Make yourself at home- plant adaptations around the world
KS3 RHS Wisley lesson plan 2016
National Curriculum: photosynthesis, reactants in and products of photosynthesis, word summary of photosynthesis,
adaptations of leaves for photosynthesis
Learning Objectives
Students should learn:
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word summary for
photosynthesis
reactants in and products
of photosynthesis
adaptations of leaves for
photosynthesis
different habitats have
different conditions
different habitats support
different types of plants
that the types of plants in
different habitats are
affected by
environmental factors,
e.g. light, nutrients or
water availability
(if time and dependent on
the group - variation
between species and
between individuals of
the same species means
some organisms
compete more
successfully, which can
drive natural selection)
Structure
Plenary
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Introduction
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Welcome and Health & Safety talk (See Risk Assessments).
Demo plant. What does a plant need to survive and grow well? In groups of three
write down ideas on sheet of paper. Feed back. What does the plant make?
From prompt words on board write word equation for photosynthesis. Discuss
adaptations of leaf.
 Students in groups of 3. Provided with pictures of plants. Sort into plants found in
tropical rainforest or desert/arid regions. Think of adaptations and reasons why
the students have placed plants in particular group. Ask groups to feed back
about a plant which region and give reasons.
 Discuss limiting factors in tropical and arid regions. Discuss adaptations.
e.g. Tropical – lack of light for ground flora →leaves large surface area, thin, drip tips
Arid – lack of water, extremes of temperature →storage of water (succulents), leaves
reduced surface area (or thorns), waxy, silver, some hairy.
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which factors would limit
photosynthesis on the
forest floor In a tropical
habitat?
which factors would limit
the growth of plants in an
arid environment?
describe how the plant
adaptations in the two
habitats differ.
how have these plants
become adapted?
Activities
1. Students divided into groups of 3. Plants set out. Each group with a ‘worksheet
‘Plant Adaptations’. Challenge to match the plant with the picture of the habitat
on worksheet. (Bog, Tropical rain forest, desert, temperate forest and alpine)
Note: may need to adapt activity according to which plants are available.
Feedback – matched plants and give reasons
2. Students to glasshouse with clip boards, Plant Explorer worksheet and pencil. Go
to Tropical and Arid regions find at least two plants in each area, make a
drawing, write down name and adaptations.
3. Growing lab
Students take cuttings of succulent plants. Students guess which habitat the
succulents may thrive in. Students to point out adaptations. Discuss conditions
needed for healthy growth. Discuss the care of their succulents.
RHS Education and Learning, RHS Garden Wisley, Woking, Surrey, GU23 6QB
[email protected] 01483 212432
Charity No: 222879/SCO38262
Assessment Questions
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describe the physical
features of each habitat
and identify major
environmental factors, eg
light intensity,
temperature range, water
availability, humidity,
mineral availability
 describe adaptations to
life in a variety of habitats
pick out appropriate
adaptations and explain
clearly their significance.
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explain how plants have
become adapted over
time
Key Vocabulary:
Habitat, environment, physical factors, light intensity, humidity,
photosynthesis, adaptations, tropical, arid, surface area, absorption of
light, stomata/pores
Variation, mutations competition, natural selection, biodiversity
Differentiation:
By outcome and questioning.
All students can state which factors are needed for
photosynthesis. Can state which may be the most important
factor in, tropical and desert environments. Be able to give some
adaptations of plants to a particular habitat studied.
Most students. Give the key factor in the habitats studied which
could reduce the rate of photosynthesis. Link adaptations of
plants in the habitats studied to some of the physical factors
present. (Be able to suggest how adaptations came about by
natural selection)
Resources:
Picture sort activity –
tropical and desert
plants
Worksheet ‘Plant
Adaptations’
Clip boards, pencils
Plant Explorer
worksheet
Growing Lab – compost,
plastic pots, labels etc,
succulent plants for
cuttings
Demonstration plants:
Venus fly trap/sundews;
cactus/succulents ;
Tropical plant;
deciduous plant; alpine
Some students describe adaptations to life in a variety of
habitats pick out appropriate adaptations and explain clearly their
significance. Be able to explain the particular adaptations of the
carnivorous plants in relation its habitat and the lack of minerals in
the habitat. (Be able to explain natural selection in terms of
mutations, competition, and survival, passing genes to offspring)
RHS Education and Learning, RHS Garden Wisley, Woking, Surrey, GU23 6QB
[email protected] 01483 212432
Charity No: 222879/SCO38262