This page provides an overview and details about the Wisconsin Fast Plants ProgramĺŐs Digital Library, a portal for browsing, searching, and cataloging resources.
In this inquiry activity students work in groups to investigate allelopathy via research, using the scientific method to plan and carry out an experiment, and creating a formal written report and oral presentation.
Finding and eradicating invasive plants is a tough job that requires constant vigilance. County-scale maps that show where invasive plants are and where they have the potential to spread in the future are helping on-the-ground efforts to build the resilience of natural vegetation.
Wisconsin Fast Plants, rapid-cycling brassicas, are part of a large family of plants called crucifers (Latin = Cruciferae). This resource tells the story of Crucifers, which are easilydistinguished by the characteristic shape of their flowersĺŃfour petals in the shape of a cross or crucifix. A section, or genus, of the crucifer family is the genus Brassica.Brassicas have great economic and commercial value, and play a major role in feeding the world population. They range from nutritious vegetables, mustards and oil producing crops, to animal fodders and weeds.
How can the arts represent the change of seasons? Then watch as Japanese Shigeo Kawashima creates intricate geometric shapes from bamboo; Mali storyteller Yaya Coulibaly carves a marionette out of wood, Native American Keith Bear discusses how a tree branch becomes a flute, and listen to Andes manta recreate the South American rainforest with instruments made with natural materials.
This illustrated document describes the symbiotic relationship between bees and Brassica rapa (Fast Plants).
This experiment takes advantage of the ease of growth and short life cycle (seed to seed in 35 days) in Fast Plants--an organism suitable for many kinds of home and classroom scientific investigations.Fast Plants are particularly interesting because, like humans, they exhibit considerable variation in many observable characteristics. Fast Plantsхи are useful for experiments investigating the effects of environment (light, nutrition, etc.) on variation in growth, development and reproduction.
Instructional materials for experimenting to learn what will happen to your Fast Plant if you subject it to a 10% liquid detergent solution? Experiment to determine the effects of substances in the environment on living organisms.
This reference list has more than 30 kid-friendly books on biodiversity. For each title, the author, publisher, and publication date are given. The diverse list includes field guides for identifying plants and insects, hands-on nature experiments and activities, photographic looks at the world's diverse species, and handbooks with tips about collecting and preserving specimens.
This learning video introduces high school students to a topic they would not ordinarily study in school, biotechnology, and to different applications of biotechnology that relate to the main theme of the module - making the desert greener. After reviewing traditional methods used for manipulating plants to produce desired traits, students will learn about the methods of making transgenic plants. Dr. Ziad discusses a real world problem that is critical in his country, Jordan, where much of the land is desert. A prerequisite to this video lesson is some background in biology.
This learning video introduces high school students to a topic they would not ordinarily study in school, biotechnology, and to different applications of biotechnology that relate to the main theme of the module - making the desert greener. After reviewing traditional methods used for manipulating plants to produce desired traits, students will learn about the methods of making transgenic plants. Dr. Ziad discusses a real world problem that is critical in his country, Jordan, where much of the land is desert. A prerequisite to this video lesson is some background in biology.
This list of botanical gardens and arboretums includes links to Web sites which you can search for institutions in your region. In addition, it includes detailed information about 14 of the country's largest botanical gardens and arboretums. Where possible, it includes the following information for each: mailing address and phone number, Web site and email address, details about its grounds and collections, and the type of support offered, including educational materials, resource libraries, and classes/workshops.
In this course, you will learn the basics of plant biology. The student will begin with plant anatomy, learning the names and functions of all of the parts of a plant, then move on to plant physiology, where you will learn about photosynthesis, growth, and reproduction. Next, the student will study plant evolution according to the fossil record and examine the diversity of plant life in existence today and how that diversity impacts global ecology. Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to: identify and describe the functions of the different cells, tissues, and organs that make up a plant; describe the major life processes in plants (photosynthesis, respiration, transpiration, growth and development, and reproduction) at the tissue, organ, cellular, and molecular level; explain the history and evolution of plants on earth; discuss plant diversity and identify the major characteristics of plant phylogenetic divisions; explain how plants fit into the global ecological system and why they are essential for life on earth. (Biology 306)
The lessons in this issue of Smithsonian in Your Classroom introduce the work of botanists and botanical illustrators, specifically their race to make records of endangered plant species around the world. “Very little of the world’s flora has been fully studied,” says one Smithsonian botanist, “and time is running out.” In the first lesson, students gets to know six endangered plants. They examine illustrations, photographs, and dried specimens of the plants as they consider this question: If a scientist can take a picture of a plant, are there advantages in having an illustration? They go on to consider some of the big questions that botanists themselves must ask: Which of these species are most in need of conservation efforts? Are any of these plants more worth saving than others?In the second lesson, the students try their own hands at botanical illustration, following the methods of a Smithsonian staff illustrator. All that is required for the lesson are pencils, markers, tracing paper, and access to a photocopier.
In The Botany of Desire, Michael Pollan explores risks inherent in one of the most widespread practices in modern agriculture. It's called monoculture, and it refers to cultivation of single or very similar varieties of a food crop on large acreages. In many cases, the variety is one that dominates the marketplace, like the Russet Burbank potato, whose shape makes it a favorite for cutting French fries, or one of the few apple varieties commonly seen in supermarkets. Monoculture may offer economic advantages, but Pollan argues that it brings serious environmental risks.
This is a description sheet (with illustration) for the standard rapid cycling ideotype (RCI) or ideal form for the anthocyaninless, or non-purple stem phenotype. In the anthocyaninless line, a recessive gene blocks the expression of purple, red, or pink pigment, also selected for few or no hairs.Plants lack any purple anthocyanin pigment, anl, however the genetic background of the stock is for high expression of purple anthocyanin, Pan (7), a quantitative trait. None or very few hairs on any plant part, Hir(1), a quantitative trait. Most plants, >80%, are male fertile, MST2/- . A few are male sterile, mst2.
PDF containing seed stock profile information for and illustration of the F1 and F2 Non-Purple Stem, Yellow-Green Leaf variety of Brassica rapa (Fast Plants). This also includes some brief suggestions for their use as a model organism in teaching Mendelian genetics with a monohybrid cross using Wisconsin Fast Plants.
This is a description sheet (with illustration) for the standard rapid cycling ideotype (RCI) or ideal form for the purple stem phenotype. Traits include high expression of purple anthocyanin, Pan(8), throughout plant; particularly noticeable on the hypocotyl, stem, hydathodes and sepals. Anthocyanin expression is strongly enhanced by environmental factors, e.g. high light and nutrient stress. Intermediate and variable expression of hair on leaves and stems, Hir(3-6). Purple anthocyaninand hairiness exhibit quantitative inheritance.
PDF containing seed stock profile information for and illustration of the Rosette-Dwarf variety of Brassica rapa (Fast Plants). This also includes some brief suggestions for their use as a model organism in teaching.
The standard rapid cycling ideotype (RCI) or ideal form for the standard Brassica rapa phenotype. RCI phenotype is selected for uniformity in flowering time and plant form. Traits include: forty days seed to seed, 14 days sowing to flowering. Standard, RCI, is the common genetic background of most Rapid Cycling Brassica mutants.Published info:Williams, P.H. and C. Hill 1986. Rapid-Cycling Populations of Brassicas. Science 232, pp. 1385-89.