Science Year 2
Observe and describe how seeds and bulbs grow into mature plants
Observe closely
Gather and record data
Identify and classify
Local environment – wild area, nature trail, flower beds, etc. or a nearby park, nature area, etc.
Letter to send home if necessary. Clipboards, drawing pencils, crayons, water colour crayons, pastels, etc. Drawing paper or sketch books. Flower identification books – garden, wild flower, trees, etc. Digital camera. Containers to hold samples of seeds collected
If you have access to a garden area, wild area or nature trail and it is a suitable time of year (late spring, early summer) go for a walk to look for flowers and seeds (look at garden plants, wild flowers, bushes and trees). If necessary organise a trip to a local park or nature area instead, having sent letters home in advance asking for permission to take children off the school grounds and to ask for additional adult help.
Before going on the walk discuss how to take care of the plants they are studying. Do not pick the flowers – leave them for others to enjoy and for the seeds to develop and grow into new plants. Try to avoid walking on the plants.
Explain that a few seeds can be collected as the plants want the seeds to be dispersed anyway. Do not take all the seeds though!
Children take clipboards and drawing paper or sketch books. Draw at least 4 careful pictures of flowers. Take digital photographs of the plants that children are drawing to help with identification.
Look for any seeds that have formed and draw them too (could be same plant that still has flowers or a different plant. Some seeds may still be immature, e.g. acorns, horse chestnut (conkers), others may be ready for dispersal
(spreading), e.g. dandelions, lupins. Collect some samples with adult help. Take digital photographs of the seeds in situ to help with identification back in the classroom.
Adult-led activity:
Water, observe & measure seeds and bulbs and then complete the diary sheet (Session B resources). Continue treating all seeds and bulbs in the same way (light, water, soil, temperature, etc.) as from the start.
Safety: Wash hands after handling seeds/bulbs/plants.
Independent activity:
Identify seeds found. Children create labels for a display of the seeds they have found. Place seeds in small plastic bags to pin to display board or to lay on a display table.
Independent activity:
Children colour the flowers that they drew and try to identify them using identification books. Look at an identification book together and discuss how to find the flowers children are looking for. Some are arranged by colour, others by season/month of the year or by habitat. Use the contents and index pages to assist in the identification. Children may remember the names of some of the flowers from the work done in Year 1.
Share the drawings children have made. Can other children name the plants from the drawings? Explain that children will study the function of flowers and the dispersal of seeds in detail in Year 3.
1. Make careful drawings of flowers and seeds in situ.
2. Identify plants using books.
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