A plant is a living thing that often has roots, a stem and leaves.

Living things need certain conditions to grow and be healthy.

The requirements of something are the things it needs.

In a comparative test, the thing that is being changed has labels, such as the types of materials.

The things that can be changed, measured or kept the same in a comparative or fair test.

What plants need: plan

Science

In this What plants do and what they need unit, pupils learn about the part that flowers play in the life cycle of flowering plants. In the Reproduction and life cycles unit: plants, they will build on this knowledge to describe the life process of reproduction in some plants

In the Growing plants unit, pupils learnt that plants need water, light and a suitable temperature to grow and stay healthy. In this What plants do and what they need unit, pupils will build on this knowledge to explore a greater number of requirements of plants for life and growth and how they vary from plant to plant

What plants do and what they need

Plants are living things that need the right conditions to stay healthy.

Plants are living things that can survive in any conditions.

Plants are not living things so can be kept in any conditions.

Which of these is not a requirement for plant growth?

Scientists can investigate what plants need by {{}} plant growth when requirements are removed.

We can carry out a {{}} test investigation to find out about requirements for plant growth.

Sam is carrying out a comparative test to investigate the question: "How does having no water affect how a plant grows?"
Which variable will she change in her investigation?

So that there is enough equipment to go round the class.

So that we know our results have been caused by the variable we changed.

So that our investigation doesn’t take too much time.

Why do we only change one variable in a comparative test investigation and keep the others the same?

Which of these living things is not a plant?

What does it mean to investigate something?

To use our senses to notice things about it.

Starter Quiz