This activity is meant to help children understand that plants are alive (like they are!) and that they need similar things to survive such as food, water, and air. The students will become stewards of plants’ lives through their garden. This lesson will help them understand what is essential for plants to thrive.

There are four main elements to plant survival that the children should be able to identify and why.

1. Sun
   Plants need food to grow, just like us. Where do they get this food? Plants have a special relationship with the sun. When the sun shines on plants’ leaves, the plant uses special organs that help to change sunlight into food that the plant needs to grow. This is called photosynthesis.

   If a plant was in a dark closet, it would not be able to make the food that it needs grow and it would not grow strong.

2. Water
   Like people, plants need water to drink! When we are out playing in the hot sun, we get thirsty; water helps to refresh and replenish the liquids that we need to feel energized and happy. Plants need water in this same way; on a very hot day, a plant without water will start to look and feel droopy, it needs water to be refreshed and happy.

   When we eat a meal, we need a drink of water to help our body use the food for the energy we need. Plants need water in this same way; water helps a plant to process sunlight into food.

   Ever notice how juicy some fruits are? This comes from the water that the plant drinks while the fruit is forming!

3. Soil
   
   Soil is not just dirt. Soil is also made up of food/nutrients, minerals, and water that the plant needs. Soil is the place where a plant’s feet or roots are buried helping the plant to stand up strong. Plant roots also have a special ability to absorb water or food from the soil that the plant needs to be healthy.

   The soil is also full of life! Some living creatures we can see like earthworms, and some are so small that we can only see them when we use a special tool called a microscope. But all of these creatures in the soil help to make plants happy and healthy. They can create air space and food underground that the roots send to the rest of the plant.

4. Air
   Plants are living things and they need to breathe air just like we do. They breathe through their leaves. If you put a plant in a glass jar with no air holes, it would not survive when the air is used up.

   Plants also need air space around their roots and their bodies to be healthy. If plants are too crowded together, they may get sick or diseased.

Roots

Beets, Carrots, Garlic, Onions, Potatoes, Radish, Scallions, Sweet Potatoes

Stems

Asparagus, Celery, Scallions

Leaves

Cabbage, Kale, Lettuce, Parsley, Cilantro, Collards, Spinach

Flowers

Broccoli, Cauliflower, Artichoke

Fruits

Peppers, Cantaloupe, Cucumber, Eggplant, Pumpkin, Squash, Tomatoes, Watermelon, Zucchini

Seeds

Corn, Green Beans, Peas, Sunflower Seeds, Popcorn, Chickpeas / Garbonzo Beans

We have already discussed how important healthy soil is to the life of plants. Healthy soil is more than just dirt, remember it contains all kinds of life and living creatures that work together with plants to help them grow to be healthy. Healthy plants growing in healthy soil produce lots of healthy food for people and other animals.

Some farmers and gardeners spray bug killers on their plants because they think they are protecting the food they are growing. The problem with this is that these sprays not only kill the bugs that eat the plants, but they also kill the creatures that help the plants to be healthy both in the soil and the air.

Earthworms create air and add nutrients to the soil to help the plant grow to be healthy. Bees and butterflies visit and pollinate flowers, which helps the plants to produce their fruits. If we spray these plants with “bug killers” these important creatures could also be harmed.