You will learn
- Explain use of glucose.
- Describe starch storage.
- Name stored-food parts.
- Test for starch.
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
- Glucose gives energy.
- Excess glucose becomes starch.
- Plants store food in roots, tubers, seeds and fruits.
- Humans eat stored plant food.
Words to know
a stored form of sugar in plants
to keep for later
a swollen underground stem
the seed of cereal plants
1. Discover: The yam harvest
Papa Kwesi digs up a big yam. “The leaves made sugar all season,” he says. “The plant turned it into starch and stored it in the yam. That is why yams feed us.”
Think: Why does the plant store food?
2. Understand: Plant food
Idea 1: Use of glucose
Plants use glucose for respiration and growth. Extra glucose is turned into starch and stored.
Idea 2: Stores
Roots like cassava, tubers like yam, grains like maize and fruits like banana store food for the plant and for animals who eat them.
Idea 3: Test
Iodine solution turns blue-black with starch. An adult applies it on cut foods like potato and bread to show starch.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Explain
Why store.
- Winter.
- Dry season.
- Later growth.
Answer: Stores feed later growth.
Example 2 (We do it together): Name
Tuber.
- Yam.
- Potato.
- Underground.
Answer: Yam is a tuber.
Example 3 (You try): Explain
Iodine.
Show the steps and answer
- Blue-black.
- Starch.
- Test.
Answer: It shows starch.
Did you know?
Rice, wheat and maize together provide more than half of the calories eaten by people worldwide.
Why this matters
Understanding plant food explains how farms feed the world.
4. Explore: Starch test
With an adult, test thin slices of potato, apple, bread and cheese with diluted iodine drops and record colour changes.
- Put slices on a tray.
- Adult adds one drop.
- Observe colour.
- Record results.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? Potato and bread turned blue-black.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- ___ is a stored sugar.
- To ___ is to keep for later.
- A ___ is a swollen underground stem.
- A ___ is a cereal seed.
Guided practice
Question 1. What is starch?
Stored sugar.
Question 2. What is a tuber?
Underground stem.
Question 3. What is a grain?
Cereal seed.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- What is starch?
- What is a tuber?
- What is a grain?
- Name a root crop.
- What turns blue-black?
Level 2: Grow
- Why store?
- Why starch?
- Why test?
Level 3: Stretch
- Test foods.
- Sort plant stores.
- Explain.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Science in everyday life
Explain why potatoes contain starch.
Show a sample answer
Use photosynthesis.
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: They do.
Fix: Usually not.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can explain use of glucose.
- I can describe starch storage.
- I can name stored-food parts.
- I can test for starch.
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
- Glucose gives energy.
- Excess glucose becomes starch.
- Plants store food in roots, tubers, seeds and fruits.
- Humans eat stored plant food.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Plants in food chains. 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.
- Define starch and tuber. [2 marks]
- Name three plant stores. [3 marks]
- Explain the iodine test. [3 marks]
- Safety rule. [2 marks]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- 1 each
- 1 each
- Adult [1]; blue-black [1]; starch [1]
- Any [1]; reason [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
- What is starch?
- What is a tuber?
- What is a grain?
- Name a root crop.
- What turns blue-black?
- Why store?
- Why starch?
- Why test?
- Test foods.
- Sort plant stores.
Homework
List five starchy foods at home.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What is starch? | Stored sugar. | 1 |
| 2. What is a tuber? | Underground stem. | 1 |
| 3. What is a grain? | Cereal seed. | 1 |
| 4. Name a root crop. | Cassava. | 1 |
| 5. What turns blue-black? | Starch. | 1 |
| 6. Why store? | Later use. | 1 |
| 7. Why starch? | Easy to store. | 1 |
| 8. Why test? | Show starch. | 1 |
| 9. Test foods. | Table. | 1 |
| 10. Sort plant stores. | Chart. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 Stored sugar.; 2 Underground stem.; 3 Cereal seed.; 4 Cassava.; 5 Starch.. Level 2: 1 Later use.; 2 Easy to store.; 3 Show starch.. Level 3: 1 Table.; 2 Chart.; 3 Sentence..
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 Explain use of glucose | 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 Describe starch storage | 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 Name stored-food parts | 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 Test for starch | 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 do not store food.” They do.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Explain plant food storage.
- 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 studies how plants store food. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- List starchy foods.
- Ask “Why does it store food?”
- Adults use iodine.
- 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: explain use of glucose; describe starch storage; name stored-food parts; test for starch.
Prerequisite knowledge. Grade 4 ideas: parts of a plant, what plants need, life cycles and simple food chains.
Materials. Food slices, tray, iodine (adult). 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. Slice foods.
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). Show a yam and ask, “What is inside?”
Explanation (10 min). Teach plant food.
Guided activity (10 min). Learners test.
Independent activity (10 min). Learners sort.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. Where is food stored?
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 do not store food.” They do.
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. Explain plant food storage. 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 5 Unit 3, topic 7; Next Generation Science Standards, matter and energy in organisms; Cambridge Primary Science Stage 5, biology: plants; IB Primary Years Programme, sharing the planet. These sources informed the lesson.