Stages of Plant Growth

Curriculum Area:

Subject: Science
Key Stage: 2 (Year 5)
National Curriculum Strand: Living things and their habitats
Objective:

• Understand the lifecycle of a plant, including germination, growth, pollination, fertilisation, and seed dispersal.
• Investigate factors affecting plant growth (light, water, temperature, soil quality).
• Compare different plant lifecycles (flowering vs non-flowering).

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Lesson Overview

Time	Activity	Details
5 mins	Engage: Odd One Out	Display images of different plants at different growth stages and one unrelated object (e.g., rock). Ask: Which is the odd one out and why?
10 mins	Explain: Plant Lifecycle	Introduce key plant lifecycle stages using real plant samples / diagrams. Discuss how different plants grow in different ways.
15 mins	Explore: Growth Experiment	Small groups set up an experiment to test one factor affecting plant growth (e.g., lack of water, low light).
10 mins	Compare: Different Lifecycles	Groups research and present 1-minute comparisons of flowering vs non-flowering plant lifecycles.
10 mins	Evaluate: Quiz & Reflection	Quick-fire class quiz + exit ticket: One new thing you learned today.

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Lesson Breakdown

🌱 Engage: Odd One Out (5 mins)

Objective: Get students thinking about plant lifecycles without introducing complex terminology.

Activity:

• Show students four laminated pictures:
  1. A seed germinating
  2. A flowering plant
  3. A tree shedding seeds
  4. A rock
• Ask: Which is the odd one out? Why?
• Encourage students to justify their choices, guiding them towards recognising stages of plant growth.

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🌿 Explain: The Lifecycle of Plants (10 mins)

Objective: Introduce key stages of a plant's lifecycle using visual and tangible aids.

Discussion Points:
📌 Germination – A seed absorbs water and starts to grow.
📌 Growth – The plant develops roots, stems, and leaves.
📌 Pollination – Flowers are fertilised by insects or wind.
📌 Seed Formation & Dispersal – Plants produce seeds and spread them.

Hands-on Visuals:

• Real sunflower or bean plant to show lifecycle stages.
• Time-lapse videos of plants growing (if projector available).

Questioning: What would happen if a plant didn’t get water? What if it didn’t get sunlight?

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🌞 Explore: Growth Experiment (15 mins)

Objective: Students investigate how different factors affect plant growth.

Experiment setup (Group work in 5s):
Each group tests one growth factor using cress seeds:

Group	Growth Factor	Setup Instructions
1	No water	Dry cotton wool in pot, no watering
2	No light	Cover with black card, place in cupboard
3	Different temperatures	Window vs Dark Shelf
4	No soil	Seeds on wet paper towel instead of soil

Guiding Questions:

• What do you predict will happen?
• Why is this factor important for plant growth?
• Follow-up: Observe changes over the next week.

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🍀 Compare: Different Plant Lifecycles (10 mins)

Objective: Introduce variety in plant reproduction by comparing flowering vs non-flowering plants.

Activity:

• Each group is given a picture and description of a plant (e.g., oak tree vs moss).
• Groups prepare a 1-minute presentation comparing their plant’s lifecycle to another.
• Encourage discussion: How does their lifecycle help them survive?

Example: What’s different about ferns? Why don’t they have flowers?

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🌼 Evaluate: Quick-Fire Quiz & Reflection (10 mins)

Activity 1: Class Quiz (5 mins)

• True/False statements (e.g., Seeds don’t need water to grow).
• Quick rounds - team points for correct answers!

Activity 2: Exit Ticket Reflection (5 mins)
Each student writes one new thing they learnt today on a sticky note.

• Stick it on the classroom “learning wall” before leaving!

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Resources Needed

✔️ Cress seeds, small pots/cotton wool, soil
✔️ Printed images of different plant lifecycles
✔️ 1 real plant sample (or video clip of growth time-lapse)
✔️ Torch (for light experiments)
✔️ Black card (to block light)
✔️ Worksheet for students to track plant growth changes over the week

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Assessment Opportunities

✅ Formative Assessment:

• Discussion responses during Odd One Out
• Growth factor experiment predictions
• 1-minute group comparisons on lifecycles

✅ Summative Assessment:

• Hands-on experiment results recorded later in the week.
• Exit ticket responses help identify misconceptions.

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Extension Ideas

🌟 Fast Finishers:

• Research unusual plant lifecycles (e.g., Venus Flytrap, Bamboo).
• Identify seeds/fruits from various plants and predict their lifecycle.

🌟 Next Lesson Suggestion:

• Explore pollination & seed dispersal in more depth with hands-on pollination activities!

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🤔 Teacher Tips

✔ Differentiate: Pair up students needing extra support with confident explainers in the presentation task.
✔ Make it interactive: Use hand gestures/mnemonics for lifecycle stages (e.g., curl like a seed for germination!).
✔ Encourage curiosity: Ask children to bring in seeds from fruits at home to discuss how they grow!

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Final Notes

This lesson doesn't just explain plant lifecycles — it brings them to life! With hands-on activities, investigations, and teamwork, Year 5 pupils will gain a deep engagement with the topic, making it far more memorable than textbook learning alone. 🌿💡