Experiment Ideas: Plant Pigments Link (USA to Japan to USA again...)

An excellent way to learn science is by being a scientist as you learn. That means participating in the process of science. People are moving away from the idea of "scientific method" because (to some) the idea didn't convey well enough that the method consists of several processes and that these processes are exciting. Whatever skills you have, the process of science can use them...art, music, attention to detail, observation, writing, perseverance, ...many, many skills lead to well done science. The idea is to try some experiments. Plant pigments provide an opportunity for such investigation.

I clicked on the link in the left hand column for the Japanese-based Society for Practical Education in Biology (http://www004.upp.so-net.ne.jp/jissen/english.htm), which you can find on this blog, and landed here: http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/glossary/gloss3/pigments.html back in the USA at Berkeley. That activity is what led to this exercise in the study of plant pigments. The internet can be an aid to your research, but, you still need to think deeply about what you find. For example, the Berkeley site gives a lot of information and is a great starting place. Let's see what you can do to become a self-directed learner from there. Pick out ways of learning that support your developing an interest in your studies. As you learn, step up to higher order thinking, which will keep you motivated and interested. Use your talents. For example, if you are a theater buff, use the plant pigments to suggest colorful costumes, or, create a play about plant pigments. A math whiz? What do wave lengths of light have to do with the pigments. Maybe you just love science labs. How could you extract the plant pigments? Could you use them for another chemical process? Art? Help convey the results you get in a beautiful way. Let's get started.

Take a look at the information on plant pigments and see what questions come to mind. What experiments does it make you think about? Post a comment if you have any questions.

Much of the information is definitions. Can you describe the words? Do you recall them when you close your eyes? Could you label chemical structures of the pigments with the right name? Great. These are Knowledge-based skills...Skills of remembering. You might also gather information you didn't know before:

The development of the most brilliant red coloring of
 autumn is commonly ascribed to the action of frost.
This explanation is probably incorrect, for careful
observation indicates that the color is most intense
when a moderately low temperature is accompanied by
bright sunshine. In warm, cloudy autumns the colors
are more likely to be dull, with the yellows predominant.
In other seasons, when cold weather is delayed, autumn
coloration may be brilliant and near its climax before
the first frost occurs.  That sunlight is important in
the development of the red pigment in many plants may
be shown also by an examination of a leaf that has been
closely shaded by another. The pigment stops so abruptly
where the shade begins that a perfect print of the upper-
most leaf results. An abundance of nitrogen in the soil
prevents anthocyan[an] formation in some plants. This
fact may explain in part the greater brilliancy of colors
seen on hillsides and river bluffs than on adjoining
floodplains.
Source: GENERAL BOTANY: NEW-WORLD SCIENCE SERIES
Edited by John W. Ritchie http://www.archive.org/stream/
generalbotanyint00tran/generalbotanyint00tran_djvu.txt
Accessed 10-29-08  See also:  http://www.archive.org/
details/generalbotanyint00tran

Can you paraphrase the definitions? (The word paraphrase means to say, or write the information in your own words.) Paraphrasing shows comprehension or understanding. Other skills that show comprehension or understanding include: matching, giving examples, interpreting, summarizing, classifying, illustrating and explaining. Inferring, rewriting, and distinguishing are other ways of thinking about plant pigments that show comprehension. Can you organize information that you read so you can remember it?

Application (Applying) is another step up the thinking skills ladder. If you are using the HOT Skills Wheel TM, you can see that you've moved to another section. When you can apply the knowledge that you've learned, you can dramatize it, use it, solve with it, and, produce with it, for example.

Analysis is another form of higher order thinking that you can apply to your study of plant pigments. Compare, analyze, distinguish, infer, analyze, classify, differentiate, point out, subdivide, survey. Think more deeply! What can you infer from the colors of leaves and fruits? Can you differentiate among different plant pigments? How? (Add your own questions and responses. Keep track in your lab book or journal.).

Synthesis, or "creating" includes verbs like: compose, design, produce, organize, originate, combine, plan, hypothesize, role play, create, develop, construct, invent. Can you make a hypothesis and design an experiment to test out your ideas on plant pigments? If so, you are thinking well. Congratulate yourself. If not, learn by doing: try to create a hypothesis to test and then, after checking with an adult and having supervision, do the experiment. You need to check for safety reasons and for budget. Just like real scientists (which you are), you will have safety, space and budget constraints. But don't worry, you can come up with other ideas that fit the constraints and challenges you run in to. Meeting such challenges makes science fun.

Analyze your data and then, evaluate it. Judge whether your experimental design was good as you did it, or , if you would like to modify and repeat your experiment. Do your experimental results support community policies? Can you summarize your experiment into an abstract? Have you considered various ways of looking at the data you collected? Did you critique your own experimental design and experiment? Evaluation is a type of higher order thinking. Again, congratulations.

As you reflect on plant pigments, go back and re-use any of the higher order thinking skills. Use these skills again, as needed to achieve your goals.

Try communicating with other scientists, such as Philipp Simon, or, me, about your questions. You can find some results of Philipp Simon's experiments at: http://www.hort.wisc.edu/usdavcru/simon/publications/97hort0012.html

Try out the Berkeley link. Do some experiments and then publish the results here or in a journal. Let us know where you have published.
Good luck, good science, and, great thinking!

Additional reading:
Aluminum/aluminium and plant pigments
Autumn leaves and pigments
Blueberry pigments used to make solar panels

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0968-0004(01)02034-5
(c) 2008 J. S. Shipman

The Science of Groundhogs...

Groundhog day is celebrated in the United States on February 2nd each year. The myth that goes with it is that if the groundhog comes out and sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter weather. "In the United States the tradition derives from a Scottish poem:

As the light grows longer

The cold grows stronger

If Candlemas be fair and bright

Winter will have another flight

If Candlemas be cloud and snow

Winter will be gone and not come again

A farmer should on Candlemas day

Have half his corn and half his hay

On Candlemas day if thorns hang a drop

You can be sure of a good pea crop"

(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundhog_day#Historical_Origins. Accessed February 2, 2008)

But what about the science of groundhogs? Here's a link from the Universityof Michigan Museum of Zoology. You can learn about classification, Marmots, see pictures and learn other names for ground hogs. One starts with, "W." One starts with, "M." You can learn about diet and distribution of groudhogs and about their habits. If you go outside, you might see a groundhog today. You can observe it and make your own prediction about winter.

Do groundhogs have importance? You bet they do! http://mdc.mo.gov/nathis/mammals/woodchuck/ is another site about groundhogs and offers a different perspective and some drawings. You might try doing some of your own drawings from your own observations. Or, in todays digital age, you might take some digital pictures. If you are in the United States, you might share your findings with a pen-pal (pen-friend) or e-mail pal overseas.

A third link on groundhogs is from the Smithsonian Institution, http://www.mnh.si.edu/mna/image_info.cfm?species_id=146 gives another name for a groundhog: "whistle pig." Can you whistle like a groundhog? What happens if a groundhog whistles and you whistle back?

Did you know a groundhog is a vegetarian? Perhaps you can eat a vegetarian meal today as part of your traditions of groundhog day. You can discuss vegetarian diets and also talk about groundhogs. Enjoy the day. It may snow tomorrow! (Of course, you can enjoy snow, too, but, it is nice to think about spring!)

(c)2008 J. S. Shipman.

Sometimes it is fun to start science with a story.

The Tortoise and the Hares run from Sydney to Melbourne
ia a story you will treasure.

Now, let's link it to science and use it as an example of how you could develop a science fair project.

The story has a literature side and a sports side. You might be a literary or sports fan, but, you have to do science. How can you use your interests to your benefit? Can you think of some possible ways?

Does the story help you think up a "do-able" experiment?

Here are some hints:
control vs experimental
rules for animal experiments
physiology
turtles
tortoises
speed of different animals
data
repeatability
aerobic exercise and blood oxygen content
blood oxygen in people of all ages
sports medicine
exercise and health
when being slow wins, health=wise
results
drawings, photos, charts
...
Add your own brainstorm and then write an experimental design. Post any questions.

(c)2008 J. S. Shipman. All rights reserved

Recreation and Stress Reduction over the Holidays

Stress sometimes builds up with exams and holiday shopping coming before the holidays and financial woes afterward, however, there are ways to reduce stress. And, remember, holidays are not about spending away too much money, rather, they are about having fun with your friends and family and celebrating values you share, religious or otherwise.

Recreation is an important part of holiday time, too. One aunt may take the children for paintball or spyder vs3 while another bakes cookies with the smaller children. The main point is to get along and have fun, and...relax. Relaxation helps to reduce stress: http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/relaxation-technique/

So, go for paintball (Ultimate Paintball: Tippmann, Spyder, Smart Parts, Dye, Empire, Draxxus paintball gear Tippmann A-5, Tippmann 98 Custom, Smart Parts Ion, Spyder Pilot ACS plus many more brands- See http://www.pntball.com for Ultimate Paintball: best prices with free shipping.) or go make cookies...or, read a book, or sit down and talk with Mom and Dad. What ever you do, have fun and keep your stress to a minimum.

###

Edits-Jan 2, 2008:

There appears to be a lot of interest in this particular post so I have taken the liberty of adding more stress reducing sites:
http://www.coping.org/growth/stress.htm
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~acskills/success/stress.html
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/stress.html

Sailing, sailing...Darwin Sets Sail on HMS Beagle (1831)

Have you seen the Beagle?
Click this link and find a photo of a painting of the HMS Beagle, by Owen Stanley.

Can you imagine sailing on a ship like the HMS Beagle in 1831? You would know the waves! It is hard for me to imagine what it must have been like, however, I like to think about it from time to time. Jotting down ideas helps stretch my thinking.

You might try that mental stretch, too. Write a few lines about what you think it would have been like to sail on a ship like the HMS Beagle in 1831. Can ypou hear the sound of the waves? What do you see?

-----
Edited on 12-27=2009:
I came across this link and thought some readers might like to have access to it. It cites several sources on Darwin and his voyages.
http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Charles+Darwin

Are you an inventor?

If you are an inventor, or want to become one, recordkeeping is important. Check out this website on logbooks for inventors:

http://inventors.about.com/cs/logbook/ht/Log_book.htm

From Tesselation and Fractals to Stretch Reading in Science

Here's a playful way to learn some advanced math that applies to science. Enjoy! http://wchow.home.znet.com/koch.htm

Here's a link to a pineapple fractal...Fractals are found in nature. This link goes to a photo taken by Dr. Ron Hurov who works in the botany of commercial pineapple production. http://www.geocities.com/wenjin92014/botany/pineapple.htm

One of Ron Hurov's papers is at this link. You can try reading scholarly works in botany and other fields as part of "stretch reading."

"Stretch Reading," invented by Dr. J, is needed in the sciences where vocabulary words are developed every day as we discover new things. First, just skim the paper and look at the graphs and pictures. Then, circle any words (on a photocopy) or list words in your notebook that you don't know. Now, just try to get the gist of the article in one sentence. This might be as simple as, "The article is about pineapples, whatever they are." As you look at more and more articles, you will find yourself more able to understand them. Do not worry about understanding when you first start. Even medical doctors and PhDs need to learn new words and especially if they switch their area of reading a bit. For example a biopsychologist may have to learn new jargon to read electrophysiology papers. So don't worry, even if every other word is one you don't know. You are getting yourself comfortable with the unknown. You are stretch reading. (More on that later.) When there is something that interests you enough, I have no doubt you will attack it to the point you understand it. And, you won't be afraid to tackle it. You might also like: Reading Science.

(c)2007 J. S. Shipman

Winter Quiz Bowl

http://www.caquizbowl.com/

Winter Quiz Bowl

http://www.caquizbowl.com/

Convection, Conduction, and, Radiation

Today, a student asked me a question about conduction, convection and radiation: "I am always confused between the difference of conduction, convection and radiation. What is being used in pouring hot water from a thermos?"

Students will often ask things that are assigned as homework. This might have been a homework question, or, it might have been genuine curiosity. I am always glad when students are curious.

I've taken the liberty of discussing the topic here because it is a topic on many state standards.

For these types of questions, try to guide a student in finding an answer. In this way, he or she is likely to remember the content learned. Here is a sample set of guiding questions and activities. I have also included some movies. Your students might be able to make movies that are more exciting and helpful to them. Review the "Botany Beat" or Tomato movies for some ideas. Here is one student's movie:




First, have you defined all the words? (You can use the dictionary links at the bottom of the page. Be sure to note down the date and the source you used.)

Conduction is ________________________________________________________
Here is a simulation on conduction:


And, here is an animation about conduction:



Convection is ________________________________________________________

Here is a movie on convection currents:


What do hot and cold have to do with convection?


Here's another convection movie showing some experiments and relating them to every day life.





Radiation is ________________________________________________________

Here is an animation on radiation and convection:


If you have trouble remembering them, try writing the definitions three or four times , or, try drawing a picture or writing a song about each one.

Also, try discussing these ideas with your friends or where you get snacks after school or with a mentor or adult in your family or community. These things can help you to remember them.



Did you brainstorm about them?



Do you have a thermos? If you don't have one, try to borrow one, otherwise, the question will be hard to answer.



If you put hot water in a thermos, can you feel the heat outside the thermos when you hold it?



What about if you put your hand over the thermos, can you feel heat, even when you are not touching anything?



What if you compare putting a plastic spoon into the hot water with putting a silver spoon into the hot water. What happens?



Think of things you know, for example:

The sun rays radiate.

The convection oven has heat rise and fall in circles.

A copper wire conducts electricity.

Now, think again about the question. When you pour hot water from a thermos, do you feel heat without touching it?



Does some heat stay in some matter, yet move?



Does some heat transfer from the hot water to the bowl or sink you are pouring it into?



Now that you have thought about all these things, and tried some of them, I think you can be confident of the answer that you develop. Be sure to back up the answer with why you picked it. You might speak, write and draw your answer, too. Let me know what you find out. Write back if you are still stuck. Dr. J

Related links:
http://home.howstuffworks.com/thermos1.htm

http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/phy99/phy99x81.htm

http://www.sciencebuddies.org/mentoring/project_ideas/Phys_p032.shtml

http://www.comsol.com/showroom/gallery/1448.php

Update... 2009
rockytop.adams12.org/growlercore/documents/Weather_notes.ppt
http://www.accidentalscientist.com/2009/08/conduction-convection-and-radiation-and.html
(c)2007, 2008, 2009 J. S. Shipman

TGA Ter [end]

What does the genetic code have in common with your phone number? Well, the title of this blog post might give you an idea. Say your phone number was 617-000-0000 (fake number). If you put an extra number, say 2, for example, into your phone number, what would happen?

Examples:
261-700-00000 Wrong number
621-700-00000 Wrong number
612-700-00000 Wrong number
617-200-00000 Wrong number
617-020-00000 Wrong number
617-002-00000 Wrong number
617-000-20000 Wrong number
617-000-02000 Wrong number
617-000-00200 Wrong number
617-000-00020 Wrong number
617-000-00002 Connection

Out of all the possible numbers resulting from adding an extra, "2," only one results in a connection to you.

A simplification of the genetic code can help you understand what happens or can happen, when the code is disrupted. Think about this for a while. I'll come back and add some more. Remember to use the title for a clue: TGA Ter [end].

(c)2007 J. S. Shipman. All rights reserved.

Teeter-totter your way into math...

Algebra can be fun! Click on this link and see. Such math skills help you learn science, too. (Once you read the directions, hit the close button and you will see the teeter-totter in full.)

Plant Kinematics....More on Plant Movement

One of the characteristics of living things is response to environment. Usually we think of plants as fairly quiet in terms of moving, when compared to animals. Check out the plant kinematics sites and the Kew Gardens video to review plant movement.

Can you speculate or guess why plants move? Make a list of all the posibilities. Can you imagine ways to test the possibilities? Draw a picture to show how you could test your ideas. Discuss the ideas with your family.

Now, think about your thinking. What kinds of "cognitive" or thinking processes did you use?

Recent Visitors include people from:

			Thank you and welcome. (Note: Countries are posted in order of numbers of visitors to date.) 12-7-07: United States United Kingdom Brazil Flag not available Japan Canada Morocco Belgium Germany India Iran, Islamic Republic Of Australia Spain Switzerland Singapore 12-6-07:
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Draw your science:

Here are winning pictures and an invitation to draw your nature trail.

Did you pick cabbage?

In a previous post, What can you learn from one plant?, you might have picked a plant to study. If you picked cabbage, here are some links of interest.

Here's a line drawing

Here's a link to Cabbage Chemistry

.

Interested in Plant Activities? Try TickleMe Plants™

Here is a message and a suggested activity from Mark and Larry Chipkin.
Ever grow a Plant that Moves when You TICKLE it?

“Daddy come quick my plant just moved when I tickled it” my daughter Rebecca screams from her bedroom. You can imagine the excitement in my house. My daughter Rebecca and I have successfully grown aTickleMe Plants™ that close their leaves and lower their branches when we tickle them. With proper care they can even produce pink puff ball flowers

Here is all you have to do
to grow your own TickleMe Plant™!

Materials:

• TickleMe Plant™ Seeds
• Flower pot or cup with hole on the bottom
• Soil

Directions:

1. The day before you plant your seeds, soak them in warm water overnight.
2. Fill a flower pot or cup ¾ of the way with soil.
3. Plant three to five seeds by covering them with 1/8 inch of soil.
4. Water your seeds gently.
5. Place your newly planted seeds in a room that receives bright light or sunlight for part of the day.
6. Temperatures in the room should be above 70 degrees.
7. Water before the soil dries out.
8. That’s it! Your plants will begin to grow in less than a week.

The first two leaves will not be ticklish. In about three weeks, the second set of TickleMe Plant™ leaves will appear and they will move when you tickle them. TickleMe Plants™ are best grown as house plants and can even be placed in a bright location outside during the warmer months. They are frost sensitive, so be sure to bring them inside before the cold weather arrives. They produce pink puff ball flowers.

TickleMe Plants™ can live for a year or more and grow to about one foot plus in height.

What is a TickleMe Plant? Native to Brazil, TickleMe Plants™ can be found growing wild there and in other tropical areas. The scientific name for the TickleMe Plant™ is Mimosa pudica. It also has been called shy grass, sensitive plant and other names throughout the world.

To learn about the natural history of the TickleMe Plant™ go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensitive_plant

Don’t be surprised if you find yourself and your children more sensitive to plants. To learn more about growing TickleMe Plants™ or to order seeds go to www.TickleMePlant.com Seed packets sell for $4.95. Complete growing kits and TickleMe Plant greenhouses make great gifts too. TickleMe Plants also can be found at many science museums such as: Boston, Chicago, The Exploratorium(California) and The Liberty Science Center (New Jersey).

Larry Chipkin Co-Owner of the TickleMe Plant™ Company. He and his daughter Rebecca love their TickleMe Plants. He wants every child to have a positive experience growing this amazing plant! Contact Larry@ticklemeplant.com for any information 845-350-4800.

What can you learn from one plant?

Pick one plant, say potatoes, or chicory, or a tulip...or, any plant you like. What can you learn from that plant? Many subjects overlap with botany.

The selected plant: _______________________________________________________

Writing: Can you write an essay or a paper about your plant. Be sure to cite sources. Can you write a poem about your plant?

Art: Can you draw your plant? What colors are found in your plant? Is paper made from your plant?

History: Did the plant have an effect on human history? Does the plant have its own story?

Math? What is the growth rate of the plant? How big are the seeds? How big are the leaves? What is the range of sizes for leaves?

Classification and organization? How would you classify this plant? What characteristics would you use? How do other scientists classify it?

Geography: Where is the plant found in nature?

Biology: What lights affect the plant? Reds? Greens? Blues? White? Does day length affect the plant? What is the life cycle of the plant?

Chemistry: What chemicals are found in the plant? Does pH affect the plants growth? Does salt?

Music: Is the plant used to make musical instruments? Can you write a song or a symphony about your plant? Can you do a spring concert based on songs your class wrote about flowers?

(c) 2007 J S Shipman.

Cool: You go to MIT!

Build up your math, science and engineering skills!!!

http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/home/home/index.htm

Botany/Geography/Research: Highlighting Zaidi!

Mudassir Asrar Zaidi is a botanist in Pakistan. Can you find Pakistan on a map? Click on her name and read about her research.

• Zaidi has written a book entitled, Fresh water algae from Balochistan, and has organized more than 40 seminars/workshops on biodiversity and plant sciences in Quetta.
• Zaidi has received three of the world’s most prestigious research fellowships: Fulbright, Commonwealth and Alexander von Humboldt.
  
• As a Fulbright Post Doctorate, Zaidi worked with Dr. Sidney Crow at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia.
  
• At the University of London, the Commonwealth fellowship enabled Dr. Zaidi to work with Dr. Simon Gibbons in the School of Pharmacy.
  
• In London, Dr. Zaidi was also honored and elected as a fellow of Linnaean Society of London (FLS).
  
• Dr. Zaidi studied indigenous medicinal plants of Pakistan. These plants hold great potential of holding a cure for various diseases.
  

Dr. Zaidi says, "In my research on medicinal plants, I examine the bioactive plant extracts and purify, isolate and identify the biologically active compounds." Botanists like Zaidi help find new medicines to cure diseases. She has published her research results. Do you know how to use Google Scholar to find her papers?