Plants and more plants

Lesson: Science

Class: Year 3 Year: 2024 - 2025

This half-term, the children have been learning all about plants in science. They have been exploring the different parts of a plant and investigating what each part does.

In Year 2, the children learned about what plants need to survive. Now, in Year 3, we are diving deeper into the topic by setting up experiments in the classroom to see if what we know is correct. Some children chose not to water their plants, while others removed the soil, placed their plants in cupboards, or even in the fridge. All of this was done to test their understanding. The children were surprised to find that plants can survive for a short time without water and even in the fridge. This led to a rich discussion about how plants can survive in different habitats. One child was especially interested in cacti and how they can go a long time without water.

Next, the children examined the roots closely and learned how the stem transports water to the other parts of the plant. As a whole class, we set up an experiment to observe what would happen if we added dye to the water. We also set up a control test with just water to compare the results. The children were fascinated by what they observed.

We also dissected a lily to examine the different parts of a flowering plant and name them. We discussed their functions, and the children were particularly interested in the pollen and how it sticks to the stigma.

We still have much more to learn about plants over the next half-term—what an amazing learning journey we have been on so far!