Unit 1: Plants in Your Life.(science)(Brief Article)

Background Information

Plants can be used for much more than making fabric. Scientists, studying chimpanzees in Africa, have learned that chimps eat certain plants when they are sick. Scientists watched a very sick female drag herself over to a bush that is seldom eaten by chimps. She chewed on its bitter leaves and later seemed better. Other chimps walked as long as 20 minutes to find special plants. Once these plants were found, the chimps gulped the leaves whole, wrinkling their noses just as people do when taking medicine that tastes awful. As scientists studied the plants chimps eat, they found that one kind of leaf shrinks growths and a commonly used root cures infections. These plants may someday be used to help people.

 
                     Unit Concepts: Students learn 
                      that blue jeans are made from 
                      cotton, many products are made 
                      from the cotton plant, plants 
                      can be used as dyes, and cotton 
                      absorbs moisture. 
 
                     The activities listed below 
                      suggest ways of presenting and 
                      enriching the content and skills 
                      in Unit 1. The activities 
                      correspond to days 1 through 5 on 
                      the page 2 calendar matrix. 
 
                     BLUE JEANS CELEBRATE A BIRTHDAY! 
 
                     Have students read and discuss 
                      page 2. Have magnifying glasses 
                      available for students to use to 
                      look at denim and other fabric. 
                      Provide all students with cotton 
                      balls for the experiment on page 
                      3. Have extra cotton balls 
                      available. 
Oral Report          Enrichment. Invite students who 
                      successfully spun cotton thread 
                      demonstrate and explain their 
                      technique and help other students. 
                      Invite all to try several times. 
Experimenting        Enrichment. Have a variety of 
                      fibers available for students to 
                      use to strengthen threads. 
 
                     THE STORY OF WEAVING 
 
                     Have student read and discuss 
                      pages 4 and 5. Provide each 
                      student with materials for 
                      weaving. Provide sufficient time 
                      for them to experiment. 
Bulletin Board       Enrichment. Have swatches of a 
                      variety of cottons available for 
                      students to touch and classify in 
                      various ways, such as softest, 
                      smoothest, thickest, finest. Help  ...