Primary Theme: Living things
Lesson 1: Do taller trees have wider trunks?
Investigating if taller trees have wider trunks by measuring and looking for patterns in the data.
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Lesson 1: Do taller trees have wider trunks?
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- Lesson 1: What do seeds need to grow? >
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Lesson 1: What do seeds need to grow?: Presentation mode
Lesson 1: What do seeds need to grow?
Planning comparative tests to find out what conditions seeds need to grow.
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Lesson 1: What do seeds need to grow?
Lesson 1: What is a plant?
Identifying plants on the school grounds and planning an investigation to find out if a bean needs water to grow.
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Lesson 1: What is a plant?
Lesson 1: Variation
Analysing differences among species and sorting these characteristics depending on their environmental or inherited cause.
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Lesson 1: Variation
Y5/6 (B): Lesson 2: Inheritance
Looking at patterns of inheritance in different species and their offspring. This lesson is part of the mixed-age scheme.
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Y5/6 (B): Lesson 2: Inheritance
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- Y1/2 (A): Lesson 2: Seeds and bulbs >
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Y1/2 (A): Lesson 2: Seeds and bulbs: Presentation mode
Y1/2 (A): Lesson 2: Seeds and bulbs
Observing seeds and bulbs and measuring the length of a shoot in centimetres. This lesson is part of the mixed-age scheme.
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Y1/2 (A): Lesson 2: Seeds and bulbs
Changing seasons
A unit to be taught across the year: observing how the natural world transforms through the year and recognising how these changes affect the weather, plants and animals.
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Changing seasons
Across the year
These six standalone lessons should be taught at the end of each half-term. The timing is flexible but they should be planned to coincide with typical seasonal changes.
EYFS outcomes
Development matters
- Explore the natural world around them.
- Describe what they see, hear and feel whilst outside.
- Understand the effect of changing seasons on the natural world around them.
See Development Matters (non-statutory curriculum guidance) – contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Early learning goals
ELG: Understanding the world – The natural world
- Explore the natural world around them, making observations and drawing pictures of animals and plants.
- Understand some important processes and changes in the natural world around them, including the seasons and changing states of matter.
See Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage.
Lessons
Lesson 1: Autumn treasures
Lesson 2: Whatever the weather
Lesson 3: Winter wildlife
Lesson 4: Springtime magic
Lesson 5: Sandcastle science
Lesson 6: Summer senses
Key skills
Key knowledge
Continuous provision

Equipment list
Equipment needed across all lessons in this unit.
This list does not include equipment which is usually readily available in the classroom (e.g pencils, A4 paper etc)
Full equipment list for the subject
Quantities marked × will update. Items without quantities are unaffected
Lesson 1: Autumn treasures
-
Carrier bags or bags for life for collecting autumn objects.
×15 -
Access to a variety of autumn objects like twigs, leaves and conkers
×1 -
Long strips of paper for leaf rubbings
×30 -
A selection of leaves for leaf rubbings
×1 -
Brown, yellow, red and orange crayons
×15
Lesson 3: Winter wildlife
- Paper plates ×30
- Modelling dough ×30
-
Twigs and sticks
×30 -
Peppercorns or sunflower seeds
×30
Lesson 4: Springtime magic
-
Bluetooth music system to use outside (optional).
×1 - Device for taking photographs ×8
Lesson 5: Sandcastle science
- Large sand tray ×1
-
At least 20 kg dry sand
×1 -
Plastic/paper cups
×30 -
A range of media for colouring flowers, e.g. oil pastels, chalk pastels, coloured pencils and felt tip pens.
Lesson 6: Summer senses
-
Large plastic tray filled with sand and seashells
×1 -
Large plastic tray filled with cold water and seaweed
×1 - Chalk ×30
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Blindfolds (optional)
×8
Equipment list
Quantities marked × will update. Items without quantities are unaffected
Lesson 1: Autumn treasures
-
Carrier bags or bags for life for collecting autumn objects.
×15 -
Access to a variety of autumn objects like twigs, leaves and conkers
×1 -
Long strips of paper for leaf rubbings
×30 -
A selection of leaves for leaf rubbings
×1 -
Brown, yellow, red and orange crayons
×15
Lesson 3: Winter wildlife
- Paper plates ×30
- Modelling dough ×30
-
Twigs and sticks
×30 -
Peppercorns or sunflower seeds
×30
Lesson 4: Springtime magic
-
Bluetooth music system to use outside (optional).
×1 - Device for taking photographs ×8
Lesson 5: Sandcastle science
- Large sand tray ×1
-
At least 20 kg dry sand
×1 -
Plastic/paper cups
×30 -
A range of media for colouring flowers, e.g. oil pastels, chalk pastels, coloured pencils and felt tip pens.
Lesson 6: Summer senses
-
Large plastic tray filled with sand and seashells
×1 -
Large plastic tray filled with cold water and seaweed
×1 - Chalk ×30
-
Blindfolds (optional)
×8
Related content
Unit resources
Continuous provision ideas – Science EYFS: Changing seasons
Continuous provision activities to complement the EYFS unit 'Changing seasons'.