Competition for pre-school settings and schools
Kindly sponsored by The Rotary Club of Ludlow
Competition brief: Does seed size matter?
There are two main aims for this year’s competition:
- to be able to explain whether the size of seeds affect their growing period and the quantity of food plants they produce
- to understand how plants make seeds so they can be used to grow more food plants
In the week beginning 20 March 2023, you will be provided with a selection of seeds of varying sizes (radish, cress, lettuce, carrots and pumpkins) and a bag of peat-free compost. You can use the seed trays and covers you were given as part of last year’s competition to sprout the seeds or, of course, use any other seed-sprouting methods you wish (such as jam jars, damp paper towels or seed sprouters). If you didn’t take part last year, we’ll provide a seed tray and cover. You will also be given two large plastic pots so the plants can be transplanted as they grow or, if you wish, you can sow your seeds directly into the pots or into your garden if you have one, where they can grow into productive plants for harvesting and eating.
The children are asked to use their knowledge, imagination, creativity and understanding to explore ways of germinating the seeds and then growing them on to strong, healthy and productive plants that they can harvest, prepare, cook if necessary and eat.
- During the planting and growing period, the children should keep a log of their activities, either individually or as a group. They can use information technology, writing, oral work and any other recording and communication methods they wish. It is important that the log contains as much evidence of children’s activities as feasible, either as individuals or in working groups, to show how the activity has developed their knowledge, skills and understanding, for example through:
- keeping on trying if they encounter difficulties, creating and developing their own ideas and developing strategies for doing things;
- asking simple questions and recognising that they can be answered in different ways; observing closely; carrying out simple tests; using their observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions; and gathering and recording data to help in answering questions;
- exploring the different varieties of seeds available, the range of culinary uses they can be put to, and whether or not there are significant advantages to eating them as part of a healthy diet;
- for older children, recording findings using simple scientific language, drawings, labelled diagrams, keys, bar charts, tables and information technology.
They can decide how to present their log and what to put in it to show: the key events; any problems with growing their seeds and how they solved them; any advice they sought; how the growing conditions influenced their crops; and their overall successes and failures.
- The activity can take place at any time between the beginning of 20 March and 8 July. It can be broader than the scope of the brief if that better suits the time available and teaching and learning goals you’d like to achieve.
- Judging will take place on 13 and 14 July, when the judges will visit, look at the logs and discuss the activities with the children who have taken part. We shall focus on four key aspects that arise from the brief, taking account of the children’s and students’ ages and abilities and which have influenced the choice of learning activities:
- developing knowledge and understanding
- applying knowledge and understanding
- recording and evaluating
- preparing, cooking and eating
- Prizes for winners will delivered on 17 or 18 July so you can present them to your children at an event that you feel most appropriate to recognise the achievements of both the children and the adults who have been involved.
Support
- Last year’s entrants have a memory stick of guidance, practical ideas and a range of resources to help you integrate this project into your curriculum, teaching and learning activities, which are also appropriate to support this year’s competition. New entrants will be provided with a memory stick. It covers:
- EYFS: National Requirements and non-statutory guidance, including Birth to Five Matters, 2021
- Key Stage 1: relevant National Curriculum guidance
- Key Stage 2: relevant National Curriculum guidance
- SEND: National Curriculum P Scales – science performance descriptors
- Practical support and advice will be provided in two ways:
- further guidance on sowing and growing the seeds will be distributed with the seeds in March, together with examples of key points to be covered within each of the four key aspects to clarify what the judges will be considering when making their decisions
Click here to view and download the Aspects For Judging document. (Opens in anew tab.)