Resources by Science & Plants for Schools (SAPS)

Investigating Photosynthesis: Can Leaf Discs Make Starch in the Dark?

One of a series of resources from Science & Plants for Schools (SAPS) investigating key topics in plant biology. In this practical activity, students to investigate the role of light in starch production in leaves during the process of photosynthesis. By using leaf discs rather than whole leaves, a number of...

Investigating Phototropism: The Response of Seedlings to Light

One of a series of resources from Science & Plants for Schools (SAPS) investigating key topics in plant biology. This activity offers a simple way to investigate phototropism: the response of seedlings to different wavelengths of light. This technique will help students investigate this tropic response, using...

Investigating Plant Growth Regulators

One of a series of resources from Science & Plants for Schools (SAPS) investigating key topics in plant biology. In this activity, students investigate the effects of the hormone auxin (Indole Acetic Acid or IAA) as a plant growth regulator, giving opportunities to look at auxiliary bud development, root...

Investigating Plant Growth: Growing Radishes in Film Cans

One of a series from Science & Plants for Schools (SAPS) investigating key topics in plant biology. This practical introduces a simple method to grow radishes, for investigations into the effect of a range of factors on plant growth, including levels of pollutants,...

Investigating potato cyst nematodes

From Science & Plants for Schools (SAPS), this practical activity was developed for Scottish Highers specifications, but the protocol can equally well be used for other specifications. 

Students look at potato cyst nematodes, a serious pest of food crops. This is a good example of parasitism to study as...

Investigating Seed Germination

One of a series of resources from Science & Plants for Schools (SAPS) investigating key topics in plant biology.

This activity allows students to investigate many factors that influence seed germination, including temperature, light, nutrient levels, pollutant effects, tropisms and so on.

It...

Investigating the Anti-Cancer Properties of Plants

In this resource, pupils carry out an investigation into the presence of vitamin C, an antioxidant, in the different parts of different plants. This is put in the context of Dr Jess Chu, a young scientist researching Malaysian rainforest plants to see if they have any antioxidant, anti-cancer or antibacterial...

Investigating the Antibacterial Properties of Plants

In this resource, students investigate the antibacterial properties of plants. Their investigation is placed in the context of a case study of Julian Ma, ...

Investigating the Biodiversity of Different Habitats

In this resource, students investigate the biodiversity of different habitats, looking at the relative abundance of different plant species. Students carry out a practical activity in the school grounds or other green space, comparing the diversity of habitats using Cairns' sequential comparison index.

Their...

Investigating the Difference Between Organic and Non-Organic Food

In this investigation, students learn about carrying out a fair test, by running a blind trial of organic and non-organic herbs to see if they can identify any differences in taste. The investigation is put into a STEM careers context through an initial case study of James Seymour, a scientist who works as a...