Growing Plants is particularly timely given that nature will shortly be throwing off its winter wraps.

This is a new unit for 5 to 7-year-olds, which uses the magic of time lapse and high-magnification photography to catch the sap as it rises. Children will be able to watch the extraordinary delicacy of a petal unfurl, and the beauty of the countryside as it embarks on its timeless cycle of growth, change and reproduction.

Support materials include a teacher’s guide and a big book, with full-colour photography and enlarged text.

Design and Technology features a busy mix of styles and content to encourage design-and-make activities for 5 to 7-year-olds. Each week the programmes examine a new topic, from pop-up pictures to animal puppets and food, with the aid of cartoon characters and real classroom projects and In the food programme, for instance, (March 7), children prepare their own feast and visit the local bakery. The series is accompanied by a teacher’s guide.

Secondary science focuses on the mysteries of the digital universe in Science in Focus. Two programmes for 14 to 16-year-olds explore the growth of ICT, from its earliest beginnings when the wireless was in its infancy, to the infinite complexity of the Internet. Perhaps unsurprisingly, teacher’s support material for this is only available on Channel 4‘s website: www.channel4.comschools.

All the programmes are available on video, tel: 01926 436444.

JANETTE WOLF

Growing Plants: Tuesdays 11.15-11.30, March 14-31

Design and Technology: Tuesdays 11.15-11.30, February 8-March 10

Science in Focus: Thursdays 9.50-10.10, March 23 and 30