Plants
for learning
Explore the PAPPUS curriculum-linked learning springboards
The Pappus 'learning springboards' offer easy entry points into rich and memorable learning using plants as a resource, inspiration and context.
Organised by curriculum subject and by age range, there are hundreds of teacher tried-and-tested prompts to stimulate innovative and purposeful teaching.
Use the drop-down menus below to find exactly what you need.
To search again, choose a different subject or age range and click SUBMIT.
Data Handling and Estimating
Maths
Using natural objects in mathematical problems
vek:
10-12, 8-10
A Pappus Resource
Living Walls: Plants in architecture
Creative Arts
Mastery of the techniques of great artists, architects and designer
vek:
8-10, 10-12, 12-14
A Pappus Resource
Measures and Measuring
Maths
Any leaf can be used as a ‘non-standard’ unit of measure
vek:
8-10, 10-12
A Pappus Resource
Operations using brackets (and algebra)
Maths
Using natural materials to represent numbers
vek:
8-10, 10-12, 12-14
A Pappus Resource
The First English Gardening Book - descriptive use of language when watering plants
Literacy
The Gardener’s Labyrinth by Thomas Hill, 1577
vek:
10-12, 12-14
Pappus Resource
Language in Shakespeare
Literacy
Descriptive language using nettle and ivy
vek:
10-12, 12-14
Pappus Resource
Language of flowers: floriography
Literacy
Exploring the coded language of flowers
vek:
10-12, 12-14
Pappus Resource
Guides to the school grounds using literacy and IT skills
Literacy
Ideas for guides to the plants or other features in your grounds
vek:
10-12, 12-14
Pappus Resource
Turning over a new leaf
Literacy
Plants often feature in sayings, maxims, similes and aphorisms
vek:
10-12
Pappus Resource
Interview with a tree - presentation
Literacy
Using information gained from non-fiction text
vek:
10-12
Pappus Resource
Warm up and relaxation
Literacy
An introductory activity for many of the Literacy Springboards
vek:
10-12, 12-14
Pappus Resource
Romans: introducing non-native food plants – KS2
History
The impact of Roman empire on the flora of Europe
vek:
10-12
Pappus Resource
Geography, food, agriculture. Food growing in floating farms
Geography
STEM, global issues, growing food around the world - make a floating ‘farm’
vek:
12-14
Pappus Resource
Local area investigations and field sketching
Geography
Focus on natural landscape features and habitats
vek:
8-10, 10-12, 12-14
Pappus Resource
Hinduism
RE
Explore Hindu notions of ‘science’ and ‘spirit’
vek:
8-10, 10-12
Pappus Resource
Mindful observation
PSHE
Close observation of a collected plant, flower or leaf
vek:
10-12, 8-10, 12-14
Pappus Resource
A winter walk
PSHE
Physically and emotionally healthy choices
vek:
10-12, 8-10, 12-14
Pappus Resource
Outdoor silent walk, or indoor contemplation
PSHE
Developing mindfulness and taking time out
vek:
10-12, 8-10, 12-14
Pappus Resource
Creative activities using plant technologies
Design Technology
Curriculum
vek:
12-14
Pappus Resource
Plant dissection – Dandelion
Design Technology
Explore parts of a plant using a scalpel
vek:
12-14
Pappus Resource
Moral themes, prayer and meditation: Christianity
RE
Trees as features and metaphors in the Bible
vek:
8-10, 10-12
Pappus Resource
Shakespeare’s plants and the images they paint through metaphors
Creative Arts
King Henry V wins the famous Battle of Agincourt
vek:
8-10, 10-12
Pappus Resource
Plant shapes and negative space
Creative Arts
Exploring plant shapes, texture, negative space, composition
vek:
8-10, 10-12
Pappus Resource
Botanical art, flowers in clothing
Creative Arts
Exploring flowers and clothing
vek:
8-10, 10-12, 12-14
A Pappus Resource
Wind pollinated food
Science
Understand the variety of foods that are wind pollinated
vek:
10-12, 12-14, 8-10
A Pappus Resource
Grass whistles, dandelion flutes, whistles and pipes
Creative Arts
Making wind instruments and sounds with natural materials
vek:
10-12, 12-14, 8-10
A Pappus Resource
Pollution investigations - SO2 and particulates
Science
Using lichen to investigate SO2 and looking at the effect of plants on particulate pollution in school grounds
vek:
12-14, 10-12
A Pappus Resource
Medicinal use of plants
Science
Why do nettles sting? And do dock leaves help?
vek:
10-12, 12-14, 8-10
A Pappus Resource
Microclimates: what are heat islands?
Science
Identify heat islands and the effect of plants in mitigation
vek:
8-10, 10-12, 12-14
A Pappus Resource
Living things and their habitats
Science
Sticky, seedy socks: “1 year’s seeds, 7 years’ weeds"
vek:
8-10, 10-12, 12-14
A Pappus Resource
Living things and their habitats
–
seed dispersal
Science
Explore methods of seed dispersal
vek:
8-10, 10-12, 12-14
A Pappus Resource
Living things and their habitats
–
working scientifically
Science
Classification and plant ID keys
vek:
12-14, 10-12, 8-10
A Pappus Resource
Drawing to scale: measuring the height of trees and presenting the data
Maths
Find tree dimension facts from the Pappus Plant ID sheets
vek:
10-12, 8-10
A Pappus Resource
Maths Trail and Number Bonds
Maths
Maths trail/orienteering using plants in the school ground
vek:
10-12, 8-10
A Pappus Resource
Joining materials to make a stable structure
Design Technology
Design to a brief; create and evaluate a climbing sculpture
vek:
10-12, 8-10, 12-14
A Pappus Resource
Place value to 10,000,000
Maths
Using natural objects to explore place value
vek:
8-10, 10-12, 12-14
A Pappus Resource
Budgeting
Maths
Grow your own plants and raise money for school
vek:
8-10, 10-12
A Pappus Resource
Non-fiction text - Seed packets literacy
Literacy
Finding and using information from a non-fiction text
vek:
10-12, 12-14
Pappus Resource
Estate agents’ particulars: insect’s eye view
Literacy
Writing for a purpose – link to habitats
vek:
10-12
Pappus Resource
Acrostic or Diamond poetry
Literacy
Use Pappus ID sheets for nettles
vek:
10-12
Pappus Resource
Myths and legends
Literacy
Use Pappus Elder ID sheet and further research
vek:
10-12
Pappus Resource
Visualisation, Stanislavski - Non-fiction texts
Literacy
Use Non - fiction texts to research trees around school or local environment
vek:
10-12, 12-14
Pappus Resource
Place names and plants – KS2
History
Derivation of place names from plants
vek:
10-12
Pappus Resource
Stone + Iron Age hunter gatherer: Forage plants – KS2
History
Research use of plants to support everyday life in this era
vek:
10-12
Pappus Resource
Worldwide distribution of the Pappus 15 key plants
Geography
Mapping the distribution of plants locally
vek:
10-12
Pappus Resource
Dandelion: a metaphorical bible story
RE
A Dandelion story for assembly or circle time.
vek:
8-10, 10-12
Pappus Resource
Hands-on growing
PSHE
Feeling welcome and valued – caring for plants
vek:
10-12, 8-10, 12-14
Pappus Resource
Yoga and Pilates
PSHE
Mindful exercise outdoors to manage complex feelings
vek:
10-12, 8-10, 12-14
Pappus Resource
Find time for mindfulness
PSHE
Mindfulness, self-worth and connection
vek:
10-12, 8-10, 12-14
Pappus Resource
Grow your own craft resources
Design Technology
Dogwood, willow and hazel provide a range of natural resources for use across the
vek:
12-14
Pappus Resource
Hazel coppice crafts
Design Technology
Harvest and use coppiced hazel in DT projects
vek:
12-14
Pappus Resource
Hydroponics
Design Technology
Researching different ways to grow food crops without soil
vek:
12-14
Pappus Resource
Leaf mache face mask
Creative Arts
Make an expressive mask using leaf mache
vek:
8-10, 10-12
Pappus Resource
Masks of the Commedia dell’Arte
Creative Arts
Exploring comic archetypes
vek:
8-10, 10-12
Pappus Resource
Printing and sketch books
Creative Arts
Four simple but creative ideas for leaf printing, sketch books and ephemeral art
vek:
12-14, 10-12, 8-10
A Pappus resource
Green man masks
Creative Arts
Make expressive masks from leaves, for performance or dance
vek:
10-12, 12-14, 8-10
A Pappus Resource
Pinecone science: hygrometers
Science
Measuring humidity using pinecones
vek:
10-12, 12-14
A Pappus Resource
Vegetable orchestra: Playing with Food
Creative Arts
Make instruments from vegetables
vek:
8-10, 10-12
A Pappus Resource
Growing plants to use in cooking, sensory projects and crafts
Science
Getting started: sources of support for growing plants in school grounds
vek:
10-12, 12-14, 8-10
A Pappus Resource
Pollination methods
Science
Explore the pollination strategies of plants
vek:
10-12, 12-14, 8-10
A Pappus Resource
Living things and their habitats: dissection
Science
Dissect a broad bean to reveal the structure of a seed
vek:
8-10, 10-12, 12-14
A Pappus Resource
Living things and their habitats: leaf chromatography
Science
What colours are in Autumn leaves? Experiment and create scientific art
vek:
8-10, 10-12, 12-14
A Pappus Resource
Close observation ivy
Science
Evolution and inheritance
vek:
8-10, 10-12, 12-14
A Pappus Resource
Famous plant hunters and botanists
Science
Explore the impact of female plant hunters and botanists in 19th and early 20th Century
vek:
12-14, 10-12, 8-10
A Pappus Resource
Shadows, Weights, 3D Shapes and Games
Maths
Plot the shadows
vek:
10-12, 8-10
A Pappus Resource
Angles and Fibonacci and fractals
Maths
Angle and Fibonacci and fractals in nature
vek:
8-10, 10-12, 12-14
A Pappus Resource
Leaf and flower symmetry
Maths
Reflective and rotational symmetry using natural materials
vek:
8-10, 10-12
A Pappus Resource
Pattern symmetry
Maths
This is a physically active task, as well as a mathematical one
vek:
8-10, 10-12
A Pappus Resource
Horse chestnut poem, etymology and history
Literacy
Get to know a local horse chestnut tree in the grounds or locality
vek:
10-12
Pappus Resource
Plant metaphors in Shakespeare
Literacy
Pupils identify metaphors and improvise a scene
vek:
10-12, 12-14
Pappus Resource
Musical hedgerow game
Literacy
Non-fiction texts and food chains in hedgerow habitats
vek:
10-12, 12-14
Pappus Resource
Plants, poems and Haikus
Literacy
Use any leaves to inspire Haiku poems
vek:
10-12
Pappus Resource
Etymology – the roots or origins of words
Literacy
Explore universal plant names, the how and the why!
vek:
10-12
Pappus Resource
Language development and descriptive language - nettles
Literacy
Scaffolding, using nettles as a model, to suggest a wide range of ambitious adjectives to describe a plant
vek:
10-12, 12-14
Pappus Resource
Make paints from plants: history links – KS2
History
Enhance a history project with a creative project to make bunting or flags
vek:
10-12
Pappus Resource
Fieldwork: Lichenometry – using plants to date old stone - KS3
History
An historical study of rocks, trees stone structures or old school buildings, using plants
vek:
12-14
Pappus Resource
Navigation by Plants KS3
Geography
Use the landscape to estimate compass points
vek:
12-14
Pappus Resource
Zen gardens
PSHE
Research and design a Japanese Zen garden
vek:
10-12, 8-10, 12-14
Pappus Resource
Reap what you sow
PSHE
Global citizenship using The Lorax ‘Let it Grow’
vek:
10-12, 8-10, 12-14
Pappus Resource
Take a line for a ‘micro’ hike
PSHE
A mindfulness exercise and language generator
vek:
10-12, 8-10, 12-14
Pappus Resource
Design and Test Plant Watering Devices
Design Technology
Make and evaluate watering devices to meet a design brief.
vek:
12-14
Pappus Resource
Cooking – recipes using common plants
Design Technology
Ideas for food technology activities
vek:
12-14
Pappus Resource
Food and cooking
Design Technology
Recipes galore using wild plants
vek:
12-14
Pappus Resource
Biophilic design
Design Technology
Research biomimicry and biomorphism, developing a design idea for garden feature
vek:
12-14
Pappus Resource
CONIFERS in Shakespeare: conveying setting and atmosphere
Creative Arts
Exploring Shakespeare’s ‘English’ countryside, in particular the role of trees in creating atmosphere and depth
vek:
8-10, 10-12
Pappus Resource
Shakespeare’s natural world: dandelions
Creative Arts
Golden Lads in Fear No More the Heat of the Sun
vek:
8-10, 10-12
Pappus Resource
Colours and Shades
Creative Arts
Exploring the colours, shades and tones of leaves
vek:
8-10, 10-12, 12-14
A Pappus Resource
Seed dispersal drama and role play
Creative Arts
A very active task that supports work in science on seed dispersal
vek:
8-10, 10-12
A Pappus Resource
Wild dancing and celebrations
Creative Arts
Physically active learning through outdoor dance, with props made from natural materials
vek:
8-10, 10-12
A Pappus Resource
Life processes and living things
Science
The human impact on evergreen and deciduous trees
vek:
10-12, 12-14, 8-10
A Pappus Resource
Nettles as a soil indicator
Science
Why do nettles grow here but not there?
vek:
10-12, 12-14, 8-10
A Pappus Resource
Forces: working scientifically
Science
An experiment - the effect of wind on trees laden with ivy
vek:
8-10, 10-12, 12-14
A Pappus Resource
Living things and their habitats
-
working scientifically
Science
Working scientifically to propagate plants from cuttings
vek:
8-10, 10-12
A Pappus Resource
Living things and their habitats
Science
Understand the interrelationship of many species in food webs
vek:
8-10, 10-12, 12-14
A Pappus Resource