Life Processes 4 Plants & Animals 4.4 Plants
Sc 2: Life Processes
4 Plants & Animals
4.4 Plants
P.O.S.
Key Stage 1 Sc2: 3a, 3b, 3c
Key Stage 2 Sc2: 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d
Key Stage 3 Sc2: 3a, 3b, 3d
Life Processes 4 Plants & Animals 4.4 Plants
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
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To be able to find out practically what happens if a plant is deprived of light and water.
To know that both light and water are important to a plant.
To be able to investigate the best place for growing a plant.
To know the main parts of flowering plants and be able to recognise these parts on different plants (including trees and bushes)
To know that trees and bushes are flowering plants.
To know when a seed is starting to grow.
To understand a simple life cycle.
To be able to find out the conditions for seed growth.
To be able to describe the effects of water on plant growth.
To be able to describe the effects of light on plant growth.
To be able to describe the effects of temperature on plant growth.
To know that all plants have roots but different plants have different roots.
To know that roots hold the plant in the ground.
To know that plants produce their own food in their leaves.
To know that light (sunshine) is necessary for this to happen.
To know that water passes through the roots and up the stem.
To know that nutrients are needed for healthy growth.
To know that nutrients also pass through the roots and stem.
To know some factors that speed up/slow down the movement of water.
To be able to sequence the life cycle of a plant.
To be able to name the reproductive parts of a plant.
To understand the role of insects in reproduction.
To know how seeds are dispersed.
ICT
LINKS
VOCABULARY
Datalog – the amount of light and temperature
Geography
Light/dark, leaf, stem, wet/dry, growth, flower, root,
bark, trunk, branch, bud, stalk, seed, life cycle, fruit,
temperature, conditions, roots, anchor, force, pull,
energy, germinate, leaves, photosynthesis,
transport, nutrients, mineral, stamen, stigma, petal
pollen, pollination, seed dispersal, seed production,
germination, ovary
Life Processes 4 Plants & Animals 4.4 Plants
ACTIVITIES
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Set up, after discussion, different places in which to grow plants and compare them e.g. water in
light, no water in light, water in dark, no water in dark. Pupils can record what happens.
Make a poster to depict what a plant needs.
Grow carrot tops.
Grow plants in the classroom for pupils to observe, touch and smell.
Grow bulbs in water to see root systems.
Sort flowers and leaves by size, shape and colour.
Make leaf or bark rubbings.
Give pupils labels to attach to plant parts outside.
Grow rapid cycling brassicas or white mustard seed which produces flowers fairly quickly.
Keep a picture diary of a plant as it grows and label main parts.
Discuss what we get from plants.
Collect a whole range of plants e.g. buttercup, daisy, dandelion garden plants etc for pupils to name
parts – orally or draw and label.
Make plant jigsaws.
Go on a plant hunt and/or a tree hunt.
Discuss which parts of a plant people eat.
Allow pupils to grow seeds they have collected. (Might be useful to put in freezer for a few days to
simulate winter). Record
Also include peach or plum or avocado stone and discuss word ‘stone’.
Look at common plants at different stages of the life cycle.
Sort and compare different seeds (SAFETY SYMBOL). Ensure pupils don’t eat these. Describe
similarities and differences.
Sequence simple life cycle of a plant (seeds- plant – flower – seed)
Cut open large seeds e.g. broad bean to show that there isn’t a “curled up” plant in there.
Grow rapid cycling brassicas to show complete life cycle in fairly short time.
Discuss pre-grown plants – seeds sown at weekly intervals starting several weeks before to show
growth pattern.
Use drama to act out life cycle.
Ask pupils to draw what they think is inside a seed.
Draw what they think a plant will look like in a few weeks.
Grow sprouting seeds e.g. mung beans, alfalfa.
If pupils are still not clear that plants need light and water let them grow seedlings (different to KS1)
in light/dark places with the same amount of water
and light places with different amounts of water.
RESOURCES
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A number of
seedlings or plants.
Black paper or
cardboard
Carrot tops, dishes
Variety of plants
(non-poisonous)
Bulbs, jars
Flower pictures (seed
catalogues are a
good source) or fresh
specimens.
Crayons.
‘Post-its’ with parts
named on.
Rapid cycling
brassica seed (Philip
Harris Science
Catalogue), white
mustard, pots,
compost
Seeds, pots, compost
Plant specimens or
photographs
Variety of seeds
Prepared life cycles
on card
Sharp knife, broad
bean seed
Rapid-cycling
brassica seed
Pre-grown plants
Mung beans, alfalfa,
jars
POINTS TO
NOTE
 Many pupils
don’t differentiate
between growing
plants inside or
outside; and how
this may affect
growing
conditions.
 Pupils might
suggest plants
grow at night
which shows they
are not aware of
the role of sunlight
in growth.
 Functions of the
particular parts is
KS2.
 Ensure pupils
experience trees
and bushes as
plants.
 Rapid cycling
brassicas are
quite expensive
seeds but will go
through a
complete life cycle
in 2-3 weeks.
White mustard
takes longer.
 Use different
plants from KS1.
 Temperature is
about warm or
Life Processes 4 Plants & Animals 4.4 Plants
ACTIVITIES
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RESOURCES
Discuss why plants don’t grow in winter. Find out if plants grow best in warm or cold places.
Design a poster to show the best growing conditions for plants.
Grow seeds where they will be in full sun, partial shade or full shade.
Grow seedlings in black film canisters with a hole punched in the side.
Compare growth of seedlings in natural and artificial light.
Grow seeds as follows: (under different combinations of conditions)
Light
Water
Warmth
1
2
3
4
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Cover an area of grass with black plastic and examine periodically.
Make a display of different types of roots e.g. tap root, fibrous roots, roots used for food (carrot,
parsnip etc) roots growing from different parts of the stem
Pull up weeds to find which roots make the best anchor. Which need gentle pulling, strong steady
pulls or roots snap when pulled?
Make models of ‘plants’ with different bases (roots) using construction kits. Test the stability.
Use a Newton meter to see how much force is needed to pull out a plant.
Cover one or two leaves of a pot plant. Predict what will happen and then check after 7-10 days.
Cut white mustard seedlings so there is a stem and leaves but no roots. These can be pushed
gently into agar and will continue to grow. One or both leaves can be removed and pupils can
measure what happens to growth over a week or so.
Grow plants on window ledges and notice what happens to the leaves. Turn plant round and
observe changes over next day. Link back to Year 3 work.
If seedlings were not grown in canisters with a hole, let the pupils do this here.
Make a list of which plant leaves humans can eat.
What else eats plant leaves?
Look at flowers that close up at night e.g. daisy, mesembryanthemum.
Use a dried up, indented cactus
 Piece of card to measure angles
Top View
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Seeds, pots, jugs or
measuring
cylinders. Seedlings
growing in pots
Seeds, pots or soil.
Seeds, film canisters,
compost, hole punch.
Pots of seedlings,
bench light.
Seeds, pots
Black plastic.
Selection of plant with
roots.
Construction kits
Newton meter
Pot plants, foil
White mustard
seedlings 3 days old.
Petri dishes, agar –
melted and put in
dishes. (local
secondary school will
help here)
Plants
Film canisters,
seedlings
Dried up cactus, tape
measure, string.
Woody/non-woody
stems, plasticine
Weed plants, travel
string
Plants, celery, white
flowers, ink
Different flowers to
dissect.
cold conditions not
about varying the
degrees.
 Only change one
factor at a time. A
fridge is cold and
dark whilst a
window is hot and
light.
 Pupils sometimes
think that leaves
absorb water.
 Pupils do not need
to know about
wind pollination.
Life Processes 4 Plants & Animals 4.4 Plants
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Take a measurement e.g. height, diameter, angle between indents etc. Soak for 24 hours in bowl of
water. Re-measure for next 7/10 days.
Compare woody and non-woody stems by fastening them horizontally to a table, adding small pieces
of plasticine to the tip and measuring how much they dip down.
Carefully uproot some weed specimens so roots are intact. Suspend above the ground next to ones
left in the ground. Compare at intervals.
Put complete plants in water with coloured ink. Can also use celery or white flowers. After a few
hours the plants can be cut to see how far up the stem the dye has gone.
Dissect and name parts of different flowers.
Grow soaked and un-soaked beans. Does this affect the rate of germination?
Use rapid cycling brassicas to show a complete life cycle in 2-3 weeks.
Look at plants that attract lots of insects. Discuss
Collect pollen from different plants and look at under the microscope (SAFETY SYMBOL) (pollen
allergies).
Research the functions of the main parts of a flower.
Drop winged seeds – how far do they travel? Blow parachute-type seeds and compare what
happens.
Discuss why seeds need to spread.
Collect and group seeds according to how they are dispersed.
Drag an old jumper/blanket through the undergrowth and look at seeds that stick to it.
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Hand-lens
Bean seeds – unsoaked and soaked
for 24 hours.
Rapid cycling
brassica seed
Pollen, microscope
Books/videos
Seeds and fruits
Old blanket or
jumper, string
Life Processes 4 Plants & Animals 4.4 Plants
OWN ACTIVITIES
POSSIBLE INVESTIGATIONS
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Where is the best place to grow a plant? Either inside or outside classroom and whereabouts exactly e.g. by window, under a tree. Discuss what ‘best’ will
mean. Resources: a number of similar plants or seedlings.
Do seeds need light to germinate and grow? Resources: seeds, dishes or pots, black paper or cupboard
Which plant has the most leaves, biggest leaves, most flowers etc? Resources: plant samples
Which plant has the most unusual stem, unusual flower etc? Resources: plant pictures, card
What do seeds need to grow well e.g. water, light, soil, spacing? Resources: seeds, pots, compost, soil, cotton wool, paper towels.
Which is the best place in school to grow plants?
Does the colour of light affect growth? Use film canisters but sellotape coloured acetate over two opposite holes. Resources: seedlings in pots, film canisters,
sellotape, coloured filter acetate.
Does the amount of water affect how a plant grows?
Is more pull needed to remove a plant from wet/dry soil; sandy/clay soil?
What makes a difference to how hard it is to pull up a plant, e.g. root structure, root size, type of plant, size of plant, amount of force etc? Resources: access
to weeds, Newton meter (0-10N)
What happens to the growth of radish roots if leaves are removed? Pupils need to be able to see the roots to measure them so they must be grown
hydroponically. Resources: young radish plants, clear plastic glasses with water and plant food.
Do seeds need light to germinate? E.g. poppy and lettuce do.
What might speed up or slow down water moving in a plant? – use plants in coloured water, e.g. temperature, dark/light, wind, type of plant. Resources: plants
or celery with leaves, ink, containers
Does it matter what depth the seed is planted at?
Does it matter which way up the seed is planted? Use bean seeds/pumpkin seeds for this.
Sunflower seeds give out chemicals to stop other seeds germinating. Is this true?
Life Processes 4 Plants & Animals 4.4 Plants
Name:
Date Record Began:
Outcomes: NC Level 1  NC Level 4
1
1+
2
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Knows that plants grow from seeds.
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Describes some differences between the same parts of different plants e.g. different
leaf textures.
Names simply some of plants requirements for life e.g. water, sunshine, soil.
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Interprets by describing some similarities and differences between results with help.
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Can explain that a plant needs water to stop it dying.
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Can name the flower and the leaf.
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Can describe how they know a seed is beginning to grow.
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Can describe the effect of a lack of water.
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Can explain one thing that seeds need to grow
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Can identify the roots of some different plants.
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Knows that plants need light to grow.
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Knows that not all roots are the same.
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Can describe the effect of lack of light
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Can explain that a plant needs light and water.
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Can label some parts of plants e.g. flower, stem, root, leaf
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Can sequence a simple life cycle.
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Can simply describe that plants need e.g. water, sun, air.
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Can tell you that roots are used for anchorage
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Can describe some different types of roots.
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Know that plants do not get food from the soil.
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Know that water passes in through the roots and up the stem.
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Can describe some ways seeds are spread
Life Processes 4 Plants & Animals 4.4 Plants
2+
3
3+
4
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Can explain more than one thing seeds need to grow.
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Can sort plants into simple ‘root types’.
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Knows that plants make their own food in the leaf.
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Knows that plants need nutrients for health.
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Knows that nutrients also pass from soil to roots and up the stem.
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Can sequence the life cycle of a flowering plant.
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Can explain what attracts insects to flowers.
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Can explain the role of insects in reproduction.
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Can describe differences they have found in stems/leaves/roots and flowers
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Can draw or describe a life cycle fr a plant and tell you about the role of fruit.
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Can describe how different types of roots act as anchors.
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Can understand why a plant has to make food
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Knows that some roots store food and some roots can be above ground.
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Knows that plants need air, water and light to make food.
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Knows some factors that might speed up or slow down water movement.
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Can explain why seeds need to be dispersed.
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Can name the reproductive parts of a flower
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Knows that ‘photosynthesis’ is the name of the process by which plants make food.
Further Comments