In this activity children consider what plants require to thrive and investigate the effect of changing any factors required for plant growth
Description
A bottle garden that was first planted in 1960 and not watered since 1972 is still thriving today in its sealed container. The only maintenance involved has been the occasional turning of the bottle to ensure even growth as the plant is exposed to more light on one side than the other. Contained within the bottle is a miniature ecosystem.
In this activity children will learn about the water cycle and its importance for plant growth. They will plan their own investigation to explore their ideas and discuss the outcomes.
Learning Objective:
- That a miniature ecosystem can be created in a sealed container which enables a plant to survive.
- The conditions needed for healthy plant growth
- To plan an investigation to test factors which affect plant growth
- To develop their knowledge and understanding of the water cycle
These resources were initially developed in partnership with the Centre for Science Education, Sheffield Hallam University.