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1. Ask students what plants need to survive (water, light,
food, carbon dioxide). List these elements.
2. Ask students to make predictions about what would happen
if these elements were not available to plants. Are there some
areas in the world where some of these elements are rare or too
common? (deserts have little water, rain forests have an abundance
of water, polar areas lack sunlight) How have plants in these
areas adapted to survive?
3. Using maps of Venezuela, discuss what elements might available
to plants in different regions. Three maps are available:
- Topography Map
- Rainfall Map
- Temperature Map
4. Divide students into teams of two. Teams will conduct an
experiment in which they observe plants and their reactions to
these elements.
5. Ask each team to grow two plants in potting soil. When
the plants emerge from the soil, each team should first measure
the height of the seedling.
6. Ask each team to change one variable for one of the plants,
and then measure the continued growth of both plants. For example,
both plants might receive the same amount of light and both plants
have the same type of soil, but one plant might receive more
water. Some teams could also measure the pH of the soil, or lower
the pH for one plant by adding small amounts of lemon juice (an
acid) to the soil.
7. Have teams write down a guess about which plant will grow
taller over the next month, record the growth, and compare the
actual growth to their guess.
8. Have teams present the results of their experiment to the
class. What factors influenced plant growth the most?
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