The Effect of Salt on Tomato Plants
DOWNLOADS
Salt and Tomato Plants slide show
Salt and Tomato Plants teacher's guide
TEACHER'S GUIDE
Students predict the effect of salt on tomato plants.
Slide show and Discussion
Before showing the slide, ask students to think about what plants need for life, and to predict how a tomato plant exposed to salt will fare.
Question: What do plants need to grow?
Answer: Water, sunlight, soil
Question: What happens to a plant when these things are unavailable or not in the right quantities?
Answer: The plant will die.
Question: What do you predict what will happen to a tomato plant that has been watered with a salt solution?
Answer: The plant will die; the plant will wilt, nothing, etc.
Show students the tomato plant comparison slide, and ask them to evaluate their predictions.
Question: Did you accurately predict what would happen?
Answer: Answers vary.
Question: Why does the plant not grow as well?
Answer: The salt water disrupts the plant by pulling water out of its cells. Without a proper balance of water (homeostasis), the plant will grow poorly or die.
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More About This Resource...
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Completion Time
5 minutes
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Origin
Ecology Disrupted -
Subtopic
Osmosis, Abiotic Factors
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