Science at key stages 1 and 2    (Year 1)

• Take children for a walk around the school and challenge them to find (but not pick or pull up) 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 eg on the path, in the pond, in the field. 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.

• Ask children to suggest why we grow plants. Show children some planted seedlings eg pea, broad bean, mung bean or with the children plant quick-growing seeds eg sunflower, marrow. Ask children to suggest how they will change as they grow. Help children to look after and to observe the seedlings at regular intervals eg two to three days 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.

• Show children plants or pictures of plants eg apple trees, tomato plants, sweetcorn, cabbages and ask them why it is important for humans to grow plants.

• 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 eg colours, thickness, length.

• 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.

• 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 eg after 3 days, 8 days, 14 days and to suggest what these differences show.

• 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.