Year 3 Science Plants – Block 3P – Artful Flowers, Fruits and Seeds Session 3

Session 3:Seeds in the Making
Science curriculum area: Plants / i) explore the part that flowers play in the life cycle of flowering plants
Working Scientifically (LKS2) / i) recording findings using simple scientific language, drawings, labelled diagrams
ii) using straightforward scientific evidence to answer questions or to support their findings
Teaching Objectives /
  • To make first hand observations of the development of fruits from flowers
  • To use evidence to form theories
  • To understand the process of how fruits develop from pollinated flowers

Other Curriculum areas / Art
i) to improve their mastery of art and design techniques, including drawing and painting
Teaching Objectives /
  • To observe and record a natural sequence of plant lifecycle(fruit development) using drawing and painting techniques

Key Vocabularystigma, style, ovary, ovules, pollination, fertilisation, fruit, pod, seeds
Resources - Before the session read the Teachers’ Notes
PowerPoints to mark sequencing task, teaching PowerPoint, sequencing task sheet, sequencing answer sheet, hard task sheet, easy task sheet, plenary cards, how to play Fruity Pairs instructions.The model flowers and bees made last session, colour copies of the sequencing task (enough for one between two), scissors and glue sticks, sample plants that show the sequence of development after pollination (see Teachers’ Notes), sharp knife, large sheets of tissue paper, magnifying lenses, A3 card or paper to make Zigzag books, pencils, pens, rulers, coloured crayons (watercolour or regular), paint brushes and water pots (if you are using watercolour crayons) / Weblinks
- Runner bean plants growing.
Whole Class:Before the session, read the Teachers’ Notes for advice on organisation
Let’s begin by taking a look at the amazing flowers and bees you made last session. These will really impress the visitors to our exhibition. Last session we also learnt a lot about how bees and other creatures pollinate flowers. Let’s have a go at a sequencing puzzle in pairs to help remind us of what happens. Give out the sequencing task sheet (1 between 2). Support as needed. When the chn have sequenced the 5 statements, show the PowerPoint to mark sequencing task, discussing the order as you go. Great thinking skills everyone! Why do you think the petals shrivel and drop off once a flower has been pollinated? Discuss ideas which may include answers like:“The flower is dying” or “The flower is finished.” What do you think happens next? Scientists are always asking the question “Why?” When they have a difficult question to answer, they try to gather evidence from observations. Let’s try to work out what happens after pollination by looking at different plants. Show the chn your sample plants (see Teachers’ Notes). These plants show what happens to (name plants) after pollination. Let’s take a close look. If you have enough examples, lay them out on tables or pass them around and encourage the chn to examine all the examples closely. Provide magnifying lenses for close observation. Use a sharp knife to slice through some of the fruits and pods so chn can see the seeds developing inside. Place shaker varieties like poppies on large sheets of slightly scrunched light coloured tissue paper so seeds that escape can be clearly seen and do not roll away. Encourage questioning and theories by saying “I wonder why …” or “All these tiny pods seem to have a little stalk on the end, I wonder why.” Gather the class back together and praise their scientific questioning and observation skills. What did you discover? Hopefully the chn will have noticed that the pods and fruits seemed to develop and grow from the centre of the pollinated flower –directly beneath the stigma and style. Brilliant everyone, you are right. Remember this is the female part of the flower. Below the stigma and style there is an ovary, and it is this that grows into a fruit.Show the film clip. Did you notice how the flower dies and the fruit (the runner bean pod) grows from where the flower was. Let’s discover exactly what happens. Show the teaching PowerPoint.
Activities / Create “Flowers to Fruits” zigzag books See Teachers’ Notes
These willillustrate and explain the process by which fruits and seeds are made after flowers have been pollinated. There are 2 difficulty levels with a task sheet to support each. Either give out pre-made zigzag books or lead a brief zigzag book making workshop. Give out task sheets appropriate to ability and provide the art resources required.
Teacher to support as needed
Plenary / Praise the chn for the quality of their zigzag books and their super use of scientific skills (e.g. observing, recording, and explaining). Look at 1 or 2 good examples. It’s amazing how flowers change into fruits isn’t it? Let’s finish by playing a team game where we have to match different flowers and fruits. It’s called Fruity Pairs.See Instructions for paying Fruity Pairs.
Outcomes / Children will
  • Consolidate knowledge on pollination by doing a sequencing puzzle in pairs
  • Examine plant specimens that show the development of fruits from pollinated flowers
  • Discuss observations, generate questions and form theories on the process
  • Learn how pollen grains fertilize ovules by watching a film clip and an explanatory PowerPoint
  • Make illustrated Zigzag books that explain the development of fruits
  • Play a team game reinforce the link between flowers and fruits and the huge variety that exists

© Original resource copyright Hamilton Trust, who give permission for it to be adapted as wished by individual users.

We refer you to our warning, at the foot of the block overview, about links to other websites.