What does a plant need?

What do you think a plant needs to stay alive? Say it before you know.

ScienceAges 3–415 minutes3 pagesEnglish textInk-light

Being written

This one is planned but not finished yet. Everything below is what it will contain.

Skill: A real observation over several days, with a place to be wrong on day one
You will need: A plant, Water, Crayons
Your job: Observe
Stage: KG1 · ages 3–4

Not drawn yet

I can watch a plant for five days and draw what changed.

How the fifteen minutes go

The five steps on this sheet, in the order a child meets them. This is what you will actually be doing, not a description of the method.

Print the one that fits today. Same skill, three depths — and on this sheet they differ like this.

Support

Three days, draw only.

Fewer items, more pictures, hints included, parent reads the instructions.

Core

Five days, draw and one word each day.

The standard task, recognition, practice and explanation.

Challenge

Two plants, one without water. This is a fair test, and it is the beginning of real science.

Open-ended. Explain why, make your own example, use it somewhere new.

The same guide that is printed on the back page, so you can read it before you decide to print anything.

The answers

Water, light, air, soil. But the sheet is not testing the list, it is testing whether they looked for five days.

If they get stuck

Set an alarm at the same time each day. Ritual carries this where enthusiasm will not.

Common mistakes

When they finish early

Grow a bean in a jar. Five days is enough to see roots.