As a high school or undergraduate Biological Sciences teacher, you can use this set of computer-based tools in teaching about plant physiology, abiotic stress in plants, climate related stress factors and their influence on plant growth and development.
This lesson plan discusses abiotic stress in plants and their effect on plant physiology. Students will learn about plant stress responses like acclimation and adaptation to environmental changes due to climate change. Thus, the use of this lesson plan allows you to integrate the teaching of a climate science topic with a core topic in Biological Sciences.
Teacher-contributed lesson plan by Dr Neeti Mehla and Dr Aditi Kothari Chhajer, Sri Venkateswara College (University of Delhi), India
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Here is a step-by-step guide to using this lesson plan in the classroom/laboratory. We have suggested these steps as a possible plan of action. You may customize the lesson plan according to your preferences and requirements.
Use this video micro-lecture titled “How is it raining plastic?” developed by the American Chemical Society to introduce the topic of plastic rain. It can also be used to explain the main sources/causes of plastic rain, introduction to microplastics, the contribution of airborne microplastics to climate change, and possible impacts of microplastics on human health and the environment.
Next, use the reading titled “The fundamental links between climate change and marine plastic pollution”, by Ford et al. published in Science of The Total Environment, to describe how plastic contributes to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions throughout its life cycle. It also discusses how an increase in the number of extreme weather events, as a result of climate change, will worsen the spread of plastic in the natural environment. The reading will help students understand the impacts of plastic pollution on marine ecosystems.
Use the classroom/laboratory activity created by earthday.org to calculate and assess the students’ contribution in plastic pollution. In order to manage our plastic pollution, we need to measure it and this can be done using the calculator created. This calculator enables individuals to track their daily and yearly consumption of single-use plastics and also helps to explore ways to reduce it. This activity can also be used to provide alternatives to single-use plastic and take part in local clean-up actions to reduce plastic footprint.
Use this lesson plan to help your students find answers to:
Here is a step-by-step guide to using this lesson plan in the classroom/laboratory. We have suggested these steps as a possible plan of action. You may customize the lesson plan according to your preferences and requirements.
Video lecture (~27 min)
Use this video lecture, “BIOPL3420 – Plant Physiology – Lecture 28: Plant Stress Responses”, by Associate Prof. Thomas Owens, Cornell University,to explain what plant stress is and to define abiotic stressors as the external factors that affect plant physiology. Then, list the factors that may affect plant growth and development by perturbing its physiology. Further, discuss the types of responses shown by plants due to changes in their environment like immediate responses, acclimation and adaptation. Use this tool to explain phenotypic plasticity in plants that enable them to extend their range or region of optimal growth. Finally, use the lecture to distinguish short term phenotypic plasticity from evolutionary adaptations exhibited by these plants in response to long term environmental changes.
Note: Following this introduction, teachers can choose to use either one or both of the following tools to discuss plant responses to abiotic stresses due to climate change related factors.
Laboratory activity (~105 min)
Use this laboratory activity, “Changing Planet: Withering Plants- Stressing Over Lost Water”, by Missy Holzer, Jennifer Bergman and Roberta Johnson of the NESTA/Windows to the Universe team, to enable students to explore the role of stomata in plants in regulating leaf temperature and controlling water loss from leaves under different environmental conditions. This includes a complete laboratory activity plan with background information in the form of a reading and links to other relevant readings and videos. A materials list and a link to download student worksheets is also provided.
Follow the directions, as mentioned in the laboratory activity plan. This will firstly, enable students to gain background information- through a reading and a short video- about the climate related factors like high temperatures and low water availability due to changing precipitation patterns, that can affect plants. Then, the students will prepare slides and microscopically observe the stomata in leaves and study their differences in plants grown in diverse conditions of temperature and water availability. Students can use the data from their observations to represent and compare the distribution of stomata using graphs, in different plants of the same species but grown under varying environmental conditions. Finally, discuss other plant physiological parameters that may be affected by climate related factors.
Video lecture (~18 min)
Use the video lecture, “Lecture 4c- Vegetation Response to Climate Change”, by Dr Lawrence Venable, University of Arizona, to summarise plant responses to climate change by discussing their impacts on native vegetation in Arizona. Reinforce student understanding about observed climate factors that could affect vegetation growth such as increased CO2 levels, higher global temperatures and changing precipitation patterns.
Then, emphasise how plants respond to such environmental perturbations in the short and long term by showing phenotypic plasticity, acclimation and adaptation. Encourage a discussion on how these climatic factors nudge vegetation growth in other regions than where previously found and therefore, cause a ‘range shift’. Finally, discuss how climate change can cause changes in phenology and affect percentages of different species in a population by influencing plant growth and development.
Use this lesson plan to help your students find answers to:
| 1 | Laboratory Activity (7-9 weeks) | This long duration laboratory activity, “Activity 7: Effect of Environment on Plant Growth”, by the American Phytopathological Society (APS) will enable students to demonstrate the effect of environmental changes on the growth and development of some landscape and crop grasses.
This can be accessed here. |
| 2 | Video lecture (~53 min) | This lecture, “01: Introduction to stress physiology of plants”, by Dr Nadine Rühr, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany, can be used as an alternative to introduce the topic of plant stress physiology.
This can be accessed here |
| 1 | Video lecture; “BIOPL3420 – Plant Physiology – Lecture 28: Plant Stress Responses” | Lecture by Associate Professor Thomas Owens, Cornell University and developed by The Science Media Production Centre at Cornell. |
| 2 | Laboratory Activity; “Changing Planet: Withering Plants- Stressing Over Lost Water” | Developed by Missy Holzer, Jennifer Bergman and Roberta Johnson of the NESTA/Windows to the Universe team. |
| 3 | Video lecture; “Lecture 4c- Vegetation Response to Climate Change” | A Coursera lecture by Dr Lawrence Venable, University of Arizona. |
| 4 | Additional Resources | American Phytopathological Society (APS) Dr Nadine Rühr, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT WEBCAST) |
