Year 3 Science: Seed formation and fruit
Part of the Year 3 Science the life cycle of a flowering plant chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Seed formation and fruit
After pollination, the petals of the flower usually dry up and fall off. The female part of the flower then starts to change. Seeds form inside the female part, and its lower part swells and grows into a fruit.
A fruit is the part of a flowering plant that contains seeds. The fruit protects the seeds while they develop. The fruit of a bean plant is a pod. Other fruits include apples and tomatoes. A tomato is a fruit, even though many people use it as a vegetable.
Seed formation is the stage in which the seeds form inside the fruit. A pod can hold several seeds, and they keep growing until they are ready to be dispersed.
Key ideas
- After pollination, seeds form inside the female part of the flower.
- A fruit is the part of a flowering plant that contains seeds.
- The fruit of a bean plant is a pod, and the pod holds the seeds.
- The fruit protects the seeds while they develop.
Method. Think about which part holds the seeds.
- Read A. The pod is the fruit of the bean plant, and it holds the seeds.A: pod holds seeds
- Read B. The root takes in water and nutrients, and does not hold seeds.B: root
- Choose. So the pod is the fruit.A
- Write the answer. A
Check. The fruit holds the seeds, and the pod is the bean plant fruit. ✓
Watch out. The root is in the soil. It does not make or hold seeds.
Method. Multiply the number of pods by the seeds in each pod.
- Read the two numbers. There are 4 pods, and each pod has 5 seeds.4 pods, 5 seeds
- Multiply. The total is the number of pods times the seeds in each pod.4 x 5 = 20
- Write the answer. 20 seeds
Check. 5 added 4 times is 20. ✓
Method. Think about the order of the stages.
- Read the order. Pollination comes before seed formation in the life cycle.pollination first
- Choose the word. So pollination must happen before seeds form.pollination
- Write the answer. pollination
Check. Pollination comes first, then seeds form. ✓
Watch out
Watch out: the petals are not the seeds. The petals fall off, and the seeds form inside the female part, which grows into the fruit.
Try it at home or school (with a grown-up). With a grown-up, look at a dry bean pod from a garden plant, or a pea pod from the kitchen. Open it carefully and count the seeds inside. Write the number in a table. Do not eat the seeds unless a grown-up says they are safe to eat. Wash your hands afterwards.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Ask: “How many seeds are in this pod? Why do you think the pod holds them?” Let your child count the seeds aloud, one at a time.
Exercise 4C Seed formation and fruit
Method. Think about the part that holds the seeds.
- Read the definition. A fruit is the part of a flowering plant that contains seeds.fruit
- Write the answer. fruit
Check. Apples, tomatoes and pods are fruits. ✓
Method. Think about the fruit of a bean plant.
- Read the chapter. The fruit of a bean plant is a pod, which holds the seeds.pod
- Write the answer. pod
Check. A bean pod holds the seeds. ✓
Method. Think about the part that is coloured and falls off.
- Read the sentence. After pollination, the petals usually fall off.petals
- Write the answer. petals
Check. The petals dry up and fall off. ✓
Method. Think about where the seeds form.
- Read the sentence. Seeds form inside the fruit.fruit
- Write the answer. fruit
Check. The fruit holds the seeds. ✓
Method. Think about which part holds the seeds.
- Read the two parts. The male part makes pollen. The female part is where the seeds form.female part
- Choose the part. So the female part grows into the fruit.female part
- Write the answer. female part
Check. Seeds form in the female part. ✓
Method. Count the seeds inside the pod, one at a time.
- Count the seeds. There are five seeds inside the pod.5 seeds
- Write the answer. 5
Check. Each seed is inside the pod. ✓
Method. Think about what a fruit is.
- Read the definition. A fruit is the part of a flowering plant that contains seeds.contains seeds
- Check the tomato. A tomato grows from a flower and contains seeds, so it is a fruit.tomato has seeds
- Write the answer. yes
Check. A tomato is a fruit of the plant. ✓
Method. Add the seeds in the three pods.
- Read the numbers. The pods have 5, 4 and 6 seeds.5, 4, 6
- Add them together. The total is the seeds in all three pods.5 + 4 + 6 = 15
- Write the answer. 15 seeds
Check. 5 + 4 + 6 = 15, so the answer is right. ✓
Method. Take the seeds that were planted away from the total.
- Read the two numbers. Mo has 20 seeds and plants 6 of them.20 and 6
- Subtract. The seeds left are the total, minus the seeds planted.20 − 6 = 14
- Write the answer. 14 seeds
Check. 6 + 14 = 20, so the answer is right. ✓
Method. Check whether the three numbers are the same.
- Read the record. The pods hold 5, 4 and 6 seeds.5, 4, 6
- Compare the numbers. The numbers are not all the same, so the pods do not hold the same number.not the same
- Write the answer. no
Check. Pods can hold different numbers of seeds. ✓
Method. Think about what the petals do after pollination.
- Think about the petals. The petals dry up and fall off.petals fall off
- Name where seeds form. The seeds form inside the female part, which becomes the fruit.female part
- Write the answer. No. Accept any answer that says the seeds form inside the female part of the flower, which becomes the fruit.
Check. The petals do not become seeds. ✓
Method. Think about the order of the stages.
- Think about the pollen. The pollen has to reach the female part of the flower.pollen reaches
- Give the reason. Only after pollination do the seeds start to form, inside the fruit.then seeds
- Write the answer. Accept any answer that says the pollen must reach the female part first, and only then do the seeds start to form.
Check. Pollination comes before seed formation. ✓