Popular searches in the last week:

2024, science, plants, 2023, geography, maths, romans, english, poetry, time
Plants

Science Year 2 Ready, Steady, Grow!

Explore the world of seeds in this unit: learn why plants disperse their seeds and the various clever ways in which they do this. Plant cress seeds and grow a bean using hydroponics – watch and record what happens to them. Using various art and design techniques, make and model your own seeds and finally enjoy the fruits of your labours!

block outcomes Key Concepts

Session 1 Spreading seeds part 1

Download all files

Objectives

Explore the outdoors, looking at how plants disperse their seeds and why. Think specifically about plants that spread their seeds by utilising the wind. Make a seed helicopter and a dandelion seed.

Science Objectives
i) Observe and describe how seeds and bulbs grow into mature plants.

ii) Find out and describe how plants need water, light and a suitable temperature to grow/stay healthy.

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

  • Seed dispersal resource
  • How to make a Helicopter Seed and a Dandelion Seed model

Additional Resources

  • Card, paper clips & scissors
  • Cotton buds
  • Modelling putty or foam clay
  • Art straws
  • Seeds, fruits and flowers
  • Magnifying glasses
  • Sketchbooks
  • 'Travelling Seeds' and 'Bees Like Flowers' by Rebecca Bielawski
  • 'The Tiny Seed' by Eric Carle

Weblinks
Information for teachers on seed dispersal from www.kidsdiscover.com

Lesson Planning

Teaching

  • Consider seed development and dispersal and generate questions about plant growth.
  • Create and test a seed helicopter.
  • Make a seed helicopter and try it out in the playground.
  • Examine dandelion plants using a magnifying glass.
  • Make a dandelion seed each and form together to make a dandelion plant.
  • Use scientific vocabulary such as: seed, disperse, wind, pollination.

Activities

  1. Understand why it is important for a plant to spread its seeds.
  2. Understand what is meant by the words 'dispersal/disperse', pollination' and 'seed'.
  3. Make a seed helicopter and a dandelion seed.

Investigation - exploring, researching and analysing secondary sources
Make a seed helicopter and try it out in the playground. Collect dandelion plants and look carefully at their seeds, using a magnifying glass. Make a dandelion seed each and form together to make a dandelion plant.

Vocabulary
Seed, disperse, wind, pollination

Session 2 Spreading seeds part 2

Download all files

Objectives

Consider different ways that plants can disperse their seeds, including seed designed to stick on animals and humans. Using clay or modroc, create a large burr, with hooks and use junk modelling to create other seeds.

Science Objectives
i) Observe and describe how seeds and bulbs grow into mature plants.

ii) Find out and describe how plants need water, light and a suitable temperature to grow and stay healthy.

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

  • Consider different ways in which plants can disperse their seeds.
  • Consider why the design of the seed is crucial to the way it is dispersed.
  • Make a burr and display in the classroom, with accompanying facts.

Activities

  1. Understand that plants disperse their seeds in different ways.
  2. Understand that the design of a seed is crucial to the way it is dispersed.
  3. Make large seeds, talking about what designs they need to incorporate and write facts about how they could be dispersed.

Investigation - exploring, researching and analysing secondary sources
Make a large burr out of clay and display in the classroom, with facts about how they are dispersed.

Vocabulary
Seed, disperse, wind, pollination

Session 3 Hydroponics in the classroom

Download all files

Objectives

Talk about what bulbs need to grow into healthy plants. Plant beans in bags of water and watch them grow. What will happen to the bean left growing in a cupboard?

Science Objectives
i) Observe and describe how seeds and bulbs grow into mature plants.

ii) Find out and describe how plants need water, light and a suitable temperature to grow and stay healthy.

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 information about the needs of bulbs.
  • Discuss hydroponics and the concept of growing bulbs in water.
  • Plant a bean in a bag and record its growth.
  • Discuss what might happen to the bean and its growth.

Activities

  1. Understand what beans need to grow and discuss the concept of hydroponics.
  2. Set up and plant a bean in a bag, including a system to record its growth.
  3. Predict what might happen to the bean growing in a dark cupboard.

Investigation - exploring over time
Discuss hydroponics and the concept of growing bulbs in water. Set up and plant a bulb in a glass.

Vocabulary
Seed, bulb, hydroponics, water, warmth, nutrients

Session 4 Growing cress

Download all files

Objectives

Think about the conditions for healthy plant growth and plant your own cress seeds. Record their growth. How long will it take for them to be long enough to eat?

Science Objectives
i) Observe and describe how seeds and bulbs grow into mature plants.

ii) Find out and describe how plants need water, light and a suitable temperature to grow and stay healthy.

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

  • Recall knowledge about plants’ needs.
  • Know what cress seeds need and plant them in contrasting locations.
  • Make predictions about cress growth and keep records

Activities

  1. Understand what plants need to be healthy.
  2. Know that cress seeds need water and the right temperature to germinate and grow.
  3. Predict, and begin to give reasons for what will happen to the cress in the dark cupboard.
  4. Start a record of the cress growth.

Investigation - exploring over time, pattern seeking, problem solving
Place one egg shell with cress in a cupboard and talk about what might happen to the cress and its growth.
Start a record of the cress growth and predict how long it will take for the cress to grow long enough to eat.

Vocabulary
Warmth, light, water, dry, wet, moist, growth, germination

Session 5 How has the bean grown?

Download all files

Objectives

Record the growth of the bean and look at how it has developed over the last few weeks. Can you recreate the plant with craft materials? Can you label the parts of the plant?

Science Objectives
i) Observe and describe how seeds and bulbs grow into mature plants.

ii) Find out and describe how plants need water, light and a suitable temperature to grow and stay healthy.

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
Information text: Make an information leaflet, to go with your hydroponic plant model, explaining the functions of the parts of the plant and their importance.

You Will Need

Provided Resources

  • Junk Model Bean sheet

Additional Resources

  • Craft and junk modelling materials
  • Tape
  • Glue
  • Wool
  • Pipe cleaners

Lesson Planning

Teaching

  • Consider and attempt to explain the differences between the two beans.
  • Make careful observations about the beans.
  • Model and label the plant.

Activities

  1. Understand that there are differences between the bean grown in the classroom and the one grown in the cupboard.
  2. Begin to explain why those differences have occurred.
  3. Begin to talk about the various functions of the parts of the plant and their importance.
  4. Work in effective teams. Make a hydroponically grown bean out of craft and junk materials.

Investigation - exploring, pattern seeking
In teams, make the hydroponic plant out of craft and junk materials. Can you talk about each part of the plant model, including its name and function?

Vocabulary
Seed, bean, water, warmth, nutrients, leaves, stem, roots

Session 6 Eating cress

Download all files

Objectives

Look really closely at the little cress plants and draw what you see. Then pop them into egg sandwiches for an egg and cress snack!

Science Objectives
i) Observe and describe how seeds and bulbs grow into mature plants.

ii) Find out and describe how plants need water, light and a suitable temperature to grow and stay healthy.

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
Instructions: Write instructions, for your family, explaining how to make egg and cress sandwiches.

Lesson Planning

Teaching

  • Examine and discuss the cress, including facts about the plant and differences between results from the two growing locations.
  • Attempt to explain differences.
  • Be able to talk about what the seed has produced and how the cress plant grew.
  • Make egg and cress sandwiches.

Activities

  1. Observe the cress growth and comment on their observations.
  2. Be able to talk about what the seed has produced and how the cress plant grew.
  3. Understand the differences between the cress in the classroom and that left in the cupboard.
  4. Boil eggs and butter sandwiches and make egg and cress sandwiches.

Vocabulary
Seed, bean, water, warmth, nutrients, leaves, stem, roots, predict

This site uses cookies to give you the most relevant information.
Learn more

Log in or sign up to get access to this resource

School Subscription

Reduce teacher workload

From £155 (+ VAT) per year. Access to all key stages for multiple users.

Sign up

Individual Subscription

For inspirational teaching

Just £45 (£37.50 + VAT) per year to get access to all resources.

Sign up

Early Career Teacher

Develop your teaching

Just £33 (£27.50 + VAT) to get access to all resources for 2 years.

Sign up

Taster Account

100s of resources

Register to access all free resources.

Sign up

Already subscribed?

Log in to get access.