Plants and Their Needs — Answer Key
Part A: Sort the Words
Sort each word or number into the correct category box.
1. Sort each item into the correct category.
Good Place for Plants
gardenforestfield Bad Place for Plants
ovenfreezercloset Gardens, forests, and fields have sunlight, rain, and soil. Ovens are too hot, freezers are too cold, and closets are too dark for plants to survive.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. Plants need light from the sun to make their food.
Plants use sunlight as their energy source to turn water and air into sugar, which is the food they eat to grow.
2. Without water, a plant will dry out and die.
Plants are mostly water inside, so when they lose too much they shrivel up and can no longer keep their stems and leaves alive.
3. Plants breathe in air through tiny holes in their leaves.
Tiny openings in the leaves let air flow in and out, giving plants the gases they need to make food and to survive.
4. A plant that does not get sunlight may turn yellow.
Without sunlight, a plant cannot make the green coloring in its leaves, so the leaves fade and turn yellow as the plant weakens.
5. The soil gives nutrients to the plant through its roots.
Soil is packed with tiny minerals and leftover plant bits, and the roots suck these nutrients up like a straw to feed the plant.
Part C: True or False?
Read each statement. Circle True or False.
1. Plants can make food without any sunlight.
True False
False — sunlight is the power source plants use to turn water and air into food, so without it, their kitchen shuts down.
2. Watering a plant helps it stay green and healthy.
True False
True — regular water keeps leaves plump and green and gives the plant the liquid it needs to move nutrients through its body.
3. Plants grow better in a dark closet than outside.
True False
False — a closet has no sunlight, so plants cannot make food there, but outside they get sun, rain, and fresh air to help them thrive.
4. Air is one of the things plants need to live.
True False
True — plants pull a gas called carbon dioxide out of the air to make food, which makes air just as important as sunlight and water.