What are the tiniest water lily leaves?

We started this unit by looking at giant water lilies. Then, we learned a lot about plants. Let’s review some of the things that we learned.

You looked at trees and umbrellas. The leaves of a tree and the fabric of an umbrella can’t stay up on their own. Discuss. What do you see that holds up the leaves on the tree? And what do you see that holds up the fabric on an umbrella?

Even when a person sits on a giant water lily leaf, the leaf is strong enough to hold its shape. Discuss. What do you see that holds up the giant water lily leaves and makes them so strong?

The leaves are held up by two things: the water and the veins. The veins are thick and strong and help hold the leaf in its shape. The veins are like the ribs of the umbrella. Without the veins and the water holding up the leaves, the leaves would just flop down.

You figured out that seedlings are similar to, but not exactly the same as, their adult plants. Discuss. What did you notice was similar between the seedlings and adult plants? What was different?

These seedlings have leaves and stems that are similar to their adult plants. The seedlings are much smaller, but as they grow, they’ll look more and more like the adult plants that they came from.

The same thing is true with giant water lilies. When giant water lily plants grow, they look similar to the adult plants that they came from. Let’s look at some more examples of giant water lily plants.

Here are two different kinds of giant water lily. Remember: each one of those giant floating things is a single leaf! Look at the leaves, then discuss. What is the same about the leaves from each of these plants? What is different?

This is a new giant water lily plant. This new plant came from one of the first two kinds of plants that you saw. Discuss. Which of the first two plants did the new plant come from? Why do you think that?

The new giant water lily plant came from the plant that looks like it. The new lily plant has leaves that are similar to the parent plant, but they aren’t exactly the same.

Now let’s make a prediction. Discuss. When the plant on the left makes new plants, what will the leaves on those new plants look like? Why do you think that?

The new plant will have leaves that look like this. The new plant is similar to the parent plant, but not exactly the same. We could predict what this plant would look like because new plants look like the plants they came from.

We have been looking at some of the largest water lily leaves in the world. But there is another kind of water lily. It is a very special water lily. It makes the tiniest water lily leaves in the world.

This person is in the water. She is holding a very special kind of plant in her hand. The plant in her hand is a tiny water lily plant. This kind of plant grows the tiniest water lily leaves in the world! Click play to get a closer look.

Video trouble?

These are all water lily leaves. Discuss. What is the same about all of these water lily leaves? What is different?

These are very special because they are the tiniest water lily leaves in the world. But there is another reason they are special. They are also the most rare water lilies. They don’t grow anywhere in the wild anymore.

These tiny water lilies only grow in a few gardens around the world. Gardeners, like this one, have to work very hard to get them to grow. Each time a new tiny water lily plant grows, it is very special because there are so few of these plants.

And each time a new tiny water lily plant grows, it looks similar to, but not exactly like, the parent plant it came from. That means we can predict what new plants will look like.

Today, you’re going to predict what a new tiny water lily plant might look like if it came from one of these plants. You will do this by drawing your own leaf! Make sure that your new tiny water lily looks similar to other tiny water lilies, but not exactly the same.

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This is the Tiny Water Lily worksheet. You will draw one leaf for your new tiny water lily on this worksheet.

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In the box on the left, you will practice drawing your leaf. There is an outline that shows about how big a tiny water lily leaf is in real life.

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Discuss. Does your water lily leaf have to be exactly the size and shape of this outline? Or does it just need to be similar? Why do you think that?

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When you draw your own tiny water lily leaf, it can be a slightly different size, shape, and color. But remember: just like real plants, your new lily leaf should be similar to the real tiny water lily leaves you saw.

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Once you have practiced drawing your leaf on the left, you will draw it in the box on the right. There is no outline, so you’ll do this on your own. Make this final leaf match your practice leaf as closely as possible.

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Now it’s your turn to create a new tiny water lily leaf. Get a worksheet, and write your name at the top. Remember: your leaf should be similar to, but not exactly like, one of these leaves.

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When you are done, discuss. How did you know what to make your tiny water lily leaf look like?

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Now, you can compare your leaf with others. Or, you can cut out all of the leaves in your class and put them together into a tiny water lily plant on a bulletin board. Then your class will have its own tiny water lily plant!

Plant Superpowers Teacher Guide teacher-only resource	1 per class
Tiny Water Lily printout	1 per pair

What are the tiniest water lily leaves?

15 mins

30 mins

What are the tiniest water lily leaves?

Activity Prep

15 mins

30 mins

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