Australian National Botanic Gardens

This Field Kit contains hands-on, outdoor activities related to plant life cycles.

Use this presentation to print resources for activity 2 in the Plant Life Cycles Field Kit.

In this lesson, students learn about Australian native plants and the role of a botanic garden.

Learn about the life cycle stages of a generalised flowering plant as well as several specific Australian plants. Compare the differences and similarities between the life cycles of flowering plants and animals.

In this lesson students can use a pair of socks to find seeds in their local area. Students will also dissect and identify the parts of a seed and test their classification skills. 

This document provides educators with supporting notes for the Plant Life Cycles module. In this document, we look at the life cycle stages of Australian native plants as well as the processes and triggers needed to move between life cycle stages.  

Meet a seed scientist and discover the life cycle of a flowering plant, from a seed to seedling. 

Learn about the life cycle of a flowering plant from seedling to seed dispersal. Listen to one of our horticulturalists explore the different life cycle stages of a plant in the Australian National Botanic Gardens' Nursery. 

A full suite of outdoor activities related to plant structure. Collect specimens and then decide whether to press them, draw them, dissect them, or all three!

Learn the names and functions of different plant parts, from roots to flowers. Create an anchor chart, a word wall and create your own plant. 

Explore the anatomy of plants and how they use the vascular system in their roots, stem and leaves to transport water and nutrients. Design an investigation to demonstrate the function of each of the structural elements of a plant. Examine case studies and explore photosynthesis.

Deconstruct a flower to discover all its amazing parts. Design and create your own flower to demonstrate your knowledge. 

Background information for educators about plant structure. From roots to flowers, explore the structure and function of our native Australian plants. 

Discover the names and functions of plant parts from roots to flowers. Visit the Australian National Herbarium to learn how botanists use this knowledge. 

Use these hands-on activities to discover pollination. Pollinate a flower by hand, complete a pollinator habitat survey of your local area and build a bee hotel.
 

Myth bust some common pollination misconceptions, describe why and how pollination occurs and discover some of the features of pollinators that assist in the pollination process.
 

Identify animal pollinators and understand why we need to care for them. Explore which plant structures pollinators are attracted to and why. Discover a range of adaptations that plants use to attract pollinators then design and create your own plant and pollinator.
 

What makes a garden pollinator friendly? Complete a survey on your local area and design a garden optimised for pollination using Australian native plants. Learn how to take actions to help ensure the survival of our pollinators and design a minibeast hotel.

What is pollination and how does it work? Background notes for educators outlining everything you need to know to teach pollination to your students.

Discover pollination, pollinators and how the amazing process of pollination works.

Experience what it's like to run your own seed collecting field trip! Learn about how seed scientists plan and undertake seed collection, devise a plan for your own field trip and decide what you will do with your seed collection once they are prepared for storage. 

How do you identify a seed and a fruit? what is the difference? Learn about the anatomy of different seeds, explore the purpose of conservation seed banks and discover what Seed Scientists do.
 

How are seeds dispersed into new areas? Learn about the features of seeds that aid dispersal and then create your own wind dispersed seed to test.

Seed germination, what is it and what can affect it? Test seed viability and conduct your own viability and quality tests on seeds. Explore germination strategies and what might affect germination of different seeds.

Explore background information on seeds, seed structures, anatomy of a seed and more. Everything you need to know to teach your students the Seeds module.

Explore the inside and outside of different seeds. Discover the amazing world of seed dispersal and discover why seeds come in all kinds of weird and wacky shapes.