Plants

Virginia Standard Breakdown

The student will investigate and understand that plants and animals have structures that distinguish them from one another and play vital roles in their ability to survive. 

Key ideas include

•  the survival of plants and animals depends on photosynthesis;

•  plants and animals have different structures and processes for obtaining energy; and

•  plants and animals have different structures and processes for creating offspring.

When Will i ever use this

Gardening or farming → Knowing plants need sunlight, water, and air to make food helps people grow healthy plants.

Taking care of pets → Understanding how animals get energy (from food) and what their bodies need helps us care for them.

Protecting nature → Learning how plants and animals survive helps us understand why we need to protect habitats and the environment.

Health and science jobs → Vets, doctors, farmers, and scientists all use this knowledge to keep living things healthy.

Everyday life → Even simple things like eating vegetables or playing outside in the sun connect back to how plants and animals survive and grow.

Terms to know

Structure – a special part of a plant or animal that has a job.

Function – what that part does (its job).

Photosynthesis – how plants make their own food using sunlight, water, and air.

Energy – the power living things need to grow, move, and survive.

Nutrients – the good stuff in food that gives energy and helps living things stay healthy.

Reproduce – to make more of the same kind of living thing.

Photosynthesis

parts of a plant

STuff to know

• Plants make their own food. They use sunlight, water, air, and a green pigment called chlorophyll to make sugar in a process called photosynthesis. Oxygen is released too.

• Leaves are food factories. The leaf is the main part of the plant where food is made.

• Animals need to eat. Animals can’t make their own food, so they get energy by eating plants or other animals.

• Plant parts have jobs. Roots take in water and nutrients, stems hold up the plant and move water, leaves make food, and flowers help plants make new seeds.

• Living things must reproduce. For plants, animals, and populations to survive, they need to be able to make offspring.

helpful videos to watch

Practice Game