1
What a plant needs to grow
Workbook 2: Topic 1.2, pp. 5–8
GoalSay that a plant needs light, water, air and soil to grow, and say where it gets each one.
New words
grow · to get bigger and stay aliveroots · the parts of a plant under the ground that take in waterlight · brightness that plants need, mostly from the Sun
Explanation
A plant is a living thing, and it needs four things to grow. It needs light, water, air and soil. The light comes from the Sun. Rain gives the water, or a gardener can pour it on. Air is all around the plant. The plant’s roots hold it in the soil and take in water. If one of these things is missing, the plant will grow badly or die. A good habitat gives a plant everything it needs.
Worked examples
A sunflower grows in a sunny field. The Sun gives it light, rain gives it water, and its roots drink from the soil.
| watered | not watered | |
|---|---|---|
| after one week | tall and green | dry and drooping |
A pot plant on a table does not have a habitat outdoors, but it still needs light, water, air and soil. Someone has to water it.
Class activity
Root detectives (with an adult): ask an adult to help you gently dig up one small weed from a garden or a crack in a path. Shake off the soil and look at the roots with a magnifier. How long are they? Are they thick or thin? Draw the plant and label the roots, the stem and the leaves. Put the weed in the compost or bin and wash your hands afterwards.
Practice
1
Write the four things a plant needs to grow.
Light, water, air and soil.
2
Which part of a plant takes in water from the soil: the flower, the roots or the leaf?
The roots.
3
Ravi forgot to water his plant for three weeks. Which thing was missing?
Water.
4
Where does a plant in a field get its light from?
From the Sun.