Project

Root & Hue Plants to Dye For

Intro

Students become a research team hired by a fictional T-shirt company, Root & Hue, to develop a line of natural plant-based fabric dyes. After exploring the history of natural pigments, students grow selected plants and investigate soil, photosynthesis, transpiration, and how plant pigments interact with different wavelengths of light. They use chromatography to separate plant pigments, explore conservation of mass in closed systems, and finally use their dyes to tie-dye T-shirts.

Science Domains: Life Science, Physical Science

NGSS Standards: MS-LS1-6, MS-PS1, MS-PS4-2

Project Poster

Download the project poster as a PDF. The project poster includes a description of the challenge, learning goals, and a list of materials and references.

Download The Poster (PDF)

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to:

  • Use chromatography to separate and identify plant pigments, including chlorophyll.
  • Explain the role of photosynthesis and transpiration in plant growth using data from classroom investigations.
  • Investigate how light of different wavelengths interacts with plant pigments.
  • Demonstrate that mass is conserved during chemical reactions in a closed system.
  • Apply laboratory findings to create and evaluate plant-based fabric dyes.