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All for Science™Curriculum UnitsPlant Traits: Inherited and AcquiredDay 3: Planning an Investigation

Day 3: Planning an Investigation

Photo by Allison Shelley for EDUimages
Photo by Allison Shelley for EDUimages

STANDARDS OVERVIEW

Reading Strategy:

Reading for specific information (reading to answer inquiry questions).

Science Concept:

Acquired physical traits are characteristics that develop as the result of interactions with external or environmental factors.

Reading TEKS:

4.13A, 4.13C

Science TEKS:

2024–25: 4.13B

NGSS:

3-LS3-2

CCSS:

W.4.7

Science and Literacy Connection:

Scientists do a lot of reading as they expand their knowledge about a topic they are investigating. Being able to quickly and efficiently find the specific information they need is important.

Science Language:

  • A trait is an observable characteristic such as eye color, feathers, or the shape of leaves. 
  • Inherited traits are passed down from parents to their offspring. 
  • Plants and animals, including human, produce offspring. 
  • Acquired traits are the result of interactions with the environment that occur during the lifetime of an organism.  

  • Mini-Lesson

    OVERVIEW

    As a general rule, scientists engage in a lot of reading, including reports that others have written and articles about the topic they are studying. With this volume of reading comes the need to be able to locate and read for specific information in a way that is quick and efficient. Most of the time, scientists read with a purpose in mind: answering specific questions. Scientists know what they are looking for when they read, which helps them sift through lots of text to find the information they need to answer their inquiry question. Today, learners will practice reading to answer their specific inquiry questions.  

     

    Complex literacy strategies appropriate for upper elementary readers often include subroutines. Today’s complex literacy strategy (reading for specific information) is made up of subroutines that learners may have learned or used before. For example, skimming and scanning is a subroutine included in reading for specific information. (If your learners need support with this subroutine, an optional sample mini-lesson on skimming and scanning can be found in the supporting files for Day 3.)  

     

    Note: You are encouraged to create the “Reading for Specific Information” anchor chart with your learners as you move through the lesson, using the provided anchor chart as a model. Post it for easy reference when completed and remind learners to refer to the anchor charts during inquiry circles.  

    Materials for the Mini-Lesson:

    Teacher needs: 

    • chart paper  
    • marker(s)  
    • “Reading for Specific Information” anchor chart as a model  
    • informational text about apple trees to model the strategy (options below) 

    PROCEDURE

    Each italicized statement below contains suggested wording the teacher may choose to use for the lesson; additional teacher actions and considerations are in parentheses.   

     

    Tell what the strategy is (declarative knowledge)    

    1. Today we will learn a strategy that will help us locate information in texts related to our specific inquiry questions. That strategy is called “reading for specific information.” Reading for specific information means that I think about what kind of information I need to answer my questions before I start reading. Then I skim and scan the text to locate useful information and skip over information that does not help me answer my question. Skimming and scanning means I quickly look across the text, searching for key words. When I find those keywords, I slow down and start reading more carefully.  
    1. Reading for specific information is a lot like shopping for cereal in the grocery store. My favorite cereal comes in an orange box. When I get to the cereal aisle, I already know one thing to look for—boxes that are orange. I don’t read every name of every single box of cereal. Rather, I skim and scan across the boxes, looking for orange boxes. When I see an orange box, I stop and read the name of the cereal to be sure I have the right one.  

     

    Tell when and why to use the strategy (conditional knowledge)  

    1. This strategy is important to scientists (as readers) because they often have lots and lots of materials to read. They read these materials to see what other scientists have said about their topic and to find answers to some of the questions they are asking. Sometimes scientists use different words to talk about the same thing, so it is important to consider this while reading. As a reader, I know to use this strategy when I’m looking for specific answers to the questions on my Inquiry Chart. When I read just to answer my questions, I don’t need to read every single word on every single page of a text. I can use this strategy with books or when reading online. 

     

    Tell how to use the strategy (procedural knowledge)  

    1. I first read the question I am trying to answer.  
    1. I make a note of key words related to my question that I expect to find in the text. 
    1. I then make a note of more keywords the author of the text might use. I ask myself, “What words are similar to my key words?”  
    1. Next, I skim and scan the text, looking for any of my key words. I don’t read everything along the way, I just move my finger across the text, looking for those words. Sometimes the words appear in the pictures and captions or graphs, so I have to look at those too.  
    1. Once I find the key words, I then slow down and read, paying attention to whether the text answers my question or not.  
    1. If the text does answer my question, I jot notes on my Inquiry Chart. If it doesn’t, I either continue skimming and scanning or get a different text. 

     

    Model the strategy 

    1. I know that one of my inquiry questions is, “What physical traits do all apple trees inherit?”  
    1. I know that traits are sometimes called characteristics, attributes, properties, structures, and parts.  
    1. I can keep all of these keywords in mind (traits, characteristics, attributes, properties, structures, and parts) when I skim and scan the text. If I see one of these words or a word that seems similar to one of my key words, I slow down and start reading.  

     

    You also might model the following:   

    • identifying a piece of information from one of the texts that helps answer an example research question (e.g., What physical traits do all apple trees inherit?) 
    • recording a piece of information on a model Inquiry Chart 
    • recording the title, author, publisher, and publication year of a source on a model Inquiry Chart 

  • Inquiry Circles

    OVERVIEW

    Scientists often work in teams when conducting inquiry and investigations. Today, learners will work in inquiry circles to investigate different questions about their agricultural plants. Prior to starting the inquiry circle work, be sure to have texts and technology available for your learners. Remember, the “Agricultural Plants Resources” spreadsheet contains a list of suggested books and media—feel free to use other resources.  

     You may need to provide learners with specific instructions on how to access websites within your school district, or you may want to create a click sheet of approved websites for learners to be distributed through your learning management system (Google Classroom, Schoology, etc.). As the children begin investigating, you may have some teams working online while others are working with traditional texts. This will depend on your access to technology and texts.  

    Materials for the Inquiry Circles:

    Each team needs:  

    • team Inquiry Chart  
    • pencils  
    • preselected informational texts/media   

     

    Teacher needs: 

    • “Agricultural Plant Resources” spreadsheet for ideas 

    PROCEDURE

    Each italicized statement below contains suggested wording the teacher may choose to use for the lesson; additional teacher actions and considerations are in parentheses.    

     

    Before Inquiry Circles   

    1. It is time to get into our inquiry circles. I will remind you which inquiry team you’ll be working in.  
    1. You will be with the same team as yesterday, but we will rotate the science roles. Remember that each team member has a role or a job within a team. (Assign roles at your discretion and have the Equipment Directors gather the Inquiry Chart for their teams).  
    1. Yesterday we became familiar with the Inquiry Chart and generated our first inquiry questions. Keep in mind that you might develop new questions as you are working today. If your team develops a new question, add it to your Inquiry Chart as a new column.  
    1. We also recorded what we already know about the agricultural plants. Today you will start by choosing one question about your agricultural plant and looking for answers to that question.   
    1. As you look for answers to your question, you will practice your roles as scientists. You will do this because scientists have a special way in which they look for answers. One way scientists  look for answers is to do investigations. This means they look at text (in books and online) that might help them find information they can use.   
    1. Scientists also record their findings in an organized way. You will record your findings on your team Inquiry Chart. (You may want to show or project a blank sample Inquiry Chart or your model Inquiry Chart.)  

    During Inquiry Circles (20 minutes)    

    1. Today and for the next few days, you will investigate your agricultural plant by using books, eBook, websites, and videos. I have provided a list to sources you can use. 
    1. We have anchor charts to help guide your thinking. Do not forget to use them while working. (Refer to the “Inquiry Toolbox” anchor chart and the “Generating Inquiry Questions” anchor chart. Remind learners that they will practice each day’s literacy mini-lesson during this inquiry circle time. Once you have taught several mini-lessons, they can use any of the reading strategies taught, not just the one for that day.)   
    1. The Lead Scientist will guide the inquiry for the day by picking which question(s) will be answered. The Data Scientist will record all source information and the answers to your inquiry question on the Inquiry Chart. (You may want to explicitly show learners which square to write in for their first question using their first resource.)  
    1. Remember, it is important to record on your Inquiry Chart where you found the information (source). You will need to keep track of your sources carefully because you will create a list of your sources at the end of your inquiry. (Point out to learners where sources are located on the Inquiry Chart and how one source may answer multiple questions. Remind your learners to record the title, author, publisher, and year of publication for all sources. Remind your learners to record the URL for websites and videos.)   
    1. Everyone should help find the answers to the questions in texts and online. Remember to work as a team, helping each other listen for the answers to your question. (Be sure to model for learners where to record their source and where to record answers to specific questions. Explicitly show them how the Inquiry Chart will organize their progress.)  
    1. My role is to help guide the inquiry circles, but I expect you to work as a science team to solve your problems together. (While teams are working, walk around the room to facilitate as needed.)   

      

    After Inquiry Circles (5 minutes)   

    1. As we conclude our inquiry circles for today, each team will have a chance to share the information they found related to their questions, what they accomplished, and what literacy strategies they used. The Lab Director will lead the discussion about today’s results. What has the team learned about its agricultural plant? What problems did the team encounter? How did the team resolve those problems? Did the team use a reading strategy? Which one and how did it help? What new questions does the team have? (After you have allowed the teams to gather their thoughts, have the Data Scientist share with the class. Try to encourage teams to share a variety of things—you do not want just facts about plants, just reading strategies, or just cooperative learning strategies.)    
    1. (After all learners have shared, thank them for their hard work, and point out any excellent behaviors that you observed. If you saw an outstanding example of using a reading strategy or collaborative work, explicitly point it out. If you notice any problems in the teams during the lessons, take a moment to point them out, and explain your expectations for all future inquiry circles. Collect all Inquiry Charts or have learners put them in their normal classroom place for ongoing work so they can easily access them.) 

  • Guided Science Investigation

    OVERVIEW

    Learners plan an investigation to observe how different amounts of rainfall may affect plants.

     

    GUIDING QUESTIONS

    Where do plants get their water from? How does the amount of water a plant receives affect it?

     

    BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOR THE TEACHER

    Plants in the natural world get their water from precipitation (such as rainfall, snow, sleet or hail), soil water, runoff, and groundwater. The amount of water they receive depends on locale, seasonal variations or extreme weather events.

    For this investigation we’ve chosen Wisconsin Fast Plants (Brassica rapa), which are members of the Brassicaceae family and closely related to turnips. Wisconsin Fast Plants have a fast growth rate, and learners will be able to see the necessary growth for their investigations within the short 5-day time period. Professor Emeritus Paul H. Williams at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is the plant pathologist who produced Wisconsin Fast Plants through selective breeding without using any genetic engineering. Fast Plants were developed to be a model organism grown under indoor conditions for research and education; they are not likely to survive in the wild.

    In this investigation, we’re using authentic Texas rainfall data for the month of March (in Texas, March is a “typical” growing month for turnips) in 2003, 2013, and 2023 to observe how different amounts of rainfall over time impact plants.

    The investigation will use hydroponic sponges instead of soil to allow learners to observe changes during seed germination easier. We’ve provided written instructions and a short video detailing how to set up the investigations (see the Day 4 lesson).

    To determine the volume of water to use in the investigation, we multiplied the linear rainfall amount (inches) x the area (square inches) to get cubic inches. The hydroponic sponge squares are each 1 cubic inch. We then converted the cubic inches to milliliters. The table below shows the amounts of water to be added to the cups. Please note that water is only added once at the beginning of the investigation. Also, if your learners have not used graduated cylinders before, you may want them to practice measuring water before they set up their investigations.

     

    Materials for the Guided Science Investigation:

    Each team member needs: 

    • science notebook 
    • pencil 
    • copy of the “Organizing My Thinking: Acquired Traits” sheet 

     

    Each team needs: 

    • 1 set of Traits Cards 

     

    Teacher needs: 

    • “Traits Cards” document 
    • “Traits Cards” answer key 
    • envelopes  
    • copy of the “Organizing My Thinking: Acquired Traits” sheet 

    PROCEDURE

    Engage

    1. Hold up or project Trait Cards 1, 3, 4, and 7. Remind teams that in the previous class they learned that acquired traits in plants can be caused by environmental conditions or external factors. These conditions or factors can be the result of natural occurrences such as weather events or intentional acts such as insect, animal, or human activity.
    2. What do we already know about what plants need to survive? Accept responses and list on whiteboard. (Responses should include water, air, and the “just right” temperature. They can also include space to grow.)
    3. Children may also include light as a need for making food; explain that while that is correct for some plants, not all plants require light.)
    4. Hold up or project Trait Card 4 (dried plant leaves) and review some of the ideas learners had about what may have caused this change in the plant. If not mentioned, remind them that one possibility was that the plant got too much or not enough water. Add that there may be other causes, such as temperature changes (too hot or too cold).
    5. Ask, Where do plants in the natural world get water from? Accept responses. Share that plants (and animals) get their water from precipitation such as rainfall, snow, sleet, and hail, and also from soil water, runoff and groundwater.
    6. Announce that today they will plan an investigation that focuses on the response of a plant seed to the amount of water it receives. Explain that the question of how this environmental factor (water in the form of rainfall) may affect the inherited traits of a plant is a testable question.
    7. Explain that a testable question is one that is connected to a specific science concept (in this case how the amount of rainfall affects seeds) and is testable through a science investigation.

     

    Explore/Explain

    1. But first, I will show you the seeds you will be using. Pour several seeds into the palm of your hand and walk around to show learners the tiny size of the seeds. Inform them that the seeds are from plants called Wisconsin Fast Plants. These Fast Plants are used in research and in education because they have a very short growth period. This is important because the unit they are working in is only 10 days long, and they need results quickly.
    2. Disclose that the amount of water they will use was calculated using actual annual rainfall amounts for the month of March in Texas. Project the image of the Texas A&M monthly rainfall history: https://etweather.tamu.edu/monthly-rainfall-1968-2021/
    3. Point out that the data represent monthly averages all the way back to 1968. We are using the data for the month of March because it is a typical growing month for turnips, which are a close relative of the Fast Plants.
    4. Add that the amounts of water used in their investigations reflect annual monthly rainfall for 2003, 2013, and 2023. These 10-year time periods were chosen to give us an idea of how different amounts of rainfall over time might affect plants.
    5. The three different amounts of water represent the only variable learners will change—everything else will remain the same. Remind them that a variable is a factor or condition that can change in an experiment or investigation.
    6. Tell the class you will share the “Planting the Seeds” video to demonstrate how they will set up their investigations.
    7. Caution them to pay close attention to the instructions in the video so they won’t lose any of the tiny seeds.
    8. Project the video, stopping as needed to emphasize points. After the video, let them know you will also provide them with written instructions to follow tomorrow, and you will be available to help as needed. Ask if there are any questions about the set up. (The teacher may also choose to run the video in the next class as the children set up their investigations, allowing them to follow along.)
    9. Ask the Equipment Directors to collect 1 “Investigation Data” page for their team. Tell the class that they will observe their seeds for 5 days and will use the “Investigation Data” page to record in words and drawings what they see.
    10. Let them know you will set up a designated place for them to set their investigations under a light source.
    11. As time permits, ask them to begin planning what each team member will do when they set up their investigations and when they conduct and record daily observations.

     

    Elaborate

    1. Remind the children that inherited traits are passed down from parent to offspring. They should expect to see similar traits in their seedlings since all the seeds are Wisconsin Fast Plants.
    2. Ask them to consider how their different rainfall amounts might affect the plants, then turn and share their ideas with a partner on their team.

     

    Evaluate

    1. Do learners communicate a basic understanding of how to setup their investigations?
    2. Were questions raised and addressed for clarification?

  • Expanded Standards

    Reading TEKS:

    4.13A: Generate and clarify questions on a topic for formal and informal inquiry. 4.13C: Identify and gather relevant information from a variety of sources.

    NGSS:

    3-LS3-2: Use evidence to support the explanation that traits can be influenced by the environment.

    CCSS:

    W.4.7: Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.

    Science TEKS:

    2024-25: 4.13B: Differentiate between inherited and acquired physical traits of organisms. 

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