This is a range of practical possibilities and resources for teaching about plants and flowers in schools. Growing Fast Plants can provide rewarding results in a short time span. The ideas encourage all students to be involved with the activities, many having come from a special school that regularly grows Fast Plants. Students can examine their own flowers and model-making suggestions are included.

	WHAT YOU GET
	USING THE RESOURCE
	RESOURCE FILES

Fast Plants are Rapid-cycling Brassicas and these plants go through a complete life cycle in five weeks, making them great to use in class. The teacher notes provide numerous ideas and suggestions for using these plants and other follow-up activities.

The resource sheets are adapted from SAPS (Science and Plants for Schools) providing information on the parts of a flower and activity sheets for examining flowers. A clear layout is used and digital images showing the stages in growth are incorporated. The ideas and pictures in the teacher notes come from Sue Stalley at Alexandra School in South Harrow.

The resource sheets can be used with any class studying the parts of a flower and its lifecycle. The model flower could be made by students or it could be used as an effective teaching aid. The activities could work well in science clubs.

To grow Fast Plants a school will need a light bank. More information about building one can be found on the SAPS website (some grants may be available to support this).

http://www-saps.plantsci.cam.ac.uk/

	TEACHER NOTES
	SAPS RESOURCE SHEETS

SAPS (Science and Plants for Schools) works mainly with teachers to encourage and support interesting and lively teaching relating to plants and molecular biology. They look for new ideas, from teachers and from research scientists, and develop these into resources which really work in the classroom. They have plenty of ideas for primary, secondary and post-16 activities which can be seen on their website http://www-saps.plantsci.cam.ac.uk/ and are based at Homerton College, Cambridge.