Student Exploration: Fast Plants®

1 – Growth and Genetics

Note to teachers and students: The Fast Plants® Gizmo was created in collaboration with the Wisconsin

Fast Plants Program of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. These lessons can beused independently or

in conjunction with classroom Fast Plants experiments.

Vocabulary: allele, dominant allele, Fast Plants, gene, genetics, genotype, heterozygous,homozygous,

offspring, phenotype, pollen, pollinate, Punnett square, recessive allele, trait

Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)

1. What do plants need to survive? Plants need both water and nutrients (food) to survive.

2. How do plants reproduce? Plants reproduce sexually through the fusion of male and female

gametes in the flower.

Gizmo Warm-up

Several common vegetables, including Bok choy, napa cabbage,

and turnips, are varieties of a plant called Brassica rapa. Fast

plants are a rapid-cycling variety of Brassica rapathat was

developed at the University of Wisconsin. These plants have short

growing cycles and are ideal for classroom use. In the Fast Plants®

1 – Growth and Genetics Gizmo, youwill learn about the life cycle

and genetic traits of Fast Plants.

In the Gizmo, drag seed packet A to container 1 and seed packet B to

container 2. Click Play ( ), and then Pause (

 ) after about 10 simulated days.

1. A plants traits are its characteristics. Drag the magnifying glass over container 1. Describethe traits

of these plants.

2. Drag the magnifier over container 2. How do these plants differ from the container 1 plants?