Biology Course/Plant Unit Goals:
- Students will continue to study the unifying themes of biology, including form and function of living organisms, evolution and the organization of biological communities and systems.
- Students will continue to practice asking questions, using the scientific method and making observations that will help them better understand how living organisms function.
Plant Unit Objectives: Students will be able to…
- List at least three characteristics of most plants.
- Identify how plants obtain energy.
- Compare and contrast plants and green algae and identify a green algae-like ancestor as being the likely evolutionary predecessor of plants.
- Explain how alternation of generations works and identify the sporophyte and gametophyte generations in different plant groups.
- Distinguish vascular plants from nonvascular plants and seedless plants from seeded plants.
- Identify characteristics of angiosperms and differentiate between monocots and dicots.
- Understand the structures and functions of roots, stems and leaves.
- Explain the significance of apical meristems to plant growth.
- Describe how tree rings can be used to figure out the age of a tree.
- Describe how the transport of water, minerals and sugars occurs in plants.
- Identify the reproductive structures of gymnosperms and angiosperms, and explain the purpose of each structure.
- Compare and contrast pollination and fertilization.
- Explain the significance of double fertilization to the success of angiosperms.
- Discuss the benefits and drawbacks of sexual and asexual reproduction in plants
- Identify different methods of seed dispersal, and explain how to infer a seed dispersal method from observations of a seed.
- Explain the effects of plant hormones.
- Identify various tropisms and their effect on plants.
- Explain photoperiodism.
- Describe a few ways in which plants have adapted to different habitats.