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Seed dispersal

Science Year 3
This unit is part of Year 3 Science Artful Flowers, Fruits and Seeds

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Objectives

Begin to understand why fruits are so varied – to help with the dispersal of their seeds. Make your own paper seed and investigate wind dispersal by testing different versions to find the best flier.

Science Objectives
i) Explore the part that flowers play in the life cycle of flowering plants.

Working Scientifically

  1. Set up simple practical enquiries and comparative and fair tests
  2. Report on findings from enquiries, including oral and written explanations, displays or presentations of results and conclusions.
  3. Use results to draw simple conclusions, make predictions for new values, suggest improvements and raise further questions.

You Will Need

Provided Resources

  • Four different challenge sheets, teaching and task PowerPoints.
  • A set of Fruit Sort cards printed in colour and trimmed (or use plenary cards from Session 4)
  • Paper-copter templates (2 per sheet), trimmed – enough for several per child
  • Various paper-copter templates - use the enlarge and reduce function on the photocopier to provide a range templates sizes
  • Cardboard templates - standard size, with pen holes at the 3 large black dot points
  • Task sheets copied ready for the 4 different challenges

Additional Resources

The observational drawings and the plenary grouping labels made last session

  • Sticky tack
  • Scissors
  • Paperclips
  • A selection of 5 different types of paper/ card (Material Challenge)

Weblinks
A short clip that shows some of the ways seeds are dispersed from www.bbc.co.uk

Lesson Planning

Teaching

  • Understand that the function of a fruit is to produce and disperse seeds.
  • Know the different ways that seeds can be dispersed.
  • Investigate wind dispersal by setting up a fair test to compare the flight of different paper spinners.

Activities

  1. Sort a variety of fruits according to observable features.
  2. List the different ways seeds are dispersed.
  3. Investigate wind dispersal by setting up fair tests to determine the best type of paper spinner.
  4. Record and report back on results.
  5. Use results to generate further questions and possible enquiries.

Investigation - exploring/pattern seeking/fair testing
Investigate other types of dispersal e.g. burrs and wind dispersal. Conduct a wind dispersal investigation.

Vocabulary
Fruit, seed, parent plant, dispersal, germination, investigate, fair test, record, results

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