• Given a selection of plants, students identify the plants using a common plant key.

Standard 2: Students will show an understanding of cell functions and cell components. Students will identify the principles of plant inheritance, which will include the structure and role of nuclear and cytoplasmic DNA.
Examples of the types of work students should be able to do to meet the standard:

• Given a series of plants grown in different conditions of humidity, students describe the plants’ reactions in terms of cell function.

Standard 3: Students will show an understanding of the plant physiology and growth. Students will describe the factors which influence plant growth, including water, nutrients, and air.
Examples of the types of work students should be able to do to meet the standard:

• Students propose methods to modify the factors and predict plant response.

Standard 4: Students will show an understanding of the difference between sexual and asexual reproduction in plants. They will explain the results of ploidy, diploidsomatic cell, haploid-reproductive, and multiploid cells.
Examples of the types of work students should be able to do to meet the standard:

• Students demonstrate three techniques for successful plant propagation, including budding or grafting, cuttings, and seed propagation.

Standard 5: Students will show an understanding of basic plant pathology and pest problems and their respective economic impacts. They will identify the types of pathogens and pests that affect plants. Students will describe the symptoms of disease and insect damage and methods of management, including genetic resistance.
Examples of the types of work students should be able to do to meet the standard:

• On a given crop or well-defined scenario, students identify types of pathogens and pests that affect plants, proposing control actions with concerns.

Standard 6: Students will show an understanding of crop management and production practices. Students will demonstrate local cultural techniques, including pruning, fertilization, planting, irrigation, harvesting, pesticide safety, and marketing practices.
Examples of the types of work students should be able to do to meet the standard:

• Students describe the practices necessary to effectively manage and conserve soil and water through irrigation, drainage, tillage, and soil and water conservation.
• After reading the label of a fertilizer or pesticide, and using knowledge about local cultural practices, students develop a plan for timing and safe application.
• Given a crop on a specific piece of land, students suggest and defend a management procedure.
• Students service and safely operate a common crop-production implement and identify situations where repairs and maintenance are required.

Standard 7: Students will show an understanding of tissue culture and gene transfer in plant breeding as compared to conventional plant improvement and resistance procedures. They will understand the concept of haploid plants obtained by anther/microscopic culture, protoplast fusion, and gene transfer.
Examples of the types of work students should be able to do to meet the standard:

• Given the most clean situation available, students demonstrate “clean” material handling and predict the success of the “aseptic” propagation techniques.
• Given examples of recent tissue culture and gene transfer in commercial operations, students identify and discuss public concerns.

Standard 8: Students will show an understanding of the principles of record keeping. They will demonstrate record keeping utilizing a variety of methods and systems, and will explain the differences between financial and production records.
Examples of the types of work students should be able to do to meet the standard:

• Using common monitoring charts, students record the operations and growth of an agricultural crop; from the plotted data, students predict the outcome if the operations are continued.

Standard 9: Students will show that they recognize the traits of effective leaders. Students will participate in leadership training activities, including public speaking, leading group discussions, working within a committee, conducting business meetings, and problem solving.
Examples of the types of work students should be able to do to meet the standard:

• Students make a presentation to a community group regarding their investigation of a local crop production issue; i.e., dust during almond harvest.

Standard 10: Students will show an understanding of the relationship between supervised practical experience projects and their preparation for a career in agriculture. Students will engage in a supervised practical experience employing skills and knowledge learned in the classroom.
Examples of the types of work students should be able to do to meet the standard:

• Maintain an ongoing record book that includes financial, labor, and skills-development records.
• Students defend their selection of supervised practical experience by explaining how it supports their skill development in plant and soil science.

• With a partner, students plant the seeds of a given plant along with cuttings from a mature example of the species. In a journal, students individually record pertinent data (i.e., planting date, planting depth, cutting height, and other observations). Data are collected for at least 6 weeks. Students present their graphed results in a short oral report, explaining the importance of sexual and asexual propagation to the agriculture industry.