Summer term 1: Plant Nutrition and Reproduction

In this science project, children revisit what plants need to grow, plant parts and their primary functions from the projects Plant Parts (Y1) and Plant Survival (Y2). They identify and observe root types, including taproots and fibrous roots and learn how water and nutrients enter vessels in the roots. They identify and observe the function of vessels within the stems of celery and conduct a comparative test into what happens if these vessels are blocked from transporting water, observing changes over time. They learn about the functions of leaves and investigate how some leaves vary in size depending on whether they grow in full sun or shade. They do this by collecting ivy leaves and growing in different conditions, comparing and looking for patterns in their size and colour.

Children build on learning about life cycles from the Y2 project Animal Survival by learning about the stages and processes of a flowing plant’s life cycle. They explore real flowers, identifying their parts and functions and looking for patterns in the number of the flower parts. They understand the role of flowers in plant reproduction and learn about the processes of pollination, seed formation and dispersal. They ask questions about pollination and pollinators and research to answer their questions. Finally, they identify and classify seeds according to their dispersal method.

Vocabulary

Anther                         pollinator                    seed dispersal

stamen                        stigma                         vessel

minerals                      function                       nutrients

dispersed                    primary roots               lateral roots

photosynthesis           transpiration                germination

pollination

Summer term 2: Light and Shadows

In this science project, children are introduced to the phenomena of light by exploring a range of activities linked to the theme, such as optical illusions, flow-in-the-dark materials and two-way mirrors. They learn about and identify and classify light sources and reflectors. They also conduct a simple comparative test to identify reflective materials and look for patterns in their other properties, such as texture and colour, building on prior learning about properties of materials from the projects Uses of Materials (Y2) and Forces and Magnets (Y3). Children revisit their knowledge about Sun safety from the project Seasonal Changes (Y1) and carry out a comparative test to investigate the efficacy of sun cream brands.

Children learn about shadows, including how they are created, their shape and how they change during the day. They then independently investigate changing the shape, size and direction of a shadow and look for patterns in their results. They extend learning about shadows to explore opaque, transparent and translucent materials and how they differ. Children are inspired to ask further scientific questions about light, reflectors and shadows and use research to discover the answers.

Vocabulary

artificial                natural                       Opaque                           ray

reflect                   translucent                transparent