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Science Y3/Y4 – Plants – week 5

SEED DISPERSAL 2

Truth to Teach (Source)

To examine different pips from various fruits then plant them to observe their growth rates.

To measure the distance over which different weighted ‘seeds’ can be dispersed.

Way to Work (Means)

1. Review the previous lessons.

2. Pass around a number of pips/stones from a variety of fruits. Let the children weigh
them, observe them through magnifying glasses, etc.

3. Read and briefly discuss John 15:1-8. God wants us to be fruitful and to spread around
‘seeds’ of his word and his love.

4. Let the children soak the pips/stones for a few days before planting them and keeping a
record of their growth. Remind them to label all containers, including those prepared for
planting.

5. Give groups of children a piece of plasticene to make a flower shape in which salt, sand
and gravel grains can be placed. Stick lengths of tape at 25cm intervals across their
desks. Give them a straw to blow gently across the top of the flower. Record where the
different grains (‘seeds’) land.

6. Discuss the fact that the weight of seeds limits where they can be blown. If dandelion
heads are available, the children could measure the distance they can be blown.

7. The children could make paper models of sycamore seeds and conduct experiments to
show how far the seeds can travel when dropped from different heights.

8. Let the children write up notes of their work, with labelled diagrams.

Learning for Life (Fulfilment)

The children should be well-informed about seed dispersal and should be increasingly able to
design their own experiments.

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