Laura is a final year PhD student with the Birmingham Institute for Forest Research (BIFoR), exploring chemical communication between plants and other ecosystem members, under pollution. She is particularly interested in the signals that plants send to each other through the release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Key Stage
4 and 5
Learning Objectives
Identify how plants use chemistry to communicate wirelessly Describe what volatile organic compounds (VOC) are Explain how the impact of pollution on plant communication can be investigated
Key Words
Compound	Climate	Herbivore	Pollution	Volatile

Mini Lecture

How can you use Laura's mini lecture in your classroom?

1. Hook Activity: use this mini lecture as a 'hook' for your lessons to grab pupils attention, generate interest around the topic and highlight the wider context for the topic.

2. Key Word Generator: encourage your pupils to write down as many keywords from the mini lecture as they can. Use this list to: create a glossary, play bingo, have a game of Pictionary etc.

3. Quiz Maker: encourage your pupils to create a set of quiz cards/ true or false questions and/ or exam style questions based on the clip. Ask them to try out each others quizzes and reflect on what they have learnt.

4. Note-Taker: for students moving into Y12 and Y13, use the mini lecture to try out different note-taking techniques and support the transition to KS5 and Higher Education.

5. Seminar Showcase: encourage your pupils to set up their own lunch club and use the mini-lectures to discuss underlying research themes, such as climate change, biodiversity, plants and trees.

If you think of any other ways to use this mini lecture in your classroom, we would love to know! Share @BIFoRUoB #MiniLecture

Research Poster

Discover other PhD Researchers at BIFoR who are marking International Day of Women and Girls in Science

Key Stage

4 and 5

Learning Objectives

Identify how plants use chemistry to communicate wirelessly

Describe what volatile organic compounds (VOC) are

Explain how the impact of pollution on plant communication can be investigated

Key Words

How can you use Laura's mini lecture in your classroom?