Early Level Science
Significant Aspect of Learning
Experiences and Outcomes
Planet Earth – Biodiversity and Interdependence
I have observed living things in the environment over time and am
becoming aware of how they depend on each other.
Learning Statements
SCN 0-01a
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Living things and how they depend on each other.
Names of parts of plants
Growing plants
Present data/information using displays, photographs,
simple carts and drawings.
Provide oral descriptions of what was done.
I have helped to grow plants and can name their basic parts. I can talk
about how they grow and what I need to do to look after them.
SCN 0-03a
Prior Learning
The Learner previously investigated living things during a topic entitled “Ourselves” and understands that humans grow from babies into a child and then an adult. The
Learner also has experience of growing plants outdoors.
Context of Learning
This learning was carried out over a period of 6 months. The learner participated in a daffodil planting fundraising activity for Marie Curie Cancer Research. They
investigated living things in the school environment, including plants, of which they can identify main parts. The learner also planted bulbs and cared for them within the
classroom. The learner classified images into living and non-living groups. The Learner also investigated living things through the Emperor’s Egg topic.
What would we need to look after an animal e.g. link to Nativity. What would the donkey need to keep him healthy?
The learner was asked to identify living things in the
environment whilst exploring the school grounds. They had
access to a digital camera to photograph things they
thought were alive. The learner asked for a trowel to dig in
the ground.
Learning Conversation
T: Why do you think this thing is living?
L: It is living because it has eyes, a nose, a mouth and it
grows into a boy or girl.
Learning Statement
Living things and how they depend on each other
The people walking are
living. The grownups might
be going to get stuff for
dinner from the shops. My
mum does that.
The grass and trees are
alive. The plants we put
in the plant box are
alive too.
Lots of birds come into our
playground. They eat all our
tuck that we drop. Look, they
are sitting on the roof waiting.
I’m looking for spiders and
insects.
Photo of bird in sky
taken by learner
I think there might be some
worms in the soil, the birds
like eating them.
T: Why are the birds living? Do they grow into boys and
girls?
L: Because they fly and you get boy birds and girl birds
and sometimes they are different colours. Baby birds
are tiny and fluffy, they grow big.
T: What about the grass and plants, why are they living?
Do they have faces?
L: No they don’t have faces, sometimes trees do. But
the grass keeps growing because my dad has to cut it
lots of times. Trees go to sleep for winter and come
alive again when they get leaves.
T: Do you think all things grow?
L: No, I think things that are alive grow but not things
like stones.
The learner identified a wide variety of living things in the school grounds including plants. They are beginning
to develop an understanding that living things share common characteristics. Initially, they regarded living
things as having faces and growing into a boy or girl. This idea was challenged when looking at plants. The
learner then recognised that living things move and change. They identified how emperor penguins change in
appearance and size over time. They transferred the concepts of growth and change as characteristics of a
living thing to plants. They connected their learning in school to their experiences of watching the grass being
cut and the trees changing throughout the year. By recognising that birds eat worms and grownups look after
children, the learner is developing an awareness of living things being dependent on each other.
Model created by
learners comparing
an adult emperor
penguin with a
chick.
I am almost as tall as an
emperor penguin.
The baby chick is really small
but it will grow up to be as tall
as the bigger penguin.
Classifying
Learning Statement
Living things and how they depend on
each other
The learner participated in a range of classification
activities. This work was recorded through learning
conversations, worksheets and photographs.
Learning Conversation
Picture of baby:
L: “It is a living thing because it has eyes,
nose, mouth and it grows into a boy or girl”.
T: “Remember we said that a plant was a
living thing?”
L: “Yes.”
T: “Does it have eyes, nose and mouth?”
L: “No.”
T: “What is it that makes a baby a living
thing?”
L: “It grows into a boy or girl.”
Picture of butterfly:
L: “It is living.”
T: “Why?”
L: “Because it flies.”
Picture of cake:
L: “It is non-living because it doesn’t have
eyes or a nose.”
I made 4 groups. That is
the animals and that is the
plants. Then I’ve got
people and then the things
that are not alive.
The learner confidently identified living things in
their environment and sorted the selection of
pictures into the correct groups. Through discussion
it was evident that the learner was still relating
being “alive” to having a face. However, through
careful questioning the learner is showing an
increasing awareness of growth and movement as
characteristics common to living things. There is
evidence that the learner is moving on to First Level
concept development.
The learner is going beyond simple
classification of living and nonliving and sorted the images into 4
groups (animals, plants, humans
and non-living) according to their
own criteria. The learner does not
recognise humans as animals but
knows they are alive. This learner is
moving into First Level.
The learner completed a block of work on the Emperor’s egg. The class had a visit
from the SSPCA and brought in stuffed animals to role play how to care for them.
This work was recorded through learning conversations, worksheets, drama and
photographs.
Learning Statement
Living things and how they depend on
each other
A cat needs someone to
give it food and toys and
play with it to exercise it.
All the penguins
get a turn in the
middle. Where
is it the
warmest?
If penguins get really cold they
huddle together to keep warm.
They look after each other to
make sure everyone gets a turn.
.to be warm.
The learner is aware that living things
need food, water and care. They
demonstrated knowledge of how people
care for many kinds of animals and that
these animals would not live without this
care. They also showed an understanding
of how animals can protect their own
species from environmental dangers and
threats from predators. The learner
demonstrated an understanding of how
animals depend on a reliable food source
and if this is taken away it will threaten the
life of that animal.
Growing daffodils in the classroom allowed
the learner to demonstrate how to care for
plants and discuss what they need. They
identified that the indoor plants need our
care to survive but that outdoors, many
daffodils can grow in the wild because they
get water from the rain and warmth from
the sun.
The learner took on the role of the father
penguin and role played caring for the egg.
They then discussed the activity as a class,
which was then scribed from the discussion.
I pretended to be the daddy
penguin and carried my egg
on my feet. It was really
tricky to keep my egg. The
daddy has to work really
hard to look after the egg.
Planting
Learning Statements
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The learner participated in planting bulbs. This work was recorded through learning
conversations, worksheets, models and annotated photographs.
We put our pots near the
window so the plants
could get some sunshine
but we didn’t put them
outside because it was too
cold.
The learner is able to name and identify
the different parts of a plant. They
recognised that each part of the plant has
an important job to do to keep the plant
alive. The learner is also aware that they
had to place the daffodils near the window
in order for them to get heat from the sun.
T:”Do you think it will get bigger?”
L: “No, I think you will have to put it in the soil and it will grow into a
plant.
T: “What will we do with this?”
L: “If we put it under the ground it will grow into something. It needs soil
and water and we have to wait and then it will grow”
L: “I think it might grow into a plant and it will grow up. It might grow into
an onion tree.”
I made 4 groups. That is
the animals and that is the
plants. Then I’ve got
The
stem
sucks up water
people and
then
the things
that are not
alive.
the flower can drink. We
Models of daffodils and class
grown daffodils
L: “There are lots of spots on it and twirly things. It’s like seaweed. It
looks like an onion. It’s dirty. It might grow into some flowers, a tree and
bushes. I think it is a seed or flowers. I think it grows.”
T: What might it grow into?
The flower is pretty and
bees like it so they land on
it. Then they eat it.
so
need to give our plants
water in their pots or they
will die.
Learning Conversation
Initially the learner did not think the bulb was living. The following
discussion took place as the learner was examining the bulb closely with a
magnifying glass.
Names of plant parts
Growing plants
The roots grow longer so
they can get water and food
from the soil.
When the daffodils moved, the learner
noticed that they had turned towards the
window. They discussed the idea of the
flower moving towards the sun to get as
much light as possible. They are
recognising the important things that
plants need to grow.
I planted the bulb in the
soil. I put water on the
ground and the daffodil
started to grow. Eventually
we all saw a big green stem
and yellow flowers.
The learner revisited the concept of plant
growth several months after the initial block
of work.
The learner could remember that plants
need soil, water and light to grow
successfully.
The learner planted a daffodil bulb and
recorded how it changed over time.
The learner has demonstrated sufficient
progress in all the related learning statements
for Biodiversity and interdependence and are
now recognised as secure at Early Level.