What is the most valuable resource?

This term, our learning focuses on plants, light and the importance of water.  Through our texts The Great Kapok Tree, Hey, Get Off Our Train, Where the Forest Meets the Sea and A River, we will explore deforestation and persuasive writing and write an explanation of the water cycle.  To start off the term, the children have designed their own fair tests to investigate the effect of different amounts of water, soil, sunlight and fertiliser on the growth of their lettuces, as well as different types of soils and orientation. We have also started a sunflower growing competition. Who will persevere to get their seed to germinate? And whose will grow the tallest? Building on what the children learned in Years R-2 about growing plants, we will look more closely at the functions of the different parts of the plants, water (and nutrient) transportation, photosynthesis, pollination, seed formation and seed dispersal.  As well as learning about the importance of protecting our skin and eyes from the sun in our unit on light, we will also be investigating shadow formation by doing fair tests. In Art, the children will be investigating the effect of adding different textures to paint to create a river masterpiece just like those of Monet and Seurat which we will be studying.