Nutrients and fertilisers for plants (non-statutory) | Science

Starter quiz

Which part of the plant usually grows beneath the soil?
- flowers
- leaves
- stem
- roots ✓
What does it mean to survive?
- to get bigger
- to stay alive ✓
- to die
- to build a home
Something that is human-made is …
- found in nature.
- created by humans. ✓
- a part of a human body.
What is soil made from?
- organic matter, air, water and tiny pieces of rock ✓
- mud, air, water and small pieces of dirt
- organic matter, mud, dirt and small pieces of plastic
- insects, water, plants and tiny pieces of rock
Which of these statements about soil is correct?
- Soil is not useful.
- All soil is the same.
- Soil is just another word for ‘dirt’.
- There are different types of soil. ✓
Which of these is not a type of soil?
- sandy
- silt
- muddy ✓
- clay
- loam

Exit quiz

To grow well, plants need ______ from soil.
- 'nutrients' ✓
We can add more nutrients to soil by …
- adding more plants to the soil.
- keeping it in the sunlight.
- using fertilisers. ✓
Which of these statements is correct?
- All plants can grow in sandy soil because it is full of nutrients.
- Some plants may struggle to grow in certain types of soil. ✓
- All plants are able to grow in any type of soil.
How do fertilisers affect plants?
- They can help them grow bigger and be more healthy. ✓
- They can make them need less water.
- They can provide the plant with more sunlight.
- They can make the flowers change colour.
______ fertilisers are better for the environment than human-made fertilisers, which can damage the habitats they are used in.
- 'organic' ✓
Which of these fertilisers are organic?
- compost ✓
- fertiliser granules
- manure ✓
- liquid plant food

Worksheet

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Lesson Details

Key learning points

Soil is an important source of nutrients for plants.
Some plants may struggle to grow and survive in certain types of soil.
Nutrients can be added to soil using fertilisers.
Fertilisers added to soil make plants grow bigger and be more healthy.
Fertilisers can be organic, such as compost and manure, or human-made.

Common misconception

Pupils may think that fertiliser added to plants is their ‘food’ and so is necessary for their survival.

Explain that plants do not eat food in the same way that we do but they do need nutrients to survive, grow and stay healthy. They get these nutrients from soil and we can add fertiliser to soil to increase the nutrients within it.

Keywords

Soil - Soil is ground up rock mixed up with plant and animal remains.
Organic - Anything which is alive or was once alive is organic.
Nutrients - A nutrient is any substance that plants or animals need in order to live or grow.
Fertiliser - A substance containing nutrients that we can add to soil to make it better for growing plants.
Human-made - Something that is human-made is made or caused by humans.