Making and using a straw potometer
This is a quick and easy way to demonstrate how to use a potometer to measure the rate of transpiration in a plant.
This is a quick and easy way to demonstrate how to use a potometer to measure the rate of transpiration in a plant.
Investigate the effects of the hormone auxin as a plant growth regulator, to look at axiliary bud development, root development, and leaf abscission in Coleus.
This experiment, adapted for Scottish Highers, shows how photosynthetic pigments can be extracted from plants and then separated.
In this activity, pupils can make direct observations of roots as they grow. Pupils can apply their numeracy skills when converting results.
In this activity, pupils will have the opportunity to observe seeds germinating. A fantastic way to consolidate knowledge and understanding of measurement.
Dandelions are widespread and are likely to be present in most grassy patches in school grounds. The ideas within the resource for teachers of KS2 pupils gives plenty of scope for discussion as well as extending into different activities across the curriculum.
This is a very simple cress growing activity, enabling children to see the pattern of growth in seedlings directly.
Students learn about random sampling, diversity and different measures of abundance, before looking at close-up photographs of quadrats and using our field guide to identify them. The resources are intended to help students develop skills and plant identification techniques before going out into the field, rather than to replace fieldwork.
This activity provides an opportunity for pupils to revise the names of parts of a flowering plant.
How are plants suited to their habitat offers pupils the opportunity to consider why plants are suited to their particular habitat. They will also learn about plant adaptations.
Plants can provide interesting and sometimes unusual or unexpected contexts for learning chemistry and physics.
Make yourself a model brassica flower and a model brassica seed
This activity provides an opportunity for pupils to identify and describe the main parts of a plant by observing how seeds grow into seedlings.
A guide to support students with using the correct symbols and units for their extended project qualification (EPQ).
Investigate the physics of floating and falling coconuts, using the coconut “kernel”, looking at evolution and adaptation in an unusual context.
Students conduct an investigation into factors affecting the rates of photosynthesis, using a colorimeter to record quantitative measurements.
This video clip from the BBC (from the TV series Botany: A Blooming History) looks at the way in which classification techniques are used by research scientists at Kew Gardens in their search for new medicines and other useful plants.
This video clip from the BBC TV series Botany: A Blooming History introduces the binomial system of classification, through the story of pioneering scientist Carl Linnaeus.
In this investigation, students learn about carrying out a fair test, by running a blind trial of organic and non-organic herbs to see if they can identify any differences in taste.
Rapid-cycling brassicas, originally developed for plant breeding research, promise to be of value in school and college teaching.
As a banana ages, black spots appear on the skin. Shine ultraviolet light on them, and you will see an amazing fluorescent blue ring around each black spot.
This image library includes around 700 images of pollen under the microscope, for use with our various resources looking at the science of pollen.
Talking about what chromosomes do during mitosis could be very interesting, but seeing them for yourself adds an extra dimension.
This protocol allows students to examine the growth of root explants of a 7 day period.