The Arizona STEM Acceleration Project
The Effects of Grafting Nightshade Plants: Part 1
The Effects of Grafting Nightshade Plants- Part 1
A Junior High STEM lesson
Author:�Tabatha Hancock
Date:
December 2023
Notes for teachers
This is part 1 of a two-part series. This lesson is just for grafting plants. Part 2 is a plan for organizing and analyzing data.
This can be taught in a classroom setting or after-school club (such as a botany club).
This lesson can be simplified for younger grades (consider using a video to supplement/replace articles). More in-depth articles can be given for high school lessons.
Only three of each plant will be used for grafting. The others will be used as controls.
Grafting plants works best in the spring when plants are in a high state of growth.
Plants should be 8-10 inches in height before grafting.
If you do not have experience with grafting plants, it is best to graft several plants for a better chance of having one that lives.
You may graft plants ahead of time to ensure you have one that is alive if class attempts are not viable.
Grafting kits can be purchased on Amazon or at a gardening center.
Plants will grow best in the ground. If you have to use a container, ensure it is large enough for potatoes.
Click here for Part 2
List of Materials
Standards
6.L2U3.11 Use evidence to construct an argument regarding the
impact of human activities on the environment and how
they positively and negatively affect the competition for
energy and resources in ecosystems.
6.L2U3.12 Engage in argument from evidence to support a claim
about the factors that cause species to change and how
humans can impact those factors.
7.L1U1.11 Construct an explanation for how organisms
maintain internal stability and evaluate the effect of
the external factors on organisms’ internal stability.
8.L4U1.11 Develop and use a model to explain how natural selection may lead to increases and decreases of specific
traits in populations over time.
Life Science Core Ideas
L1: Organisms are organized on a cellular basis and have a finite life span.
L2: Organisms require a supply of energy and materials for which they often depend on, or
compete with, other organisms.
L3: Genetic information is passed down from one generation of organisms to another.
Standards
Engineering
S4: Apply Science to Engineering
4.4 Analyze relevant properties of materials used in engineering projects [i.e., chemical, environmental, mechanical (tension,
compression, torque), electrical, physical, etc.]
English Language Arts (ELA)
Reading (Informational Text)
Speaking & Listening
Objectives:
I will investigate plant grafting.
I will work in a group to graft a tomato plant to a potato plant.
I will collaborate with my class to devise a method to track growth and productivity of plants.
I will collaborate with my class to plan for the care and maintenance of our plants.
Agenda (Setting up our investigation)
What is “grafting”?� -Research grafting.� -Research pomato plants.� -Discuss why we are grafting these particular plants.� - Discuss grafting techniques and which one we will be using.
Grafting our pomato plants� -Separate into groups.� -Discuss group roles.� -Graft our plants.� -Plant and fertilize our plants.
Brainstorm next steps� -How will we care for our plants?� -How will we monitor plant growth?� -How will we monitor productivity?� -How will we determine when to harvest tomatoes?� -How will we determine when to harvest potatoes?� -How will we determine the effects of grafting pomato plants?
How are new plant varieties created?
Over time, plant varieties change. �Sometimes the change happens naturally. �Sometimes humans accidentally cause new varieties to form.� Sometimes humans intentionally cause new varieties to form.
What are some natural/accidental/intentional ways new plant varieties can form?
Hands-on Activity Instructions
https://harpersnurseries.com/pomato/
What is grafting?
Grafting is a technique used by people to intentionally create new or modified plants.
There are many benefits to grafting.
What is grafting?
What did your group learn in the article you just read?
What is a pomato?
A pomato is two different food-producing plants grafted to each other.
Do you know which two plants make a pomato?
What is a pomato?
A pomato is made by grafting a tomato plant to a potato rootstock.
What else did you learn about pomato plants?
What do we need to make our own pomato plants?
In the article about grafting pomato plants, directions were given.
We are going to try growing our own.
What will we need?
Where do we go from here?
After your group has finished grafting a pomato plant and your area is clean, discuss:
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Assessment
Informal assessments can be taken while monitoring group and class discussions. Use these observations to ensure students understand the basics in grafting and are able to accomplish grafting techniques with their group.
A simple formative can be a quiz on terminology and steps in the grafting process.
To assess a deeper understanding, ask students to write a plan for an investigation on a different type of grafting. You can assign the topic (such as fruit trees), or students can be asked to come up with their own ideas. Consider grading based on content and not viability of the experiment. This can also be used as a summative assessment if you are not planning to complete Part 2 of this lesson.
Differentiation
Remediation
Extension/Enrichment
Part 2 of this activity is a lesson on collecting, analyzing and organizing data. The two lessons together will guide students through the entire scientific method.
This can be used as a science fair experiment. Have students create a presentation based on the class discussions, procedures and projected outcomes. If you are not planning to do part 2 of this lesson with your students as a class, students interested in a science fair project can still collect/analyze data and pose their own conclusion.