Science Unit: Plants Concept: Kinds of Plants I can identify characteristics of plants (for example: leaf shape, flower type, color, size) that are passed on from parents to young. L.HE.02.13

Essential Questions How are plants the same and different? What are ways we can describe plants? What plants can we eat?

fern Definition: plants without flowers that use spores instead of seeds to reproduce: Ferns grow in moist, shady environments. Key Context Through fossil records, scientists have determined that ferns have been on Earth for about 400 million years! Ferns are often found in the shaded areas of the forest floor. A fern has a root system, a stem, and large divided leaves, called fronds. Instead of flowers and seeds, ferns use spores to reproduce. Spores develop on the underside of the fern’s fronds and look like little dots. The spores are carried away from the leaves by wind and water. If the spore lands in moist, shaded soil, it can grow into a new plant.

flower Definition: the part of a plant Key Context where fertilization takes place Key Context Many people care for flowering plants in their homes and yards because they enjoy the colorful petals and beautiful smells of the blooms. Just as people are attracted to flowers, so are bees and other animals that help the plant to reproduce. The flower holds the parts of the plant that make seeds. The animals help the plant spread pollen from flower to flower so the plant can produce seeds. In some plants, fruit develops around the seeds as protection and a way for the seeds to move to other places. Some flowers rely on the wind or animals to scatter their seeds. If a seed lands in a place where the conditions are right, the seed will sprout into a new plant.

fruit Definition: a plant structure that contains seeds and grows from a flowering plan Key Context Many of you have probably eaten fruit for breakfast this morning or maybe enjoyed a piece during lunch. Fruits provide us with the nutrients we need to grow healthy and strong. Apples, oranges, bananas, and raspberries are all examples of fruit. Many foods we call vegetables are also considered fruits, including tomatoes and cucumbers. Once seeds are formed in a flower, fruit develops around the seeds to protect and spread the seeds.

moss Definition: a plant that grows Key Context in moist, shady areas Perhaps you have seen a low, green plant growing on the side of a tree trunk, the crack of a sidewalk, or on rocks along the sides of a stream. Most likely this plant was moss. Moss is soft plant that grows very low to the ground in damp areas. Moss does not have roots or flowers and needs water for reproduction.

plant Definition: an organism that is made up of many cells, makes its own food through photosynthesis, and cannot move. Key Context We could not live without plants. They give us fresh air to breathe by removing carbon dioxide and adding oxygen to the air. Plants come in all shapes and sizes. Although most plants look different, they do have some things in common. All plants are living things, but they cannot move like animals. Examples of plants include trees, grasses, flowering plants, and mosses.

seed Definition: a plant structure that contains a young plant, food supply, and protective coating Key Context Have you ever carved a scary or funny face into pumpkin. Before the pumpkin can be carved, all of the white seeds must be taken out. Seeds are used by plants to create new plants. A seed can only produce the kind of plant it came from. For example, a pumpkin seed can only produce a pumpkin plant. Flowering plants make seeds when pollen from the stamen reaches the pistil of a flower. Insects and birds play an important role in the creation of a seed. When they are looking for nectar in the flower, they often move pollen from flower to flower.

seedling Definition: a young plant Key Context that grows from a seed Spring is the season when farmers plant many seeds in the fields. Eventually, tiny green leaves poke through the soil. The small plants are called seedlings. With enough water, nutrients, and sunlight, the seedlings will continue to grow into adult plants.

spore Definition: a cell that can grow into a Key Context new organism without fertilization Key Context Some plants, like ferns, rely on spores to create new plants. Spores are attached to the outside of the leaves and carried away by wind and water. If the conditions are right for the spore to grow, it will develop into a new plant.