Plants from cuttings
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how to reproduce new plants from cuttings.
Key learning points
- Plants reproduce to make new plants, or offspring, in different ways.
- Some plants reproduce when part of a single plant is used to generate a new plant.
- Cuttings produce clones of the parent plant; they are exactly the same.
- Plant growth can be observed and recorded over time.
Keywords
Reproduce - When living things reproduce they create offspring.
Offspring - Living things create offspring when they reproduce.
Parent plant - A parent plant is a plant that has reproduced and created offspring.
Asexual - Asexual reproduction involves one parent and produces offspring that has the same characteristics as the parent.
Clone - Clones are offspring that have been created asexually and have identical characteristics to their parent.
Common misconception
Pupils may think that the only way for plants to reproduce is by creating seeds.
Explain that, as well as making seeds, plants can also reproduce asexually in a range of ways, including form cuttings taken from a plant by humans.
Teacher tip
Herbs, such as mint, rosemary and basil are suggested for this lesson because they are easily and cheaply sourced from supermarkets, but, if possible, pupils could instead head outside and take cuttings of plants in their own school grounds.
Equipment
See additional materials.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Look at the plant below. Is this an example of a flowering or non-flowering plant?
Q2.Reproduction is when…
Q3.Runners, bulbs and tubers are examples of reproduction in plants.
Q4.A plant that has reproduced and created offspring is called a…
Q5.After a flower has been pollinated, form inside the flower.
Q6.A clone of a plant is offspring that has…
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which statement about plant reproduction is correct?
Q2.We can take from plants to produce a new plant.
Q3.Starting with the first, order the steps to explain how to produce a new plant from a cutting.
Q4.Plants that have been produced with cuttings are clones of the parent plant, which means…
Q5.Plant growth from cuttings can be __________ over time to help us understand more about plant reproduction.
Q6.Sofia is observing how some plants are developing from cuttings in her classroom.
Which information could she gather to help her understand how the plant is growing?
To help you plan your 5 science lesson on: Plants from cuttings, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 5 science lesson on: Plants from cuttings, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 science lessons from the Reproduction and life cycles: plants unit, dive into the full primary science curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.