Lesson One -Introduction to Plants
Key Concepts:
- environmental changes can impact on living things (eg the effect of a lack of available food; droughts and floods on crops and farms or rising sea temperatures causing coral bleaching
- limiting factors can affect the growth of plants (eg the amount of sun, quality of water, presence of nutrients)
- Internet access
- Computer access (this can be one computer per 1-2 students, or an interactive smart board to use a class)
The following link is an online, interactive game for students to play:
http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/gamesactivities/plantsgrow.html - this online game shows students that plants need light, heat and water to grow. It allows them to experiment with water, heat and light levels to see how it affects plant growth.
Once you have started the game, follow the instructions on screen to see how water, heat and light affect the plants growth. After students have had enough time to play around with different conditions get together and discuss as a group
- What in the game kept the plant alive?
- What killed it?
- What in real life gives plants water?
- What if there is a drought?
- What if there is a fire?
- What if there is a flood?
All of these questions, and any extra questions of similar nature allow students to think about how plants survive in the wild.
