You will learn
- Name plants found in different places.
- Say where plants grow.
- Say that different plants grow in different places.
- Tell how plants differ, such as in size and shape.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- Plants grow in many places: gardens, fields, forests, ponds and roadsides.
- Some plants are wild and some are planted by people.
- Different plants grow in different places.
- Plants can be tall or short, thin or wide.
Words to know
all the living and non-living things around us
growing naturally, not planted by people
a plant that farmers grow for food
a cooler place out of the direct sunlight
1. Discover: A walk to the market
Ayo walks to the market with his aunt. He sees tall palm trees, grass by the road, maize growing in a field and yams in a garden. At the market there are leaves, beans and fruit. “So many plants!” he says. His aunt smiles. “Plants are everywhere.”
Think: Which plants did Ayo see?
2. Understand: Where plants grow
Idea 1: Plants everywhere
Plants grow in gardens, fields, forests, along roads and in cracks in walls. Water lilies grow in ponds.
Idea 2: Wild and planted
Some plants grow wild without help. People plant others, such as crops like maize, beans and yams. Gardens have plants that people have chosen.
Idea 3: Different places, different plants
Some plants like sun and some like shade. Some plants need a lot of water and some need little. Cactus plants grow in dry places. Rice grows in wet fields.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Wild or planted?
Maize in a farmer’s field.
- Did the farmer plant it? Yes.
- Is it grown for food? Yes.
- So it is a crop.
Answer: Maize is a planted crop.
Example 2 (We do it together): Where does it grow?
A water lily.
- Does it need a lot of water? Yes.
- Where do we find a lot of water? In a pond.
- So where does it grow?
Answer: A water lily grows in a pond.
Example 3 (You try): Compare two plants
A tall palm tree and short grass.
Show the steps and answer
- Size: the palm is tall and the grass is short.
- Both have roots and leaves.
- Both are plants.
Answer: They are different in size, but both are plants.
Did you know?
Some desert plants store water in their stems, so they can live a long time without rain.
Why this matters
Knowing where plants grow helps us look after them and tells us where our food comes from.
4. Explore: Plant map
Walk with an adult around the school yard or garden and make a plant map.
- Draw a simple map of the place.
- Mark where you find three kinds of plants.
- Say whether each plant is wild or planted.
- Say which plants are in the sun and which are in shade.
Think about it: what did you notice?
Where did most plants grow? Plants grow where they get what they need.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- ___ grows in ___.
- This is a ___ plant (wild or planted).
- This plant likes ___.
- The plants are different because ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. Name a plant that grows in a garden.
Any garden plant.
Question 2. Name a crop.
Maize, beans, rice, yam or similar.
Question 3. Do all plants grow in the same place?
No.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- Name a plant that grows in a garden.
- Name a crop.
- Do all plants grow in the same place?
- Where do water lilies grow?
- Do wild plants need people to plant them?
Level 2: Grow
- Name two places where plants grow.
- What is the difference between a wild plant and a crop?
- Why do some plants grow in shade?
Level 3: Stretch
- Describe three plants near your home and where they grow.
- Explain why rice grows in wet fields.
- Why do farmers plant crops?
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Science in everyday life
Which plants grow near your school? Are they wild or planted?
Show a sample answer
Trees, grass or flowers. Some are wild and some are planted.
Another one. Tell a family member one thing from this lesson. Use the words you learned.
Show a sample answer
A clear sentence that uses at least one word from Words to know.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: Plants grow in many places, including fields, forests, roadsides and ponds.
Fix: Some plants like shade. Different plants like different amounts of light and water.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can name plants found in different places.
- I can say where plants grow.
- I can say that different plants grow in different places.
- I can tell how plants differ, such as in size and shape.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- Plants grow in many places: gardens, fields, forests, ponds and roadsides.
- Some plants are wild and some are planted by people.
- Different plants grow in different places.
- Plants can be tall or short, thin or wide.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Roots. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- Name three places where plants grow. [3 marks]
- What is a crop? [2 marks]
- Name two crops. [2 marks]
- Give one difference between a wild plant and a planted plant. [1 mark]
- Why do some plants live in the shade? [2 marks]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- Any three [1 each]
- A plant [1]; grown by farmers for food [1]
- Any two crops [1 each]
- Wild: grows by itself; planted: people grow it [1]
- They need less sun [1]; they grow well there [1]
Score guide: 9 to 10 = secure. 6 to 8 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- Name a plant that grows in a garden.
- Name a crop.
- Do all plants grow in the same place?
- Where do water lilies grow?
- Do wild plants need people to plant them?
- Name two places where plants grow.
- What is the difference between a wild plant and a crop?
- Why do some plants grow in shade?
- Describe three plants near your home and where they grow.
- Explain why rice grows in wet fields.
Homework
Draw a map of your yard or street and mark where plants grow. Colour wild plants green and planted ones yellow.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Name a plant that grows in a garden. | Any garden plant. | 1 |
| 2. Name a crop. | Maize, beans, rice, yam or similar. | 1 |
| 3. Do all plants grow in the same place? | No. | 1 |
| 4. Where do water lilies grow? | In ponds or still water. | 1 |
| 5. Do wild plants need people to plant them? | No. | 1 |
| 6. Name two places where plants grow. | Any two, such as a garden, a field or a forest. | 1 |
| 7. What is the difference between a wild plant and a crop? | A wild plant grows by itself. A crop is planted by people for food. | 1 |
| 8. Why do some plants grow in shade? | They do well with less sun. | 1 |
| 9. Describe three plants near your home and where they grow. | Three plants with places. | 1 |
| 10. Explain why rice grows in wet fields. | Rice needs a lot of water. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 Any garden plant.; 2 Maize, beans, rice, yam or similar.; 3 No.; 4 In ponds or still water.; 5 No.. Level 2: 1 Any two, such as a garden, a field or a forest.; 2 A wild plant grows by itself. A crop is planted by people for food.; 3 They do well with less sun.. Level 3: 1 Three plants with places.; 2 Rice needs a lot of water.; 3 To grow food for people and animals..
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Name plants found in different places | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Say where plants grow | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Say that different plants grow in different places | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Tell how plants differ, such as in size and shape | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: “Plants only grow in gardens.” Plants grow in many places, including fields, forests, roadsides and ponds.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Use pictures of three plants and say where each one grows.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child learns where plants grow and how they differ in different places. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Look for plants on the way to the shop or school.
- Ask, “Is it wild or planted? What does it need?”
- Talk about the crops that your family eats.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: name plants found in different places; say where plants grow; say that different plants grow in different places; tell how plants differ, such as in size and shape.
Prerequisite knowledge. None. Learners should be able to look, listen and talk about what they notice.
Materials. Clipboards or paper, pencils, crayons, pictures of crops and wild plants. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Plan a safe walk. Prepare a simple map template. Gather pictures of maize, palms, grass, a cactus and a water lily.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Ask, “Where have you seen plants today?”
Explanation (10 min). Teach where plants grow, wild plants and crops.
Guided activity (10 min). Learners do a plant walk and draw a plant map.
Independent activity (10 min). Learners tell which plants are wild or planted.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. Where does it grow? Who planted it? What does it need?
Teacher explanation notes. Start with real objects and safe, hands-on observation. Then talk about what was seen, then draw and write. Always say “how do you know?”. Keep to the safety notes, and use local, safe materials.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use real objects and pictures, short sentences and a partner. Let learners point, show or draw instead of writing. Extension. Ask learners to find a new example at home and explain how they know.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. “Plants only grow in gardens.” Plants grow in many places, including fields, forests, roadsides and ponds.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 10-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Use pictures of three plants and say where each one grows. Enrichment. Look for one new example near your home or school, draw it and explain it to someone. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Next Generation Science Standards, Cambridge Primary Science and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Research used to shape this lesson. Courseversity Science curriculum, Grade 1 Unit 3, topic 2; Next Generation Science Standards, from molecules to organisms (structures and functions of plants); Cambridge Primary Science Stage 1, plants; IB Primary Years Programme, how the world works. These sources informed the lesson.