Alien plant
Teaching and Learning Resources p.1 tlr.nationalstrategies.dcsf.gov.uk
Alien plant Assessment focuses AF1, AF3
Context The work was based on a review of previous activity about plants, including adaptation to habitat, life cycles, and features of flowering plants. The pupils were given a challenge: they were scientists who had visited the far-flung reaches of the furthest galaxies in search of new species of plant life, and had brought specimens back to Earth. The pupils were asked to create a ‘junk model’ of their new species, draw a diagram and annotate it. Some pupils, including Zoe, chose to use a writing frame for this aspect of the task. The pupils also had access to a Key Stage 2 study guide to help them look back at earlier learning.
© Crown copyright 2011
Teaching and Learning Resources p.2 tlr.nationalstrategies.dcsf.gov.uk
The evidence
Habitat The cypro-cytees is located in Skinomilk The air there is made up of OO2 1a thin gas that smells like cement and EO21a gas like nothingness, the two gases are hard to warm. As Skinomilk is 36900700 miles from the sun there is little heat and little light making it hard for life forms to live there. The land is made up of a thin layer of skin about 5 mm thick and thin liquid called smilk which is 1 km deep. There is three discovered life forms on Skinomilk: the Teetha, creatures with many teeth that live in the smilk and eat the cypro cytees roots, the snoight bird, they eat the cypro cytees white petals and of course the cypro-cytees. No person has been to Skinomilk. Key features The cypro-cytees features all have a purpose. The roots anchor the plant. Without them the plant would roll around. The white inner petals attract the snoight with their taste. When they are eating they pollinate the flower. The red petals indicate to the snoight that there is a plant there. Snoight don't smell so the cypro-cytees has adapted to their needs. The seed pod is needed because it floats and without it the seed would sink deep into the smilk and the cypro-cytees could nt reproduce. If the seed did not have a spike it would not be able to get into the skin and therefore not gwor for there is not much light in the smilk. There is many features but these are the main ones.
© Crown copyright 2011
Teaching and Learning Resources p.3 tlr.nationalstrategies.dcsf.gov.uk
A picture of the cyrpo-cytees with labelled parts White petals attract with their smell Red petals attract the snoight with colour There is little light so the outer petals reflect light Seed pod floats and disintegrates when it touches the surface. Seeds must be sharp to pierce the surface Roots are underwater and cling to the upper surface The roots and seed pods are underwater 29 inches wide, 11 cm tall Stamen: male part Carpel: female part holds the eggs until they are ready to pierce the bottom of it then they grow for 6 weeks before the parent plant releases the seed
© Crown copyright 2011
Teaching and Learning Resources p.4 tlr.nationalstrategies.dcsf.gov.uk
Polination and fertilisation The stamens, which are the male part of the flower, contain the pollen. When pollinated the pollen lands on the carpel which is the female part and because it's sticky, the pollen travels to the ovary where it meets the egg and together they make a seed in seven weeks. The seeds grow and pop the ovary and grow inside their pods. Seed dispersal When the seeds are ready the plant releases them, as well as the pod, under the smilk. The front of the pod floats and when it reaches the skin the sharp seed pierces a whole and when the pod touches the skin it disintegrates. The seed is ready to grow. Germination After dispersal, the cypro-cytees seed sits in the skin for two weeks before it splits. The top part of the seeds shell forms the outer petals and the bottom part which is in the water, gets saturated and falls off releasing the roots. Once the outer petals have reached half the size they'll grow and the inner petals begin to grow. The roots reach out for places to hold on the skin, they grow at double the speed of the flower. After nineteen weeks of being germinated the plant is ready to reproduce. Facts Did you know that the biggest cypro-cytees at nineteen weeks old was 59 cm wide and 31 cm tall the smallest was 16 cm wide and 7 cm tall. The cypro-cytees was discovered in 2009 by Zoe but may have been around in prehistoric times. The cypro-cytees closest relative on Earth is the water lily, they have almost identical roots. Cypro-cytees are extraordinary plants.
Teacher's notes During discussion, Zoe could demonstrate a good understanding of pollination, fertilisation and seed dispersal.
Next steps • Consideration of the wider ecosystems of the various pupil's plants, and in particular how their creations would live alongside other living things and compete for space, light, water and nutrients.
Assessment commentary Zoe uses complex ideas and appropriate terminology to describe her alien plant. She is able to explain some biological processes by drawing on some abstract ideas.
© Crown copyright 2011
Alien plant Assessment focuses AF1, AF3
Context The work was based on a review of previous activity about plants, including adaptation to habitat, life cycles, and features of flowering plants. The pupils were given a challenge: they were scientists who had visited the far-flung reaches of the furthest galaxies in search of new species of plant life, and had brought specimens back to Earth. The pupils were asked to create a ‘junk model’ of their new species, draw a diagram and annotate it. Some pupils, including Zoe, chose to use a writing frame for this aspect of the task. The pupils also had access to a Key Stage 2 study guide to help them look back at earlier learning.
© Crown copyright 2011
Teaching and Learning Resources p.2 tlr.nationalstrategies.dcsf.gov.uk
The evidence
Habitat The cypro-cytees is located in Skinomilk The air there is made up of OO2 1a thin gas that smells like cement and EO21a gas like nothingness, the two gases are hard to warm. As Skinomilk is 36900700 miles from the sun there is little heat and little light making it hard for life forms to live there. The land is made up of a thin layer of skin about 5 mm thick and thin liquid called smilk which is 1 km deep. There is three discovered life forms on Skinomilk: the Teetha, creatures with many teeth that live in the smilk and eat the cypro cytees roots, the snoight bird, they eat the cypro cytees white petals and of course the cypro-cytees. No person has been to Skinomilk. Key features The cypro-cytees features all have a purpose. The roots anchor the plant. Without them the plant would roll around. The white inner petals attract the snoight with their taste. When they are eating they pollinate the flower. The red petals indicate to the snoight that there is a plant there. Snoight don't smell so the cypro-cytees has adapted to their needs. The seed pod is needed because it floats and without it the seed would sink deep into the smilk and the cypro-cytees could nt reproduce. If the seed did not have a spike it would not be able to get into the skin and therefore not gwor for there is not much light in the smilk. There is many features but these are the main ones.
© Crown copyright 2011
Teaching and Learning Resources p.3 tlr.nationalstrategies.dcsf.gov.uk
A picture of the cyrpo-cytees with labelled parts White petals attract with their smell Red petals attract the snoight with colour There is little light so the outer petals reflect light Seed pod floats and disintegrates when it touches the surface. Seeds must be sharp to pierce the surface Roots are underwater and cling to the upper surface The roots and seed pods are underwater 29 inches wide, 11 cm tall Stamen: male part Carpel: female part holds the eggs until they are ready to pierce the bottom of it then they grow for 6 weeks before the parent plant releases the seed
© Crown copyright 2011
Teaching and Learning Resources p.4 tlr.nationalstrategies.dcsf.gov.uk
Polination and fertilisation The stamens, which are the male part of the flower, contain the pollen. When pollinated the pollen lands on the carpel which is the female part and because it's sticky, the pollen travels to the ovary where it meets the egg and together they make a seed in seven weeks. The seeds grow and pop the ovary and grow inside their pods. Seed dispersal When the seeds are ready the plant releases them, as well as the pod, under the smilk. The front of the pod floats and when it reaches the skin the sharp seed pierces a whole and when the pod touches the skin it disintegrates. The seed is ready to grow. Germination After dispersal, the cypro-cytees seed sits in the skin for two weeks before it splits. The top part of the seeds shell forms the outer petals and the bottom part which is in the water, gets saturated and falls off releasing the roots. Once the outer petals have reached half the size they'll grow and the inner petals begin to grow. The roots reach out for places to hold on the skin, they grow at double the speed of the flower. After nineteen weeks of being germinated the plant is ready to reproduce. Facts Did you know that the biggest cypro-cytees at nineteen weeks old was 59 cm wide and 31 cm tall the smallest was 16 cm wide and 7 cm tall. The cypro-cytees was discovered in 2009 by Zoe but may have been around in prehistoric times. The cypro-cytees closest relative on Earth is the water lily, they have almost identical roots. Cypro-cytees are extraordinary plants.
Teacher's notes During discussion, Zoe could demonstrate a good understanding of pollination, fertilisation and seed dispersal.
Next steps • Consideration of the wider ecosystems of the various pupil's plants, and in particular how their creations would live alongside other living things and compete for space, light, water and nutrients.
Assessment commentary Zoe uses complex ideas and appropriate terminology to describe her alien plant. She is able to explain some biological processes by drawing on some abstract ideas.
© Crown copyright 2011
