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Why do plants grow fruit?
Plant Adventures Unit | Lesson 7 of 4

Why do plants grow fruit?

Plant Adventures Unit | Lesson 7 of 4
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Discuss:

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

Discuss:

What part of the flower turned into a pear?

Discuss:

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

Hint...

Discuss:

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

Reveal answer

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# Extensions
Below are ideas for extending this topic beyond the activity & exploration which you just completed.
# Activity: Bee-Free Barbecue

If you've ever been pestered by bees at a picnic, you might think that a barbecue would be better if there were no bees at all.

Not so! Without the bees to pollinate crops, your barbecue would have no mustard, no ketchup, no pickles, no lemonade.

In this activity from the Smithsonian, students explore what foods the barbecue would be missing if there were no bees. A student handout and teacher instructions are provided.

# Resource: How Food Grows

How Food Grows is an educational site that uses time-lapse photography, videos, photographs, informative text, and recipes and to show how food gets from seed to table.

You can choose your favorite fruit or vegetable and find videos of how it is grown and harvested. See how a pineapple grows. Watch conveyor belts full of blueberries on their way to market. Watch a time lapse video of a strawberry flower becoming a strawberry.

A great site for you or your students to explore.

Featured Reviews

“The kids realize their actions can affect something in the plant world!”
“I love how much in-depth knowledge my 3rd graders now have about flowers. Fruit vs. Vegetable has made it into their lunchroom conversations!!!”
“Realising that the little stalk and flower on the apple is the original small flower!”

Lesson details

Grade 2

Plant Adaptations

Reproduction

Activity Prep

Print Prep
In this Mystery, students will learn about why plants grow fruit. In the activity, they will practice identifying fruit versus vegetables.
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Exploration

20 mins

Lesson details

Grade 2

Plant Adaptations

Reproduction

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Plants Lesson 7: Why do plants grow fruit?

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