Plants and How They Grow — Fun Science
Plants make their own food using sunlight — a process called photosynthesis. Without green plants, there would be no oxygen for us to breathe.
Learn
- Plants need three things to make food: sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide from the air.
- A green substance called chlorophyll catches the sunlight. It is what makes leaves look green.
- Plants take in water through their roots and carry it up through tiny tubes to the leaves.
- When plants make food, they release oxygen — the gas we breathe.
Try These Questions
- What process do plants use to make their own food?
Answer: Photosynthesis
Hint: The word starts with "photo" which means light. - What green substance catches sunlight in leaves?
Answer: Chlorophyll
Hint: It gives leaves their green colour. - How do plants take in water?
Answer: Through their roots
Hint: Plants drink from the soil.
Watch Water Travel Through a Plant
- Add about 10 drops of food colouring to a glass of water.
- Cut the bottom off a stick of celery that has leaves on top.
- Stand the celery in the coloured water.
- Wait 24 hours, then look at the leaves and the cut end. Draw what you see.
Safety: Ask an adult to help cut the celery. Wash hands after handling food colouring.
Challenge Quiz
- What do plants use to make their own food?
Answer: Sunlight - What is the green substance in leaves called?
Answer: Chlorophyll - What gas do plants release when making food?
Answer: Oxygen - Which three things do plants need to make food?
Answer: Sunlight, water, carbon dioxide - How do plants take in water from the soil?
Answer: Through their roots