TEACHER’S NOTES

Change: Science
by Keith Kelly

open.; 2. Animals eat fruit and discard the seeds or

YOUR CLIL TEACHER’S NOTES

AGE: Teenagers
eat fruit and excrete the seeds away from the parent
LEVEL: Intermediate
plant.; 3. People disperse seeds both intentionally
TIME NEEDED: Approx. 90 minutes by moving them around, or accidentally by carrying
OBJECTIVES: to learn about the different them unawares.; 4. Some seeds are built with wings
methods of fruit and seed dispersal; to do a or parachutes to move in the wind by gliding, spinning
prediction quiz and a reading; to take part in a or floating away from the parent plant.; 5. Some seeds
group presentation; to complete exercises on are buoyant and can float on water, others can trap air
words linked to change and interaction in their fine hairs enabling them to float.
KEY SKILLS: reading, speaking,
writing, listening 3. Now ask students to read the text on fruit and seed
dispersal quickly to check their predictions. They
MATERIALS: one copy of the worksheet per
shouldn’t spend much time doing this, as it is to locate
student; coloured pens; A3 paper; coconut and
the answers to the questions only.
dandelion seeds (optional)
ACTIVITY 2
Content focus 4. Get students to match the sentence beginnings in
Fruit and seed dispersal the left-hand column to the sentence endings in the
right-hand column to make sentences about fruit and
seed dispersal. Encourage students not to look back
Warm-Up: 2-3 minutes at the text in Activity 1 to help them do this. When they
Activity 1: 15 minutes have finished, elicit answers from the whole class first
Activity 2: 10 minutes and then let students read the text again, this time
Activity 3: 5 minutes more slowly, to check their answers.
Activity 4: 15-20 minutes
Activity 5: 15-20 minutes Key
1. d; 2. c; 3. f; 4. e; 5. b; 6. a
WARM-UP
ACTIVITY 3
1. Show students a coconut and a dandelion seed
and ask them to tell you what they are. Encourage 5. Get students to match the pictures illustrating
different types of fruit and seed dispersal with the
students to describe how they think the fruit and the correct descriptions.
seed get from one place to another. Do not correct or
expand on what students say, just allow them to touch Key
on what they may already know about fruit and seed 1. c; 2. a; 3. d; 4. b
dispersal before the lesson begins.
ACTIVITY 4
Note: You can use other examples of a fruit and a
seed depending on what is available. Or you can 6. Put students into groups of three and ask them to
show students a picture of a fruit and a seed instead. prepare for a two-minute presentation. In their groups,
they will research a fruit or seed and present it to the
ACTIVITY 1 class. Either have a selection of different types of
fruits and seeds available for students to choose from
2. Hand out the worksheet and get students to (these should cover the different types of dispersal),
answer the questions in pairs without looking at the or ensure that there are plenty of reference resources
text on fruit and seed dispersal in the second part of available for students to do their research, such as
the activity. Encourage them to guess the answers if encyclopaedias or internet access.
they are unsure.
7. Go through the instructions for the presentation
Key and give groups about 15-20 minutes to do their
1. The seeds in a pod can be scattered away from the research. Hand out several sheets of A3 paper and
parent plant when a fruit dries and suddenly bursts

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CLIL / Your CLIL / Change: Science
 TEACHER’S NOTES

Change: Science
by Keith Kelly

coloured pens and ask them to prepare diagrams and Tip: In cases where the verb and the noun are the
YOUR CLIL TEACHER’S NOTES

illustrations and write a step-by-step process of the same (for example, decrease), let students know that
dispersal method of their chosen fruit or seed. the stress is on the first syllable for the noun and on
the second syllable for the verb.
Stress that they should also give their opinions on
how effective a mechanism their fruit or seed uses for Key
dispersal. Encourage students to also use the phrases 1. adaptation; 2. change; 3. contraction; 4. decrease;
for change and interaction provided in preparing for 5. devlopment; 6. enlargement; 7. evolution;
their presentation. 8. expansion; 9. explosion; 10. growth; 11. increase;
12. swell(ing)
Tip: Depending on time, it may be more suitable to
allow students to finish their presentation preparation ACTIVITY 2
as homework for the next lesson.
Get students to find and circle the words in the
ACTIVITY 5 wordsearch used for describing patterns of interaction
and distribution.
8. Ask the first group to perform their presentation.
Each presentation should take about two minutes. The D G Z P Z O M M Z J H J M R L A
other groups should listen carefully and make notes
I T S O A D L D F I O C M Q A N
on the effectiveness of the dispersal methods of the
fruits or seeds presented. I N T E R D E P E N D E N T O G
A S Q L R I K E L D B R T I S C
9. When all the groups have finished presenting, M E E H A S F A W I E S T T E E
encourage each group to discuss their opinions
G X T D N T S F T S H C P T N S
amongst themselves. Tell them to collectively decide
how effective the method of dispersal is for each of I P R I G R G R S T A A F A K Z
the fruits or seeds talked about. L L A S E I W G D R V T I A I Q
S O N P F B C N E I I T L P U I
10. Now discuss the presentations as a class and
O S S E L U O T P B O E G S H W
decide which fruit or seed has the most effective
method of dispersal. This could be done by taking a D I F R A T N S E U U R U I F C
class vote. D O E S B I N X N T R R S V J Y
C N R E O O E E D E C N X Z E P
Language focus S U R A N N C H E B L G C E E E
Change and interaction E R E U U H T R N I C B J E I A
H A E A Q M A B T T J Y T E F R

Activity 1: 10 minutes ACTIVITY 3

Activity 2: 10 minutes
Activity 3: 10-15 minutes Get students to read the sentences and fill in the gaps
with words used for describing circumstances and
conditions for change. Students then complete the
Get students practising language linked to change crossword with the words. All the words appear in the
and interaction by reading the Your CLIL: Change: Your CLIL: Change: Science article, although some
Science article. may be in a different form. The first letters are given
as prompts.
ACTIVITY 1
Key
Get students to write the correct form of the noun Across – 2. provide; 7. inhibit; 8. allow; 9. preserve;
into the table for each of the verbs used for 10. prevent
describing growth and change. They can use a Down – 1. conditions; 3. regulate; 4. stimulate;
dictionary if needed. 5. enable; 6. encourage

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CLIL / Your CLIL / Change: Science
 WORKSHEET

Change: Science
by Keith Kelly

Content focus
YOUR CLIL WORKSHEET

Fruit and seed dispersal

ACTIVITY 1
Predict the answers to the questions below.
1. How do fruit and seeds manage to disperse themselves?
2. How do animals help in the dispersal of fruit and seeds?
3. How do people help in the dispersal of fruit and seeds?
4. How does the wind help in the dispersal of fruit and seeds?
5. How does water help in the dispersal of fruit and seeds?
Now read the text about fruit and seed dispersal quickly and check your predictions.

Fruit and seed dispersal

Dispersal by wind
Seeds dispersed in this way are specially shaped
The importance of fruits is in the dispersal of their seeds. with wings or fine hairs to help them catch the air
If the seeds drop beside the parent plant and germinate currents and glide, spin or float away from the parent
there, they will be competing with the parent for water, plant. Dandelion fruits, for example, are shaped like
light and nutrients. However, if the seeds are carried parachutes and this makes it possible for them to float
some distance, there is a better chance of having the in the wind. And there are plants, like the poppy, that
conditions they need for germination and good growth. depend on the wind to shake the seeds out of its capsule
Seeds are dispersed by different methods, depending and scatter them a short distance away from the parent
on the type of the fruit, and often with the assistance of plant. Seeds dispersed by the wind are very small and
external agents, such as animals, water and wind. light so that they can be spread as far as possible.

Dispersal by animals and people Dispersal by water

Many fruits are tasty and colourful to attract animals. Coconuts are the most commonly known fruits
Large seeds inside the fruits may be discarded by the and seeds dispersed by water. They have a buoyant
animal when eaten, and the smaller seeds may be husk (mesocarp) that allows them to float for long
swallowed during eating. These eventually pass out of distances by sea before they are washed up on the
the body undigested in the faeces of the animal because shore. Their waterproof skin (epicarp) prevents them
the coat (testa) on the seeds protects them from digestion. from becoming waterlogged during their journey.
However, both large and small seeds are usually carried Other seeds have fine hairs on them that can trap air
away from the parent plant before being discarded. There and enable them to float on the surface of the water.
are some fruits dispersed by animals that are not edible. Self-dispersal
They have various structures, such as burrs or hooks,
that enable them to catch on an animal’s hair or fur as it Some plants, such as the legumes, have a built-in
brushes past. The seeds drop off later, usually when the mechanism that allows the seeds to be scattered
animal is some distance from the parent plant. People when the fruits burst open. As the fruits dry, tension
play a major role in dispersing seeds around the world builds up in the coat of the seeds until they split. The
too. Sometimes it is intentional, as when they import sudden explosion causes the seeds to disperse a good
plant materials from other countries. And sometimes it is distance from the parent plant.
by accident, such as seeds carried on the bottom of boats Adapted from CXC Integrated Science by Tania Chung-Harris,
or accidentally caught in cargo. pp.27-8 © Macmillan Caribbean 2005

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CLIL / Your CLIL / Change: Science
 WORKSHEET

Change: Science
by Keith Kelly

ACTIVITY 2
YOUR CLIL WORKSHEET

Read and match the sentence beginnings in the left-hand column with the correct sentence
endings in the right-hand column. Then read the text in Activity 1 again, this time more slowly,
to check the answers.

1. Seeds carried some distance from the a. … that allows the seeds to be scattered
parent plant have a better chance of … when the fruits burst open.
2. Many fruits are tasty and colourful to b. … prevents them from becoming
attract animals, and their seeds … waterlogged during their journey.
3. Some fruits have burrs or hooks c. … are usually carried away from the
on them … parent plant before being discarded.
4. Dandelion fruits are shaped d. … having the conditions they need for
like parachutes … germination and good growth.
5. Coconuts have a waterproof skin or e. … making it possible for them to float
epicarp that … in the wind.
6. Some plants, such as the legumes, f. … enabling them to catch on an animal’s
have a built-in mechanism … hair or fur as it brushes past.

ACTIVITY 3
Read the texts and match the pictures with the correct descriptions.

A B C D

1 Some seeds are so small that they don’t break the 2 Some plants have rich, juicy, fleshy fruits to
surface tension of the river or lake they grow by and attract animals. When an animal eats the fruit, the
when they fall into the water, they simply float away seeds pass through its digestive system and are
from the parent plant. Larger seeds may have a thick dispersed in the droppings, or the seeds may simply
woody coating to protect them and can use buoyancy be discarded during eating. Other seeds have hooks
to enable them to float. or burrs that attach them to an animal’s hair or fur and
carry the seeds away from the parent plant.

3 Some seeds have pods that dry out and eventually 4 Some seeds use wings or feathery threads that
burst open to scatter the seeds at some distance from enable them to float on air currents away from the
the parent plant. parent plant.

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CLIL / Your CLIL / Change: Science
 TEACHER’S NOTES

Change: Science
by Keith Kelly

ACTIVITY 4
YOUR CLIL WORKSHEET

In groups of three, choose a fruit or a seed. Research how it disperses, the plant it comes from
and the habitat in which it grows.
Present your chosen fruit or seed to the class.
Your presentation should include the following:
• Choose an illustration for your fruit or seed.
• Describe the process of dispersal step-by-step using diagrams and / or pictures.
• Give your opinion of the method of dispersal for your fruit or seed. Does it have an effective
method of dispersal? Can you suggest any improvements?

Use the phrases for change and interaction in the table below to help you with your presentation.

If … there is a better chance that …

… with the assistance of …
… enable it / them to …
… play a major role in …
… are specially shaped with … to help it / them …
… make it possible for it / them to …
… make it easy for it / them to …
… depend on … to …
… that allows it / them to …
… prevents it / them from …
… are able to …
… enabling the … to …
… have a built-in mechanism that allows … to …

ACTIVITY 5
Discuss the presentations as a class and decide which fruit or seed has the most effective
method of dispersal.

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CLIL / Your CLIL / Change: Science
 WORKSHEET

Change: Science
by Keith Kelly

Language focus
YOUR CLIL WORKSHEET

Change and interaction

ACTIVITY 1
Read the verbs used for describing growth and change in the tables and write the correct noun
form in the right-hand columns.

verb noun verb noun

1 adapt 8 evolve

2 change 9 expand

3 contract 10 explode

4 decrease 11 grow

5 develop 12 increase

7 enlarge 13 swell

ACTIVITY 2 D G Z P Z O M M Z J H J M R L A
Find and circle the words used for I T S O A D L D F I O C M Q A N
describing patterns of interaction
I N T E R D E P E N D E N T O G
and distribution. They can be found
horizontally, vertically and diagonally. A S Q L R I K E L D B R T I S C
M E E H A S F A W I E S T T E E
arrange
G X T D N T S F T S H C P T N S
behaviour
connect I P R I G R G R S T A A F A K Z
dependent L L A S E I W G D R V T I A I Q
dispersal S O N P F B C N E I I T L P U I
disperse
O S S E L U O T P B O E G S H W
distribute
D I F R A T N S E U U R U I F C
distribution
explosion D O E S B I N X N T R R S V J Y
interaction C N R E O O E E D E C N X Z E P
interdependent S U R A N N C H E B L G C E E E
scatter
E R E U U H T R N I C B J E I A
transfer
H A E A Q M A B T T J Y T E F R

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CLIL / Your CLIL / Change: Science
 WORKSHEET

Change: Science
by Keith Kelly

ACTIVITY 3
YOUR CLIL WORKSHEET

Complete the sentences with the missing words describing circumstances and conditions for
change. Then complete the crossword with the words. The first letters have been given for you.

Across
2. Carbohydrates are required to p____________ energy both for the mother and the developing foetus.
7. Hormones in the blood from target glands i____________ the production of the hormone from the
pituitary gland that stimulated them.
8. Which materials a____________ the transfer of heat by convection?
9. Techniques developed to prepare and p____________ foods include pickling, salting and smoking.
10. Brushing your teeth to remove plaque helps p____________ tooth decay and gum disease.

Down
1. Sexual reproduction is best in changing c____________, as there will be a variation between
the offspring.
3. The diaphragm is adjusted to r___________ the light passing through the camera lens.
4. Diuretics s____________ the body to get rid of water and salts by urinating.
5. Cotton seeds have fine hairs that trap air and e____________ them to float.
6. Plant hormones can e____________ root growth.
1
C

2 3
P R

4
S
5
E

6
E
7
I

8
A

9
P

10
P

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CLIL / Your CLIL / Change: Science