Amazing Plants Poster

All too often, plants are relegated to a ghetto of photosynthesis, yet plants provide us with dramatic illustrations of how to overcome all the challenges of life on Earth, from reproducing and responding to respiring, obtaining nutrients and excreting. Add in communication systems, adaptions and a key role in ecosystems, and plants are ready-made for a starring role in biology lessons for 14–16 year-old students. As absorbers of carbon dioxide, providers of oxygen, producers in most food webs and chains, the basis of human food security, and providers of an almost endless supply of recreational and medicinal drugs, plants are a gift to biology teaching.

Plants and their adaptations make perfect attention grabbers – as lesson starters, illustrations of biological principles, plenary starting points or revision aids. What’s more, there are no ethical issues with keeping plants in the classroom, experimenting on them, or dissecting them. Use this poster to help you give plants the starring role they deserve in your lessons for 14-16 year old students, beyond the constraints of traditional plant-based curriculum areas.

These teaching notes give additional information about the contexts on the Amazing Plants poster and provide you with some suggestions for curriculum links and additional activities. In addition, there is an accompanying PowerPoint presentation containing photos of these contexts so that you can further bring these real-world examples to life for your students.

Other posters in the series:

• Awesome Plants – aimed at 11-14 year-old students
• Incredible Plants – aimed at students aged 16+

To sign up for a free copy of the fourth poster in the series, which is about plant science careers, click here.