BishopAlexander PrimarySchool Science Planning
Plants Years3 and 4 JB, RA, EW
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About the unit
In this unitchildren learn about what plants need to grow well and why it isimportant that they do.
Experimentaland investigative work focuses on:
considering whatevidence should be collected
makingcareful measurements
considering how goodthe evidence is
usingresults to draw conclusions.
Vocabulary:
wordsto describe physical characteristics of plants eg yellow,pale, thin, spindly
expressions ofreason using because
expressions makinggeneralisations.
Expectations
At the end of the unit:
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mostchildren will: | recognise thatplants provide food for humans and other animals, and that plantsneed light, water and warmth and healthy leaves, roots and stems inorder to grow well; make careful measurements of volumes of waterand height of plants and recognise that in experiments andinvestigations a number of plants need to be used to providereliable evidence |
somechildren will not have | recognise thatplants need light, warmth and water to grow and make somemeasurements of theheight of plants |
somechildren will have | explain whyhealthy roots and a healthy stem are needed for plants to grow;recognise that the leaves of a plant are associated with healthygrowth; explain in simple terms why a number of plants should beused to provide reliable evidence about plant growth |
LearningObjectives | SharedSession | Activities | SuccessCriteria |
That plants canprovide food for us and some plants are grown for this | 1.Talk about what wealready know about plants from Key Stage 1 and previous years.Create a mind map on the board. Encourage children to think of allplants, not just flowers etc, and to think about what plants needin order to survive. 3.Discuss what kindsof plants are grown for food for us. Why is it important that theplants grow well? We will not have food if the plants do not growwell. | 2.Children fill in thesheet with what they already know about plants, and what they wantto know about plants.
Children completethis sentence in their books, as fully as possible: It is important forplants to grow well because | Children willidentify why it is important for plants to grow well. |
That wateris transported through the stem to other parts of the plant. To makecareful observations and present these using drawings. To explainobservations. | How does water get into aplant? via the roots and through the plant using small veins. Showchildren a complete head of celery and ask them to look closely atthe stem of the plant. Cut a stem across and observe the cut end.You can see the veins moving up the stem.
| Put the celery stems upright in ashallow container of water coloured with red ink or food colouring.Ask children to make drawings to show what they observe and toexplain on their drawing what they think has happened,eg the water went up the celery stem and we could see itbecause it was red | Childrenwill draw and explain how water travels around a plant. |
Thatplants need light for healthy growth Thatplants need water for healthy growth Thatplant growth is affected by temperature Torecognise when a comparison of plant growth is unfair Tosuggest how a fair test could be carried out That in experiments andinvestigations involving living things, using just one plant ineach set of conditions does not give sufficient evidence | What do plants needin order to grow properly? Light, moderatetemperature and water. Why is this? What would happen toa plant with no light? Discuss. What would happen toa plant in the cold? What would happen toa plant in the heat? Discuss both. What would happen to a plan withno water or too much water? How could we test this? Guide children intosetting up an experiment. How do we keep thisa fair test? Discuss having acontrol which has everything a plant needs to grow properly. | Children set up the experiment (usingcress seeds?). 1 control 2 no water 3 too much water 4 no light 5 cold 6 hot Children write the numbers anddescriptions in their books and write a prediction for what willhappen to each plant. | Childrenwill identify what plants need in order to grow properly. Childrenwill set up a fair test. |
Thatplants need water, but not unlimited water, for healthygrowth To usesimple apparatus to measure a volume of water correctly To use simple apparatusto measure the height of the plant | Remind children thatplants need water and ask them whether they think the more waterthey have the better they will grow. Show children a plantedseedling eg bean and ask how they could use this andsimilar seedlings to investigate the question. | Help children todecide what evidence to collect eg give four seedlings nowater, 5cm3water, 20cm3water or 50cm3water each day or every twodays and what to measure eg the distance from the soilto the top leaf. Help children to use suitable apparatus tomeasure volume of water and height of the bean plant. | Children will showunderstanding that plant need water to grow. Children will useapparatus to measure volume and height. |
That plants need theright conditions and parts in order to grow well. | What have we learnedabout what a plant needs in order to grow properly and what willhappen to it if it does not have the correct conditions. What effect willthis have on us? | HA - Children apicture of a healthy plant and explain why this is healthy, then dothe same for an unhealthy plant. LA Draw a healthyplant and an unhealthy plant and write words around themdescribing why thy are healthy and unhealthy. | Children can say whatmakes a plant healthy or unhealthy. |
To show what we havelearned. | What have we learnedabout plants? Make a mind map onthe board. | Children completethe sheet started at the beginning of the topic. |
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Name_______________________ Date_____________________
Plants
What I know aboutplants | What I want to knowabout plants | What I now knowabout plants |
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