Author: Amanda McGarrigle

Science - Term 5
Plants
Seasonal Change (Spring)

Background Information
In this unit, the children find out about different plants, observing them closely and drawing them carefully. They explore various areas of the school to identify and name the wild and flowering plants that grow there. We will name the parts of the plant first hand and learn about their life-cycle. Each child will plant a bean seed and learn how to care for it. They will observe how it germinates and grows over time, documenting this by drawing in a diary. We will also plant seeds in the allotment and care for them.
We will also be exploring the season of Spring, thinking about changes in the natural world and in the weather. We will continue to learn the months of the year and link these to the seasons.

In this unit the children will…
Name and identify wild plants in the school field.
Name and identify garden and flowering plants around the school.
Plant a bean seed and care for it, observing and recording its growth.
Write or order instructions for how to plant a bean seed.
Draw the growth of a bean seed over time and discuss what a plant needs to grow.
Plant seeds in the school allotment and care for them.
Identify and label the main parts of a plant - roots, stem, leaf, flower.
Find out about and explain the purpose and roles of the different parts of a plant.
Explore the season of Spring, looking in the changes in the local environment.
Link the season of Spring to the months of the year and the weather.

By the end of this unit…
All children can:
Look closely at plants and begin to name some of them.
Record what they see by drawing or writing.
Plant and care for a bean seed.
Plant and care for seeds in the allotment.
Look closely at the parts of a plant, including the roots.
Go on a spring walk and identify signs of seasonal change.
Most children will:
Name and identify some wild plants.
Name and identify some garden/flowering plants.
Perform a survey of the locality, recording it on a chart.
Write instructions about how to plant a bean seed.
Make observational drawings of plants.
Explore where seeds come from.
Draw and label their own garden using a variety of plants.
Name and label the main parts of a flowering plant.
Explain the functions of some of the parts of a plant.
Begin to explain the lifecycle of a plant.
Link changes in the season to the weather.
Record by drawing from observation what a tree looks like in Spring.
Some children will:
Name and identify a wide variety of wild and garden plants.
Explain in detail the function of the different parts of a plant and its lifecycle.
Make suggestions and observations using their previous knowledge.
Give reasons for their answers.
Name the months of the year and link this to the seasons and the weather.
Name the months of the year and link these to the weather and the seasons.

Key Vocabulary
Roots, stem, leaves, flower, wild, garden, flowering, grass, observation, draw, magnifying glass, survey, chart, water, sunlight, soil, seed, bulb, germinate, life cycle, life process, seedling, prediction, grow.
Spring, buds, leaves, blossom, baby animals, grow, warm, warmer, change, weather, sunshine, wind, rain, March, April, May.
Ap.