Coloring Carnations - Science Inquiry Picture Labs

Designed By: Elizabeth Rogiani
Temple University: College of Education
Objectives
 Students will be able to identify the structures in
plants that are responsible for food production, and
water transport.
 Students will be able to explain why flowers are able to
change colors when food coloring is added to water.
Purpose/Goal
 The purpose of this lesson is for students to
understand that plants need water to survive and grow.
 In order to achieve this, the students will see that the
flowers “suck” up water through the roots to the stem
and flower by conducting an experiment.
 In this experiment, the students will color water with
food coloring. As the flower “sucks” up the water, the
flower will begin to change to the color of the food
coloring.
Information
 We know that plants need water to grow, make seeds, and stay healthy.
 But how can there be so many flowers that are unnatural colors?
 Here’s how it works. The leaves and petals of plants have lots of small holes
called stomatas. They're too small to see. Water evaporates through these
holes. This is called transpiration. After the water evaporates, the plant needs
more water to grow.
 If the flower is planted in soil, the roots of the plant get the water from the soil
and then the water travels up through its stem.
 But, if the flower is in a container of water, it does not have any roots so it just
sucks up the water through its stem.
 Let’s see how this works!
Vocabulary and Concepts
 Carnation
 The carnation is a flower that is often
used in bouquets and corsages.
 Parts of a flower
 Evaporation
 The process of water molecules
escaping the surface of the Earth and
entering the atmosphere
Flower
Leaf
 Stomata
 Tiny holes in the leaves that release
water into the air
 Transpiration
 A continuous process caused by
the evaporation of water
from leaves of plants and its
corresponding uptake from roots in
the soil.
Roots
Materials
 White Carnations
 Water
 Clear Glass
 Food Coloring
 Scissors
Data Chart
Directions: For each Carnation, please
record the time and any changes that may
appear (Number of Carnations may vary)
Time
Carnation
#1 (Blue)
Carnation
#2 (Purple)
Carnation
#3 (Red)
Carnation
#4 (Yellow)
Results Summary
Carnation #_____
Appearance in the
Beginning
Appearance after
_____ hours
Note: Actual table should be all white for the
students to draw their pictures.
Step 1:
Make a Prediction
 What do you think will
happen?
 Will the Carnation
change color?

Why or Why not?
 How long do you think
it will take to change
color?
 Write down your
predictions on a piece of
paper.
Step 2:
Set up Experiment
 Have an adult cut the
Carnation’s stem.
 Fill clear glass with water
about half way and place
White Carnations in the
glass.
Step 2:
Set up Experiment
 Choose which food
coloring colors you wish
to use in this
experiment.
Step 3:
Dye the Water
 Place 10-20 drops of food
coloring into the glass of
water.
 Make sure the water is
dark.
Step 4:
Observe
 Check your Carnations
every few hours to see
how the petals change
color.
 Record your findings in
your data chart.
Experiment Results
 Carnations at beginning
of experiment
 12:15 PM
 Both flowers are
completely white.
Experiment Results
 Carnations after about 1
hour and 45 minutes
 1:45 PM
 The Carnation in the
Blue water started to
change slightly.
 The Carnation in the
Purple water did not
change.
Experiment Results
 Carnations after about
another hour and a half
 3:15 PM
 The rims of both of the
flowers began to change
to the color of the food
coloring.
 The blue is more
apparent.
Experiment Results
 Carnations after about
another 2 hours
 5:15 PM
 The purple is starting to
become more apparent.
 The blue is very bright
and spreading through
the whole petal.
Experiment Results
 Carnations after about
another 2 hours
 7:15 PM
 The petals on the flower
in the purple water is a
very dull purple.
 The blue is very bright
and the whole flower is
almost all blue.
Reflection
 Take out your prediction
 What did you learn?
paper and flip it over.
 Answer the following
questions:
 Did this experiment
 Was your prediction
correct?
 How long did it take
your flowers to change
color?
 Did anything surprise
you?
help you learn the
concept?
 Would you recommend
this experiment to a
friend?

Why or why not?
Conclusion
 As you probably noticed, most
plants have a "drinking" problem.
Okay, in this case it's a good
problem. Most plants "drink"
water from the ground through
their roots.
 Coloring the water with food
coloring does not harm the plant in
any way, but it allows you to see the
movement of water through the
roots to the shoots.
 The water travels up the stem of
 Tiny tubes in the stem run all the
way from the stem to the petals of
the flowers.
 When a flower is cut, it no longer
 Our experiment indicates that the
colored water traveled up the stem
and into the petals of the
Carnations.
the plant into the leaves and
flowers where it makes food.
has its roots, but the stem of the
flower still "drinks" up the water
and provides it to the leaves and
flowers.
Extension
 This popular trick is called
"Split Ends" and it requires
some help from an adult.
 Make some predictions:
 Which color will be soaked
up?
 Have your adult helper use a
sharp knife to slit the stem
straight down the middle.
 Put each half of the stem into
a cup of different colored
water (try positioning the red
and blue cups next to each
other, for example).
 Will the colors mix to make a
new color?
Links to Internet Resources Relating to
This Picture Lesson
 Create a Graph: :
http://nces.ed.gov/nceskid
s/createagraph/
 BrainPOP Video:
http://www.brainpop.com
/science/cellularlifeandg
enetics/photosynthesis/
preview.weml
More Picture Lessons
 To see other picture
lessons go to…
 http://science-
inquiry.wikispaces.com/