Seeds may look small and quiet, but each one holds the beginning of a new plant. When a seed is in soil with water and warmth, it can start to grow. First the seed opens, then a tiny root grows down and a shoot grows up.
Learning how seeds grow helps children understand where many foods, flowers, and trees come from.
A growing seed uses stored food inside its seed coat at first. The root takes in water from the soil, while the stem lifts the new leaves toward the light. Leaves help the plant make its own food using sunlight, air, and water.
With enough space, water, sunlight, and care, a seed can become a healthy plant.
Key Facts
- A seed is a tiny plant starter with stored food inside.
- Germination is when a seed begins to sprout.
- Roots usually grow downward into the soil first.
- The stem grows upward and carries water to the leaves.
- Leaves use sunlight, air, and water to help make food for the plant.
- Healthy plant growth needs soil, water, sunlight, air, and space.
Vocabulary
- Seed
- A seed is the small beginning of a plant that can grow when conditions are right.
- Soil
- Soil is the loose earth where many plants grow and where roots can take in water and nutrients.
- Root
- A root is the part of a plant that grows underground and takes in water from the soil.
- Stem
- A stem is the plant part that holds up leaves and carries water through the plant.
- Leaf
- A leaf is the plant part that catches sunlight and helps the plant make food.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Thinking seeds are not alive, which is wrong because a seed can grow into a living plant when it gets what it needs.
- Planting a seed too deep, which can make it hard for the tiny shoot to reach sunlight above the soil.
- Giving a seed too much water, which is wrong because soaked soil can block air and harm the seed or roots.
- Forgetting that plants need sunlight, which is wrong because leaves use light to help make food for the plant.
Practice Questions
- 1 A child plants 3 bean seeds on Monday and 2 more bean seeds on Tuesday. How many bean seeds were planted in all?
- 2 A seedling is 4 centimeters tall. After one week, it grows 5 more centimeters. How tall is the seedling now?
- 3 Explain why a seedling grows roots downward into the soil and a stem upward toward the light.