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Science at key stage 3    (Year 9)

Unit 9D: Plants for food
Section 11: a. What is the perfect environment for growing plants?

QCA

Objectives
Children should learn:
  • about environmental factors that influence plant growth
  • to consider the advantages and disadvantages of a controlled environment for growing crops

Activities

Outcomes
Children:
  • Ask pupils about the conditions that plants need for healthy growth, eg light, water, minerals, warmth, carbon dioxide. Reinforce by showing examples of plants that have been deprived of one of these, eg grass seedlings grown in the dark, in the cold, in dry conditions, or with a mineral deficiency, and ask pupils to suggest reasons for the plants' conditions.
  • Show images of commercial greenhouses in operation. Supplement with information about smaller-scale greenhouses, eg from a catalogue. Discuss the advantages of growing crops this way, eg control of climate, longer growing season, no weeds, and consider and evaluate any problems associated with this type of production, eg appearance in the environment, possible variation in taste.
  • identify environmental factors which have influenced the growth of plants
  • suggest some advantages and disadvantages of growing crops in a greenhouse

Points to note
  • This activity could be enhanced by a visit to a commercial greenhouse. Alternatively, someone working in commercial food production could be invited to talk about what they do and help evaluate the pupils' designs in the next activity.
  • Extension: pupils could be asked to find out about the seasonal nature of fruit crops and how some crops are now available most of the year.

Sections in this unit

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This unit is divided into sections. Each section contains a sequence of activities with related objectives and outcomes. You can view this unit by moving through the sections or print/download the whole unit.
1. a. Where does our food come from?
2. b. Where does our food come from?
3. Checking progress
4. a. How do fertilisers affect plant growth?
5. b. How do fertilisers affect plant growth?
6. a. How does competition with other plants affect plant growth?
7. b. How does competition with other plants affect plant growth?
8. a. How do pests affect plant growth?
9. b. How do pests affect plant growth?
10. c. How do pests affect plant growth?
11. a. What is the perfect environment for growing plants?
12. b. What is the perfect environment for growing plants?
13. Reviewing work