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Plants
Pupils should be taught to:
• identify and describe the functions of different parts of flowering plants: roots, stem/trunk, leaves and flowers;
• explore the requirements of plants for life and growth (air, light, water, nutrients from soil, and room to grow) and how they vary from plant to plant;
• investigate the way in which water is transported within plants;
• explore the part that flowers play in the life cycle of flowering plants, including pollination, seed formation and seed dispersal.
Y3 Plants; What do Plants Need?
Resource Details
A PowerPoint presentation looking at plants and what they need in order to grow and remain healthy. The PowerPoint can be used at the beginning of the topic or during it to stimulate scientific discussions, ideas and theories.
View ResourceY3 Plants
Resource Details
A PowerPoint presentation used to introduce plants and what they need to grow and survive. The PowerPoint can be used at the beginning of the topic or during it to stimulate scientific discussions, ideas and theories.
View ResourceY3 Seed Dispersal Labels
Resource Details
Pupils use seed dispersal labels to help them identify and group seed dispersal methods.
Learning Objectives:
- PoS - explore the part that flowers play in the life cycle of flowering plants, including pollination, seed formation and seed dispersal
- WS - look for patterns in the structure of fruits that relate to how the seeds are dispersed
Y3 Fruits and Seed Dispersal
Resource Details
Pupils look at the importance of fruits in seed dispersal. They learn that some plants use fruits to help them disperse their fruits. They also learn that plants have developed a number of other ingenious ways of dispersing their seeds.
Learning Objectives:
- PoS - explore the part that flowers play in the life cycle of flowering plants, including pollination, seed formation and seed dispersal
- WS - pupils should ask relevant questions and using different types of scientific enquiries to answer them; use straightforward scientific evidence to answer questions or to support their findings; look for patterns in the structure of fruits that relate to how the seeds are dispersed
Y3 Seed Dispersal Methods
Resource Details
Pupils learn about the various ways plants disperse their seeds. They learn about the importance of seed dispersal in the life cycle of plants. Pupils have to group seeds according to the seed dispersal method being deployed. They also have to explain how and why they made their choices based on the visual clues provided in the pictures.
Learning Objectives:
- PoS - explore the part that flowers play in the life cycle of flowering plants, including pollination, seed formation and seed dispersal
- WS - pupils should ask relevant questions and use different types of scientific enquiries to answer them; use straightforward scientific evidence to answer questions or to support their findings; look for patterns in the structure of fruits that relate to how the seeds are dispersed
Y3 Seed Dispersal
Resource Details
Pupils learn about the various ways plants spread their seeds. They learn about the importance of seed dispersal in the life cycle of a plant. Pupils have to group plants according to seed dispersal methods. This grouping is based on visual clues and pupils have to explain the choices they make.
Learning Objectives:
- PoS - explore the part that flowers play in the life cycle of flowering plants, including pollination, seed formation and seed dispersal
- WS - pupils should ask relevant questions and use different types of scientific enquiries to answer them; use straightforward scientific evidence to answer questions or to support their findings; look for patterns in the structure of fruits that relate to how the seeds are dispersed
Y3 Do Plants Need Light?
Resource Details
Pupils discuss whether or not they think plants need sunlight in order for them to stay healthy and to grow well. They plan and carry out an investigation to test their predictions.
Learning Objectives:
- PoS - explore the requirements of plants for life and growth (air, light, water, nutrients from soil, and room to grow) and how they vary from plant to plant
- NaG - pupils should be introduced to the relationship between structure and function: the idea that every part has a job to do
- WS - pupils should ask relevant questions and use different types of scientific enquiries to answer them; use straightforward scientific evidence to answer questions or to support their findings
Y3 Growing Cress (instructions)
Resource Details
Pupils produce a simple instruction sheet for planting and growing cress.
Learning Objectives:
- PoS - explore the requirements of plants for life and growth (air, light, water, nutrients from soil, and room to grow)
- NaG - compare the effect of different factors on plant growth
- WS - set up simple practical enquiries, comparative and fair tests
Y3 Growing Healthy Cress Plants
Resource Details
Pupils discuss with a partner/group what they think cress seeds need to help them to start growing. Pupils plant cress seeds into a range of plant pots, each of which are different and have different growing mediums and conditions. Pupils make predictions saying what they think will happen in each of the pots. Pupils record their results and measure the height of any observable plant growth. These results are placed into a graph and conclusions drawn.
Learning Objectives:
- PoS - explore the requirements of plants for life and growth (air, light, water, nutrients from soil, and room to grow) and how they vary from plant to plant
- WS - pupils should ask relevant questions and use different types of scientific enquiries to answer them; record findings using simple scientific language, drawings, labelled diagrams, keys, bar charts, and tables; use straightforward scientific evidence to answer questions or to support their findings
Y3 Growing Seeds
Resource Details
Pupils discuss with a partner/group what they think seeds need to help them to start growing. After this discussion pupils visit a resource table and make a number of different planting pots, each of which are different. Pupils then sprinkle cress seeds into each pot and make a prediction saying what they think will happen in each of the pots to the cress seeds in each of the pots.
Learning Objectives:
- PoS - explore the requirements of plants for life and growth (air, light, water, nutrients from soil, and room to grow)
- WS - pupils should compare the effect of different factors on plant growth; asking relevant questions and using different types of scientific enquiries to answer them; record findings using simple scientific language, drawings, labelled diagrams, keys, bar charts, and tables
Y3 Helping Seeds to Grow
Resource Details
Pupils learn that most plants grow from seeds. They are given a small selection of seeds (cress seeds are ideal) and asked to look at them and notice that, at the moment they are not growing! Pupils will learn that their seeds will stay like this unless they help them. They are asked to think about what their seeds need to help them to begin to grow. Pupils then design an investigation to test their predictions.
Learning Objectives:
- PoS - explore the requirements of plants for life and growth (air, light, water, nutrients from soil, and room to grow) and how they vary from plant to plant
- WS - pupils should ask relevant questions and use different types of scientific enquiries to answer them; set up simple practical enquiries, comparative and fair tests; record findings using simple scientific language, drawings, labelled diagrams, keys, bar charts, and tables
Y3 What do Seeds Need to Grow?
Resource Details
Using a series of headings and bullet point prompts pupils are encouraged to think, discuss and then plan an investigation to find out what seeds need in order to germinate and remain healthy.
Learning Objectives:
- PoS - explore the requirements of plants for life and growth (air, light, water, nutrients from soil, and room to grow) and how they vary from plant to plant
- NaG - pupils should be introduced to the relationship between structure and function: the idea that every part has a job to do
- WS - pupils should ask relevant questions and use different types of scientific enquiries to answer them; record findings using simple scientific language, drawings, labelled diagrams, keys, bar charts, and tables; use straightforward scientific evidence to answer questions or to support their findings
Y3 What do Plants Require for Life?
Resource Details
Pupils construct an artificial plant and then compare it with a real one in order to identify what healthy plants require in order to keep them alive and healthy.
Learning Objectives:
- PoS - explore the requirements of plants for life and growth (air, light, water, nutrients from soil, and room to grow)
- WS - pupils should ask relevant questions and use different types of scientific enquiries to answer them
Y3 Conditions for Plant Growth
Resource Details
Pupils have to think about what plants need for healthy growth. They record their thoughts in a list and then have to design an investigation to see if the things on this list were correct.
Learning Objectives:
- PoS - explore the requirements of plants for life and growth (air, light, water, nutrients from soil, and room to grow) and how they vary from plant to plant
- NaG - pupils should be introduced to the relationship between structure and function: the idea that every part has a job to do
- WS - pupils should ask relevant questions and use different types of scientific enquiries to answer them; record findings using simple scientific language, drawings, labelled diagrams, keys, bar charts and tables; use straightforward scientific evidence to answer questions or to support their findings
Y3 What Affects Germination?
Resource Details
Pupils investigate what they think seeds need to germinate and to grow into healthy plants. They make predictions, plan and investigation, gather results and draw conclusions.
Learning Objectives:
- PoS - explore the requirements of plants for life and growth (air, light, water, nutrients from soil, and room to grow) and how they vary from plant to plant
- NaG - pupils should be introduced to the relationship between structure and function: the idea that every part has a job to do
- WS - pupils should ask relevant questions and use different types of scientific enquiries to answer them; record findings using simple scientific language, drawings, labelled diagrams, keys, bar charts, and tables; use straightforward scientific evidence to answer questions or to support their findings
Y3 Life Cycle of Plant
Resource Details
Pupils learn about the life cycle of a plant from germination through to seed dispersal (a cut and paste activity).
Learning Objectives:
- PoS - explore the part that flowers play in the life cycle of flowering plants, including pollination, seed formation and seed dispersal
- NaG - pupils should be introduced to the relationship between structure and function of a plant: the idea that every part has a job to do
Y3 Insect Pollination
Resource Details
Pupils learn that plants can be pollinated by either insects or the wind. They learn that plants have structures that help them to be successful with pollination and that these structures differ between insect and wind pollinated plants. They learn that a flower has evolved to attract insects and help the plant with pollination. Pupils carry out an investigation to see which type of insects visit flowers to help them with pollination.
Learning Objectives:
- PoS - identify and describe the functions of different parts of flowering plants: roots, stem, leaves and flowers; explore the part that flowers play in the life cycle of flowering plants, including pollination, seed formation and seed dispersal
- NaG - pupils should be introduced to the relationship between structure and function: the idea that every part has a job to do
- WS - pupils should gather, record, classify and present data in a variety of ways to help in answering questions
Y3 Pollination
Resource Details
Pupils investigate pollination and the type and amount of insects that are attracted to flowers to help with this process.
Learning Objectives:
- PoS - identify and describe the functions of different parts of flowering plants: roots, stem, leaves and flowers; explore the part that flowers play in the life cycle of flowering plants, including pollination, seed formation and seed dispersal
- NaG - pupils should be introduced to the relationship between structure and function: the idea that every part has a job to do
- WS - pupils should gather, record, classify and present data in a variety of ways to help in answering questions
Y3 Plant Structure and Reproduction
Resource Details
Pupils learn about the functions and parts of a flowering plant. Pupils also make a working model to help them both understand and explain pollination.
Learning Objectives:
- PoS - identify and describe the functions of different parts of flowering plants: roots, stem, leaves and flowers; explore the part that flowers play in the life cycle of flowering plants, including pollination, seed formation and seed dispersal
- NaG - pupils should be introduced to the relationship between structure and function: the idea that every part has a job to do