Plants: Parts and What Plants Need — Answers
Answer sheet with model answers and success criteria for the Year 3 living things & life cycles worksheet.
Success TutoringWorksheetsAnswer sheetYear 3 · Science · Living Things & Life CyclesPlants: Parts and What Plants Need — Answers
Part A: Parts of a plant
Read the passage. Then circle the best answer.
Most plants have roots, a stem, leaves and flowers.
Roots hold the plant in the soil and take in water. The stem holds the plant up and carries water to the leaves. Leaves use light to make food for the plant. Flowers make seeds, and seeds can grow into new plants.
To grow well, plants need water, light and air. They also need space to grow. Most plants grow in soil.
- Athe flower
- Bthe roots
- Cthe leaves
- Dthe seeds
Answer: the roots
Roots grow down into the soil. They take in water and hold the plant in place.
- Athe stem
- Bthe roots
- Cthe flower
- Dthe seed
Answer: the stem
The stem holds the plant up. Water travels up the stem to the leaves.
- Athe roots
- Bthe stem
- Cthe leaves
- Dthe soil
Answer: the leaves
Leaves use light, air and water to make food for the plant.
- Athe roots
- Bthe stem
- Cthe leaves
- Dthe flower
Answer: the flower
Flowers make seeds. Seeds can grow into new plants.
- AIt will grow strong and green.
- BIt will get weak and pale.
- CIt will grow flowers faster.
- DNothing will change.
Answer: It will get weak and pale.
Plants need light to make their food. Without light a plant becomes weak and pale.
Part B: Match and fill
- roots
- stem
- leaves
- flower
- make food using light
- makes seeds
- take in water and hold the plant in the soil
- holds the plant up and carries water
Answer: roots → take in water and hold the plant in the soil; stem → holds the plant up and carries water; leaves → make food using light; flower → makes seeds
Answer: seed
Answer: light
Also accept: sunlight.
Part C: True or false?
Write True or False.
Answer: True
Plants grow, need water and air, and make new plants. They are alive.
Answer: True
Leaves use light to make the plant's food.
Answer: False
Roots grow down into the soil. Stems and leaves grow up towards the light.
Answer: True
Without water a plant wilts. If it gets no water for a long time, it dies.
Part D: Working scientifically: do seeds need water?
You can try this at home with a grown-up. Look at the cups every day and draw what you see.
Put a folded paper towel in two cups. Put three bean seeds on the paper towel in each cup. Keep both cups in the same bright spot.
Cup A: keep the paper towel damp with a little water each day. Cup B: give it no water.
Answer: Cup A, the cup that gets water.
Answer: Whether the seeds get water or not.
Answer: Any one of: the same kind of seeds, the same number of seeds, the same cups, the same paper towel, the same sunny spot.
Model answer: The seeds in Cup A will have sprouted and started to grow roots and shoots. The seeds in Cup B will not grow because seeds need water to start growing.
Success criteria:
- Says the watered seeds grow and the dry seeds do not
- Explains that seeds and plants need water to grow
Marking tips
- Give credit for correct method even when the final answer slips — the working shows where the thinking went right.
- For open-ended tasks, use the success criteria as a checklist rather than looking for one "right" answer.
- Celebrate what went well first, then pick one thing to work on next.
Great work. Here's what to try next: