Plant Growth: Effect of Genes and Environment Science Games

5 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.

You can access all of the games on Legends of Learning for free, forever, with a teacher account. A free teacher account also allows you to create playlists of games and assignments for students and track class progress. Sign up for free today!

Image for Wave Interference - Waves
Wave Interference - Waves Estimated Duration: 10 minutes Make waves with a dripping faucet, speaker, or laser. Adjust the frequency and amplitude, and observe the changes in the wave. Design experiments to measure wavelength and wave speed. Note: Students will automatically move through this simulation after 10 minutes of playtime.
Image for Wave Interference - Interference
Wave Interference - Interference Estimated Duration: 10 minutes Explore how a pair of wave sources create an interference pattern. Adjust the source frequency and separation, and determine how to change the interference pattern. Identify points of constructive and destructive interference by eye, and by using the detectors. Note: Students will automatically move through this simulation after 10 minutes of playtime.
Image for Wave Interference - Slits
Wave Interference - Slits Estimated Duration: 10 minutes Put up a barrier to see how the waves move through one or two slits, and discover the resulting interference pattern. Determine how to change the pattern by adjusting the slit width and separation. Predict the location of the interference maxima and minima, and verify your predictions. Note: Students will automatically move through this simulation after 10 minutes of playtime.
Image for Basketball Master
Basketball Master Estimated Duration: 12 minutes Shoot a basketball through the hoop and answer some questions along the way! The game does not have any instructional content, it simply has review questions spread throughout.
Image for Waves Intro - Sound
Waves Intro - Sound Estimated Duration: 10 minutes Make sound waves with a speaker, and hear the tone it produces. Adjust the frequency and amplitude, and observe the changes in the wave. Design experiments to measure wavelength and wave speed. Note: Students will automatically move through this simulation after 10 minutes of playtime.
Image for Robot Chef
Robot Chef Estimated Duration: 18 minutes Congratulations, you are creating the first all-robot restaurant in the city! As you serve more customers, you will be able to build more robots to assist in delivering tasty treats. Attend Night School and answer questions to earn advanced robot chefs!
Image for Wavebot
Wavebot Estimated Duration: 16 minutes Join Dr. Camila and Wavebot as they discover the effects of waves on their environment. Play through all 8 levels of this puzzle and compete for the high score!
Image for Earthquake!
Earthquake! Estimated Duration: 20 minutes How good are you at predictions? Can you figure out when—and how powerfully—an earthquake will hit Square City? Triangulation is the key!
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