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Science lesson plan · 2nd grade (Year 3 in England) · 60 minutes

Plant growth experiments: read the results

Plants

CCSS NGSS.2-LS2-1CCSS NGSS.SEP 4England: KS1 Y2 PlantsEngland: KS1 Working scientifically

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Plant growth experiments: read the results.

  • I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
  • I can explain each step and say why it works.
  • I can check my answer and spot a mistake.

Before and after

Needs first: What plants need to grow; Test what a plant needs: light and water

Leads to: the next skill in this area.

Materials: Real plants or seeds, Hand lenses, Mini whiteboards, A diagram or short video clip of the idea, Printed student sheet (below).

Warm-up · 6 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (What plants need to grow; Test what a plant needs: light and water). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. A plant is not watered for a long time. What happens? (It makes more flowers. / It grows taller. / Its leaves turn blue. / It wilts (droops) and may die.) → It wilts (droops) and may die.Prompt: Plants need water to stay firm.
  2. A plant on a windowsill leans towards the glass. Why? (It is growing towards the light. / It is cold inside. / It is trying to get out. / The glass pulls it.) → It is growing towards the light.Prompt: Where does most light come from in a room?
  3. What plants need: which statement is true? (Plants need light to grow well. / Plants eat soil to get their food. / Plants grow best in the dark. / Plants never need water.) → Plants need light to grow well.Prompt: Think about what keeps a plant healthy.

Hook · 6 min

  • Bring in a plant that has been kept in the dark next to one in the light, and ask what happened.
  • Share the objective: Plant growth experiments: read the results. Read the success criteria together.

I do: model it · 12 min

  • Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
  • Example: A sunflower seedling was 3 cm tall on Monday. Two weeks later it was 17 cm tall. How many centimetres did it grow?
  • Step 1: 17 − 3 = 14
  • Step 2: So the answer is: 14 cm
  • Answer: 14 cm
  • Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

We do: guided practice · 12 min

  • Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
  • Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
  1. A bean plant was 3 cm tall on Monday. Two weeks later it was 7 cm tall. How many centimetres did it grow? → 4 cmPrompt: Growth is the change in height.
  2. A plant kept in the dark grew tall, thin and pale. What do the results suggest? (It was stretching to find light and could not make enough food. / Darkness is the best way to grow plants. / Pale plants are the healthiest. / It had too much light.) → It was stretching to find light and could not make enough food.Prompt: Being tall is not the same as being healthy.

You do: independent practice · 17 min

  • Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
  • Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.

The 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

Exit ticket · 7 min

  • Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
  1. Ana wants to test whether plants need water. She gives one plant water and one none. What else must she do? (Give the dry plant extra sunlight to make up for it. / Keep the light, soil, pot and type of plant the same. / Use a different type of plant for each. / Put the watered plant in a dark cupboard.) → Keep the light, soil, pot and type of plant the same.Prompt: Only one thing should be different.
  2. A tomato seedling was 3 cm tall on Monday. Two weeks later it was 14 cm tall. How many centimetres did it grow? → 11 cmPrompt: Growth is the change in height.

Watch out for

  • Everyday meanings of words getting in the way of the science meaning: define key words explicitly.
  • Remembering facts without the reason: ask "why?" and "what is the evidence?"

Support and stretch

Support

  • Review first: What plants need to grow.
  • Use concrete materials: real plants or seeds.
  • Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
  • Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.

Stretch

  • Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
  • Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.

Homework and more practice

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/science/grade-2.

Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder

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Plant growth experiments: read the results

Name

Date

Score/ 8

  1. Question 1

    Why is it better to grow five plants in each group instead of just one?

    • A. More plants make the test faster.
    • B. Plants are lonely on their own.
    • C. It makes the chart more colourful.
    • D. One plant might be unusual; more plants give more reliable results.

  2. Question 2

    A tomato seedling was 6 cm tall on Monday. Two weeks later it was 19 cm tall. How many centimetres did it grow?

    Answercm

  3. Question 3

    Three bean plants were grown for two weeks in different conditions. The chart shows their heights in cm. Which plant grew least?

    Plant height after 2 weeks (cm)02468101214161818light and water10water, no light3light, no water
    • A. light and water
    • B. water, no light
    • C. light, no water

  4. Question 4

    Which is the best way to measure how much a plant has grown?

    • A. Weigh the pot only once.
    • B. Count its roots every day by digging it up.
    • C. Guess by looking at it.
    • D. Measure its height with a ruler at the start and the end.

  5. Question 5

    A sunflower seedling was 5 cm tall on Monday. Two weeks later it was 10 cm tall. How many centimetres did it grow?

    Answercm

  6. Question 6

    Three bean plants were grown for two weeks in different conditions. The chart shows their heights in cm. Which plant grew best?

    Plant height after 2 weeks (cm)024681012141616light and water5water, no light2light, no water
    • A. light and water
    • B. water, no light
    • C. light, no water

  7. Question 7

    A tomato seedling was 6 cm tall on Monday. Two weeks later it was 14 cm tall. How many centimetres did it grow?

    Answercm

  8. Question 8

    A tomato seedling was 3 cm tall on Monday. Two weeks later it was 17 cm tall. How many centimetres did it grow?

    Answercm

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Answer key: Plant growth experiments: read the results

  1. 1. D. One plant might be unusual; more plants give more reliable results.

  2. 2. 13 cm

  3. 3. C. light, no water

  4. 4. D. Measure its height with a ruler at the start and the end.

  5. 5. 5 cm

  6. 6. A. light and water

  7. 7. 8 cm

  8. 8. 14 cm