What do plants need to grow?

Skill: Plan an experiment to see what plants need to grow

• Plant seeds at home
• Watch them grow and give them water and light
• Put a plant in a cupboard or dark place and then watch and discuss what happens
• Put a bean in a plastic bottle with blotting paper or kitchen roll to watch the shoots and roots

What kinds of plants grow in your local area?

Skill: Collecting and recording information

• Look at the different places that plants grow. Are there different plants in different habitats? eg. near walls, under trees
• Draw pictures of the plants, flowers and leaves
• Name the main features of a plant
• Take photos of the plants you find, identify and name them

What kinds of trees can you find?

Skill: Making comparisons and finding similarities and differences

• Get a book that can help you identify the different types of trees – how many can you spot?
• Look carefully at their leaves – collect a variety
• Do some bark rubbings
• Use your leaves to print with paint
• Discuss the changes in trees through the seasons

Why do we need trees?

Skill: To understand the foods and materials that we get from natural sources

• Collect different objects that are made from wood
• Sort a collection of materials into natural and manmade
• When shopping for fruit see if you can find the ones that grow on trees
• Discuss how natural materials can be permanently changed
• Talk about how trees are important as homes for animals and as suppliers of oxygen for us