Planting Review - Lesson Plan

The lesson plan from The Primary Science Advisory Service Ltd delves into the world of botany, specifically targeting Year 1 students. It aims to enhance their scientific skills such as observing over time, noticing patterns, grouping and classifying, and comparative testing. The curriculum aligns with the National Curriculum Knowledge, where students are expected to identify common wild and garden plants, including deciduous and evergreen trees. The lesson sets out to help students list the conditions necessary for plant growth, identify plants that grow from bulbs and seeds, and recognise plants that do not grow from either. Previous learning from the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is built upon, where pupils should recognise basic plant parts like leaves and flowers, and this knowledge is extended to prepare them for future learning about habitats, plant functions, and reproduction in Years 2 to 6.

The lesson includes cross-curricular links with English, Maths, and PSHE, encouraging pupils to write a planting guide, measure leaf lengths, and understand the health benefits of fruit. Health and safety notes caution about plant allergies and the importance of washing hands after handling plants. Misconceptions about plant life are addressed, such as the idea that all plants grow from seeds and that trees are not plants. The lesson involves a practical activity where students examine fruits and vegetables, observing and recording external and internal characteristics, determining the presence of seeds, and classifying the items as fruits or vegetables. The activity is designed to debunk the common misconception that vegetables contain seeds and that all fruits are sweet. The lesson concludes with a plenary session where students reflect on what plants need to grow and how to distinguish between fruits and vegetables.