Science - Year 3

Plants – Block 3P

Artful Flowers, Fruits and Seeds

Session 3

Resource Pack

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I can sequence the events that lead to pollination of flowers

The text boxes below are in the wrong order. Read them carefully and decide which order they should be in. Write the letters in the correct order in the box below. One of them has been done for you. To help, put a tick beside each one as you use it.

Order Letter

1st 2nd a 3rd 4th 5th

a. They are attracted to flowers because of their bright coloursand scent.

b. Then it flies off to a different flower, and the pollen rubs offonto the stigma. This is called pollination.

c. After pollination the petals shrivel or fall off.d. Bees visit flowers to collect a sugary food called nectar.e. While a bee is sucking up the nectar, pollen from the

stamens sticks to its body.

Correct Sequence

d. Bees visit flowers to collect a sugary food called nectar.

a. They are attracted to flowers because of their bright colours and scent.

e. While a bee is sucking up the nectar, pollen from the stamens sticks to its body.

b. Then it flies off to a different flower, and the pollen rubs off onto the stigma. This is called pollination.

c. After pollination the petals shrivel or fall off.

Teachers’ Notes for Session 3

Specimen Plants

Your sample plants need to show all stages from flower to fruit. Ideally you should aim to have a least three or four different varieties for the children to explore. Suitable plants include peas, beans, tomatoes, courgettes, peppers, raspberries, chillies and many more. Flowers are also suitable as any seed bearing structure is a fruit of that plant even if it is not edible. Good examples include sweet peas and poppies.

If you can borrow potted plants like tomatoes in tubs these would be ideal or talk nicely to parents and friends with gardens or allotments and ask to snip a few shoots or branches that show the different stages of development.

Many weeds will show the same stages, e.g. vetch (see below) but remember it can be illegal to pick wild flowers.

Instead ask permission to collect samples from privately owned land.

For each variety you have try to collect the following: some flowers, dying flowers with a tiny swelling fruit emerging, an immature unripe fruit and a ripe fruit. This sequence can be seen on the photos of pea plants below.

If you are unable to source specimen plants

From a learning point of view, using real plants is far superior to secondary sources but for busy, time-pressured teachers, this may not always be possible. For this reason a session resource is provided that shows a photographic development sequence of plant varieties which the children could study and use instead.

Zigzag Books

Use large sheets of either paper or card (A3 is ideal). If your children are going to use watercolour crayons with brushes, it is advisable to use card or cartridge paper which will withstand the water far better. The results of this technique can be stunning with vibrant colours and a lovely blending effect. Alternatively use good quality colouring crayons.

To save time and fuss, you could pre-make the zigzag books or give out the paper and lead the making with a step by step follow the leader demonstration.

Method for making Zigzag books

1. With the sheet in landscape orientation, fold in half (top to bottom)

2. Keep the folded edge at the top and fold in half again (left to right)

3. Now fold the top layer back over itself and press down neatly

4. Turn the whole thing over, and keeping the folded edge at the top, fold the remaining piece back over itself. Smooth it down and your Zigzag book is finished

Safety

If you are using unknown plants (e.g. weeds), you will need to be aware that some wild berries and pods, may in fact be poisonous even though they are classed as fruits. If you are using any such plants, warn children of the dangers and just look at, rather than handle these. Wash hands immediately after any contact.

I know what happens to a flower after pollination

Make a “Flowers to Fruits” Zigzag book which illustrates and explains what happens to a flower after pollination

You will need: An A3 sheet of card or paper folded into a Zigzag book, a pen, some watercolour or pencils or pencil crayons, water pots and paint brushes (if you are using watercolour crayons)

Instructions

1. Write the title Flowers to Fruits on the front page and who it’s by (your name).

2. Open the book and number the pages 1, 2, 3 and 4 3. Illustrate each numbered page to show the different stages that transform a flower into a fruit. Make your drawings by looking closely at real plants if possible. Use watercolour crayons or pencil crayons to

colour them.

The table below will help you.

Page 1 2 3 4

What to draw A flower and a bee The petals dying

and a tiny pod/fruit beginning to grow

The small pod/fruit growing and

ripening

A large ripe fruit

4. Cut out the 4 text boxes below and arrange them in the right order to explain how a fruit develops. Stick one text box beneath each drawing.

The ovary begins to grow into a fruit. Inside the fruit, the fertilized ovules become seeds.

The pollen grains travel to the ovary and join with the ovules. Now the flower is fertilized, the petals shrivel and die

A bee visits a flower and pollen rubs off onto the stigma.

The fruit is ripe and the seeds are ready.

5. Decorate your front page with pictures of different flowers and fruits if you have time.

I know what happens to a flower after pollination

Make a “Flowers to Fruits” Zigzag book which illustrates and explains what happens to a flower after pollination

You will need: An A3 sheet of card or paper folded into a Zigzag book, a pen, a pencil, a ruler, some watercolour or pencils or pencil crayons, water pots and paint brushes (if you are using watercolour crayons)

Instructions

1. Write the title Flowers to Fruits on the front page and who it’s by (your name).

2. Open the book and number the pages 1, 2, 3 and 4.

3. Illustrate each numbered page to show the different stages that transform a flower into a fruit. Make your drawings by looking closely at real plants if possible. Use watercolour crayons or pencil crayons to colour them.

The table below shows the four stages to draw. 4. Beneath each drawing, write a sentence or two to explain what is happening.

The table below has some key words to help you.

Page 1 2 3 4

What to draw A flower and a bee The petals dying

and a tiny pod/fruit beginning to grow

The small pod/fruit growing and

ripening

A large ripe fruit

Key words to try to use in your writing

Flower, bee, pollen, stigma, pollination

Pollen, joins, ovule, inside, ovary

fertilization, petals dying,

Ovary, growing, seeds developing

Fruit, ripe, seeds inside

5. Decorate your front page with pictures of different flowers and fruits if you have time.

This is what happens to a strawberry flower in the weeks after pollination

This is what happens to a pea flower in the weeks after pollination

This is what happens to a poppy flower in the weeks after pollination

This is what happens to a courgette flower in the weeks after pollination

This is what happens to apple blossom in the weeks after pollination

How to Play Fruity Pairs

You will need:

One colour printed set of plenary cards trimmed to make 30 individual cards. They should be printed on card (or alternatively stuck onto cards).

Instructions

1. Divide the class into 5 teams of roughly equal size and give each team a base – either their

own table to sit at or an area of floor to sit on.

2. Shuffle the 30 cards and turn the pack face down. Deal the cards into 5 equal piles and give

one pile to each team.

3. Tell the children that they need to try to match pairs of cards by matching a flower with its

fruit, for example if you had a pumpkin card and the pumpkin flower, that would be a pair.

Some groups may need help identifying the name of a fruit. If a group can make a pair, they

should put the 2 cards together, face up and set them aside. Do not worry if no pairs can

be made.

4. All the remaining (unpaired) cards should be spread out, face down in the middle of their

team base.

5. Number the teams 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

6. A player from team 1 should now visit the base of team 2 and select one of their (face down)

cards at random and return to their own base with it. If they can use it to make a pair, the

pair should be set aside from the remaining cards as before. If they cannot use it to make a

pair, they should place it face down with their other unpaired cards.

7. A player from team 2 should now visit base 3 and do the same. Then base 3 to base 4, base 4

to base 5 and finally base 5 to base 1. To complete the first round.

8. The second round will continue in the same way but this time a different player goes out

to visit.

9. Rounds continue and gradually more and more pairs will be matched.

10. When a team has matched all their cards they shout out “Fruity Pairs!”

11. The first team out wins 3 points, the second wins 2 points and the third wins 1 point.

12. When all the teams have paired all their cards they must add up their points by totalling the

scores on the fruit card of each pair they have (either 1, 2, or 3 points), then they should add

on their bonus fast finish points (if they won any).

13. The winning team is the group who has scored the most points.

Cherry Blossom

Apple Blossom

Orange Blossom

1

2

3

Blackberry Flower

Raspberry Flower

Strawberry Flower

1

2

3

Banana Flower

Passion Flower

Mango Flower

1

2

3

Pepper Flower

Cucumber Flower

Pumpkin Flower

1

2

3

Pea Flower

Bean Flower

Tomato Flower

1

2

3