How Do Plants Grow?

Dig into the details of plant growth with this worksheet for fourth and fifth graders! A scientist hypothesizes that since a plant gains its mass by taking nutrients from the soil, a plant’s mass will increase by the same amount that the soil’s mass will decrease. Students will review the results of the experiment, then answer a series of questions about the data and where the plant’s mass actually came from.

This worksheet will help learners recognize that plants get materials for growth mostly from air and water, not from soil. As students analyze data and draw conclusions about the experiment, they will gain a deeper understanding of photosynthesis and the structures of plants.

For a review, learners can try Photosynthesis: How Plants Make Food.