flowering lesson day 1

H O W D O E S A P L A N T K N O W W H E N T O F LO W E R ?

LEAFY UFOs

Warm-Up

Take a moment to consider the following questions:

1. When have you ever given or received flowers?

2. What is your favorite flower, and why?

Your thoughts on flowers

When have you given or received flowers? Favorite type of flower?

Jean Giraudoux* on Flowers

“The flower is the poetry of reproduction.It is an example of the eternal seductiveness of life.”

*Jean Giraudoux

was a French poet in the early 20th century

Discuss the above quote with a partner. How does this quote connect with what we have already discussed about flowers?

What are flowers for?

We often think of flowers as a gift for someone special to us.

But plants make flowers for a really important reason that has nothing to do with people:

Flowers are the way that plants reproduce sexually.

Anatomy of a Flower

This flower has male and female parts. Find and circle the words that suggest which part is male and which is female.

Why do we care about flowers?

Fruits are the products of flowers.

Why do we care about flowers?

Fruits are the products of flowers.

Why do we care about flowers?

Fruits are the products of flowers.

Why do we care about flowers?

Fruits are the products of flowers.

Why do we care about flowers?

Fruits are the products of flowers.

Why do we care about flowers?

Fruits are the products of flowers.

Why do we care about flowers?

Fruits are the products of flowers.

Why do we care about flowers?

Fruits are the products of flowers.

Why do we care about flowers?

Fruits are the products of flowers.

Why do we care about flowers?

Fruits are the products of flowers.

Why do we care about flowers?

Fruits are the products of flowers.

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Why do we care about flowers?

Fruits are the products of flowers.

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Why do we care about flowers?

Fruits are the products of flowers.

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Why do we care about flowers?

Fruits are the products of flowers.

**Wheat, rice, corn, beans, and many other staple foods also come from flowering plants!**

Problem:

Global climate change affects when and how plants flower, which will also affect when and how they make fruit.

Problem:

Global climate change affects when and how plants flower, which will also affect when and how they make fruit.

Problem:

Global climate change affects when and how plants flower, which will also affect when and how they make fruit.

Problem:

Global climate change affects when and how plants flower, which will also affect when and how they make fruit.

Problem:

Global climate change affects when and how plants flower, which will also affect when and how they make fruit.

In order to address these issues, we will need to study plants and how they grow, make flowers, and set

fruit.

To Understand Flowers, We need to Observe Plants!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spkA1f5FmxY

Watch this video showing Arabidopsis growth and make observations about the plant on the left, the plant on the right, and both plants.

Observations of Flowering Arabidopsis

Right Plant Left Plant

Both plants:

What is the difference between these two plants?

Hypotheses about why these plants grow so differently:

What is the difference between these two plants?

Hypotheses about why these plants grow so differently:

These two plants are exactly the same with one exception. The plant on the right has a mutation in one of its genes.

The plant on the right has a mutation in its DNA that causes it to grow differently