Adaptation Teacher resource Primary Education @ Adelaide Botanic Garden
Bookings All visits to the Botanic Gardens should be booked as part of risk management. Self-Managed Excursions Booking online: http://www.botanic.sa.edu.au/index.php/book-online Booking by email: dehbgschools@sa.gov.au booking form here Booking by phone: 08 8222 9311 Discussions and bookings regarding your visit ph 0467715481. Guidelines when in the Garden Students must be supervised at all times while in the Garden. Before starting your walk please remind your group that: Gardens are peaceful places for people to relax and enjoy. Walking slowly and talking quietly ensures everybody and everything will enjoy the gardens. Plants are fragile, touch them gently. Flowers, leaves, bark, seeds etc. growing on plants or lying on the ground are there for all to enjoy. When you have finished with plant material found on the ground always return it to the garden. Keeping to paths and not walking on beds or borders avoids damage to plants. Risk Management Water: The garden has a number of open water bodies and requires close supervision by teachers and supervising adults. Student ratio: Adult to student ratio is recommended at 1:10, for Early years and Junior primary this should be lower. Weather: Excursions at the Adelaide Botanic Garden are outdoors so sun protection is required, insect repellent at certain times of the year is recommended. Light showers are not an issue in the gardens and at time enhances the experience. There are a number of sheltered areas throughout the garden and raincoats are preferred to umbrellas. Washing: After working in the wetland or handling plant material hands should be thoroughly washed particularly before eating. Toilets: There are 5 groups of public toilets across the Garden as indicated on the maps. Copyright: 2016 The State of South Australia, Department for Education and Child Development and the Botanic Gardens of South Australia. This publication is protected by copyright. It may be reproduced by South Australian teachers for use with their students.
Contents Purpose and key idea of the trail Australian Curriculum Connections Before the excursion After the excursion Map Acknowledgements Teacher background information Purpose and key idea of the trail Target year levels: Year 5 and 6 Science Key ideas: The growth and survival of living thingsare affected by the physical conditions of their environment. Living things have structural features and adaptations that help them to survive in their environment Students will investigate: Students are encouraged to observe, analyse, inquire, record, hypothesize and connect knowledge they already have with new learnings. TfEL: Provide an authentic context in which to engage learners and build their understanding whilst using a range of learning modes. Time: Allow about 1.5 hours for this session. Many schools split the session into 2 parts with a break in the middle. Australian Curriculum Connections General capabilities: Literacy / Critical and creative thinking Cross-curriculum priorities: Sustainability Learning Areas Year 5 Science: ACSSU043 Year 6 Science: ACSSU094
Before the excursion Discussions: Convergent evolution resulting in similar looking plants that are not related biologically; such as the desert plants of South Africa and South America. Activities: Investigate the structure of galvanised iron roofs and fences. Give some justification for the design. Vocab introduction: Term Adaptation Environment Stimuli Climate Change Structural Characteristics Evolution Darwinism Chlorophyll Meaning Changes to suit the current environment The world around us. Something that causes a change or reaction. Long term weather changes. The physical shape and internal framework of a plant. Adaptations of a plant over many generations of the species. Acceptance of the science of evolution. A chemical in green plants. Additional activitiy Aboriginal, science and sustainability Discovery Trail. This trail investigates the South Australian Mallee section of the Botanic Gardens. If the science section is considered in this trail it looks at the adaptation of Mallee (middle forest) plants to the SA environment. This includes the key adaptation to fire and the resulting longevity of some of these species (up to 10000 years). It is good to look at a third biome if you have time especially as it is a local one. Acknowledgments Text: Steve Meredith and Michael Yeo Photos: Indiana Yeo
Teacher background information In the garden students will be asked to describe the environment and observe the plants which grow in 1. Rainforest and 2. Desert regions. A key feature of this exercise is to be scientists and look for common trends or key features that might represent a common response of plants to their environment over the longer term. Common trends may indicate further scientific investigation as to how such a feature might assist the plant to survive in their environment. As part of these tasks they will become more aware of the main factors which influence life in those environments and of the types of plants which live in such places. The material in the student booklet should be photocopied so that each student has a copy of student activity materials. The next section provides teachers with background information. The student section is full of activities that are designed to encourage students to observe record, discuss and use the information they collect. Extra enrichment information is provided in text boxes. Finding the plants: The plants on this trail may be found by referring to the map and by looking for the plant nameplate. There is also a photo match of the plant to ensure you are in the right place.
Section 1 Rainforests (Bicentennial Conservatory) Introduction The plants in the Conservatory mainly come from Australia, South East Asia and the nearby Pacific Islands. Starting at the northern entrance take the lower path and ask students to observe both the 'weather' and the plants as you wander to the other end. Please note the Bicentennial Conservatory is no longer an example of a tropical rainforest, although it does mimic those conditions in the warmer months. It is in the main more representative of a temperate rainforest. The evolutionary stimuli are still the same Too much water and not enough sun. Conditions in the Conservatory The southern end of the Conservatory is a good spot to sit the students down and discuss the environment of the rainforest as mimicked by the Conservatory conditions. Students should note the warm temperatures in summer, high humidity (more than 70%), wet soil, no wind and reduced sunlight. Within the rainforest proper there is little variation of these conditions hence the need for a Conservatory to grow rainforest plants in Adelaide s drier temperate climate. Plants of the Rainforest On their activity page students will record observations regarding five plants located in different parts of the Conservatory. They will make observations regarding: LEAF SIZE DRIP TIP COLOUR STEM COLOUR Are the leaves large or small in general? Does the leaf come to a point in one or more places? Is the leaf dark green or light green? Are the stems green? The various observations the students will make concern the problem plants face of too much water and too little sunlight on the rainforest floor. The two groups of plants looked at on this trail have very different structures that enable them to survive equally well in their two very different environments. LARGE LEAVES DRIP TIP COLOUR STEM COLOUR The larger the leaf, the greater the surface area for light absorption. The tip at the end of the leaf drains water from the plant. Less water on the leaf reduces the growth of moulds, lichens and mosses on the surface of the leaf. This extends the life of leaves. (NB the water resistant nature of the Alocasia) There is little sunlight at the bottom of the rainforest. The dark green colour of the leaves increases their capacity to absorb sunlight. (In dense rainforests like the Amazon only about 5% of sunlight reaches the forest floor which means very little other than fungi grows there) Green stems increases the amount of sunlight the plant can capture. This leads to an increase in food production.
Map 1 Bicentennial Conservatory - Rainforest
1. Molineria capitulate (weevil lily) 2.Alocasia macrorrhiza (elephant ears) 3.Pandanus oblatus 4.Piper novae hollandie 5. Epipremnum pinnatum 6.Licuala speciosa (fan palm)
Students are asked to make observations about the conditions in the Bicentennial Conservatory. Student activities Circle the conditions that occur regularly in rainforests. Temperature cold warm hot Humidity dry medium moist Soil Moisture dry damp wet Wind nil light strong Sunlight nil reduced full Rainforest plants have the problem of too much / too little sunlight and too much / too little water.
Students are now asked to make observations about 6 plants in the conservatory. The object here is to look for patterns and common threads. Feature 1 2 3 4 5 6 Plants Molineria capitulata (weevil lily) Alocasia macrorrhiza (Elephant Ears) Pandanus oblatus Piper novaehollandie Epipremn un pinnatum Licuala Speciosa (Fanpalm) Large leaf yes / no yes / no yes / no yes / no yes / no yes / no Drip tip yes / no yes / no yes / no Yes / no yes / no yes / no Colour light / dark light / dark light / dark light / dark light / dark light / dark Stem colour green / brown green / brown green / brown green / brown green / brown green / brown Then sketch some plant features to facilitate a closer look.
Sketch a leaf of the Fan Palm Sketch the roots of the Pandanus Draw the Flower of the Weevil Lily
Section 2 Desert Plants Conditions in the Cactus Garden Students are first asked to consider five aspects of the non-living environment. By circling the appropriate words students should be able to establish the general conditions under which these plants grow in the desert. As a rule deserts experience high temperatures, dry humidity, dry soil, light winds and full sun however all responses from the table occur at different times in the desert. Desert plants have to cope with a variable environment. Plants of the desert On this page students will record their observations of five desert plants. They will observe: LEAVES SPINES COLOUR GROOVES Does the plant have leaves or not? Does the plant have spines or not? Is the plant dark or light green in colour? Does the plant have grooves or not? These are long indentations which run lengthwise along the stem generally from the top of the plant to the ground. The various observations the students will make concern the problem plants face with the lack of water and high temperatures in the desert environment. LEAVES SPINES COLOUR GROOVES Leaves are absent on the cactus plants. This reduces the loss of large amounts of water through pores in the leaves. Aloes store water in their thick, succulent leaves. (Some of the succulents in the Madagascan Palm House drop their leaves when the weather is hot or dry. Have a look and compare) Spines provide shade for the stem and reflect heat because of their lighter colours. In some cases cacti spines are able to condense dew into droplets. Compared with the plants surrounding the Cactus Garden, desert plants are light green in colour. This colouring reflects light and reduces life threatening, high temperatures that can occur in the desert. Grooves may assist the plant by strengthening stems, providing shade, channelling rainfall or dew onto the roots. They also allow for the expansion and contraction of the plant as it gains and loses water.
Students are asked to repeat the process of observing conditions in the desert section of the garden. Circle the conditions that occur regularly for these plants in deserts. Temperature cold warm hot Humidity dry medium moist Soil Moisture dry damp wet Wind nil light strong Sunlight nil reduced full Desert plants have the problem of too much / too little sunlight and too much / too little water. Observe key features of the Desert Plants Feature 1 2 3 4 5 Plant Echinocactus grusonii (Golden Ball) Opuntia drummondii Pilocereus cometes Neobuxbau mia polylopha Aloe lineata Leaf yes / no yes / no yes / no yes / no yes / no Spines yes / no yes / no yes / no yes / no yes / no Colour light / dark light / dark light / dark light / dark light / dark Grooves yes / no yes / no yes / no yes / no yes / no
1. Echinocactus grusonii (goldenball) 2. Opuntia drummondii 3. Pilocereus cometes 4. Neobuxbaumia polylopha 5. Aloe lineata
Plants in the Cactus Garden Palm House 4 3 2 5 4 3 2 Path 1 Path Map of the Desert Garden 1 (Your sketches will help you to observe the plants at a closer level) Draw an Aloe leaf Draw a Tall Thin Cactus Draw one spine of the Golden Ball Cactus