Title: The Last Straw
Purpose: In this activity you will use a computer simulation model to experiment with how plants deal with water stress caused by drought
Procedure:
1. Go to The Last Straw website
http://cycas.cornell.edu/ebp/projects/laststraw/ise/home.html
2. Personalize this template save it asYourNameWeek4Lab.doc
3. Read what I know about plants first.
4. Click on The Virtual Lab link
5. Read the information carefully.
6. Click on the links on the left hand side of the page to find out about
a. What a plant is.
b. How plants get food.
c. What plants do with water.
d. What happens during a drought.
e. What strategies plants use in conditions of water stress and drought.
7. Summarize the information in these links in the chart below.
You may take the quizzes if you want!
8. Now you are ready to Grow Your Own Virtual Plant!
9. Enter the lab by clicking on the
10. Click on any of the links on the top to find out how to
a. move around in the virtual lab
b. set up an experiment
c. run the model
d. collect results
e. graph results
f. plant choices
g. use the instruments
11. Click Plant and chose which type of plant you want for each experimental chamber.
Record this information in the data chart.
12. Click Climate and choose one of the experimental sets of conditions
(if you choose the same plant for each chamber, than choose different climates)
(if you choose different plants for each chamber, then choose the same climate)
Record this information in the data chart.
13. Click Grow to see the Lab Area.
14. Now click Grow Plants and let grow for 90 days.
Record the number of leaves on each plant.
(There is no need to run several trials under the same conditions, because the number of leaves is actually the average number of leaves for this condition. These results are based on actual experiments conducted at the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research
15. Reset the experimental conditions
(change type of plants and/or climate conditions)
16. Repeat the experiment with different plants and/or conditions for a total of 10 times
17. Record all data in the data chart
18. Summarize your results
19. Formulate a hypothesis about how climate conditions affect the number of leaves in dry adapted or wet adapted plants.
20. Attach your completed lab assignment template and submit your lab assignment.
Results:
Plant Type / Climate / # Leaves / Plant Type / Climate / # Leaves
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Discussion: Follow lab grading guidelines
Conclusion: Testable statement(s) about the relation of plant type, climate, and number of leaves
Reflection: personal statement
Judith S. Nuño Biology 3/9/2006