Living things and For parents

Thank you for supporting your child’s

their habitats learning in science.

Before the session:
• Please read slide 2 so you know what
your child is learning and what you need
Introduction to asexual and sexual to get ready.
reproduction in plants • As an alternative to lined paper, slide 5
may be printed for your child to record
on.
During the session:
• Share the learning intentions on slide 2.
• Support your child with the main
activities on slides 3 to 7, as needed.
• Slide 8 has optional extra investigations.
• Slide 9 has a glossary of key terms.
Reviewing with your child:
Year 5 • Slide 10 gives an idea of what your child
Age 9-10 may produce.
 Logo for
section to
Living things and their habitats
sit inside
roundel Introduction to asexual and sexual reproduction in plants

Key
Key Learning
Learning Activities
Activities (pages
(pages 3-7):
3-7): 40
40 -- 50
50 mins
mins
•• Plants
Plants reproduce
reproduce both
both asexually
asexually and
and sexually.
sexually. •• Use
Use lined
lined paper,
paper, aa ruler
ruler and
and aa pencil.
pencil.
•• Bulbs,
Bulbs, tubers,
tubers, runners
runners and
and plantlets
plantlets are
are examples
examples •• Alternatively,
Alternatively, print
print page
page 77 as
as aa worksheet.
worksheet.
of
of asexual
asexual plant
plant reproduction
reproduction which
which involves
involves only
only
one
one parent.
parent. •• For
For the
the practical
practical activity
activity you
you will
will need
need three
three
•• Seeds or
or four
four pieces
pieces of
of fruit.
fruit. See
See page
page 77 for
for
Seeds are
are formed
formed as
as part
part of
of sexual
sexual plant
plant
reproduction
reproduction and
and are
are often
often held
held in
in fruits.
fruits.
suggestions.
suggestions.
Find
Find out
out more…
more…
II can…
can…
•• You
You may
may like
like to
to investigate
investigate seed
seed patterns
patterns or
or
•• explain
explain the
the difference
difference between
between sexual
sexual and
and asexual
asexual
reproduction
reproduction and
and give
give examples
examples of
of how
how plants
plants reproduce
reproduce
try
try growing
growing aa plant
plant from
from aa cutting.
cutting.
in
in both
both ways.
ways.
•• identify
identify aa variety
variety of
of fruits
fruits we
we eat
eat and
and compare
compare their
their
seeds.
seeds.

2
 Logo for
section to
Explore, review, think, talk….
sit inside
roundel What do you already know about the life cycle of a plant?
(5 minutes)

•• Many
Many plants
plants reproduce
reproduce byby developing
developing seeds.
seeds.
•• Seeds
Seeds will
will germinate
germinate provided
provided they
they have
have the
the
appropriate
appropriate conditions,
conditions, e.g.
e.g. enough
enough water
water
and
and warmth.
warmth. ThisThis stage
stage of
of the
the life
life cycle
cycle is
is
called
called germination.
germination.
•• Roots
Roots grow
grow first,
first, followed
followed by
by aa shoot
shoot with
with
leaves.
leaves.
Watch
Watch this
this clip
clip from
from ‘Explorify’.
‘Explorify’.
https://explorify.wellcome.ac.uk/en/activities/whats-going-o
https://explorify.wellcome.ac.uk/en/activities/whats-going-o
n/shooting-sprouts/classroom?view-type=public
n/shooting-sprouts/classroom?view-type=public
•• Which
Which stage
stage of
of aa plant’s
plant’s life
life cycle
cycle is
is shown?
shown?
•• Can
Can you
you name
name the
the parts
parts of
of the
the plant?
plant?
•• What
What do
do you
you think
think will
will happen
happen next?
next?

3
3
 Logo for
section to
Watch, read, listen…
sit inside
roundel The life cycle of a plant – sexual reproduction
(5-10 minutes)

Read this section of BBC bitesize and watch Flowering plant Germination
the video clip. life cycle
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zgssgk7/articles/zyv3jty
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zgssgk7/articles/zyv3jty
Seed dispersal Pollination
• What are the main life cycle stages for a
flowering plant?
• How are non-flowering plants different?

Fertilisation and
fruit formation

Non-flowering plants like ferns produce spores instead of seeds.

4
 Logo for
section to
Comparing sexual and asexual reproduction
sit inside
roundel Exploring how plants can reproduce asexually with bulbs, tubers, runners or side shoots
(5 minutes)

Some plants produce an underground food Other plants grow sideways runners or side
store which develops into next year’s shoots with plantlets which are copies of
plants. This is asexual reproduction. the parent plant. This is also asexual
• Bulbs, like daffodils, reproduction.
can form small side • Strawberry plants send
bulbs underground out sideways runners
which then grow into with plantlets.
copies of the parent
plant.
• Tubers, like potato • The Chinese money
tubers, form plant forms side
underground and can shoots which can
reproduce asexually be cut and grown
to make new plants. into a new identical
plant.

5
 Logo for
section to
Investigating seeds in some foods we eat
sit inside
roundel Comparing the size, shape and number of seeds in different fruits
(page 5-7: 20-30 minutes)

• Food which contains seeds inside are Investigate

Investigate some
some fruit
fruit we
we eat
eat and
and make
make aa fact
fact file
file
fruits, even though we might think about about
about three
three or
or four
four different
different fruits.
fruits. IfIf you
you need
need to to
use
use aa knife
knife to
to cut
cut the
the fruit,
fruit, ask
ask an
an adult
adult to to help
help you
you
some of them as vegetables!
and
and take
take care!
care!
• Watch this clip. •• Where
Where is
is the
the seed
seed found
found in
in the
the fruit?
fruit?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/clips/zvypyrd
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/clips/zvypyrd
•• How
How many
many seeds
seeds are
are there
there in
in one
one fruit?
fruit?
•• Now
Now jot
jot down
down aa list
list of
of fruits
fruits you
you might
might find
find in
in
•• What
What size,
size, shape
shape and
and colour
colour is
is the
the seed?
seed?
aa supermarket…
supermarket… not not forgetting
forgetting the
the ones
ones that
that
might
might be
be in
in the
the ‘vegetable
‘vegetable section’!
section’! •• Do
Do we
we usually
usually eat
eat the
the seed?
seed?
You
You may
may like
like to
to make
make drawings
drawings or
or take
take photographs
photographs
of
of the
the fruit
fruit and
and seeds.
seeds.
Taking
Taking itit further:
further: You
You could
could also
also draw
draw aa bar
bar chart
chart
to
to show
show thethe different
different number
number ofof seeds
seeds you
you found
found inin
each
each fruit.
fruit.

6
Choose
Choose anyany four
four II can
can identify
identify aa variety
variety of
of fruits
fruits we
we eat
eat and
and compare
compare their
their seeds.
seeds.
fruits
fruits to
to make
make Name of fruit: _______________________________________ Name of fruit: _______________________________________
your
your fact
fact file.
file. Description of seed size, shape and colour: ____________________ Description of seed size, shape and colour: ____________________
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
Possible
Possible options:
options:
Where seeds are found: ___________________________________ Where seeds are found: ___________________________________
apple,
apple, orange,
orange, Parts we eat: ____________________________________________ Parts we eat: ____________________________________________
lemon,
lemon, tomato,
tomato, Number of seeds in one fruit: _______________________________ Number of seeds in one fruit: _______________________________

green
green bean,
bean, Diagram/Picture: Diagram/Picture:

pear,
pear, sugar
sugar snap
snap
pea,
pea, avocado,
avocado,
plum,
plum, green
green or
or
red
red pepper,
pepper, Name of fruit: _______________________________________ Name of fruit: _______________________________________
melon,
melon, Description of seed size, shape and colour: ____________________ Description of seed size, shape and colour: ____________________
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
cucumber…
cucumber…
Where seeds are found: ___________________________________ Where seeds are found: ___________________________________
(Note:
(Note: Some
Some varieties
varieties of
of
Parts we eat: ____________________________________________ Parts we eat: ____________________________________________
fruit
fruit are
are grown
grown as as
‘seedless’
‘seedless’ like
like grapes
grapes Number of seeds in one fruit: _______________________________ Number of seeds in one fruit: _______________________________
and
and satsumas.)
satsumas.) Diagram/Picture: Diagram/Picture:

7
 Logo for
section to
Find out more…
sit inside
roundel You may like to investigate seed patterns or try growing a plant from a cutting.

Do fruits from the same type of plant all Can cuttings from vegetables we eat be
have the same number of seeds? used to grow new plants?
•• Buy
Buy aa packet
packet or
or bag
bag of
of fruit.
fruit. Good
Good options
options •• Save
Save some
some stalks
stalks or
or ends
ends from
from some
some ofof the
the
include
include sugar
sugar snap
snap peas,
peas, green
green beans
beans or
or other
other vegetables
vegetables you
you eat.
eat. You
You might
might choose
choose lettuce,
lettuce,
peas/beans
peas/beans sold
sold in
in pods.
pods. You
You can
can also
also use
use broccoli,
broccoli, spring
spring onions,
onions, leeks,
leeks, fennel,
fennel,
apples,
apples, oranges
oranges and
and pears.
pears. cauliflower…anything!
cauliflower…anything!
•• Put
Put them
them inin some
some water
water in
in aa glass
glass or
or jar
jar so
so
you
you can
can observe
observe any
any change.
change.

Think about how

•• Open you will record
Open each
each fruit
fruit and
and count
count the
the number
number ofof your observations
seeds
seeds inside.
inside. over two to three
•• Think
Think about
about how
how you
you will
will record
record your
your results
results weeks.
and
and report
report your
your findings.
findings.

8
 Glossary of terms
• Asexual plant reproduction is when a plant reproduces by making a copy of the parent plant.
• A bulb is an underground food store. Side bulbs can form to make copies of the parent plant
through asexual reproduction. For example, daffodils grow from bulbs.
• A tuber is an underground food store. It can make copies of the parent plant through asexual
reproduction. For example, a potato is a tuber.
• A runner is a side shoot which can grow a plantlet which is a copy of the parent plant. For
example, strawberries grow runners.
• Sexual plant reproduction is when a plant reproduces by forming seeds or spores.
• Germination is when a seed or spore starts to grow into a new plant.
• Pollination is when pollen is carried from the male part to the female part of a plant, usually
by insects or the wind.
• Fertilisation is when pollen fertilises the eggs within the female part of a plant, so seeds can
form. The seeds are often contained within a fruit.
9
 There are many Possible
Possible learning
learning outcome:
outcome: II can
can identify
identify aa variety
variety of
of fruits
fruits we
we eat
eat and
and compare
compare their
their seeds.
seeds.
possible Name of fruit: Apple Name of fruit: Plum
outcomes. This Description of seed size, shape and colour: The seeds are small, dark Description of seed size, shape and colour: The seed is hard and round
shows an
example of four brown and shiny. They are an oval shape. The largest is 4mm long. with a rough outside. It is a red-brown colour. It is 9 mm long.
fruits. Where seeds are found: The seeds are in the centre of the fruit. Where seeds are found: The seed is in the centre of the fruit.
Try measuring Parts we eat: We eat the flesh of the fruit but not the core and seeds. Parts we eat: We eat the flesh of the fruit but not the seed.
the largest seed Number of seeds in one fruit: There were five seeds in my apple. Number of seeds in one fruit: There is only one seed. It is often called
to the nearest
Diagram/Picture: a stone.
millimetre.
Diagram/Picture:

It is hard to count Name of fruit: Sugar snap pea Name of fruit: Tomato
the seeds for
Description of seed size, shape and colour: The seeds are small, light Description of seed size, shape and colour: The seeds are oval and
some fruits like
the tomato, green and soft. They are an oval shape. The largest is 5mm long. tiny, about 1mm long. They are a light yellow colour.
melon or Where seeds are found: The seeds are inside the pod and attached Where seeds are found: The seeds are in a jelly-like substance in the
cucumber. Try to one of the edges by a little stalk. centre of the fruit.
spreading them Parts we eat: We eat the whole fruit, including the seeds. Parts we eat: We eat the whole fruit, including the seeds.
out on a plate
and putting the Number of seeds in one fruit: There were eight seeds in my pod. Number of seeds in one fruit: They are hard to count. I found about 94
seeds in groups Diagram/Picture: in one tomato.
of 10 to make
counting easier.

10