Year 5 Science Living Things and their Habitats – Block 5LvH – The Art of Living

Session 1: Sexual Reproduction in Flowering Plants
Science curriculum area: Living Things and their Habitats (LvH) / i. describe the life process of reproduction in some plants and animals
Working Scientifically (UKS2) / i. recording data and results of increasing complexity using scientific diagrams and labels
ii. identifying scientific evidence that supports or refute ideas or arguments
Teaching Objectives /
  • To dissect and label the parts of a flowering plant, including male and female structures.
  • To record findings as an annotated botanicalillustration of a flowering plant.
  • To research the lifecycle and reproduction of a flowering plant.

Other Curriculum areas / Art & Design:
  • To improve mastery of art and design techniques, including drawing, with a range of materials

Teaching Objectives /
  • To sketch accurately with watercolour pencils, paying close attention to detail.

Key Vocabulary:gamete, stamen, stigma, carpel, pistil, pollination, germination, flowering, sexual reproduction, lifecycle, seed, pollen, anther, filament, style, ovary, botanical illustration, dissection
Resources
Botanical illustrations, art & questions, various flower diagrams, flowers for dissection & instructions, drawing materials, paperguidance, potted plants. / Weblinks
- Permanent botanical exhibitions, Botanical art & artists; - Plants, DK; - Reproduction, BBC (to 3mins 16); - Flowers; - Reproductive cycle of flower plants.
Whole Class:Source flowers for dissection (see suggestions) and try to have a few potted versions of these flowers (the complete plant) in pots. Prep all art materials and print off guidance sheets.Print off examples of botanical illustrations (see resources) and set them up around the classroom (or create a tablet-based exhibition). Givepairsthe gallery questions and encouragechn to explore theillustrations and discuss what they think a botanical illustration is. Share thoughts and ask what the difference is between these illustrations and other botanical paintings (show examples). Explain that these are scientific illustrations and are created as a scientific record. Ask chn why an illustration might be a useful representation in comparison to photos (all of the info is on one piece of paper and the artist can often capture detail and features that a photo can’t). Watch the second video on the first link and explain that chn are going to be putting on an exhibition of botanical (and zoological, from later sessions) illustrations,at the end of the block. Explain that today you will be exploring flowering plants,and the way in which they reproduce sexually. As a refresher of what chn found out about the life cycle of flowering plants in Y3 and to introduce new terms, get chn into teams and time a few mins for chn to try and label the unlabelled flower. Share thoughts and note any misconceptions or errors. Point out that the stamen consists of two main parts: anther and filament; while the stigma, style and ovary are together called the carpel or pistil (a fused group of carpels). Note that ovule(s) is/are found inside the ovary. Look atthe complete diagramand give chn a few mins to compare the diagram to the illustrations and identify the sex organs of each plant drawn.Suggest chn might remember stigma as female(where the ovule/egg is found), and stamen for male (where the pollen is produced). Explain that the pollen produced by the stamen has to come into contact with the carpal of the same or another plant (self/cross-pollination), noting that self- pollinators tend to be genetically weaker while cross pollinated are genetically stronger. This mixing of male and female materials (gametes) results in fertilisation which results in seeds being formed and distributed. The seeds then grow into a new plant that contains genetic material from both parent plants.Watch the StudyJam video and/or the BBC video and compare the life cycle of flowering plants diagram (see resources)withthe illustrations, noting that many aspects of the life stages are represented in the illustrations.
Activities:Dissect a plant: Get chn to dissect a cultivated flower - gladiolus is a good (cheap) option as it has many flower heads on one stem. See resources for dissection guidance. Ensure that chn are using the correct terminology and noting the manner in which the plant reproduces sexually. Alternatively, or to consolidate, chn can dissect a flower online (see guidance)Botanical illustration: Explain that chn are now going to draw their flowering plant in detail as a complete plant as well as details of the various parts. Explain that they will also need to research the life cycle of the plant to find images of it in seed, germination and cotyledon stages as well as final stages. Support chn as theycomplete detailed sketches(preferably using watercolour pencils -see guidance). Get chn to ensure that their illustration shows how the plant reproduces and its lifecycle through the Linnaean form of botanical illustration. Ask chn to note and annotate features that promote: germination, flowering, pollination, fertilisation, seed dispersal.
Plenary / Look at chn’s illustrations and see if they can identify key stages in each life cycle. Now ask if chn think this is the only way that flowering plants can reproduce. Note the term‘cutting’ and explain that in Session 2 chn will be investigating ways to propagate flowering plants and will be learning about natural forms of asexual reproduction in plants. If time allows, (or perhaps at another point in the week) watch the reproduction in flowering plants video (18 mins).Homework – chn can look for other flowering plants to draw in the style of an ecological scientific illustration.
Outcomes / Children will
  • Dissect and label the parts of a flower, identifying the male and female gametes
  • Make a detailed watercolour pencil drawing of a flowering plant in the style of a Linnaean illustration
  • Research the lifecycle and reproduction of their flowering plant

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