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Plant-Soil Interactions (Grades 3-5)

Students discover how plants and soils interact by observing root growth, considering the function of a plant’s roots, modeling the movement of water into the roots, and investigating the movement of water and nutrients throughout the plant.

Grades
3 – 5
Estimated Time
Three 45-minute class periods plus observation time
Updated
January 24, 2023
Roots of a plant growing in the soil
Image: Okea/iStock

Background

Lesson Activities

Credits

Author

Nutrients for Life Foundation

Acknowledgements

  • BSCS-Biological Science Curriculum Study
  • Reviewed by Smithsonian Institution

Standards

National Content Area Standards

  • Science
    • 4-LS1: From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
      • 4-LS1-1: Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.
    • 5-LS1: From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
      • 5-LS1-1: Support an argument that plants get the materials they need for growth chiefly from air and water.