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How Plants Work
Plants are made up of roots, stems, and leaves, and most produce flowers, fruit, and seeds. Plants comprise a large part of the ecosystem. In this section, we will learn how plants are built, how they reproduce, how they spread their seeds, and how they are organized into groups based on similarity of their structures.
What makes plants special is that they produce their own food. Leaves capture the sunlight in order to do this. They contain a pigment called chlorophyll, which makes the leaves green. Using carbon dioxide, water, nutrients, and energy from sunlight, the chlorophyll makes the food that the plant needs. This process is called photosynthesis. During this process, plants release oxygen into the air. People and animals need oxygen to breathe.
Lessons Within This Unit
Unit 3: How Plants Work
Lesson 1 of 4
Lesson 1: Parts of a Plant
Students will learn the parts that make up a plant, how each part functions, and how they come together to give plants a unique and crucial role in the ecosystem.
Unit 3: How Plants Work
Lesson 2 of 4
Lesson 2: Pollination
Students will learn what pollination is, how it works, why most plants use it to reproduce, and how animals help plants pollinate.
Unit 3: How Plants Work
Lesson 3 of 4
Lesson 3: Seed Dispersal
Students will learn why plants spread such a variety of seeds and how each kind can be spread with the help of weather or animals.
Unit 3: How Plants Work
Lesson 4 of 4
Lesson 4: Plant Classification
Students learn how plants are named and organized into categories, how grasses differ from trees or shrubs, and how the parts of plants influence the way they are classified.