Biology

Grow Apples or Tomatoes in Bottles

‘Impossible bottles’ are bottles containing things that appear too big to have been put in through the neck of the bottle, such as ships, decks of cards, or whole fruit…

Watching Minibeasts

Minibeasts are small invertebrates and include arthropods such as spiders, insects, woodlice, centipedes and millipedes, as well as slugs and snails and worms. Invertebrates are animals without backbones, which means…

Finding and Watching Mites

Mites are small invertebrates from the group Arachnida, the same group as spiders. Many people are not aware of the mites around them, as most mites are microscopic. Mites as…

Finding Flowers and Trees

Many people feel that they have to travel to the countryside to see flowers and trees, but according to a study in Germany in 2008, there are more different species…

Make a Rubber Band from a Dandelion

Rubber is a natural product made from latex. Many plants, including dandelions, produce latex but most of the world’s latex, the key ingredient of rubber, comes from the rubber tree,…

How Potatoes Begin: Grow Your Own Chips

Potatoes are tubers produced by the stems of the plant called Solanum tuberosum, which is part of the same family as tomatoes, peppers and aubergines. The plant produces tubers to…

Knowing Which Way is Up & Finding the Light

Plants respond to gravity and to light, with roots growing downwards and away from the light, and shoots growing upwards and towards the light. The response to gravity is called…

How Seeds Grow

A seed is a minute dormant plant that is waiting for the right conditions to grow (germinate). Seeds range from orchid seeds weighing a millionth of a gram to seeds…

Water & Food: How Plants Eat and Drink

Plants need water. Water in the cells helps plants to grow and make food, makes leaves and stems firm (a plant that needs watering wilts), and carries minerals from the…

DISCOVERY, INFORMATION & GUIDANCE for Kids