Water Transport in Plants

Here's how.

Grade Range

2nd

Group Size

Individual

Active Time

60 minutes

Total Time

24 hours

Area of Science

Plant Biology

Key Concepts

Plants' basic needs, water transport

Learning Objectives

Name the basic needs of a plant
Conduct an investigation to find out how water moves through a plant

Credits

Svenja Lohner, PhD, Science Buddies

A carnation with petals tinted in blue and red

Overview

Your students might know that plants need water to survive. But how does a plant "drink" and get water from the soil all the way up to its' leaves? In this lesson plan, students will observe how plants (flowers and celery) suck up dye-stained water, which makes the petals and leaves change color! This allows students to visualize the process of how water moves through a plant.

NGSS Alignment

This lesson helps students prepare for these Next Generation Science Standards Performance Expectations:

2-LS2-1. Plan and conduct an investigation to determine if plants need sunlight and water to grow.

This lesson focuses on these aspects of NGSS Three Dimensional Learning:

Science & Engineering Practices	Disciplinary Core Ideas	Crosscutting Concepts
Planning and Carrying Out Investigations. Plan and conduct an investigation collaboratively to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence to answer a question. Make predictions based on prior experiences. Analyzing and Interpreting Data. Record information (observations, thoughts, and ideas).	LS2.A: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems. Plants depend on water and light to grow.	Structure and Function. The shape and stability of structures of natural and designed objects are related to their function(s).