Science: Plant Life Cycles
How plants grow, reproduce, and make new seeds
Science: Plant Life Cycles
How plants grow, reproduce, and make new seeds
Science - Grade 4-5
- 1
Put these stages of a flowering plant's life cycle in order: adult plant, seed, seedling, flower, fruit with seeds.
Start with the stage that can grow into a new plant.
The correct order is seed, seedling, adult plant, flower, and fruit with seeds. - 2
What is germination?
Germination is the process in which a seed begins to grow into a new plant when it has the right conditions, such as water, air, and warmth. - 3
Name two things most seeds need in order to germinate.
Think about what helps a seed wake up and start growing.
Most seeds need water and air to germinate. Many seeds also need the right temperature, or warmth. - 4
A small plant has just come out of the seed and started growing leaves. What stage is it in?
The plant is in the seedling stage because it has just started growing after germination. - 5
What job do roots do for a plant?
Think about what happens below the soil.
Roots help hold the plant in the soil and take in water and minerals from the ground. - 6
Why are flowers important in the life cycle of many plants?
Flowers are important because they help plants reproduce. They make it possible for pollination and seed formation to happen. - 7
What is pollination?
Pollen must move for many plants to reproduce.
Pollination is the transfer of pollen from one flower part to another so the plant can make seeds. - 8
Name two animals that can help pollinate plants.
Two animals that can help pollinate plants are bees and butterflies. - 9
How does fruit help a plant in its life cycle?
Think about what is often found inside fruit.
Fruit protects the seeds and can help spread them to new places where new plants may grow. - 10
A squirrel carries an acorn away from an oak tree and buries it. How can this help the oak tree's life cycle?
This can help the oak tree's life cycle by moving the seed to a new place where it may grow into a new oak tree. - 11
Compare a seed and a seedling. How are they different?
One stage is still inside a seed coat, and the other is already growing.
A seed is the beginning stage that contains a young plant inside. A seedling is a young plant that has already started growing roots, stems, and leaves. - 12
Why do plants need to make seeds?
Plants need to make seeds so they can reproduce and create new plants of the same kind. - 13
Some seeds are spread by wind. Describe one way a seed can be shaped to travel in the wind.
Think about dandelion seeds or maple seeds.
A seed can have a light body, tiny hairs, or wing-like parts so the wind can carry it more easily. - 14
What stage comes after a flower is pollinated and seeds begin to form?
After a flower is pollinated and seeds begin to form, the plant often makes a fruit that holds the seeds. - 15
Explain how one plant can lead to many new plants over time.
Think about how seeds are made and then spread.
One plant can make many flowers and seeds. Those seeds can be spread to different places, and some of them can grow into many new plants over time.