The bee population is in serious decline. Two species of bumblebee have become extinct in the UK since the start of the 21st century. Bees help plants to reproduce by pollinating them. A decrease in bees means that people will have to pollinate food crops, such as apples and tomatoes, by hand which will increase…
Homework Activity: Plant reproduction – Which bit?
Petals, seeds, fruit, even stamens – we use different parts of the reproductive structures of a plant for many uses. In this homework activity, students are asked to find out what parts of a flower or fruit have been used in a fruit cake, before finding some more examples from their home. Student instructions Take…
Video: Plant reproduction – The Sea Bean
Sea beans are a collective name for seeds and fruits that are dispersed by the sea. They come from trees and vines that grow alongside tropical streams, rivers and coasts all over the world. The seeds fall into waterways and travel to the ocean where they can float for thousands of kilometres on the ocean…
Smart Scientist: Plant reproduction – Charles Darwin
Botanists are scientists who study plants. The number of people studying botany at university has fallen by 50% since the late 1980s. Maybe it’s not seen by some as an exciting science to study but there is no doubt that it is important – we are dependent on plants for our very survival! Charles Darwin,…
Working Scientifically: Plant reproduction – Investigating seed dispersal
Plants have evolved all manner of clever ways of spreading their seeds. One example are trees that belong to the Acer family, which includes maples and sycamores. Their seeds are attached to wings which act like tiny helicopter blades. Acer seeds can be used for a range of working scientifically activities. It is best to…
Worksheet: Plant reproduction
Why not test the knowledge of your Key Stage 3 Biology students with this free worksheet on Plant reproduction? Download your free science resources below: Worksheet on Plant reproduction [Word: 83KB] Worksheet on Plant reproduction (editable) [PDF: 225KB] What is Smart Science? Written for the new 2014 Science Curriculum, Smart Science provides a flexible scheme of…
Christmas Science – the science of Christmas trees
Having a Christmas tree in the house to adorn with tinsel, baubles and lights is a tradition we have adopted from Germany. The first Christmas trees were probably Silver fir, which is a tree native to the forests of Europe. Christmas trees belong to a group of plants called conifers and there are about six…
Working Scientifically – Is chocolate a super food?
Working Scientifically – Is chocolate a super food? Many foods have been hailed as ‘super foods’ – those that have health benefits that put other foods to shame. There are often news stories in the media about how certain popular foods, like chocolate, are good for us. It certainly makes for an eye-catching headline. But,…
Homework activity: Eating insects
Eating insects Eating insects is common in some areas of the world, but the idea doesn’t appeal to most people in the UK. However, in the future, because of dwindling resources such as clean water and land for farming, we may have to resort to reducing our intake of protein from large animals. Insects could…