Y1/2A Spring 2 Science Plants – Growing Things

Session 2: Spuds
Science curriculum area: Plants / Plants
i. identify and name a variety of common wild and garden plants, including deciduous and evergreen trees (1P)
ii. identify and describe the basic structure of a variety of common flowering plants, incl trees (1P)
iii. observe and describe how seeds and bulbs grow into mature plants (2P)
iv. find out and describe how plants need water, light and a suitable temperature to grow and stay healthy (2P)
Working Scientifically / i. asking simple questions and recognising that they can be answered in different ways
ii. identifying and classifying
Teaching Objectives / ·  Look at the different types of potato and talk about any similarities and differences (Yr1).
·  In groups, prepare tubs and plant chitted potatoes.
·  Label the tubs and predict what will happen.
·  Consider what do we need to do, as a team, to encourage our potato to grow and produce lots of potatoes (Yr2).
Key Vocabulary: plant, leaf, grow, weed, change, living, water, healthy, similar to, different from, potato, chitting
Resources
Different varieties of potatoes, chopping boards, potato masher, chitted potatoes, tubs, bags or large cardboard boxes, soil, spades, lolly sticks, ‘How to chit potatoes’ sheet. / Weblinks
http://how-to-grow-potatoes.co.uk/how-to-grow-potatoes/how-to-chit-potatoes/ - Information on how to chit and grow potatoes.
Before the session: Bring in different varieties of potato and place them on the tables. (The nature of the potato flower and seed is such that the sexual pollination produces seed with very different features, even if no cross-pollination of a different cultivar is allowed. This fact explains why farmers prefer to "clone” potato tubers, that is replant the tubers, rather than start with true seed. Young children just need to know that the chitted potatoes or tubers are ‘seed potatoes’).
Whole class: Ask the chn to sit in groups and to look at the potatoes. Ask them if they know what they are and have seen them in this raw form before. Draw a large potato outline on the board and ask each group to offer facts and experiences about potatoes for you to write inside the large drawing. Encourage statements such as 'chips are made out of potatoes’, ‘we grow them at home’, ‘they grow in the ground' etc. Ask them if they can also list the different things we do with potatoes and write these on the large drawing (e.g. mashed potato, chips, shepherd's pie, crisps). Show the chn the potato masher and explain how to make mashed potatoes. Ask any adults in the room to cut up the different potatoes for the chn to see inside and to smell. Give them time to do this, explaining that different sorts of potatoes are used for different things. Some make better mash whilst others make really good chips. Ask the groups to describe the differences and similarities between the different varieties. Then explain that the chn are going to plant potatoes and learn to look after them. Show the chn the chitted potatoes. Ask them what they think are the little things poking out of the main potato and explain that potatoes must have started growing before you plant them in soil (buy chitted potatoes from a garden centre or prepare them using the instructions on the resource sheet). Show the chn the bags and the soil.
Year 1 An adult needs to work with these children
Work with this group, filling the bags with soil to about two thirds full. Then together place the chitted potatoes, shoot side up, into the soil, about 10 cm apart and 2-5cm deep. Remind the chn to be careful with the shoots. They mustn't break them off otherwise the potato plant won't grow. Water the seeds when planted and ask the chn to draw labels to say what variety is growing there, what date it was planted and who planted them. These will need to be laminated and stuck into the soil on lolly sticks. Ask the chn to predict what will happen and how long it will take the potatoes to grow. / Year 2
Explain to these chn that they need to fill the bags with soil till about two third full. Ask them to visually split the bag into threes to imagine how much soil they need. Give the group rulers and ask them to find 10 cm and 3 cm on the ruler. Give them the chitted potatoes, explaining that they must be very careful with the roots. Challenge them to gently plant the potatoes, shoot side up, about 10 cm apart and about 3 cm deep.
Give them little cards to draw their own labels on (variety, date and who planted them). Ask them to consider: What will happen next? How long will it take for the potatoes to grow? What can we do to keep the plant healthy?
Plenary / Ask the chn: What do we need to do, as a team, to encourage our plants to grow and produce lots of potatoes? Make a rota with the chn organising who is going to water and tend the potato plants each week. Play the chn this little Small Potatoes clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8kYhHxS0ag. Talk about how potatoes can be grown at home, school and in allotments but sometimes farms plants large amounts of potato plants and sell their potatoes all over the world to make chips, crisps and all the potato products.
Outcomes / Children will:
·  Understand that there are different types of potato, plant them and predict outcomes
·  Understand what needs to be done to keep the plants healthy

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