Year 3 Science: The main parts of a flowering plant
Part of the Year 3 Science parts of a flowering plant chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
The main parts of a flowering plant
A flowering plant is a plant that makes flowers. Many plants in parks and gardens are flowering plants, and so are many trees.
A flowering plant has four main parts:
- roots, which usually grow under the soil;
- stem, which holds up the rest of the plant (the stem of a tree is called its trunk);
- leaves, which grow out from the stem;
- flower, which grows on the plant and makes seeds.
Each part has a job. To learn the job, first learn the name of the part and where it grows.
Key ideas
- A flowering plant has four main parts: roots, stem, leaves and flower.
- Roots usually grow under the soil.
- The stem holds up the rest of the plant.
- Leaves grow out from the stem, and the flower grows on the plant.
- Each part has its own job.
Method. Look for the part that is below the soil line.
- Find the soil. The soil is the brown band at the bottom of the picture.brown band at the bottom
- Look below the soil line. Below the soil there are thin, branching parts with no leaves.thin, branching parts
- Name the part. These are the roots, which grow down into the soil.roots
- Write the answer. roots
Check. Roots are under the soil, and the leaves and flower are above it. ✓
Watch out. Parts under the soil are roots, even if you cannot see them all.
Method. Think about the job of each part.
- Read A. Roots hold the plant in the soil, so they do not hold the leaves up.A: roots, in the soil
- Read B. The stem holds the leaves up, so that they reach the light.B: stem, holds up leaves
- Choose the part. The part that holds the leaves up is the one that carries them.B
- Write the answer. B
Check. The stem is the part that holds the leaves up. ✓
Method. Think about which part makes seeds.
- Read A. The part that holds the plant in the soil is the roots, which do not make seeds.A: roots
- Read B. The flower is the part of the plant that makes seeds.B: flower makes seeds
- Choose the part. So the flower is the part that makes seeds.flower
- Write the answer. the flower
Check. Seeds come from the flower, not from the roots. ✓
Watch out. Roots take in water. Flowers make seeds.
Watch out
Watch out: a plant does not stop at the soil. The leaves, stem and flower are all parts of the plant, and so are the roots, even though we cannot see them.
Try it at home or school (with a grown-up). Look at a plant in a pot, or a plant in a garden, with a grown-up. Point to each of the four main parts: roots, stem, leaves and flower. Do not pull or pick the plant. Wash your hands afterwards.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Ask your child: “Which part is that? Where does it grow? What do you think it does?” Let them point to each part on a real plant as they name it.
Exercise 2A The main parts of a flowering plant
Method. Think about the parts above the soil and the part below it.
- Think about the parts below the soil. The roots grow under the soil.roots
- Think about the parts above the soil. The stem, the leaves and the flower grow above the soil.stem, leaves, flower
- Write the answer. roots, stem, leaves and flower (any order)
Check. Count the four parts: roots, stem, leaves and flower. ✓
Method. Think about where the roots grow.
- Think about the soil. The soil is the ground that the plant grows in.the soil
- Name the part under it. The roots grow down into the soil.roots
- Write the answer. roots
Check. The roots hold the plant in the soil. ✓
Method. Find the letter that points to the flower at the top.
- Find the flower. The flower is at the top of the plant.top of the plant
- Read the letter. The letter A points to the flower.A
- Write the answer. A
Check. The letter A is on the flower. ✓
Method. Find the long part that holds the plant up.
- Find the stem. The stem is the tall, thin part that the leaves grow from.tall, thin part
- Read the letter. The letter C points to the stem.C
- Write the answer. C
Check. The letter C is on the stem. ✓
Method. Find the part that grows into the soil.
- Find the roots. The roots are the part under the soil line.under the soil
- Read the letter. The letter D points to the roots.D
- Write the answer. D
Check. The letter D is under the soil. ✓
Method. Look for the two words that name parts of a plant.
- Check each word. Pebbles and bricks are not parts of a plant.not plant parts
- Find the two plant parts. Roots and stem are parts of a plant.roots and stem
- Write the answer. roots and stem
Check. Roots and stem are both plant parts. ✓
Method. Think about where the roots grow.
- Read the sentence. Roots grow down into the ground that the plant grows in.the ground
- Write the answer. soil
Check. The soil is where the roots grow. ✓
Method. Think about what the leaves are joined to.
- Read the sentence. Leaves grow out from the stem, which holds them up.the stem
- Write the answer. stem
Check. The stem holds the leaves. ✓
Method. Think about the part that makes seeds.
- Read the sentence. The flower is the part of the plant that makes seeds.the flower
- Write the answer. flower
Check. Seeds come from the flower. ✓
Method. Sort the words into plant parts and things that are not plant parts.
- Sort the plant parts. Leaves, flower and roots are parts of a plant.leaves, flower, roots
- Find the two that are left. Soil and rock are not parts of a plant.soil and rock
- Write the answer. soil and rock
Check. The plant parts and the other two make all five words. ✓
Method. Think about where roots are usually found.
- Think about the roots. Roots hold the plant in the soil.in the soil
- Decide. So roots usually grow under the soil, not above the ground.under the soil
- Write the answer. No. Accept any answer that says roots usually grow under the soil.
Check. Leaves and flowers are the parts that grow above the ground. ✓
Method. Look for the word that is not a part of the plant.
- Check the three plant parts. Roots, stem and flower are all parts of a plant.three plant parts
- Find the one that is not. Soil is the ground the plant grows in, so it is not a part of the plant.soil
- Write the answer. soil. Accept any reason that says soil is not a part of the plant.
Check. Soil is around the plant, not part of it. ✓
Method. Plan steps that look carefully and do not damage the plant.
- Step one. Look at each part of the plant, and point to it.look at each part
- Step two. Draw the plant and label each part with its name.draw and label
- Write the answer. Accept any two steps that look at, draw or label the parts, and do not pick or pull the plant, such as: look at each part, then draw and label it.
Check. Looking, drawing and labelling do not harm the plant. ✓