PLANTS

0-BASIC PLANTS FACTS

They are all living things. They are born, grow, reproduce and die. They need water, minerals and sunlight. They make their own food. They can't move around. They can move one or more of their parts.

1-PARTS OF A PLANT

All plants have roots, stems and leaves. These have different functions.

-ROOTS: help to keep the plant in place. They also take in the water and minerals a plant needs to make its food.

-STEM: carries water and nutrients to different parts of the plant.-LEAVES: are where plants make its own food.

Roots, leaves and stems can be different sizes and shapes.The roots of a plant grow in the ground. Potato plants have a thick root.

Onion plants have hairy roots.The stem grows above the ground. A pine tree has a woody stem. Corn has a green stem.Leaves are attached to the branches or the stem. They have different shapes and edges.

2-PLANT REPRODUCTION AND NUTRITION

REPRODUCTION: some plants have flowers. Their reproductive organs are inside the flower. Flowers can look different but all flowers have the same parts.

The corolla is made of petals. Petals are different colours to attract insects.The pistil is the female reproductive organ. It has ovules inside.The stamens are the male reproductive organs. They have pollen at the top.The calyx is made of sepals. Sepals are green. They protect the flower.

An insect takes pollen to a pistil. Inside the pollen joins an ovule to make a seed. It grows into a fruit. Finally, the fruit falls on the ground and the seed grows into a new plant.

NUTRITION: Roots absorb water and nutrients from the soil. Water and minerals pass through the stem to the leaves. The leaf absorb sunlight and carbon dioxide from the air. When plants make food they make oxygen.

3-TYPES OF PLANTS

TREES : A plant with a big woody stem, called a trunk. The branches on the tree grow high above the ground. Trees grow slowly. They are the tallest and live the longest.

BUSH: A plant with a woody stem but not a trunk. Its branches grow near the ground. Bushes are shorter then trees.

GRASS: A plant with a flexible, green stem. Grasses are very short and grow quickly.

Plants can be classified by their leaves.

1. Evergreen plants always have leaves. They make leaves all year.

2. Decicuous plants lose their leaves in autumn. New leaves grow in spring.