Sunflower Growth Steps

Objectives

Curriculum Area: English/Science - KS1 (Year 1)
Topic: Understanding the life cycle of a sunflower while practising English skills such as sequencing, labelling, and vocabulary building.
Learning Goal: By the end of the lesson, students will be able to identify and sequence the key stages in a sunflower’s life cycle and describe them using simple vocabulary.

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Resources Needed

1. Worksheet: A ‘cut and glue’ worksheet with four pre-drawn images showing the sunflower life cycle (seed → sprout → plant → flower), labelled below with simple, age-appropriate captions.
2. Child-safe scissors (ensure enough for each pair of students).
3. Glue sticks for pairs.
4. Visual aids: A large sunflower diagram on the whiteboard or projected for discussion purposes.

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Lesson Structure

Duration: 2 minutes

Part 1: Introduction (30 seconds)

1. Set the scene! Begin with a big smile and hold up a picture of a fully grown sunflower. Enthusiastically say:
   "Who’s ready to help me grow this beautiful sunflower from a tiny seed? Let’s find out how it happens!"
2. Display the visual aid showing the 4 stages of the sunflower life cycle. Use simple language to describe the stages:
   • "First, we plant a little seed."
   • "Next, it grows into a green sprout."
   • "After a while, the sprout grows leaves and becomes a plant."
   • "Finally, it blooms into a tall, bright sunflower!"

Part 2: Main Activity (1 minute)

1. Distribute the worksheet to each student. Each worksheet contains the following:
   • Four images of the sunflower life cycle stages (in random order), with dashed lines around each to be cut out.
   • A blank strip at the bottom for pasting the pictures in the correct sequence.
2. Partner students up. Explain the task while showing the worksheet:
   "Cut out these pictures, talk to your partner about which comes first, next, and last, and then stick them in the correct order on the strip at the bottom."
3. Allow students a moment to cut out the images neatly. Walk around to support any students struggling with cutting safely.

Part 3: Wrap-up (30 seconds)

1. Once glued, quickly review as a class by displaying a correct sequence on the board. Ask:
   "What comes first? What’s next? And what do we see at the end?"
2. Praise their effort:
   "Brilliant! Now you know how sunflowers grow. Tomorrow, maybe we’ll get to plant some seeds of our own!"

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Differentiation

• Provide pre-cut images for students requiring additional motor skill support.
• Use bold keywords like seed, sprout, plant, sunflower paired with pictures for EAL (English as an Additional Language) learners.

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Assessment Opportunities

• Observe whether students correctly sequence the stages of the sunflower life cycle.
• Informal questioning during wrap-up to gauge understanding of simple terminology and logical sequencing.

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WOW Factor

Introduce a little surprise! At the end of the activity, pull out an actual packet of sunflower seeds and excitedly say:
"Tomorrow, let’s plant these seeds and start our very own sunflower life cycle right here in class!"

This will leave a lasting impression and tie learning into hands-on, real-world activity!

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Thank you for inspiring little learners to explore and grow! 🌻