Unite Plants

Lesson 1 Duration of lesson: 5 periods

Learning objectives
• Know that there are different types of plants.
• Recognise the different parts of a plant.

Engage (1st E) Use of a picture or questions (20 min)

Option 1
Purpose: To assess pupils' prior knowledge of plants
Resource: Textbook

1. Have pupils turn to Textbook pp. 70—71. Direct pupils to the picture. Ask:
• What is a plant? (/Accept all reasonable answers. Pupils need not know the parts of a plant at this po/nt.)
• Where is this place? (This is a garden/park. Explain to pupils that we can find many plants in gardens
and parks.}
• Have you seen these plants before? Where did you see them?
2. Direct pupils to the questions at the bottom of Textbook p. 70. Ask:
• Where can you find plants?
• Do all plants look the same?
Accept all reasonable answers. Note pupils' answers and address any misconceptions that pupils may have.
3. If time permits, bring pupils to the school garden or a short trip to a nearby park. Have them observe the
different types of plants around them.

Option 2
Purpose: To assess pupils' prior knowledge of plants

1. Ask:
• Do you have plants at home? How do they look like?
• Do you take care of the plants?
Note pupils' answers and address any misconceptions that pupils may have.
2. Direct pupils to the questions at the bottom of Textbook p. 70. Ask:
• Where can you find plants?
• Do all plants look the same?
Accept all reasonable answers. Note pupils' answers and address any misconceptions that pupils may have.

Unit 6
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Lesson 2 Duration of lesson: e periods

Learning objectives
• Know that plants grow in different places.
• Understand that plants need air, food and water to stay alive.
• Understand that plants respond to changes, move, grow and change, have young and die.
• Know that plants are living things.

Engage (1st E) Use of an experiment (40 min)

Option 1
Purpose: To assess pupils' prior knowledge of how plants grow
Resources: Textbook, a rectangular box with a lid, a pair of scissors, a small potted plant, a piece of blank paper
for each pupil

1. Show pupils a healthy potted plant. Have them observe and describe the plant, and then draw and colour
what they have observed on a piece of paper. Ask:
• What colour are the leaves?
• In what direction is the plant growing?
2. Direct pupils to the 'Explore' activity on Textbook p. 81. Read aloud the instructions and demonstrate to
pupils how to set up the experiment. The purpose of this experiment is to show that plants move in response
to changes in their environment. Because plants need sunlight to grow, the plant in the box will grow
towards the light source, which is the hole on the right side of the lid. After a few days, you can see that the
plant is slanted towards the right and is no longer growing upright. If you have chosen a creeping potted
plant, then all the stems and leaves will be growing towards the right side of the box instead of hanging over
the pot in all directions. Remember to water the plant daily and replace the lid as soon as possible. Ask:
• What do you think will happen after a few days? Why? (Note pupils' answers and address any
misconceptions that pupils may have.}
3. Put the potted plant at a place where there is sunlight and return to it about a week later. Remember to
water the plant daily. Have pupils write their names on the sketches they have made. Collect the sketches
and return them to pupils once you are ready to show them the potted plant again. Then ask pupils to
compare what they have drawn to the potted plant a week later.

Option 2
Purpose: To assess pupils' prior knowledge of how plants grow
Resources: Textbook, a clear plastic bag, a small potted plant, a piece of blank paper for each pupil

1. Show pupils a healthy potted plant. Have them observe and describe the plant, and then draw and colour
what they have observed on another piece of paper. Ask:
• What colour are the leaves?
• Do the leaves look smooth and healthy?
Direct pupils to the 'Science at home' activity on Textbook p. 81. Read aloud the instructions and
demonstrate to pupils how to set up the experiment. Ensure that the plastic bag is tied tightly around the
stem of the plant. The purpose of this experiment is to show that plants need air to stay alive. Because plants
need air to carry out respiration, the potted plant will start to wither after a few days due to the lack of air
Ask:
• What do you think will happen after a few days? Why? (Note pupils' answers and address any
misconceptions that pupils may have.}
Put the potted plant at a place where there is sunlight and return to it about a week later. Remember to
water the plant daily. Have pupils write their names on the sketches they have made. Collect the sketches
and return them to pupils once you are ready to show them the potted plant again. Then ask pupils to
compare what they have drawn to the potted plant a week later.

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Explore (2nd E) Guided inquiry (40 min)

Purpose: To find out where plants can grow, and to recognise that plants are also living things
Resource: Textbook

1. Have pupils turn to Textbook pp. 80—81. Direct pupils to the trigger questions. Point to the words in the
'Word bank' and guide pupils to use the words to answer the questions. Discuss possible answers.
2. Guide pupils to understand that plants grow on land, water and on other plants. Direct pupils to the trees
and tell them that trees grow on land. Direct pupils to the lily pads on the pond and say that plants can grow
on water. Direct pupils to Dr Atom, who is pointing to a creeper plant on a tree trunk. Tell pupils that plants
can also grow on other plants.
3. Guide pupils to understand that plants need air, food and water. Direct pupils to the characters' speech
bubbles. Explain that plants need food and water to stay alive. Remind pupils of the experiment in the
'Science at home' activity on Textbook p. 81. Tell them that this experiment will show that plants also need
air to stay alive.
4. Guide pupils to understand that plants can also move, grow and change, have young, and die. Ask:
• Do you think plants can move? Why or why not? (Remind pupils of the experiment in the 'Explore' activity
on Textbook p. 81. Tell them that this experiment will show that plants can move in response to the
changes in their environment.')
• Can you see the young sunflower plants in the picture? (Direct pupils to the budding sunflowers. Tell them
that these young plants will grow and change to become fully bloomed sunflowers.}
• Can you see that some of the sunflowers are dying? (Direct pupils to the withering flowers. Tell them that
plants can die.)

Explain (3rd E) Teacher-directed discussion (30 min)

Purpose: To reinforce that plants grow in different places, and that plants are living things
Resources: Textbook, a healthy potted plant

1. Have pupils turn to Textbook pp. 82—85. Consolidate the points discussed earlier. Ask:
• Where do plants grow? (They grow on land, water and on other plants.}
• Are plants living things? (Yes, because they need air, food and water to stay alive. They also move, respond
to changes, grow and change, have young and die.)
2. You may want to prepare another healthy potted plant to show pupils that plants need water to stay alive.
Tell pupils that you will not water the plant for a few days to a week, and that you will put the plant in a place
where it can get enough air and sunlight. Have pupils observe the plant after that. By then, the leaves would
be turning brown and the plant would be withering. Guide pupils to conclude that it is not enough to provide
the plant with sunlight and air. They need water too. __

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 Elaborate (4th E) Application to the real world (50 min)

Purpose: To appreciate that plants are living things

Resources: Textbook, potted plants and pupils' plant sketches for the 'Explore' and 'Science at home' activities
on Textbook p. 81

1. Direct pupils to the 'Explore' activity on Textbook p. 73. Have pupils share how they took care of their bean
plant. Ask for volunteers to show the class their plant observation chart, and to talk about how their plant
grew and changed over these few days.
2. Direct pupils to the 'Explore' activity on Textbook p. 81. If you chose Option 2 in the 'Engage' section on
p. 6.3, set aside some time to conduct this experiment about a week before you conduct this part of the
lesson. Return to pupils their plant sketches for this experiment. Open the lid of the box and have pupils
observe the plant. The plant should be slanted towards the right side of the box, where the light source is.
Ask:
• Does the plant look different from the one in your drawing? How is it different? (The plant is now slanted
towards one side.)
• Why is the plant growing towards one direction? (There is no sunlight in the box. Plants need sunlight to
make food. This is why the plant is growing in one direction towards the light source, which is the hole on
the right side of the lid.)
3. Direct pupils to the'Science at home1 activity on Textbook p. 81. If you chose Option 1 in the'Engage' section
on p. 6.3, set aside some time to conduct this experiment about a week before you conduct this part of the
lesson. Return to pupils their plant sketches for this experiment. Untie the plastic bag that is covering the
plant. Ask pupils to observe the plant. The plant should be withering or looking rather unhealthy. Ask:
• Does the plant look different from the one in your drawing? How is it different? (The plant is now withering.
The leaves have turned brown or are not as green as before.)
• Why is the plant withering? (It is not enough to provide plants with only sunlight and water. They also
need air to stay alive. The plastic bag prevented air from reaching the plant. This is why the plant is
now withering.)

Evaluate (5th E) Assessment (80 min)

Purpose: To assess pupils' understanding of the lesson

Resources: Textbook, Activity Book, colour pencils or crayons

1. Revisit the learning objectives of this unit. Have pupils turn to Textbook pp. 70—71. Ask:
• What are the parts of a plant? (Hove pupils point to and name the different parts of a plant.)
• How are the plants in this picture different? (Guide pupils to describe the different colours of the flowers,
and the different shapes and sizes of the plants.)
• Where do plants grow? (Plants can grow on land, water and on other plants.)
• Why is Dr Atom watering the plants? (Plants are living things. They need water to stay alive.)
• What else do plants need? (Plants also need air and sunlight)
2. Direct pupils to the pictorial concept map on Textbook pp. 86-87. Sum up that there are different types of
plants around us, and that plants are living things.
3. Co through the 'Science words' list with pupils. Ask pupils if there is any word they are not sure of and explain
it to them. Encourage pupils to learn how to spell these words and to form sentences with each word. E.g.
Small plants have stems, and big trees have trunks; We can eat the fruits of some plants.
4. Have pupils complete the 'Self-check' activity independently or in pairs. Guide pupils to complete the
questions if there is a need to. Check that pupils' answers are correct.
5. Have pupils complete Activities 6.3 and 6.4 on Activity Book pp. 42-45. Pupils may work independently or
in pairs. Guide pupils to fill in their best possible answers. Ask pupils to share their answers. Correct or refine
their answers.

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My plant chart

Day This is how my plant looks like.

Day 1 Day 2

Day 3 Day 4

Day 5 Day 6

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 Notes

© 2010 Marshall Cavendish International (Singapore) Pte Ltd

Background information for teachers
Plants are a unique group of living things. Unlike people and animals, plants are able to manufacture their
own food. The process by which they manufacture food is called photosynthesis. The distinctive parts of a
plant are the roots, stem or trunk, leaves, flowers and fruits. Plants are useful in many ways. They beautify
our surroundings and provide shade and food for us. Scientists classify plants in different ways, as it is easier
to study them when they are put into groups. In this unit, pupils will learn that plants can be classified
according to their appearance and where they grow.

Plants

Let's find out:

• How are plants different?
• What are the different
parts of a plant?
• Where do plants grow?
• Why are plants living
things?

We can find plants in gardens, -

parks and along the roads.

No, not all plants look the same.

Plants come in different shapes,
sizes and colours.

Unit 6 © 2010 Marshall Cavendish International (Singapore) Pte Ltd

© 2010 Marshall Cavendish International (Singapore) Pte Ltd Plants
 Look! The papaya
has many seeds!

Sunflowers are interesting plants.

When they are budding, the
flowers will always follow the
course of the Sun in the sky.
Sunflower seeds are also edible.

Unit6 © 2010 Marshall Cavendish International (Singapore) Pte Ltd

 The mango tree and papaya tree
are big.

The potted plants are small.

Which plants are bis? -*— Word bank

leaf • stem • trunk •
Which plants ate small? *— flower • fruit • seed •
roots
What a^e the parts of a plant? •*- The leaf, stem, trunk, flower, fruit,
seed and roots.
Which plants give us food? •*— The mango tree and papaya tree
-£>
Explore give us food.

Grow your own bean

plant. Your teacher Place a green bean on some wet
, will show you how to cotton wool. Water it daily for
get started. the next one week and observe
its growth.

Carefu]
Do not eat any part of The leaves, sap and fruits of
a plant without asking some plants are poisonous. These
an adult. poisonous plants can cause skin
irritation or even death. The poison
ivy, dumbcane and pong pong are
examples of poisonous plants.

Teaching points:
• Guide pupils to observe how the
plants are different in terms of size,
the shape of their leaves, the colour
of their flowers and whether the
flowers grow singly or in a bunch.
• Teach pupils how to identify the
parts of a plant.
Tell pupils that we can eat the fruits
of some plants.

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 Plants come in different shapes and sizes.
Plants can be big or small.

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 Backaround information for teachers
Flowers are the most attractive and colourful part of a plant. This is because their main function is to attract
pollinators like bees and butterflies to spread its seeds. Flowers that depend on wind-pollination, however,
are not as brightly coloured since they do not need to attract insects to spread the seeds of the plant. Non-
flowering plants, such as ferns and mosses, reproduce from spores.

Some plants have flowers.

lotus
These are single flowers.

hibiscus

Some flowers grow in a bunch.

frangipani

ixora

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Background information for teachers
For some plants, the flowers will develop into fruits. The main function of a fruit is to contain and protect the
seeds of the plant.

Some plants give us food.

We can eat the fruits from these plants.

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 Common misconceptions
Misconception: Some fruits like grapes and bananas have no seeds.
Actual fact: All fruits have seeds. Only genetically modified fruits are seedless. Many seedless varieties
of fruits like papayas, watermelons and grapes have been propagated in response to
consumers' preferences for seedless fruits.

Some fruits have many seeds.

Some fruits have a few seeds.

Some fruits have one seed.

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Common misconceptions
Misconception: Only people and animals can move.
Actual fact: Plants can move. Plants need sunlight to make food. They will always move towards the
source of sunlight. The 'Explore' activity on Textbook p. 81 is a good example that shows us
that plants can move.

This sunflower
plant is dying.

Direct pupils' attention to the

budding sunflowers and the wilting
sunflowers. Use this example
to explain that plants can have
young, grow and change, and die.

Unit 6 © 2010 Marshall Cavendish International (Singapore) Pte Ltd

 Enrichment for advanced learners
Have pupils find out how these two plants move:
• The mimosa plant (The leaves of a Mimosa plant dose when you touch them.)
• The Venus flytrap (The leaves on a Venus flytrap has tiny hairs that can detect the movement of insects.
When an insect comes into contact with one or more of the hairs twice, the trap will snap shut. The plant
then digests the trapped insect and absorbs its nutrients.)

•Plants can grow on land and

water. They can also grow on
Word bank other plants.
do plants grow?
land • water • tree
plants living things? plants grow •
How do you iave young • die
•Yes, because they need air, food
Q and water to stay alive. They can
also grow and change, have young
Explore and die.
Get a rectangular box with
a lid. Cut a hole on the
right side of the lid. Put Show pupils how to conduct this
a plant in the box on the experiment. Pupils may do this at
left side. Cover the box home under the supervision of
The leaves
and put it under the sun. an adult.
make food Water the plant every day.
from sunlight. Wait for a few days. What
happens?

Science^ _
The roots grow home
deep into the ground Tie a clear plastic bag • Show pupils how to conduct this
to get water. around a potted plant. experiment. Pupils may do this
Water it every day and put at home under the supervision of
it under the Sun. Wait for a an adult.
few days. What happens?

Teaching points:
• Have pupils observe that plants can
grow in different places.
• Guide pupils to understand that
plants are living things, and need air,
food and water to stay alive.
• Highlight that plants respond to
changes, reproduce, grow and
change, and die.

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Background information for teachers
Not all water plants are found on the surface of the water. Some of them, such as the hydrilla and tape grass,
are completely submerged in water.

Some grow on land.

Unit 6 © 2010 Marshall Cavendish International (Singapore) Pte Ltd

Some grow on other plants

This is the bird's nest fern, which

is a common fern that grows on
other trees. Creepers and other
parasitic plants, such as the
Rafflesia plant, also grow on trees.

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Reinforcement for struggling learners
The fact that plants need air and food might be too abstract for pupils to understand. Help pupils to recall the
experiments from the 'Explore' and 'Science at home' activities on Textbook p. 81, which demonstrate that
plants need air and food to stay alive.

Plants need air food and water.

Plants make food from sunlight

This is the pitcher plant

It traps and kills insects
for food!

Unit6 © 2010 Marshall Cavendish International (Singapore) Pte Ltd

Plants can have young.
They can also grow and change.

•Like all other living things,

plants die due to other reasons
apart from the lack of air, food
and water. They can die due to
diseases or when insects
attack them.

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Reinforcement for struggling learners
Guide pupils to recall the learning points of this unit. Have them point out at least one example in this unit
for each point in this pictorial concept map.

At a qlance
Plants

come in different make the place beautiful

shapes and sizes and give us food

f •
Science words
leaf stem trunk
flower fruit

86 Unit 6

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 Enrichment for advanced learners
Encourage pupils to provide examples other than the ones found in this unit for each point in the pictorial
concept map.

have stems or can grow in are living things5

trunks. They also different places
have leaves,
flowers, fruits,
seeds and roots.

'-check
fruits land water trunk living things

1. A small planf has a stem, a big tree has a ______ trunk

2. We can eat the of some plants. -<- fruits

3. Plants need air, food and water. They are living things

4. Plants can grow on , land, water

other plants.

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Before you carry out
the activity
Pupils should have been taught
• The parts of a plant.

How it can be done

Parts of a plant
• For part (A), read aloud the
helping words in the box.
Explain to pupils that they are (A) Name the parts of a plant.
to label the parts of the plant
using the helping words.
stem fruit flower leaf roots

38 Unit 6

Unit 6 € 2010 Marshall Cavendish Inlernational (Singapore) Pte Ltd

 Before you carry out
the activity
Reminder
(B) Circle. • Remind pupils to bring their
colour pencils or crayons.
1. A tree has a ((frunk)/ stem ).
Pre-activity
• For part (B), to help pupils
better understand the
difference between a trunk and
a stem, bring them to a garden
or park. Get pupils to place a
piece of paper on the bark of a
tree and use a colour pencil or
a crayon to gently rub over the
paper to make a bark rubbing.
Tell pupils that barks usually
have a rough texture. Then,
have pupils hold hands to form
a ring around a trunk of a big
tree to see how big a trunk
can be.
• Then, ask them to use their
hand to hold the stem of a
smaller plant. Ask pupils to
2. A small plant has a (trunk /(stem).
compare the size and texture
of a stem and a trunk.

How it can be done

• Back in the classroom, read
aloud each question. Explain
to pupils that they are to
circle the correct answer in
the brackets.

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 Reinforcement for struggling learners
Guide pupils to infer what each picture is about before they start matching, e.g. ask:
• What does this picture show?
• Which sentence on the right describes this picture?
Alternatively, you may pair struggling learners with pupils with a better grasp of the topic.

Before you carry out

the activity Date:.
Pupils should have been taught
6.2
• The parts of a plant.

How it can be done

Leaves, fruits, seeds
• Read aloud the sentence in and flowers
each box. Explain to pupils that
they are to match each picture
to the correct sentence.
Match.

Some plants
give us food.

These are
single flowers.

! Some flowers
grow in a
: bunch.

Leaves come in
different shapes
and sizes.

40 Unit 6

Unit 6 © 2010 Marshall Cavendish International (Singapore) Pte Ltd

 Some fruits have
many seeds.

Some fruits have

a few seeds.

Some fruits
have one seed.

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Before you carry out
the activity Date:.
Pupils should have been taught
• Plants grow in different places.

Reminder
Where do plants grow?
• Remind pupils to bring their
colour pencils or crayons.

How it can be done

Which plants grow on land? Circle in green.
• To help pupils better appreciate
Which plants grow on water? Circle in blue.
the variety of plant habitats, Which plants grow on other plants? Circle in red.
bring pupils for a walk around
or near the school, where they
can observe that plants can
grow on land, on the water
and on other plants.
• Back in the classroom, have
pupils prepare their green,
blue and red colour pencils
or crayons. Explain to pupils
that they are to circle the land
plants in green, the water
plants in blue, and the plants
that grow on other plants red.

* green blue

42 Unit 6

Unit 6 ) 2010 Marshall Cavendish International (Singapore) Pte Ltd

 blue

Plants 43

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Before you carry out
the activity Date:.
Pupils should have been taught Activity
• Plants are living things.

How it can be done

Plants are living things.
• For part (A), explain to pupils Process skills: Observe • Infer • Communicate
that they are to infer what the
plant needs in each picture. (A) What do plants need? Match.
The words in the right column
state what plants need. Then,
ask pupils to match each
picture to the correct word.

44 Unit 6

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 Before you carry out
the activity
Pupils should have been taught
(B) This plant is growing and changing. • Plants are living things.
Put the pictures in the correct order.
Write 1, 2 or 3 in each box. How it can be done
• For part (B), explain to pupils
that the pictures show the
process of a plant growing. Ask
them to put the pictures in the
correct order by writing 1, 2 or
3 in the correct box.

Notes on answers
• Have pupils compare the
growth of their bean plant
with the seedling in this
activity. Explain to pupils that
while their bean plant may
not look like the seedling in
these pictures, guide them to
observe that seedlings will
have more leaves as they grow
and change through the days.

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