Year 3 - Science
Nutrients and fertilisers for plants (non-statutory)
What plants do and what they need
Study Hub
Study Guides
This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
This unit explores the functions of different parts of flowering plants, including roots, stems, leaves, and flowers. It investigates plant requirements for growth and the role of flowers in pollination, seed formation, and dispersal. Emphasis is on practical enquiries, and data presentation.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to explain how soil quality can be changed using fertilisers.
Key Notes
- 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.
Vocabulary To Learn
- 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.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Pupils may think that fertiliser added to plants is their 'food' and so is necessary for their survival.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the scientific idea in this lesson using two key points.
Soil is an important source of nutrients for plants. Some plants may struggle to grow and survive in certain types of soil.
2. Define this scientific word and use it in context. 'soil'
Soil is ground up rock mixed up with plant and animal remains. Include the word in a full scientific explanation, not as a single label.
3. Correct this common scientific misunderstanding.
Mistake: Pupils may think that fertiliser added to plants is their 'food' and so is necessary for their survival. Correction: 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.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Comparing what plants need in different habitats Study Guide
- How water is transported in plants Study Guide
- Life cycle of a flowering plant Study Guide
- Plants without roots Study Guide
- Pollination Study Guide
- Seed formation and seed dispersal Study Guide
- The function of flowers Study Guide
- The function of leaves Study Guide
- The function of roots Study Guide
- The parts of a flower Study Guide
- What plants need: do Study Guide
- What plants need: final review Study Guide
- What plants need: plan Study Guide
- What plants need: review Study Guide
Browse all guides in the Year 3 Science guide library.