Plants
We explore the wildlife area at Skelton Grange, and take a closer look at some of the range of plants that can be found living there. We look at what makes a plant a plant, how plants grow and change, and how we use plants.
National Curriculum Summary
Sc2
Sc2 Life Processes and Living Things:
Green Plants - We discover that plants grow from seeds and need light and water to grow, and also learn to name and recognise the parts of flowering plants.
Living Things in their Environment - Find out about the different kinds of plants in the local environment, and identify similarities and differences between local environments.
Main National Curriculum Links
Sc2 3a, 3b, 3c, 5a, 5b, 5c
Supports delivery of QCA Unit
1B Growing Plants and
2B Plants and Animals in the Local Environment Availability
March - October
Day Summary
The day begins with an introduction by the day leader, welcoming the group to the centre, followed by a whole-class game or activity.
The children then split into groups (usually 3) for the day's activities: Parts of a Plant, Lifecycles and Variety of Plants.
Parts of a Plant
We have a close look at the different parts of a plant, including stem, roots, leaves and flower and find out how they help the plant live and grow. The children compare two different plants outside and see if they can identify the different parts. We also play the "build a plant" game and then do some scientific drawings, labelling all the different parts.
Lifecycles
This session looks at plant lifecycles, and how living things change as they grow. We look at some different fruits and seeds, thinking about what they need to grow into healthy plants, and then the children plant a seed to take home with them. We then play the
Bee Game, which is about how insects are an important part of the plant life cycle, and have a walk around Skelton looking at the new plants.
Variety of Plants
We go for a walk around Skelton, looking at the
plants of all the shapes and sizes. We encourage the children to look at colour, shape and pattern and think about all the different places they grow, including the centre's vegetable garden and the pond. The children collect small pieces of all the different plants they see on a
stickyboard, which they can take back to school with them. The children them think about how we might use different plants in our daily lives.
