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Plants

Science Year 1 What's Growing In Our Gardens?

Explore the outdoor area of school and look at plants that are growing. Talk about what they are and what they will look like when they are fully grown. Map out the school garden area and decorate with sketches, facts and labels. Plant chitted potatoes and set up a garden centre in the classroom. Examine a flower and make a large model in the classroom, do leaf rubbings and then create a large piece of art on the playground floor.

block outcomes Key Concepts

Session 1 Going and growing outside

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Objectives

Explore the outdoor area of school and look at plants that are growing. Talk about what they are and what they will look like when they are fully grown. Map out the school garden area and decorate with sketches, facts and labels.

Science Objectives
i) Identify and name a variety of common wild and garden plants, including deciduous and evergreen trees.

ii) Identify and describe the basic structure of a variety of common flowering plants, including trees.

Working Scientifically

  1. Ask simple questions and recognise that they can be answered in different ways.
  2. Observe closely, using simple equipment.
  3. Perform simple tests.
  4. Identify and classify.
  5. Use their observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions.
  6. Gather and record data to help answer questions.

Extended Writing Opportunities
Labels, lists and signs: Draw a diagram of the school garden with labels. Make signs for the school garden.

You Will Need

Provided Resources

  • Images and close-up drawings of fruit

Additional Resources

  • Local fruit and vegetables
  • Chopping boards
  • Knives
  • Sketch books
  • Clipboards
  • Camera
  • Images and close-up drawings of fruit
  • Magnifying glasses
  • Large sheet of card
  • Marker pens

Weblinks
Mr Tumble grows things in his garden from www.YouTube.com

Lesson Planning

Teaching

  • Examine, draw and taste a range of fruits and vegetables that could be grown in a garden.
  • Talk about experiences of growing plants or about someone they know who has a garden.
  • Identify, label and sketch growing plants.
  • Make a map of the garden plot, identifying the plants and predicting what they will turn into when they are fully grown. Label the map with any recognisable mini-beast habitats or sketches of mini-beasts found in the area.

Activities

  1. Discuss a range of fruit and vegetables and make close observations and drawings.
  2. Identify and closely observe plants outside the school building.
  3. Make a collective map of the garden plot, labelling the plants and predicting what they will turn into when they are fully grown.

Investigation - exploring
Go outside to the school garden to look at plants.
Make a map of the garden plot, identifying the plants and predicting what they will turn into when they are fully grown.

Vocabulary
Plant, leaf, grow, weed, change, living, water, healthy, similar to, different from

Session 2 One potato, two potato

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Objectives

Look at different potatoes and potato products. Working in teams, prepare tubs for growing, and plant a chitted potato. As a team, how will you keep your potato plant healthy?

Science Objectives
i) Identify and name a variety of common wild and garden plants, including deciduous and evergreen trees.

ii) Identify and describe the basic structure of a variety of common flowering plants, including trees.

Working Scientifically

  1. Ask simple questions and recognise that they can be answered in different ways.
  2. Observe closely, using simple equipment.
  3. Perform simple tests.
  4. Identify and classify.
  5. Use their observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions.
  6. Gather and record data to help answer questions.

Lesson Planning

Teaching

  • Share knowledge about potatoes, including how they are grown and in what forms we can eat them.
  • Look at and compare different types of potato.
  • Prepare tubs , plant chitted seed potatoes and make predictions.
  • Consider what we need to do to encourage our seed potato to grow and produce lots of potatoes.

Activities

  1. Share what they already know about potatoes, including how they are grown and in what forms we can eat them.
  2. Consider the different types of potato, including their similarities and differences.
  3. Work in teams to prepare tubs and plant chitted potatoes.
  4. Consider what each team needs to do to look after the potato plants.

Investigation - exploring
In groups, prepare tubs and plant chitted potatoes.

Vocabulary
Plant, leaf, grow, weed, change, living, water, healthy, similar to, different from, potato, chitting

Session 3 Garden centres and seeds

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Objectives

Set up a garden centre in the classroom and plant seeds in a jar or bag. Predict what will happen and start to watch them grow. How will you keep your seeds healthy?

Science Objectives
i) Identify and name a variety of common wild and garden plants, including deciduous and evergreen trees.

ii) Identify and describe the basic structure of a variety of common flowering plants, including trees.

Working Scientifically

  1. Ask simple questions and recognise that they can be answered in different ways.
  2. Observe closely, using simple equipment.
  3. Perform simple tests.
  4. Identify and classify.
  5. Use their observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions.
  6. Gather and record data to help answer questions.

You Will Need

Provided Resources

  • Different gardens resource
  • Examples of classroom garden centres
  • How to grow a bean in a bag
  • My bean in a bag diary

Additional Resources

  • Things for setting up a garden centre in the classroom - small plants, role play cakes, till, baskets, plastic food, paper, pens, card for signs etc.
  • Dried bean seeds & paper towels
  • Stapler & ruler
  • Plastic bag (the A4 sized kind which seals at the top works best)

Weblinks
Lowden Garden Centre from www.YouTube.com
 Information video for teachers on sprouting bean seeds from www.YouTube.com
Time lapse video of a sprouting bean seed (3.26 mins) from www.YouTube.com

Lesson Planning

Teaching

  • Share knowledge about gardens and gardeners.
  • Design and set up a garden centre in the classroom.
  • Plant a bean in a bag and keep it in the classroom garden centre.
  • Predict the outcomes of the bean and seeds and set up a diary to observe the growth over time.
  • Consider what seeds need in order to be able to grow and how you can keep seeds healthy.

Activities

  1. Understand what a garden is and how varied they are.
  2. Design and set up a garden centre in the classroom.
  3. Plant a bean seed in a bag and consider what seeds need to be able to grow.
  4. Predict the outcomes of the bean seeds and set up a diary to observe the growth over time.

Investigation - observing over time
Design and set up a garden centre in the classroom.
Plant a bean in a jar and seeds in a bag and keep them in the classroom garden centre.

Vocabulary
Plant, leaf, grow, weed, change, living, water, healthy, different, seeds, garden centre

Session 4 What lives in the garden?

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Objectives

Go outside and look carefully at the plants and flowers. Understand more of the role pollen plays in the growing of fruit and vegetables and create a large pollen sculpture out of clay!

Science Objectives
i) Identify and name a variety of common wild and garden plants, including deciduous and evergreen trees.

ii) Identify and describe the basic structure of a variety of common flowering plants, including trees.

Working Scientifically

  1. Ask simple questions and recognise that they can be answered in different ways.
  2. Observe closely, using simple equipment.
  3. Perform simple tests.
  4. Identify and classify.
  5. Use their observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions.
  6. Gather and record data to help answer questions.

You Will Need

Provided Resources

  • Who's eaten the plant? resource
  • What is pollen? resource
  • How to make a clay pollen grain

Additional Resources

  • Clipboards
  • Pencils
  • Cameras
  • Sketchbooks
  • Air-drying clay
  • Clay board
  • Tools

Lesson Planning

Teaching

  • Explore the school garden (or a selected area of the playground).
  • Examine plants for signs of them having been eaten. Consider what may have eaten the plants and what else might be living in that place.
  • Look carefully at pollen and understand more about the role it plays in the growing of plants.
  • Create large pollen sculptures out of clay.
  • Use the scientific vocabulary associated with plants.

Activities

  1. Examine plants for signs of them having been eaten and consider what is eating them.
  2. Understand what pollen is and the role it plays in helping to make new plants.
  3. Appreciate the wide variety of pollen grain designs and create large pollen sculptures out of clay.

Investigation - exploring
Create large pollen sculptures out of clay and display, along with facts, in the classroom.

Vocabulary
Plant, leaf, grow, weed, change, living, water, healthy, pollen, flower

Session 5 What is inside a flower?

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Objectives

Ever wondered what is inside a flower? Take a look at flowers outside in the playground and then make a large model in the classroom.

Science Objectives
i) Identify and name a variety of common wild and garden plants, including deciduous and evergreen trees.

ii) Identify and describe the basic structure of a variety of common flowering plants, including trees.

Working Scientifically

  1. Ask simple questions and recognise that they can be answered in different ways.
  2. Observe closely, using simple equipment.
  3. Perform simple tests.
  4. Identify and classify.
  5. Use their observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions.
  6. Gather and record data to help answer questions.

Extended Writing Opportunities
Labels, lists and signs: Make a large model of the inside of a flower and label the main parts.
Information text: Explain the main parts of a flower and their purpose.

Lesson Planning

Teaching

  • Find flowering plants and carefully examine them with a magnifying glass. Sketch and photograph them.
  • Take a flowering plant to pieces and label the parts.
  • Model a flowering plant using junk modelling materials.
  • Understand the basic structure of a flower and the basic function of the main parts.

Activities

  1. Carefully examine flowers with a magnifying glass and become familiar with the inside of a flower.
  2. Make a large model of the inside of a flower using junk modelling materials.
  3. Understand the basic structure of a flowering plant and the basic function of the main parts.

Investigation - exploring, researching and analysing secondary sources
Find flowers outside in the playground and carefully examine them with a magnifying glass. Sketch and photograph them.
Make a large model of the inside of a flower using junk modelling materials.

Vocabulary
Plant, leaf, grow, deciduous, evergreen, roots, stem, leaves, flower

Session 6 What is inside a tree?

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Objectives

Look around at all the different trees in the area. Do leaf and bark rubbings outside, talk about trees and then create a large piece of art on the playground floor.

Science Objectives
i) Identify and name a variety of common wild and garden plants, including deciduous and evergreen trees.

ii) Identify and describe the basic structure of a variety of common flowering plants, including trees.

Working Scientifically

  1. Ask simple questions and recognise that they can be answered in different ways.
  2. Observe closely, using simple equipment.
  3. Perform simple tests.
  4. Identify and classify.
  5. Use their observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions.
  6. Gather and record data to help answer questions.

You Will Need

Provided Resources

  • Images of trees
  • Tree measuring challenge

Additional Resources

  • Leaves from deciduous and evergreen trees
  • Wax crayons
  • Paper
  • Tape measures or paper rulers
  • Chalk
  • Coloured paper
  • Strips of material (browns, greens, orange)
  • Skipping ropes
  • Bags
  • Large pieces of fabric

Lesson Planning

Teaching

  • Note a variety of trees and discuss their similarities and differences.
  • Take bark and leaf rubbings using paper and wax crayons.
  • Represent a tree through playground art and record their art pieces.
  • Invite another class to see their art work.

Activities

  1. Explore the outdoor area, looking specifically at the trees.
  2. Discuss and become familiar with the similarities and differences between evergreen and deciduous trees.
  3. Represent a tree through playground art, using cloths, chalk and found materials.
  4. Show an awareness of the role of the roots, bark, trunk, branches and leaves of a tree.

Investigation - exploring
Do bark and leaf rubbings using paper and wax crayons.
Understand the basic structure of a tree and what goes on inside.
Represent the inside of a tree through playground art, using cloths, chalk and found materials.

Vocabulary
Plant, leaf, grow, deciduous, evergreen, roots, stem, leaves, flower, trunk, bark

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