What Plants Need

Looking Around 2 — Plants. Basic needs of a plant match this topic.

• Plants need sunlight, water, air, and soil to grow.
• Without any one of these, a plant becomes weak or dies.
• Farmers and gardeners give plants these things every day.

Verbal: A plant grows well when it gets sunlight for food-making, water for drinking, air for breathing, and soil for roots to hold on.

Symbolic: Plant growth = Sunlight + Water + Air + Soil.

Level 1 — Sunlight

Helps leaves make food.

Level 1 — Water

Plants drink water through roots.

Level 1 — Air

Plants need air to breathe, like us.

Level 2 — Soil

Gives roots a place to hold and get nutrients.

Level 2 — Missing one

Plant without water wilts and droops.

Why does a plant droop if we forget to water it?

Step 1 — Roots need **water** to stay firm and healthy.
Step 2 — Without water, the plant cannot **drink**.
Step 3 — Leaves and stem become **weak** and droop.
Answer: No water makes the plant weak, so it droops.

• Name two things a plant needs to grow.
• What happens if a plant gets no water?
• Which part helps plant make food using sunlight?

Stretch: Why might a plant kept in a dark room without sunlight become weak? Name all four basic needs.

Revision tip: Water a small plant at home for a week and note how it looks each day.

Open the Practice tab for graded questions on What Plants Need.