Science in the Garden Series: Science In the Garden by Teacher Superstore

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Ready-Ed

Acknowledgements i. Clip art images have been obtained from Microsoft Design Gallery Live and are used under the terms of the End User License Agreement for Microsoft Word 2000. Please refer to www.microsoft.com/permission.

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Publications

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o c . che e r o t r s super Published by: Ready-Ed Publications PO Box 276 Greenwood WA 6024 www.readyed.com.au info@readyed.com.au

ISBN: 978 1 86397 808 8 2

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Contents Teachers' Notes Curriculum Links

4 5

Diving Beetle

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7 8

8 9

A Lizard’s Tale Teachers' Notes Activity

10 11

Snack Attack Teachers' Notes Activity

12 13

30 31

Garden Bingo! Teachers' Notes Activity

32 33

Living or Non-living? Teachers' Notes Activity

Soil, Glorious Soil Teachers' Notes Activity

36 37

Life in the Leaf Litter Teachers' Notes Activity

34 35

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Teachers' Notes Activity

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Pobblebonk’s Breakfast Teachers' Notes Activity

Parts of a Tree

38 39

Hiding ini the Leaf Litter © ReadyEdPu bl ca t i ons f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• Parts of• a Plant Extraordinary Earthworms Rub a Leaf

14 15

Teachers' Notes Activity

16 17

A Seed Must Travel

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Teachers' Notes Activity

19 20

Wonderful Wildflowers

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Teachers' Notes Activity

20 22

22 23

What Do Plants Need? Teachers' Notes Activity

40 41

Teachers' Notes Activity

42 43

A Native Garden Habitat Teachers' Notes Activity

An Apple a Day?

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Making a Boot Planter Teachers' Notes Activity

Teachers' Notes Activity

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Teachers' Notes Activity

24 25

Let’s Experiment Teachers' Notes Activity

26 27

Teachers' Notes Activity

44 45

46 47

Web of Life

Teachers' Notes Activity

48 49

Get Your Facts Straight Teachers' Notes Activity

50 51

Answers

What Do Trees Give Us? Teachers' Notes Activity

28 29

Teachers’ Notes

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The garden theme is used to explore: •

the anatomy of plants, insects and animals

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Science in the Garden is the first of two books which are designed to encourage primary children to engage with the living laboratory that they will find on their classroom doorstep. The garden theme should appeal to children and teachers alike as it is accessible and encourages close encounters with fuzzy critters, flowering plants, seeds, trees and leaves. Nearly all of the activities in this book are practical and this should motivate children to learn, remember and have fun while ‘doing’. The resources needed for the practical activities are easy to assemble and the tasks are simple to set up and can be simplified or made more difficult for students of different age groups and abilities. All of the activities are curriculum linked and are created to develop scientific thinking, skills and processes.

the classification of living things

•

the conservation of natural resources

•

health, nutrition and safety

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fieldwork studies.

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©• R ad EdP ubl i cat i ons thee garden asy anecological system • plant, insect and animal adaptations •f o rr evi ew pur posesonl y• • garden biodiversity •

A set of teaching notes accompanies each activity sheet. The teaching notes include an overview of the concepts covered in each lesson, detailed step-by-step instructions, suggestions for extension activities and recommended web site resources. Particular effort has been made to develop scientific literacy through a variety of text types and specific skills, for example: drawing and labelling diagrams, note-making, using graphic organisers, writing reports and framing enquiry questions. Wherever appropriate, links to other content areas of the curriculum have been incorporated. Answers can be found at the back of the book.

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Curriculum Links QLD - Science

Stage 2

Living Things

ELs – by the end of Year 3 and Year 5

Physical Phenomena

Life and Living

Earth and its Surroundings

Earth and Beyond

TAS - Science

SA - Science

Standards 2 and 3

Standard 2

Scientific Inquiry

Earth and Space

Scientific Communication

Life Systems

Science as a Body of Knowledge – Living Things

VIC - Science

1. The student uses a range of strategies to think and learn.

WA - Science

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NSW - Science and Technology

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2. The student understands and applies the inquiry process.

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19. The student understands and applies scientific knowledge. NT - Science

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© ReadyEdPub l i c at ons Levels 2 and 3i Knowledge and Understanding ACT - Science • f o r r e v i e w p u r p o sesonl y• Science at Work Early and Later Childhood Early and Middle Childhood (1) Investigation

(8) Life and Living

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Bands 2 and 3

Life and Living

Earth and Beyond

Teachers' Notes

A Pobblebonk’s Breakfast

Concepts and Objectives: Talking about a frog’s diet.

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Identifying the characteristics of a frog that help it to eat.

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Recognising that a frog lives where it can find food.

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Understanding that there are different types (species) of frogs and that the pobblebonk is one type.

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Recognising that the pobblebonk frog gets its name from the sound that it makes.

Teaching Ideas

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1. Hand out the activity sheet. Ask students to look at Picture A. Tell them that it is breakfast time (5.00 a.m.) and the frog is hungry. Ask the children to identify what a frog normally eats by looking at the pictures. You could write the names of the animals on the board and they could label each picture by copying the words.

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2. Ask the children to look at Pictures B, C and D and identify what the frog has eaten in each picture. 3. Ask the children how a frog catches and eats its food (long, sticky tongue). 4. Discuss where a frog needs to ‘hang out’ to catch and eat its breakfast. Ask the children to draw and colour some backgrounds for each frog to show where a frog lives.

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5. Tell the children that the frog is a pobblebonk frog and this is a well-known type of frog. Discuss the fact that there are different types of frogs. You may like to list some on the board for them to copy. 6. Tell them that the pobblebonk frog gets its name from the sound that it makes which sounds like ‘plonk and blonk’.

Find out more websites: http://frogs.org.au/ www.frogsaustralia.net.au/ 6

ZActivity

A Pobblebonk’s Breakfast

Z Picture C

5.00 am

Z Picture B

5.15 am

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5.30 am

Z Picture D

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Z Picture A

What does a frog eat for breakfast?

5.45 am

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o c . c e he r What has the frog eaten by 5.15? _____________________________ o t r s super

What has the frog eaten by 5.30? _____________________________ What has the frog eaten by 5.45? _____________________________ How does a frog catch and eat its breakfast? ____________________ ___________________________________________________________ 7

Teachers' Notes

A Diving Beetle

Concepts and Objectives: Drawing a scientific sketch of a diving beetle using symmetry and labelling and colouring it accurately.

•

Recognising that the drawing represents one type of beetle (the diving beetle or cybister tripunctatus) and understanding that animals often have scientific names.

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Talking about a diving beetle’s features and how these features help it to adapt to its pond habitat.

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Materials:

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Pencil and ruler.

Teaching Ideas:

1. Distribute the beetle activity sheet. Tell the class that they are going to complete a scientific sketch of a beetle. Draw the group’s attention to the symmetry of the illustration and the need to include the same details on both sides. Using a pencil, children can complete their sketches of the beetle.

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons 2. Ask the children to label their sketches using the words from the box. Model for the class f ocr r e i ew pulines r p os eso l y• how • a scientifi sketch is v labelled with straight almost touching then features. Labels

are not written on the sketch, but to the side. Circulate as the children label their sketches helping them space their labels of the beetle’s body parts.

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3. Tell the children that there are many different types of beetles and this one is the diving beetle. Give them the beetle’s scientific name (cybister tripunctatus) and get them to copy it onto the sheet.

4. Tell them that a diving beetle can often be found in a garden pond and that it’s good to find a diving beetle in a pond because this is a bioindicator that the body of water is healthy. They may want to draw the diving beetle in its natural habitat on the back of the sheet or mark this on the sheet.

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5. Discuss how the beetle’s features allow it to live in its habitat, i.e. it can stay under water for long periods because like a scuba-diver, it takes its own air supply with it by trapping air bubbles under its wings before it dives. It does this by floating on its back with its abdomen facing upwards. 6. Ask the group what other interesting features (adaptations) the beetle has to help it survive in its aquatic home. Note its round, smooth body and the hairs on its back legs. Also mention how its body shape helps it to be a voracious hunter in the water.

Find out more websites: http://australianmuseum.net.au/Beetles-order-Coleoptera http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/jmresources/minibeasts/minibeasts.htm 8

ZActivity

A Diving Beetle

Where could I find a diving beetle?

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Finish drawing the diving beetle with a pencil.

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o c . che e r o Label the parts of ther beetle with words from t s the box. super

head abdomen thorax antennae mouthparts Write out the diving beetle’s scientific name. ___________________________________________________________ 9

Teachers' Notes

A Lizard’s Tale

Concepts and Objectives: •

Reading a scientific text for gist.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok Materials: u S Framing questions to identify features of a legless lizard.

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Images of legless lizards (optional).

Teaching Ideas:

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1. Ask the class if anyone has ever encountered a legless lizard in the garden. Project images of the reptile and tell the group that they are going to read a text about legless lizards, but there are gaps in the text and they need to ask their partner, (who is an expert!) questions, to find out the missing information.

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons 2. Photocopy and cut up the activity sheet. Organise the class into pairs – one will have Text Ae and the other, Text B.u Make ito clear to the children that they • f o r r v i e w p r p s e s o n l y • cannot show each other their texts to simply copy the missing information. Practising asking questions is very important in Science.

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3. Allow the children time to read the texts for gist and to formulate questions that will give them the information to complete the gaps. You can model the question for the first gap in both Text A and Text B. When the children are ready, they can work together to help each other complete the texts. 4. To conclude the activity, children can draw a diagram of a legless lizard based on the information and label the lizard’s features (as opposed to a snake) on the back of their sheets. There is a fourth way to distinguish a legless lizard from a snake; its flapped hind limb. This could be set as a research task.

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5. Legless lizards, unique to Australia, are increasingly endangered. Challenge the children to think of ways of protecting the lizards’ habitat.

Find out more websites: www.wildlifewa.com/reptiles/reptiles.html www.qm.qld.gov.au/inquiry/factsheets/leaflet0024.pdf 10

ZActivity A Lizard’s Tale Working in pairs, ask your partner questions to help you fill in the missing information about legless lizards. Z Text A

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Legless lizards or worm lizards are only found in (1) _________________ and can grow to about 30 centimetres. When people first see a legless lizard they usually run away because they think it’s a (2) ________! You can tell a legless lizard from a snake in three ways. Firstly, it has holes on either side of its head, which are its ears. Snakes don’t have ears. Secondly, legless lizards have (3) _________ and big black eyes. Thirdly, it doesn’t have a forked tongue, but a fleshy one like other lizards. It’s very hard to see these little reptiles during the day as they hide in the (4) _________________ of the garden and under pot plants and rocks. Legless lizards come out at night to hunt their favourite food: (5) ________________. Their long, slender bodies help them to move in and out of rocks with ease and slither under leaves to escape predators.

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Working in pairs, ask your partner questions to help you fill in the missing information about legless lizards. Legless lizards or worm lizards are only found in Australia and can grow to about (1) ________ centimetres. When people first see a legless lizard they usually run away because they think it’s a snake! You can tell a legless lizard from a snake in three ways. Firstly, it has (2) _______ on either side of its head, which are its ears. Snakes don’t have ears. Secondly, legless lizards have eyelids and big black eyes. Thirdly, it doesn’t have a (3) _________ tongue, but a fleshy one like other lizards. It’s very hard to see these little reptiles during the day as they hide in the moist leaf litter of the garden and under pot plants and rocks. Legless lizards come out at night to (4)__________ their favourite food: ants and their eggs. (5) __________________________help them to move in and out of rocks with ease and slither under leaves to escape predators.

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Teachers' Notes

Snack Attack

Concepts and Objectives: •

Identifying how spiders use their body parts to catch and eat their prey.

r o e t s B r e oo Materials: p u k S Following instructions to make an edible 'spider'.

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Ingredients for the spider snack: wholemeal biscuits/thin bread sticks or pretzels, peanut butter or jam or spreadable cheese, smarties or dried fruit or nuts, plastic knives and paper napkins (optional).

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Teaching Ideas:

1. Brainstorm spiders on the board as a class, drawing on the children's prior knowledge about the life of spiders. Circle key vocabulary related to the topic. 2. Hand out the spider text. Children can scan through the text in pairs or individually to locate and highlight key words identified in Step 1. Ask them to read the text again and identify the main topic/s of each paragraph, for example, paragraph one describes how often a spider feeds.

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons 3. Explain tor ther children how to complete the evidence table. Model an • • f o e v i e w p u r p o s e s o n l y example such as 'spiders can be cannibals'. Ask the group if this claim is true

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or false. It doesn’t matter what option they choose as long as they support their answers with evidence from the text using quotations. The evidence for spiders being cannibals would be, 'some spiders only eat other spiders'. 4. To conclude the activity, treat the group to edible spiders (not exactly anatomically correct), which can be assembled with oral instructions.

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1. Spread peanut butter or jam or cheese thickly on one biscuit/ cracker.

o c . che e r o t r s super 2. Break four bread sticks or pretzels to make the eight legs. Press firmly into the spread.

3. Put the other biscuit/ cracker on top and press down gently.

4. Put the spider’s eyes on top of the biscuit. A little spread helps to keep them on. Spiders have multiple eyes!

ZActivity

Where could I find a spider?

Snack Attack Read this text about spiders.

Spiders don’t burn up a lot of energy chasing after their prey. They like to wait silently in one place for insects and other small animals to walk across their path. One spider can eat many insects on one day and then wait days or even weeks for its next meal.

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r o e t s B r e oo Spiders have two p methods of trapping their food. Some spin a silky web u using glands on their abdomens. The silk is sticky so k insects can’t escape S easily. Other spiders surprise their prey by jumping on them. They hide under leaves or in holes and feel the vibrations of their prey as it crawls or wriggles by. All spiders have fangs. The fangs are like straws that inject poison into the prey. This keeps the prey quiet while the spiders prepare to eat their dinner alive. Many spiders will also spin a silky cocoon around their fresh food.

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons Spiders don’t have jaws or teeth. They each have a special tube that •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• pumps juices from their stomach into their prey. These juices turn the prey’s insides into a liquid. Spiders then 'drink' their food.

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Spiders are not insects. They don’t have antennae or three body parts like butterflies or beetles. They belong to the arachnid family, but this doesn’t stop them from eating other spiders. In fact, some spiders only eat other spiders!

. te claim true or false evidence fromo the text c 'All spiders build . c e her r webs to hunt prey.' o t s super 'Spiders don’t eat regularly.' 'Spiders store their food to eat later.' 'Spiders can sense moving things.'

Teachers' Notes

Rub a Leaf

Concepts and Objectives: •

Following instructions to make a leaf rubbing.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u Materials: S Identifying and sorting leaf types.

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Making a collage of leaf rubbings.

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Labelling leaf shapes.

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Assortment of different shaped leaves, coloured pencils or thick wax crayons.

Teaching Ideas:

1. If possible, take the class to the school grounds to collect leaves for the rubbings. Thick, waxy leaves are the best, not freshly fallen ones. It is important to stress to the children that they cannot strip leaves off plants and trees. They should only pick up leaves that have fallen on to the ground. If an outside trip is not convenient, collect an assortment of leaves beforehand to bring to the lesson.

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2. Hand out the activity sheet and instruct the children to choose a leaf and place it under the rectangular area of the sheet. Using coloured pencils or thick wax crayons, model how to secure the leaf and rub with even pressure to obtain a pattern. Cut out the rectangle to display or use it to wrap a little present.

3. To explore the basic leaf shapes in nature (see diagrams below), give groups specific shaped leaves to observe. Note that the leaves can have smooth or toothed (serrated) edges.

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4. Children can sort and identify the different leaf types in the rubbings, then label the leaf types. Simplified leaf shapes:

linear egg-shaped hand-shaped 14

spear-shaped

needle-shaped

ellipsis

ZActivity

Rub a leaf

What type of leaf is it?

List some of the different leaf types you have collected. ________________________________________________

r o e t s Bo r e p o Create someu leaf rubbings in the rectangle below.k S

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Teachers' Notes

Parts of a Plant

Concepts and Objectives:

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Potted plant.

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Labelling plant parts.

Teaching Ideas:

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1. If possible, bring a potted dandelion to class, but any other potted plant will do. Ask the children if they can name any of the parts of the plant. Use the potted plant to connect the names with the plant’s structure. Ask the children to label the parts of the plant (roots, leaves, stem, flowers, seeds). 2. Ask the children to highlight the following:

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3. The class might like to know that the humble dandelion is actually a herb and all parts of the plant can be used for medicinal purposes, such as a tonic to boost the immune system and a salve to ease sunburn. The young leaves of the plant can also be eaten in salads. All in all, it is an extraordinary little plant. 4. Tell them that in different countries the beliefs about the plant change. Some cultures believe that if you blow all the fluffy seeds off the dandelion with one big breath, you will find your true love and that the dandelion seeds will carry your thoughts to a loved one. Another belief is that when you blow on a dandelion’s seeds, the number of seeds that don’t blow away represent the hour of the day. The Portuguese believe that blowing on a dandelion’s seeds is an indicator of how bald your father is going to be!

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ZActivity

Parts of a Plant

What is a taraxicum officinalis?

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Label the dandelion (taraxicum officinalis).

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Teachers' Notes

A Seed Must Travel

Concepts and Objectives: •

Learning vocabulary for seed dispersal and observing the texture, shape and size of a variety of seeds.

•

Understanding how and why particular seeds might disperse, and classifying them according to their dispersal methods.

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Collection of seed types and a copy of Eric Carle’s, The Tiny Seed (optional).

Teaching Ideas:

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1. Before the lesson collect a variety of seeds which exemplify as many different methods of seed dispersal as possible. Your collection could include: dandelion, thistle, burrs, eucalyptus, coconut, gumnut, sunflower, corn kernels, apple and pumpkin.

2. Ask the group why seeds need to travel away from their parent plant. Draw a large tree on the board with seedlings underneath struggling to get light. Just like young adults, seedlings need their own place to develop with plenty of sunshine and freedom to stretch their roots and branches. Next, brainstorm four ways that people move from place to place. Write up the suggestions on the board. Ask the children to think about how seeds might travel, can they fly or swim or catch a bus?

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3. Using the seeds that you have collected, choose a few to demonstrate to the class how seeds can be dispersed: dandelion (carried by the wind), coconut and sunflower (gravity and floating), thistles (sticking to clothing, 'hitchhiking' on animals' fur), fruit (eaten and scattered or excreted by birds), purple violet and Canadian maple ('exploding' and scattering seeds away from parent plant).

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4. Hand out the activity sheet and complete the classifying activity with the class.

5. Explain to the children that weeds are a problem in the garden because they “steal” space and nutrients from other plants. Seeds from weeds travel easily and that’s why they turn up uninvited in our gardens. 6. Conclude the lesson with a shared reading of Eric Carle’s, The Tiny Seed, which beautifully illustrates the epic journeys of seeds. 7. There are no examples of exploding pods so build a whirligig (full scale 6 centimetres x 14 centimetres) to demonstrate how this happens.

ZActivity

A Seed Must Travel

What type of seed is it?

Write and draw the seed types in the spaces and mark with a tick how they each 'travel'. flt oat gravity hitchhike r o e s Bo r e p ok u S wind / air

scatter

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Type of seed

Cut C

Cut B

Diagram 1

Fold D

Cut A

Fold B

Fold C

Fold A

• Cut out a piece of paper 6 centimetres x 14 centimetres. Fold in half lengthways and unfold to reveal the crease. (See Fold A in Diagram 1.) • Mark and cut out along dashed lines. (Cut A and B.) • Fold along dotted lines. (Fold B and C.) • Fold upwards (see Fold D in Diagram 2) and secure with a small paperclip. • Cut down vertical line (see Cut C in Diagram 2). Gently bend Flap 1 forward and Flap 2 back (see Diagram 2). • Drop and watch it spin. See Diagram 3 Diagram 3.

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Flap 1

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Follow the instructions to make a paper whirligig.

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Diagram 2

Teachers' Notes

Wonderful Wildflowers

Concepts and Objectives:

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Identifying and describing the features of two Australian wildflowers and understanding the conditions that they need to grow.

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Images of Kangaroo Paws and the Australian Paper Daisy (optional).

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Teaching Ideas:

1. Explain to the group that they are going to read texts about wildflowers. Ask them to guess what 'wildflowers' are. You can show images of Kangaroo Paws and the Paper Daisy (also known as Everlasting Daisy) to see if the children recognise these popular garden plants.

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2. Focus on the table on the activity sheet. Go through the specific information required to fill out the table. Giving examples, check that the children understand what is meant by 'location', 'height', etc. The heading 'Flowers' could include information on colour, shape and when they bloom. Questions may be raised about the notion that 'they only grow in nature' (Kangaroo Paws). The concept of native and introduced species could be explored with an example like the cane toad (bufo marinus), which was introduced into Australia from Hawaii.

3. Ask children to scan the texts for information. They could highlight key information as they read. Working in pairs or individually, children can complete their notes under the various headings in the table.

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4. Ask the group about the differences and similarities between the two wildflowers. Which one do they like best? Using images, children could sketch the wildflowers in their books and label them with information from the table.

Find out more websites: http://www.pbase.com/sheils/western_australian_wildflowers http://ozthunder.com/wildflowers/index.htm 20

ZActivity

What do wildflowers need?

Wonderful Wildflowers Read this information about two types of native Australian wildflowers.

Australian Paper Daisy r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Kangaroo Paws

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The shape of the flower makes it attractive to birds. Birds like to sit on the Kangaroo Paws’ long stems. These stems can grow up to two metres. This way birds can enjoy the flower’s sweet nectar and pollinate the flower at the same time.

The famous English explorer William Dampier was the first European to collect the Australian Paper Daisy. He found this delicate little daisy in 1699 near Shark Bay in Western Australia. Today we find the star-shaped daisy with its big yellow centre in gardens all over the world.

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We can find beautiful Kangaroo Paws in many parts of Australia. However, they only grow in nature in the south-west of Western Australia. The shape of the flower looks like a kangaroo’s paw and the flowers are usually orange and red.

Australian daisies grow to about 50 centimetres. They prefer sandy soils and lots of sun. They don’t like windy places. During springtime the daisies pop up just about everywhere in south-west Western Australia.

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Every year, people travel to Western Australia from far away to see an amazing flower show. Millions upon millions of Paper Daisies cover the countryside like a dazzling pink and white carpet. It’s a festival of colour.

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places and produce flowers during summer and spring. This plant has become very popular in gardens in Japan and the United States because of its interesting appearance.

o c . c Growing e her Height st r Location Flowers conditions super o

Complete the table using information from the texts. Plant Kangaroo Paws

Paper Daisy 21

Teachers' Notes

Making a Boot Planter

Concepts and Objectives: •

Understanding what plants need to grow and survive.

•

Identifying suitable materials that can be recycled to make a variety of containers for plants.

•

Making a plant container.

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Materials:

An old boot/gum boot/other unusual recycled container, plastic mesh fruit bag/ old stocking, potting mix, plant/seeds.

Teaching Ideas:

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1. Elicit from the children the names of containers used to house plants: pot, planter, hanging basket, etc. Bring in some containers to show them or use images. Ask the children what types of containers they have at home.

2. Hand out the activity sheet for the learners to examine, and display a real boot (or shoe). Ask them, 'What do we need to make this boot a good container for a plant?' Make a list on the board (plenty of room for the roots/potting mix (soil), holes for the water to escape (drain), screen to keep the soil in place (old stocking or plastic mesh fruit bag).

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3. Model making a boot planter with the children using the real boot that you have brought into class. They can fill in the instructions as you assemble the recycled planter. To finish, they can draw a healthy, colourful plant in the boot. 4. If boots can be alternative planters ask them what else they could recycle. Brainstorm ideas. (Other creative containers: teapots, old buckets, an old tyre, toy trucks, cracked ceramic soup bowls or cups.) They can copy these ideas on the back of the sheet under a suitable heading.

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5. To emphasise that recycled materials can be used in the garden, tell the class that they can turn old newspaper into useful biodegradable pots. To make the newspaper pots you need: a straight-sided glass tumbler or can (about seven or eight centimetres in diameter) and a strip of newspaper cut about seven or eight centimetres wider than the height of the glass and long enough to wrap around three to four times (use the broad sheet of the newspaper). Wrap the strip around the glass so that at one end the strip just covers the rim. Where it overhangs at the other end, fold it over as if you were wrapping a present. Tap the folded end firmly on the ground to flatten the base and remove the glass. Fill the newspaper pot with soil and seeds or seedlings. Plant in the garden. After a few months, the roots will have broken through and the paper pot will have begun to biodegrade into the soil.

ZActivity

Where can you find an old boot?

Making a Boot Planter Fill in the spaces to complete the instructions for making a boot planter. HOW TO MAKE A BOOT PLANTER

r o e t s Bo r e p ok room for the ______ and________. u 2. MakeS _______________in the sole, so the ______________ can _______________.

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1. Find ________________boot that allows plenty of

3. Line the boot with _________________ to help keep the __________________ in place.

4. Fill ____________________________________.

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5. Put ____________________________________.

o c . e Draw a healthy,c her r o t s colourful plant super in the boot.

Teachers' Notes

What Do Plants Need?

Concepts and Objectives: Making distinctions between 'wants' and 'needs' and making a list of the needs of plants.

•

Describing the stages of a plant’s growth and identifying how insects, birds and worms affect the growth of a plant.

Materials:

•

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

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•

Images of things that we 'need' in order to live, and of things that we 'want'.

Teaching Ideas:

1. On a PowerPoint slide jumble up images of things which are essential to survive (needs) with those things that we want. Your 'needs' list should include: air, water, love, sunlight, shelter (house) and temperature control (clothes). 'Wants' could include: toys, mobile phones, books, ice cream, pets and sports equipment. Concepts like money and transport could generate mixed opinions. Ask the children to sort out the 'needs' from the 'wants'.

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a seed is planted in the soil M seed loses its skin M roots and stem start to grow M seed gets sunlight and leaves grow M roots, stem and leaves hold the plant up to absorb sunlight and water.

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Ask the children to label these steps on the diagram.

From their prior learning, children might be able to talk about the role of insects, birds and worms in a plant’s life (e.g. insects, like bees, pollinate flowers. Birds eat insects and can damage a plant's leaves or spoil its fruit. Earthworms make little tunnels so that water and air can reach plant roots). Ask students to draw and add an insect, bird and worm to the diagram and explain the role of insects, birds and worms in a plant's life on the sheet.

3. Focus the children’s attention on the things that a plant needs for life. They can record the needs on the activity sheet. 4. To round off the lesson children can draw a picture of themselves and a plant side by side and around the picture list the needs that plants and people share so that they can live. 24

ZActivity

What does a plant need?

What Do Plants Need? Label the five steps of seed germination on the diagram. Add a bird, a worm and a bug to the diagram below.

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4. ____________________________

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______________________________

_____________

__________________

_____________

__________________

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_____________

What is the role of insects, birds and earthworms in a plant's life?

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List what plants need here.

• ____________ • ____________ • ____________ On the back of this sheet draw a picture of you and a plant side by side and around your picture list what needs you and plants share. 25

Teachers' Notes

Let’s Experiment

Concepts and Objectives: •

Following experiment instructions to carry out a 'fair test' by working cooperatively in groups.

•

Understanding how a plant breathes.

•

Recording and evaluating experiment results.

Teac he r •

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r o e t s Bo r e p ok u Materials: S

Two small beakers or glasses (enough to hold about 200 millilitres), food colouring with eyedroppers (two strong colours), stalks of celery with leaves, spoons, knife or scissors (for teacher’s use).

Teaching Ideas:

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons 2. Revise with the children the needs of plants (air, water, sunlight). Explain •f rr ev i e w pur pano seso n l y• that ino groups, the class will be carrying out experiment that shows, 1. Before class, prepare the celery stalks. Trim the bases at an angle and make a 10 centimetre slit in each stalk.

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like us, that plants need to 'breathe' and they do this through their leaves. To transpire, plants absorb water through their roots and transport it to their leaves, where it is later released as water vapour. 3. Organise groups and hand out activity sheet. Read through the steps (method) of the experiment, clarifying doubts if necessary. When the groups are ready, allow them to set up their equipment.

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4. Circulate to see if water measurements are equal in the beakers, the food colouring has been stirred and the celery stalks are positioned correctly.

5. When the children return to their experiments the next day, they will observe that the food colouring has travelled up the stalk and dyed the leaves. To observe this process more closely, make slices in the stalk. You will see strands of food colouring in the centre that has been transported, surrounded by little dots. The leaves 'breaths' have pulled the dye through the stalk to the leaves. 6. Discuss observations with the children, who then can complete their results on the experiment sheet and draw a labelled diagram.

ZActivity

How does a plant breathe?

Let’s Experiment How does a plant breathe?

Aim:

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To observe how a plant breathes by absorbing and transporting water through its stem to its leaves.

Equipment:

• • •

two stalks of celery with plenty of leaves two small beakers or glasses filled with water and a spoon food colouring (two different colours) with eyedroppers

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My prediction:

1. Make a 10 centimetre slit in the base of each celery stalk and place them in different beakers. 2. Fill the beakers with the same amount of water, covering the bases of the stalks. 3. Put 10 to 12 drops of different food colouring in each beaker and stir with a spoon. 4. Leave the stalks to rest overnight.

Method:

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Observations:

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Labelled diagram 27

Teachers' Notes

What Do Trees Give Us?

Concepts and Objectives: •

Developing an appreciation of resources (trees).

•

Identifying the importance of trees for animals and people.

•

Understanding that the properties of trees determine how they are used.

•

Post-it sticky notes.

Teaching Ideas:

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Materials:

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1. Distribute the activity sheet and ask the class, 'What materials are made from trees?' Look around the classroom and identify things made from tree products (cupboards, desks, doors, books, pencils, erasers (rubbers) and cork (bottle stoppers). Give each child a post-it note and ask them to write the word 'tree' (or draw a tree) on it. Tell them to quickly leave their seats and put their notes on an object that was once part of a tree. Go around the room and ask each child to tell you what they have labelled. Children can make a list on the activity sheet.

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• 2. Then ask the children why trees are used to make all these objects. Children can list the properties of trees (hard, aesthetic appeal, etc…) on the activity sheet.

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3. Around the picture of the tree, ask the students to write (or draw) what the tree is providing for the two children in the picture. 4. Challenge the children to think about what we would do without trees with a cause and effect flow diagram:

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If we didn’t have trees M no shade M hot, sunburnt and cranky kids!

5. Ask the children to design their own poster, individually or in pairs, which says 'thank you' to trees for all the wonderful things that they give us. This could also be done as a collage with images of tree by-products cut out from magazines and pasted into an outline of a tree.

Find out more websites: www.land.vic.gov.au/ www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/plantsansus.htm 28

ZActivity

What Do Trees Give Us?

Why are trees used to make things?

List items in the classroom which are made from trees. ______________________________________________

r o e t s Bo r ______________________________________________ e p o u k List the properties of trees. S ______________________________________________

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______________________________________________

______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

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Teachers' Notes

Parts of a Tree

Concepts and Objectives:

•

Describing the life cycle of a tree.

•

Interpreting a diagram.

•

Labelling parts of a tree.

Teac he r

Connecting parts of a tree with their functions.

Teaching Ideas:

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r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

•

1. Hand out the activity sheet and ask the children if they can identify the parts of the tree: roots, trunk, bark, branches, leaves, buds, flowers and fruit. Ask them to label the diagram using the words from the text box. Revise the function of the roots (absorb water and nutrients from the soil), tree trunk (gives support and transports water and sap), bark (protects tree - like skin) and leaves (absorb light, produce sugar sap, absorb CO2 and release O2 and water vapour) in the life processes of trees. Children could copy these functions onto their activity sheets.

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2. Draw the children’s focus to the tree diagram. What does the diagram show us about the changes a tree goes through in a year? This apple tree is deciduous, whereas most Australian trees are evergreen. Ask the class to explain the cycle of life for a tree using the diagram and by adding to it: seed germinates; tree grows; tree flowers; tree produces fruit; tree releases seeds and after a hopefully long life, tree dies. They could show this life cycle on their own drawing of a tree.

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3. If the weather permits, take a quick stroll outside with the class to look at trees in the school grounds. Quiz them on the parts of the trees using the terminology introduced in STEP 1. When the children have returned to the classroom, ask them to draw their own tree and label the parts.

Find out more websites: www.realtrees4kids.org/ www.treesforlife.org.au 30

ZActivity

What are the different parts of a tree?

Parts of a Tree

Label the parts of a tree with the words from the text box.

summer

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spring

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winter

autumn

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trunk

branches

roots

bark

flowers

fruit

leaves

buds 31

Teachers' Notes

Garden Bingo!

Concepts and Objectives: Collecting, observing and identifying parts of trees and plants.

•

Revising vocabulary related to plants and their structures.

•

Recognising the properties of plants and trees and creating something new based on knowledge of their properties.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Materials:

•

Small containers to collect bingo items.

Teaching Ideas:

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•

1. Organise the children into teams and hand out the activity sheet. Go through the items on the sheet to check for any vocabulary problems or concepts before taking the class outside. Explain that they have to find the items on the sheet.

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2. Make it clear that items cannot be pulled from trees and plants. Only items found on the garden floor can be collected. If the bingo item is part of a living plant, they should confirm the find with you and tick it off on their sheets. Give each team a collection container and set a time limit for the bingo activity. Remind the class that hands have to be washed after picking up things from the garden floor.

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3. Ask the class if they found things that weren’t on the bingo sheet, but that they thought were interesting. Did they see any living creatures? Can they tell you where they observed them and what they were doing?

4. Back in the classroom, empty out the containers and sort through the garden bric-a-brac. Provide the children with other craft materials and challenge them to make something out of the bingo items. Discuss the properties of each item and how this determines how they can be used. Show them a simple string necklace that you have made threaded with dried leaves, bits of bark and seed pods. Seed pods can make funny little animals like mice and insects. Glued onto wooden clothes pegs, they can be used to hang up artwork to dry or for pinning up displays.

ZActivity

What part of a plant is that?

Garden Bingo Find these items in the garden.

long leaf

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r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S leaf eaten by a bug clover/weeds

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seed pod

leaf that's not green

twig 33

Teachers' Notes

Living or Non-living?

Concepts and Objectives: •

Understanding the terms living and nonliving.

•

Live specimens of garden dwellers (or their images), artificial insects.

Teac he r

Teaching Ideas:

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r o e t s Bo r Materials: e p ok u S

1. Bring to class the above suggested materials for the children to observe. Take the necessary safety precautions if you use live specimens, they should be handled gently and in a non-threatening manner. If live specimens are not available, bring pictures of plants and animals to class.

2. Prepare before the lesson: a live worm and a confectionary worm, real and artificial flowers, real and artificial plants, a snail/beetle (or another harmless insect) and a plastic snail/beetle.

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3. Sit the children in a circle so that they can see the specimens. Ask them to look at the live specimens and think about: how the worm or beetle moves, its size, shape and colour and if the specimen has a smell. Repeat the process with the confectionary and plastic specimens. Discuss what the real (living) things have in common.

4. Before the lesson, cut up the cards on the activity sheet and put them in envelopes. Ask the children in small groups to sort out the cards into living and non-living piles. Doubts could be raised over once living things like the dinosaur. Children might confuse non-living with 'dead'. If you feel this is too challenging for your age group, leave this card out.

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5. Elicit from the group other living and non-living things and record their suggestions on the board.

6. Children could choose a few examples of living and non-living things and paste or draw them in their books under the appropriate headings. Help with the labelling.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

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Living or Non-living?

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Teachers' Notes

Soil, Glorious Soil

Concepts and Objectives: •

Observing and labelling the various components that make up soil.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok Materials: u S

Carrying out a soil sedimentation test and recording observations in diagram form.

Teac he r

•

Soil column or large glass or transparent plastic recipients with lids (spaghetti or coffee jars), samples of soil from the garden preferably without living organisms (dig down about 20 centimetres to extract a core sample).

Teaching Ideas:

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•

1. Ask the class if they ever ate soil when they were younger. Didn’t taste very good, did it? Ask what components they think soil consists of. Divide the responses into living and non-living.

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons 2. Organise the class into groups depending on the number of soil columns (plastic containers) available. Fill p theu columns with water (75%) and place a • f o r r e v i e w r p o s e s o n l y • spadeful serving of undisturbed soil in each column. Ask the children to put the lids on their columns and shake vigorously.

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Soil sediment test

4. After ten minutes the children will be able to see that the soil has separated into various sediment layers and therefore, is made up of different matter (see diagram). Results will vary according to the type of soil in your area (sandy, clay).

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5. Help children to label the layers on their activity sheets using straight lines as shown. Don’t forget to also label the equipment used and to give the test a title.

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3. While the children are waiting for their soil to settle, ask them to predict what might happen to the soil in the water.

twigs and leaves air bubbles muddy water finer particles coarse particles

ZActivity

Soil, Glorious Soil

Where can you find some soil?

Draw and label your results from the soil column test.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

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Title:

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o c . che e r o t r s s r u e p Results

What did you discover during your experiment? _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 37

Teachers' Notes

Life in the Leaf Litter

Concepts and Objectives: •

Observing the biodiversity of leaf litter.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u Materials: S Sorting living and non-living components of leaf litter.

•

Understanding why creatures live in leaf litter and the importance of this on the environment.

•

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Teac he r

•

Leaf litter matter in glass containers, white paper and shallow trays, magnifying glasses (optional).

Teaching Ideas:

1. Ideally this activity should take place outside in the school grounds, where children can observe directly the variety of creatures that live in leaf litter. If this is possible, take the group outside for a 'look, but do not touch' experience of litter dwellers. For an indoor class, bring in a big jar or terrarium with leaf litter and its creatures, which you have scooped up carefully and will release after the lesson. Your jar could contain: earthworms, beetles, ants, snails, slugs and weevils together with nonliving leaf litter (leaves, fruit, twigs and bark).

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2. Let the children draw and label sketches of the creatures and leaf litter that they observe on the activity sheet.

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3. Discuss what is living and what is non-living in the leaf litter. Ask them to mark this on the activity sheet.

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4. Ask the children why the animals live in the leaf litter (use this material for food). Ask them to look closely at the leaf litter for evidence of it being eaten. Discuss how these little invertebrates break down this material into rich soil. This is their special and very important job. Bacteria and fungi help too, but we can’t see them! 5. Wearing gloves put a handful of soil on white paper in trays. Organise small groups to pick through the soil with a pencil to identify the different components. They should be able to observe some of the following: moisture (water), sand, dead plants and animals, fungi, seeds, small stones and living invertebrates. A magnifying glass will give more detail.

ZActivity

Life in the Leaf Litter

What is underneath the leaves?

Draw and label what you saw in the leaf litter.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

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Teac he r

Colour the non-living leaf litter.

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1. Why do the creatures live in the leaf litter?_______________

. te o c 2. How do leaf litter creatures help the environment? . che e r o ____________________________________________________ t r s super ____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________ 3. In the soil I found ___________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ 39

Teachers' Notes

Hiding in the Leaf Litter

Concepts and Objectives:

•

Categorising creatures into vertebrates and invertebrates.

Teac he r

Consolidating vocabulary related to the leaf litter habitat.

Teaching Ideas:

1. Give the children clear definitions of vertebrates and invertebrates (invertebrates are animals without a backbone such as insects and snails. Vertebrates are animals like fish, reptiles and mammals that have a backbone). Check that the children can recognise and classify the leaf litter dwellers on the word search list.

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3. Using one of the many puzzlemaking programmes available on the Internet, children can compile their own lists of leaf litter dwellers (or those from other garden habitats) and generate individual or group word searches for others to solve.

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leaf litter creatures, there will be letters left over which create a three-word reptile (blue tongued lizard, also known as a blue tongue or bluetongue).

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Find out more websites: www.outback-australia-travel-secrets.com/blue-tongue-lizard.html http://anic.ento.csiro.au/ants/ http://puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com/

ZActivity

What's in a leaf litter?

Hiding in the Leaf Litter

Find the names of the leaf litter creatures in the puzzle. Highlight vertebrates and invertebrates in different colours.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u ant centipede cockroach S earthworm earwig flatworm

Use the leftover letters to spell the name of a reptile!

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(Note: there are two extra letters.)

fly

frog

mite

scorpion

skink

slater

slug

snail

spider

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Z Secret Reptile

__ __ __ __

__ __ __ __ __ __ __

__ __ __ __ __ __ 41

Teachers' Notes

Extraordinary Earthworms

Concepts and Objectives: •

Understanding how earthworms play an important role in keeping our soils and plants healthy and how this affects humans.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Teaching Ideas: Materials:

Images of different types of earthworms. (The three-metre Gippsland worm should arouse enthusiasm!)

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Teac he r

•

1. Warm up the group by showing them images of worms and telling them that we couldn’t live if it weren’t for wonderful earthworms. Ask children to suggest why earthworms are important for people. (Earthworms work hard underground to help plants grow for our food. They make little tunnels so water and air can reach plants' roots. If we didn't have healthy plants, we wouldn't have food to eat.) 2. Brainstorm the group’s prior knowledge about earthworms. This could be organised in to a K-W-L table (what I know, what I want to know, what I've learned). 3. Cut up the activity sheet into Text A and Text B. Distribute Text A and ask the children to read the information about earthworms individually or in pairs. After reading Text A, children can add points to their K-W-L table. Check meaning for the vocabulary in bold type. (Excreting: getting rid of waste products from the body. Nutrients: substances that living things need to stay healthy. Absorb: to take something inside the body.) 4. Turn over Text A and hand out Text B. Tell the class that Text B consists of some inaccurate information about earthworms. Ask them to locate and correct the false information. 5. Return to the enquiry question asked at the beginning of the lesson, 'Why are earthworms important?' Children can write a short response using scientific terms from the text. They may also be interested to know that people in various cultures find earthworms a delicacy and a vital source of protein.

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Find out more websites: http://australianmuseum.net.au/Australian-Earthworms http://museumvictoria.com.au/discoverycentre/ infosheets/giant-gippsland-earthworm/ 42

ZActivity

Extraordinary Earthworms

Where would you find an earthworm?

Read the text about amazing earthworms and add the information to a K-W-L table.

r o e t s Bunder of light the soil. r e o p oktunnels Earthworms build u S that keep the soil healthy and

Z Text A

Teac he r

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The next time you see a common earthworm in the garden, think about these wonderful facts. Worms have five hearts and can breathe in oxygen through their moist skin so they don’t need lungs. Worms don’t have eyes but they can find, touch and taste food using their super-sensitive skin. They can even follow tiny rays

bring air and water to the roots of plants. Worms love to eat and are always excreting rich nutrients back into the soil for plants to absorb. They can even kill dangerous germs that live in the soil!

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The next time you see a common earthworm in the garden, think about these wonderful facts. Worms have seven hearts and can breathe in oxygen through their moist skin so they don’t need brains. Worms don’t have eyes but they can find, smell and taste food using their super-sensitive skin. They can even follow tiny rays of

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Correct the information about earthworms in this text.

light under the trees.

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Earthworms build walls that keep the soil healthy and bring air and water to the leaves of plants. Worms love to sleep and are always excreting rich nutrients back into the soil for plants to absorb. They can even kill dangerous spiders that live in the soil!

Teachers' Notes

A Native Garden Habitat

Concepts and Objectives: Identifying the different layers of a native garden.

•

Locating the different habitats in the garden layers.

•

Making notes about living and non-living organisms found in a native garden habitat.

•

Appreciating why it is important to plant native species.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Teaching Ideas:

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•

1. If possible, take the children outside to the school or local garden. Focus on the different layers of the garden: tall trees, shrubs and ground cover. Let them experience the sounds, sights and smells of the garden. Ask the class to make sketches and small notes about what has been observed.

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2. Draw up a table on the board with three headings: trees, shrubs and ground cover. Elicit from the children what can be found in each layer and fill in the table together. (Tree layer: birds and nest, lizards and possum in hollow. Shrub layer: grasshoppers, caterpillars and other insects. Ground cover: mice and skink.) Ask them if animals could live in more than one layer. What would make them move in and out of layers? (Possums could move from tree layer to shrub layer to feed on flowers with nectar. Birds could move to ground cover to forage in leaf litter for bugs.) 3. Hand out the activity sheet. Look at the different layers. Model with the children how to makes notes on the habitat of a particular garden dweller. For example, skink lives under a rock, eats worms and ants, can be eaten by birds. Children can then make notes on the garden ecosystem on the sheet. It’s worth mentioning that native plants and trees in a garden provide the best cover and food source for the native mammals, birds, reptiles and insects with whom we are lucky enough to share our lives. Native plants also help to save water by being more drought resistant.

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Find out more websites: http://www.ryde.nsw.gov.au/environment/wildlife.htm http://www.backyards4wildlife.com.au

ZActivity

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A Native Garden Habitat

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Teachers' Notes

An Apple a Day

Concepts and Objectives: •

Understanding about the history of apples.

•

Identifying the nutritional value of apples.

Teac he r

r o e t s Bo r e Teaching Ideas: p ok u S

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1. Explain to the class that they will be reading a text about apples. Ask the children to draw a big caterpillar on the back of their activity sheets and write down what they know about apples in its body segments. A spider outline would also work well. Share ideas. 2. Write the expression on the board, 'An apple a day keeps the doctor away'. Ask the class what this popular saying means. Do they agree with the expression?

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4. To finish off, children can revisit the table on their activity sheets and add to their ideas about apples based on their new understandings.

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Find out more websites: www.kidskonnect.com/subject-index/24-fun-and-informational/218-apples.html www.kiddipick.co.nz/health-tips-facts/apple-facts.php

ZActivity

… keeps the doctor away.

An Apple a Day Read about healthy garden food.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

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Teac he r

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, 'an apple a day keeps the doctor away', but is there any truth in this popular saying? People have eaten and admired apples for thousands of years after they were brought from the forests of Kazakhstan in central Asia. The Persians, Greeks and Celts all believed that the apple could bring wisdom, love, luck, beauty and health. In Greek mythology, Mother Earth gave the mighty Zeus golden apples as a wedding present. In the ancient world, if you wanted to show how rich and powerful you were, you planted lots of apple trees in your garden.

Today, there are more than 7,000 different apple varieties grown worldwide. Some are juicy and red while others are yellow and spicy. But all apples have one thing in common – they contain lots of healthy nutrients, such as:

• Vitamin A for shiny hair and strong bones •

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Your teeth and gums also get a gentle cleaning between brushings when you munch an apple. With only 80 calories in a medium-sized apple, it is a healthy snack between meals. So apples, which belong to the same plant family as roses, cherries and pears, really do help to keep the doctor away.

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• Vitamin K which helps cuts to heal quickly.

o c . c e Statement h True or False? r er o t s sin Greece. per Apples were first grown u

2 Apples were a symbol of a person’s success in life. 3 All apples taste the same. 4 All apples have 80 calories. 5

Apples are appreciated by people all around the world. 47

Teaching Notes

Get Your Facts Straight

Concepts and Objectives: •

Identifying features of plants and animals and recognising how they are used.

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r o e t s Bo r e Teaching Ideas: p ok u S

1. Explain the purpose of the activity by writing up some examples on the board:

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Aphids are garden pests …

… so they can trap insects for food.

Spiders spin webs …

… because they suck the sap of plants.

2. Explain the meaning of any unknown terms.

3. Ask the children to underline keywords in the sentence beginnings as this will help them deduce the endings. Model the first sentence beginning on the activity sheet and think aloud to the group how you would find the answer, or ask a child to explain how he/she deduced the answer.

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Correct the connected facts orally around the class. Children can copy their favourite fact or write factual sentences of their own to share.

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ZActivity

How do I recognise an arthropod?

Get Your Facts Straight

Match the beginnings of the sentences with their endings. The first one has been done for you. 1

A r o e t s Bo r e p ok B u S

Bees have compound eyes…

are used to attract insects.

All arthropods have…

but they can grow back again.

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Bats, birds and possums…

and slowly digest them for food.

Earthworms have long bodies…

as it stops the soil from becoming dry.

A pupa is…

so predators can’t sneak up on them.

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can pollinate flowers in a A plant absorbs water… Fl © Re ady EdPub i cat i ons garden. Carnivorous plants trap p •f o r r e v i e w ur po es on y• and no eyes orl antennae. Gs insects… Many lizards drop their tails…

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10 11 12

Petals on a flower…

H to look like tree bark. I

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the third stage in a ladybird’s life.

A spider makes a web… J are all nutrients found in soil. . te o for mammals, birds and c Fruit provides… K . che reptiles. e r o t Geckos can be r s s r u e p L a safe covering for seeds. camouflaged…

Trees are a habitat…

M jointed legs and exoskeletons.

Leaf litter is important…

N through its root system.

Water, vitamins and minerals…

with silk glands on its abdomen. 49

Answers Page 7, A Pobblebonk’s Breakfast What has the frog eaten by 5.15?

(evidence = 'the spider prepares to eat its prey alive'). 4) True (evidence = 'feel the vibrations of its prey'). Page 17, Parts of a Plant

What has the frog eaten by 5.30?

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

What has the frog eaten by 5.45?

The pobblebonk catches and eats its food with its long, sticky tongue.

flowers

seeds leaves

antennae mouthparts

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Teac he r

Page 9, A Diving Beetle

head

abdomen

stem

thorax

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Page 11, A Lizard’s Tale Suggested questions: Text A: 1.) Where are legless lizards found? 2.) What do people usually do when they see a legless lizard? 3.) What do legless lizards have that snakes don’t? 4.) Where do legless lizards hide during the day? 5.) What is the legless lizard’s favourite food? Text B: 1.) How long do legless lizards grow? 2.) What does the lizard have on either side of its head? 3.) What kind of tongue does it have? 4.) Why do legless lizards come out at night? 5.) What helps them to move in and out of rocks?

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Growing conditions

Kangaroo Paws. South-west Western Australia. About two metres. Look like kangaroo paws, orange and red flowers in spring and summer. Sunny position.

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Page 13, Snack Attack. 1) False (evidence = 'some spiders surprise their prey by jumping on them'). 2) True (evidence = 'one spider may...wait days or even weeks for its next meal'). 3) False 50

Plant Location Height Flowers

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The scientific name for a diving beetle is cybister tripunctatus.

Plant Location Height Flowers

Growing conditions

Australian Paper Daisy. South-west Western Australia. 50 centimetres. Little star-shaped, pink and white, grow in huge numbers, appear in spring. Like sun, sandy soils, not windy places.

Page 23, Making a Boot Planter 1.) an old, soil, plant. 2.) some holes, water, drain out. 3.) plastic mesh, soil. 4.) the boot up

with potting mix/soil. 5.) some seeds/a plant in the soil. 6.) the plant water and light.

Page 31, Parts of a Tree

Page 25, What Do Plants Need?

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

1. A seed is planted in the soil.

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2. Seed loses its skin.

3. Roots and stem start to grow.

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4. Seed gets sunlight and leaves grow. 5. Roots, stem and leaves hold up the plant to absorb sunlight and water. The role of insects, birds and plants on a plant: Insects, like bees, pollinate flowers, so they have a positive effect on plants. When they transfer pollen from one flower to another, fertilisation occurs (the development of the female parts of the plant into fruits and seeds). Seeds are then dispersed. Birds have a negative effect on plants, as they eat insects, can damage plant leaves and spoil fruit. Earthworms make little tunnels in the earth so that water and air can reach plant roots. Plants need: air, water and sunlight.

Page 35, Living or Non-living Living: cactus, dog, whale, dinosaur, bird, spider, baby, mouse, flower, worm, tadpole. Non-living: chair, flag, bicycle, cassette player, diamond, boot, spinning top, tap with water, rocks, dice, pencil, torch, spider’s web.

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Page 27, Let’s Experiment Observations: The food colouring has travelled up the stem and dyed the leaves. This shows that plants absorb water through their roots and transport it to their leaves, where the water is released as vapour.

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Secret reptile: blue tongued lizard.

Page 29, What Do Trees Give Us? The tree provides the children with shade, food, shelter and entertainment.

Page 43, Extraordinary Earthworms Text B: seven hearts, brains, smell, trees, walls, leaves, sleep, spiders. Page 47, An Apple a Day 1.) false 2.) true 3.) false 4.) false 5.) true Page 51, Get Your Facts Straight 1 = E, 2 = M, 3 = F, 4 = G, 5 = I, 6 = N, 7 = C, 8 = B, 9 = A, 10 = O, 11 = L, 12 = H, 13 = K, 14 = D, 15 = J. 51

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