• Potassium protects our plants!
• Nitrogen is present in all living things including the human body and plants.
• Phosphorus is used to make matches. In Greek, the word means "bearer of light."

This lesson is part of the Fun with the Plant Nutrient Team series which was written to help children better understand what the soil needs to be healthy in order to provide us with healthy foods. The lessons encourage students to think for themselves, ask questions, and learn problem-solving skills while learning the specific content needed to better understand the world in which they live. The lessons include:

• People and Plants Need Nutrients
• The Soil We Grow In
• Photosynthesis and You
• Weather on the Farm
• Where Did Your Hamburger Come From?

Plants depend on the soil for the nutrients they need to grow and be healthy. If the soil does not contain the right amount of nutrients, the farmer or gardener will need to add one or more nutrients to the soil. Plants obtain three of these essential nutrients—carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen—from the atmosphere and water.  Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are classified as primary macronutrients because plants consume large amounts of these nutrients and therefore, they may be lacking in the soil. Secondary macronutrients include calcium, magnesium, and sulfur and are often present in the soil in amounts that are sufficient for plant growth.

The remaining essential nutrients are called micronutrients.  Micronutrients are just as important for plant health as the macronutrients, but are required in much smaller amounts. Micro and macronutrients are obtained when plant roots take up water from the soil that contains the dissolved nutrients. Altogether, there are 17 nutrients that plants require for healthy growth and development. The chemical symbol for each of these nutrients is shown on the last page of your Fun With the Plant Nutrient Team student activity book.

Both plants and people need nutrients to grow strong and be healthy. While plants use their roots to absorb nutrients from soil through water, people must get their nutrients by eating a balanced diet of nutritious foods.

The People and Plants Need Nutrients chart shows a list of the nutrients that are highly important for plant growth and why those nutrients are also important for people.