01-UNIT



**__ UNIT: PLANTS __**
 * ** About the unit/ Where this unit fits ** ||



In this unit pupils have to understand the importance of plants in their lives and in the environment. To understand this, in this unit pupils are going to learn what are the main parts of the plants, how and where plants grow and what are their necessities during their life, and which plants we use as food. In this way the pupils are going to learn how to care the plants.

This unit is the third unit of eight dedicated to natural science. It belongs to a group of three activities dedicated to living things: · living things · plants · animals. ||


 * ** Prior Learning ** ||  || ** Language used in the unit ** ||   || ** Important Resources ** ||



To understand and appreciate the importance the plants have in nature and in our lives. ||  || Words relating to plants. For example: flower, root, branch, leaf, weed, stem, trunk…

Words and phrases relating to living and non-living things//.// For example: living, non-living, alive, not alive, dead, healthy… ||  || * Seeds.
 * Small plants in pots or tubs or garden which will flower either during the winter or later in the year.
 * Pot plant to be re-potted.
 * Soil (or cotton) and containers for growing plants.
 * Collection of pictures of plants of a variety of types.
 * Large labelled plan/drawing of the school grounds.
 * Artificial plant. ||


 * ** Expectations ** ||


 * At the end of this unit all the children must ||  ||||||

Name some common plants, identify the leaf, root, stem and flower of a plant; recognise that plants are living and need water and light to grow and recognise they can investigate the conditions plants need for growth. ||

Name some common plants, identify leaf, root, stem and flower and recognise that plants need water to grow. ||
 * At the end of this unit most of the children should ||  ||||||

Describe differences between plants grown in the light and in the dark and suggest how to find out about what plants need in order to grow well ||
 * At the end of this unit some of the children could ||  ||||||




 * ||  ||   ||


 * Lesson ||  ||   ||   || Learning goals ||   ||   ||   || Learning outcomes ||   ||   ||   || Main activity ||   ||   ||   || Assessment criteria ||   ||   ||


 * 1 ||  ||   ||   || · That there are different plants in the immediate environment.

· To treat growing plants with care.

· To make careful observations of one or two plants and of where they grow and to communicate these.

· That plants have leaves, stems and flowers. ||  ||   ||   || · Name some plants found around the school and name groups of plants //(trees, grass, pondweed, moss).//

· Describe orally, by drawing or in simple writing, what the plants are like //(trees are tall and have thick branches, dandelions have yellow flowers and green leaves)// and where they can grow //(there is grass in the path cracks).//

· Recognise when plants should not be pulled up. ||  ||   ||   || Take children for a walk around the school and challenge them to find plants growing in as many different places as they can.

Ask them for their ideas about why plants grow where they do. Have a prepared, large, outline plan of the area visited and ask children to stick labels or pictures of plants where they were found.

With the children, draw some of the plants showing what they are like and where they grow and naming their main parts.

Ask children to suggest why it is important not to pull up growing plants. ||  ||   ||   || If this unit is carried out in the autumn or spring it would be helpful to set aside some time in the summer to look at plants when they are in flower.

Work in this unit, which involves observing plants grow, may require short periods of time over several weeks.

It may be helpful to plant some seeds in advance so that eventually children will be able to see them flower. ||  ||   ||


 * 2 ||  ||   ||   || · That plants grow.

· To make observations of the plants.

· To use drawings to record their observations and to communicate what happened.

· That plants have leaves, stems and flowers.

· To treat growing plants with care. ||  ||   ||   || · Recognise and say that the plant has grown //(it is taller, it has more leaves, its stem is fatter).//

· Communicate observations in drawings and descriptions of these (//it had two leaves, now it has many).// ||  ||   ||   || Ask children to suggest why we grow plants.

Show children some planted seedlings or with the children plant quick-growing seeds using some seeds, glass, cotton (as soil) and water//.//

Ask children to suggest how they will change as they grow.

Help children to look after and to observe the seedlings at regular intervals over the next week and to record, in drawings, how they have changed.

As children observe the seedlings, consolidate knowledge of names of the parts of the plant. ||  ||   ||   || Children find growing their own plants from seeds interesting and motivating. This activity offers them the opportunity to grow a plant from seed or from a seedling.

It is helpful, in maintaining enthusiasm, for them to explore how different plants develop. ||  ||   ||


 * 3 ||  ||   ||   || · That plants provide food for humans ||   ||   ||   || · State that humans eat some plants ||   ||   ||   || Show children plants or pictures of plants //(apple trees, tomato plants, sweetcorn, cabbages)// and ask them why it is important for humans to grow plants. ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||


 * 4 ||  ||   ||   || · That plants have roots.

· To observe and compare the roots of different plants. ||  ||   ||   || · Identify the roots of a plant.

· Make comparisons, identifying differences and some similarities. ||  ||   ||   || Show children a potted plant that has grown too large for its pot and take it out to re‑pot it.

Show children its roots and ask them why they think it needs re-potting.

Ask children to compare the roots with those of some seedlings, helping them to observe characteristics //(colours, thickness, length).// ||  ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||


 * 5 ||  ||   ||   || · To make careful observations of the plants and to record these in a simple chart or table provided for them.

· To conclude that plants need water to grow. ||  ||   ||   || · Present results by writing or drawing in a table or chart prepared for them.

· Use the results of their experiment to show that plants need water to grow. ||  ||   ||   || Show children some wilting, planted seedlings or small plants and ask children to suggest how to revive them. If necessary, prompt by asking them to feel how dry the soil is.

Once water is suggested, help them to think how to carry out a test in which some plants are watered and some are not.

Remind children of earlier work and ask them what they will observe.

Help children to record their observations in a chart or table and to decide what these show. ||  ||   ||   || If children have grown their own seedlings, some could be used for this activity.

At this stage it is not necessary to complicate the water/no water comparison by considering other factors. Simply ensure the watered and non-watered plants are left in the same place.

At this stage it is helpful to children to treat the two factors, water and light, separately.

Grown cress from the supermarket can be used for this activity. A tray can be cut in half and one half kept in the light and the other in the dark.

Results can be seen within a week. ||  ||   ||


 * 6 ||  ||   ||   || · That green plants need light to grow.

· To turn ideas about whether green plants need light to grow into a form that can be tested.

· To observe and compare green plants grown in light and dark places.

· To conclude that green plants need light to grow well. ||  ||   ||   || · Suggest a way (//keeping one plant in a box or cupboard and one in the classroom)// of finding out whether green plants need light to grow.

· Identify differences between the plants //(the one in the dark isn’t green and doesn’t look healthy).//

· Draw a conclusion from the results. ||  ||   ||   || Introduce the idea of green plants needing light to grow and ask children whether they think this is true or not.

Ask them how they could test their ideas and when they do so, discuss whether they will water the plants or not.

Ask children to talk about differences between plants //(after 3 days, 8 days, 14 days//) and to suggest what these differences show. ||  ||   ||   || This activity offers children the opportunity to carry out a whole investigation. It may be helpful to concentrate on the aspects of investigation highlighted in the learning objectives.

Increases in heights of plants which do not have sufficient light arise because the plants are growing towards the light.

At this stage children would be expected only to describe and not to attempt to explain what happened. ||  ||   ||


 * 7 ||  ||   ||   || · That plants are living but that an artificial plant is not living. ||   ||   ||   || · State that living plants grow.

· Distinguish between a plant that has died and an artificial plant. ||  ||   ||   || Show children an artificial plant and a similar living plant and ask them to suggest how they know that one is living and the other is not.

Discuss children’s ideas with them and extend the discussion by showing them a seedling that has died. ||  ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||


 * 8 ||  ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   || Review work carried out in this unit by asking children to draw a picture of a green plant, to label its parts and to indicat ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||