Next Generation Botany

Civilization simply would not exist without plants, yet their importance is often overlooked. As the nation's ability to respond to the botanical challenges associated with food production, climate change, invasive species, and biodiversity loss continues to decrease (Kramer, Zorn- Arnold, and Havens 2010), educators must discourage this "plant blindness" (Wandersee and Schussler 1999) by including plant topics in the curriculum wherever possible. In this article, the authors present an inquiry lesson on the ecology of the eastern redbud ("Cercis canadensis"), a bruchid beetle seed predator ("Gibbobruchus mimus"), and several species of parasitoid chalcid wasps (superfamily: "Chalcidoidea"). This lesson addresses several concepts in the "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS Lead States 2013), such as community structure, trophic interactions, cycles of matter and energy, and the carbon cycle, adding more than just a pinch of plant biology.