LO 1-2: Animals eat other living things. Animals need to eat food to give them energy.

Species Cards A set of Plants and Animals online cards with categories such as "What it eats" and "Eaten by". Can also be used for LOs to do with food chains below. Also available as PDF printable cards (without pictures).

LO 3-6: Plants produce food. Animals consume food. All food chains show an energy flow. All food can be traced back to the sun's energy.

BBC Schools - Food Chains Introduces food chains. Note the Full-screen button to view the activity.

Food Chains Revise food chain terminology and then select a habitat and form the food chain.

Food Chains lesson outline using the above activity (Word document)

Idea Use Kidspiration to draw out simple food chains.

Species Cards As above. The cards state whether the living thing is a producer, omnivore, herbivore or carnivore.

LO 7-11: The main parts of a flowering plant are roots, stems,leaves and flowers.The root holds the plant in the ground and takes in water. The stem holds the plant upright and transports water. The leaf makes food for the plant.The flower is used to reproduce the plant.

Plant Structure and Nutrition Attractively presented page that explains the functions of different parts of the plant

Clicker 4 > (none) > Clicker Grids for Learning > Science > Plants > Parts of a plant Clicking on the plant part takes you to a page which explains the function of that part.
(Note: New version of Clicker 4 activities rolled out to SBC schools in 2004)

The Great Plant Escape - Plant Parts Each page describes a different part of a flowering plant, starting with the roots. Use the arrows at the bottom to move to the next part. There are some small animations that could be used in PowerPoint presentations.

The Great Plant Escape - What are the parts of plants? Answer the questions to decide which part of the plant fufils each function. Also labelling activity.

LO 12: Keys can be used to identify plants

Nature Detectives Leaf identification sheet for 18 common species of trees to download and print - not a key but can be used to identify leaves prior to making an identification key. Note other resources available (ID Sheets menu on the left)

Plant Identification Use the pages to identify the tree or shrub or flower

Tree Identification Key Use this excellent key to identify trees from their leaves or twigs.

Idea Use Kidspiration or Inspiration to draw out a simple branching key for others to use

Idea Use hyperlinks in PowerPoint to create a branching key by making the Yes/No answers lead to other slides

LO 13-14: Some plants are very rare. Some are now extinct.

Plantlife Scotland Details some rare Scottish plants that have been brought 'back from the brink'.

LO 15: Rare plants and the areas they are found in need to be protected.

Scottish Wildlife Trust SWT reserves in the Borders, Click the map or choose from the drop-down list eg Whitlaw Wood, Bemersyde Moss, Duns Castle and Yetholm Loch.

Millenium Seed Bank Project Project to save plants by preserving their seeds. An educational mini seed bank kit for schools is available for £22.95.

Plantlife Scotland Downloadable publications eg about how to manage a garden pond to protect Scotland's wildlife.

Postcode Plants Database Put in the first part of your postcode to be taken to a list of plants in your area. By clicking on the plant name, you are taken to a page where you can find out if it is protected. With many plants you can also see (at the bottom) the animal associations - for example which butterflies lay eggs on its leaves or which birds eat its fruit.

LO 1-14: [Regarding petals, anthers, pollen, stigma, style, ovary, ovules, pollination, fertilisation, fruit, seeds]

Plant Reproduction Click on 'Interactive Whiteboard Activity' for two activities, one to drag the parts of the flower back together (petal, sepal, carpel and stamen), the second to drag the butterfly from the anther to the stigma and watch pollination happening.

Flower Parts Simple diagram and facts about each part of a flower

The Great Plant Escape - Parts of a Flower Explains the parts of the flower. Also a really good quiz to do with naming the parts.

BBC Science Clips - Life Cycle Drag the parts of the flower into the right box, find out what each part does, then label the flower correctly. Printable worksheet available (Click on Worksheet)

Plant Life Cycles Activity 1 (Life Cycle Diagram) and Activity 2 (Flower Anatomy Diagram) Drag the labels and find out what each part does. Use F11 to see the whole screen and F11 again to return to normal.

Plant Life Cycles lesson outline using the above activity (Word document)

CTB > Plants > Pixbank Plant Life Cycle Pictures for Creating and Presenting work

Clicker 4 > (none) > Clicker Grids for Learning > Science > Plants > Parts of a Flower Click on the part to find out more and then write about that part
(Note: New version of Clicker 4 activities rolled out to SBC schools in 2004)

LO 15: Seeds are dispersed by animals, wind or self.

Seed Dispersal Excellent little animations of the different seed dispersal methods

Plant Life Cycles Activity 3 (Seed Dispersal). Revise seed dispersal methods and then drag the pictures into the correct box. Use F11 to see the whole screen and F11 again to return to normal.

Woodland Worksheets The first link in the list "Spreading the species" takes you to a PDF document that includes a pupil worksheet and teaching ideas.

Seed Distribution 1 Photographs of berries, for use in Creating and Presenting work

Seed Distribution 2 Send away for a chart "A guide to fruits and seed dispersal".

CTB > Plants > Pixbank Seed Dispersal Pictures for Creating and Presenting work

CTB > Plants > PptDemo How do seeds travel PowerPoint presentation demonstrating the way seeds travel. Could be used for teaching or as the basis of a pupil presentation.

LO 16: A seed contains a "baby" plant and a food store protected by a seed coat

The Great Plant Escape - Fruits and Seeds Explains fruits and seeds clearly with photographs

Idea Use the digital microscope to take close-up pictures of a soaked bean seed, insert the pictures into a document and add labels

Plant Reproduction Revision

Plant Reproduction Click on 'Interactive Whiteboard Activity 2' for three revision activities on flowering plant reproduction

Plant Life Cycles Click 'Main Session' and follow Parts 1 and 2 to revise the reproduction cycle

LO 17-18: When a small plant grows into a small plant this is called "germination". Seeds need water and warmth to germinate.

Idea Use the digital microscope to record a time-lapse movie of seeds germinating and insert the movie into a PowerPoint presentation.

LO 19: Plants are able to respond to some changes in the environment

BBC Science Clips - Helping plants grow well Alter the light, heat and water conditions and see what happens to the plant. Printable worksheet available (Click on Worksheet)

Seed Growth Click on the options and then hold the mouse over the arrows to see what happens to the seed in different conditions

The Great Plant Escape - Growing plants indoors The conditions that plants need to grow well - find out more by clicking on the numbers. There are some small animations that could be used in PowerPoint presentations.

Idea Use the digital camera to record what happens to plants in different growing conditions and insert the photographs into a document.

LO 20-21: Plants can be divided into two main groups - flowering and non-flowering. Non-flowering plants include conifers, lichens, mosses, ferns, fungi and algae.

The Great Plant Escape - Non-Flowering Plants Page about non-flowering plants

LO 22: Flowers can be divided into 2 groups - monocots (long narrow leaves, parallel veins) and dicots (variety of leaf shapes, branching veins)

Idea Take digital photos of the monocots and dicots. Use the digital microscope to record the difference between the leaf types.