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Science · Ages 7–9 · 55 minutes

Parts of a plant and what they do

Children name the roots, stem, leaves and flower of a flowering plant and explain the job each part does to help the plant survive, grow and make seeds.

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Success criteria

  • I can name four parts of a flowering plant
  • I can say what each part does
  • I can use evidence from our celery test to explain how water moves

Key vocabulary

  • root
  • stem
  • leaf
  • flower
  • petal
  • seed
  • absorb
  • transport
  • pollen

You will need

  • a real potted plant or weed with roots
  • celery stalks with leaves
  • clear cups
  • water
  • food colouring
  • hand lenses
  • paper towels
  • sticky notes

Curriculum links

  • Year 3· England

Practice sheets

Generated fresh each time you press a button, and marked instantly on screen.

The lesson at a glance

55 minutes in all. Timings are a guide: follow your class.

  1. Step 1: Starter

    Hold up the potted plant (or a weed pulled up whole, soil shaken off over a tray).
    5–10 min

  2. Step 2: Teach

    Draw a large plant on the board and label it as you talk.
    10–15 min

  3. Step 3: Guided practice

    Bring out the celery made the day before.
    12 minutes

  4. Step 4: Independent practice

    Use the practice buttons above.

  5. Step 5: Plenary

    Play "Who am I?" Read out clues and children hold up a finger for each part: "I am underground and I drink" (1 = roots), "I make food using sunlight" (3 = leaves).

  6. Step 6: Assessment for learning

    Can children name all four parts without the word bank?

  7. Step 7: Differentiation

    Support: give a pre-drawn plant to label and a sentence starter for each job.

  8. Step 8: Common misconceptions

    "Plants get food from the soil." Soil gives water and nutrients; leaves make the plant's food using light.

  9. Step 9: Home link

    Find three plants at home or outside and point to the roots, stem, leaves and flower on each (look only, do not pull up plants in parks or other people's gardens).

A plant is easier to understand once children see it as a living thing with a set of jobs to do: take in water, stand up, make food, make seeds. This lesson gives each part a job title, then tests one of those jobs with a celery stalk.

1.Starter

5–10 min

Hold up the potted plant (or a weed pulled up whole, soil shaken off over a tray). Ask: "If this plant could talk, what would it say it needs?" Take three or four answers on sticky notes. Expect water, sunlight, soil, air, space, and sometimes "food", which you can come back to later.

Then cover the plant with a cloth, lift one part into view (a root, a leaf) and ask pairs to whisper its name. Seven minutes is plenty.

2.Teach

10–15 min

Draw a large plant on the board and label it as you talk. Give each part a "job title".

  • Roots: "The roots are the anchor and the drinking straw. They hold the plant in the ground and absorb water and nutrients from the soil."
  • Stem: "The stem is the lift. It holds the plant up towards the light and carries water up to the leaves."
  • Leaves: "The leaves are the kitchen. They use sunlight, air and water to make the plant's food."
  • Flower: "The flower is where new seeds are made. Its colours and scents attract insects, which carry pollen from flower to flower."
  • flower
  • leaf
  • tree
  • carrot
Flowers, leaves, a tree trunk and a root we eat.

Point out that a tree trunk is a very thick, woody stem and a carrot is a root we eat. Ask: "Why might a cactus have thick stems and spiky leaves?" Accept any sensible ideas about storing water.

The rest of the plan

Guided and independent practice, the plenary, assessment for learning, differentiation, common misconceptions and the home link are free with a Crayonbird account.

  1. Guided practice12 minutes
  2. Independent practice
  3. Plenary
  4. Assessment for learning
  5. Differentiation
  6. Common misconceptions
  7. Home link
See the whole plan, free

Learning Wiki

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