Thermogenesis of Skunk Cabbage

This short video montage shows the late winter landscape and the heat generation (thermogenesis) of skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus). The skunk cabbage uses uses food/calories to convert to heat, produce more leaves/flowers and more efficiently survive a hard time in early spring. This unique wildflower has the capability of generating heat to help prevent freezing and volatilizing fragrances to attract pollinators.

Video

Palo

Iowa Core Standard

HS-LS1-7

Use a model to illustrate that cellular respiration is a chemical process whereby the bonds of food molecules and oxygen molecules are broken and the bonds in new compounds are formed resulting in a net transfer of energy

Driving Question

What are some costs and benefits to using energy/food stores to create a lot of heat?

Probing Questions

What season does it appear to be in the video?
Has the plant growing season begun yet?
What prevents plants from growing at this time of year?
What would the plant need to have to generate heat?
How do our bodies generate heat?

Classroom Suggestions

Students could:

Brainstorm the costs and benefit of using food stores to produce more leaves/flowers or more efficiently survive a hard time in early spring.
Research niche utilization- beating pollinator competition by being the first, avoiding shade by blooming before tree canopy, etc.

Resources

In Defense of Plants| Skunk Cabbage: Matt Candeias, botanist and host of the "In Defense of Plants" podcast, writes a short article and video on skunk cabbage.
Khan Academy | Temperature Regulation Strategies: A teacher or student reading selection describing how organisms regulate temperature and the costs/benefits of each
Duke Farms | Skunk Cabbage Lesson Plan: Written for upper elementary, this lesson plan could be adapted to middle/high school students about skunk cabbage.

Contributors

Submitted by Craig Hemsath