Australian Plants Society

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Question: How have native plants adapted to their environment?

How Have Plants Adapted to Their Environment? This 10 week Lesson Plan was created for environmental education within the NSW School Curriculum with the aim of developing knowledge and skills across Key Learning Areas. It uses Australian native plants and ecology for reference material and thus allows students to relate their learning to the Australian environment within and outside the classroom.
Select at least 8 sections.

Level: Year 6
Duration: 10 weeks

CONTRIBUTING QUESTIONS:

Are the leaves on plants all the same?
Do all plants have the same leaves on them all the time?
Are there any plants that do not have leaves?
Do leaves have the same shape and the same border around the edges?
How have plants adapted to reduce moisture loss?
How can you test a plant's age?
Beside the outside coverings are there any other indicators of age?
Why are the fruits of plants different?
How do plants ensure that future generations will continue?
How do plants overcome competition from other plants for survival?
How are plants fertilised?
How do some plants survive in severe conditions?

Thinking:
To demonstrate that while some Australian plants appear to be the same, they are often quite different in many aspects and have adapted to a particular habitat.

Feeling:
To realise that all living things are unique and are worthwhile keeping just for their own sake no matter what their purpose appears to be.

Valuing:
To appreciate that to survive plants have had to adapt and change to new conditions as they had evolved in unique ways.

Acting:
To preserve and conserve plants is as important to the present as it is to the future, because many things are still not known or understood about all living things.

CONTENT SAMPLE:

Australian Native Plants:

Eucalypt
Banksia
Waratah
Callistemon
Melaleuca
Allo casuarina
Plants and seeds.

PERSPECTIVES:

Talented Child
Towards Non Sexist
Multicultural
Aboriginal
Personal Development
Australian Studies
Mass Media
Consumer Education
Citizenship Education.
Environmental Education.
Computer Education
Others

EXCURSIONS:

Bushwalks,
Mt. Annan
Mt. Tomah,
Areas devastated by fire in the last five years.

CONCEPTS	GENERALISATIONS	I, O, D, E	TEACHING / LEARNING ACTIVITIES	SKILLS	TICK / DATE	NOTES / EVALUATION
Margin shape, Veins	All leaves are different from one another in various ways	I	Gather as many different sorts of leaves as you can (20) and examine their properties	observing
patterns, surface, smooth , rough	Leaves have differences depending on where and how the plant grows.	O	i) Try to classify them in one way e.g. shape. ii) Experiment with other ways of classifying them:Shape, Margin, Surface, Smell, Size, Veins, Mass, Colour.	classifying
hairy, oily, apex, stem, glands, sticky	Leaves from the same plant have differences too, depending on their position and the micro environment in which they grow.	I	Choose one plant and take leaves from various parts of the plant.	observing
		O	Record any differences and classify them in accordance with headings established.	recording, classifying
		D	Draw diagrams and label them to show the key differences between leaves.	labelling, observing
		E	Prepare papers to offer explanations why the differences occur.	recording, talking

CONCEPTS	GENERALISATIONS	I, O, D, E	TEACHING / LEARNING ACTIVITIES	SKILLS	TICK / DATE	NOTES / EVALUATION
Cotyledon, juvenile, mature, growing, points	Although all leaves may look the same on a plant, there are many differences.	I	(i) Examine and collect leaves from plants of various ages - very young and old (ii) grow some bottlebrush plants from seeds until ...	observing
base, apex, photosynthesis	Leaves differ depending on their habitat and location.	I	(iii) The second set of leaves appear (iv) Find young seedlings of eucalypts and wattles growing in the ground.	observing
shade, full sunlight, protected, unprotected	Plants have different sorts of leaves at different stages in its life.	O	Record observations after plants have been sighted, felt and smelt (or tasted, be careful). Sort the leaves into groups.	recording
shades tones, upper surface, lower surface, essential oil, gland, new growth, buds	Because a plant is a living, growing thing it continues to renew itself.	D	(i) Classify leaves by their appearance into cotyledon/young, juvenile, mature leaves.	classifying, observing
		D	(ii) Write down the characteristic of each section.	recording
		O	Classify leaves according to the amount of light and shelter they received.	classifying
		D	Make predictions about plants in different aspects of the playground.	predicting
		E	Design a garden recommending plants to use in a specific place in the school playground	expressing, predicting

CONCEPTS	GENERALISATIONS	I, O, D, E	TEACHING / LEARNING ACTIVITIES	SKILLS	TICK / DATE	NOTES / EVALUATION
Leaf, branch, bract	Blades of grass are really leaves.	I	Conduct a thorough search in the playground for plants without leaves.	observing
phyllode, frond, spore, in-rolled	Moss and fern have parts which resemble leaves, but perform more functions.	I	Collect specimens of grass, Acacia, moss, ferns, cypress (Calitrix), Casuarina and pea flowers (Daviesia).
moss, lichen, job of a leaf	A majority of plants have leaves but some loose them.	O	Examine each plant very carefully use a magnifying glass if necessary and classify.	observing
chlorophyll, nodes	Sometimes branches do the jobs of leaves (acacia casuarina).	D	Discuss findings - Blades of grass - leaves, Fronds of ferns Moss and lichen Acacia - true leaves - phyllodes Casuarina - tiny leaves at nodes Daviesia (pea flowers) - deciduous Cypress (Callitris) - leaves fused.	talking
	Some plants have very tiny leaves (casuarina).	E	Draw pictures to illustrate plants without leaves or an undersea scene where plants have no leaves.	drawing

CONCEPTS	GENERALISATIONS	I, O, D, E	TEACHING / LEARNING ACTIVITIES	SKILLS	TICK / DATE	NOTES / EVALUATION
Entire reduced margin lance spear heart	While leaves have many differences, they do have common properties eg. shapes and margins	I	Find as many different shaped leaves as possible.	observing
Entire reduced margin lance spear heart		O	Examine leaves and classify them into different shapes. (Use sheet attaches as a resource). Do leaf rubbings to build up a bank of shapes.	classifying
egg linear oval	Many leaves do not have straight lines on their edges.	D	return to the playground and find other leaves of different sizes which have similar patterns.	observing classifying
apex base serrated wavy trident	Many leaves appear to fit into a particular way but have been changed or reduced in some way.	O	Find leaves which do not fit the patterns exactly.	observing
apex base serrated wavy trident		D	Classify further into entire or incomplete margins for each shape (in accordance with classsifications above).	classifying
biserrate pinnate		O	Group leaves in accordance with the pattern on their edge (margin) and the way they roll.	classifying
		D	Try to find exceptions in the playground.	observing
		E	Using whole shapes and margin patterns build a repetitive design by using a rubbing technique.	creating

CONCEPTS	GENERALISATIONS	I, O, D, E	TEACHING / LEARNING ACTIVITIES	SKILLS	TICK / DATE	NOTES / EVALUATION
	Moisture loss can be presented in many ways.	I	Use information on leaves gathered to use the basis for this questions.
	The surface and the margins of leaves are often reduced or changed to prevent moisture loss.	D	(i) Use the following classification for children to concentrate on Entire Margins, Hairy, Sticky, reduced Margin, Leathery, Smooth.	classifying
		D	(ii) In turn place a droplet of water on each one. Lift the leaf slowly by the stalk and observe what happens to the water droplet.	observing
	Some hard leaved plants turn side on to the sun to prevent moisture loss.	D	Select five other leaves and predict what will happen to the droplet.	predicting
		D	Observe the experiment again note similarities and differences.	observing
	As plants have moved out of rainforest conditions they have had to adapt to survive.	O	Select the leaves from Grevillea and Eucalypt. Try the droplet experiment again	experimenting
		I	Find the plants outside and observe the arrangements of leaves on the plants.	observing
		O	List characteristics which prevent them holding water.	listing
		D	(I) By research see if any other plants have the same characteristics of moisture reduction. Concentrate on Proteaceae and Myrtaceae.	researching
		D	(ii) Lay leaves out in full sun.Lie some on their back, some on the front and using pegs some side on. Record results.	recording
		E	Make statements and draw conclusions about Australian Plant adaptations from rainforests to desert plants.	talking

CONCEPTS	GENERALISATIONS	I, O, D, E	TEACHING / LEARNING ACTIVITIES	SKILLS	TICK / DATE	NOTES / EVALUATION
new growth bark stems branches trunk	Depending on the age of the wood, wood has a different appearance and colour.	I	Look on plants to find the: - newest parts - buds - oldest parts - woody bark acacia, eucalypts, bottlebrush, paperbarks - colour changes along the stems, branches and trunks.	Observing
nodes buds chlorophyll	Old wood is usually found at the base, new at the outside growing points.	O	Collect samples from different areas of plants and draw a colour line indicating where changes occur by matching the collected pieces with the colour change.	classifying
	The distance between growing points (nodes) can often help determine age.	D	(i) Find other plants and construct similar lines of colour and material.	observing
			(ii) Indicate the present years growth and last years growth - banksia - a division occurs each year.
			(iii) Estimate the age of plants collected & methods of working this out.	estimating
		I	Try to make "bark painting" out of (i) new material (ii) old material	drawing
		O	Predict which will last the longest.	predicting
		D	Take plants from different habitats and predict what the age indicators will be: rainforest, creek, scrub, swamp, desert.	predicting
		D	Write a story about the oldest plants and the things it would have 'seen'.	writing

CONCEPTS	GENERALISATIONS	I, O, D, E	TEACHING / LEARNING ACTIVITIES	SKILLS	TICK / DATE	NOTES / EVALUATION
Fruit capsule woody capsule	Some plants retain the fruit they produce on their branches.	I	(i) Find where the fruits grow on Callistemon and Melaleuca bushes.	Observing
			(ii) Search for clusters of seeds on eucalypts and
			(iii) cones on banksia bushes.
deciduous clusters retention year's growth	The fruit produced continues to grow and swell while the plant remains healthy.	O	Compare the fruits on each bush and notice any differences.	compare
deciduous clusters retention year's growth		D	Draw a time line showing the development of the seeds over a period of time.	drawing
	Some plants retain their original fruit until the plant comes under threat or dies.		Estimate the age of plant from the number of seed growing centres on any one branch path.N.B. On the plants listed above seed pods (fruit) remain and grow (larger in most cases).	estimating
		E	Use the different shapes of the fruit to construct tesselated patterns.	creating

CONCEPTS	GENERALISATIONS	I, O, D, E	TEACHING / LEARNING ACTIVITIES	SKILLS	TICK / DATE	NOTES / EVALUATION
fruit drupe nut woody capsule pod cone valves habitat	Fruit of different plants are different too. Plants in the same family can have different fruits depending on their habitats.	I	Collect fruit: Lillipilli, Callistemon, Hakea, Acacia Pultenaea, Macadamia, Mangrove, Grevillea, Banksia.	collecting
		O	Experiment with the fruit to obtain the seed e.g. break with fingers, hit with hammer, rub with sand paper, heat or freeze.	experimenting
environment factors fire drought competition	The habitat often determines the need for a plant to adapt especially in its fruit for it to survive.		(i) research where each plant grows and its natural habitat. (ii) Give reasons for why the fruits have adapted the way they do	researching
	Often seeds & seed pods can survive for many years and remain viable.		Fire Extremes of temperature Water Animal or bird's gastric system needed to germinate Extreme cold Competition with other plants Need for immediate food.
	Plants adapt to their natural surroundings.	E	Give examples for the fruit and vegetables that we eat to show how the plant adaptation is beneficial to humans too.	talking

CONCEPTS	GENERALISATIONS	I, O, D, E	TEACHING / LEARNING ACTIVITIES	SKILLS	TICK / DATE	NOTES / EVALUATION
germination coat-testa	All seeds need water and warmth to germinate. Some seeds with hard coats must be treated in some way to crack the coat before germination occurs. Some seeds germinate more readily than others.	I	Gather seeds from: (i) eucalypt, callistemon, melaleuca, leptospermum (ii) acacia, pea flowers (iii) hakea, grevillea (iv) waratah, firewheel tree (v) tomatoes (vi) pumpkin (vii) onion (viii) beans (ix) banksia, kangaroo paw.	collecting
	The tougher the coat the harder seeds are to germinate.	O	(i) Try to germinate using cotton wool or egg carton technique (ii) Record results.	experimenting
		D	Discuss why seeds germinated or not.	discussing
		O	Try (i) nicking pods with a blade (ii) freezing (iii) pouring boiling water over & soaking (iv) rubbing between two pieces of sand paper.
		D	Repeat the experiment and make conclusions and generalisations from the results. (Relate to natural conditions which germinate the seeds.)	experimenting
		E	Plan a garden from the seeds germinated.	predicting

CONCEPTS	GENERALISATIONS	I, O, D, E	TEACHING / LEARNING ACTIVITIES	SKILLS	TICK / DATE	NOTES / EVALUATION
parachute wings wind blown dispersal water carried	All seeds are not the same shape.Some seeds have wings or parachutes.	I	(i) Gather as many different seeds from plants as possible	Collecting
parachute wings wind blown dispersal water carried		I	(ii) Observe how the plants release the seed - seed dispersal.	observing
digested by animals insect attracting	Some seeds have different shapes to that they lodge in the terrain in which they land.	O	Organise the seed in the following classifications: explosions, dropping, wings, parachutes, burrs, juicy fruits.	organising
	Others have hooks so that they are carried by animals on their coats.	D	Look at growing conditions of the plants from which seed has been collected and suggest reasons for the type of plant dispersal employed.	observing
	Others are eaten by insects and animals and carried elsewhere.	E	Make a picture using the features of the various seeds.	creating

CONCEPTS	GENERALISATIONS	I, O, D, E	TEACHING / LEARNING ACTIVITIES	SKILLS	TICK / DATE	NOTES / EVALUATION
pollen stamen nectar	Plants can be fertilised in many different ways.	I	Observe the activity each plant. Observe how pollen breaks free from the stamens.	observing
colourbird attracting	Plants are generally dependent on an outside means to be fertilised.	O	Pollination techniques:insect, bird, animal, wind, water. List plants under these headings.	listing
pollen presenter stigma stigmatic disc agent	Many plants have adapted their structure to facilitate one particular pollening agent in their habitat.	I	Discover what attracts the insect or animal or birds to the plant.	observing
		O	List plants under: (i) Flower colour, nectar, odour of the plant, fruit, plant colour, plant location (ii) Study the path bees take by dabbing them with dye.Try also with ants.	list
		D	Draw up a table which are attracted by various features of plants.	drawing
		E	Relate how bees make honey.	talking

CONCEPTS	GENERALISATIONS	I, O, D, E	TEACHING / LEARNING ACTIVITIES	SKILLS	TICK / DATE	NOTES / EVALUATION
dormantbuds lignotuberfireresistant	Many plants retain their seed until the plant comes under threat.	I	Go to an area which has been burnt out recently and observe the new growth of plants.	Observing
	Many plants hide their buds and flowers under tough surfaces to protect them.	O	(1) List plants that are sprouting from (i) seedlings (ii) out of burnt wood.	listing
		O	(2) Examine eucalypts, banksia and waratah - dormant buds from trunks & ligno tubers (lumps of hard wood in the ground).	examining
	Many plants reduce their trunks under ground to survive severe conditions. Many plants grow fire resistant bark to survive	D	(i) Make suggestions as to how these plants protect themselves (ii) Look for plants that flower from the old wood, not new. (iii) Find forms of plants with a mallee habitat (eucalypt, lambertia, waratah).	predicting
		E	Make recommendation for plants to grow around houses.	talking

Australian Native Plants:

- eucalypts
- bottlebrush (callistemon)
- paper barks (melaleuca)
- allo casuarina
- acacia
- pea flowers
- banksia.

School playground and its plants.

Department of Education: Science Resource Unit
1) Small plants
2) Growing seeds
3) Growing plants.

Springboards Ideas for Science.

Teaching Primary Science: Seeds and Seedlings.

Bulk borrowing from Library - Books on Plants - 581, 582.13, 635 (Call numbers)

Life Processes of Plants- T 486.

Exploring Primary Science - 1 & 3, N.Z. Unit - Fibres.