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Grow It 3-5 / Week 07 / Tuesday
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Week 07 · Seeds on the Move

Tuesday

Riding the wind
// How seeds travel to new places
⏱ about 15 min

Tuesday: Riding the Wind

A puff of wind blows across the yard. Tiny white fluffs drift past Rocket's nose.

"Snow in summer?" Rocket laughs.

Raven watches one float over the fence. "What do you notice hanging under the fluff?"

Nova zooms close, but not too close. "Look at the bottom of each fluff," she says. "Is something riding along?"

Rocket peers in. "A tiny seed!"

Dandelion parachutes

A dandelion seed has a parachute of soft bristles on top.

The parachute catches the wind and carries the seed away.

Scientists have seen dandelion seeds blow hundreds of meters from their parent plants.

That is a long trip for a tiny seed!

Maple wings

A maple seed has a papery wing. This kind of seed is called a samara.

Winged seeds do not float up and away like a dandelion.

They flutter down to the ground.

But a good wind can carry a maple seed at least 100 meters.

SeedWind helperHow it moves
dandelionparachute of bristlesfloats on the breeze
maplepapery wingflutters down, wind pushes it along
WHICH WIND HELPER?
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
Which seed has a fluffy parachute?
Which seed has a papery wing?
What do winged maple seeds do when they fall?
A good wind can carry a maple seed at least how many meters?
WHY THIS EXERCISEMaple wings let the wind carry seeds at least 100 meters.

Your fall test

Why does a slow fall help a seed travel?

The longer a seed stays in the air, the longer the wind can push it.

Let's test slow falls with paper.

  • Two sheets of the same paper
  • A chair or step to stand next to (not on)
  • A partner to watch
Safety first
Stay on the floor. Do not stand on chairs.
Drop the paper from your own height, with your arm up high.
Clear a space so nobody trips.
  1. Crumple one sheet into a tight ball.
  2. Keep the other sheet flat.
  3. Hold both high, at the same height.
  4. Let go of both at the same time.
  5. Watch which one lands first.
READ YOUR TEST
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
Which paper probably stayed in the air longer?
Why does a slow fall help a seed?
StatementTrue or false?
A dandelion seed has a parachute.?
Maple seeds float up into the clouds.?
A slow fall gives the wind more time to push.?
Wind seeds are usually heavy and round.?
WHY THIS EXERCISEWind seeds are light and shaped to catch air and fall slowly.
Safety first
Dandelions grow outside. Look at them, but do not pick wild plants.
Never put any seed in your mouth.

Super testing! Your bean plant needs its daily check. Tomorrow we meet seeds that hitch a ride on animals.

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