How Plants Make Food
Amir is back at the garden center. Today Lucy teaches him how plants make their own food. Read the story, then try the questions.
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First, Lucy takes Amir into a classroom. “This is where we teach gardening classes,” says Lucy. “Before we move on, I want to show you how plants make their own food.” She points to a poster on the wall that says ‘Photosynthesis’. “That’s a big word,” says Amir. “Photosynthesis is the way plants make food,” says Lucy.
“‘Photo’ means light and ‘synthesis’ means to make or put together,” says Lucy. “Photosynthesis is when plants turn light energy into energy they can use to grow. People eat food to get energy and grow. Plants need energy to grow too. They use the food they make for energy.”
Lucy points to the poster. “Plants need sunlight, water and carbon dioxide to make food. First, plants need sunlight to make their own food,” says Lucy. “A plant’s leaves have chlorophyll. Light energy from the Sun goes into the leaves. The chlorophyll catches the light energy and uses it to make food.”
“Plants need water to make their own food,” says Lucy. “When it rains, water goes into the soil. A plant’s roots take in the water and nutrients from the soil. The water then goes into the stem. The stem takes the water to the leaves.”
“Plants need carbon dioxide to make their own food,” says Lucy. “What is carbon dioxide?” asks Amir. “Carbon dioxide is an invisible gas. Gas is something with no shape that can float in air,” says Lucy. “People breathe in oxygen. We breathe out carbon dioxide. Leaves have tiny holes that take in the carbon dioxide we breathe out.”
“The leaves of the plant change the sunlight, water and carbon dioxide into sugar and oxygen. This is photosynthesis,” Lucy says. “Plants use light energy to make food.”
“The sugar is the plant’s food,” says Lucy. “Plants use the food for energy. The sugar flows from the leaves to the rest of the plant to help it grow. The plant gives off oxygen as it uses the food. The leaves let out the oxygen into the air. People breathe in the oxygen from the plants.”
“Wow!” says Amir. “I didn’t know people needed plants to breathe.” “Yes,” says Lucy. “People need plants to get oxygen. Plants need people to get carbon dioxide. We count on each other to live and grow.”
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