How Plants Work:Are Plants Like Us?

Student’s Journal

Gin

kgo

Gym

no

sperm

sPl

ants

wit

h c

on

es Yew

Mo

nke

y Pu

zzle

Wel

wit

sch

iaFi

rs

Pod

oca

rpu

s

Seq

uo

ia

Cyc

ad

Ro

yal F

ern

s

Seed

less

Vasc

ula

rPl

ants

wit

h v

ein

san

d n

o s

eed

s

Seed

less

No

n-v

asc

ula

rPl

ants

wit

h n

o v

ein

san

d n

o s

eed

s

Mo

dern

Gre

en

Alg

ae

The P

lan

t Fa

mil

y T

ree

Sin

gle

an

d m

ult

icel

lula

r al

gae

Clim

bin

g F

ern

s

Am

bo

rella

Tree

Fer

ns

Ad

der

's T

on

gu

e

Wh

isk

Fern

s Qu

illw

ort

sSe

lag

inel

la

Live

rwo

rts

Vo

lvo

xSp

iro

gyr

a

Wat

er F

ern

s

Yam

s

Alo

eDay

lilie

s

Ag

ave

Am

aryl

lis

On

ion

s

Mo

no

cots

An

gio

sperm

sFl

ow

erin

g P

lan

tsIr

is

Asp

arag

us

Day

flo

wer

s

Paw

paw

Ban

anas

Can

nas

Dic

ots

Gen

tian

s

Cu

cum

ber

s

Gra

pes

Mu

star

d

Ger

aniu

ms

Lau

rel

Co

ffee

Ho

ps

Pap

aya

Will

ow

s

Cu

rran

ts

Euca

lyp

tus

Hyd

ran

gea

Beg

on

ias

Milk

wee

ds

Mo

rnin

g G

lori

es

Cit

rus

Elm

s Mu

lber

ries

/Fi

gs

Cac

ao

Pin

eap

ple

Vio

lets

Sum

acs

Oak

s

Sed

ges

Wal

nu

tsC

arn

atio

ns

Bee

ts

Do

gw

oo

dSc

rop

hs/

Snap

dra

go

ns

Gin

sen

gSc

abio

sa

Prim

rose

Ho

ney

suck

le

Imp

atie

ns

TeaBir

ch

Bu

tter

cup

Port

ula

ca

Bel

lflo

wer

s

Afr

ican

Vio

lets

Wat

erLi

lies

Syca

mo

reSt

arA

nis

e Mis

tlet

oe

Sun

dew

Peo

nie

s

Oliv

e

Ho

lly

Even

ing

Pri

mro

sePe

pp

erPo

pp

ies

An

cest

ral

Gre

en A

lgae

Sed

um

Map

les

Tru

e M

oss

esB

lueb

erri

es

Clu

b M

oss

es

Ho

rset

ails

Co

mm

on

Fer

n

Cyp

ress

Eph

edra

Pin

esA

roid

s

Lilie

sG

rass

es

Palm

s

Gin

ger

s

Orc

hid

s

Mag

no

lia

Cac

ti

Eup

ho

rbs

Ro

ses

Mal

low

Tom

ato

es

Bea

ns

Car

rots

Sun

flo

wer

s

Min

ts/V

erb

ena

The

Plan

t Fa

mily

Tre

e is

a p

roje

ct o

f th

e U

.S. B

ota

nic

Gar

den

(u

sbg

.go

v) a

nd

th

e N

atio

nal

Mu

seu

m o

f N

atu

ral H

isto

ry, D

epar

tmen

t o

f B

ota

ny,

Sm

ith

son

ian

Inst

itu

tio

n (

bo

tan

y.si

.ed

u/)

.

'

Are Plants Like Us?Do you really grow like a weed?

Exploring the Conservatory…Follow your teacher or adult leader into Mediterranean. For this activity, you will need a partner. Once you have chosen your partner, look around at all the different plants in Mediterranean.

Choose a plant. Which plant did you choose? Now compare your plant to your partner.

Think Tank!How are humans and plants the same?

How are they different?

While looking at your partner and your plant choice, answer the following questions in the space provided.

List three things both the plant and your partner can do: (Example: eat)1. ____________________ 2. ____________________ 3. __________________

List three things the plant can do that your partner cannot do: (Example: make oxygen)1. ____________________ 2. ____________________ 3. __________________

List three things your partner can do that the plant cannot do: (Example: walk around)1. ____________________ 2. ____________________ 3. __________________

'

Dig Deeper...You be the botanist! The U.S. Botanic Garden wants you to think about the ways that plants use light, water, and nutrients. Venture into The Tropics and climb up to the canopy. Once you are on the canopy walk, look at all the epiphytes (bromeliads and orchids) in the surrounding trees. Choose one epiphyte and draw it in the space below:

Plant Name: ____________________________

Epiphyte:An epiphyte is a plant that grows on another plant for support. It is not parasitic, but uses the host plant for support only. Epiphytes can be found in many different environments all over the world, but many of the most beautiful come from the rain forests and can be found high up in the tree canopy.

Think Tank!How do epiphytes get light?

How do they get water?

How do they get nutrients?

'

Photosynthesis: The process a plant uses to combine sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to produce oxygen and sugar (energy).

Why do you think some plants are epiphytic?

Venture into World Deserts.Observe all the cacti in the room. Choose a cactus. Draw it in this space.

Plant Name: ____________________________

Think Tank! Why do cacti look the way they do?

How do they retain water?

How do they get nutrients?

How do plants in the desert survive when the desert typically receives less than 10 inches of rain a year?

What Did You Learn?Consider the following statement: Plants are like humans because both need energy to survive. However, plants are different because they capture energy from the sun and can make their own food.

Is this statement true or false? Why?