What Do Plants Need?

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

Plants are anything that grows in the earth.

Examples of plants are flowers, fruits, vegetables, grains, and trees. Plants produce oxygen that makes it possible for humans to breath. They also are food for many different animals — as well as humans — so without plants, some animals would have nothing to eat! That would be terrible!

Taking care of plants is very important. There are five different things plants needs to stay alive.

• Can you guess what they are?

Print the Graphic Organizer - KWL Chart from Downloadable Resourcesin the right-hand sidebar.

1. Fill in the "K" portion of the chart. This is all of the things that you KNOW about plants. Write down all of the facts you already know about plants.
2. Also fill in the "W" portion of the chart. This is what you WANT to know about plants. What do you wonder about?
3. Leave the "L" portion blank. You will fill this in at the end of the lesson.

• What are the needs of all plants?
• Did you guess that plants need air?

AIR

Plants need air just like you need air. Just like you take in air through your nose and mouth, the leaves and roots of a plant can take in air for it to stay alive. So far, you are a lot like a plant! For example, if you didn't have air, you would die, and if a plant doesn't have air, it will die.

WATER

All types of plants need water. Outdoor plants get water from rain and snow. Plants that grow indoors, that are house plants, need the owner to water them. When there isn't enough rain or snow, farmers have to water their plants. Again, you can't live without water, either! Wow, you are starting to sound like a plant!

LIGHT

• Did you know that the sun is a major source of energy?

Plants suck up energy from the sun. Some plants need more sunlight than others. Vitamin D comes from sunlight, and every living thing needs vitamin D to live!

WARMTH

All living things, including you, need warmth.

• Have you ever noticed that, during the winter months, plants don't grow?

That's because plants need warmth. Some plants can grow in very hot places, like deserts, and some plants only grow in places that are warm but not too hot.

SPACE

Plants need enough space to grow. If they are too close together, their roots cannot get enough nutrients, in the form of food and water, from the soil. They also wouldn't get their fair share of the sun's energy.

On many farms, fields are planted in rows. The space between each row gives each plant enough space for its roots to spread out. The plants are not too close together, so each plant can get enough light.

That is a lot of information about plants and their needs!

Go on to the Got It? section to see what you remember!