The Magic of Seeds

Year 1 Science Investigation Biological Sciences

Lesson Focus:
To provide students with a shared experience as they grow sprout seeds in a variety of bases in order to explore how
seeds grow and what they need to grow.
Students:
- Work in sall groups to investigate if seed growth is effected by a variety of different environents. Students will
plant sprout seeds in a variety of bases such as soil! water! paper etc and place these in different environents for
exaple: indoors! outdoors! or greenhouse.
- Students will take easureents and observations and record and present their findings and copare these with their
classates.
- This investigation could be conducted as a unit of work with a nuber of lessons over a period of "-# weeks.
$ontext:
This investigation is designed to challenge the student isconception that seeds can only grow in soil with sunlight.
The context will be in the priary school classroo and classroo courtyard area where students will be placed into
sall groups. These sall groups will plant and aintain the seeds and record their growth and any observed
characteristics. Students will be asked to select a variety of bases and locations using their iagination and creativity!
to plant and record.
%ssessent Focus:
Forative assessent is an ongoing aspect of the &xplore phase and involves onitoring students' developing
understanding and giving feedback that extends their learning.
(uring this investigation! the teacher will onitor the student's developing understanding of
- aking predictions! observations and gathering evidence.
- how living things can grow and live in different environents.
- how habitats can affect the growth of living things.
- how living things have needs that need to be et in order to survive and what happens when these needs are not et.
- how living things can adapt to different environents.
- their own science in)uiry skills.
*ey Lesson +utcoes:
,ear - %chieveent Standards: By the end of ,ear -! students describe ob.ects and events that they encounter in their
everyday lives! and the effects of interacting with aterials and ob.ects. They identify a range of habitats. They
describe changes to things in their local environent and suggest how science helps people care for environents.
Students ake predictions! and investigate everyday phenoena. They follow instructions to record and sort their
observations and share their observations with others.
%ustralian $urriculu $ontent (escriptions:
Living things have a variety of external features/%$SS01-23
Living things live in different places where their needs are et /%$SS04--3
Science involves asking )uestions about! and describing changes in! ob.ects and events/%$S5&14-3
0se inforal easureents in the collection and recording of observations! with the assistance of digital
technologies as appropriate/%$S6S14#3
$opare observations with those of others/%$S6S4-73
Working Scientifically Fraework:
Engage: For the engage lesson! the Teacher will write the following stateent on the board or on the floor with chalk
as children sit in a big circle. 89lants need soil and light to grow:; 9rove or (isprove it:
Then hold a class discussion to talk about the focus for the investigation where the children will be told that over the
next few weeks we are going to be scientists and discover is this true or not< 5old a brainstoring session asking the
children to think about what do they know about how seeds grow! what kind of environents do you think seeds will
grow in! what kind of pots or aterials can seeds grow in. (oes anyone have any predictions about what would
happen if we were to plant seeds in various pots! soils or aterials<
Explore: Looking around the classroo! school and at hoe - Where can we see plants growing< %re they growing
well< =ecord findings and collect a variety of aterials and recycled ob.ects in which to plant the seeds.
Working in sall groups! Students will then have the opportunity to plant their own seeds! label and place the in
different environents. This investigation will have an interactive and hands on approach to exploration. The
classroo will be set up into investigation stations and in their groups! students will rotate through stations copleting
allocated tasks and recording their observations as they go in order to prove or disprove this stateent. The teacher
will select a focus group each session and observe and interact with students in the group! this provides opportunity for
scaffolded learning and extension opportunity.
Station 1: Caring for and observing our seeds
%t this station! students will reflect on what the seeds need to grow and will care for their groups' seeds ie: watering
and tending as they see necessary. They will also look for signs of growth and observe! photograph! easure and
record anything they see using a basic table.
Station !: Exploring ho" sprout seeds gro"
%t this station students will explore using 6$T and other resources! look at the different types of sprout seeds > do any
grow better than others< Which seeds are suited to our weather?environent< 5ow do they grow sprouts for sale in the
superarket< 5ow does this differ to ways we are growing seeds in the classroo<
Station #: $eading and pla% corner
%t this station students can sit and read books about plants either in pairs! to an adult helper or individually. $reate a
collage activity where children can create a super sprout using craft supplies.
Station &: 'ord "all and recount
%t this station! students can choose words they have encountered during this investigation and write?decorate and
place on our word wall. %n extra activity could be copleting a short recount about what they know about how seeds
grow either through a written or visual recount.
Station (: Class Blog and )hotographer*$ecorder
%t this station! Students will be given the opportunity to observe what other groups are doing! take photos! record
findings and upload photos and thoughts to the class blog.
The explore phase is designed for students to see how seeds grow in a variety of plant habitats. Students will be able
to predict a response to the stateent! collect evidence and observations fro a variety of sources and using their own
sensory skills. This phase has been designed as a shared classroo experience that can be expanded further in the
elaboration phase as they look at growing different seeds apart fro sprouts. Students will be asked to docuent and
present their findings using basic tables that organise their findings and show any patterns they have observed.
Explain )hase: (uring the explain lesson students will further explore concepts that they have investigated. Soe
)uestions that will be explored include:
=eflecting on what you know! do you think there is any difference between how sprout seeds grow in
different environents<
What differences did you find<
What natural features help seeds to grow<
5ow do sprouts grow for bulk production< 6s this different to how we have grown the seeds<
Elaborate )hase: (uring this lesson phase! students will draw on what they know or have discovered so far and apply
this knowledge as they experient with growing other seeds. Students will explore other types of seeds and the
investigation stations will be altered to include activities about other seed types such as flowers and vegetables.
Students will work through the stations again and participate in a classroo discussion about their findings of what
seeds needs to grow.
Students will be asked to create a poster that visually deonstrates what they know about how seeds grow and what
they need to grow based on their investigations.
Evaluation )hase:
Students will coplete activities at each station and these will be attached into their investigation book and recorded
on the class blog. Teacher will draw out ideas presented through open ended )uestioning and copare these with
earlier conceptions discussed at the beginning of the investigation.
Safety?Student @anageent 6ssues:
Students will work in sall groups as they rotate through the investigation stations.Teacher will work with the daily
focus group spending tie discussing! and drawing out ideas as learning is scaffolded. Teacher will deal with any
behaviour issues that ay arise. Students will be instructed to stay within predeterined boundaries and always with
the group.