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In this set of lessons and Fast Plants experiment, students investigate how plants harness and use different sources of energy during germination and growth. Students ask questions and make predictions about the sources of energy that plants use. They then plan and carry out investigations using...

This PDF document shows in detail the possible day-to-day learning associated with the 6-week version of the Fast Plants Polycot Selection / Plant Breeding Investigation (aka Option A). Conducting this selection / plant breeding investigation uses Generation 1 Polycot Fast Plants seed lines, with...

This PDF document shows three calendars side-by-side for comparing the time and materials needed for three different versions of the Fast Plants Mendelian Inheritance Investigation that is commonly called "Who's the Father?" Option A involves students growing the F1 generation of Fast Plants in...

This PDF document shows in greater detail the possible day-to-day learning associated with the 3-week version of the Fast Plants Polycot Selection Investigation. Conducting this selection investigation in just 3 weeks involves using Polycot Fast Plants seed lines for both Generation 1 and 2...

This PDF document shows three calendars side-by-side for comparing the time and materials needed for three different versions of the Fast Plants Polycot Selection Investigation. Option A involves Fast Plants grown in soil, and students select for or against polycots, then produce their own...

This investigation begins with a phenomenon that is evidenced in most every produce aisle: Many of the vegetables that botanists classify as Brassica look and taste different. This investigation aligns with middle and high school Next Generation Science Standards as well as with agricultural science...

This comprehensive Open Source lesson plan is designed for Kindergarten through Middle School level students to learn about life cycles, plants needs, and plant structures & their functions through hands-on investigations with Wisconsin Fast Plants. Depending on the grade level, students engage at...

In this 26-page investigation—co-developed for secondary grades by teachers, the Wisconsin Fast Plants Program at UW-Madison, The Concord Consortium data scientists, and developers from Carolina Biological Supply, and Brett Moulding—learners investigate variation and inheritance in the “three...

This lesson plan, from the University of Wisconsin-Madisons Wisconsin Fast Plants, is for a high school biology investigation into evolution and artificial selection while using Fast Plants polycot seeds. The lesson plan describes student science performance for in-classroom learning as well as...

This 16-page resource, from Wisconsin Fast Plants, provides a "complete Open Source investigation into ecosystem dynamics that can be adapted to any grade level." In this Google Document, readers will find the investigation includes a lesson plan, descriptions of standards alignment, tips for...

Download this complete set of lessons for an elementary, NGSS-aligned inquiry that foregrounds engineering practices. During the days that are supported by this investigation, students observe flowers on their 14 to 16 day old Fast Plants along with bee structures, learning to connect how the shape...

Turnips, Chinese cabbage and Wisconsin Fast Plants (Rbr) look very different. Yet, they actually belong to the same species. This means that they have the same number of chromosomes and they can cross breed and produce fertile offspring. But how can you prove that plants that look so different are...

Download the complete instructions for a high school level inheritance inquiry, using Wisconsin Fast Plants. In this investigation, students gather their own evidence to explain how inheritance works. As they observe three generations of Wisconsin Fast Plants, students unravel a paternity mystery:...

Download this complete and coherently designed, middle school level unit to teach fundamental concepts that underpin the theory of evolution. The unit was collaboratively designed by teachers, college faculty & staff, and the Fast Plants Program at UW-Madison to support student-centered...

This Immersion Unit provides a coherent series of lessons designed to guide students in developing deep conceptual understanding that is aligned with the standards, key science concepts, and essential features of classroom inquiry (as defined by the National Science Education Standards).  Unit...

This Immersion Unit provides a coherent series of lessons designed to guide students in developing deep conceptual understanding that is aligned with the National standards, key science concepts, and essential features of classroom inquiry (as defined by the National Science Education Standards)....

A 23-page PDF file (644 KB) with a complete set of activities for elementary students (also effective in middle school) to learn about the life cycle of flowering plants with a focus on reproduction. Students predict how many seeds their Fast Plant will produce and engage in planting, growing,...