Addressing Plant Misconceptions

[Guest]

I am looking for an activity that addresses the misconception that trees aren't plants. (Unit 1b)

 

Any help would be great thanks

[Cait]

sorry? can you explain a bit more? What are they if they aren't plants?

 

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your first post - I'm sure loads of us would like to help, but can you give a bit more information please

[Guest]

The misconception is that trees are not plants. Further examples are that grass, weeds and vegetables are not plants. I'd like to know how I can correct this misconception. Thanks.

[Guest LornaW]

Hi MaryC do you men the children think that trees, grass, weeds and vegetables are not plants? then my next question is are you working with Y1 as this is a science unit in the NC?

 

If so then I would get children out to see some wild woodland or grassland areas and to look at trees, grass etc over a period of time. I would have maybe and smal tyre filled with soil and sprinkle seeds and discuss with the children what they may need ot grow and then grow various things in different places and then motice what happens.

 

Taking children for a woodland walk at this time of year will also give you the opportunity to talk about the seasons and what all living things need to survive.

 

A story book about seasons may also help also good factual books like How do Plants Grow will help.

 

http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/...grow3f/5018233/

[JacquieL]

This is fascinating because, if your children are Reception or Y1, it is quite a difficult concept to attempt if they have somehow managed to get hold of the idea that trees etc. aren't plants. I'd be inclined to tell them that they are and if they don't agree ask them why, and go on from there.

Firstly I think I would be using the words plant and animal and seeing whether they know the difference. Perhaps this is something we take for granted. In it's simplest form I would say that animals can move around, whereas plants don't. Plants have roots and some type of leaves. I wouldn't complicate it with the exceptions. Perhaps doing some planting activities and watching plants grow, or sorting fruit and vegetables and animals, and using the words animal and plant with the children to categorise them.

[Guest]

Hi Lorna, thanks for your help. Yes, I'm refering to the 1B unit. I was thinking of doing something along the lines of growing a plant so the children would actually witness it growing. Your advice about going for a woodland walk is a great idea, I will have to include this in my plan. Thanks once again!

[Guest]

Hi JacquieL, yes it is a difficult concept. I'm a year 2 student and this is part of my science coursework so I'm just about getting my head around the different documents and everything! I have to write a plan for 3-4 sequential lessons on a topic for my age-phase, each with a different misconception. I chose 1B and researched some misconceptions. I could think of how to address the misconception of 'plants are not living' but this one really had me stumped. Thank you for your help, it's much appreciated!

[Cait]

In preschool last year we grew some birch trees from seed and looked at what they needed to grow successfully - we had literally thousands of seeds so could afford to be a bit ludicrous with our planting ideas! However we got about 18 trees out of it which they took home at the end of the year. We gathered the seeds from a tree in the churchyard so we could look at where they came from and admire the lovely 'finished product' we measured the girth of the tree using stuff from the woodland trust (good website for resources) and worked out how old we thought it was. We asked pensioners who live nearby if they could remember it being a small tree. We talked about how we knew t was alive and chatted about moving (towards the light) and breathing (transpiration experiment with a plastic bag left on overnight) but sadly couldn't find anything for 'pooing' for Matthew!! All in all they had great fun with it, and definitely left us knowing that trees are plants.

[Susan]

Having experienced this with yr1 last term, we approached it from the living/ non living angle and the difference between plants and animals and eventually the children were able to appreciate that a tree was a plant.

 

Good luck, MaryC.