Bulb Biology, The Paperwhite Narcissus Flower Project And Hyacinth Hydroponics

Bulb Biology
The
Paperwhite Narcissus Flower Project
And
Hyacinth Hydroponics
Mary Van Dyke
Green STEM Learning
2016

Bulb
Biology,
The
Paperwhite Narcissus
Flower
Project
And
Hyacinth
Hydroponics
Level
Elementary
Grades
3
– 5
Lesson
time
30
– 45

minutes
in
class,
Take
home/class
a
few
minutes
a
day
for
two-‐ three
months
Purpose
To
help
students
understand
bulb
biology,
and
look
after
a
flowering
bulb
over
extended
length
of
time
–
breaking
dormancy
through
flowering
and
die-‐back
Materials
– for
class
of
25
students
Study
Station
q Onion,
tulip
bulb,
hyacinth,
narcissus.

Onion
sliced
in
half
to
show
modified
leaves
and
shoot/roots
q Cutting
board
and
knife
(adult
use
only)
q Microscopes/
hand
lenses/
loupes
q Video
station
with
5
tablets/laptops
to
watch
Bulb
Biology
7-‐minute
video

https://vimeo.com/147187220
Planting
Station
q Recyclable
plastic
dropcloth
q Earth
mixing
tray
q Potting
soil
(do
pre-‐calculations
on
how
much
needed)
q Water
and
gallon
jugs
or
watering
can
to
pre-‐mix
potting
soil
q Trowels
x
8
(students
likely
to
use
hands
in
preference)
q Hand
washing
sink
close
by
q 4
inch
or
10
cm
square
pots,
#
1
per
student
q 1
larger
pot
for
the
class
q Inbal (lightly-‐scented)
Paperwhite narcissus
bulbs

1
per
student
plus
a
few
for
the
classroom
Label
Station
q Copies
of
mini-‐book
x
#
of
students
(4
books
per
page)
q Gallon
ziploc plastic
storage
bags

x
#
of
students
q Sharpie
felt
tips
x
8
(colored
or
black)
Hyacinth
Hydroponics
Project
(optional
classroom
extension)
q Hyacinth
bulb
(cold
treated)
q Pint/quart
soda
bottle,
jar
or
bulb
vase

Student
Outcomes
Students
learn
to
set
up
inquiry
investigation.

What
happens
if
I
plant
a
flowering
bulb
and
water
and
place
indoors
in
a
sunny
place?

Students
observe
and
share
changes
and
plant
growth
over
time
including
flowering
process,

photosynthesis
and
then
dieback
of
flower
and
leaves.
Observe
and
study
plant
parts,
and
parts
of
a
monocot
flower
Extension
learn
characteristics
of
monocot
and
dicot:
that
narcissus
is
a
monocot
(parallel
veined

leaves,
flower
symmetry
of
three,
seeds
with
single
foodpart).
Preparation
• Photocopy
mini-‐books
one
per
student
• Set
up
3
work
stations
(either
outdoors
or
in
classrooms)
• Prepare
potting
soil
– so
it
is
moist
and
ready
to
pack
into
pots
Teacher
Notes
View
the
film
ahead
of
time
and
review
that
a
bulb
is
a
way
for
the
plant
to
store
energy
(food)
created
by

photosynthesis.
Introduce
What
is
a
bulb?
How
does
it
work?
Paper
coat,
basal
stem
root
plate,
shoot,
bulb
is
modified
leaves
What
kinds
of
bulb
do
we
know
about?
Onions,
garlic,
tulips,
also
reproduce
by
seed
and
vegetatively– by
splitting
off
bulblets
Talk
about
plant
lifecycle
Bulb
Biology
Study
examples
of
onion,
tulips
and
other
bulbs
and
watch
video
https://vimeo.com/147187220
Planting
Put
layer
of
soil
into
pot
Add
paperwhite narcissus
bulb
(roots
down,
shoot
up)
Layer
on
some
soil
above
Label

Ziploc
bag
with
student
name
and
and
mini-‐book
Take
Home

Keep
bulb
pot
on
saucer
in
dark,
cool
place
at
first,
with
sheet
of
paper
over
the
top,

until
green
shoot
appears
– for
two
to
three
weeks
– only
water
once
a
week
Then
place
bulb
pot
in
cool,
sunny
location
Keep
moist
below
basal
plate,
so
bulb
does
not
rot.
In
4
– 6
weeks
flower
buds
will
appear.
As
bulb
shoot
grows
may
need
watering
daily.

Record
Observations
and
Analyze
Class
Data
When
does
your
flower
bud
and
bloom?
Draw
and
describe
the
flower
q How
many
petals
does
your
flower
have?

Three,
six
– but
not
always.
This
is
the
characteristic
symmetry
of
a
monocot

flowering
plant
with
parallel
veined
leaves
and
single
coyledon,
i.e.
the
foodpart
of
the
seed.
Dicot
flowering
plants
have
seeds
with
two
foodparts (cotyledons),

netted
veined
leaves,
and
flowers
with
symmetry
of
5
or
8
.
q Find
and
count
the
stamens.
These
are
the
male
parts
of
the
flower
and
are
covered
in
yellow
pollen
q Can
you
find
pollen?
On
the
stamens
– and
then
can
be
elsewhere
too
as
it
is
a
yellow
fine
sticky

powder
q Where
is
the
stigma?
In
the
center
of
the
flower.
This
is
the
female
part
and
will
be
fertilized
by
the

pollen.
Also
find
the
ovary
where
seeds
will
form
and
ripen
once
fertiilized.
q Do
you
like
the
flower’s
scent?
According
to
popular
wisdom
more
than
25%
of
our
population
may
not
like
the

scent
of
the
heavily-‐scented
paperwhites such
as
Ziva,
so
we
are
selecting
to

grow
more
the
lightly-‐scented
Inbal variety.

Poll
and
graph
your
class
preferences:

How
many
students
like
or
dislike
the
scent
or
are
neutral
about
the
scent?

What
percentage
of
the
class
do
like
the
scent?
Parts
of
a
Flower
From https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AParts_of_flower(3).gif

Hyacinth
Hydroponics
How-‐To
Hyacinths
grown
to
bloom
indoors
need
to
be
a
“cold-‐forced”
bulbs.
i.e.
if
you
buy
a
bulb
unforced
you
need
to
keep
it
in
the
fridge
to
go
through
a
pretend
“winter”
cycle

for
6
– 8
weeks
prior
to
warming
up
and
growing
indoors.
Put
the
“forced”
hyacinth
bulb
above
vase/bottle
of
water
– so
that
basal
plate
is
a
few
mm
above
the

waterline
Keep
an
eye
on
the
waterline
and
refill
each
day
as
needed,
maintaining
the
water
level
just
below
the

bulb’s
basal
plate
Observe
how
hyacinth
roots
seek
out
the
water
and
grow
downwards,
while
the
shoot
tip
grows

upwards.
Hyacinth
Hydroponics
Inquiry
• What
extent
of
hyacinth
roots
do
you
expect
will

grow?
• Why
does
the
hyacinth
not
need
nutrients
or
food

to
grow?
• When
did
you
start
to
grow
your
bulb
– and
when

does
your
hyacinth
flower
bloom?
• How
long
does
the
bloom
period
then
last?
• Do
you
like
the
scent
of
your
hyacinth
flower?
• Is
the
flower
a
monocot
or
dicot?
A
hyacinth
is
a
monocot:
with
characteristic

parallel-‐veined
leaves
and
symmetry
of
three
in

flower
petals,
similar
to
a
narcissus
and
tulip.
After
the
flower
dies
back
you
can
plant
bulb
in
the
garden
in
a
sunny
or
part
shade
place
(4
inches

deep)
and
it
may
grow
and
flower
outdoors
next
year
too.
Note:
Hyacinths
can
cause
a
contact
dermatitis
reaction
in
some
people
-‐ handle
carefully.

Tulip
bulb

section
Narcissus
shoots
Paperwhite
Narcissus

blooms

My Paperwhite Narcissus Care
• Place
the
pot
on
a
saucer,
keep
first
two

weeks
in
cool,
dark
place
until
green
shoots

appear,
than
move
to
a fairly
light
place,
e.g.

a
window
cill or
table
with
indirect
sunlight.
• Lightly
waterthe
as
it

grows.

The
narcissus
plant
should
be
kept
moist
but

not
too
wet.
• Keep
your
plant safely
out
of
the
way of
pet

cats
and
dogs.
Enjoy
watching your
narcissus
grow
and
flower.

NAME:
• Place
the
pot
on
a
saucer,
keep
first
two

weeks
in
cool,
dark
place
until
green
shoots

appear,
than
move
to
a fairly
light
place,
e.g.

a
window
cill or
table
with
indirect
sunlight.

• Lightly
waterthe
as
it

grows.

The
narcissus
plant
should
be
kept
moist
but

not
too
wet.
• Keep
your
plant safely
out
of
the
way of
pet

cats
and
dogs.
Enjoy
watching your
narcissus
grow
and
flower.

NAME:
• Place
the
pot
on
a
saucer,
keep
first
two

weeks
in
cool,
dark
place
until
green
shoots

appear,
than
move
to
a fairly
light
place,
e.g.

a
window
cill or
table
with
indirect
sunlight.

• Lightly
waterthe
as
it

grows.

The
narcissus
plant
should
be
kept
moist
but

not
too
wet.
• Keep
your
plant safely
out
of
the
way of
pet

cats
and
dogs.
Enjoy
watching your
narcissus
grow
and
flower.

NAME:
• Place
the
pot
on
a
saucer,
keep
first
two

weeks
in
cool,
dark
place
until
green
shoots

appear,
than
move
to
a fairly
light
place,
e.g.

a
window
cill or
table
with
indirect
sunlight
• Lightly
waterthe
as
it

grows.

The
narcissus
plant
should
be
kept
moist
but

not
too
wet.
• Keep
your
plant safely
out
of
the
way of
pet

cats
and
dogs.
Enjoy
watching your
narcissus
grow
and
flower.

NAME:

Cross-section Through a Typical Bulb
Showing Parts of the Bulb

Cross-section Through my Pot
Showing the Paperwhite Narcissus
Bulb Growing
Bulb Growing
Bulb Growing
Bulb Growing

My Flower Blooming My Flower Blooming
My Flower Blooming My Flower Blooming

q How
many
petals
does
your

flower
have?
q Find
and
count
the
stamens.
q Can
you
find
pollen?
q Where
is
the
stigma?
q Do
you
like
the
flower’s
scent?
Flower Observation
q How
many
petals
does
your

flower
have?
q Find
and
count
the
stamens.
q Can
you
find
pollen?
q Where
is
the
stigma?
q Do
you
like
the
flower’s
scent?
Flower Observation
q How
many
petals
does
your

flower
have?
q Find
and
count
the
stamens.
q Can
you
find
pollen?
q Where
is
the
stigma?
q Do
you
like
the
flower’s
scent?
Flower Observation
q How
many
petals
does
your

flower
have?
q Find
and
count
the
stamens.
q Can
you
find
pollen?
q Where
is
the
stigma?
q Do
you
like
the
flower’s
scent?
Flower Observation

• After
blooming
the

will
die
back,
saving
energy
in
the
bulb.
In

the
spring
you
can
compost
or
trash
this

bulb.
• The
is
from
a
different

climate
zone
and
would
take
two
or
three

years
to
rebloom indoors!
• NB
Other
bulbs:
tulips,
crocuses,
hyacinths

and
tête-‐à-‐tête
daffodils
can
be
replanted

outside
after
flowering
indoors.
What shall I do with my bulb after it
flowers?
Project
by
Mary
Van
Dyke
Green
STEM
Learning
• After
blooming
the

will
die
back,
saving
energy
in
the
bulb.
In

the
spring
you
can
compost
or
trash
this

bulb.
• The
is
from
a
different

climate
zone
and
would
take
two
or
three

years
to
rebloom indoors!
• NB
Other
bulbs:
tulips,
crocuses,
hyacinths

and
daffodils
can
be
replanted

outside
after
flowering
indoors.
flowers?
Project
by
Mary
Van
Dyke
Green
STEM
Learning
• After
blooming
the

will
die
back,
saving
energy
in
the
bulb.
In

the
spring
you
can
compost
or
trash
this

bulb.
• The
is
from
a
different

climate
zone
and
would
take
two
or
three

years
to
rebloom indoors!
• NB
Other
bulbs:
tulips,
crocuses,
hyacinths

and
daffodils
can
be
replanted

outside
after
flowering
indoors.
flowers?
Project
by
Mary
Van
Dyke
Green
STEM
Learning
• After
blooming
the

will
die
back,
saving
energy
in
the
bulb.
In

the
spring
you
can
compost
or
trash
this

bulb.
• The
is
from
a
different

climate
zone
and
would
take
two
or
three

years
to
rebloom indoors!
• NB
Other
bulbs:
tulips,
crocuses,
hyacinths

and
daffodils
can
be
replanted

outside
after
flowering
indoors.
flowers?
Project
by
Mary
Van
Dyke
Green
STEM
Learning

Community
Impact
On
another
note,
our
bulbs
are

FANTASTIC!
…Again,
we
so
appreciate

you
helping
us
with
this
and
I
know
many

of
my
students
have
commented
on
how

much
they
enjoyed
the
planting
of
the

bulbs.
Nicole
Schofield

Jamestown
5th Grade
Teacher
January
2016
Ms.
Schofield
Noah's
flower
has
bloomed
in
honor
of

an
early
Spring.
Thanks
for
sending
home
the
project,
he

is
a
very
good
waterer.

Happy
New
Year!
Jason,
Noah’s
Dad
January
2016
Hello! Do you remember me?
We planted bulbs at Jamestown.
I am looking after my bulb!
Noah
to
Mary
Van
Dyke,
at
a

community
event
May
2016
Also
see
Green
STEM
Learning
Blog
WOW
factor:
How
to
Grow
Bulbs
Indoors
and
Out

Bulb Biology, The Paperwhite Narcissus Flower Project And Hyacinth Hydroponics

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