Survive and thrive
View Sequence overviewStudents will:
- explore the scientific method to set up a ‘fair test’ on the needs of plants, to confirm or disprove their predictions.
- consider and begin plant growth tracking using informal measurement (marks on popsticks).
- record the first plant observations for their investigation.
Students will represent their understanding as they:
- record investigation predictions as teams/pairs on My plant predictions Resource sheet.
- contribute to discussion and predictions about the needs of plants (water, sun, space, soil) and whether plants can move to meet any of those needs.
In this lesson, assessment is formative.
Feedback might focus on:
- students’ ideas about the needs of plants to help them grow. Are they able to identify some/all needs?
- students’ thinking about how to take accurate measurements of plant growth. Do they recognise the potential errors that would affect the accuracy of the data?
- students’ predictions about plant growth in the decided upon time frame. Are their predictions reasonable?
- students’ ideas about fair-tests. Able they able to articulate what would make a test fair or not fair?
Whole class
Class science journal (digital or hard-copy)
Demonstration copies of My plant predictions Resource sheet
Healthy/unhealthy teacher demonstration seedlings (retained from previous lesson)
Watering equipment such as sprayer(s) or bucket of water with milk bottle caps etc.
Popsticks
Markers
Each group
2 x potted seedlings (see "Plant preparation" on the Preparing for this sequence tab for further guidance)
2 x pot labels
Each student
Individual science journal (digital or hard-copy)
My plant predictions Resource sheet
Lesson
Re-orient
Students add items to the nature table and pet photos to the word wall.
Recall the previous lesson, focusing on the healthy/unhealthy plants.
Show the students the two plants again. Recall students drawing and labelling the healthy plant in the class science journal.
Review students' responses to the question What do plants need to stay alive?
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 plants need?
Pose the question: How do we know what plants need to stay alive?
Discuss how the current list of ideas are our ‘predictions’—what we ‘think’ plants need to survive. As scientists we want to understand the world around us, and we can do experiments to see if our predictions are right or wrong.
Alternative conceptions
What alternative conceptions might students have about plants and what they need to grow? How does this sequence address them?
Common conceptions and alternative conceptions you might encounter in the classroom include:
- Students might identify that animals breathe, but not identify that plants also need oxygen to release the energy from the food they have created. The concept that plants also breathe is reinforced by description of forests being the ‘lungs of the planet’.
- Plants produce oxygen when they create sugars and consume oxygen when releasing stored energy. Some plants only produce sugars in daylight, and so are net producers of oxygen during the day and net consumers of oxygen at night.
- Students might be aware that plants and seeds need water, particularly as the watering of gardens becomes contentious during droughts. They might not be aware that too much water can ‘drown’ roots and be just as harmful as not enough water.
- Students might be aware that plants need sunlight to grow, although they might not be able to articulate why. Most plants capture the energy from the Sun’s rays through photosynthesis. However, students might not realise that more sunlight is not always better for certain types of plants, and that sunlight can burn plant leaves as much as it can burn human skin.
- Students might think that plants get food from the soil through their roots. This is reinforced by the sale of fertilisers with names such as ‘plant food’.
- Plants, like animals, need to intake minerals and nutrients. Most land plants absorb their requirement for water and nutrients through their roots. Other plants have more novel mechanisms, for example, carnivorous plants digest insects to extract nitrogen.
- Another role of a plant's roots is to anchor the plant in place and keep it stable.
The above conceptions are addressed in this sequence as students undertake the plant growth investigation that begins in this lesson. At the culmination of the investigation they address each need of the plant and make a claim, based on the evidence they have collected, about whether or not the factor they have investigated is necessary for plant growth and survival.
Students might think that plants absorb water through their stems. This is reinforced by the observation that cut flowers survive in vases of water without roots. Water vapour evaporates from the pores (stomata) on plants’ leaves, pulling water and nutrients up from the roots through the xylem in the stems (similar to water moving up through a straw). If the ends of the cut stem remain clear from obstruction, including from bacteria and single-celled organisms that are drawn to the sap leaked by phloem, then water can be drawn directly into the exposed xylem tubes. Sachets to prolong the life of cut flowers generally work both to limit bacterial growth and to provide nutrients for the flowers. This sequence addresses this conception in Lesson 3 where students investigate the role of roots in absorbing water, and how the xylem transports water around the plant.
Students often link the idea of being alive with movement but less often with eating, breathing and reproducing. Hence, they might identify lightning as 'being alive', but not a plant—unless the plant is doing something associated with movement or growth. Many students do not identify trees as being alive, particularly deciduous trees in winter. This sequence addresses this conception in Lesson 4, where students watch a time-lapse video and role-play the movement of plants in response to the movement of a light source.
Students might not be aware of the common structure of land plants. They might think of plants in terms of a single flower with a stem and maybe a leaf. They might not think of roots in the soil or that the plant may not always be flowering. They might not identify trees, bushes and grasses as plants. This sequence addresses this as students reiterate the features of plants and what they are used for. Students would also have explored this content in Foundation.
Common conceptions and alternative conceptions you might encounter in the classroom include:
- Students might identify that animals breathe, but not identify that plants also need oxygen to release the energy from the food they have created. The concept that plants also breathe is reinforced by description of forests being the ‘lungs of the planet’.
- Plants produce oxygen when they create sugars and consume oxygen when releasing stored energy. Some plants only produce sugars in daylight, and so are net producers of oxygen during the day and net consumers of oxygen at night.
- Students might be aware that plants and seeds need water, particularly as the watering of gardens becomes contentious during droughts. They might not be aware that too much water can ‘drown’ roots and be just as harmful as not enough water.
- Students might be aware that plants need sunlight to grow, although they might not be able to articulate why. Most plants capture the energy from the Sun’s rays through photosynthesis. However, students might not realise that more sunlight is not always better for certain types of plants, and that sunlight can burn plant leaves as much as it can burn human skin.
- Students might think that plants get food from the soil through their roots. This is reinforced by the sale of fertilisers with names such as ‘plant food’.
- Plants, like animals, need to intake minerals and nutrients. Most land plants absorb their requirement for water and nutrients through their roots. Other plants have more novel mechanisms, for example, carnivorous plants digest insects to extract nitrogen.
- Another role of a plant's roots is to anchor the plant in place and keep it stable.
The above conceptions are addressed in this sequence as students undertake the plant growth investigation that begins in this lesson. At the culmination of the investigation they address each need of the plant and make a claim, based on the evidence they have collected, about whether or not the factor they have investigated is necessary for plant growth and survival.
Students might think that plants absorb water through their stems. This is reinforced by the observation that cut flowers survive in vases of water without roots. Water vapour evaporates from the pores (stomata) on plants’ leaves, pulling water and nutrients up from the roots through the xylem in the stems (similar to water moving up through a straw). If the ends of the cut stem remain clear from obstruction, including from bacteria and single-celled organisms that are drawn to the sap leaked by phloem, then water can be drawn directly into the exposed xylem tubes. Sachets to prolong the life of cut flowers generally work both to limit bacterial growth and to provide nutrients for the flowers. This sequence addresses this conception in Lesson 3 where students investigate the role of roots in absorbing water, and how the xylem transports water around the plant.
Students often link the idea of being alive with movement but less often with eating, breathing and reproducing. Hence, they might identify lightning as 'being alive', but not a plant—unless the plant is doing something associated with movement or growth. Many students do not identify trees as being alive, particularly deciduous trees in winter. This sequence addresses this conception in Lesson 4, where students watch a time-lapse video and role-play the movement of plants in response to the movement of a light source.
Students might not be aware of the common structure of land plants. They might think of plants in terms of a single flower with a stem and maybe a leaf. They might not think of roots in the soil or that the plant may not always be flowering. They might not identify trees, bushes and grasses as plants. This sequence addresses this as students reiterate the features of plants and what they are used for. Students would also have explored this content in Foundation.
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 FrameworkInvestigating plant growth
Explain that students will be working with a partner to investigate and confirm/prove their thinking about what things plants need to grow and stay healthy.
Show students the seedlings they will be growing and discuss how seedlings are young plants. Explain that the class will be using these to confirm whether plants need water, light, space, and soil to grow and stay healthy.
Gather student ideas on how the investigation into plant growth might be carried out.
- Where could we put the seedlings to make sure they have sunlight?
- What might happen if they stay in direct sunlight too long?
- How much water will we give the seedlings?
- Where should we put the water?
- On the ground around the plant. Plants do not absorb water through their leaves.
- What might happen if we water them too much?
- How can we test to find out if seedlings need soil to grow?
- How can we test to see if they need space to grow?
- How will we know if our seedings are staying healthy? What signs will we look for?
- How might we measure how much they're growing?
Introduce the idea of fair testing by asking: Can we use just one seedling to test all of our ideas about what plants need to grow? Why or why not?
Explain to students that if we test all of our ideas on one seedling, we won't know which test had the biggest impact on its growth. For example, if we put a seedling in a cupboard with no water, and it doesn't grow, how will we know if it was the lack of sunlight, lack of water, or both that made it not grow?
Explain that scientists try to make a test fair by identifying all the things that might change how a seedling grows, and only changing one of these things at a time. This is what we call a fair test.
Refer to the things plants need for healthy growth that were identified earlier in the sequence: water, sunlight, space, and soil.
Introduce the following questions for investigation recorded in a "How will we carry out this investigation?" table in the class science journal:
- Do plants need water to grow and stay healthy?
- Do plants need sunlight to grow and stay healthy?
- Do plants need soil to grow and stay healthy?
- Do plants need space to grow and stay healthy?
Referring to the table, explain that teams/pairs will be investigating one question. Remind students that to make sure the test is fair, teams will only be changing the one thing that will help them answer their question.
Discuss why each team will need two seedlings: the first seedling will be planted: by itself; in soil; be left in the sunlight; and given water. The second seedling will have one of these things changed. By comparing how the seedlings grow, we can see if that need is important to its growth. Explain that observing what happens to each seedling will help us to answer each question. If the first seedling is healthier than the second seedling that has, for example not been getting water, we'll be able to tell that water helps plants to grow and stay healthy.
The above table is a sample. It will need to be customised to suit your classroom. For example, you may choose to place seedlings outside for sunlight, rather than on a windowsill.
You might fill out some or all of the fields in the table with your students depending on their prior knowledge and experiences, needs, and capabilities. Some discussion prompts that might support you to fill in the table with student input are:
- How much water would a plant normally be given?
- This establishes a normal watering pattern, determines an appropriate limit (numbers of milliliters, sprays, or 'pouring seconds' a day) and prevents over-enthusiastic watering.
- How could we make sure a plant does not get sunlight?
- Place the plant in the cupboard with the door staying shut.
- What could we use instead of soil?
- Sand, perlite beads, cotton wool.
- How could we remove all the soil from the seedlings?
- Gently washing the soil from the roots.
- All roots have small hairs on them to support the uptake of water. Take care not to damage them when replanting.
- How could we make sure the seedlings don’t have space to grow?
- Plant a lot of seedlings close together.
Form teams, recording which teams will be answering which question in the space underneath each question in the table. Distribute seedlings and allow time for students to label them (see image below), using pre-prepared labels or sticky labels as appropriate.
Adapting to your context
How might you adapt this investigation for your classroom?
The organisation and set-up of this investigation might require modification, depending on the prior knowledge and experiences, needs and capabilities of your students.
You might consider:
- sequentially setting up each investigation/seedling observation one at a time as a whole class investigation.
- This allows you to model what is required for fair testing of a question. When setting up subsequent seedling investigations, students could refer to the first example as a guide to reinforce and explain fair testing of each successive seedling investigation.
- modelling the set-up of one or more of the investigations, then asking the students to help with setting up the final investigation. Discuss with the class the need for multiple versions of the same investigation (sample size) to make sure their answer to the question is accurate.
The organisation and set-up of this investigation might require modification, depending on the prior knowledge and experiences, needs and capabilities of your students.
You might consider:
- sequentially setting up each investigation/seedling observation one at a time as a whole class investigation.
- This allows you to model what is required for fair testing of a question. When setting up subsequent seedling investigations, students could refer to the first example as a guide to reinforce and explain fair testing of each successive seedling investigation.
- modelling the set-up of one or more of the investigations, then asking the students to help with setting up the final investigation. Discuss with the class the need for multiple versions of the same investigation (sample size) to make sure their answer to the question is accurate.
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 FrameworkPredicting plant growth
Discuss how students predict the seedlings will grow over the next few weeks.
- What is likely/unlikely to happen to the seedlings over the coming days/weeks?
- Why do you think this?
- Do all the seedlings currently look the same or have differences?
- Do you think they will all grow at the same rate? Will some grow faster than others)?
Using a demonstration copy of My predictions Resource sheet, model how student will make predictions about the growth of their seedlings, explaining to students that the wording will differ as groups are investigating different things (water, sunlight, space, soil).
Allow time for students to complete their My predictions Resource sheet.
Optional: Ask students: Can plants move in order to fulfill their needs? Can plants move to get to the water, sunlight or space that they need?
- Whilst plants may move/grow in the direction of the main source of sunlight and/or water in order to fulfill those needs, they mostly remain held in place by their roots, as the soil their roots are planted in is a source of minerals.
- This concept is separate to the idea of plant reproduction, which sees pollen or seeds spread by various methods.
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 FrameworkHow will we measure plant growth?
Pose the question: How can we measure how much the plants grow?
Discuss students’ ideas about how they could collect and record information about what happens to their seedlings.
- How might drawings help us to keep track of how much the plants have grown?
- What about photos? Would they be better/more accurate than drawings? Why? Why not?
- What about counting the number of leaves that appear as the seedling grow?
- How could we keep track of the height of the seedling?
Explain that, whilst all these are good ways to keep track of the seedling's health and how they are growing, in this investigation we are going to measure the growth of the seedlings by measuring their height and seeing how it changes.
Discuss possible methods for measuring the height of the plant. Emphasise the need to make accurate measurements by being careful and ensuring that the same process is followed each time.
One way to keep track of the height of the seedlings each week is to use popsticks. Alternatively, students might cut crepe paper or string to size each time they take a measurement or mark the date and height growth on a long strip of paper.
- How often should we measure the growth of the plant?
- The plant may not grow quickly enough to justify measuring the growth each day, or it may grow too quickly to measure it once weekly. The interval should be determined by the seedlings you have selected, and the timeframe in which you will be measuring growth.
- How should I hold the popstick to take the measurement?
- What would happen if I pushed it into the ground? How would that change the measurements? Would that be fair?
- What would happen if I held it above the ground? How would that change the measurements? Would that be fair?
- How will we judge the top of the plant? Will it be the top of the stem or the top of the highest leaf? Why is it important for everyone to do it the same each time?
Model using a marking pen to note when the measurement was taken (date, day or a number to indicate the week), the team taking the measurement (initials on the back) and drawing a mark height of a plant with a line. Then model colouring beneath this line to show the measurement as clearly and accurately as possible.
Optional: If teams have several seedlings in their pot, ask them to use the measurement of the shortest one.
Optional: Assist pairs to take photos of their plants to keep a visual record of the plant’s growth.
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 FrameworkSharing results
Invite students to share their investigation with the class.
- What question are you trying to answer with your investigating?
- For example: "We're trying to find out if plants need (water/sunlight, soil/space) to grow."
- By pointing at the popstick, show us how tall you think each of these seedlings will be by the time we take out next measurement? Why do you think that?
- What are you going to do to make sure your investigation is fair?
Teams place their pots in the appropriate spot.
Water all seedlings in pots if necessary (except the ‘No water’ pots).
Set up a watering and measurement schedule to ensure the seedlings are watered each day (with the exception of the 'no water' seedlings), and that students are recording data on their growth. Make sure to keep to this schedule as the sequence progresses.
Reflect on the lesson
You might:
- add to the class word wall of vocabulary related to plant growth and needs.
- discuss how students were thinking and working like scientists during the lesson. Focus on making observations using our sight, setting up a ‘fair’ test and making predictions.