During the ‘Mission: Grow a Plant!’ camp, students engaged with the scientific process and learned more about plants and common scientific techniques.

On Day 1, students planted watercress seeds and watered them every day for the week, watching them grow and learning about the changes to the seed. We looked at the key ingredients needed for plant growth and learned more about chlorophyll by conducting a chromatography experiment to separate the pigments. We explained the difference between the two sides of a leaf in terms of chlorophyll.

On Day 2, we visited Kowloon Park to immerse ourselves in nature and learn more about the interdependence of animals and plants. We navigated through the maze; spent time in the tranquility of the Chinese garden; saw flamingoes, swans, cats, fish and turtles; completed a plant treasure hunt and collected examples of unusual leaves. Students used all of this to create an informative poster in pairs.

On Day 3, we zoomed in and explored the key differences between plant and animal cells. We learned about microscopy and played a micrograph guessing game to understand how these images are taken. Students then observed different cells and crafted a scientific drawing and a creative drawing. They followed instructions on how to set up and use a microscope and experimented with the different objective lenses. As an aside, we looked at what happens when you continuously scrunch up paper, unravel it and scrunch it again. We learned about the importance of the cell wall in plants when explaining this.

On Day 4, we recalled what we had learned over the past few days: students answered questions verbally before writing them down. We also used our knowledge to explain the results of an experiment where plants were grown in different conditions. Students explained their reasoning and were challenged on their ideas and expectations; they came up with good explanations for a perhaps unexpected result. We continued to add to the posters in preparation for the presentation.

On the final day, students finished their posters and drafted sentences to use when presenting. We practised our spelling, grammar and pronunciation when writing and rehearsing the presentation. Students took their plants home with them and we celebrated with a pizza party!

Well done to all students for engaging well with the material!

A huge thank you and Mr Subhan for organizing such a fantastic week at Adventure Academy! Eunice had an absolute blast with the science theme—between the hands-on experiments, exploring the park, and looking under the microscope, they learned so much through all the fun, interactive experiences. Tasting the international cuisine was such a great touch too! It was wonderful seeing how well the children collaborated to make their poster for the parents’ presentation.

We’re really looking forward to the next chapter and would love to join again next year. Thanks again for all your hard work! 😊

 

Explore our full summer programme details in our Adventure Academy brochure.