Roots and Stems

What exactly do the roots of a plant do? Doesn't the stem just hold up the leaves? Take a closer look at plants and teach students why plants need water, sunlight, air and nutrients to survive. Students will create hypotheses about roots and stems and then examine these plant parts closely to learn their primary functions. Vocabulary words covered in this lesson include xylem, phloem, and cross-section.

Theme: Plants

Activity Type: Science

Range: All Elementary

Part: 1 of 1

Length: 30 Minutes

Participant Ratio: 20:1

Location: Indoors

Messiness Level: 1 (not messy)

Student Worksheet "Roots and Stems" (included)

magnifying glasses

plastic cup

large brown paper bag

plastic knife

plant with roots

plant without roots

fresh, plain celery

food coloring

colored celery (instructions included)

water

pencils

colored pencils or crayons