This page provides an overview and details about the Wisconsin Fast Plants ProgramĺŐs Digital Library, a portal for browsing, searching, and cataloging resources.
K-5 Lesson about plants. Objectives include 1) Identify and describe the parts of a flowering plant
2) Differentiate between types of plants
3) Describe the needs of plants
4) Define the term photosynthesis
Videos, and links are available
In this inquiry activity students work in groups to investigate allelopathy via research, using the scientific method to plan and carry out an experiment, and creating a formal written report and oral presentation.
Finding and eradicating invasive plants is a tough job that requires constant vigilance. County-scale maps that show where invasive plants are and where they have the potential to spread in the future are helping on-the-ground efforts to build the resilience of natural vegetation.
Wisconsin Fast Plants, rapid-cycling brassicas, are part of a large family of plants called crucifers (Latin = Cruciferae). This resource tells the story of Crucifers, which are easilydistinguished by the characteristic shape of their flowersĺŃfour petals in the shape of a cross or crucifix. A section, or genus, of the crucifer family is the genus Brassica.Brassicas have great economic and commercial value, and play a major role in feeding the world population. They range from nutritious vegetables, mustards and oil producing crops, to animal fodders and weeds.
This illustrated document describes the symbiotic relationship between bees and Brassica rapa (Fast Plants).
This experiment takes advantage of the ease of growth and short life cycle (seed to seed in 35 days) in Fast Plants--an organism suitable for many kinds of home and classroom scientific investigations.Fast Plants are particularly interesting because, like humans, they exhibit considerable variation in many observable characteristics. Fast Plantsхи are useful for experiments investigating the effects of environment (light, nutrition, etc.) on variation in growth, development and reproduction.
Instructional materials for experimenting to learn what will happen to your Fast Plant if you subject it to a 10% liquid detergent solution? Experiment to determine the effects of substances in the environment on living organisms.
The lessons in this issue of Smithsonian in Your Classroom introduce the work of botanists and botanical illustrators, specifically their race to make records of endangered plant species around the world. “Very little of the world’s flora has been fully studied,” says one Smithsonian botanist, “and time is running out.” In the first lesson, students gets to know six endangered plants. They examine illustrations, photographs, and dried specimens of the plants as they consider this question: If a scientist can take a picture of a plant, are there advantages in having an illustration? They go on to consider some of the big questions that botanists themselves must ask: Which of these species are most in need of conservation efforts? Are any of these plants more worth saving than others?In the second lesson, the students try their own hands at botanical illustration, following the methods of a Smithsonian staff illustrator. All that is required for the lesson are pencils, markers, tracing paper, and access to a photocopier.
Students are introduced to the work of botanists and botanical illustrators, and specifically to their race to make records of endangered plant species around the world. Students examine illustrations, photographs, and dried specimens of endangered plants and consider the conservation value of an illustration over a photographic image. In a second session, students try their own hands at botanical illustration and follow the methods of a Smithsonian staff illustrator. Pencils, markers, tracing paper, and access to a photocopier are required.
This is a description sheet (with illustration) for the standard rapid cycling ideotype (RCI) or ideal form for the anthocyaninless, or non-purple stem phenotype. In the anthocyaninless line, a recessive gene blocks the expression of purple, red, or pink pigment, also selected for few or no hairs.Plants lack any purple anthocyanin pigment, anl, however the genetic background of the stock is for high expression of purple anthocyanin, Pan (7), a quantitative trait. None or very few hairs on any plant part, Hir(1), a quantitative trait. Most plants, >80%, are male fertile, MST2/- . A few are male sterile, mst2.
PDF containing seed stock profile information for and illustration of the F1 and F2 Non-Purple Stem, Yellow-Green Leaf variety of Brassica rapa (Fast Plants). This also includes some brief suggestions for their use as a model organism in teaching Mendelian genetics with a monohybrid cross using Wisconsin Fast Plants.
This is a description sheet (with illustration) for the standard rapid cycling ideotype (RCI) or ideal form for the purple stem phenotype. Traits include high expression of purple anthocyanin, Pan(8), throughout plant; particularly noticeable on the hypocotyl, stem, hydathodes and sepals. Anthocyanin expression is strongly enhanced by environmental factors, e.g. high light and nutrient stress. Intermediate and variable expression of hair on leaves and stems, Hir(3-6). Purple anthocyaninand hairiness exhibit quantitative inheritance.
PDF containing seed stock profile information for and illustration of the Rosette-Dwarf variety of Brassica rapa (Fast Plants). This also includes some brief suggestions for their use as a model organism in teaching.
The standard rapid cycling ideotype (RCI) or ideal form for the standard Brassica rapa phenotype. RCI phenotype is selected for uniformity in flowering time and plant form. Traits include: forty days seed to seed, 14 days sowing to flowering. Standard, RCI, is the common genetic background of most Rapid Cycling Brassica mutants.Published info:Williams, P.H. and C. Hill 1986. Rapid-Cycling Populations of Brassicas. Science 232, pp. 1385-89.
This is a description sheet (with illustration) for the standard rapid cycling ideotype (RCI) or ideal form for the yellow-green leaf phenotype. RCI phenotype is selected for uniformity in flowering time and plant form. Forty days seed to seed, 14 days sowing to flowering. Standard, RCI, is the common genetic background of most RBR mutants.Published info:Williams, P.H. and C. Hill 1986. Rapid-Cycling Populations of Brassicas. Science 232, pp. 1385-89.
Common Plants of Wisconsin - developed by UW Stevens Point Department of Biology.
Pictures and descriptions of each common plant found in Wisconsin. Organization topics include: Seedless Plants, Gymnosperms, Woody Dicots, Dicot Herbs, and Monocots.
Copyright information:
The images contained in the COMMON PLANTS of WISCONSIN web site may be freely used for non-profit, educational purposes, as long as complete citation information is included.
Use in any copyrighted document or any web site is prohibited without specific permission of the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Department of Biology. Please contact Webmaster for more information.
This activity is a field investigation where students gather leaves from various trees on school property, interpret findings, name tree and leaves, journal activity and develop a new "aha" for nature!
This activity consists of classroom lessons where children observe tree leaves and compare and contrast those leaves leading to an understanding of the terms deciduous and evergreen (and also coniferous). They then use that learning to help them identify the kind of tree based on samples on a chart.
This is an inquiry where students will be comparing and contrasting two different types of leaves with a partner.