Oxbow At Home: Eat Your Veggies

 

Eat Your Veggies

Parts of a Plant

Study the diagram below and then see if you can label the parts of the plant on the blank page.

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Why is the mushroom always invited to parties?

He’s a fungi

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Life Cycle of a Plant

Most plants start their life cycle as a seed. If a plant has the requirements that it needs for survival, it will begin to sprout and then roots will begin forming before leaves sprout above the soil. The plant will continue to grow bigger and bigger leaves and grow taller until the plant flowers. Plants need pollinated in order to reproduce, and flowers produce pollen. Lastly, a plant will develop their seeds, and will sometimes even grow pods or fruits with seeds inside.

We All Have Needs – What does a Plant Need for Survival?

All plants need sunlight, water, soil, and carbon dioxide to survive.

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Seed Breeds

Vegetables are one group of plants. Vegetables include carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, peas, broccoli, and so many more varieties. Let’s look at a few different types of seeds and look at their size, shape, and color.

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Let's be Brief about the Leaf

An important part of a plant is its leaves. A plant uses a process called photosynthesis to create or “produce” its own food. The plant absorbs sunlight through its leaves and converts carbon dioxide and water into energy. During this process the plant takes in carbon dioxide (which is what humans breathe out) and releases oxygen (which is what humans breathe in). Without photosynthesis, there would be no green plants and without green plants, animals would not be able to survive.

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I saw a leaf that was in the shape of a chicken.

Apparently, it’s from a poultree

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Under the Skin

Dissect a Bell Pepper (or any other vegetable in your fridge)

Now that we’ve looked at a few vegetables at different stages of their life cycles, let’s take a closer look under the skin of a vegetable by cutting into it and examining it, or dissecting it. You will need some help from an adult for this activity. Choose a fresh vegetable and the next time your family cooks a meal, watch your adult slice the vegetable in half. Examine the inside closely – what do you see? Can you see the seeds? Was the skin hard or soft? Bumpy or smooth? How does the (flesh) inside look different than the outside (skin)? Is it dry inside or juicy? Is it hard or soft? Ask your adult to slice specific sections that you are interested in to investigate them further. Then draw a picture of the vegetable before and after your dissection. Are there any more vegetables that you are interested in taking a closer look at? Try to predict what two additional vegetables would look like inside if you dissected them.

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Beneath the Ground, Vines Abound, or Jack the Beanstalk?

They all do it different, did you know? There are several ways that vegetables grow.

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That's all folks!

Hope you enjoyed learning about the plant life cycle and how cool vegetables are!  Now go eat your vegetables!

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