The Life Cycle and Needs of Plants
By: Erica Nunemaker
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Coaches
3 -
Life cycle
4 -
Seed
5 -
Seedling
6 -
Young Adult Plant
7 -
Adult Plant
8 -
Plant Needs
9 -
Water and Nutrients
10 -
Air
11 -
Soil
12 -
Sunlight
13 -
Space
14 -
Comprehension Questions
16 -
Glossary
17 -
Sources
18
Coaches
You will have three different coaches helping you out while you are reading this story. You can find them at the bottom of the pages.
Click on Pedro the penguin so you can find out how she will help you throughout this story.
Now click on Hali so he can share with you how he will help with the story.
Finally, click on Monty so he can tell you how he will help you while you read.
Life cycle
The plant life cycle has four different stages. Let's look at each stage separately and learn how plants grow.
Seed
The first stage of the lifecycle is the seed stage. When a seed is planted and starts to grow, a root starts to form. The root goes into the ground. The part of the seed that grows up is the shoot.
Seedling
The next stage after the seed is called the seedling. A seedling is different than a seed because the seedling has a plant that starts to grow off of it. That plant has a few leaves on it.
Young Adult Plant
The third stage in a plant lifecycle is the young adult plant stage. The plant is growing bigger and more and more leaves start to grow on the plant. As this happens, little branches start to form on the plant.
Adult Plant
The fourth and final stage of the plant lifecylce is the adult plant. As flowers grow on the adult plant, seeds will be in the flowers. You can use the seeds to start the lifecycle process all over again.
Plant Needs
Now that we know how a plant grows, let's look at what all we need to keep a plant healthy and alive! Can you guess some of the things a plant needs to survive?
Water and Nutrients
The first thing a plant needs to survive is water and nutrients. Plants get the water and nutrients from the roots that they form after they are planted. The water helps send the nutrients through the roots so the plant can survive.
Air
Air is also a necessity for plants to survive. Plants need clean air so they can breathe in carbon dioxide. If the air is dirty, it can harm or even kill the plants.
Soil
A very important thing a plant needs to survive is soil. Soil has many of the nutrients that a plant needs to live. The soil is also what the plant is planted in so the roots grow deep down in the soil.
Sunlight
Plants also need light. They cannot survive in dark places. Sunlight helps plants grow. If they are in the dark, they do not get the energy they need.
Space
The last thing a plant needs to survive is space. Even though seeds are small, the plants can grow very big and they need room to grow. If plants do not get enough space, their roots cannot keep growing underground. The plants also may get too crowded and not be able to get all the nutrients, air, or light they need.
The stages of the plant lifecycle; seed, seedling, young plant, and adult plant are important to remember. Can you find a plant and figure out what stage it is in?
Remember though, if the plant does not have water, nutrients, soil, air, light, and space, they will not be able to grow and become an adult plant.
Comprehension Questions
1. Why is it important to know the needs of plants?
2. How can you use this information?
3. What is something that you didn't know but learned in this story?
4. What is the main idea of this story?
5. Retell this information using your own words.
Glossary
Branch- a part of the plant that comes off of the stem.
Carbon Dioxide- a gas that is produced when people and animals breathe out.
Life cycle- series of stages through which a living thing passes from the beginning of its life until its death.
Nutrients- what plants, animals, and people need to live and grow.
Root- the part of a plant that grows underground, gets water from the ground, and holds the plant in place.
Shoot- the part of a new plant that is just beginning to grow above the ground.