Get Growing

Investigate plant life cycles with hands-on activities in the Garden.

Children observing tree on school excursion at the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan
Stage

Stage 1

Subject

Science

Duration

2 hours

Location

Rathborne Lodge, Royal Botanic Garden Sydney

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Cost

Minimum charges apply. Discounts apply for full day programs!

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What makes a plant a plant? How do they grow and change, and what do they need to thrive?

Students discover this and more as they explore the Garden, plant their own seed to take home, and meet a garden expert.

Students will

  • Embark on a ‘plant features’ walk led by a Botanic Garden educator.
  • Plant a seed to take home and grow, act out its life cycle and have fun playing the ‘Plant Needs’ game.
  • Meet one of the Garden’s expert horticulture staff and find out how they care for plants.

Key content

  • Describing the external features of a variety of plants they find in the Garden, e.g. leaves, stems, flowers, fruits.
  • Exploring how a plant grows, changes, and has offspring similar to itself, e.g. acting out a plant’s life cycle through embodiment.
  • Learning about the specific environment a plant needs to thrive, e.g. light, air, water, nutrients, soil.
  • Discovering how a local environment can be improved to help plants grow, e.g. Q&A with a horticulturalist.

Links to New South Wales curriculum

Focus Syllabus Outcomes

Science - Living Worlds

  • Describes observable features of living things and their environments (ST1-4LW-S)
Supported Syllabus Outcomes

Science - Working Scientifically

  • Observes, questions and collects data to communicate and compare ideas (ST1-1WS-S) 
kids touring in the garden

Explore how a plant grows, changes, and has offspring similar to itself.