Plant Cycles: Photosynthesis & Transpiration
What do plants need? Students examine the effects of light and air on green plants, learning the processes of photosynthesis and transpiration. Student teams plant seeds, placing some in sunlight and others in darkness. They make predictions about the outcomes and record ongoing observations of the condition of the stems, leaves and roots. Then, several healthy plants are placed in glass jars with lids overnight. Condensation forms, illustrating the process of transpiration, or the release of moisture to the atmosphere by plants.
What makes plants survive?Copyright 2004 Microsoft Corporation, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052-6399 USA. All rights reserved.
Engineers creatively make use of the plant kingdom for many beneficial human applications such as cleaning air and water. Phytoremediation is the engineered use of green plants to remove or render harmless soil or water contaminants including heavy metals, trace elements, organic compounds and radioactive compounds. For example, one company designed a series of engineered ecosystems at a highway rest area using plants, insects, snails and worms to clean the wastewater and recycle it back into the restrooms to flush toilets. Others have planted trees and vegetation as a low-tech and low-cost cleanup technology for contaminated soils, groundwater and wastewater.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Explain photosynthesis and transpiration in plants.
- Compare and contrast the growth of plants under varying conditions.
- Explain how engineers use plants to create technologies that benefit humans.