Starter quiz
What is the name for this part of the plant?- stem
- roots ✓
- shoots
- nutrients
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Plants get many nutrients from the ______ they are growing in.- 'soil' ✓
- Plants need air, ______, light, room to grow and nutrients from soil to survive and grow.
- 'water' ✓
- What are nutrients?
- different types of soil
- materials that can only be found in food
- substances that plants and animals need to grow ✓
-
When scientists look closely at something and use their other senses to notice things about it, this is called making …- investigations.
- predictions.
- observations. ✓
- conclusions.
-
- What is the function of something?
- its task or purpose ✓
- its location or place
- its name
-
Exit quiz
- Where do the roots of a plant usually grow?
- at the top of the plant
- around the stem of the plant
- at the bottom of the plant below the surface of the soil ✓
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Roots take in water and ______ from the soil they are growing in to help the plant grow and stay healthy.- 'nutrients' ✓
How do roots take in water and nutrients from the soil?- They suck them up.
- They absorb them. ✓
- They eat them.
- They drink them.
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- Which of these is not a function of roots?
- absorbing water and nutrients from the soil
- making food for the plant ✓
- providing support for the plant by anchoring it in the soil
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Many roots are covered in tiny hairs. Why do they have these hairs?- so they can absorb as much water as possible ✓
- so they can look attractive to animals living under the soil
- so they can make food for the plant
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Andeep wants to make a model plant with roots that absorb water like real roots. What would be the best thing for him to use for the roots?
plastic drinking straws
wooden pencils
paper kitchen roll strips ✓
Worksheet
Presentation
Lesson Details
Key learning points
- The roots of a plant usually sit below the surface of the soil.
- Roots provide support for the plant by holding the plant upright, especially in windy conditions.
- Roots absorb water and nutrients from soil to provide the plant with what it needs to grow and stay healthy.
Common misconception
Pupils may think that roots are like drinking straws that suck up water through their tips, rather than absorbing it across their whole length.
Share the model used in the lesson of a paper towel absorbing water to help pupils understand that water is absorbed, not sucked up, by the roots. Pupils could experience this for themselves in the classroom to help them understand and remember.
Keywords
Roots - The part of a plant that anchors it in the soil is called the root. Roots take in water and nutrients for the plant.
Function - The task that something has is its function.
Absorb - To absorb is to soak something up.
Nutrient - A nutrient is any substance that plants or animals need in order to live or grow.
Soil - Soil is ground up rock mixed up with plant and animal remains.