Areas of Learning The World Around Us Learning Intentions We are learning: that there are conditions for healthy growth of plants; how plants use their senses for survival; that plants can be identified according to their characteristics; that all living things undergo a cycle of life; that food can be purchased or grown at home or school; and to use a range of food preparation skills to make a healthy dish. Throughout the activities links to the curriculum skills have been signposted. While You Are Outside Ask the children to check any fruits or vegetables still growing outside, for example carrots or late apples. Ask them to make observations, including if the fruits or vegetables grow in the ground or as a particular part of the plant. Invite the children to harvest samples to bring back to the classroom for further investigation. Get Growing! Growing Rhubarb Managing Information Rhubarb can be grown from seed but it is easier to grow from rhubarb crowns, and now is time of year to do it. The crown is the part of the plant that is just under the soil. The rhubarb s roots and shoots grow from the crown. Encourage the children to observe the rhubarb crowns closely before planting. Ask them to notice the different colours and parts of the young plants. The roots of the rhubarb plant grow wide and deep, so while it is possible to grow it in containers if garden space is a problem, make sure the container used is big enough. What you need: Rhubarb crown Water Compost Instructions Dig a hole in the soil about 5 cm deep. Water the soil to ensure it is moist. Place the crown in the hole. Cover with compost. If you are planting more than one plant, the crowns should be planted about 75 cm apart. Looking after the rhubarb is easy and it grows year after year. Just a few things to remember: Rhubarb doesn t like drought, so water it once a week if needed. If overwatered, the crowns are susceptible to rot, so be careful not to overwater. Adding compost or fertiliser will help your rhubarb thrive. If the rhubarb plant flowers, remove the flower, as this will inhibit growth. Warning: The leaves are poisonous and should always be cut off before cooking. Key Using ICT Using Maths Communication www.ccea.org.uk/growing 1
Get Inspired! Fruits and Vegetables Explain to the children that fruits are the edible part of the plant and contain the plant s seeds. Explain that fruit is often a plant s way of dispersing seeds. Vegetables, on the other hand, are the other parts of the plant that are edible, such as leaves, roots and stems. Thinking, Problem-Solving, and Decision-Making Organise the children into groups of four or five. Provide each group with an assortment of fruits and vegetables. Include a variety of less obvious fruits like cucumbers, tomatoes, squashes or melons. Choose a collection of vegetables representing different parts of the plant, such as carrots (roots), potatoes (tubers), rhubarb (stems), lettuce (leaves), broccoli (flowers) and peas (seeds). Ask the children to handle the fruits and vegetables to examine their qualities. Use their observations to talk about how they might be sorted, for example, by colour, by size etc. Allow time groups to sort their collection into two categories, asking a spokesperson to explain their reasoning. Provide magnifying glasses and encourage the children to cut open the fruits and vegetables. Ask the children to use the magnifying glasses to inspect inside and identify similarities and differences. Ask each group of children to create a Venn diagram of two overlapping circles, making a category for fruits and a category for vegetables. Invite the groups to sort their collection using their Venn diagram, justifying their selection. Discuss how, in food and cooking, we often relate fruit to desserts or sweet dishes, and vegetables to savoury dishes, which is why we sometimes mix up our fruit and our vegetables. Fruits Vegetables www.ccea.org.uk/growing 2
Plant Life Cycle Use Resource A to recap the life cycle of the plant. Invite the children to cut out the sections and glue them, in the correct order, onto a paper plate. Encourage them to draw images to exemplify the various stages. Thinking, Problem-Solving, and Decision-Making Wholes and Parts Examine the function of the parts of the plants by giving each group of children one of the following questions to discuss: What would happen to the plant if it had no: roots (anchor the plant and take in nutrients and water)? stem (transports water and nutrients to the rest of the plant)? leaves (use energy from the sun to make food)? flower (attracts insects and makes new seeds)? seeds (produce new plants)? Observe Germination Explain to the children that they are going to grow seeds or beans in an old CD case or ziplock bag to observe germination. Ask the children to simply put the seeds or beans into a layer of potting soil in the case or bag. Remind them to water it to encourage germination. Ask them to label the outside of the case or bag as germination and growth take place, for example with the terms seeds, roots, stem and leaves. Encourage observation by asking the children to draw the various stages of growth. www.ccea.org.uk/growing 3
Get Cooking! Managing Information Very Berry Strata Frozen berries can be used in this recipe, or else fresh or canned fruits. Ingredients (serves three) 2 teaspoons cinnamon 150 g rolled oats 150 g strawberries 150 g blackberries 150 g raspberries 500 g low fat yogurt Mint leaves for garnish (optional) Method 1. Add the cinnamon to the rolled oats and mix through. 2. Gently wash each batch of berries in a colander and drain. 3. Pat the berries dry with kitchen towel and place them into separate bowls. 4. Hull the strawberries by removing green caps with your fingers or a knife. 5. Mash each bowl of berries with a fork or masher to make a purée. 6. Place two tablespoons of the raspberry purée into each serving glass or clear plastic cup. 7. Add two tablespoons of yogurt and spread over the berries. 8. Sprinkle one tablespoon of cinnamon oats across the top of the yogurt. 9. Spread two tablespoons of blackberry purée over the cinnamon oats. 10. Top with yogurt and cinnamon oats, as before. 11. Finally, add two tablespoons of strawberry purée and top with two tablespoons of yogurt. 12. Garnish with a berry and sprig of mint to serve. Taste each layer and encourage the children to describe the combination of ingredients. Use the recipe to discuss: taste and texture combinations they like or dislike; the order of the fruit layers; other combinations of fruits to try; and whether the dish would be best for breakfast, dessert or both. www.ccea.org.uk/growing 4
Resource A Life Cycle of a Plant When the seed is watered, the roots and shoots come out. When the seeds are ready, they can be planted somewhere else. The roots grow down and the shoots start to grow towards the light. Plants produce flowers to make seeds. Leaves grow from the stem and they use energy from the sunlight to make food. www.ccea.org.uk/growing 5