Water Transport in Plants

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).

Materials

Materials for each student:

• White flower such as carnations
• Celery stalk with leaves attached
• Cups that can hold the flower and the celery stalk
• Water
• Paper
• Colored pencils

Materials that can be shared:

• Teaspoons
• Food coloring (red or blue, 10 drops per student)
• Timer
• Camera (optional)

Materials for teacher:

• Sharp knife
• Measuring Cup