Appreciation Of Plants Research Articles

Pursuing the greenery: assessing plant-related content in the new Spanish curricula for compulsory education

ABSTRACT Plants constitute a highly diverse taxonomic group with fundamental ecological functions. However, plant biodiversity loss is currently a dramatic problem. It is essential to promote knowledge and appreciation of plants through formal education, particularly during educational stages that are compulsory for all citizens. This study presents an analysis of the new (2022) national curricula for primary (6–12 years) and compulsory secondary education (12–16 years) in Spain, and of the regional curricula for its largest region, Castilla y León. The analysis was conducted by identifying all plant-related text fragments, and classifying them into an inductive-deductive system of categories. These competence-based curricula are strongly grounded in the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, since content related to the interactions between the social and the ecological spheres quantitatively prevails over scientific content on plants. However, some areas of plant science are under-represented, appearing only through general statements in which the use of scientific terminology is absent. Opportunities to promote first-hand experience of edible and useful plants are provided by the use of learning situations encouraged in the curricula. Biodiversity is identified as a key issue to be reinforced; despite being included, the curricula fail to associate it with knowledge on plant taxonomy.

From treetops to tabletops: a preliminary investigation of how plants are represented in popular modern board games

Societal Impact StatementPlants have been elements in games throughout history. In an era where “digital pushback” is becoming more common, the impressions that representations of plants in board games have on an audience is not to be overlooked. By acknowledging the importance, beauty and history of the botanic world and its considerable impact on the daily lives of human beings connected to it, modern board games may offer an entertainment route towards awareness as well as an educational resource to challenge plant blindness. Summary Plant blindness is the inability to appreciate plants in one's own environment, in the biosphere as a whole and their relationship to human affairs. Here, we discuss a community of interests in which we suggest that an appreciation of plants is vital for success: namely the world of modern board gaming. We present a classification system for the presentation of plants in the 500 most popular modern board games, where games are categorised based on their complexity, and representation and portrayal of plants. This initial mapping exercise defines a potential scope for the future analysis of how modern board games may offer a novel and interactive entertainment mechanism to challenge plant blindness and a framework for future analysis work in this area.

Beautiful genes, beautiful plants

Societal Impact StatementWe all have reason to acknowledge plants，as humans, together with all other animals, breathe the oxygen produced by plants every second of the day, and we need the diversity of plants to maintain a balanced ecological environment. Plants also help us to understand the secrets of life and contribute to our understanding of ourselves. The Earth BioGenome Project (EBP), announced in February 2017, has the ambitious mission to sequence “all life on Earth,” of which plants are of course a major part.SummaryResearch into plants has led to many vital contributions to science in general. International collaborations are now the lifeblood of scientific research, particularly in the field of genomics. From humble, underfunded beginnings as the only developing nation in the Human Genome Project (HGP), China has emerged as a powerhouse of genomics research with major involvement in a whole host of genome‐sequencing projects worldwide. Today, the cutting‐edge international research projects are focused on genome writing and editing, allowing us to engineer organisms to produce bioproducts or to display a new suite of phenotypic characteristics. It is possible to bioengineer anything if all the constituent parts of the metabolic/signaling pathways and the regulation network are understood. Decoding the secrets of life is vital for enhancing our appreciation of plants, our understanding of how we can benefit from them, and our ability to protect them. Once again, plant science is driving our understanding of the world in general, which may enable us to protect both plant biodiversity and to create a beautiful and brilliant future for humankind.

Geraldine Wright

Geraldine Wright

PROMOTING STUDENTS’ CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING OF PLANT DEFENSE RESPONSES USING THE FIGHTING PLANT LEARNING UNIT (FPLU)

Most students think animals are more interesting than plants as a study topic believing that plants are inferior to animals because they are passive and unable to respond to external challenges, particularly biological invaders such as microorganisms and insect herbivores. The purpose of this study was to develop an inquiry-based learning unit, the Fighting Plant Learning Unit (FPLU), which focuses on plant defense responses to biological stimuli. The study also investigated students’ perceptions of the FPLU implemented in a constructivist classroom. A total of 31 Thai science majors from grade 12 participated in this study. Multiple data-gathering techniques (quantitative and qualitative) were employed: conceptual testing, concept mapping, the Constructivist Learning Environment Survey questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. It was found that from their active participation, the students developed a better conceptual understanding of plant defense mechanisms. In addition, they appeared to have positive attitudes toward the FPLU as evidenced by their preference for inquiry-based teaching in a constructivist learning environment. Finally, their perspectives on and appreciation of plants as active organisms had been favorably changed by the experience.