Rocket shakes a dry seed head over his palm. Dozens of tiny seeds spill out.
"Every one of these could be a whole new plant? That is a lot of plants."
Raven picks one seed up with the tip of her pencil. "What do you notice? It looks dead."
"It is just waiting," says Rocket.
Nova hovers over the soil. "Waiting for what?" she hints. "Think about what plants need."
A plant's life cycle begins with a seed.
A seed holds a tiny plant and a store of food inside a tough coat.
The seed waits until it has water and warmth. Then it sprouts.
This is called germination. It is the plant's birth.
A root pushes down into the soil. A shoot pushes up toward the light.
The tiny plant is now a seedling. Its first leaves start to make food.
The seedling grows taller. It makes more leaves and stronger roots.
When the plant is grown, it makes flowers.
Flowers are how many plants reproduce. Pollen must move from one flower part to another.
Bees, butterflies and the wind help carry pollen. You learned this in Week 4.
After pollination, the flower makes seeds. The seeds fall, blow away or are carried off.
Some plants live for one year and then die. Trees can live for many years.
Either way, the new seeds start the cycle again.
| Stage | What you see | What is happening |
|---|---|---|
| seed | small, hard, dry | waiting for water and warmth |
| seedling | a short stem and first leaves | roots grow down, shoot grows up |
| grown plant | many leaves, a sturdy stem | making food from sunlight |
| flower | colorful petals | pollen moves, seeds begin to form |
| seeds again | dry seed heads or fruit | ready to spread and sprout |
| Statement | True or false? |
|---|---|
| A seed holds a tiny plant and a store of food. | ? |
| The shoot of a seedling grows down into the soil. | ? |
| All plants die after one year. | ? |
| Flowers help many plants make seeds. | ? |
Well grown, explorer! Tomorrow a frog changes from a swimmer into a hopper.