Smart Bricks for Smart Plants

Children carry out research on behalf of a plant food (nutrient) research and nutrient product manufacturer, who needs to test how different nutrients affect different parts of a plant in order to produce plants useful for different purposes. For example, different edible plants might require bigger healthier leaves, or roots depending on the crop.

Plant Growth (optional)

Science topic: Plants
Type of enquiry: Comparative/fair tests
Keywords: plants, fair test, working scientifically

Children set up a test and observe plant growth in different substances. This is an optional activity that needs to done at least three weeks in advance of the otehr activities. alternatively, appropriate data is provided for children to interpret.

• Teacher's Notes: Plant Growth (PDF , 78kb)
• Children's Sheets: Plant Growth (PDF , 154kb)

Smart bricks

Science topic: Plants
Type of enquiry: Research/using secondary sources
Keywords: plants, fair test, working scientifically, cell, model

Children think about the needs of plants and how the different parts of a plant are made up of ‘smart bricks’ (cells). They make and test model cells and then consider what parts of the plant are used by different industries.

• Teacher's Notes: Smart bricks (PDF , 603kb)
• Children's Sheets: Smart bricks (PDF , 665kb)

Healthy leaves

Science topic: Plants
Type of enquiry: Problem solving
Keywords: plants, fair test, working scientifically, cell, model

Children respond to a letter from a fictional company to investigate plant growth. They construct a giant model leaf using the cells from the smart bricks activity which they then test for strength and survival against minibeast attack. They consider the importance of this to farming industries.

• Teacher's Notes: Healthy leaves (PDF , 644kb)
• Children's Sheets: Healthy leaves (PDF , 1,063kb)

Robust roots

Science topic: Plants
Type of enquiry: Problem solving
Keywords: plants, fair test, working scientifically, cell, model

Children explore the function of roots to anchor or draw up water and nutrients. They create a model root system and explore the nutrients that help a root stay healthy and link this to roots in an industrial context.

• Teacher's Notes: Robust roots (PDF , 381kb)
• Children's Sheets: Robust roots (PDF , 1,000kb)

Nutrient test and report to company

Science topic: Plants
Type of enquiry: Comparative/fair tests
Keywords: plants, fair test, working scientifically, cell, reporting results

Children compare the effect of different quantities of a plant nutrient product on plant growth and use one of a number of ways to report their findings back to the industry.

• Teacher's Notes: Nutrient test and report to company (PDF , 95kb)
• Children's Sheets: Nutrient test and report to company (PDF , 222kb)