This page provides an overview and details about the Wisconsin Fast Plants ProgramĺŐs Digital Library, a portal for browsing, searching, and cataloging resources.

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.

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.

Illustrated instructions for constructing and planting in the Fast Plants deli-container growing system. This is a stable growing system that is easy to construct for all age learners, and works well for growing Wisconsin Fast Plants. Made from recycled deli-containers, these growing systems can be cleaned and reused for multiple years.

The growing of rapid cycling Brassica rapa, Rbr, through a life cycle from seed to seed can provide the basis for learning many aspects of biology that are relevant to the studentsĺŐ understanding of themselves as individual organisms among themany others inhabiting the Earth.

This pdf includes background information and ideas for lessons involving the processes that occur between fertilization and seed production in Fast Plants. Fertilization is explained and illustrated and an activity for students to observe reproductive development is described.

This activity for middle, high school or post-secondary students is an engaging laboratory investigation, which can be used to explore and gather evidence for the products of photosynthesis (and cellular respiration). Students experiment with rates of photosynthesis and/or cellular respiration by cutting disks from seed leaves (cotyledons) and using a procedure with a syringe to explore the rate at which oxygen is produced. The procedure for this experiment involves simple materials and seed leaves (cotyledons) from 3 or 4 day old Fast Plants.

This Immersion Unit provides a coherent series of lessons designed to guide students in developing deep conceptual understanding that is aligned with the standards, key science concepts, and essential features of classroom inquiry (as defined by the National Science Education Standards). Unit Overarching Concepts-Populations of living organisms change or stay the same over time as a result of the interactions between the genetic variations that are expressed by the individuals in the populations and the environment in which the population lives.-Science knowledge advances through inquiry.Unit Supporting Concepts-Individual organisms with certain variations of traits (adaptations) are more likely than others to survive and reproduce successfully.-When environmental conditions change it can affect the survival of both individual organisms and entire species.-Natural selection determines the differential survival of groups of organisms.-A small advantage in escaping a predator, resisting a drug, etc. can lead to the spread of a trait in a modest number of generations.-Mutations are a source of variation in an individualĺŐs genotype, and it can result in a change in phenotypeĺĐĺĐgood or bad.-Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and conducting careful investigations, using appropriate tools and technology to perform tests, collect data, analyze relationships, and display data.-No matter how well one scientific explanation fits observations, a new explanation might fit them just as well or better, or might fit a wider range of observations. In science, thetesting, revising, and occasional discarding of explanations, new and old, never ends.This unit was developed through the large Math and Science Partnership project called System-wide Change for All Learners and Educators (SCALE), involving a collaboration among Los Angeles School District educators, California State University science and education faculty, and UW-Madison SCALE staff.

This Immersion Unit provides a coherent series of lessons designed to guide students in developing deep conceptual understanding that is aligned with the standards, key science concepts, and essential features of classroom inquiry (as defined by the National Science Education Standards). The Unit's overarching concepts are:- Naturally occurring variations of traits in a population are influenced by genetic and environmental factors and evolve over generations by selective processes.- Science knowledge advances through inquiry.Unit Supporting Concepts:- The variation of organisms within a species increases the likelihood that at least some members of the species will survive under changed environmental conditions.- Individual organisms with certain traits are more likely than others to survive and have offspring. Changes in environmental conditions can affect the survival of individual organisms and entire species.- Some variation in heritable characteristics exists within every species. One of these characteristics gives individuals an advantage over others in surviving and reproducing, and the advantaged offspring, in turn,are more likely than others to survive and reproduce.- New varieties of cultivated plants and domestic animals have resulted from selective breeding for particular traits.- Scientists differ greatly in whatphenomena they study and how they go about their work. Although there is nofixed set of steps that all scientists follow, scientific investigations usually involve the collection of relevant evidence, the use of logical reasoning, and the application of imagination in devising hypotheses and explanations to make sense of the collected evidence.- Important contributions to the advancement of science, mathematics, and technology have been made by different kinds of people, in different cultures, at different times.In Immersion Units, students learn academic content by working like scientists: making observations, asking questions, doing further investigations to explore and explain natural phenomena, and communicating results based on evidence. Immersion Units are intended to support teachers in building a learning culture in their classrooms to sustain studentsĺŐ enthusiasm for engaging in scientific habits of thinking while learning rigorous science content.The first step of this unit engages students in developing a class criteria for effective record-keeping in science by guiding an inquiry into scientists' notebooks.The unit includes very complete implementation instructions (Teacher's Guide pages), student pages, and formative and summative assessments.Students investigate:- how variation within a population is influenced by environmental factors- how environmental factors influence reproductive success in a populationThis unit was developed through the large Math and Science Partnership project called System-wide Change for All Learners and Educators (SCALE), involving a collaboration among Los Angeles School District educators, California State University science and education faculty, and UW-Madison SCALE staff.

This Farming Fast Plants activity introduces a classroom investigation that is easily adaptable for all grade levels and designed to engageteachers and students as investigators. The activity has the practical outcome of producing an abundant supply of Fast Plants seed for future classroom use and for sharing with other teachers. The central question of the activity is ĺŇHow many seeds can your students produce from each seed planted?ĺÓ

This four-page handout explains the key steps to follow when caring for Wisconsin Fast Plants (Brassica rapa) throughout their life cycle, from sowing through harvesting seeds. This handout includes information about the materials needed, methods for tending and caring for your plants, and troubleshooting tips.

This PDF chart provides an organizational guide for recording student data as observations, measures(estimates), counts and descriptions on the growth, development, and reproduction of up to 5 Fast Plants (Rapid Cycling Brassica Rapa or "RBR"), and statistical summaries of the data. Data from individual student charts can be aggregated into class or group data charts or a spreadsheet for further display and analysis. These student data can then serve as the basis a deeper understanding of the nature of phenotypic variation, providing a basis for investigating the inheritance of a target characteristic and examples of its variation.