Annotated Bib - Plants

Plants are part of the living system although we may pass through them when thinking in living things. Indeed they are very important for the ecosystem and for human life. As animals and humans, they have there one parts, system and functions. These books and materials can be used for Gr 4.

Books

LIVING SUNLIGHT, how plants bring the earth to life
Molly Bang and Penny Chisholm. Ills by the author. 2009. 40p. The Blue Sky Press, (978-0545044226). Gr: 1-5
This book explains the importance of sunlight and plants on earth and for us in a very simple and dynamic way. Specially explains the photosynthesis and the importance of this process to out planet.

PLANT SCIENCE
Edward Shevi:ck. 2000. 42p. Teaching and Learning Company, (978-1573102087). Gr: 4-8
This book can be useful and really helpful for teacher because of the fact that has lots of different practice exercise, activities and experiments concerning plants in a very complete way including: seeds, flowers, leaves, trees and plants characteristics.



PLANTS, Super Cool Science Experiments.

Susan H.Gray. 2008. 32p. Cherry Lake Pub, (978-1602795228). Gr: 2-5
This book has different experiments regarding plants which can be really useful for students to enrich their knowledge and to investigate more in this topic, deepening in the characteristics and life of plants being themselves the scientists.


REDWOODS
Jason Chin. 2009. 40p. Flash Point, (978-1596434301). Gr: 1-5
This is a book focused on trees but is interesting because in a narrative and fiction way tells all about trees mixing it and relating these science contents to historic contents and real life things. It also teaches about adaptation and the ecosystem where these trees live. Finally a prevention section on how these trees are in danger is found at the end of the book.

TELL ME, TREE
Gail Gibbons. 2002. 32p. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, (978-0316309035). Gr: 3-4

This book is interesting because in a narrative way talks about the different characteristics of trees, their parts inside and outside, tree form, leaves kind. Specially, it shows the parts of the tree, the functions, the process by how a seed ends up to be a tree and the photosynthesis. Finally it shows the diverse uses that trees have and invites the reader to make an identification book of trees.

WEBSITES:
All about Photosynthesis:
This web site is for kids and have lots of instructional videos on the photosynthesis process. It also has some games and quizzes divided into grades. In this case, the ones that one can use for little kids are the puzzles, the labeling and the vocabulary games. The rest of the quizzes are for more advanced grades, but you can check them.

Interactive Plants:

This is a web site with lots of different interactive activities for kids regarding a wide variety on plants field such as: plant cell, growing plants, parts of the plant, vocabulary, photosynthesis, etc.

Plants Knowledge: This is a very complete web site for kids where they can find general knowledge on plants like it's characteristics, reproduction, photosynthesis, plants general and special structure, kinds of plants and the relationship with the habitat where they are found. Finally, you can find some quizzes and a slide show with different types of plants and an explanation for them.

Plants Sources: This is a site that offers connections to other sites, all about plants. There is a range variety of materials for teachers and for kids. The two I liked most were "let's eat" that is a practical instructional on photosynthesis and plants information, but what I found interesting of this site was that on the right side, they have like a glossary with definitions of word, they use in the text that kids may not know. Besides, it has also a teachers section.

Another good site I found here is "The thinkquest: Plants and our Environment" because as other sites, it has all the information regarding plants, but at the end of each page they have an interactive question for the student to answer and it also has different types of activities which include cross curricular contents such as math.

Finally a good source for teacher I found in this website is "Enchanted Learning: leaves and leaf anatomy" where you can find information on leaves and classification and a range variety of exercises and activities.

Teachers and Plants: This is a website for teachers. It offers a good variety of activities and ideas to use in this unit categorized by grade. It also provide some other ideas in life processes, not only in plants.

For Teachers:

4.4 The student will investigate and understand basic plant anatomy and life processes. Key concepts include:

1. The structures of typical plants and the function of each structure
2. processes and structures involved with plant reproduction
3. photosynthesis
4. adaptations allow plants to satisfy life needs and respond to the environment.

Background Information:

· For many typical green plants, there are anatomical structures that perform certain basic functions. For example, roots anchor the plants and take water and nutrients from the soil. Plant stems provide support and allow movement of water and nutrients.

· Plants can be divided into two general groups: those that produce seeds and those that produce spores.

· Many seed-producing plants have roots, stems, leaves, and flowers.

· Seeds vary considerably in size. Orchids, for example, produce seeds as small as dust particles. The coconut is one of the largest seeds in the plant kingdom. In many seeds, the protective outer seed coat is resistant to physical damage and may also contain waxes and oils that help prevent water loss.

· The embryo within the seed begins as a single cell, the zygote. The basic organs of the plant body can be found in the embryo. In some seeds the embryonic leaves are quite large, filling most of the volume of the seed. The embryonic leaves are a major source of stored food for the embryo. Beans are an example of plants with large embryonic leaves. In many other plants the embryonic leaves are relatively small, and the embryo is nourished by a tissue called endosperm.

· Pollination is part of the reproductive process of flowering plants. Pollination is the process by which pollen is transferred from the stamens to the stigma.

· The stamen and pistil are reproductive parts of the flower. The sepals are the small leaves that form the housing of the developing flower.

· Some plants reproduce with spores. These include ferns and mosses.

· Green plants produce their own food through the process of photosynthesis. Green plants use chlorophyll to produce food (sugar), using carbon dioxide, water, enzymes and other chemicals, and sunlight. Leaves are the primary food-producing part of these plants.

· Oxygen is released during photosynthesis.

· Plants adapt to changes in their environment in order to survive. Dormancy is a plant adaptation. Dormancy is a period of suspended life processes brought on by changes in the environment.