Food storage in plants

Food storage in plants

Pencil and paper
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
How to do this task:

  • Drawn below are four different ways plants store food to help them survive during the winter.
  • Cut out these diagrams.

a)
 
 
b)
Place each example you have been given next to the picture of the type of plant storage organ this example is.
Look at an example of a tap root and a tuber.
 
Apart from size, describe the main differences between them.

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Task administration: 
[Equipment: Examples per student/student group as follows: potato, onion, carrot, daffodil, tulip, taro, radish, gladioli, kumara, parsnip; scissors.]

  • Examples are in the form of bulbs, corms, tubers, etc., and examples available depends on the time of year.
  • Part b) can be completed after part a) has been checked.
This task can be completed with pencil and paper.
Copyright: 
NZCER sketch
Level:
4
Curriculum info: 
Science, Investigating in science, Living World
Keywords: 
Life processes, plants, plant parts, storage organs
Description of task: 
For this practical task students are provided with four types of plant storage organs. They classify examples as one of these types of food storage organ. Students also look at the tap root and a tuber and describe the main differences between them.
Curriculum Links: 
Science capabilities
The capabilities focus is brought about by the conversations you have and the questions you ask.
 
Capability: Gather and interpret data
This resource provides opportunities to discuss looking very carefully, and noticing lots of things that help us describe how things are similar and different.
 

 
Science capabilities: 
Gather and interpret data
Making Better Sense: 
Flower Parts
Answers/responses: 
 

a)

Tap root – carrot, radish, parsnip
Corm – gladioli
Bulb – onion, daffodil, tulip
Tuber – potato, taro, kumara

b)

Any 2 of: 

  • The tuber can have buds or 'eyes'.
  • Tubers develop from adventitious/side roots (i.e., not taproot).
  • Taproots develop from the main root.
  • Taproots grow downward.
  • There are usually a number of tubers on each plant. Taproots usually only have one per plant.
  • Other acceptable answers.