Year 1 have been creating a waterfall mosaic whilst discussing what plants need to grow and help enable them to achieve their full potential.
Sun
The sun provides warmth and energy for plants to survive. Plants use the sun’s energy to makes their own food energy in their leaves. Not enough sun will slow down a plant’s growth and even kill it. Too much sun can be a problem too, if the plant and soil are drying out too quickly.
Food / Soil
Soil provides a base which the roots hold on to as a plant grows bigger. It also provides plants with water and the nutrients they need to be healthy. In turn, some plants become healthy food for us. Nutrients in the soil also help plants grow strong. Some nutrients that plants need are nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sulphur.
Air
Plants take in carbon dioxide from the air to use in the process of PHOTOSYNTHESIS (making their own food energy) and give off oxygen which we use. The wind also carries pollen and seeds of plants to help spread them around. This is the plant’s way of making more of its own kind.
Water
It comes from the sky as rain or snow and it flows on top of or through soil into lakes, rivers, and streams. Water is very important to plant growth. Water helps the plant move nutrients from the soil up through its stems and leaves. Water keeps the plant moist, flexible, and helps the plant make its own food.
Outdoor Learning 