Finding features
View Sequence overviewStudents will:
- identify flowers as a feature of many plants.
- group flowers with similar features.
- record scientific findings (through teacher modelled class science journal).
Students will represent their understanding as they:
- label the features of a flower.
- compare their ideas with others in group discussions.
In this lesson, assessment is formative.
Feedback might focus on:
- the parts of the flower that students identify. Can they identify the main features (petal, middle, stem)?
Whole class
Class science journal (digital or hard-copy)
Seeds planted in previous lesson
Optional: Large plastic tweezers to dissect a flower
Each group
Optional: A pre-collected sample of a flower, if you do not believe students will be able to collect one from the school grounds
Optional: Large plastic tweezers to dissect the flower
A4 piece of paper
Sticky tape
Optional: Contact to press dissected flower work sample between
Each student
Optional: Individual science journals (digital or hard-copy)
Lesson
The Inquire phase allows students to cycle progressively and with increasing complexity through the key science ideas related to the core concepts. Each Inquire cycle is divided into three teaching and learning routines that allow students to systematically build their knowledge and skills in science and incorporate this into their current understanding of the world.
When designing a teaching sequence, it is important to consider the knowledge and skills that students will need in the final Act phase. Consider what the students already know and identify the steps that need to be taken to reach the level required. How could you facilitate students’ understanding at each step? What investigations could be designed to build the skills at each step?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkRe-orient
Recall the previous lesson, focusing on the ways in which students used their senses of hearing and sight to learn about leaves, and the seed that was planted for ongoing observation.
Ask students what changes they have observed in their seeds. Take note of how students describe the changes, and any new vocabulary used. Add to the 'How seeds grow - Observation recording table' in the class science journal, modeling how to draw a diagram showing the changes that have occurred to the seed, or adding a photograph. Add labels such as ‘crack’ and ‘small white roots’ if appropriate. Introduce the term ‘roots’ if students do not offer it, and check if the seeds have started to grow them.
Optional: Students might draw and write their own observations in their individual science journals if appropriate.
The Inquire phase allows students to cycle progressively and with increasing complexity through the key science ideas related to the core concepts. Each Inquire cycle is divided into three teaching and learning routines that allow students to systematically build their knowledge and skills in science and incorporate this into their current understanding of the world.
When designing a teaching sequence, it is important to consider the knowledge and skills that students will need in the final Act phase. Consider what the students already know and identify the steps that need to be taken to reach the level required. How could you facilitate students’ understanding at each step? What investigations could be designed to build the skills at each step?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkIdentifying and constructing questions is the creative driver of the inquiry process. It allows students to explore what they know and how they know it. During the Inquire phase of the LIA Framework, the Question routine allows for past activities to be reviewed and to set the scene for the investigation that students will undertake. The use of effective questioning techniques can influence students’ view and interpretation of upcoming content, open them to exploration and link to their current interests and science capital.
When designing a teaching sequence, it is important to spend some time considering the mindset of students at the start of each Inquire phase. What do you want students to be thinking about, what do they already know and what is the best way for them to approach the task? What might tap into their curiosity?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkWhat do we know?
In the class science journal, refer back to the page “What do we want to learn about the features of plants and animals?", noting a question about flowers if there is one.
Pose the question: How are flowers the same and how are they different?
Students share their experiences with flowers. Encourage them to refer to observations made with all of their senses in possible.
- Can you tell me about a time when you've been close to flowers?
- Giving them as a gift, picking them from someone’s garden, planting them etc.
- Did the flowers have a smell? Was it a nice smell, or a bad smell?
- Do all flowers smell the same?
- Why do you think flowers smell?
- What colour were the flowers?
- Are all flowers the same colour?
- Is there anything in our classroom that is a similar colour to those flowers?
- Why do you think flowers are colourful? And are all different colours?
- Were the petals of the flowers smooth or rough?
- Do all plants have flowers?
- Do you know any plants that don't have flowers?
- Why do you think plants have flowers?
- Why are flowers important in gardens, parks and bushland?
- The provide food (nectar and pollen) for bees/butterflies/beetles/birds; they look and smell nice.
- What sense(s) did we use to make observations about flowers?
- Sight, smell, touch.
- How did we use these senses to make observations about flowers?
Optional: If students are having difficulty recalling flower experiences from memory, take a walk around the school to observe flowers if appropriate, or display images of a variety of flowers.
Add words and images related to flowers to the word wall.
The Inquire phase allows students to cycle progressively and with increasing complexity through the key science ideas related to the core concepts. Each Inquire cycle is divided into three teaching and learning routines that allow students to systematically build their knowledge and skills in science and incorporate this into their current understanding of the world.
When designing a teaching sequence, it is important to consider the knowledge and skills that students will need in the final Act phase. Consider what the students already know and identify the steps that need to be taken to reach the level required. How could you facilitate students’ understanding at each step? What investigations could be designed to build the skills at each step?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkThe Investigate routine provides students with an opportunity to explore the key ideas of science, to plan and conduct an investigation, and to gather and record data. The investigations are designed to systematically develop content knowledge and skills through increasingly complex processes of structured inquiry, guided inquiry and open inquiry approaches. Students are encouraged to process data to identify trends and patterns and link them to the real-world context of the teaching sequence.
When designing a teaching sequence, consider the diagnostic assessment (Launch phase) that identified the alternative conceptions that students held. Are there activities that challenge these ideas and provide openings for discussion? What content knowledge and skills do students need to be able to complete the final (Act phase) task? How could you systematically build these through the investigation routines? Are there opportunities to build students’ understanding and skills in the science inquiry processes through the successive investigations?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkParts of a flower
Ask students if they think all the flowers in the schoolyard are the same or if they are different, and why they think that. Discuss their reasons, or evidence, for their prediction.
Lead the class on a ‘directed hunting’ expedition around the school grounds.
Safety note
Be aware of students with allergies, particularly pollen. Students may suffer from allergies caused by inhalation and/or touch. Be aware of allergies to insects, particularly bees, that they might come into closer contact with when observing flowers.
Before the 'hunt'
- Remind students not to pick flowers from plants unless they ask first and are given permission. If they have known allergies to plants, they should not smell them or touch them.
- Discuss how to handle flowers, other parts of plants, insects, and other natural life safely and carefully.
- Discuss safety around bees, encouraging students to move away from plants/flowers if they see a bee, not to make any loud noises or sudden movements that risk scaring the bee.
During the 'hunt'
- Students observe and possibly collect flowers from the ground (and plants with permission) to use back in the classroom.
- Optional: Students take photos of various flowers around the school yard and in the classroom.
After the 'hunt'
- In collaborative teams, students explore their flowers by drawing the different parts and by using magnifying glasses.
- Briefly discuss the students’ observations as they move around the room, or as a class.
Model for the students how to dissect a flower into its parts and stick the parts onto a page. Identify and label the parts (use scientific names if appropriate for your students):
- petals
- the special leaves that protected the flower when it was growing (sepal)
- stem
- leaves
- optional: the place where pollen is produced (stamen)
- optional: the pistil, above where the petals are joined, where the pollen is collected
Discuss the need to be careful with flowers as they are fragile and the parts can easily be ripped. Consider using large plastic tweezers to pull the flowers apart.
In pairs students dissect a flower. Use sticky tape to stick the parts for one flower on one piece of A4 paper. Label the parts, using a scribe if required.
Parts of a flower
The vocabulary students use to describe the parts of a flower will depend upon their prior experience and knowledge.
The vocabulary students use to describe the parts of a flower will depend upon their prior experience and knowledge. Use vocabulary that is appropriate for your students and context. This will vary from one class to the next, based on individual student interests, experiences, prior learning etc. Some examples of increasingly complex vocabulary could be:
- flower, petal, stem, seed
- nectar, pollen, sepal
- sepal, male parts: stamen (filament + anther), female parts: pistil (stigma + style + ovary)
The vocabulary students use to describe the parts of a flower will depend upon their prior experience and knowledge. Use vocabulary that is appropriate for your students and context. This will vary from one class to the next, based on individual student interests, experiences, prior learning etc. Some examples of increasingly complex vocabulary could be:
- flower, petal, stem, seed
- nectar, pollen, sepal
- sepal, male parts: stamen (filament + anther), female parts: pistil (stigma + style + ovary)
Collaborative teams
At Foundation level it is recommended that students work in teams of two.
Students engaged in collaborative learning observe and consider multiple perspectives, take on different roles in investigations, and contribute to rich evidence-based discussions. They are able to discuss, compare and build on one another's ideas, revise and rethink their reasoning and contribute to the creation of multi-model representations.
The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) states that providing opportunities for students to work collaboratively can lead to enhance cognitive development, encourages more explicit articulation when asking questions and sharing ideas, enables students to practice justifying their reasoning, and increases student reflection and awareness of learning.
Developing effective collaboration skills requires time, opportunity, modelling and support. This process should begin in Foundation. However it is important to consider what is developmentally appropriate for your students. Having to consider the ideas and opinions of just one other student is typically what is best for most students at this stage. Consider modelling and focusing on just one skill for working in a team each lesson/term.
Students engaged in collaborative learning observe and consider multiple perspectives, take on different roles in investigations, and contribute to rich evidence-based discussions. They are able to discuss, compare and build on one another's ideas, revise and rethink their reasoning and contribute to the creation of multi-model representations.
The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) states that providing opportunities for students to work collaboratively can lead to enhance cognitive development, encourages more explicit articulation when asking questions and sharing ideas, enables students to practice justifying their reasoning, and increases student reflection and awareness of learning.
Developing effective collaboration skills requires time, opportunity, modelling and support. This process should begin in Foundation. However it is important to consider what is developmentally appropriate for your students. Having to consider the ideas and opinions of just one other student is typically what is best for most students at this stage. Consider modelling and focusing on just one skill for working in a team each lesson/term.
The Inquire phase allows students to cycle progressively and with increasing complexity through the key science ideas related to the core concepts. Each Inquire cycle is divided into three teaching and learning routines that allow students to systematically build their knowledge and skills in science and incorporate this into their current understanding of the world.
When designing a teaching sequence, it is important to consider the knowledge and skills that students will need in the final Act phase. Consider what the students already know and identify the steps that need to be taken to reach the level required. How could you facilitate students’ understanding at each step? What investigations could be designed to build the skills at each step?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkFollowing an investigation, the Integrate routine provides time and space for data to be evaluated and insights to be synthesized. It reveals new insights, consolidates and refines representations, generalises context and broadens students’ perspectives. It allows student thinking to become visible and opens formative feedback opportunities. It may also lead to further questions being asked, allowing the Inquire phase to start again.
When designing a teaching sequence, consider the diagnostic assessment that was undertaken during the Launch phase. Consider if alternative conceptions could be used as a jumping off point to discussions. How could students represent their learning in a way that would support formative feedback opportunities? Could small summative assessment occur at different stages in the teaching sequence?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkGallery walk
Teams display their dissected and labeled flowers. Conduct a gallery walk, with teams moving around together looking at other teams' work. Ask teams to identify one thing that is the same in another team’s work sample, and one thing that is different. Remind them not to touch other teams' work samples.
After the walk, students discuss their observations using appropriate flower vocabulary.
- Are all the flowers the same size/shape/colour?
- Do they all have the same parts?
- What differences can you see?
Identify how you might group the flowers together, for example petal shape/size/colour, stem length, smell/no smell, pleasant/not pleasant fragrance etc.
Select one of these groups and direct teams to, with their work sample, group themselves according to the category.
For example: "All teams whose flowers have white petals, stand by the door. Teams whose flowers have yellow petals stand near the sink." etc.
Re-group students into different categories as appropriate and time permitting.
Optional: Ask students to nominate a category and to group themselves according to this category if appropriate.
Optional: Retain the flower parts to use in other ways such as:
- allowing them to dry.
- pressing the flower parts between 2 layers of clear contact.
- placing flower parts in the compost or garden beds (excluding weeds).
Reflect on the lesson
You might:
- discuss if it was difficult to find, collect and dissect flowers.
- review the features of seeds and plants, and compare them to the the features of flowers.
- add words and images to the class word-wall of vocabulary related to senses and flowers.
Gallery walk
Conducting a gallery walk with Foundation students.
In a gallery walk, students move about the room examining the work of their peers. They might discuss what they see with a partner, or use post-it notes to post comments and questions about what they are seeing. Class discussion and careful questioning can then be used to draw attention to specific aspects.
Using a simplified version of this strategy with Foundation students supports them to begin engaging in the feedback process, building a solid foundation for the subsequent years of schooling. Consider how you will display work samples, and how you will direct students around the room. Perhaps specific groups will swap tables, or specific teams will swap. You might also give one instruction at a time, first focusing on similarities for example, and modeling expected responses for students, such as "This sample is the same as ours because..."
In a gallery walk, students move about the room examining the work of their peers. They might discuss what they see with a partner, or use post-it notes to post comments and questions about what they are seeing. Class discussion and careful questioning can then be used to draw attention to specific aspects.
Using a simplified version of this strategy with Foundation students supports them to begin engaging in the feedback process, building a solid foundation for the subsequent years of schooling. Consider how you will display work samples, and how you will direct students around the room. Perhaps specific groups will swap tables, or specific teams will swap. You might also give one instruction at a time, first focusing on similarities for example, and modeling expected responses for students, such as "This sample is the same as ours because..."