How Plants Make Food
Information About This Unit
Description of Learning Unit:
This unit will show your child how plants make food through the process of photosynthesis. Your child will also be introduced to the food chain. This unit contains enough lessons, activities and learning tools to last for one week, depending on how often you teach science. 
List of Objectives:
- Learn what plants need to grow and survive.
- Learn how plants get their nutrients.
- Learn about the food chain.
List of Materials and Supplies Needed for This Pathway:
- Small shrub, tree or house plant
- Cardboard or aluminum foil
- Scissors
- Paper clips
- Pack of small garden seeds
- Small bag of plain potting soil
- Two small flat type containers for planting seeds
- Two small glasses or butter tubs for soaking seeds
- A few ounces of liquid plant food thats been mixed for garden plants
- 2 white carnations or 2 freshly cut celery stalks
- Red and blue food coloring
- Jars or glasses
- Water
- Scissors or knife (adult supervision required)
Plants Need Sunlight and Water:
- 4 potted plants, same kind and size
- Water
- Place that is dark to put a plant
- Place that gets lots of sunlight to put a plant
- Pots
- Potting Soil
- Plants
- Seeds
- Variables: apple juice, paper towels, etc.
- One small, plain paper plate
- Paper towel tube
- Green construction paper (sheet)
- Yellow construction paper (a few sheets)
- Scissors
- Pencil
- Tape
Printables:
- Printer
- Paper
- Pencil
Links to Free Learning Material
Links to Online Lessons:
| Plant Food | (no rating) |
This site explains what plants need to make their own food, such as chlorophyll, and how the process used for making food works--photosynthesis.
| Why Plants Need Soil | 58% | (1 votes) |
A short explanation of what plants need to live including the role of soil in keeping plants alive.
| Plants and the Food Chain | (no rating) |
Learn how plants are part of a food chain.
Reference Websites:
| Food Chain Glossary | (no rating) |
This website provides a food chain glossary with food-chain-related vocabulary words and their definitions.
Hands-On Projects and Activities:
| Sunlight Experiment | (no rating) |
Perform this experiment and see how a lack of sunlight affects a plant's ability to make food.
| Sipping Stems | 77% | (1 votes) |
See how plants pull nutrients and water from soil by performing this experiment.
| Healthy Plants | (no rating) |
Perform this experiment to see what plants need to be healthy.
| Sunflower Paper Plate | (no rating) |
This is a fun and simple art project for children on creating a sunflower from a small paper plate.
Learning Tools (worksheets, drills, printables, online games, tests, etc.):
| Vascular Plants | 71% | (1 votes) |
This fun, interactive learning tool shows children how vascular plants, such as flowers, use water and food to grow.
| The Web of Life | (no rating) |
This cute, animated online story teaches children that every animal and plant relies on other plants and animals to survive.
| Parts of a Plant Worksheet | (no rating) |
Use this worksheet to discuss how a plant makes food.
| Helping Plants Grow Well | 79% | (1 votes) |
In this on-line game, see what it take to help plants to grow well.
| Plant Crossword | (no rating) |
Complete this crossword to see what you've learned about plants and how they make food.
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Free Online Video:
| What Plants Need to Grow Video | (no rating) |
This fun video shows what plants need to grow.
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Free Online Audio: 
Free E-Books (and classics available in most libraries):