Resources by Science & Plants for Schools (SAPS)

Epigenetics article

This article looks at epigenetics in plants.

Rooted to the spot, plants cannot run away from problems.  Instead,...

Estimating the glucose concentration of a solution

Produced by Science & Plants for Schools (SAPS), in this investigation, students look at the concentration of glucose in isotonic sports drinks. This enables students to see if the drinks are, in fact, isotonic with the blood.

In this investigation, students first produce a standard curve by testing...

Ethene: Plant Growth and Ripening

Produced by Science & Plants for Schools (SAPS), this investigation looks at the effects of ethene of fruit ripening.

Ethene is a colourless gas and is produced by plants, acting as a plant growth substance. Its...

Examining mycorrhizae

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 prepare and stain roots, and then examine them to establish the frequency of mycorrhizae. 

The...

Finding Out About the Number of Flower Parts

This activity details three ways to dissect a flower in order to identify and name the different parts. Linked to plant lifecycles, further activity ideas can be found in the full resource Parts...

Food Miles

In this resource, aimed at primary level, children think about seasonal produce and the long distances travelled by foods so that we can have a full choice of fruit and vegetables all year round. Providing ideas for classroom activities the resource links to work on the environment, plants, seasons and world...

Fruit Juice Production

Fruit juice companies use a variety of different treatments and enzymes to maximise their yield. In this experiment students will investigate the effectiveness of these different enzymes.

The enzymes used are designed...

Fruit juice production and enzyme recovery

Produced by Science & Plants for Schools (SAPS), in this investigation, students look at the effectiveness of enzymes used in the commercial production of fruit juices.

Fruit juice companies use enzymes to break down the cells walls within the fruits and release the liquids and the sugars which make up...

Fruits, Seeds and Their Dispersal

This series of activities, aimed at primary level, explores different aspects of fruits and seeds and looks at how and why they are dispersed. Children identify the main characteristics of fruits and seeds by making careful observations, drawing them and labelling their important features. They then group them...

Fungal Inhibition

In this experiment students grow yeast on agar plates and look at the effect on growth of some common anti-fungal treatments, which are available to treat conditions such athlete's foot and thrush. Antifungal products may be bought from a local pharmacist, for example, Canistan, Daktarin, Diflucan. Several...