Wildflowers and Biodiversity

These lesson plans by the Eden Project focus on wildflowers and all that we can learn from them.

Webpage: Wildflowers in schools 

Create space for nature, and for nature-connected learning, by planting wildflowers. Wildflowers are a great way to bring colour and interest to your school grounds, and taking education outside is good for your learners, and for the planet. Use these resources to create and make the most of these special habitats using science, creativity and celebration.

• Suitable for Primary or Secondary schools

Link: Wildflowers Planting guide 

This beautiful Wildflower Planting Guide is free for you to download and use as a learning resource. It's been designed to look good as part of a display as well as helping to label your planting areas.

Lesson plan: Growing Wildflowers - From seed to seeds 

During this set of lessons, pupils start by learning about seeds. They compare different types of seeds and discuss what they need in order to germinate and grow. They then learn about the importance of wildflowers and are given the opportunity to sow wildflower seeds somewhere around your school. Pupils will observe these plants as they grow, providing context to their learning about the stages of growth for flowering plants. Finally, pupils will get the chance to share the product of their efforts with the wider community.

Key information

• An initial 2-hour session, followed by frequent 30-minute follow-up sessions.
• Suitable for KS1
• Focus on Science

Lesson Plan: Bloom or Doom

This is a fun and active way to reinforce students’ understanding of seeds and germination. It requires making some resources but it’s popular with young people and can be used again and again.

Key information

• 50-minute lesson plan
• Suitable for Key Stages 1 and 2
• Focus on Science

Lesson plan: Sow for Success 

Have you ever considered the impact of a significant historical event on the world outside your window? Since the start of the Second World War, the UK has suffered the loss of 97% of its wildflower meadows. Wildflowers once formed an integral part of the British landscape. However, wildflower meadows now account for less than 1% of the British countryside. This history-focused lesson will explore the impact of some initiatives, introduced during WW2, that may have contributed to this dramatic decline; as well as teaching pupils about the importance of wildflowers in relation to our own food security and challenging them to join our campaign to restore wildflowers to our communities.

Key information

• 3-4 hour lesson plan
• Suitable for Years 3-6 
• Focus on History