Survival of the Fittest (If/Then) Plants Life Cycle Stage: Egg Physical Traits BehaviorsHumans Play a Part Q $100 Q $200 Q $300 Q $400 Q $500 Q $100 Q $200 Q $300 Q $400 Q $500 Final Jeopardy

$100 Question If a plant doesn’t get enough sun…

$100 Answer Then it can’t get enough nutrients and it could die.

$200 Question If a plant’s roots fail to grow deep enough….

$200 Answer Then the plant is not secure in the ground and the roots could easily come out of the ground.

$300 Question If a flower blooms before the snowy season is over….

$300 Answer Then the blooms may die before they are pollinated allowing another seed to produce and another flower to grow.

$400 Question If a potted plant is always kept inside and never gets a chance to be outside….

$400 Answer Then it may never have the chance of being pollinated.

$500 Question If an acorn is cracked or damaged…

$500 Answer Then the acorn may not germinate correctly and a new seedling/tree may not grow.

$100 Question If a Monarch Butterfly lays its eggs on a dead milkweed plant…

$100 Answer Then the caterpillars that hatch won’t have food to eat and the larvae could die.

$200 Question If a cowbird finds a bluebird’s nest and drops its eggs in it…

$200 Answer Then the cowbird’s offspring might survive under the care of another bird.

$300 Question If a sea turtle lays her eggs close to the surface of the sand…

$300 Answer Then animals can easily find the eggs and eat them, so fewer sea turtles have a chance at life.

$400 Question If a frog ate the eggs a mosquito just laid…

$400 Answer Then the life cycle of those mosquito eggs has been ended.

$500 Question If a bluebird lays its eggs inside of a birdhouse…

$500 Answer Then the bluebird has a good chance of its eggs surviving because they will be well protected.

$100 Question If a tadpole develops into a frog with only three legs…

$100 Answer Then it will have a more difficult time getting around and has a greater chance of being preyed upon.

$200 Question If a piglet is born much smaller than the other piglets…

$200 Answer Then the piglet may have difficulty fighting off its siblings to get food, not get enough food, and might not survive.

$300 Question If a moth has a ripped wing…

$300 Answer Then it will have a difficult time flying and may not survive.

$400 Question If an eagle has several broken talons…

$400 Answer Then the eagle will have difficulty grasping its food and may not be able to feed itself.

$500 Question If a hawk has very large talons and an enormous beak…

$500 Answer Then the hawk will have an easy time getting food.

$100 Question If butterfly eggs are laid too late in the fall…

$100 Answer Then it could be too late for the life cycle to complete before it is too cold.

$200 Question If a snake discovers a bird’s nest full of eggs…

$200 Answer Then the eggs will be eaten and that life cycle is ended.

$300 Question If a swarm of bees makes a new hive In an area where there are not many flowers…

$300 Answer Then both the hive AND surrounding Plants may not thrive (do well) because There won’t be much pollen to collect. That means other plants can’t be pollinated either.

$400 Question If a fawn wanders away from its mother…

$400 Answer Then it may starve, be harmed, etc. and not survive.

$500 Question If a large bear confronts a smaller bear…

$500 Answer Then the smaller bear will most likely lose the battle.

$100 Question If a deer crosses the road late at night To get to the pond on the other side…

$100 Answer Then it is likely that you may hit It with your car, injuring or killing it.

$200 Question If you spray around your garden With spider repellent…

$200 Answer You may kill many different kinds of spiders, even ones that can be helpful (daddy longlegs eat decaying plant matter).

$300 Question If you leave bird seed and sunflower seeds Outside…

$300 Answer You are providing additional nutrition For all kinds of animals (birds, squirrels, Racoons, opossums).

$400 Question If you dispose of gardening chemicals And other toxic materials in your garbage And forget to close the lid…

$400 Answer Then certain animals may get into the Trash and eat something they shouldn’t. They can get sick or die.

$500 Question If you don’t watch where you are Walking….

$500 Answer Many things can happen: Step on a nest Squish a baby toad Collapse a mole tunnel

Final Jeopardy The United States has what are called planting “zones”. These zones help gardeners and farmers to determine what should be planted where they live and what kinds of plants will do best in their zone. Using the map and plant information below, what might happen if you plant this plant in zone 4? Botanical name: Canna x generalis Hardiness Zones: 9, 10, Sun exposure: Full Sun

Final Jeopardy Answer It will not survive the winter because it can’t be planted in colder zones.