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School Science Workshop... Plants for Life! | Fizzics Education
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Plants for Life

Plants for Life

Investigate the structure, function & adaptations of plants

🌿 Biological Sciences: Botany

Plants for Life

Germination, Pollination and Ecosystem Health

Investigate the structure and function of plants in a botanical workshop that truly works! This session invites students to think like plant scientists, investigating the biological “building blocks” of the greenery that sustains our planet.

We explore the hidden world of the garden biome, examining how plants transport water and nutrients through specialized vascular bundles. From the macroscopic world of seed dispersal and tree growth to the microscopic world of cellular adaptations, students learn how botanical research drives sustainability and food security in the modern world.

What we investigate:

  • Vascular Transport: Proving the flow of nutrients via xylem and phloem.
  • Pollination Mechanics: The roles insects play in plant life cycles.
  • Adaptations: How structural features enable survival in extreme climates.
  • Dendrochronology: Using tree growth rings to decode environmental history.
  • Microscopy: Analyzing the differences between plant and animal cells.
  • Ecosystem Health: Identifying pests and the breakdown of organic material.

Research-Backed Inquiry

Led by Churchill Fellow Ben Newsome, our team bridges the gap between classroom botany and real biological science.

Ben Newsome Biological Science

Over 4 Million Students Reached since 2004

Curriculum Focus:

Investigate the characteristics, needs, and structural adaptations of living things through data-led scientific inquiry.

🌸
Reproduction & Dispersal.
🐝
Pollination mechanics.

Australian National Curriculum Mapping for all our science incursions

Australian ACARA Content Outcomes:

Science F-10 Version 9.0

Foundation
  • observe external features of plants and animals and describe ways they can be grouped based on these features AC9SFU01
  • pose questions and make predictions based on experiences AC9SFI01
Year 1
  • identify the basic needs of plants and animals, including air, water, food or shelter, and describe how the places they live meet those needs AC9S1U01
Year 1 & 2
  • describe how people use science in their daily lives, including using patterns to make scientific predictions AC9S1H0, AC9S2H01
  • pose questions to explore observed simple patterns and relationships and make predictions based on experiences AC9S1I01, AC9S2I01
  • compare observations with predictions and others’ observations, consider if investigations are fair and identify further questions with guidance AC9S1I05, AC9S2I05
Year 3
  • compare characteristics of living and non-living things and examine the differences between the life cycles of plants and animals AC9S3U01
Year 4
  • explain the roles and interactions of consumers, producers and decomposers within a habitat and how food chains represent feeding relationships AC9S4U01
Year 3 & 4
  • examine how people use data to develop scientific explanations AC9S3H01, AC9S4H01
  • consider how people use scientific explanations to meet a need or solve a problem AC9S3H02, AC9S4H02
  • pose questions to explore observed patterns and relationships and make predictions based on observations AC9S3I01, AC9S4I01
  • compare findings with those of others, consider if investigations were fair, identify questions for further investigation and draw conclusions AC9S3I05, AC9S4I05
Year 5
  • examine how particular structural features and behaviours of living things enable their survival in specific habitats AC9S5U01
Year 5 & 6
  • investigate how scientific knowledge is used by individuals and communities to identify problems, consider responses and make decisions AC9S5H02, AC9S6H02
  • pose investigable questions to identify patterns and test relationships and make reasoned predictions AC9S5I01, AC9S6I01
  • compare methods and findings with those of others, recognise possible sources of error, pose questions for further investigation and select evidence to draw reasoned conclusions AC9S5I05, AC9S6I05

Australian National Curriculum Mapping for all our science workshops & shows

NSW K – 10 Science Syllabus mapping for all our incursions

NSW Science Syllabus Content

A student:

STe-3LW-ST: explores the characteristics, needs and uses of living things
ST1-4LW-S: describes observable features of living things and their environments
ST2-4LW-S: compares features and characteristics of living and non-living things
ST3-4LW-S: examines how the environment affects the growth, survival and adaptation of living things

NSW Science and Technology K–6 Syllabus (Implementation from 2027)

For explanatory points & implementation advice for each dot point, please visit the NESA Science and Technology K–6 Curriculum site

Early Stage 1

STE-SCI-01

identifies and describes characteristics of living things, properties of materials, and movement

  • Identify the sense organs and describe their functions
  • Identify and use tools to aid and extend sensory observations
  • Describe how living things get air, water and energy to survive in their environment
  • Recognise that plants produce their own food, and animals need to find their food
  • Examine flowers, fruit, leaves, roots and stems of plants and describe their purpose
  • Pose questions to compare the characteristics of living things and non-living things

STE-PQU-01 poses questions based on observations to collect data

Stage 1

ST1-SCI-01

measures and describes changes in living things, materials, movement, Earth and the sky

  • Describe the changes in a plant as it grows using data and scientific models
  • Describe the changes in an animal as it goes through its life cycle using data and scientific models

ST1-PQU-01 poses questions based on observations and information to investigate cause and effect

Stage 2

ST2-SCI-01

uses information to investigate the solar system and the effects of energy on living, physical and geological systems

  • Describe the relationship between habitat, ecosystem and environment
  • Describe ways in which plants and animals depend on each other for survival

ST2-PQU-01 poses questions to create fair tests that investigate the effects of energy on living things and physical systems

Stage 3

ST3-SCI-01

uses evidence to explain how scientific knowledge can be used to develop sustainable practices

  • Observe behavioural and structural adaptations of plants and animals, and suggest how these may help them survive in their environments
  • Examine and explain how the characteristics of flowers, fruit and seeds are adaptations for reproduction in plants
  • Identify and describe how the loss or introduction of plants or animals affects an Australian ecosystem

ST3-PQU-01 poses questions to identify variables and conducts fair tests to gather data


VIC Curriculum F–10 Version 2.0

For explanatory points & implementation advice for each dot point, please visit the VIC Curriculum F-10 site.

Foundation to Level 2
  • plants and animals have observable features that can be used to group them in different ways. VC2S2U01
  • plants and animals have basic needs, including air, water, food and shelter; the places where they live meet those needs. VC2S2U02
  • plants and animals have external features that perform different functions to enable their survival; in plants these features include roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruit, bulbs, trunks and branches while different features in animals enable them to move, breathe, eat and respond to their environment. VC2S2U03
  • experiences can be used as a basis for posing questions to explore observed patterns and relationships, and to make predictions. VC2S2I01
  • observations, findings and ideas can be shared with others by using everyday and some scientific vocabulary. VC2S2I06
Levels 3 & 4
  • plants and animals have different life cycles; offspring are similar, but not identical, to their parents. VC2S4U02
  • living things have characteristics that distinguish them from non-living things and things that were once living, including fossils. VC2S4U01
  • scientific investigations to answer questions or test predictions can be planned and conducted using provided scaffolds, including identifying the attributes of fair tests, and considering the safe use of materials and equipment. VC2S4I02
Levels 5 & 6
  • organisms have evolved over time, as seen in fossils and scientific records; the structural features and behaviours of living organisms enable them to thrive in their environments. VC2S6U02
  • repeatable scientific investigations to answer questions can be planned and conducted, including, as appropriate, deciding the variables to be changed, measured and controlled in fair tests, considering potential risks, planning for the safe and ethical use of equipment and materials, and obtaining permissions for investigations conducted on Country and Place or in protected areas. VC2S6I02

School Testimonials

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St Andrews Primary Maryong

Students were very excited. Loved too many aspects - couldn't decide which was the best part. Very hands-on - all children engaged all the time. Excellent.

Science Show Demonstrations

Flower
power

Dissect the flowers; match the flower parts to the flower model

Life
cycles

Explore the life cycles of plants... how do they germinate?

Microscopes

Check out flowers, bark or your own hand with this digital microscope

UV
flowers

How do insects see flowers?

Photosynthesis

A great demonstration on how this process works

Seeing
cells

A look at the structure & function of plant cells

Moving fluids

Discover what drives water, energy & nutrient transport around plants.

Cabbage
chemistry

Plant colour can tell you about pH of soils. How?

How old
is my tree?

Determine the age of the wood by it's rings.

Petrified
plants

Fossil samples of ancient vegetation. How does this link to plate tectonics?

Insect
adatations

How have plants & insects co-adapted in response to each other?

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Science workshop content

What Students Experience: The Botanical Research Lab

In this immersive workshop, students step into the role of botanical scientists. We investigate the hidden biological systems that sustain life on Earth, from the visible structures of giant trees to the microscopic world of plant cells. Students explore vascular transport, reproductive anatomy, and evolutionary adaptations, discovering how plants respond to their environment to protect global food resources.

Vascular Analysis

Students set up colourful experiments to prove the existence of vascular bundles, tracking water movement via transpiration and nutrient flow via photosynthesis through the xylem and phloem.

Micro-Anatomy

Using flower dissections and digital microscopy, students identify reproductive structures and analyse the cellular differences that distinguish plant life from animal life.

Environmental Records

Through dendrochronology (tree ring analysis), students decode the environmental history of local ecosystems and investigate how seed dispersal methods ensure species survival.

The session concludes with an analysis of plant responses to environmental stressors. We discuss the critical work of plant scientists in identifying pests and nutrient deficiencies, demonstrating how botanical knowledge is the first line of defence in maintaining the health of our planet’s biomes.

EST. 2004

Professional Botany Field Kits

A Trusted STEM Partner for 20 Years

Fizzics Education brings specialised equipment, botanical models, and real-world samples to provide a scientifically rigorous exploration of the Living World.

Data-Led Observation: Students use scientific models and real biological samples to gather evidence and draw reasoned conclusions.

Requirements

🌿 Session Support

Botany Logistics

👥 Capacity & Timing

👨‍🎓 Attendance: Max 30 students per session.

🏫 Target: Appropriate for Years K to 6.

Duration: 60 minutes.

🛠️ Set/Pack: 45 mins setup + 45 mins pack down.

📍 Space & Setup

🏗️ Layout: 12 tables arranged around the room for rotation stations.

🔌 Power: Access to 2 electrical power sockets.

🪑 Seating: Chairs are not required for students.

COVID Safe

COVID Safe: We’ll tailor the program to suit both your school and current State health requirements. Contact us for tailored planning.

🛡️ $20M Public Liability
WWCC Checked
📋 Full Risk Assessments
🎓 Expert Educators

Go Further!

Complete STEM Units to Support Your Teaching

Save time and engage students in Biological Sciences with high-quality videos, printable experiments, quizzes, and marking rubrics designed for K-6 science.

Explore STEM Units

Did you know about our larger stage shows?

Designed to engage up to 240 students, pair this workshop with one of these school favourites:

Cost

🌿 Workshop Investment

Plants for Life

$580 inc. GST
60-Minute Session
✨ $19.33 per student
(Based on 30 students)

$660 inc. GST
90-Minute Workshop
✨ $22.00 per student
(Based on 30 students)

Early Bird: Book and pay within 7 days to receive 10% off your booking.

🌍 Online: Available as a LIVE interactive workshop worldwide.

📍 Regional: Country Science Tours available for your school.

📜 Curriculum: Print a PDF Mapping for all K to 6 science visits.

Ready to grow your students’ botanical knowledge?

Call 1300 856 828

Enquire Now

Extension Ideas!

Scientist Q & A

Often students attend our science workshops and shows with questions that stem beyond the covered topic area. Ask a scientist aims to give students a chance to get their questions answered! Run as a 30-minute session at a cost of $70 inc. GST.

Read More

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