Science·Organisms & Life Processes·conceptual
Plants Grow from Air & Water
Support an argument that plants get the materials they need for growth chiefly from air and water, not from the soil
Suggested ages 10–11
Learning journey
Your child is exploring how living things get and use energy — from understanding how plants make food from sunlight and air, to learning about the human circulatory system and how lifestyle choices affect our bodies.
Evidence of understanding
- Explain that plants take in carbon dioxide from air and water from soil to make food (photosynthesis)
- Argue that most of a plant's mass comes from air (CO₂) and water, not soil minerals
- Describe a simple investigation showing soil mass barely changes while a plant grows significantly
Assessment prompt
If Plants Grow from Air & Water knows plants need water and sunlight, can they also explain that most of a plant's 'building material' actually comes from air and water rather than dirt?
Standards alignment
5-LS1-1US · ngss-k5
5-LS1-1
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) K-5