What Plants Need to Grow

Lab Brief #5

🎯 Your mission

Set it up. Test it. Be amazed.

⚡ The twist

Every species solves the same problem differently.

What you'll learn

Plants need sunlight, water, carbon dioxide, and nutrients from soil to grow. Their roots absorb water and minerals while their leaves capture sunlight for photosynthesis.

Key words

photosynthesis
How plants use sunlight, water, and air to make their own food.
nutrients
Parts of food that help living things grow and stay healthy.

Make a hypothesis first

Before you watch: what do you think it'll do?

Say your guess out loud — then find out if you were right.

Get ready

🧰 What you need

soil
water

Get ready

⚠️ Safety first

Wash your hands thoroughly afterwards and keep the material away from your face.
Mop up spills straight away so nobody slips, and keep liquids away from sockets.
Check glassware for chips before use and carry it with both hands.

Step 1 of 4 · Read

Look at the vocabulary words and write a definition for each in your own words.

Step 2 of 4 · Do

Build a model ecosystem in a jar using soil, small plants, and water. Seal it and observe how the water cycle works inside it for one week.

Step 3 of 4 · Observe

Draw a detailed diagram of what you observe.

Step 4 of 4 · Record

Write a conclusion: what did your results show? Did they match your prediction?

Question 1 of 3

What part of a plant absorbs water from the soil?

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Question 2 of 3

What do plants need to make food through photosynthesis?

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Question 3 of 3

What gas do plants release during photosynthesis?

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Mind = blown

🐙 An octopus has 9 brains and 3 hearts.

Nice work!

You got 0 of 3 right.

Next: How Seeds Germinate All lessons

🎯

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✨ More to explore

🌍 Where you see this in real life: This is why plants grow toward windows and why scabs form.

🏆 Stretch challenge (try it this week): Watch a plant or pet for 5 minutes today and write down what you noticed.

👨‍👩‍👧 For the dinner table: “Tell me something you noticed about your own body today.”

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