Plants and Flowers
ENGAGE
To capture students’ interest and find out what they think they know about how living
things, such as plants, have life cycles to elicit students’ questions about plant parts, plant
growth and the life cycle of flowering plants
EXPLORE
What’s inside a seed
To provide students with hands-on, shared experiences of the outside and inside
appearance of a seed when dry and when soaked
Bean seed germination
To provide students with hands-on, shared experiences of the changes that occur in a
germinating seed
Flowers and pollination
To provide students with hands-on, shared experiences of the internal parts of a flower
and their role in pollination
Flowers, fruits and seeds
To provide students with hands-on, shared experiences of the seeds inside fruits and
read about the way fruits develop
EXPLAIN
To support students to represent and explain their understanding and observations of seed
germination and the growth of seedlings To introduce current scientific views about the life
cycles of plants
ELABORATE
To support students to plan and conduct an investigation of the conditions that affect plant
growth
EVALUATE
To provide opportunities for students to represent what they know about how living things,
such as plants, have life cycles, and to reflect on their learning during the unit
Plant life stages jumble
Teacher background information
Every flowering plant starts life as a seed. With the right amount of warmth, air and
moisture, a seed starts to germinate by sending roots down into the soil and a shoot up
towards the sunlight. If the plant receives enough light it grows to become a seedling, and
eventually an adult plant. When it is time for the plant to reproduce, it produces flowers.
After pollination and fertilisation have occurred, the flower develops into a fruit containing
seeds. If the seeds experience suitable conditions for germination, the life cycle starts over
again.
Equipment
FOR THE CLASS
• class science journal, • word wall, • TWLH chart, • 1 large opaque box or bag (‘mystery
box’), • plant items and/or pictures of plants (eg, roots, stem, branch, leaves, seeds, small
seedling, larger plant, flowers, fruit)
FOR EACH STUDENT
• science journal, • 1 copy of ‘Plant life stages jumble’, (Resource sheet 1)
To provide students with hands-on, shared experiences of the changes that occur in a
germinating seed.
Students:
• explore packaged bean seeds
• read and discuss a procedural text for a bean seed germination activity
• work in teams to prepare bean seeds
• make ongoing observations and recordings of bean seed germination.
Flowers and Pollination
To provide students with hands-on, shared experiences of the internal parts of a flower
and their role in pollination.
Students:
• explore the parts of a flower
• draw and label a diagram of a flower
• read a factual text about the parts of a flower
• read a factual text about pollination.
Key lesson outcomes
Science
Students will be able to:
• accurately draw and label a diagram of a flower
• explain the role of the flower and pollination in forming seeds and fruit
• describe how a flower changes into a fruit containing seeds.
Literacy
Students will be able to:
• contribute to discussions about flowers and pollination
• create a labelled diagram of a flower
• read and view factual texts
• identify and recall key ideas in factual texts
• understand the purpose and features of a cross section diagram
• construct a cross section diagram of a flower.
Teacher background information
The flower of a plant contains its reproductive organs. The male parts of the flower are
the stamens. Each stamen generally has a long stalk called the filament, with an anther at
the end. The anthers carry pollen, which contain the male reproductive cells of the plant.
The female parts of the flower are usually found in the centre and are referred to as the
pistil. Each pistil has an expanded tip called the stigma, an elongated stalk, the style, and an
enlarged base, the ovary. The ovary contains ovules, which are the female reproductive cells
of the plant.
When pollen from another plant of the same species lands on the stigma, the pollen grains
grow a tube that carries the pollen to the ovules, which are then fertilised.
Pollination is the term used to describe the transfer of pollen from an anther to a stigma,
and it occurs in a number of ways. Some plants self-pollinate but others rely on insects,
birds, bats and even mammals to collect pollen and transfer it from flower to flower. Plants
that rely on insects and birds for pollination usually have bright flowers to attract them.
Pollen can also be carried by the wind. Species that rely on this method of pollination often
have small, dull flowers and light, fluffy pollen because they do not need to attract
pollinators to reproduce. Some species of water plants rely entirely on water to carry their
pollen from flower to flower.
Preparation
• Prepare an enlarged copy of ‘Cross section of a flower’ (Resource sheet 6).
• Purchase or ask students to bring in samples of flowers that demonstrate differences
in shape, size, colour and perfume, including samples that clearly show the pistil
and stamens.
• Organise a flower specimen for each team that is cut longways through the pistil.
(Biologists call this a ‘longitudinal section’.)
Lesson steps
1 Lead a discussion about the shapes, sizes, colour and perfume of the flower samples
that you have organised. Ask questions such as:
• How are flowers the same?
• How are they different?
• Why are they important to plants?
• What parts can you identify?
• Ask students what they know about the parts of the flower and record their responses in
the class science journal.
2 Explain to students that they will be working in collaborative learning teams to
explore the parts of a flower. Demonstrate how to use the magnifying glass to
assist their observations.
3 Review the features of a labelled diagram (see Lesson 1). Model how to draw a scale,
that is, a horizontal line with a vertical bar at each end, placed horizontally under the
picture. The size of the measured feature, for example, 1cm, is written under the line.
4 Form teams and allocate roles. Ask Managers to collect team equipment.
5 Have students observe a flower using a magnifying glass.
6 Once teams have completed their observation, ask them to share their findings about
flowers and their parts.
7 Provide teams with a second flower, which is cut longways through the pistil.
Demonstrate how to use the tweezers and the toothpicks to help with their investigations.
Discuss how using these tools can help them explore the flower samples.
Direct students to open out the cut area to explore the flower parts. Ask them to draw
a diagram with a scale in their science journal.
8 Consolidate this investigation by sharing a factual text about flowers. Discuss the
purpose and features of a factual text.
