Teacher's Guide for ASK ^® Plants

April 2006

This teacher guide was prepared by Betty Lou Askin, a retired elementary school principal from Toronto, Ontario.

Introduction: pre-reading activity

• Look at the Table of Contents. Ask the students to predict what the illustrations for pages 16 and 20 might suggest.

Scoops (pg. 2-3)

Power Walking

• What is the new invention?
• Describe what it looks like.
• How does it work?
• How would you use this invention?

Whale of a Tooth

• What is a narwhal?
• How long is its tooth?
• Describe the tooth.
• How does the tooth help the narwhal?

Harry Potter and the Empty Emergency Room

How did Harry Potter help keep the emergency room empty?

Nestor's Dock (pg. 4-5)

• Why is the Stink Plant suited to Phil?
• What type of plant is suited to your personality?
• Draw a picture of your plant.

Why Are There Flowers? (pg. 6-13)

Vocabulary: species, gymnosperms, prehistoric, pollen, carpels, angiosperms, orchid, anther, stigma, pollinator

Before reading this article, ask the students to answer the questions.

1. How many plants have flowers?
2. Where do plants grow?

Din-Din for Dinos

• What types of plants did the plant-eating dinosaurs eat?
• Why did they have big stomachs?
• Why were meat-eating dinosaurs smaller?
• Why does the Apatosaurus not look happy?

Before Flowers

• Describe how pine seeds develop.
• What is a naked seed?

Petal Power

• When did flowers begin to grow?
• Why do carpels make flowers different from gymnosperms?
• Why did plants develop lovely color and nice smells?
• Why are petals like airport runway lights?
• How does the shape of the orchid help with pollination?

After Flowers

• Describe the job of each of the following:

the anther

the stigma

the carpel

the seed

From Carpel to Apple

• What is the purpose of the flower's fancy fruit?
• How do birds help to produce flowers?

How Flowers Changed the World

• Plants are very important. Give three reasons why.
• Why did plant-eating dinosaurs become smaller?
• Why should you thank a tulip?

When Plants Get Hungry (pg. 14-19)

Vocabulary: nutrition, carnivorous, chlorophyll, carbon dioxide, protein, nitrogen, unwitting, devious, prey, nectar, exoskeleton, digestive enzymes

• Name four things plants need in order to have food.
• How do plants in your garden get nitrogen?
• Where do carnivorous plants get nitrogen?

Trigger Traps

• Describe the Venus's-flytrap leaves.
• Why do the leaves have nectar?
• How do the trigger hairs work?
• Why must the trigger hairs be touched twice?
• Explain how the Venus's-flytrap digests food.

Pitfall Traps

• Why are pitcher plants called swimming pools of death?
• Explain why an insect cannot climb out of a pitcher plant.
• Describe how this plant eats the insects.

Sticky Traps

• How does the sundew attract insects?
• Besides as food, why does the sundew need insects?
• Why are carnivorous plants smart?

Plant IQ Test (pg. 20)

Enjoy the quiz.

Strangler in the Rainforest (pg. 21-23)

Why is a rainforest a good place for plants to grow?

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Updated: 3/17/10 08:25 pm
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