Science - Year 3
Plants – Block 3P
Artful Flowers, Fruits and Seeds
Session 3
Resource Pack
© Original resource copyright Hamilton Trust, who give permission for it to be adapted as wished by individual users.
We refer you to our warning, at the foot of the block overview, about links to other websites.
I can sequence the events that lead to pollination of flowers
The text boxes below are in the wrong order. Read them carefully and decide which order
they should be in. Write the letters in the correct order in the box below. One of them has
been done for you. To help, put a tick beside each one as you use it.
a. They are attracted to flowers because of their bright colours
and scent.
b. Then it flies off to a different flower, and the pollen rubs off
onto the stigma. This is called pollination.
c. After pollination the petals shrivel or fall off.
d. Bees visit flowers to collect a sugary food called nectar.
e. While a bee is sucking up the nectar, pollen from the
stamens sticks to its body.
Order
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
Letter
a

Correct Sequence
d. Bees visit flowers to collect a sugary food called nectar.
a. They are attracted to flowers because of their bright colours and
scent.
e. While a bee is sucking up the nectar, pollen from the stamens sticks
to its body.
b. Then it flies off to a different flower, and the pollen rubs off onto
the stigma. This is called pollination.
c. After pollination the petals shrivel or fall off.
Teachers’ Notes for Session 3
Specimen Plants
Your sample plants need to show all stages from flower to fruit. Ideally you should aim to
have a least three or four different varieties for the children to explore. Suitable plants
include peas, beans, tomatoes, courgettes, peppers, raspberries, chillies and many more.
Flowers are also suitable as any seed bearing structure is a fruit of that plant even if it is not
edible. Good examples include sweet peas and poppies.
If you can borrow potted plants like tomatoes in tubs
these would be ideal or talk nicely to parents and friends
with gardens or allotments and ask to snip a few shoots or
branches that show the different stages of development.
Many weeds will show the same stages, e.g. vetch (see
below) but remember it can be illegal to pick wild flowers.
Instead ask
permission to
collect samples
from privately
owned land.
For each variety you have try to collect the following: some flowers, dying flowers with a
tiny swelling fruit emerging, an immature unripe fruit and a ripe fruit. This sequence can be
seen on the photos of pea plants below.
If you are unable to source specimen plants
From a learning point of view, using real plants is far superior to secondary sources but for
busy, time-pressured teachers, this may not always be possible. For this reason a session
resource is provided that shows a photographic development sequence of plant varieties
which the children could study and use instead.
Zigzag Books
Use large sheets of either paper or card (A3 is ideal). If your children are going to use
watercolour crayons with brushes, it is advisable to use card or cartridge paper which will
withstand the water far better. The results of this technique can be stunning with vibrant
colours and a lovely blending effect. Alternatively use good quality colouring crayons.
To save time and fuss, you could pre-make the zigzag books or give out the paper and lead
the making with a step by step follow the leader demonstration.
Method for making Zigzag books
1. With the sheet in landscape
orientation, fold in half (top
to bottom)
2. Keep the folded edge at the top
and fold in half again (left to right)
3. Now fold the top layer back over
itself and press down neatly
4. Turn the whole thing over, and
keeping the folded edge at the top,
fold the remaining piece back over
itself. Smooth it down and your
Zigzag book is finished
Safety
If you are using unknown plants (e.g. weeds), you will need to be aware that some wild
berries and pods, may in fact be poisonous even though they are classed as fruits. If you are
using any such plants, warn children of the dangers and just look at, rather than handle
these. Wash hands immediately after any contact.
I know what happens to a flower after pollination
Make a “Flowers to Fruits” Zigzag book which illustrates and explains what happens to
a flower after pollination
You will need: An A3 sheet of card or paper folded into a Zigzag book, a pen, some watercolour or pencils or
pencil crayons, water pots and paint brushes (if you are using watercolour crayons)
Instructions
1. Write the title Flowers to Fruits on the front page and who it’s by
(your name).
2. Open the book and number the pages
1, 2, 3 and 4
3. Illustrate each numbered page to show the
different stages that transform a flower
into a fruit. Make your drawings by looking
closely at real plants if possible. Use
watercolour crayons or pencil crayons to
colour them.
The table below will help you.
Page
What to draw
1
A flower and a bee
2
The petals dying
and a tiny pod/fruit
beginning to grow
3
The small pod/fruit
growing and
ripening
4
A large ripe fruit
4. Cut out the 4 text boxes below and arrange them in the right order to explain how a fruit develops. Stick one
text box beneath each drawing.
The ovary begins to grow into a fruit. Inside the fruit,
the fertilized ovules become seeds.
A bee visits a flower and pollen rubs off onto the
stigma.
The pollen grains travel to the ovary and join with the
ovules. Now the flower is fertilized, the petals shrivel
and die
The fruit is ripe and the seeds are ready.
5. Decorate your front page with pictures of different flowers and fruits if you have time.
I know what happens to a flower after pollination
Make a “Flowers to Fruits” Zigzag book which illustrates and explains what happens to
a flower after pollination
You will need: An A3 sheet of card or paper folded into a Zigzag book, a pen, a pencil, a ruler, some watercolour
or pencils or pencil crayons, water pots and paint brushes (if you are using watercolour crayons)
Instructions
1. Write the title Flowers to Fruits on the
front page and who it’s by (your name).
2. Open the book and number the pages 1, 2,
3 and 4.
3. Illustrate each numbered page to show the different stages that transform a
flower into a fruit. Make your drawings by looking closely at real plants if possible.
Use watercolour crayons or pencil crayons to colour them.
The table below shows the four stages to draw.
4. Beneath each drawing, write a sentence or two to explain what is happening.
The table below has some key words to help you.
Page
What to draw
Key words to try to
use in your writing
1
A flower and a bee
Flower, bee, pollen,
stigma, pollination
2
The petals dying
and a tiny pod/fruit
beginning to grow
Pollen, joins, ovule,
inside, ovary
fertilization, petals
dying,
3
The small pod/fruit
growing and
ripening
Ovary, growing,
seeds developing
5. Decorate your front page with pictures of different flowers and fruits if you have time.
4
A large ripe fruit
Fruit, ripe, seeds
inside
This is what happens to a strawberry flower in the weeks after pollination
This is what happens to a pea flower in the weeks after pollination
This is what happens to a poppy flower in the weeks after pollination
This is what happens to a courgette flower in the weeks after pollination
This is what happens to apple blossom in the weeks after pollination
How to Play Fruity Pairs
You will need:
One colour printed set of plenary cards trimmed to make 30 individual cards. They should be printed
on card (or alternatively stuck onto cards).
Instructions
1. Divide the class into 5 teams of roughly equal size and give each team a base – either their
own table to sit at or an area of floor to sit on.
2. Shuffle the 30 cards and turn the pack face down. Deal the cards into 5 equal piles and give
one pile to each team.
3. Tell the children that they need to try to match pairs of cards by matching a flower with its
fruit, for example if you had a pumpkin card and the pumpkin flower, that would be a pair.
Some groups may need help identifying the name of a fruit. If a group can make a pair, they
should put the 2 cards together, face up and set them aside. Do not worry if no pairs can
be made.
4. All the remaining (unpaired) cards should be spread out, face down in the middle of their
team base.
5. Number the teams 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.
6. A player from team 1 should now visit the base of team 2 and select one of their (face down)
cards at random and return to their own base with it. If they can use it to make a pair, the
pair should be set aside from the remaining cards as before. If they cannot use it to make a
pair, they should place it face down with their other unpaired cards.
7. A player from team 2 should now visit base 3 and do the same. Then base 3 to base 4, base 4
to base 5 and finally base 5 to base 1. To complete the first round.
8. The second round will continue in the same way but this time a different player goes out
to visit.
9. Rounds continue and gradually more and more pairs will be matched.
10. When a team has matched all their cards they shout out “Fruity Pairs!”
11. The first team out wins 3 points, the second wins 2 points and the third wins 1 point.
12. When all the teams have paired all their cards they must add up their points by totalling the
scores on the fruit card of each pair they have (either 1, 2, or 3 points), then they should add
on their bonus fast finish points (if they won any).
13. The winning team is the group who has scored the most points.
Cherry Blossom
Apple Blossom
Orange Blossom
1
2
3
Blackberry Flower
Raspberry Flower
Strawberry Flower
1
2
3
Banana Flower
1
Passion Flower
2
Mango Flower
3
Pepper Flower
1
Cucumber Flower
2
Pumpkin Flower
3
Pea Flower
1
Bean Flower
2
Tomato Flower
3