Sign Up
School Account Sign Up
Look More Closely… Plants Are Busy!
Nope! Plants cannot walk, talk, or eat as you do. But they are still alive. They grow, change, and make their own food. That is pretty amazing.
Plants may seem still and quiet, but they are very busy. Every day, they work hard to stay alive.
Four Things Plants Must Have
Plants need four main things to stay alive and grow strong.
sunlight
water
air
nutrients from soil
If a plant does not get at least one of these, it can become weak or die.
Sunlight: The Plant’s Power Source
Plants need sunlight to make their own food. The sun gives them energy.
Inside the leaves, plants use sunlight to make sugar. This process is called photosynthesis. That is a big word, but it just means the plant is making its own food using light.
That is why many plants grow toward the sun. They are reaching for their food source.
No sunlight means no food. No food means no growth.
Water: The Plant’s Drink
Plants need water to live.
Their roots soak up water from the soil. The water travels up through the plant to the leaves.
Water helps...
move nutrients through the plant.
keep the plant firm and strong.
help the plant make food.
Some plants, like cacti, need only a little water. Others, like ferns, need a lot. Every plant is a little different.
Air: The Plant’s Secret Helper
Plants need air, too.
But plants do not use air the same way you do. You breathe in oxygen. Plants take in carbon dioxide.
Plants use carbon dioxide to help make their food. Then they release oxygen back into the air.
That oxygen helps animals and people breathe.
Plants and animals help each other every day.
Soil: The Plant’s Food Supply
Plants grow in soil, also called dirt.
Soil holds the plant in place, but it does more than that. Soil is full of nutrients. Nutrients are tiny bits of food that help plants grow.
Roots pull nutrients from the soil and send them throughout the plant.
Healthy soil helps plants grow tall, green, and strong.
Plants Are Always Working
Even when a plant looks still, it is busy...
making food.
taking in water.
using air.
growing new parts.
A tiny seed can grow into a big tree because it gets everything it needs.
Pretty impressive for something that cannot even walk.
Ready to Try It?
Now you know what plants need to stay alive.
In the Got It? section, you will use what you learned to think, draw, and show how plants get what they need every day.
Supplies
Additional Resources
FAVORITE
Like