Lesson Plan

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Lesson Plan
Grade: Date: 25/02/2026
Subject: Biology
Lesson Topic: describe the rapid response of the Venus fly trap to stimulation of hairs on the lobes of modified leaves and explain how the closure of the trap is achieved
Learning Objective/s:
  • Describe the sequence of physiological events that lead to Venus fly‑trap closure.
  • Explain how electrical and calcium signalling trigger rapid turgor changes.
  • Analyse why two separate hair stimulations are required for trap activation.
  • Compare the snap‑buckling mechanism to other rapid plant movements.
Materials Needed:
  • Projector or interactive whiteboard
  • Slides/diagrams of Venus fly‑trap anatomy and signal cascade
  • Handout with a flowchart of the closure process
  • Short video of a trap snapping
  • Worksheet with case‑study questions
  • Optional: live Venus fly‑trap specimen (if available)
 Introduction:
Begin with a quick poll: “What plant movements have you observed?” Connect this to prior knowledge of tropisms and then pose the mystery of the Venus fly‑trap’s lightning‑fast snap. State that by the end of the lesson students will be able to describe the full physiological chain and explain why two stimuli are needed.
Lesson Structure:
  1. Do‑now (5'): Students list known plant movements on sticky notes – teacher collects for a brief share.
  2. Mini‑lecture (10'): Present anatomy, trigger hairs, and a video of a trap closing; highlight key terms.
  3. Guided analysis (12'): Walk through the 8‑step physiological sequence; pupils fill a table matching each step to its time scale.
  4. Interactive simulation (8'): Online model where students trigger hairs twice and observe generated action potentials; discuss the “two‑stimulus” rule.
  5. Group task (10'): Teams create a concise explanation of the snap‑buckling mechanism and present to the class.
  6. Exit ticket (5'): Write one sentence describing how calcium signalling leads to trap closure.
Conclusion:
Recap the chain from hair deflection to snap‑buckling, emphasizing the role of electrical signals and turgor loss. Collect exit tickets to gauge understanding, and assign a short homework: students draw and label the trap’s cross‑section, annotating where each physiological event occurs.