4th Grade Science Packet_3 Name:____________________________________ Date:_________________________ Directions: Follow the instructions below to guide you as you complete this packet.

• Students will: o Read and complete each activity. You should work on science for about 45

minutes each day. o After the activity, complete the Assessment and have parents check your work.

• Parents will: o Assist student with reading directions throughout activities. Reference digital

resources for extra support or content specifics. o Your student should work on science for about 45 minutes each day. o Check and discuss your student’s completed work each day.

Making Observations: For the next two weeks, find a safe place in your home where you can see some plants through a window or just outside your door. Select two different types of plants that you will observe each day. (You may also observe living plants inside your home.) Record the date and what you notice about each type plant. You may use pictures, words, or both.

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Date: Date: Date: Date: Date: Plant 1:

Plant 1:

Plant 1:

Plant 1:

Plant 1:

Plant 2:

Plant 2:

Plant 2:

Plant 2:

Plant 2:

Day 6 Day 7 Day 8 Day 9 Day 10 Date: Date: Date: Date: Date: Plant 1:

Plant 1:

Plant 1:

Plant 1:

Plant 1:

Plant 2:

Plant 2:

Plant 2:

Plant 2:

Plant 2:

4th Grade Science Packet_3 Days 1-5 will review SC.3.L.14.1: Describe structures in plants and their roles in food production, support, water and nutrient transport, and reproduction.

Days 1 and 2: Please read the next two pages. After you read, write the answers to these questions.

• What are six of the main parts of a flowering plant? _____________________________

________________________________________________________________________

• Describe at least two parts of plants that you like to eat. __________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________ • Draw a flowering plant growing in soil. Label the parts of the plant.

Draw and label arrows to show how water, nutrients, and food move in different directions through the plant.

Get to the Bottom of It Plants come in many shapes and sizes. Did you know that an important part of most plants is hidden underground? Plants are made up of different parts. Each part has a function that helps the plant grow and survive. The part of the carrot plant that we eat is its root. Roots hold, or anchor, plants in the ground. Roots also take in, or absorb, water and nutrients from the soil. Nutrients are materials that living things such as plants need to grow and stay healthy. Different types of plants have different types of roots. Some roots are long and can reach water deep under the ground. Some roots have many small, hairy branches that spread out just under the soil to get water from a large area. Water and nutrients move from the roots to other parts of the plant.

4th Grade Science Packet_3

Tiny plant inside a bean seed

cone

Reach for the Sky What happens to water and nutrients after they enter the roots? How do they get to the rest of the plant? Water and nutrients move from the roots to the stem. The stem is the part of the plant that helps the plant stand tall and strong. It supports, or holds up, the part of the plant that is above ground. A stem also carries water and nutrients from the roots to other parts of the plant. The woody stems of most trees are big and thick. The stems of flowers are often soft and thin. Some plants have one main stem, but others have many. We can eat the stems of some plants. Celery is a plant stem that we eat. Energy for Plants! Water and nutrients keep a plant healthy. But a plant still needs energy from food to survive. Luckily, a plant doesn’t need to go anywhere to get its food! Unlike animals, most plants can make their own food. This important process takes place in leaves of the plant. Leaves use water, air, and light energy from the Sun to produce, or make, food. The food is then transported from the leaves through the plant’s stems to other parts of the plant. Plants use most of this food energy to live and grow. The rest of the food is stored. Some plants store this food in large roots, such as potatoes, onions, and beets. Leaves are many different sizes and shapes. Some plants, like sunflowers, have leaves that are big and wide. Big, wide leaves can catch more sunlight. This helps the plant make more food. Animals can eat the leaves of some plants. When we eat lettuce, we are eating a plant’s leaves. The Cycle of Life The tallest tree in the world was once small enough to fit in your hand. Like animals, plants start out small and grow bigger. The blossoms on apple trees and other plants are called flowers. If you eat broccoli or cauliflower, you are eating the flower of a plant. A flower is the plant part that helps some plants reproduce. When living things reproduce, they make new living things like themselves. First, flowers grow into fruit. After the fruit ripens, it falls to the ground. The fruit contains seeds. Many animals eat fruit. Some fruits, like peaches and avocados, have one large seed inside. Other fruits, like oranges and tomatoes, have many small seeds. Some fruits, like strawberries, have lots of tiny seeds on the outside. A seed has a small plant inside of it. A seed also has stored food inside to provide energy for small plant until it grows enough to grow leaves. Then sunlight, soil, water, and air help the seeds sprout into seedlings and grow. The seedlings grow into adult plants. The life cycle continues as the adult plants produce more flowers and seeds.

Not all plants that produce and grow from seeds have flowers. Some have cones. You may have seen cones in a pine tree or on the ground near the tree. Like a flower, a cone is used in reproduction, but cones do not turn into fruit. A cone opens to release its seeds. Animals, including humans, also eat the seeds of some plants. You may have seen pine cones that squirrels have chewed into in order to get

to the seeds inside. When we eat peas or beans, we are also eating the seeds of a plant.

4th Grade Science Packet_3 Day 3: Write the steps in the life cycle of a plant that grows from a cone seed. The first step is given. Draw a picture of the plant at each stage.

Read and complete the sentences below. (Hint: You may need to look back at what you read on Days 1 and 2.)

The _____________________ of the plant absorb water and nutrients from the ____________.

The water and nutrients next move from the roots to the ______________________________.

From there, the water and nutrients move to the _____________________________________.

This part of the plant uses ____________________________________, air, and water to make

___________________________ for the plant.

_______________

_______________

cone

_______________

4th Grade Science Packet_3 Day 4: Draw a picture of each plant part in the table below. Write to describe the function (job) of each part of a plant.

Plant Part Function (Job) seed

fruit

flower cone

leaves

stem

roots

4th Grade Science Packet_3 Day 5: Assessment: Read each question carefully. Circle the letter beside the best answer.

1. Dan knows that a stem carries important materials to the rest of the plant. Which of the following are not transported by the stem of a plant?

A. food B. nutrients C. soil D. water

2. Midori knows that plants grow from seeds. In what parts of plants are seeds formed?

A. leaves and roots B. cones and leaves C. flowers and cones D. stems and flowers

3. Megan is watering the plants in her garden. She knows that the roots of a plant will

absorb the water. Where in the plant does the water go next?

A. cones B. leaves C. seeds D. stem

4. Bill is measuring the length of the stem of a tomato plant in his backyard garden.

Which of the following is one thing the stem does for the tomato plant?

A. It supports the plant. B. It makes food for the plant. C. It absorbs water from the soil. D. It makes seeds for the plant to reproduce.

5. Kaelyn is helping her grandfather get ready to plant a garden. She knows that a seed will

grow into a mature plant. Which of the following best describes the plant part that grows around the seed or seeds?

A. flower B. fruit C. leaf D. roots

4th Grade Science Packet_3 Days 6-10 will focus on SC.4.L.16.1: Identify processes of sexual reproduction in flowering plants, including pollination, fertilization (seed production), seed dispersal, and germination. Day 6: Please read. After reading, write to answer the questions. How do plants reproduce? Plants grow all over Earth. Cactus plants grow in deserts and dry areas. Palm trees and orchids grow in rain forests. Mosses grow in swamps and other damp places. You can also find plants growing in cities—even on buildings and other man-made structures.

Most seed plants reproduce through sexual reproduction. Sperm are the male reproductive cells in plant pollen. Ovules, or eggs, are the female reproductive cells. Look at the flower diagram below. Pollen is produced in the anther at the top of the stamen. Pollen contains sperm. Ovules (eggs) are produced in the ovary at the bottom of the pistil. Many flowers have both stamens and a pistil. The petals of many flowers are brightly colored to attract bird, bees, and other insects to move the pollen from the stamen to the pistil. Fertilization is the joining of an ovule and pollen. When an ovule is fertilized, it grows into an embryo. The plant embryo forms inside a seed. The embryo is the first stage of a plant’s life. In most seed plants, the seeds form in flowers. For example, apple tree seeds form in the tree’s flowers.

4th Grade Science Packet_3

Figure 1 Closer view of tiny spores on bottom of fern leaf Figure 2 Fern

Other seed-bearing plants have cones instead of flowers. The seeds of pine, cedar, and cypress trees all form in cones. The male cones of these plants produce pollen that must be transferred to fertilize the ovules in the female cones. Wind usually carries the pollen from the male cones to the female cones. The woody cones that you may find on the ground around a pine tree are female cones. Some plants do not make seeds. For example, mosses and ferns don’t make seeds. Instead, these plants make spores. A spore is a structure that can produce new plants. The spores form inside a capsule on the underside of the leaves of the fern. The capsule bursts open and releases the spores. How do pollen, seeds, and spores travel? Pollination is the transfer of pollen from the anthers to the pistil of a seed plant. How does the pollen get to the pistil? Both wind and water can carry pollen. Animals can also carry pollen. The bee is one animal that carries pollen. A bee goes from flower to flower to drink nectar. Along the way, the bee picks up pollen from anthers. It leaves behind pollen on the pistil. That’s how flowers are pollinated. Like pollen, seeds travel by wind, water, and animals. Animals transport seeds when they eat fruits. The seeds leave the animals’ bodies in their waste. Some seeds have thorns or hooks. These attach to an animal’s fur (or stick on the shoes and clothing of humans) and travel on its body. Spores travel by wind. Many spores land in places with enough light and water. These spores can then grow into new ferns or mosses.

• How do seed-bearing plants reproduce? _______________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

• How do plants that do not produce seeds reproduce? ____________________________

________________________________________________________________________

• What are some of the ways that pollen, seeds, and spores travel? __________________

________________________________________________________________________

4th Grade Science Packet_3 Day 7: Please read and then write the answers to these questions. • Describe the steps in the life cycle of a seed plant. __________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

• What do seeds need in order to germinate? _______________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

What is the life cycle of a seed plant? Plants grow in stages. A seed plant goes through stages in its life. All the stages together make up a life cycle. A seed is planted in soil. Next, the seed grows into a tiny plant. The plant grows until it can make flowers or cones. These are the parts that make more seeds. Let’s look at the tomato plant life cycle. The tomato seed holds the embryo of a tomato plant. Germination is the stage when the seed sprouts. Seeds need the right temperature and amount of water in order to germinate. When the seed sprouts, the embryo in the seed grows into a tiny plant. The tomato plant gets larger and grows more roots. Then it grows to its full size. It reaches maturity, the stage at which an organism can reproduce. Mature plants make seeds that grow into new plants.

We get food from some plants. You might grow a plant, such as a lima bean plant, in a garden. Here is how to do it. First, get a package of lima bean seeds. Next, plant the seeds in soil. Plant them where they’ll get a lot of light. The seeds will grow into plants. The plants get bigger and make flowers. Then the bean pods form. The plants are now mature. Each pod holds seeds. In the lima bean plant, we call the seeds “beans.” The seeds can be planted. They can grow into new lima bean plants.

4th Grade Science Packet_3

4th Grade Science Packet_3 Day 8: Please read each sentence. Write a word from the vocabulary word list below to complete each sentence.

cone cycle fertilization

germination maturity pollen

pollination seed spore

1. The process that happens when a sperm joins with an ovule, or egg, is called

________________________________________.

2. _________________________ is the stage in a plant’s life cycle when it has grown enough to

reproduce.

3. When an ovule within a pistil is fertilized, a _______________________________ forms.

4. All of the stages a plant goes through as it develops is called its life _______________________.

5. _________________________________ is when pollen falls on a flower’s pistil.

6. The process of a small root and stem beginning to grow out of a seed is called

_________________________________.

7. _______________________________ contains the male reproductive cells in seed-forming

plants.

8. A __________________________ is the structure that pine trees and cedar trees use to

reproduce.

9. A _______________________ can grow into a new moss or fern plant when the conditions are

right.

4th Grade Science Packet_3

Plant 2 Plant 1

Day 9: Look back at the observations you have recorded about two different types of plants on page 1. Then write the answers to these questions.

• Where were the plants you observed? ________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

• Describe any changes that you noticed in these plants over the days that you made and

recorded observations. ____________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

• Did you see other plants that are the same type as the two plants that you selected to observe?

______________________________________________________________________________

• Were the plants you observed planted by someone on purpose or did they grow

naturally where you saw them? ______________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

• Use the Venn diagram below to compare and contrast the two plants you observed.

4th Grade Science Packet_3 Day 10: Assessment: Read each question carefully. Circle the letter beside the best answer. 1. An empress tree is a flowering plant that grows in Florida. This tree’s flowers have blue and

violet markings. What is the main role of the colored markings on the flowers?

A. to attract insects to carry pollen

B. to protect the plant from the Sun

C. to produce pollen for reproduction D. to help disperse seeds to other areas

2. The cedar tree is a nonflowering plant. The orange blossom tree is a flowering plant. Both types of trees have similar life cycles. What is the order of events in the life cycles of both plants?

A. seed, pollination, seed dispersal, fertilization B. pollination, seed, seed dispersal, fertilization

C. fertilization, pollination, seed, seed dispersal D. pollination, fertilization, seed, seed dispersal

3. The Florida maple tree is a flowering plant. The Florida longleaf pine tree is a nonflowering plant. Both trees go through various stages in their life cycles. Which stage is found in the life cycles of both?

A. making cones B. making seeds C. making fruits D. making flowers

4. In the winter of 2006, millions of honeybees vanished from their hives throughout the country. No one was sure why the bees disappeared. However, everyone was concerned. Why were people concerned about what happened to the honeybees?

A. Bees help with seed dispersal.

B. Bees help protect seeds in nonflowering plants. C. Bees play a very important role as plant pollinators. D. Bees protect seeds until they start to germinate into seedlings.

4th Grade Science Packet_3

5. The possum grape vine is a plant that is native to Florida. The table below lists some features of the possum grape vine.

Possum Grape Vine Plant

Feature Description

flower yellow-green

growth pattern tall-climbing

leaf heart-shaped

stem woody

The life cycle of a possum grape vine includes sexual reproduction. Which feature of the plant is used for sexual reproduction?

A. flower B. growth pattern C. leaf D. stem

6. An animal eats the ripe fruit that falls from a cherry tree. The animal digests the fruit and the wastes of the fruit pass through the animal’s body. Later, the animal’s wastes are deposited into the ground. What process of plant reproduction has happened?

A. fertilization B. germination C. pollination D. seed dispersal

7. In fall, Rana notices that acorns have fallen from the oak trees in the park. In spring, she sees tiny plants where the acorns fell. What can Rana conclude that the acorns contain?

A. cones B. eggs C. pollen D. seeds