This module invites you to guide your students through a practical and engaging exploration of plant life, microclimates, and sustainable growing methods. Using the Herb Spiral as a central theme, the module blends science, environmental awareness, and simple engineering into a set of activities that are accessible to young learners and rewarding for teachers.

Across four interconnected units, you and your students will investigate the essential elements plants depend on, design and build both outdoor and indoor herb spirals, and analyse how different conditions shape plant growth. The module encourages curiosity, hands-on experimentation, and applied problem-solving. It also supports you in integrating cross-curricular links between STEM, ecology, technology, and teamwork.

The aim is to offer a flexible, teacher-friendly framework that works equally well in a classroom, a schoolyard, or a small indoor space. By the end, your students will not only understand how herb spirals function but will also be able to care for them, monitor changes, and apply what they have learned to new settings. This module provides you with clear guidance, ready-to-use strategies, and adaptable activities to make the learning experience both enriching and manageable.

Unit 1: Air, Soil, Water – The Three Essentials

This unit introduces the fundamental elements every plant depends on: air, soil, and water. It sets the scientific foundation for everything that follows in the module. Students explore what these elements contain, how they interact, and why plants require all three to grow well. Through simple experiments and demonstrations, they discover that these everyday materials are far more dynamic and complex than they may appear.

For teachers, this unit provides a straightforward entry point into practical science. It encourages students to observe closely, question assumptions, and link experimental results to real-life plant needs. By the end of the unit, your class will understand not only what plants need, but why these needs matter—and they will be ready to apply this knowledge when constructing their herb spirals.

Key Concepts and Theories

Composition of Air

• Air is a mixture of gases rather than an empty space. The main components are nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and trace gases. Plants rely on carbon dioxide for photosynthesis, while oxygen supports respiration in both plants and animals. Understanding these gases helps students recognise why air quality and circulation matter for plant health.

Soil as a Living System

• Soil contains air pockets, water, minerals, organic matter, and countless microorganisms. These components create a dynamic environment where roots breathe, nutrients dissolve, and living organisms break down material. This concept helps students see soil not as “dirt” but as a structured habitat essential for plant growth.

Water as a Transport System

• Water carries dissolved nutrients through the soil and into the plant. It also regulates temperature and supports internal processes such as photosynthesis and nutrient transport. The movement of water—whether through soil or via simple mechanisms like the Archimedes’ screw—illustrates how plants depend on consistent moisture and how humans can assist in managing it.

Practical Strategies and Techniques

Gas Matching to Reveal Air Composition

• Use name-and-description cards to help students match gases to their properties. This encourages movement, discussion, and quick recall. It also supports the key idea that air is made of several gases with different roles in plant and human life.

Soil Testing Through Simple Experiments

• Provide soil samples for students to test by submerging them in water to observe air bubbles and heating the sediment to identify mineral residues. These small experiments help students discover that soil contains air and nutrients, and they link directly to plant needs in a tangible way.

Demonstrating Water Movement with an Archimedes’ Screw

• Guide students in assembling a basic spiral water-lifting device using tubing and a pipe. This practical engineering activity illustrates how water can be moved from one place to another and introduces a historical technique for irrigation. It also reinforces the idea that water availability affects plant health and growth.

Interactive Activity 1: Unveiling the Air

Task: Students investigate what air is made of through a movement-based matching game that reveals the different gases present in the atmosphere and their roles. This activity helps them recognise that air is not “empty”, but a vital mixture that supports both plant and human life.

• Step 1: Distribute gas name cards to half the class and gas description cards to the other half. Ask students to walk around the room and find their matching partner.

• Step 2: Once pairs are formed, gather the class and review each match together, discussing nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, argon, and helium.

• Step 3: Conclude with a brief whole-class reflection: which gas humans need most, which gas plants depend on, and why understanding air composition helps us care for plants.

Interactive Activity 2: Secrets of the Soil

Task: Students conduct two short experiments to uncover what soil contains—air pockets and dissolved nutrients. This activity helps them see soil as an active, complex system rather than a uniform material.

• Step 1: Provide each group with a soil sample and a container of water. Ask them to drop the soil into the water and observe the rising bubbles, noting that these bubbles represent trapped air that roots and soil organisms depend on.

• Step 2: Guide students to stir soil with water in a beaker and let it settle. Then pour a small amount of the liquid onto a heat-safe surface and warm it gently. Students observe the white residue that remains, identifying it as mineral salts—nutrients plants absorb to grow.

• Step 3: Facilitate a short discussion on why air spaces and nutrient content are essential for healthy soil and how these findings help us design a thriving herb spiral.

Reflection and Discussion

• Compare two small garden areas—one with compacted soil and one with well-aerated soil—and discuss how plant health differs.

• Consider a simple real-life example, such as a garden bed that dries out quickly versus one that holds moisture, and explore what this reveals about soil structure and nutrient movement.

Unit Summary

The aim of this unit was to give you a clear and practical foundation for teaching the essentials that plants rely on: air, soil, and water. By exploring simple experiments and demonstrations, you were able to see how these everyday elements reveal their hidden complexity. We hoped that you feel better prepared to guide students through discoveries that show air isn’t empty, soil isn’t “just dirt”, and water is far more than something plants simply drink.

Throughout the activities, you encouraged students to observe, question, and make sense of what they saw. These early scientific habits will support them as they move on to designing and building their herb spirals. With this unit behind you, you should now feel confident helping your class connect these fundamental ideas to the practical work that follows.

Unit 2: Building the Outdoor Herb Spiral

This unit guides students through the practical and collaborative process of constructing an outdoor herb spiral. It builds on the scientific understanding developed in Unit 1 and turns it into hands-on garden design. Students explore how a spiral shape can create natural microclimates, how layering materials supports healthy soil, and how teamwork contributes to a shared construction project.

As the teacher, you lead students from theory into meaningful practice—showing them how a simple permaculture design can support diverse plants in a small space. By the end of this unit, your class will have created a living structure they can observe, care for, and proudly call their own.

Key Concepts and Theories

Microclimates in Permaculture

• A herb spiral creates varying levels of sun exposure, moisture, and temperature through its shape. The top is warm and dry, the middle has moderate conditions, and the bottom remains more cool and moist. This allows many herbs with different needs to grow together.

The “Lasagna” Layering Method

• Layering cardboard, branches, straw, grass, compost, and soil mimics natural decomposition processes. These layers provide aeration, moisture retention, and nutrient enrichment as they break down, creating healthy soil for planting.

Diversity and Natural Patterns

• Following nature’s patterns—like spirals—encourages efficient use of space and supports ecological balance. The spiral is a common form in shells, plants, and weather systems, and in gardening it maximises vertical height, sunlight access, and water flow.

Practical Strategies and Techniques

Team Roles for Efficient Construction

• Assigning student roles—Shapers, Builders, Layers, and Planters—helps maintain order and gives each group clear responsibility. This supports cooperation and reinforces the idea that complex systems rely on many contributors.

Outlining the Spiral Shape

• Using stakes and string to mark the spiral helps students visualise the structure before building. It also encourages spatial reasoning and careful planning rather than rushing into construction.

Matching Plants to Zones

• Guide students to place herbs according to their environmental needs. Mediterranean herbs (lavender, rosemary) thrive at the dry top; moisture-loving herbs (parsley, mint) prefer the base. This reinforces the science behind microclimates.

Interactive Activity 1: Creating the Spiral Structure

Task: Students work together to design and construct the herb spiral using natural materials. They build the shape, add layers, and assemble the structure that will later hold their herbs.

• Step 1: Introduce the challenge: “How can we build a garden that magically creates different climates in one small spot?” Show images of real herb spirals to spark ideas.

• Step 2: Divide students into teams—Shapers, Builders, and Layers. Each group receives a clear task: marking the spiral, placing stones or bricks, or gathering and laying organic layers.

• Step 3: Guide the construction process step by step. As the spiral grows, pause to ask short questions: “Why do we start low and spiral upwards?” “What does this shape remind you of in nature?” Encourage reasoning and teamwork rather than speed.

This activity transforms the class into a small construction crew and helps them understand how design choices affect the garden’s function.

Interactive Activity 2: Planning and Planting the Herb Zones

Task: Students study the microclimates created by the spiral and decide where each herb belongs. They use a planting map to place herbs in zones that match their real-world needs before planting them in the spiral.

• Step 1: Gather the class and explain that the top of the spiral is dry and sunny, while the bottom holds moisture. Discuss which herbs prefer which conditions.

• Step 2: Provide students with planting map worksheets. In groups, they match herbs (e.g. Rosemary, Sage, Oregano, Basil, Parsley, Mint) to the correct zones. Encourage comparisons such as “This herb prefers shade—where should it go?”

• Step 3: Students plant the herbs carefully in the spiral, following their plans. Finish with mulching around each plant. Ask reflection questions while they work: “Why is mulch important?” “How will your herb feel in this spot?”

This activity connects scientific reasoning with real actions, giving students a strong sense of achievement and responsibility.

Reflection and Discussion

• What part of the construction process would your students find most engaging?

• How did the team roles help or challenge the work?

• Which herbs were easiest to place, and which required more discussion?

• How might you prepare students differently next time?

Unit Summary

The aim of this unit was to support you in guiding students through the full creation of an outdoor herb spiral—from the first outline in the soil to the final step of planting each herb in its ideal microzone. This was a practical, energetic unit designed to show students how thoughtful design, teamwork, and natural principles can come together to create a living structure that is both functional and beautiful.

We hope that you feel better prepared to lead students through a hands-on project that encourages cooperation and shared responsibility. By assigning roles, breaking the work into clear stages, and helping students understand why each step matters, you created an environment where everyone could contribute and see the immediate results of their efforts.

Now that the spiral is complete, you have a living teaching tool that your students can revisit, compare with the indoor spiral, and use to explore growth, change, and long-term care. This foundation sets the stage for meaningful observation and analysis in the next units, while also giving students a sense of pride in creating something lasting and shared.

Unit 3: Creating the Indoor Herb Spiral with Micro: bit Fan and Thermometer

This unit brings the herb spiral concept indoors and introduces a technological layer that helps students understand how microclimates can be controlled and monitored. You guide your learners in creating a compact indoor spiral, using simple materials to recreate the zoned design they explored outdoors. The focus then shifts to the Micro:bit, where students learn to measure temperature, control a small fan, and observe how technology can support plant care.

This unit is designed to help you show students that caring for indoor plants requires greater attention to temperature, airflow, and moisture, as indoor environments lack natural systems such as wind and rain. By combining planting with basic coding, students experience how science and technology can work together to create a stable, healthy environment for herbs. The activities are highly engaging, practical, and accessible, giving students a sense of achievement as they see their code operate on a real device.

By the end of this unit, you and your students will have not only built an indoor spiral but also created a functioning “smart” microclimate—one that reacts to temperature changes in real time.

Key Concepts and Theories

Indoor Microclimates

• Indoors, plants live in conditions that are very different from those outdoors. There is no natural rainfall, wind movement, or night-time cooling, and light comes from windows rather than the full sky. This means indoor plants depend almost entirely on you and your students to create the right balance of warmth, moisture, and airflow. Students learn that even slight differences in temperature or air movement can change how a plant grows, and that indoor microclimates must be managed more deliberately than outdoor ones.

Environmental Monitoring

• Many modern gardens, farms, and greenhouses rely on sensors and simple devices to keep conditions stable. Introducing the Micro:bit as a thermometer shows your students how living systems can be observed in real time. When they hold the Micro:bit and see the temperature respond, they experience data as something tangible rather than abstract. This concept helps them understand that monitoring is not passive—it allows growers to make decisions about when to cool, heat, or water their plants. 

Basic Programming and Automated Systems

• Many automated systems operate through straightforward conditional logic: if a condition changes, then the system responds. By teaching students to code the Micro:bit so the fan switches on at a certain temperature, you show them how simple programming can influence the world around them. They learn that this kind of automation is the foundation of technologies used in smart homes, agricultural greenhouses, climate-control systems, and even everyday appliances. You help them recognise that coding is not only about computers—it is a practical skill that interacts directly with real environments, making plant care more efficient and responsive.

Practical Strategies and Techniques

Whole-Class Construction for Shared Responsibility

• Building one indoor spiral encourages collaboration and reduces the pressure on individual students. You can invite different groups to perform small tasks—adding stones, shaping soil, choosing herb positions—so everyone contributes without feeling overwhelmed. This approach mirrors real teamwork in environmental science and keeps students engaged throughout the build.

Demonstrating the Micro:bit as a Real Scientific Tool

• Before coding, show students how the Micro:bit thermometer responds to their touch. This concrete demonstration anchors the lesson in physical experience. When students see numbers rising and falling, the connection between environment and data becomes immediate and clear.

Linking Code to Direct, Visible Outcomes

• One of the strongest teaching techniques in this unit is letting students see their code come to life. A fan switching on when the temperature increases is simple, but powerful. It makes coding feel meaningful and shows that small changes in logic create big changes in behaviour. This helps students connect the abstract steps of programming to real-world environmental control.

Interactive Activity 1: Building the Indoor Herb Spiral 

Task: Students work together to build an indoor herb spiral and explore how indoor conditions affect plant placement and care.

•  Step 1: Start with a class discussion: “What does a plant lose when it moves indoors?” Encourage students to list real differences: no rain, reduced wind, stable warmth, and less natural light.

•  Step 2: Invite volunteers to add each layer of the indoor spiral—stones for drainage, soil shaped into a gentle spiral, and herbs arranged by their needs. Encourage observations during the process:

“Does the soil look more compact indoors?”

“Which herbs might prefer the drier top zone?”

•  Step 3: Once the spiral is complete, have students examine it closely. Ask them to predict how the indoor environment might affect growth. This prediction becomes a useful reference in Unit 4.

This activity helps students visualise the challenges of indoor gardening and builds a shared sense of ownership.

Interactive Activity 2: Programming the Micro: bit to Manage Temperature

Task: Students explore how technology can regulate plant conditions by coding the Micro:bit to control a fan based on temperature readings.

•  Step 1: Demonstrate the Micro:bit thermometer. Hold it in your hand, show the temperature rising, and ask students what might cause changes in an indoor environment.

•  Step 2: Guide students in connecting the fan or motor to the Micro:bit. Show the wiring clearly and explain what each pin does.

•  Step 3: In the MakeCode editor, build the program slowly, explaining the logic behind each block:

“If temperature is above 26°C, then the fan turns on.”

“If it’s lower, the fan turns off.”

Download and test the code. Encourage students to modify the threshold temperature and observe the impact.

This activity helps students understand how automated systems make decisions and how they can adjust those decisions based on plant needs.

Reflection and Discussion

• How did this unit help you combine plant science with coding in a manageable way?

• Which parts of the construction or programming process do you think your students will find most challenging?

• How could you support students who feel less confident with technology?

• How do indoor conditions change the way plants grow compared to outdoors?

• Why is automation helpful for indoor gardening?

• If you could add more sensors—light, humidity, soil moisture—which would students choose, and why?

• Compare growth patterns of herbs placed in different areas of a house (e.g., by a window vs. in a shaded corner) and discuss why the differences occur.

Unit Summary

The aim of this unit was to help you lead students through the creation of an indoor herb spiral and introduce them to simple climate-control technology. We hoped that you now feel more confident guiding your class through tasks that combine ecology, engineering, and coding, even if this is new territory for some learners.

By building the spiral together and experimenting with the Micro:bit’s thermometer and fan, students were able to see how technology can support plant care in real and meaningful ways. They learned that indoor plants require different types of attention and that automated systems can help maintain healthy conditions.

This unit also gave you a chance to connect hands-on construction with digital problem-solving. As your class moves forward, the indoor spiral becomes not just a growing space but a living experiment—something students can check, adjust, and analyse as conditions change. It sets a strong foundation for the final unit, where observation, comparison, and long-term planning bring everything together.

Unit 4: Nurturing Both Spirals, Observation and Analysis

This final unit brings together everything your students have learned. After building both the outdoor and indoor herb spirals, your class now steps into the role of young scientists—observing, comparing, measuring, and drawing conclusions based on real evidence. You guide them not only in evaluating how the spirals are performing, but also in planning how to care for them and imagining how the idea can be applied elsewhere.

In this unit, you help students shift from doing to understanding. They return to both spirals with fresh eyes, noticing differences in growth, colour, moisture, and environmental conditions. You show them how to capture their observations so they can make informed decisions about maintenance and future improvements. This unit strengthens critical thinking, scientific reasoning, and the ability to plan long-term care—skills that extend well beyond gardening.

Key Concepts and Theories

Scientific Observation and Evidence-Based Reasoning

• Scientific observation involves looking closely, measuring carefully, and recording results without guessing. In this unit, you help students learn that conclusions should come from what they see and measure—not from assumptions. They learn to compare data from both spirals and use this evidence to understand how different environments influence growth.

Plant Health Indicators

• Plants communicate their condition through visible signs: leaf colour, texture, height, wilting, or strong new growth. By guiding students to identify these indicators, you help them understand how to read the “body language” of plants and interpret whether conditions are helping or harming growth.

Maintenance and Sustainability Planning

• A garden’s success depends on ongoing care—watering, weeding, adjusting conditions, and monitoring changes. Students learn that maintaining an ecosystem requires planning ahead, assigning responsibilities, and making realistic commitments. This concept helps them see gardening as a long-term, sustainable process rather than a one-time activity.

Practical Strategies and Techniques

Structured Observation Tasks

• Give each group a clear and simple set of tasks: measure plant height, record leaf colour, check soil moisture, and sketch the zone. This structure helps students remain focused and gather comparable data across groups.

Guided Comparison Discussions

• After collecting observations, guide a class discussion comparing indoor and outdoor results. This helps students understand patterns and develop reasoning skills. You support them in noticing differences and connecting them to environmental factors.

Collaborative Maintenance Planning

• Encourage students to co-create a simple care schedule for both spirals. This could include watering routines, classroom responsibilities, and checking the Micro: bit system. Students learn that maintaining the spirals is a shared responsibility.

Interactive Activity 1: Outdoor Observation and Data Collection

Task: Students observe the outdoor spiral and gather data on plant growth, soil condition, and overall health. They act as field scientists, using simple tools and their senses to evaluate the environment.

• Step 1: Divide students into small groups and assign each group to a zone (top, middle, bottom). This ensures every part of the spiral receives attention.

• Step 2: Provide rulers, worksheets, and guidance. Ask students to measure plant height, examine leaf colour, and test soil moisture by touch. Encourage them to note descriptive details, not just numbers: “Leaves glossy and bright,” “Soil very dry,” “New shoots forming.”

• Step 3: Ask groups to create a quick sketch of their zone. Drawing helps them notice details they might otherwise miss and creates a record for future comparison.

This activity helps students practise scientific observation and prepares them to compare their results with the indoor spiral.

Interactive Activity 2: Indoor Observation and Micro: bit Data Analysis 

Task: Students return to the indoor spiral and use both physical observation and Micro:bit data to evaluate the plants’ conditions.

• Step 1: Assign groups to zones just as you did outdoors. Have them measure height, examine leaf health, and check soil moisture.

• Step 2: Show students how to read the Micro:bit thermometer. Ask them to record the temperature and note whether the fan is on or off. Invite them to warm the Micro:bit to test the system’s response.

• Step 3: Have students compare their indoor results to the outdoor notes. Encourage them to think about differences: 

“Why is the mint shorter indoors?” 

“Why is basil taller here?” 

“How does temperature shape these differences?”

This activity helps students connect environmental data with plant health and understand the effects of indoor climate control.

Reflection and Discussion

• How effectively did your students carry out scientific observations today?

• What differences did you notice between the indoor and outdoor spirals, and what might this teach students about plant adaptation?

• How confident do you feel supporting students in analysing and interpreting environmental data?

• What surprised you about the observations from each spiral?

• Which herbs seem to be thriving indoors, and which outdoors? Why might that be?

• How should the care routines differ for the two spirals?

• How could this project be repeated at home, in another class, or elsewhere in the school?

• Discuss a real garden or farm where observations predict when plants need water or shade.

• Compare a healthy plant and a stressed plant from your spirals, and explore what the visible signs reveal.

Unit Summary

The aim of this unit was to help you guide your students through observing, analysing, and caring for the herb spirals they created. We hoped that you now feel prepared to support your class as they shift from hands-on building to thoughtful evaluation.

Throughout this unit, your students learned how to look closely at plant health, measure growth, and make comparisons using real data. They discovered that indoor and outdoor environments shape plants differently and that conditions such as light, temperature, and moisture have visible effects. You helped them gather information carefully, discuss it responsibly, and use it to make practical decisions about plant care.

This unit also encouraged students to think beyond the classroom. By planning how to maintain the spirals and imagining ways to recreate them in other settings, your class practised applying scientific reasoning to real-life projects. With your guidance, the spirals became more than just a construction task—they became living experiments that students can maintain, share, and expand.