JANUARY 2014
SCIENCE LESSON PLAN
SUBJECT SCIENCE
CLASS PIONEER
PERIOD/TIME 2 Periods/80 minutes
THEME Systems
TOPIC Plant System
LEARNING OBJECTIVES The theme introduces pupils to:
 The systems in nature.
 Systems that consist of whole parts that work together to perform a
function.
LEARNING OUTCOMES Students are able to:
 Identify the different part of the plants and state their functions.
 Understand how parts of the plant interacts together to perform a
function.
INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL
 Introduction: National Geographic video on volcanoes, lcd projector,
laptop, set of speakers.
 Main Lesson : Science textbook.
 Conclusion : NGX Pioneer magazine, NGX Pioneer projectable
edition.
SKILLS AND PROCESSES Observing and analysing.
ETHICS AND VALUES Curiosity and objectivity.
Introduction (10 minutes)
Have the students watch the National Geographic video on plants found at the link:
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/kids/green-kids/plants-kids/
Then ask the class:
Why are plants important?
What are the functions of plants in our lives?
Could you live without plants?
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Introduce the topic of the lesson:
In today’s lesson, we will be learning about the Plant System.
Main Lesson (50 minutes)
Plants
Without plants, nearly all life on Earth would end. Plants provide oxygen for humans and animals to breathe and
they provide food for many animals. There are about 260,000 plant species in the world today. They are found on
land, in oceans and in fresh water. They were the first living things on Earth.
Like animals, plants are living things, or organisms. These three features distinguish plants from animals:
• plants have chlorophyll, a green pigment necessary for photosynthesis
• their cell walls are made sturdy by a material called cellulose
• they are fixed in one place (they don’t move)
Humans are dependent upon plants. Directly or indirectly, plants provide food, clothing, fuel, shelter, and many
other necessities of life. Humankind's dependence on crops such as wheat and corn (maize) is obvious, but without
grass and grain the livestock that provide people with food and other animal products could not survive either.
Plants grow and get food from the two processes of photosynthesis and respiration. These processes make food in
order for the plant to grow. Deep sea plants that live on the ocean floor have no sunlight, but plenty of water. They
get their energy from minerals and nutrients in the water instead of from sunlight.
On land, plants also need oxygen and carbon dioxide. In order for plants to grow, they must send out seeds so that
when the old plants die, new ones will be ready and growing. If a plant is to grow, it needs to be in the right climate
zone. It needs the right temperature and the right amount of rainfall. Plants may adapt to a slow change in climate
if they need to.
Plant Parts
Basic parts of most all plants are roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds. The roots help provide support by
anchoring the plant and absorbing water and nutrients needed for growth. They can also store sugars and
carbohydrates that the plant uses to carry out other functions. Plants can have either a taproot system (such as
carrots) or a fibrous root system (such as turf grass). In both cases, the roots are what carries the water and
nutrients needed for plants to grow.
Stems carry water and nutrients taken up by the roots to the leaves. Then the food produced by the leaves moves
to other parts of the plant. The cells that do this work are called the xylem cells. They move water. The phloem
cells move the food. Stems also provide support for the plant allowing the leaves to reach the sunlight that they
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need to produce food. Where the leaves join the stem is called the node. The space between the leaves and the
stem is called the internode.
Leaves are the food making factories of green plants. Leaves come in many different shapes and sizes. Leaves can
be simple. They are made of a single leaf blade connected by a petiole to the stem. An oak leaf or a maple leaf are
examples. A compound leaf is a leaf made up of separate leaflets attached by a petiole to the stem like an ash or a
locust. Leaves are made to catch light and have openings to allow water and air to come and go. The outer surface
of the leaf has a waxy coating called a cuticle which protects the leaf. Veins carry water and nutrients within the
leaf. Leaves are the site of the food making process called photosynthesis. In this process, carbon dioxide and
water in the presence of chlorophyll (the green pigment) and light energy are changed into glucose (a sugar). This
energy rich sugar is the source of food used by most plants. Photosynthesis is unique to green plants!
Photosynthesis supplies food for the plant and oxygen for other forms of life. A green plant helped make the
oxygen you are breathing today.
For more information, go to: http://urbanext.illinois.edu/gpe/case1/c1facts2a.html
Note: Discuss the topic of Plant Parts further with reference to the school science textbook.
Conclusion (20 minutes)
Have the students read the article ‘A Sense of Plants’ from the National Geographic Explorer Pioneer magazine.
Discuss about the various plant parts and how these parts have senses. Then, have students draw and label the
plant parts as given in the NGX supplementary worksheet.
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