Plant growth, health and reproduction

Duckweed make excellent subjects for students to use to develop investigations.

A SAPS 'Star Plant' for your lab, with a wonderful example of adaptation. Follow our care tips to ensure the plants flourish in your lab.

Using Living Stones (Lithops) in the Lab

One of the SAPS 'Star Plants' for your lab, showing an extreme form of adaptation. Follow our care tips to ensure that the plants flourish in your lab.

Using Holly in the Lab

Holly makes a useful resource for the science lab, with investigations around topics including stomata, plant defences, herbivory and adaptation.

Using Pelargoniums (Geraniums) in the Lab

Geraniums are often found in the school lab, but they're rarely used to their full potential as a scientific resource. Follow our guidance and care tips to ensure they flourish in your lab.

Using Cauliflower in the Lab

Cauliflower is a useful resource in the classroom. This explores its classroom uses and how to grow it. Part of our 'Plants in the Classroom' sereis

Diagrams showing parts of a plant and a flower

Download a powerpoint or an image showing labelled and unlabelled versions of a diagram showing parts of a plant, and a diagram showing parts of a flower

Cauliflower Cloning - Tissue Culture and Micropropagation

'Cauliflower cloning' is an enjoyable way for students to see totipotency at work, and is now a key practical for GCSE specifications. This updated protocol, including technical instructions and a student sheet, is a reliable way to demonstrate this in the lab, with much less risk of contamination.

Investigations into eutrophication

This brief resource gives five starter ideas for students and classes who want to investigate eutrophication, with options including using duckweed, algae and other plants.

Student Sheet 21 - Measuring the biomass of duckweed (Lemna minor)

A useful way to calculate the amount of duckweed in a pond or an aquarium.

Floating garlic - growing roots

Here is a simple way of growing garlic roots for the root tip squash practical

Investigating adaptation and defence - spines on holly leaves

Holly trees are well known for their spiny leaves. In this investigation focusing on adaptation and defence, students consider whether there is a relationship between the number of spines on a leaf and its height above the ground.

Fast plants for finer science - an article from the Journal of Biological Education

An article introducing 'fast plants' (rapid-cycling brassicas) for use in the classroom.

Student Sheet 2 - Growing and caring for rapid-cycling brassicas

'Fast plants', or rapid-cycling brassicas, are a fascinating way to look at all sorts of biology topics, including plant growth, tropisms, floral reproduction, pollination, embryonic development, and genetics. This student worksheet introduces how to care for the rapid-cycling brassicas.

Student Sheet 1 - Planting instructions for rapid-cycling brassicas

'Fast plants', or rapid-cycling brassicas, are a fascinating way to look at all sorts of biology topics, including plant growth, tropisms, floral reproduction, pollination, embryonic development, and genetics. This student worksheet introduces how to plant the rapid-cycling brassicas.

Student Sheet 5 - Investigating Seed Germination

A simple experiment to investigate the germination of seed under different conditions, by growing seeds upright in Petri dishes. It allows students to make quantitative measurements of root / shoot growth, length of root hairs, etc, as well as % germination. This technique can also be used for investigations into the effect of acid rain.

Student Sheet 8 - Phototropism: the Response of Seedlings to Light

Seedlings growing on a windowsill will often demonstrate phototropism - bending towards the source of light. In this experiment, students investigate the wavelengths of light that influence phototropism.

Student Sheet 7 - Demonstrating Gravitropism in Seedling Stalks

An intriguing way to demonstrate gravitropism in action over the course of a lesson, using the hypocotyls (stalks) of small seedlings. Students may be surprised to see how quickly the seedlings respond to gravity.

Investigating the Hormone Auxin (IAA), a Plant Growth Regulator

An investigation into the effects of the hormone auxin (IAA)as a plant growth regulator, with opportunities to look at root development, leaf abscission and auxiliary bud development.

Student Sheet 9 - Growing Radishes in Film Cans

Radishes provide a cheap and reliable way to carry out a number of investigations into plants, including nutrient requirements, effects of growing conditions, etc. This protocol outlines a simple method of growing radishes that can be used in the school lab.

Articles tagged as "Plant growth, health and reproduction"