Rooted to the Spot
A tree can never move, yet it must find food, lift water to its highest leaf, stand up to storms and get through winter. Follow one sour orange tree in Seville, from seed to its finest roots, and work out how it solves every problem standing still. Twelve investigations for ages 12 and up, inside a living model of the tree.
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From seed to sugar
Lesson 1
The Seed From Masada
A date seed found at an ancient desert fort sprouted after about 2,000 years. How could a tiny plant stay alive so long without fresh food or water?
StartLesson 2
Planted Upside Down
An upside-down seed sends its root back towards the ground. What tells the root which way to grow?
StartLesson 3
Seventy-Four Kilograms of Willow
A willow grown in a pot became much heavier, but the soil lost almost no weight. Where did the tree get the material for all that new wood?
StartLesson 4
A Hundred Litres Uphill
Water travels from a tree’s roots to leaves high above the ground. How can it climb without a pump inside the trunk?
StartUp and out
Lesson 5
Why Not a Kilometre Tall?
Some trees grow taller than a 30-storey building. Why can they not keep growing taller forever?
StartLesson 6
The Nail in the Trunk
A mark is painted on a young tree’s trunk. As the tree grows taller, how will the mark’s height above the ground change?
StartLesson 7
Lesson 8
Standing in a Storm
A tree survives years of storms, then falls after its neighbours are cut down. How could losing other trees make this one less able to withstand the wind?
StartLasting and leaving
Lesson 9
The Price of a Wound
Sticky resin can seal a pine tree’s wounds and trap attacking insects. Why might making lots of it leave the tree less able to grow?
StartLesson 10
Why Throw Away Your Leaves?
A tree spends months making leaves, then drops them in autumn. How can throwing away its leaves help it survive?
StartLesson 11
Far From the Tree
A grown tree does well here, but few of its young ones survive underneath it. Why?
StartLesson 12
Who Feeds Whom Underground?
A fungus takes some of a tree’s food, yet the tree can grow better with it. What could make that trade worthwhile?
StartReview and assessment
Lesson 13
Test: Rooted to the Spot
Review the course ideas by applying them to new situations, with kind feedback after every answer.
Locked till you take the prior lesson