We’ve learned a lot about plants throughout this series, but there’s much …
We’ve learned a lot about plants throughout this series, but there’s much more to discover. In this episode of Crash Course Botany, we’ll peek into the future of botany. We’ll consider current plant mysteries, bridges between Western science and traditional knowledge, and what it might take to garden on the moon.
Chapters: Our Plant Elders Plant Sensory Perception Plant Communication Plants in Space Ethnobotany Solving Global Problems with Plants Review & Credits Credits
"Botany in Hawai‘i" discusses introductory topics of Botany through examples of the …
"Botany in Hawai‘i" discusses introductory topics of Botany through examples of the native and introduced plants found in Hawai‘i. It includes anatomy and physiology of seeds, roots, leaves, stems, fruits and flowers and covers the main plant groups from nonvascular to flowering plants. This book provides a visual reference to botanical concepts and terminology for beginners.
Plants have got you surrounded. They’re in your toothpaste, your bedsheets, and …
Plants have got you surrounded. They’re in your toothpaste, your bedsheets, and your regular Taco Bell order. In this episode of Crash Course Botany, we’ll find out what botanists study and how knowledge of plants can help you navigate everyday life. Along the way, we’ll uncover plants’ pervasive, civilization-shaping power—and find that they have their own ways of communicating.
Chapters: Introduction: The World of Plant Drama What Is Botany? Plants Are Everywhere Agriculture Botanical Literacy Plant Awareness Disparity Review & Credits Credits
Botany, also called plant science(s), plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant …
Botany, also called plant science(s), plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field.
Botany, also called plant science(s), plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant …
Botany, also called plant science(s), plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field.
In The Botany of Desire, Michael Pollan explores risks inherent in one …
In The Botany of Desire, Michael Pollan explores risks inherent in one of the most widespread practices in modern agriculture. It's called monoculture, and it refers to cultivation of single or very similar varieties of a food crop on large acreages. In many cases, the variety is one that dominates the marketplace, like the Russet Burbank potato, whose shape makes it a favorite for cutting French fries, or one of the few apple varieties commonly seen in supermarkets. Monoculture may offer economic advantages, but Pollan argues that it brings serious environmental risks.
Botany generally refers to the study of plants, but other organisms are …
Botany generally refers to the study of plants, but other organisms are often included in the field such as photosynthetic bacteria, fungi, algae, and slime molds. Plants are multicellular organisms with complex, eukaryotic cells that contain cell walls, chloroplasts, and other cell structures that are absent in animal cells. They can be studied at many levels, ranging from the molecules that comprise them to cells and tissues to organs (flowers, leaves, roots, etc.) to organ systems (shoot system and roots systems). Each structure in the plant body is adapted to optimize its function, whether it be photosynthesis, support, nutrient absorption, transportation, or reproduction. Plant physiology explores the chemistry and physics of these functions, including how they respond to the environment, coordinate responses using hormones, gather energy and nutrients, and change throughout their life cycles. Plant ecology examines even larger scales, including plant populations and their roles in communities and ecosystems. Humans rely on plants for food, fiber, and medicines, and to provide clean air, erosion control, and other services. Unfortunately, human activities resulting in habitat loss, climate change, and pollution threaten plant biodiversity, but current and future conservation efforts slow the loss of biodiversity.
Since we live in an urban environment with many trees, shrubs, and …
Since we live in an urban environment with many trees, shrubs, and flower plantings this course is designed so that each student will always be able to walk down the street and have some familiarity with their environs. To that end, each student will learn to identify approximately 50-60 trees and shrubs and know them by their common name, scientific name and family, as well as some annuals and perennials commonly used as bedding plants. Students will learn some basic the botanical concepts, which are used in, plant identification, such as botanical structural features used in phylogeny and taxonomy of plants. In addition to this, students will get an overview of the ecological and economic aspects specific to urban botany.
Working in teams of four, students act as botanists and use non-fiction …
Working in teams of four, students act as botanists and use non-fiction on-line text to conduct Self Organized Learning System (SOLE) research to uncover the needs and life cycle of a plant for the school garden.
Assigning this Quiz gives a piece of knowledge about the important medicinal …
Assigning this Quiz gives a piece of knowledge about the important medicinal plants we use in our day to day life. Secondly, enrich knowledge about the usage of medicinal plants with their secondary metabolites having the ability to cure certain disease. Thirdly about knowing or identifying the name of the plants, its uses by viewing its image. Medicinal plants give us economic importance as well as make us to usage in daily life.
When you eat a salad for lunch, you’re digging into a giant …
When you eat a salad for lunch, you’re digging into a giant pile of plant organs. That’s right—plants are made up of organs, only theirs follow a totally different set of rules from our own. In this episode of Crash Course Botany, we’ll explore what it takes to build a plant, including roots, leaves, and stems, and how one little tomato went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
This resource is ready to teach early elementary level learners about the …
This resource is ready to teach early elementary level learners about the different types of leaves, comparing and contrasting, and sorting into various classifcations. All resources are attached or notated at the bottom!
Plants and trees may seem pretty passive, but behind the scenes, their …
Plants and trees may seem pretty passive, but behind the scenes, their cells are working hard to put on a magic show. In this episode of Crash Course Botany, we’ll explore how the processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration work, why they’re so critical for all life on Earth, and how they’re helping us to forge a greener path to the future.
Chapters: Plants' Magic Show Photosynthesis The Light-Dependent Reactions The Light-Independent Reactions Cellular Respiration Biofuels Review & Credits Credits
At first glance, plant and animal cells have a lot in common: …
At first glance, plant and animal cells have a lot in common: they’re both highly organized, keep their DNA tucked away in an envelope, and are kinda juicy inside. But plant cells have evolved some wild features that set them apart from animal cells. In this episode of Crash Course Botany, we’ll ask: are plants more than the sum of their cells?
The lessons in this issue of Smithsonian in Your Classroom introduce the …
The lessons in this issue of Smithsonian in Your Classroom introduce the work of botanists and botanical illustrators, specifically their race to make records of endangered plant species around the world. “Very little of the world’s flora has been fully studied,” says one Smithsonian botanist, “and time is running out.” In the first lesson, students gets to know six endangered plants. They examine illustrations, photographs, and dried specimens of the plants as they consider this question: If a scientist can take a picture of a plant, are there advantages in having an illustration? They go on to consider some of the big questions that botanists themselves must ask: Which of these species are most in need of conservation efforts? Are any of these plants more worth saving than others?In the second lesson, the students try their own hands at botanical illustration, following the methods of a Smithsonian staff illustrator. All that is required for the lesson are pencils, markers, tracing paper, and access to a photocopier.
“You shouldn’t make decisions when you’re hungry.” Tell that to the cell …
“You shouldn’t make decisions when you’re hungry.” Tell that to the cell that ate a bacterium 1.5 billion years ago and set in motion the evolution of all plants on Earth. In this episode of Crash Course Botany, we’ll explore how plants came to exist, the forces that drive plant evolution, and how we know what Earth’s prehistoric dystopia was like before plants came along.
Chapters: A World Without Plants Plants' Origin Story Defining Evolution The Five Forces of Evolution Studying Plant Evolution Plants' Evolutionary History Review & Credits Credits
You couldn’t go a day without interacting with gymnosperms and angiosperms, the …
You couldn’t go a day without interacting with gymnosperms and angiosperms, the two most prominent groups of plants on the planet. We rely on them for food, clothing, and shelter — but why are they so common? In this episode of Crash Course Botany, we’ll find out how their seeds and flowers propelled them to evolutionary success.
Chapters: How Plants Move How Seeds Evolved Types of Gymnosperms Angiosperms Dr. Else Marie Friis Flower Structure Why Angiosperms Thrived Review & Credits Credits
Each lab has a section that is intended to be completed prior …
Each lab has a section that is intended to be completed prior to the start of the lab. This section includes formative questions, content and skill objectives, and an introduction to the topic. Formative questions are not intended to be graded for “correctness” and often lack any correct way to answer. Instead, these questions are intended to see what you might already know or think about the topic you are going to learn about. Content objectives list what you are expected to learn during the lab, while skill objectives list what you should be able to do after the lab. The introduction frames the lab content in context of larger topics within the field of science and highlights specific concepts that will be covered within the lab. Later labs focused on learning different organismal groups also contain a section called selection pressures and drivers that explains what conditions this group of organisms evolved in response to.
From the driest deserts to the lushest forests, ecosystems are networks of …
From the driest deserts to the lushest forests, ecosystems are networks of life where organisms and the environment interact. In this episode of Crash Course Botany, we’ll explore how plants function as the foundations of these systems, without which no other life on Earth would be possible.
Chapters: The Foundations of Ecosystems Autotrophs Heterotrophs Food Webs Protecting Wild Tomatoes Keystone Species Review & Credits Credits
Humans make stuff up—including the names and classifications of living things. But …
Humans make stuff up—including the names and classifications of living things. But those categories are still useful. In this episode of Crash Course Botany, we’ll explore how taxonomy and systematics help us understand what plants are and where they come from. We’ll discuss the power of naming, and why even scientists don’t agree on what a species is.
Chapters: Categorizing Plants What Is a Plant? Taxonomy & Systematics Indigenous Taxonomic Knowledge Species Concepts Review & Credits Credits
No restrictions on your remixing, redistributing, or making derivative works. Give credit to the author, as required.
Your remixing, redistributing, or making derivatives works comes with some restrictions, including how it is shared.
Your redistributing comes with some restrictions. Do not remix or make derivative works.
Most restrictive license type. Prohibits most uses, sharing, and any changes.
Copyrighted materials, available under Fair Use and the TEACH Act for US-based educators, or other custom arrangements. Go to the resource provider to see their individual restrictions.
