Plant Questions and Measurement

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When we started our plant research last week, we started by brainstorming what we wanted to  know about the plants in our outdoor classroom. We compiled the following list of questions:

Plant Questions

  • How far down do roots grow? 

  • How many roots does it have?

  • How many leaves does the plant have? 

  • How tall is it? 

  • How big are the leaves?

  • How many creatures live in the plant? 

  • Do the roots eat? 

  • What does the plant look like in different seasons? 

  • How tall is the plant in different seasons? 

  • How much moisture does the plant require? 

  • What type of environment does it like? 

  • How much sun/shade does it need? 

  • How big is the seed? 

  • How does the seed travel? 

  • Where did the plant come from? 

  • Which plants are eaten by creatures in the outdoor classroom? 

  • What do animals do with plant seeds? 

Then our researchers thought about what tools they might need to conduct their research. We compiled the following list of tools: 
Resources and Tools Needed 

  • Microscope

  • Magnifying glass 

  • Shovel

  • Collection sheet (“beat sheet”)

  • Books

  • Field guide

  • Rulers

  • Measuring tapes

  • Cameras

  • Art supplies

After we knew what we wanted to learn and what supplies we would need to do so, we were ready to start our research.  The first questions to answer were how tall is it and how big are the leaves? In order to answer these questions we first needed to learn how to measure things. We talked about how scientists use different tools depending on what needs to be measured. Students looked at the size of their plant and leaves and decided whether they needed rulers, tape measures, yard sticks, or another tool to do their measuring. One of the plants that needed measuring was a Western Red Cedar- it was quite tall! Even a measuring tape wouldn’t do the trick. Mr. Mark showed our young scientists a method for calculating a height estimate using knowledge of angles and triangles. We will continue to practice our measuring skills during small math groups this week. In addition to measuring our plants, we also began taking photographs and examining the plant leaves. We played plant BINGO on Friday to become familiar with 16 of the specific plants growing in the outdoor classroom. We will continue our research this week and next week.