules are carbon atoms in before and after the chemical change?
What other molecules are involved?
Review the Matter Change Question
Display slide 5 of the PPT.
Have students highlight, underline, or box the following rule about matter: Atoms last forever.

6. Evidence We Can Observe Rules to Follow
Answer each of the questions (numbered 1-4) below to explain how matter and energy move and change in a system. Note that matter movement is addressed at both the beginning (1) and end (4) of your explanation.
Question
What is happening to energy?
What forms of energy are involved?
What energy transformations take place during the chemical change?
Evidence We Can Observe
We can observe indicators of different forms of energy before and after chemical changes:
light energy
chemical energy stored in organic materials
motion energy
heat energy
Rules to Follow
Energy lasts forever in combustion and living systems.
Energy can be transformed, but not created or destroyed.
C-C and C-H bonds have more stored chemical energy than C-O and H-O bonds.
Scale: The energy question can be answered at the atomic-molecular, cellular, or macroscopic scales.
Review the Energy Change Question
Display slide 6 of the PPT.
Have students highlight, underline, or box the following rules about energy: Energy lasts forever, and energy can be transformed.

7. Growing Plants Video
Show students the first section of the Carbon TIME Growing Plants video.
Show slide 7 of the PPT.
Watch the video until the first intermission where Darryl and Nina ask the students to make predictions about what happens when plants are in the light and in the dark (from 0:00 to about 2:30).
Pause the video to discuss the questions posed on the screen before students complete the predictions tool.

8. Making Predictions
Use your Three Questions handout to be sure you are following the rules as you make your predictions!
Have students complete the Predictions Tool for Plants Growing.
Show slide 8 of the PPT. Pass out one copy of the 2.1 Predictions Tool for Plants growing to each student, and ask them to record their ideas as individuals for each of the Three Questions for plants growing
Remind students that these are just predictions, and that there are no wrong answers at this point. Encourage them to write down all of their ideas on the tool.

9. Comparing Ideas with a Partner
Compare and contrast your predictions with one another.
Have students discuss their predictions in pairs.
When students have completed their Predictions Tools, show slide 9 of the PPT. Divide students into pairs and tell them to compare and contrast their predictions with each other and to look for differences and similarities.
Give students 2-3 minutes to compare their predictions. As students are sharing, circulate through the groups. Consider engaging students by: Revoice what students said/wrote (for instance, I see/hear that you think BTB will turn blue). Why do you think that? What do you two disagree about? Why do you disagree?
Pay attention to the patterns in students’ predictions as well as predictions that diverge from any of the patterns. Both will be valuable to discuss next as a whole class.

10. What are your ideas about the Matter Movement Question?
What do you think we will see? (macroscopic scale)
What might it mean? (atomic-molecular scale)
What should we be paying attention to?
Have students discuss their predictions about the Matter Movement Question as a class.
Display slide 10 of the PPT and ask pairs of students to share their ideas for the Matter Movement Question.
Lead a discussion by asking students what they expect to see in the investigation, and what that might mean.
Record students’ ideas on the slide.
Help the students look for similarities and differences in the class predictions. Consider grouping ideas that are similar, and take time to clarify disagreements.
Use this discussion to help students consider what they want to pay attention to in the investigation.

11. What are your ideas about the Matter Change Question?
What do you think we will see? (macroscopic scale)
What might it mean? (atomic-molecular scale)
What should we be paying attention to?
Have students discuss their predictions about the Matter Change Question as a class.
Display slide 11 of the PPT and ask pairs of students to share their ideas for the Matter Change Question.
Lead a discussion by asking students what they expect to see in the investigation, and what that might mean.
Record students’ ideas on the slide.
Help the students look for similarities and differences in the class predictions. Consider grouping ideas that are similar, and take time to clarify disagreements.
Use this discussion to help students consider what they want to pay attention to in the investigation.

12. What are your ideas about the Energy Change Question?
What do you think we will see? (macroscopic scale)
What might it mean? (atomic-molecular scale)
What should we be paying attention to?
Have students discuss their predictions about the Energy Change Question as a class.
Display slide 12 of the PPT and ask pairs of students to share their ideas for the Energy Change Question.
Lead a discussion by asking students what they expect to see in the investigation, and what that might mean.
Record students’ ideas on the slide.
Help the students look for similarities and differences in the class predictions. Consider grouping ideas that are similar, and take time to clarify disagreements.
Use this discussion to help students consider what they want to pay attention to in the investigation.

13. Save for later
Later, you will compare your ideas from today to your explanations.
Save the Predictions Tools for later.
Display slide 13. Tell students that they will revisit their ideas after the investigation to see how their ideas changed over time.

14. Planning the investigations (optional)
How will you measure mass changes?
How will you observe changes in the color of BTB?
(Optional) Have students plan the investigations.
Show students slide 14 as well as the materials that will be available to them for both investigations. Ask student groups to plan their own investigations to learn about the answers to the Three Questions about plants.