Moss Mat
Teachers’ notes
What’s it all about
A new bathmat made of moss is kept alive by the water that drips from your body as you dry. It
feels soft underfoot and does not smell when it gets damp. Each piece of moss is cut into a
foam frame, which prevents the moss from spreading or growing out of control.
In this activity children will compare moss plants to daisy plants. They will consider the habitats
these plants prefer and use their knowledge to decide which would be most appropriate for use
in the bathroom.
Where it fits
Science:
QCA Unit 2B: Plants and animals in the local environment



that there are differences between local habitats
to make predictions about the plants found in different local habitats and to
investigate these
that there are different kinds of plants in the immediate environment
Scientific enquiry

make predictions


Speaking and listening- describe the different habitats
Discursive writing – write a description of a habitat
Literacy
Numeracy

Measure the amount of water absorbed by moss
What children will learn:

how daisy plants differ from moss plants
Children will demonstrate this by completing the task on page 2 successfully.

to predict which plants can be found in different local habitats
Children will demonstrate this by completing the task on page 3 successfully.

to compare different habitats
Children will demonstrate this by completing the task on page 3 successfully.

to observe differences in plants
Children will demonstrate this by completing the task on page 3 successfully.
1
What you need to do
Introducing the activity

Display Page 1 through a projector or as an OHT. Discuss the moss mat and
introduce the idea that moss absorbs the water
Discussion starters:
-
What differences can you describe between a moss plant and a daisy plant?
Where do plants grow? Do all plants grow in the same place?
What is a habitat?
Leading the main activity

Display Page 2 through a data projector or on an OHT. Print out copies for children
as appropriate. Read out the sentences that describe a plant.
More able pupils can write the sentences into the correct plant boxes.
Most pupils can cut out the sentences and glue them into the correct plant boxes.
Less able pupils can place the sentences (cut out in advance) onto the worksheet
under the correct plant.

Display Page 3 through a data projector or on an OHT. Print out copies for children
as appropriate. Read out the descriptions of each habitat. If possible take children
outside. If it is not possible to take children outside then a sample of each plant can
be brought into the classroom for copying.
(Check weather forecast in advance)
Safety notes:
Check areas of school grounds for dog waste etc before taking children
outside.
Some children may be allergic to pollen, particularly with purchased flowers.)
Walk around the school grounds looking for daisies and moss.
(Daisies will be found in grassy areas of bright sunshine. Moss will be found in
damp, shady areas.)
Discuss the written descriptions of the two different habitats.
Encourage children to decide which plant lives in which habitat, then allow them to
draw a picture of the plant into the correct box.

Display Page 4 through a data projector or on an OHT. Print out copies for children
as appropriate. Discuss which plant is best suited as a bath mat. Ask the children to
complete the worksheet.
Extension Ideas . . . Cross Curricular Links
Creative writing (Literacy)
Read part of a story that describes a habitat.
Encourage pupils to draw the habitat they can imagine.
Investigating water absorption (Science)
Use the worksheets on page 3 and 4 of the Teacher Notes to carry out a practical
science investigation to compare the two plants. The results of this investigation
2
should help the children to decide that moss would be the most suitable plant to use in
the bathroom as a living bathmat.
3
Extension Work
Investigate how much water a moss plant can absorb
Collect a small sample of moss.
Put the moss into a tub.
Add 2 drops of water to the moss plant.
Study the moss plant to see if it has absorbed the water.
Keep adding 2 drops of water until the moss plant cannot absorb any more
water.
Record your results on the chart below.
Number of
drops of water
2
4
6
8
Did the moss plant
absorb all the
water?
√
What we found out.
The moss plant absorbed _____________ drops of water.
4
Extension Work Cont.
Compare how much water can be absorbed by a
moss plant and a daisy plant
Collect a small sample of moss and a daisy plant.
Put the moss into one tub and the daisy plant into another tub.
Add 2 drops of water to each plant.
Study the plants to see if they have absorbed the water.
Keep adding 2 drops of water until the plant cannot absorb any more water.
Record your results on the chart below.
Number of
drops of water
Did the moss plant
absorb all the
water?
Did the daisy plant
absorb all the
water?
2
4
6
8
What we found out.
The ___________ plant can absorb more water than the ___________
plant.
The __________ plant would be best for a bath mat because
_______________________________________________________ .
5
Assessment for Learning: Smart Grid
Thumbs Up
We were
great at the
task
because…
We could describe
the differences
Next time we will…
between two local
plant habitats
We could measure
the amount of water
absorbed by a moss
plant
We could compare
the amount of water
absorbed by two
different plants
Thumbs
Sideways
We were
good at the
task
because…
We could match the
plant to its correct
habitat
We were able to
predict which plant
would be best to use
for a bathmat
Thumbs
Down
We were OK
at the task
because…
We were able to talk
about a habitat for a
plant
We were able to
match some
sentences to the
different habitats
Smart Grids were devised by the Centre for Science Education
6
Science at your fingertips
What is a habitat?
A habitat is a place where plants and animals live.
Why do different plants live in different habitats?
Daisy plants grow best in sunny areas, with good soil coverage for their roots.
Daisies take water in through their roots.
Mosses are non-flowering plants. They grow best in damp shady areas. Moss plants have tiny
roots to anchor themselves onto porous surfaces such as bricks, stones, tree bark etc. Mosses
such as Sphagnum absorb water and store it in their leaves. Sphagnum moss is used in the
florist trade, horticulture and for home decoration.
Web links
Telegraph
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/4424781/Mat-made-of-moss-staysalive-with-the-help-of-bath-water.html
The news story behind the activity
Woodlands Junior School
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/Homework/habitats.html
Facts and activities around habitats
SAPS
http://www-saps.plantsci.cam.ac.uk/primintro.htm
Plant resources for primary schoolchildren
Primary upd8 is a joint initiative from ASE and the Centre for Science
Education, Sheffield Hallam University.
7