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Why do plants give us fruit?
Circle of Life Unit | Lesson 4 of 5
Back > Share

Why do plants give us fruit?

Circle of Life Unit | Lesson 4 of 5
Lesson narration:
English Spanish
Scroll for prep
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DISCUSS:

What do you think happened to the seeds the pear flowers should have made?

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DISCUSS:

What part of the flower turned into a pear?

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DISCUSS:

Why do you think some plants grow fruit around their seeds?

Hint...

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DISCUSS:

Do you think a tomato is a fruit or a vegetable?

Reveal answer

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Slide Image
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flower


1 of 13

the reproductive part of some plants that can make seeds
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petal


2 of 13

the colorful part of a flower
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stigma


3 of 13

the sticky part of a flower that pollen can stick to
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ovary


4 of 13

the part of a flower or other living thing that contains its eggs
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stamen


5 of 13

the part of a flower that has pollen
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pollen


6 of 13

a powder plants make that is involved in plant reproduction
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pollination


7 of 13

the process of moving pollen from one part of a flower (the stamen) to another part of a flower (the stigma)
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fruit


8 of 13

the part of a plant that contains seeds inside a covering, like apples
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seed


9 of 13

a part of a plant that can grow into a baby plant
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reproduction


10 of 13

a stage in the life cycle of living things when they have offspring
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offspring


11 of 13

babies
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vegetable


12 of 13

part of a plant that is eaten, like leaves, roots, and stems; does not include fruit that contains seeds
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dissect


13 of 13

to take something apart to study it
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Image & Video Credits

Mystery Science respects the intellectual property rights of the owners of visual assets. We make every effort to use images and videos under appropriate licenses from the owner or by reaching out to the owner to get explicit permission. If you are the owner of a visual and believe we are using it without permission, please contact us—we will reply promptly and make things right.

Exploration
Cherries by 4028mdk09
Open field by Broo_am (Andy B)
Single pear by Xth-Floor
Flowers by Imgur
Pears seeds by Dezidor
Strawberriew by Ken Hammond, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Apple flowers by Дар Ветер
Tree full of flowers by ForestWander
Video: Pear fruit swelling by Neil Bromhall
raccoon eating cherry by Shelly Cox
Apples on tree by George Chernilevsky
monkey eating banana by live-less-ordinary.com
Apple by Amada44
Send a message by ladelentes
squirrel eating orange by Mr.TinDC
airplane by The Photographer
bird eating berries by Matt MacGillivray
bird with large bill by William Warby
Cedar Waxing by Craig Gibson
pear tree (with fruit) by Paul Wood
Baby plant by JMK
pears on branch by Amber Ginsburg and Lia Rousset
pears by Imgur
Maple seeds by Dcrjsr
Inside apple by LD Cross
Bartlett pears by Peaceful Valley Company
Watermelon flower by Meighan
green pepper by Kitty W
Watermelon by Fred Hsu
green pepper flower by Jim Conrad
green pepper sprout by Barbara
Vegetables by Man vyi
Cut up watermelon by Harsha K R
Credits

Featured Reviews

“The students are always engaged with the informative videos. I like how they stop to allow us to discuss and digest some of the material that we have seen.”
· Lynne · Teacher
“This was an easy lesson to prepare and it was very effective in teaching about the different points of view between a fruit and a vegetable. ”
· · Teacher
“My kids absolutely loved this lesson. It was so structured and easy to follow. Best of all, the kids loved it.”
· Sharon · Teacher
“Loved it! The students were so engaged, as always, in the information presented in the video slips. They also loved the hands on activity of investigating the fruits and vegetables.”
· Marie · Teacher
“The kids loved to see how fruit is made! Even I didn't know some of the things that we learned in this lesson! ”
· Theresa · Teacher
“My students love the hands on experience. I like how your lesson goes step by step which is teacher and student friendly.”
· Amber · Teacher
“My students were very engaged with this lesson. They were even dissecting the seeds from their fruits and "science fruits" at lunch! (Sorry lunch monitors!) They also enjoyed the science fruit salad extension. We made it at the end of the day and they were so excited to tell their parents about it! I love how engaging these videos and activities are. I work in a high-risk school and am so thankful for amazing free resources that my students love. These lessons have been wonderful! We can't wait to do more. ”
· Darcie · Teacher
“The hands-on activity and the chance for kids to explore the fruits and vegetables on their own is great!”
· Amy · Teacher
“The students were able to interact and experience dissecting fruits and vegetables they normally don't see (I used a turnip instead of a radish (Out of season), and added an eggplant in my interpretations questions (inference). Great concrete lesson.”
· · Teacher
“My students really understood the difference between a fruit and a vegetable. The activity made sense to them.”
· Jennifer · Teacher
“"It was a really good video!" from Danny. Josselyne says, "It looks so good, I want to eat it." "It was beautiful!, from Priscilla. We love MysteryScience! Keep us curious.....Mrs. Ojeda and the 5/6 CHAMPS Class”
· Trini · Teacher
“this is a incredibly helpful site for teachers...nice job”
· Suzanne · Teacher
“The kids were WOWED by seeing the pear develop!”
· Heather · Teacher
“Fantastic!!!!!!!!”
· Susan · Teacher
“This really gave the students an understanding of flowers and seeds. Beautifully done.”
· Cindy · Teacher
“Again, lots of background information and scaffolded learning. Very engaging!”
· Jennifer · Teacher
“Loved it! My students were really engaged and loved tasting the foods!”
· Lara · Teacher
“My kids liked "dissecting". They also still remember that cucumbers are scientific fruit. ”
· Debbie · Homeschooler
“The videos were absolutely amazing! The kids were so engaged the entire time!”
· Beth · Teacher
“The students need to have the vocabulary for plant parts and life cycle stages in context. This lesson helps them see these in an engagingly visual format.”
· · Teacher
“My students loved "dissecting" the different fruits and vegetables and then classifying them into science fruits or science vegetables. Another great Mystery! ”
· Anna · Teacher
“The kids loved getting to "dissect" the science fruits and science veggies during the activity. The hands-on components of these lessons are fantastic, and so easy. This is the best program, basically ever.”
· Brandon · Teacher
“Thanks, shared with whole school Monday!”
· Gail · Teacher
“My students love the time lapse videos. It really helps them understand how fruit is created and why. Thank you! Activity was great too!”
· Dixie · Teacher
“The vocabulary is used in such a way that the students understand meaning.”
· Donna · Teacher
“We had a wonderful time examining fruit and vegetables and cutting them open to look for seeds. ”
· Melissa · Homeschooler
“I was nervous about the ovary discussion with my class but it went so well! The students discussed the reason we need bees for plants by telling me that they pollenate the ovary! I was ecstatic! They also LOVED cutting open fruits and vegetables for our experiment.”
· Mary · Teacher
“They were amazed to find out that some things they thought were vegetables, were actually fruit. They are going to go home and test their parents.”
· Grace · Teacher
Lesson narration:
English Spanish

Grade 3

Life Cycles

Fruit, Seeds, & Plant Reproduction

3-LS1-1

Activity Prep

Print Prep
In this lesson students learn about why plants grow fruit. In the activity, Science Fruit or Vegetable, students examine common grocery produce and predict if each item is a science fruit or science vegetable. Then they take a closer look at slices of the produce and search for seeds.
Preview activity

I have a Mystery Pack

Science Fruit or Science Vegetable worksheet 30 copies
Science Fruit or Science Vegetable Answer Key teacher-only resource 1 copy
Cutting Board
1 board
Knife
1 knife
Celery
3 stalks
Cucumber
4 cucumbers
Paper Plates
30 plates
Potato
9 potatoes
Radish
9 radishes
Tomato
9 tomatoes
Toothpicks
30 toothpicks
Prep Instructions

Slice Fruits and Vegetables Before Class

We suggest slicing foods before class. We used the foods listed above, but you can use other foods in place of these. Just be sure to include a mix of vegetables that have seeds, such as tomatoes and cucumbers (science fruits), and ones that don’t, such as celery, potatoes, and radishes (science vegetables). If you want to challenge your students, use less familiar produce, such as pineapples, eggplants, and kiwis (science fruits), as well as brussels sprouts (science vegetables).

Place one slice of each type of fruit or vegetable onto a paper plate for each student so that each student will have the opportunity to examine all the produce.

Before students examine the sliced fruit and vegetables and look for seeds, you will show them one whole fruit or vegetable so that they can first make a prediction. So be sure to reserve one of each grocery item to show students.

Exploration

20 mins

Hands-On Activity

25 mins

Grade 3

Life Cycles

Fruit, Seeds, & Plant Reproduction

3-LS1-1

Slow internet or video problems?
Credits
 
Circle Of Life Lesson 4: Why do plants give us fruit?

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