| | | | New Plants From Old - Lesson 2 of 3 | |
| | | | This is the second in a cluster of three lessons which explore the creation of a new breed of plant. In this lesson students will explore various Australian native plant varieties and investigate plant breeding and plant breeder’s rights. | |
| | | | Plant breeding, Plant Breeder’s Rights, Intellectual Property, Australian flora | |
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| | | At the end of this lesson, students will be able to: - describe the characteristics of a plant;
- demonstrate an understanding of plant breeding;
- determine which plant characteristics are suitable for variation;
- demonstrate a basic understanding of intellectual property;
- explain plant breeder’s rights.
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| | | - flower cuttings - a variety from a particular genus of Australian native flower (in this case, the bottlebrush - Callistemon or Grevillia)
Note: The cuttings need to show different characteristics such as flower colour, flower size, leaf shape - blackboard or whiteboard
- worksheet (Attachment 1)
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| | | - Teacher demonstrates one plant sample.
- Individual students are called upon to state one observation of the plant.
- Teacher makes a list on the board of the characteristic to which the students are referring, ie:
- colour
- flower shape
- leaf shape
- size
- fragrance
- use
- Class views other plants supplied by the teacher (or images from a botany book or text).
- Teacher introduces the concept of plant breeding:
- Horticulturists, scientists and other interested groups experiment in mixing plants of different species to produce a new plant.
- Explain the different reasons why they may do this? eg: - flower trade - disease resistance etc
- As an example, you could use the hybrid plant Grevillia “Robyn Gordon” as an example of a plant that was produced by cross-pollinating two parent Grevillias - the parent plants were Grevillia banksii and Grevillia bipinnatifida.
- Students briefly discuss some other examples of plant varieties that have been created by scientists and horticulturists:
- Does your greengrocer reveal any clues?
- What could you find out at the flower markets?
- Teacher introduces the concepts of intellectual property and plant breeder’s rights:
- Why would a scientist be interested in protecting his or her part in breeding a new variety of plant?
- Could you make a lot of money if you created a new plant breed? How and why?
- Definition: Intellectual property (IP) represents the property of your mind or intellect. Types of intellectual property include patents, trade marks, designs, confidential information/trade secrets, copyright, circuit layout rights, plant breeder's rights etc.
- Definition: Plant breeder's rights are used to protect new varieties of plants by giving exclusive commercial rights to market a new variety or its reproductive material.
- Students are given the challenge of coming up with an idea for a new plant for the flower market that does not exist.
- Students complete the New Plant Worksheet (Attachment 1):
- Students may use the plant samples provided to help them come up with their new plant.
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| | | - Visit the Big Ideas Network website, “Meet the Experts” page, and view or listen to the plant breeder’s advice. This site may be accessed via the InnovatED homepage www.innovated.gov.au
- Create a collage of dried flowers and their parent varieties.
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| | | | See suggested assessment in New Plants from Old - Lesson 1 of 3 | |
| | | | Attachment 1: Genetics Worksheet | |
| | | | Michael Gallagher Dip Teach BEd | |
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