Plantworks
An Education Program suitable forYears 3 – 6
Program Snapshot
The focus of this program explores the structure and function of plants and their fascinating adaptations; students investigate plant/animal interactions such as pollination and carnivory and explore amazing examples of plant survival in arid and rainforest habitats.
A learning environment rich with endless possibilities, the plants and landscapes of the Royal Botanic Gardens inspire children to question, imagine, create, and to share their ideas.
The program provides excellent opportunity to addressAusVELS, while connecting your students to the natural world. Please visit our website for our AusVELS program guides.
All of our programs allow scope to provide choice for students’ experiences, interests and learning styles.
Focus Topics
- plants as part of ecosystems
- human intervention and plant survival
- plantparts, structure and function
- photosynthesis and other systems
- plant adaptations
- plant reproduction
Experiences
- Microscopes
Students use microscopes to look closely at the
intriguing world of plants investigating plant defenses,
reproduction and seed dispersal mechanisms.
- Propagation
Through the propagation of an indigenous seedling
students explore the needs of plants, water, sunlight
and nutrients, through plant structure, the roots, shoots,
leaves and flowers.
Significant Plants and Places
Fern Gully - Exploring Roots and Shoots
There’s more than one way to get to the light! Shoot systems are not all the same…Some climb to the light such as vines, some grow tall and straight such as the kauri pine while others hitch a ride, like the birds nest fern!
Students also explore different root systems such aerial roots, buttress roots and fibrous roots.
Beware of the Carnivore!
Some of the most interesting plants are the carnivores. They have always attracted the interest of explorers and scientists, particularly Charles Darwin who studied the sundew. The pitcher plants or nepenthes get first prize for their beautiful and sophisticated trapping equipment. They are climbing plants that twist their tendrils around trees whilst others are found in marshy and sandy soils deficient in nitrogen.
Tropical Fever
The Tropical Hothouse is home to a wealth of weird and wonderful plants that have adapted to high rainfall and little sunlight. Students are able to explore drip tips, large and colourful leaves, and the many food plants such as vanilla, bananas, pineapple and cocoa.
Fruits and Flowers
Students explore the amazing diversity in shape, colour and size of plant reproductive structures. Orchids for example are the great deceptors of the plant world, enticing insects to their pollination traps, by resembling the shape of the insect through their flower appearance and scent. Other orchids attract flies as pollinators by emitting the delightful fragrance of rotten meat!
Plant Defenses
Plants are organisms that cannot flee from their predators when they are about to be eaten but many plants such as stinging nettle have fascinating defense mechanisms. The slightest touch to the stinging hair causes the hooked end of the hair to break off and the hypodermic tube pierces the skin and allows the stinging fluid to enter. Many useful properties are found in nettles which are used for cosmetics, tea, cloth and as a source of vitamins.