Plant Growth: Effect of Genes and Environment Science Games

In this series of games, your students will learn about plants’ growth and development and the factors that affect it. The Plant Growth: Effect of Genes and Environment learning objective — based on NGSS and state standards — delivers improved student engagement and academic performance in your classroom, as demonstrated by research.

Scroll down for a preview of this learning objective’s games and the concepts they drive home.

Concepts Covered

A plant’s ability to grow is determined by genetics, as well as a variety of factors in the plant’s environment.

Sequoia trees and tomato plants, for example, have very different genes. As a result, their maximum possible sizes are also quite different.

But no plant is guaranteed to reach the maximum potential size that its genes determine. If a plant has limited access to the sunlight, water, or nutrients it needs, it may be considerably smaller. Natural disasters can also change the environment, affecting plants’ ability to grow.

When we talk about plant growth, it includes more than just growing taller. Development of flowers, fruits, and seeds is coded into a plant’s genes, but can also be limited by factors in its environment, including the availability of mates.

Another outside factor that affects plant growth is human activity. We can add fertilizers to make plants grow bigger, faster. We can also harm plants through deforestation, pollution, and forest fires, which can tarnish their soil and water.

A preview of each game in the learning objective is found below.

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