DISCUSS:
What are some parts of your body that work together as a system?
How does that system help you survive?
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DISCUSS:
What are some parts of your body that work together as a system?
How does that system help you survive?
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In this lesson, students make observations of external and internal parts of trees in order to collect evidence that these structures work together as a system to help plants survive in a particular environment. In the activity, Tree Detective, students use models of roots and branches to explore their functions and then construct an argument about how these structures must work together in order to support the survival of trees in the unique environment of the frozen taiga.
Preview activity| Anchortown Info worksheet | 1 per student |
| Evidence (Roots & Branches) worksheet | 1 per student |
| Solve The Puzzle worksheet | 1 per student |
| Tree Detective Answer Key teacher-only resource | 1 per class |
| Tree Roots worksheet | 1 per student |
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Colored Pencils
We use red and blue in the activity, but any two colors will work.
Crayons will also work.
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Details
2 pencils per student
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Hardcover Books
Books must be heavy enough to keep a pipe cleaner and coffee stirrer hanging halfway off a table.
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Details
1 book per pair
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Coffee Stirrers
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1 stirrer per pair |
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Paper Clips
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20 paper clips per pair |
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Pipe Cleaners
Pipe cleaner must be new because students will observe how it bends during the activity.
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Details
1 pipe cleaner per pair
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We suggest students work in pairs. Homeschool students can work on their own.
Materials for this activity are needed at three different steps, so we suggest organizing them beforehand for easier distribution.
The Tree Roots and Evidence (Roots & Branches) worksheets are distributed in Step 2.
Student slideshow: English | Spanish
Teacher printout: English & Spanish
In this reading, students learn how scientists figured out why a sea otter in California was stealing people's surfboards by considering the sea otters senses, memories, and instincts.
You can elaborate student learning and engagement with Mystery Science mini-lessons.
Why don’t all trees lose their leaves in the fall? In this mini-lesson, students explore how the structure of leaves helps to explain why not all trees drop their leaves in the fall.
How do flowers bloom in the spring? In this mini-lesson students discover how water that is absorbed through a plant's roots is connected to the plant's flowers.
Do any plants eat animals? In this mini-lesson, students explore the structures of carnivorous plants that enable them to catch and digest insects and other animals.
If you are in an NGSS state, these mini-lessons support the DCI LS1.A: Structure and Function
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