Kindergarden - Plants

Plants: Supplemental Guide 3A | The Life Cycle of a Plant 81

Presenting the Read-Aloud 10 minutes

The Life Cycle of a Plant

 Show image 3A-2: Seeds

You have already learned about the different parts of a plant. One of

those parts is the seed. Many plants begin with a seed. Seeds come

in all shapes and sizes, and the seeds from different plants look

different.

[Show students the different examples of seeds you have prepared. Ask if they

can identify what type of plant they will grow into. Point out that it is hard to tell

what type of plant the seeds will grow into just by looking at the seeds.]

Only a sunflower plant can grow from a sunflower seed, and only an

apple tree can grow from an apple seed.

What type of plant do you think would grow if you planted a

watermelon seed?

How about a pumpkin seed?

[Call on different students to answer.]

Each seed is a plant waiting to sprout—or grow.

Seeds are the beginning of new plants. And like all living things, plants

have a life cycle. A life cycle is the stages and changes that happen

over and over in living things. Let’s explore the life cycle of plants.

We’ll start with a sunflower.

 Show image 3A-3: Phases of germination

The sunflower’s life cycle begins as a seed. Most seeds have

nutrients inside them so that new plants can survive—or live on their

own—for a little while. But in order to germinate—or start to grow—

seeds must have air, water, and warmth from the sun, and nutrients

from the soil.

[Review the four things plants need to grow: food, water, air, and light.]

When a plant first starts to grow from a seed, it looks very different

from a mature—or full grown, adult—plant. Baby plants are called

seedlings. This image shows a plant’s growth into a seedling.

[Have students say seedling with you three times.]