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Kids in the Garden, Ep 6: Why plants make fruit

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Citrus fruits cut in halves
Kids in the Garden, Ep 6: Why plants make fruit

SUBJECTS:  Science

YEARS:  3–4, 5–6


Fruits come in all shapes and colours.

Have you ever wondered why plants make them?

Discover an amazing variety of fruits.

Learn the secret of these little plant packages and the treasures they protect.


Things to think about

  1. 1.What makes fruit appealing to you and animals? Why do plants grow fruit? Here's a clue: think about what you find inside most fruits. How would a botanist (someone who studies plants) define the word 'fruit'?
  2. 2.What happens to pawpaw seeds if the fruit falls to the ground underneath the tree? What happens to the seeds when a bird eats the fruit? What fruits did Nick have in his basket that we often call 'vegetables'? Notice which fruits grow in cooler climates and which in warmer climates.
  3. 3.What might be the problem if fruit containing seeds falls close to the parent plant? Why would it be better for the plant if its seeds are spread (dispersed) further away? How do birds and other animals help spread seeds? Show how plants depend on these animals so that new plants can grow in other areas.
  4. 4.Make a flowchart, cartoon strip or animation to show the stages (life cycle) of a flowering plant. Visit a fruit shop and see how many strange and unusual-looking fruits you can find. Ask the fruiterer about the seeds. Take some photos to show the variety of fruit and sort them according to your own set of criteria (standards or tests).



Date of broadcast: 19 Apr 2005


Copyright

Metadata © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia Ltd 2012 (except where otherwise indicated). Digital content © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). Video © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). All images copyright their respective owners. Text © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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