Unit 4: Plant Tropisms and Independent Inquiry

• LP 4.1: How to identify and define independent, dependent, and controlled variables in a scientific investigation.
• LP 4.2: How plants use hormones like auxin and ethylene to respond to environmental stimuli.
• LP 4.3: The mechanisms of specific tropisms: Phototropism (light), Gravitropism (gravity), Hydrotropism (water), and Thigmotropism (touch).
• LP 4.4: How to construct a scientific argument using the Claim, Evidence, Reasoning (CER) framework

• DCI: LS1.B Growth and Development of Organisms: Environmental conditions and genetic factors influence plant growth.
• SEP: Planning and Carrying Out Investigations; Asking Questions and Defining Problems; Engaging in Argument from Evidence: The core processes for student-led inquiry.
• CCC: Cause and Effect; Patterns; Stability and Change: Examining how stimuli (cause) results in growth adjustments (effect).

• 1.a. Ask Questions: Developing a testable question for a specific plant response.

• 2.a. Design Investigation: Planning a controlled experiment to test a tropism.

• 4.a. Demonstrate Patterns - Graphical: Representing experimental data via the Final Poster.

• 5.c. Use Evidence/Theory - Reasoning: Constructing a CER conclusion to explain experimental results.