1. U.o.I - 4
How the World
Works
Case Study: The requirements of
living things- Plants

2. • Central Idea:
Living things
require
special
conditions to
grow and be
healthy

3. Tuning In
An interest area was set up for the children to explore
and discover new and different items.

4. 1TS discovering a snake,
caterpillar, plants,
mealworms and using
magnifying glasses

5. Meeting the Mealworms

7. Understanding the
Central Idea
30.1.13
Task1: Colour the words you are unsure of what they mean in the central
idea.
Living things require special
conditions to grow and be healthy
Task 2: As a class list and clarify any words unknown or misunderstood-
check in dictionary and with each other

8. Planting seeds

10. Investigating flowers:
using our senses, magnifying glasses, pro-
scopes and document scanner

12. Researching books: about living things : what
they need, names of parts or something new and interesting

13. Conditions / things living
things need brainstorm
• Water- all sure about this
• Food- not everyone sure what food or how
all living things need food to grow and be
healthy
• Air- most said yes
• Sleep/rest- This one caused lots of
discussion
• Soil- all agreed for plants this was true
• Exercise- some do but not all

14. Roots and Water.
Water goes in the roots! “So the concrete has roots because the rain
puddles go?” “NO” was the common answer.
Does the water go in the roots and
up the plant?
Water might be used by the roots.
Are we sure.....Not really as the word might was used
and how do we really know. We THINK water goes
up inside a plant.
How to find out? Experiment or test our
thinking.
How are we going to test this?
How: Plants and coloured water.
Test : food colour and water in bottom of cup. Put the

15. Roots and Water.
Beginning:
Test:

16. Roots and Water.
Does the water go in the roots and
up the plant?
YES! We discovered water
does go UP the inside of a
plant to the leaves through
veins. We saw the veins full
of coloured water and the
leaves were turning red too.

17. Click on the picture to watch and see what the boys have found out.

18. Becoming Scientists!
Planning and writing up
our experiments/ test
Repotting and setting
up our experiments

19. • What scientist is testing which idea?

20. scientific conclusion
We discovered by observing our own and each
others experiments:
• that plants usually do require soil.
• they do require water, air and light to grow
and be healthy
• they grow towards light
• they do not like too much water
• they do not like to grow in grass, drink juice or
milk and lights all the time makes them grow
really fast.
• Looking after or caring for a plant can help it
grow and remain healthy

21. Checking up on the meal worms
Click on the image to watch and listen to
the discoveries and conversations.

22. Look how much they change during their
life. Did you expect to see a beetle?