Year 2: Plants
Plants
Curriculum Requirement
- observe and describe how seeds and bulbs grow into mature plants
- find out and describe how plants need water, light and a suitable temperature to grow and stay healthy
Pupils should use the local environment throughout the year to observe how different plants grow.
Pupils should be introduced to the requirements of plants for germination, growth and survival, as well as to the processes of reproduction and growth in plants.
Note: Seeds and bulbs need water to grow but most do not need light; seeds and bulbs have a store of food inside them.
Pupils might work scientifically by: observing and recording, with some accuracy, the growth of a variety of plants as they change over time from a seed or bulb, or observing similar plants at different stages of growth; setting up a comparative test to show that plants need light and water to stay healthy.
National Curriculum in England: primary curriculum, Section: "Plants", p. 152.
How Plants Grow
Have you ever wondered how a tiny, hard seed or a funny-looking bulb turns into a big plant or a beautiful flower? It's like magic! Let's find out how they do it.
Nature Examples: Seeds and Bulbs
The Sunflower Seed
A sunflower seed is a small, stripy, teardrop-shaped case.
Its job is to:
Hold a tiny baby plant and its first packed lunch safe inside.
💡 Fun Facts
- A seed has a hard coat (like armour!) to protect the baby plant inside it.
- A seed doesn't need sunlight to start growing! It just needs to be damp and warm. It uses the food stored inside itself to get started.
- A single, giant sunflower head can make over 1,000 new seeds!
The Daffodil Bulb
A bulb is like a secret underground package. It looks a bit like a small, papery onion.
Its job is to:
Store food underground so the plant can hide during winter and then pop up quickly in spring.
💡 Fun Facts
- A bulb is actually made of special, fat leaves squashed tightly together. These leaves are full of food for the plant.
- Like a seed, a bulb doesn't need light to start sprouting. It uses its stored food to push a green shoot up through the dark soil.
- Even after the flower has died, the bulb stays alive underground, saving up energy to grow a new flower next year.
The Broad Bean
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A large, kidney-shaped seed that you can eat!
Its job is to:
Grow into a tall bean plant that makes lots of yummy bean pods.
💡 Fun Facts
- When a bean seed starts to grow (germinate), the first thing to come out is a root, which grows downwards to find water.
- The seed itself splits in two, and these first two 'leaves' (called cotyledons) are full of food to help the shoot grow upwards.
- Broad beans are tough! You can plant them in winter when it's cold, and they will be ready to give you beans in the spring.
What Plants Need to Stay Healthy
Just like you need food, water, and sleep to grow big and strong, plants need a few key things to be healthy. Without them, they will wilt, turn yellow, and stop growing.
The Four Things Plants Need
Water
Plants get very thirsty! They suck up water from the soil using their roots.
Why it's needed:
A plant needs water to drink! It also uses water to move nutrients (its 'vitamins') from the soil all the way up to its leaves.
💡 Fun Facts
- A plant is mostly made of water. A lettuce, for example, is almost all water!
- If a plant doesn't get enough water, it will 'wilt' – its leaves and stem will droop and look floppy and sad.
- Cactus plants, which live in the hot, dry desert, are brilliant at storing water in their thick, fleshy stems.
Light
Plants get their energy from light. Their leaves are like little green solar panels.
Why it's needed:
To make their own food! Plants are like chefs. They use light, water, and air to cook up their own sugary food.
💡 Fun Facts
- Plants will actually bend and turn their leaves during the day to get the most sunlight.
- If you grow a plant in a dark cupboard, it will grow pale, yellow, and very stringy as it 'searches' for any little bit of light.
- Some flowers, like dandelions, open up in the bright sunshine and close up at night or on cloudy days.
A Suitable Temperature (Warmth)
Plants can get too cold or too hot, just like us. Most plants like it to be 'just right'.
Why it's needed:
If it's too cold, a plant can't grow. If it's too hot, it can dry out.
💡 Fun Facts
- Most seeds will not even start to grow (germinate) if the soil is too cold. They wait for the warmth of spring.
- A very cold frost can freeze the water inside a plant's leaves and turn them to mush.
- In the UK, we grow plants like tomatoes and peppers in a 'greenhouse'. This is a glass house that traps the sun's warmth, tricking the plants into thinking they are in a hotter country!
Air
Plants need to breathe, just like we do! But they breathe in the gas that we breathe out.
Why it's needed:
Plants 'breathe in' a gas from the air called carbon dioxide. This is one of the main ingredients they use to make their food.
💡 Fun Facts
- Plants also 'breathe out' the oxygen that we need to live! This is why trees and plants are so important.
- Plants get their air through tiny, tiny little holes in their leaves called 'stomata'.
- Earthworms are a plant's best friend. They wiggle through the soil, making tunnels that let air and water get to the roots.
Activities & Reflections
Activities
My Bean Diary
Let's grow a bean in a see-through cup! Get a clear plastic cup, some kitchen roll, and a broad bean. Dampen the kitchen roll and put it in the cup. Wedge the bean between the paper and the side of the cup so you can see it. Add a tiny bit of water. Now, check it every two days. Draw what you see! You will see the root grow down and the shoot grow up.
The Cress Experiment
We are going to test what plants need. Let's grow some cress!
- Pot 1 (The Perfect Plant): Put cress seeds on damp cotton wool. Put it in the sunny window.
- Pot 2 (The Thirsty Plant): Put cress seeds on dry cotton wool. Put it in the sunny window.
- Pot 3 (The Plant in the Dark): Put cress seeds on damp cotton wool. Put it in a dark cupboard. What do you think will happen to each pot? Let's watch for a week and find out!
Bulb vs. Seed Sort
Your teacher has a collection of (or pictures of) different seeds (like sunflower seeds, poppy seeds, and pumpkin seeds) and bulbs (like onions, daffodil bulbs, and tulip bulbs). Can you sort them into two piles? How can you tell the difference?
Reflections
Self-Reflection (Exit Ticket)
On a piece of paper, draw a picture of a healthy, happy plant. Can you also draw the 3 or 4 things it needs to stay happy?
Paired Reflection (Think-Pair-Share)
Turn to your partner and tell them one thing that is different between a seed and a bulb.
Group Reflection
Look at your bean diaries. In your group, talk about what grew first: the root or the shoot? Why do you think the plant grew in that order?
Whole Class Share-Out
Let's look at our cress experiment! Which plant grew the best? Why? What happened to the 'Thirsty Plant'? What happened to the 'Plant in the Dark'? What have we learned?
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