Summer Holidays Homework

For Class III promoted to Class IV

Garden Pals

RATIONALE
The purpose of this project is to create awareness of the importance of plants in our lives.
This project will provide students the opportunity to investigate how pollution affects the
plant growth. They will also learn ways to care for plants.
SUGGESTED TIME DURATION:

7 to 8 weeks

ACTIVITY 1: ECOSYSTEM IN A BOTTLE

Objectives: Know how your ecosystem works and how life is interconnected in the
ecosystem. Take responsibility for your actions and how they affect your environment.
What to do: Make a pop bottle eco-system and illustrate how plants, animals, and non-living

things in an environment all affect one other.

To get an idea of how to go about this task visit the following link.

http://www.layers-of-learning.com/pop-bottle-ecosystem/
Towards the end of this activity write a story about a little person inside your pop bottle
ecosystem. What would that little person eat? How would she get down to the water?
How would the water get clean enough for your little person to drink? Make your child
responsible for the life of the little person thats inside the bottle ecosystem and help
them explain what will happen in case they dont take care of it.

ACTIVITY 2: EFFECT OF DIFFERENT LIQUIDS ON THE GERMINATION AND THEN

THE GROWTH OF PLANTS.
Objectives:
Realize the importance of pure water for plants
How frequently plants should be watered
Recognize the effects of polluted water on the growth of plants
Problem:
Can plants live and grow when watered with juice, soda, milk (or salt water, sugar water,
vinegar or any other liquid) instead of pure water?

a. Before starting the experiment find out the importance of water for plants. A few web
links are given for your reference:

www.growinganything.com/why-do-plants-need-water.html
www.mbgnet.net/bioplants/grow.html
www.mindware.com/.../what-role-does-water-play-in-helping-plants-grow-...
scienceline.ucsb.edu/getkey.php?key=3551

Also find out the amount and frequency of water (liquid) to be given to the seeds/plants
particularly for the type of plant that you are using for your experiment. You can get help
from a gardener.
b. Write a report, not more than 300 words on the importance of water for plants.
Materials:
Seeds of small, easy to grow plants (bean plants work well).
12 pots to sow the seeds.
permanent marker for labeling pots
a sunny place to keep plants
water
any three more liquids (juice, soda, milk or any other liquid that you want)
paper and pencil for recording results
camera
gloves
c. Write down the safety rules you need to follow in this experiment. For reference read
the following procedure.
Procedure:
1. Wear gloves.
2. Sow seeds in 12 pots and divide them in 4 groups
3. Label three pots of a group with water and label rest of the three pots of each group
with the name of the liquid you are going to water the seeds of each group with.
4. Water the plants daily or as necessary for your climate with one of the four liquids
accordingly. Make sure to give every plant the same quantity of liquid to keep it
a fair test.
5. Start taking photographs as soon as you see the germinating plant in each pot.
Record it with date in a table 1 (find below)
6. Check on the plants daily and record your findings in a chart/table labeled with the
date along the left and each of the four liquids along the top.
7. Dont forget to take their pictures on every new observation.
8. Observe the plants for the following: What color are the plants? How tall are they?
Are they getting new leaves? How do they feel (brittle, fleshy)?
9. Continue the experiment for as long as is necessary/ appropriate. (3-4 weeks)
10. Take their picture at every stage.
Result: Present your observations in the form of table that you have filled and their height
in a graph.

Conclusion: Write down your conclusion indicating the reason for different plant growth.
Also mention how pollution affects the plant growth and how we could save plants from
pollution.

Table for the Observation Record of Activity 2

Date

Water

Liquid A

Liquid B

Liquid C

Colour:

Colour:

Colour:

Colour:

Height:

Height:

Height:

Height:

No. of new leaves:

No. of new leaves:

No. of new leaves:

No. of new leaves:

Texture of leaves:

Texture of leaves:

Texture of leaves:

Texture of leaves:

Colour:

Colour:

Colour:

Colour:

Height:

Height:

Height:

Height:

No. of new leaves:

No. of new leaves:

No. of new leaves:

No. of new leaves:

Texture of leaves:

Texture of leaves:

Texture of leaves:

Texture of leaves:

Colour:
Height:
No. of new leaves:
Texture of leaves:
Colour:
Height:
No. of new leaves:
Texture of leaves:
Colour:
Height:
No. of new leaves:
Texture of leaves:

Colour:
Height:
No. of new leaves:
Texture of leaves:
Colour:
Height:
No. of new leaves:
Texture of leaves:
Colour:
Height:
No. of new leaves:
Texture of leaves:

Colour:
Height:
No. of new leaves:
Texture of leaves:
Colour:
Height:
No. of new leaves:
Texture of leaves:
Colour:
Height:
No. of new leaves:
Texture of leaves:

Colour:
Height:
No. of new leaves:
Texture of leaves:
Colour:
Height:
No. of new leaves:
Texture of leaves:
Colour:
Height:
No. of new leaves:
Texture of leaves:

You can add more rows required for further dates.

ACTIVITY 3: THE PHOTOSYNTHESIS PROCESS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF LEAVES

What is the project about?

The photosynthesis experiment is an activity which demonstrates the importance of a plant's leaves in the process of
photosynthesis.
What are the goals?

The goals of the photosynthesis experiment are for students to better understand the process of photosynthesis and the important
role leaves play within the process. Students will also learn the concepts of an independent variable, dependent variable, constant
variable, and control. Lastly, caring for living plants is an underlying lesson and theme of this project.
a. Before starting the experiment get information about the following:
The concept of photosynthesis
What is the role of a leaf in the process of photosynthesis?
Experimental and control set up
b. Write a report, not more than 300 words on the importance of leaves for plants.
What materials are required?

4 small potted plants (must be same size and species)

jar of petroleum jelly (small jar)
water
area with sunlight
marker
camera
gloves

c. Write down the safety rules you need to follow in this experiment. For reference read the following procedure.

Procedure

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

First choose one plant to be the control plant, and with the marker write 'Control' on the pot container.
Label the rest of the three plants as A, B and C
Wear gloves.
Cover all the leaves of plant A with petroleum jelly. Cover the underside of all the leaves of plant B with petroleum jelly and
cover the upper side of all the leaves of plant C with petroleum jelly.
Take their picture.
To keep it a fair test water all the four plants with the same appropriate amount of water, and place next to each other in
a bright, sunny area. Be sure to provide equal care to each plant.
Monitor all the plants for several weeks, recording the status of each plant every few days (color of leaves, new leaf growth,
etc) in a table.
Take their picture at every stage.
Don't forget to water the plants as appropriate.

Result: Present your observations in the form of table that you have filled and their height in a graph.
Conclusion: Write down your conclusion indicating the reason for different plant growth. Also mention how pollution affects the
process of photosynthesis and how we could save plants from pollution.

Table for the Observation Record of Activity 3

Date

Control

Plant A

Plant B

Plant C

Colour:

Colour:

Colour:

Colour:

Height:

Height:

Height:

Height:

No. of new leaves:

No. of new leaves:

No. of new leaves:

No. of new leaves:

Texture of leaves:

Texture of leaves:

Texture of leaves:

Texture of leaves:

Colour:

Colour:

Colour:

Colour:

Height:

Height:

Height:

Height:

No. of new leaves:

No. of new leaves:

No. of new leaves:

No. of new leaves:

Texture of leaves:

Texture of leaves:

Texture of leaves:

Texture of leaves:

Colour:
Height:
No. of new leaves:
Texture of leaves:
Colour:
Height:
No. of new leaves:
Texture of leaves:
Colour:
Height:
No. of new leaves:
Texture of leaves:

Colour:
Height:
No. of new leaves:
Texture of leaves:
Colour:
Height:
No. of new leaves:
Texture of leaves:
Colour:
Height:
No. of new leaves:
Texture of leaves:

Colour:
Height:
No. of new leaves:
Texture of leaves:
Colour:
Height:
No. of new leaves:
Texture of leaves:
Colour:
Height:
No. of new leaves:
Texture of leaves:

Colour:
Height:
No. of new leaves:
Texture of leaves:
Colour:
Height:
No. of new leaves:
Texture of leaves:
Colour:
Height:
No. of new leaves:
Texture of leaves:

You can add more rows required for further dates.

ACTIVITY 4: CLONING THE CABBAGE

Objectives: How to eat a plant again and again by cloning it.
Problem: How plants are cloned?
Did you finish the last leaf of cabbage? Dont rush to the grocery store just yet.
In this experiment, discover how you can eat the same plant over and over again.
a. Before starting the experiment collect information about plant cloning. A few web links are given for your reference:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/edexcel_pre_2011/genes/reproductionandcloningrev3.shtml
http://www.wikihow.com/Clone-Plants
http://www.instructables.com/id/Clone-a-tomato-plant-and-fill-your-garden-for-FRE/
b. Write a report on cloning. The report should not be more than 300 words.
Materials
two paper towels
two plastic bags
scissors
cabbage
cutting board
kitchen knife
permanent marker
spray bottle
water
camera
gloves
c. Write down the safety rules you need to follow in this experiment. For reference read the following procedure.

Procedure
1. Take the two bags, and label them leaf and stem.
2. Fold each paper towel three times and slip it into a bag. Use your spray bottle to spray the towel until it is damp.
3. Wear the gloves.
4. Now youre ready to start cloning! Remove the leaves from the cabbage and set one aside. Have an adult cut the stem
crossways, close to the bottom where the roots were.
5. You now have a leaf and a piece of cabbage stem. If you give these cabbage pieces some water, will they grow? What will
happen?
6. Take a photo of each piece before you start the experiment.
7. Slip the leaf into the middle of the paper towel in the leaf bag, and slip the stem into the middle of the paper towel in the
stem bag. Make sure the bags have a bit of air in them, and close them.
8. Leave the bags in a place with light at room temperature.
9. Open the bags the next day and look at the color and texture of the pieces of plant. Are any roots growing? Take a photo of
the plants, and put them back into the bags. Make sure that the paper towel is still a little bit damp.
10. Peek into the bags every day for a week, and make sure that you take a photo each time. What happens to the pieces over
the course of the week? What do they look like at the end?
Results
Write down: What happened to the cabbage stem? What happened to the cabbage leaf?
Conclusion: Write down what you have concluded from this activity based on the results. Also explain why this happens.
Note: If you want you can clone any other plants also.

Activity 5:
:

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