The Field Study Council plants guide will help 11-14 year olds to design and carry out simple ecological investigations in a familiar and accessible habitat.

Colour illustrations by Carol Roberts show a small selection of plants common in playing fields and lawns. Also included is a straightforward guide to leaf shape, flower shape and colour, plus other useful identification features.

Playing fields can be a great place for science investigations. The accompanying the takes students step by step through a full investigation, from planning, recording in the field to considering their results. A 'Further Investigations' section gives ideas for extension work. This is also useful for ages 14-16.

For some projects pupils will need to identify all the types of plants (species) in the area. But many projects can be done by just looking at one species. We have chosen 15 species that are particularly good for projects, as they are fairly common and easy to identify.