New
New
Year 9

Seed dispersal: practical

I can explain why it is important for a plant that its seeds are dispersed over a wide area, and carry out an experiment to measure seed dispersal.

New
New
Year 9

Seed dispersal: practical

I can explain why it is important for a plant that its seeds are dispersed over a wide area, and carry out an experiment to measure seed dispersal.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Seeds are dispersed by different mechanisms to increase the chance of survival.
  2. Seeds are adapted to match the mechanism for dispersal; e.g. wind dispersed are light with a large surface area.
  3. Variables are factors that affect the process being investigated, the dependant variable is distance the seed travels.
  4. Practical investigation of how far model seeds disperse with changes to their template.
  5. Repeat measurements for each value to identify anomalous results and calculate a mean.

Common misconception

That means are always divide by three.

Show examples where the number of repeats varies.

Keywords

  • Seed dispersal - Mechanism by which seeds are transported away from the parent plant.

  • Adaptations - Features of living organisms that help them survive in their environment.

  • Variable - Factor in a scientific investigation which may have an effect on the process being studied.

  • Repeats - Measurements of the same value allows anomalous results to be identified.

  • Mean - A measure of average where all values are added together and divided by the number of repeat measurements that have been taken.

Allow pupils to choose the independent variable based on a printed out template to save time, measure the height they drop from as a control variable.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Risk assessment required - equipment

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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6 Questions

Q1.
True or false? Seeds are the offspring produced from sexual reproduction in flowering plants.
Correct answer: True
False
Q2.
What are the three main parts of a seed?
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: food store
Correct answer: tough outer coating
gamete
tough inner coating
Correct answer: embryo
Q3.
Calculate the mean of the following numbers: 10, 5 and 15.
Correct Answer: 10
Q4.
What is a factor that might affect the process that is being investigated?
Correct Answer: variable, a variable, variables
Q5.
Match the type of variable to its description.
Correct Answer:independent,variables that are chosen to be changed

variables that are chosen to be changed

Correct Answer:dependent,variables that are measured

variables that are measured

Correct Answer:control,variables that are kept the same

variables that are kept the same

Q6.
What is the most likely dispersal mechanism for sycamore seeds?
explosion
Correct answer: wind
animals
water

6 Questions

Q1.
What is the mechanism by which seeds are transported away from the parent plant called?
Correct Answer: seed dispersal, dispersal
Q2.
Match the seed to its dispersal mechanism.
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: wind
water
animal
explosion
Q3.
Results that don't fit the pattern are called results.
Correct Answer: anomalous
Q4.
Calculate the mean of the following results.
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: 25, 25 cm, 25cm
Q5.
Match the variables to their description for an investigation into how wing width affects the distance a seed travels.
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer:independent variable,width of wings

width of wings

Correct Answer:dependent variable,distance the seed travels

distance the seed travels

Correct Answer:control variable,length of wings

length of wings

Q6.
Why do scientists take repeated measurements?
to ensure the equipment is working
to get the same result each time
Correct answer: to identify anomalous results
to make it fair
Correct answer: to calculate a mean