Term 1 Topic 5 Growth and Development

• Plants and animals grow and develop throughout their lives.
• A life cycle describes the stages and processes that take place while an:
  • animal or plant develops and grows.
• A life cycle describes how one generation of an animal or plant gives rise:
  • to the next generation through reproduction.
• Death can occur at any stage of the life cycle.
• Many animals care for their young in order for them to develop and grow.
• A food chain is also included.

• Greet the learners.
• Ask how many of them have ever planted a tree/seedling/herb.
• Choose a learner to plant one of the seedlings into the empty pot plant container as follows:
  • place small stones at the bottom (good drainage).
  • fill half of the container with potting / bush soil.
  • carefully remove one seedling from the tray (push a pencil carefully through the hole at the bottom).
  • place the seedling in the centre of the container.
  • fill the container with potting/bush soil.
  • use the 2 Litre cool drink bottle with the holes at the bottom to water the seedling.
  • place the container in the class on the teacher’s table or cupboard (it must be exposed to enough sunshine and light).
  • a group of learners can be identified to start a garden [after dismissal] ; first prepare the demarcated area and then they can plant the rest of the seedlings.
  • the learners must monitor the growth, colours and changes of the seedling in the class and compare it to the seedlings in the garden.

• Ask learners the following questions:
  • How did a butterfly look when it was born? (Caterpillar = worm-like larva of an insect).
  • What is a tadpole and how will its life cycle change? (the tailed larvae of a frog, toad, newt or salamander).
  • Look at the tray of seedlings and describe how they will look when they start flowering.
  • Describe the colour of the seedlings.
  • How many seeds can be counted?
  • Read the seedling packet for the following information:
    • name of the flower
    • describe the colour and size of the seeds
    • identify in which season it should be planted
    • name the colours of the flowers
    • identify the season in which it should be sown
    • should it be planted in full sun / shade / semi-shade sections in thegarden
• Show Presentation 1 and tell the learners they will be expected to answer a few questions afterwards.

• Have a quiz competition in class.
• The learners will compete as they are seated in their rows.
• Points are allocated as follows:
  • 3 points are awarded for the correct answer.
  • 2 points are deducted for the wrong answer.
  • 1 point is awarded for an answer that is partially correct.
• Questions:

1. What is a life cycle?

The process of a plant and animal’s development from birth until death.

2. Name two animals that play a role in pollination.

Insects (fly, bee, butterfly, birds, etc.

3. True / false and reason: Roots grow upwards towards the sunlight.
4. Where does a plant’s life cycle start?

Seed that germinates.

5. What is needed for a seed to germinate? Name 2.

Water, light, correct temperature.

Commend the learners on their performance in the quiz.

• Remind the learners that certain words like pollination, germination, fertilization and seed dispersal are very important and they must know the definition of each word.
• They will watch 3 videos : 1^st – pollination; 2^nd – growth of a seed; 3^rd seed dispersal; dramatize the life cycle of a plant in groups of 6.
• The teacher should encourage and inspire the learners to improvise by being creative, innovative and unpredictable.
• The teacher also tells the learners that they will complete two worksheets after the groups have dramatized the life cycle of a plant.
• Show Video Clip 1 (2:31 minutes).  

The video shows the pollination of a flower, and the process it goes through from pollination, fertilization and the formation of dispersal of seeds.

• Show Video Clip 2 (04:07 minutes). The video shows a growing seed.
• Show Video Clip 3 (2:25 minutes).    The video shows how seed disperal occurs.

• Three learners are asked to explain what they saw / liked / can remember of the video clips.
• Groups dramatize the life cycle of a plant.
• The learners complete Worksheet A.
• Worksheet A.

• Ask the learners who has pets.
• Encourage them to elaborate on their pets’ colour, name, habits, age, etc.
• Explain that the next presentation will cover the life cycles of animals, including humans and mammals.
• The learners are instructed to jot down words or facts that they did not know/ would not remember/ find interesting.
• Show Presentation 2.
• Allow learners an opportunity to ask questions about words or factst that they do not know / remember or are unsure of or ask prompting questions.

• Divide the learners into 6 groups.
• 6 groups dramatize the life cycle of an animal.
• Encourage and inspire the learners to improvise by being creative, innovative and unpredictable.
• Inform the learners that they will watch a video clip on metamorphosis before they complete the next worksheet.

• Show Video Clip 4 (4:32 minutes).  

The video shows the life cycle from a caterpillar into a butterfly.

• After the video clip, ask one or two learners to explain the process of how a caterpillar changes into a butterfly.

• Hand out Worksheet B for learners to complete.

• Learners complete Quiz 1.

• Seed germination - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYzXToyEzBU

• Life cycle of butterfly and frog - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRdVGTTK05Q