Botany STEM Challenge

LESSON OVERVIEW

Perfect for Earth Day! Incorporate the engineering design process into your classroom or afterschool program with this extensive Botany STEM Challenge! Students put on their scientist caps to create window greenhouses and observe plant growth. Then they use the engineering design process to build a plant transportation device to safely carry their saplings home! This challenge also highlights Katherine Esau, a pioneer in Botany. History, science, engineering, and math-- it is all included along with teacher instructions and student handouts. 

This hands-on activity includes a design challenge that allows students to work in teams, apply the engineering design process, and connect math topics to real-world applications. As a student-driven assignment, the purpose of the teacher is to act as a facilitator. You will provide the structure to the project, but students will take an active role in designing and building a plant transportation device to hold a plant that is watered. Our students have loved this activity, and we know yours will too!

This packet includes:

• Detailed teachers guide with links to resources

• Printable window greenhouse with instructions

• Plant anatomy handouts

• Student handouts to guide them through the engineering design process

• Student recording sheets for each step of the process

• Math connection problems including graphing, ratios, measurements, perimeter, area, and volume (applicable sheets in both SI and metric units).

Materials:

Botany Greenhouse STEM Activity

• Sandwich size ziploc baggie

• 2 cotton balls

• 2 pinto beans (presoaked) 

Transport Device STEM Challenge

Construction Materials

• Craft sticks

• Straws 

• Rubber bands 

• Pipe Cleaners

• Copy paper

• Wax paper

• Foil

• Paper tubes

• Paper plates

• Scissors

• Masking Tape

• Ruler

Testing Supplies

• Biodegradable seed starter pot 

• Rice

• Measuring cup and water

• Gallon size plastic baggie

• Bucket to dump water