Planting Review - Teacher Explanation

Welcome to the first lesson in the Year 1 unit on plants, titled "Planting Review." This lesson aligns with the national curriculum's requirement for pupils to identify and name various common wild and garden plants, including both deciduous and evergreen trees. A key health and safety note for this lesson is the importance of being mindful of pupils with plant allergies, as there will be extensive handling of plant matter. Additionally, all pupils must wash their hands thoroughly after touching any plant matter, including soil. The lesson offers multiple cross-curricular opportunities, such as creating a plant care guide in English, measuring plant lengths in Maths, and devising a healthy fruit salad recipe in PSHE.

The lesson's primary task is to help children distinguish between fruits and vegetables. A variety of produce will be provided, such as parsnips, carrots, cucumber, potatoes, tomatoes, oranges, and apples. The main criterion for differentiation is the presence of seeds, which typically signifies a fruit. Using paper towels and either knives or scissors, pupils will examine, describe, and dissect these items to determine if they contain seeds, recording their observations and conclusions. It's crucial to ensure that pupils do not consume any of the food during the activity. The lesson concludes with a review of the data collected since lesson 1.10 on plant growth, such as stem length and leaf count. Pupils can use this information to create line graphs, either individually or as a class. The teacher encourages enjoyment of the lesson's activities and looks forward to the next session.