New draft Experiences and Outcomes
Planet Earth - Biodiversity
First Level - I can help design experiments to find out what plants need in order to grow and develop. I can observe and record my findings and from what I have learned I can grow healthy plants in school. SCN 103B

Grow and learn about plants

Here are some good pages from interesting websites for exploring and growing seeds with Primary pupils:-

Easy Peasy Seed Germination

DO ONE THING
– Make a Garden Grow

Be safe! Safety Code for using plants

• Teach children to avoid touching their eyes whilst handling plants

• Teach children never to taste any part of a plant unless absolutely certain that it is safe to do so.

• Warn children especially about attractive-looking fruits and seeds, that look edible but might be poisonous.

• Check whether seeds have been dressed with pesticides.

• Always wash hands after handling plants or seeds.

• Consider the need for wearing gloves.

• Consider the likelihood of contamination of soil samples.

Runner beans - water well in dry weather, otherwise the plants will not produce beans.

Radish, a great starter vegetable because as well as being easy to grow, the colourful roots are ready for eating within a month of sowing.

Sweet pea, sow seeds outdoors in March or April for blooms in June and July. Pick the flowers regularly to encourage more growth.

Lettuce can be grown all-year-round; simply choose from the many varieties to ensure you have a crop for every season. Seeds, once sown, should begin to sprout within 12 days.

Nasturtium, sow seeds in pots in spring, then make a colourful salad from the beautiful, peppery orange, red or yellow flowers.

Pot marigold, plant a pinch of seeds in March or September and you will be rewarded with a mass of flowers in about 10 weeks. The petals can be eaten in salads!

Cosmos, in mild weather seeds can be sown outdoors in May. Produces ferny foliage and large brightly coloured flowers. Likes a sunny position.

Cornflower, plant seeds in September or April where you want them to flower. This beautiful flower, surprisingly, used to be a weed!

The name says it all - these flowers look as if they are smiling up at you and should flower for most of the summer.

Tobacco plant - plant seeds indoors and plant out when the danger of frost is past. Flowers give off a wonderful scent during the evening, from June to October. Don't worry; you won't be producing any tobacco!

Potatoes – not really seeds but tubers. Try planting them in a barrel or plastic planter bag.

Note that the leaves, stems and potatoes that have turned green are poisonous.

Sunflowers – one of the easiest and most dramatic seeds to grow!

A class project on sprouting seeds