Key Concepts in Science
FLOWERING PLANTS TEACHER GUIDE
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
FLOWERING PLANTS: CONTENTS
Student handouts are at the back of the Teacher Guide.
Correlation to Standards ............................................................................................................................. 3-4
Sally Ride Science Teacher Guides ................................................................................................................ 5
Flowering Plants: About the Book .................................................................................................................. 6
Getting Started: In Your World .........................................................................................................................7
Preview Flowering Plants, read the introduction, and discuss key concepts.
Chapter 1: Invasion! ..................................................................................................................................... 8-9
Model summarizing with a timeline, read Chapter 1, and discuss key concepts in the chapter.
Students: Chapter 1 handout
Create a Timeline ............................................................................................................................................ 10
Make an illustrated timeline of the evolution of flowering plants.
Students: Make a Timeline handout
Chapter 2: A Closer Look ................................................................................................................................. 11
Model making a concept map, read Chapter 2, and discuss key concepts in the chapter.
Students: Chapter 2 handout
Thinking Like a Scientist ............................................................................................................................... 12
Read Thinking Like a Scientist and answer the questions.
Students: Thinking Like a Scientist handout
Read Chapter 3: Seed, Plant, Flower, Fruit ................................................................................................... 13
Model asking questions while reading, read Chapter 3, and discuss key concepts in the chapter.
Students: Chapter 3 handout
Create a Science Diagram ............................................................................................................................. 14
Create a diagram showing the stages of an apple tree’s life cycle.
Students: Create a Science Diagram handout
How Do We Know?
> Read How Do We Know? ........................................................................................................................ 15
Read How Do We Know?, about evolutionary biologist Santiago Ramírez, and answer the questions.
Students: How Do We Know? handout
> Invention Connection .............................................................................................................................. 16
Design an orchid to attract a pollinator.
Students: Invention Connection handout
Study Guide: Hey, I Know That! ................................................................................................................ 17-18
Complete study guide questions.
Students: Hey, I Know That! handout
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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CORRELATION TO STANDARDS
Correlation to Science Standards
For information on alignment to state science standards and NGSS, visit
https://sallyridescience.com/learning-products/product-standards
Correlation to Common Core
Sally Ride Science’s Key Concepts and Cool Careers book series provide students with authentic literacy experiences
aligned to Common Core in the areas of Reading (informational text), Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Language
as outlined in Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies,
Science, and Technical Subjects. Flowering Plants: A Success Story and the accompanying activities align to the
following standards:
Reading Standards for Informational Text K-5 (RI)
Grades 3-5
Key Ideas and Details
1. Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for
the answers. Grade 3
Refer to details and examples in a text when explain what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences
from the text. Grade 4
Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the
text. Grade 5
2. Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea. Grade 3
Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text. Grade 4
Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the
text. Grade 5
Craft and Structure
4. Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade
appropriate topic or subject area. Grades 3-5
5. Use text features and search tools (e.g., key words, sidebars, hyperlinks) to locate information relevant to a given
topic efficiently. Grade 3
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
7. Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate
understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur). Grade 3
Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, time
lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an
understanding of the text in which it appears. Grade 4
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
10.By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and
technical texts. Grades 3-5
Writing Standards K-5 (W)
Grades 3-5
Text Types and Purposes
2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly. Grade 3 a.-d. Grade 4 a.-e., Grade 5 a.-e.
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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CORRELATION TO STANDARDS
Production and Distribution of Writing
4. With guidance and support from adults, produce writing in which the development and organization are
appropriate to task and purpose. Grade 3
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose,
and audience. Grades 4 and 5
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
7. Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic. Grade 3
Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic. Grade 4
Conduct short research projects that use several sources to build knowledge through investigation of different
aspects of a topic. Grade 5
9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis reflection, and research. Grade 4 b.,
Grade 5 b.
Range of Writing
10.Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a
single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences. Grades 3-5
Speaking and Listening Standards K-5 (SL)
Grades 3-5
Comprehension and Collaboration
1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse
partners on grade appropriate topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Grades 3-5 a.-d.
2. Determine the main ideas and supporting details of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media
and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally. Grade 3
Paraphrase portions of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including
visually, quantitatively, and orally. Grade 4
Summarize a written text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually,
quantitatively, and orally. Grade 5
Language Standards K-5 (L)
Grades 3-5
Knowledge of Language
3. Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.Grade 3 a.-b.,
Grade 4 a.-c., Grade 5 a.-b.
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade
appropriate reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. Grade 3 a.-d., Grade 4 a.-c.,
Grade 5 a.-c.
6. Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases,
including those that:
> signal spatial and temporal relationships. Grade 3
> signal precise actions, emotions, or states of being (e.g., quizzed, whined, stammered) and that are basic to
particular topic (e.g., wildlife, conservation, and endangered when discussing animal preservation.) Grade 4
> signal contrast, addition, and other logical relationships (e.g., however, although, nevertheless, similarly,
moreover, in addition). Grade 5
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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SALLY RIDE SCIENCE TEACHER GUIDES
The Sally Ride Science Key Concepts in Science and Cool Careers book series are available as print books
and eBooks.* A Teacher Guide accompanies each of the 36 Key Concepts books and 12 Cool Careers books.
More information: sallyridescience.com/learning-products
*Book pages pictured in the Teacher Guides are from eBook editions. Some pages in the print books have different images or layouts.
Cool Careers
Cool Careers in Biotechnology
Cool Careers in Earth Sciences
Cool Careers in Engineering (Upper Elementary)
Cool Careers in Engineering (Middle School)
Cool Careers in Environmental Sciences (Upper Elementary)
Cool Careers in Environmental Sciences (Middle School)
Key Concepts in Science
Adaptations
Biodiversity
The Biosphere
Cells
Earth’s Air
Earth’s Climate
Earth’s Energy
Earth’s Natural Resources
Earth’s Water
Elements and Compounds
Energy Basics
Energy Transformations
Cool Careers in Green Chemistry
Cool Careers in Information Sciences
Cool Careers in Math
Cool Careers in Medical Sciences
Cool Careers in Physics
Cool Careers in Space Sciences
Flowering Plants
Food Webs
Forces
Genetics
Geologic Time
Gravity
Heat
Life Cycles
Light
Motion
Organic Molecules
Photosynthesis and Respiration
Physical Properties of Matter
Plant and Animal Systems
Plate Tectonics
The Rock Cycle
Solids, Liquids, and Gases
Sound
Space Exploration
Sun, Earth, and Moon
Units of Measurement
Vertebrates
The Water Cycle
Weathering and Erosion
Sally Ride Science provides professional development and classroom tools to build students’
passion for STEM fields and careers. Founded by Dr. Sally Ride, America’s first woman in space,
the company brings science to life for upper-elementary and middle school students.
Visit us at SALLYRIDESCIENCE.COM for more information.
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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FLOWERING PLANTS: Earth’s Life Zone
About the Book
Flowering Plants: A Success Story guides students as they explore how flowering plants came to be the dominant
plants on Earth. Students learn how a succession of adaptations over the eons led to the rise of flowering plants.
Students discover how flowers and seeds enabled flowering plants to replace conifers as the most successful plants
on Earth. This success is partly measured by the incredible variety of flowering plants found in nearly every habitat.
Students learn more about what makes these plants successful by following the life cycle of an apple tree. At the end
of each two-page spread, a brief statement called The Bottom Line reinforces students’ understanding by summing
up the key ideas about flowering plants covered in those pages.
In Your World captures students’ attention with an eye-opening photo of a pumpkin field. Students learn that a
pumpkin, just like an apple, is a fruit. They are introduced to the relationship between a seed-filled pumpkin and the
flower that produced it. This brief scenario sets the stage for the chapters to follow by getting students to think about
the importance of flowers and how flowering plants got their start a long, long time ago.
Chapter 1 takes students on a journey through time to explore the evolutionary progression that enabled plants to
live and flourish on land. Students learn how the first plants evolved in the ancient oceans and how plants gradually
developed adaptations that equipped them to live on dry land. Students also learn how plants evolved structures that
allow them to transport food and water and, ultimately, reproduce using seeds and flowers.
Chapter 2 takes a closer look at flowering plants, including their astounding variety in size, shape, and color.
Students learn the basic parts of a flower and how those parts function to form seeds so the plant can reproduce.
Through many examples, students learn about adaptations that flowers have evolved to increase the chances that
they will be pollinated. Students also discover how flowers spread their seeds to ensure that the new plants grow
away from the parent plant, where they can find enough nutrients to grow.
Thinking Like a Scientist describes a study of something students have likely witnessed in a field, city park, or
backyard—squirrels burying and digging up acorns. Scientists studied gray squirrels as they buried acorns in the
autumn and dug them up in winter. Students learn that since acorns are the fruits of oak trees, the acorn-burying
behavior helps new oak trees to grow. Students discover seasonal behavioral patterns as they analyze the scientists’
tallies of the number of acorns buried and dug up.
Chapter 3 expands the discussion of flower structure and function by following the life cycle of an apple tree
beginning with seed germination. Students learn how the pollination of the apple flower leads to fertilization, followed
by the formation of the fruit and seeds. Students also learn about the role of animals, such as deer, in spreading apple
seeds and helping continue the life cycle of apple trees.
How Do We Know? introduces students to Santiago Ramírez, an evolutionary biologist who studies the role of bees
in orchid pollination. Students discover how he analyzed fossil pollen grains from ancient orchids, then used this
information to build a family tree of orchid evolution. Invention Connection taps into students’ creativity as they draw
a pollinator, then design a flower that will attract that pollinator.
Hey, I Know That! allows students to assess their own learning through a variety of assessment tasks relating to the
key concepts covered in Flowering Plants.
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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FLOWERING PLANTS: GETTING STARTED
In Your World
Preview the book
Ask students to browse through Flowering Plants. Encourage them to look at the cover,
table of contents, chapter titles, special features, photographs, drawings, and charts
throughout the book. Explain that paying attention to these different parts of the book will
clue them in to what the text is about and help them understand it better as they read.
Read In Your World (pages 4 and 5)
Tell students to read In Your World. After students have finished reading the text, ask them
if they have ever carved a pumpkin. Call on one or two students to describe the inside of a
pumpkin. [It’s a mushy mixture of seeds and pumpkin flesh.]
After reading: Explore key concepts
Continue the discussion about pumpkins. Ask,
What part of a plant is a pumpkin? [A pumpkin is the fruit of the plant.]
Why are pumpkins considered to be fruits? [They are structures
that are made by flowering plants and contain seeds. A
pumpkin plant makes pumpkins so that new pumpkin plants
can develop.]
What fruits have you eaten that contain seeds? [Examples
include those listed in the text (apples, beans, walnuts,
tomatoes, and figs) as well as many others, such as oranges,
peaches, bananas, and green peppers.]
Call on two or three students to share their ideas with the class.
Then say,
Each of these fruits began as a flower.
If possible, use the Internet to show students some examples,
such as the flowers of an apple tree, peach tree, banana tree,
and pepper plant. Say,
Flowers are more than just pretty, colorful parts of plants.
Flowers are the key to making seeds. Without flowers, most of
the plants on Earth wouldn’t exist.
ADDRESS MISCONCEPTIONS
Students might mistakenly believe that fruits and
vegetables are two distinctly different categories.
A fruit is the ripened ovary of a flower. Vegetables
such as beans, cucumbers, eggplants, peas,
peppers, and tomatoes are actually fruits. Correct
this misconception by comparing the development
of apples shown on page 24 with similar photos of
the development of tomatoes. You can use photos
from the Internet to show the yellow flower of a
tomato plant, the developing tomatoes, and ripe
tomatoes. Then cut a real tomato to reveal the flesh
and seeds. Compare this to a cut apple and its
seeds. Explain that the term vegetable, however, is
a nonscientific term based on practical use rather
than botanical structure. A vegetable is simply a
fresh edible portion of an herbaceous plant. It could
be a root, stem, leaf, or flower instead of a fruit.
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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FLOWERING PLANTS: CHAPTER 1
Invasion!
Read Chapter 1: Invasion!
Before reading: Model how to summarize with a timeline
Tell students that Chapter 1 of Flowering Plants will take them on a trip through time. They
will see how flowering plants evolved from tiny green algae many millions of years ago.
They will stop periodically during their journey to explore what’s new in the plant world of
that time.
Tell students that making a timeline is a good way to summarize the order of events that
happened. Give students the Chapter 1: Invasion! handout and point out that there is a
space on the handout to draw a timeline summarizing the chapter.
Begin by asking students to turn to page 6. Read the first paragraph aloud while students
read along with you. Then say,
This paragraph tells me how far back to start my timeline—500 million years ago.
Draw a horizontal line on the board, and make a small vertical mark at the far left end.
Say,
I’ll start my timeline here at the far left. I’ll write 500 mya for 500 million years ago.
Have students draw the timeline along with you on their handouts. Then read the next paragraph on page 6. Say,
This paragraph says what is happening back then. There’s no life on land, but algae are living in the oceans. Let’s
add the word Algae to our timeline.
Write Algae above the timeline at the 500 mya mark. Say,
Before I fill in any other dates from the chapter, I want to make a scale for my timeline. That way I can see how much
time each section of the line represents, and I’ll know where to put the dates from the chapter. So let’s see, if the far
left end of the line is 500 mya, what should the far right be? [0 mya, or today] I’ll write that at the far right end. So
now I can divide the timeline into chunks of 100 million years.
Mark the timeline every 100 million years, labeling it 400 mya, 300 mya, 200 mya, and 100 mya. Tell students to
continue to add important times and events to their timelines on their handouts as they read the chapter. Explain that
the completed timeline will be a good tool for reviewing the chapter content at a glance.
Read Chapter 1: Invasion! (pages 6–13)
Ask students to read Chapter 1: Invasion! Tell students to use their Chapter 1 handouts to take notes. Remind them to
add to their timelines as they read.
After reading: Discuss key concepts
Ask students to think about the difficulties faced by early plants when they began living on land. Then guide a class
discussion by asking these questions. Call on one or two students to answer each question. Discuss and address any
incorrect answers or misconceptions.
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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FLOWERING PLANTS: CHAPTER 1
Invasion!
What had to happen before any life could move from the sea to
the land? [A layer of ozone had to build up in the atmosphere to
block some of the harmful ultraviolet light from the Sun.]
What were the advantages for plants of moving from the sea to
the land? [Conditions for photosynthesis are better on land than
in water. More sunlight and carbon dioxide reach plants on land
than in water.]
What do you think was the biggest challenge facing these early
land plants? [Sample answer: Lack of water was their biggest
challenge.]
How did land plants change in order to live in drier places?
[The plants developed leaves, roots, and stems. They formed
vessels to transport food and water throughout the plant. They
developed a waxy coating on their leaves to keep in water. They
developed tiny holes on their leaves to let carbon dioxide and
oxygen move in and out for photosynthesis.]
ADDRESS MISCONCEPTIONS
Students may think that as plants evolved, earlier
plant types disappeared. Explain that many species
of plants have become extinct over the eons, but
many of the major plant groups have not. To clarify,
ask students if algae exist today. [yes] What about
mosses, ferns, and conifers? [yes] Explain that as
plants evolved and developed new characteristics,
plants with the older characteristics continued to
exist. Land plants evolved from algae living in water,
but algae still exist. Land plants evolved vascular
tissues that moved materials to all parts of the
plants, but plants without vascular tissues, such
as mosses, still exist. The evolution of plants from
algae to flowering plants took millions of years and
resulted in all the different groups of plants
alive today.
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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FLOWERING PLANTS
Make a Timeline
Evolution of Flowering Plants
Tell students they are going to make an illustrated version of the timeline they drew on
their Chapter 1 handouts. Give them the Make a Timeline handout.
Turn to page 13 and direct students’ attention to the chart showing when different kinds of
algae and plants first appeared. Point out the conifers, ginkgoes, and cycads that evolved
after earlier vascular plants. Have students compare this chart to the timelines on their
handouts. When students create their illustrated timelines, tell them to revise their earlier
timelines if they missed any of the dates and events, such as the appearance of ginkgoes
and cycads.
Tell students that they can make their drawing above and below their timelines so they will have enough space
to illustrate the important points in the evolution of flowering plants. Allow students to color their illustrations with
colored pencils.
[Possible timeline illustrations:
500 mya: Single-celled algae, based on the photo on page 6
475 mya: Small, low-growing plants such as liverworts, based on the photo on page 7
410 mya: Small plant with a stem and tiny roots or diagram of vessels in a stem
400 mya: Waist-high ferns
385 mya: Seeds
300 mya: Pinecone
140 mya: Flower
50 mya: Different kinds of flowers]
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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FLOWERING PLANTS: CHAPTER 2
A Closer Look
Read Chapter 2: A Closer Look
Before reading: Model summarizing with a concept map
Tell students that making a concept map is one way to summarize the main ideas of what
they are reading. Give them the Chapter 2: A Closer Look handout, and tell them that as
they read, they should create a concept map in the space provided on the handout.
To get students started, draw a circle in the middle of the board and write Flowering Plants
in the circle. Draw a second level of circles ringing the middle circle. Draw connecting lines
from the middle circle to the new circles. Tell students that each level provides more detail
for the previous level. Tell them to copy the concept map on their handouts.
Ask students to turn to page 14 in Flowering Plants. Call on a student to read the page
aloud. Then ask,
What are the main ideas about flowering plants on this page?
In the second level of circles, write students’ responses, such as Flowering plants grow
almost everywhere and Flowering plants come in all sizes. Tell students they can draw
another level of circles to give more details about the ideas in the second level.
Read Chapter 2: A Closer Look (pages 14–19)
Ask students to read Chapter 2: A Closer Look, taking notes on their Chapter 2 handouts and completing their concept
maps as they read.
After reading: Identify parts of a flower
Display photos of several different kinds of flowers. Then direct
students to the flower diagram on page 15 of Flowering Plants.
Divide students into several groups and give one photo to each
group. Challenge students to identify as many parts on their
flower as they can.
Then call on a member of each group to present their flower and
its parts. Students may find that some of the flowers lack some
parts. For example, some flowers have stamen or a stigma but
not both.
Ask each group,
Does your flower have any special features to attract pollinators?
Does your flower have other features to help it survive and
reproduce?
Encourage students to discuss the features of their flowers and
their answers to the questions.
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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FLOWERING PLANTS: THINKING LIKE A SCIENTIST
Squirrels and Acorns
Read Thinking Like a Scientist (pages 20-21)
Give students the Thinking Like a Scientist handout. Ask them to read Thinking Like a
Scientist and then answer the questions on page 21 on their handouts. Have students
work in pairs to discuss the questions and come to an agreement on the answers. Then
discuss the questions and answers together as a class.
Calculating percentages
Make sure students understand how to calculate percentages. Use the four acorns from
page 20 as an example. Explain that if a squirrel buries four acorns and digs up one acorn,
the squirrel dug up one out of four acorns. To find what percentage of acorns the squirrel
dug up, write the fraction 1/4. To change the fraction to a percentage, divide the numerator
by the denominator (1 divided by 4 = 0.25). Then change the number to a percentage by
multiplying by 100 (0.25 x 100 = 25 percent). Tell students that percent literally means
“per hundred.”
ANSWER KEY
1. How many acorns did the squirrel bury during the study? [According to the table, the squirrel buried 3,167 acorns
during the study. (787 + 1,094 + 1,246 + 40 = 3,167)]
2. During what month did the squirrel dig up the most acorns? [The squirrel dug up the most acorns—206—during
January.]
3. Why might the squirrel have needed to eat more acorns that month than any other? [The squirrel might have
needed to eat a lot of acorns in January because that month is in the middle of winter. The squirrel probably
couldn’t find any other food when the ground was covered with snow, so it had to rely on buried acorns.]
4. What percentage of the buried acorns survived being eaten by spring? How does that percentage compare with
the scientists’ estimate? [The squirrel buried 3,167 acorns and ate 818 acorns, or about 26 percent of the buried
acorns. This is very close to scientists’ estimate that squirrels eat 25 percent of the acorns they bury. (154 + 165
+ 206 + 187 + 106 = 818 acorns eaten. 818 of 3,167 acorns buried = 818 divided by 3,167 = 0.258 x 100 =
25.8 percent, or about 26 percent)]
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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FLOWERING PLANTS: CHAPTER 3
Seed, Plant, Flower, Fruit
Read Chapter 3: Seed, Plant, Flower, Fruit
Before reading: Model asking questions while reading
Tell students that asking questions they read is a good way to improve their understanding.
Use Chapter 3 of Flowering Plants to model asking questions while reading. Have students
turn to page 22. Read aloud the title and subtitle of the chapter: Chapter 3: Seed, Plant,
Flower, Fruit: A Life Cycle. Say,
This chapter is going to tell us about a plant’s life cycle. But what starts a seed on its life cycle?
Write on the board, What makes a seed start growing? Then say,
Good readers ask questions as they read. They look for answers to their questions in the text or in other resources.
Let’s look for the answer to my question.
Have a student read page 22 aloud. Say,
It says that being planted in rich, moist soil and soaking up water makes the seed coat split, and then the seed starts
growing. That answers one of my questions. But I wonder where the seed gets the energy to grow. That’s another
question.
Explain to students that asking themselves questions as they read will help focus their attention on important points
of the reading. The questions and the answers might come from images or text.
Read Chapter 3: Seed, Plant, Flower, Fruit (pages 22–25)
Give students the Chapter 3: Seed, Plant, Flower, Fruit handout. Explain that as they read
Chapter 3, they should use the handout to record any questions and ideas that occur to
them. Suggest that they pause after each page, think about what they have read, and jot
down any questions the text raises. They can also write down any answers that they find.
After reading: Discuss key concepts
Begin a discussion of the adaptations an apple tree has that help it reproduce. Ask,
What are some examples of how animals help an apple plant to reproduce? [Bees help
apple trees to reproduce by carrying pollen from one apple blossom to another. A deer may
eat an apple and then deposit some of the seeds in its droppings somewhere else.]
What are some ways that the apple tree benefits the animals that help it reproduce? [The bees that pollinate the
apple trees get energy from the nectar in the blossoms. The deer that spread the apple’s seeds get energy and
nutrients from the apples they eat.]
Call on several students to share their ideas.
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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FLOWERING PLANTS
Create a Science Diagram
An Apple Tree Life Cycle
Tell students that they will be making a science diagram that shows the life cycle of an
apple tree. Give students the Create a Science Diagram handout. Have them work in pairs
to discuss ideas for their diagrams. They can review the text and photos in Chapter 3 for
ideas, and also the circular diagrams that they drew on their Chapter 3 handouts. They can
also do further research in reference books and on the Internet.
Suggest that they use a drawing or photo of an apple tree somewhere in their diagram as
well as drawings that show details of each stage of the plant’s life cycle. Explain that the
images on a science diagram should include labels and captions. They should be sure they
give their diagram an appropriate title.
Afterward, call on student pairs to present and explain their diagrams. Encourage other
students to ask questions after each presentation.
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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FLOWERING PLANTS: HOW DO WE KNOW?
Meet evolutionary biologist Santiago Ramírez
Read How Do We Know? (pages 26–29)
Give students the How Do We Know? handout for Flowering Plants. Ask students to look
over the questions on the first part of the handout and then read The Issue section of How
Do We Know? Then students should answer the questions about that section. Have them
complete the rest of the sections (The Expert, page 27; In the Field, page 28; Technology,
page 29) in the same way. Tell students to share their answers in pairs. Then go over each
question as a class. Call on two or three students to share their answers to each question.
ANSWER KEY
1. How does the science writer capture your interest at the beginning of the feature?
[Sample answer: The writer catches our interest by asking if orchids lived during
the time of the dinosaurs. This starts the reader thinking about which plants lived at
different times in Earth’s history.]
2. How does the picture on page 26 help you understand the topic? [Sample answer: The
picture shows a bee trapped in amber. This shows that the bee is a fossil and very old.
The pollen on the bee’s back is from a plant that also is very old.]
3. How did Santiago Ramírez decide he wanted to be a biologist? [Sample answer: Santiago spent a week hiking
and studying nature during a field trip to the tropical forests near Colombia’s Pacific coast. The experience was so
interesting that he decided he wanted to study nature for a living.]
4. How was Santiago Ramírez able to figure out when the oldest orchids lived? [Santiago looked at the DNA of
various orchids and pieced together an orchid family tree by examining the pollen on fossilized bees. He then used
the genetic differences of the branches of the orchid family tree to estimate how long ago different orchids lived.]
5. Why does Santiago Ramírez use a microscope to learn more about orchid pollen? [Orchid pollen is very tiny.
Santiago must use a microscope in order to see details in the orchid pollen.]
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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FLOWERING PLANTS: INVENTION CONNECTION
Dream Up a Flower
Give students the Invention Connection handout and have students read Invention
Connection in Flowering Plants. Each student should imagine she or he is an orchid that
wants to attract a pollinator. Have students sketch a picture of the insect or other animal
they would like to attract. Then have them draw the flower that will attract the pollinator.
Have them answer the questions about their flower.
Invention Connection: Dream Up a Flower
We all know orchids don’t think when it comes to choosing pollinators. But imagine that
you are an orchid. Come up with a clever way to attract a pollinator. How would you do it?
> First, imagine the insect or other animal you want to attract. Sketch a picture of
your pollinator.
> Now, draw your flower. What shape would work best with your pollinator? What color
would your petals be? What kind of scent would you give off? Why?
ANSWER KEY
What shape would work best with your pollinator? [Answers will vary.
Student responses should describe a shape that would allow the pollinator
to reach the pollen and to become covered in pollen when it visits the
flower.]
What color would your petals be? [Answers will vary, but students should
describe a color that their insect or other pollinator can see.]
What kind of scent would you give off? Why? [Answers will vary, but
students should describe a scent that would attract their pollinator.]
SCIENCE BACKGROUND
Some orchid species attract pollinators
by resembling a female insect. Bee
orchids (genus Ophrys) got their
name because their flowers so closely
resemble a female bee that male bees
attempt to mate with them. When
the male bee visits each flower, he
unknowingly collects orchid pollen,
which he carries to the next flower.
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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FLOWERING PLANTS: HEY, I KNOW THAT!
Study Guide
Ask students to use the Hey, I Know That! handout to answer the questions on page 30
of Flowering Plants. Have pairs of students discuss their answers. Ask several students to
read their answers aloud, and encourage others in the class to comment and expand on
the answers.
ANSWER KEY
1. What is photosynthesis? What was carrying out photosynthesis 500 million years ago?
(page 6) [Photosynthesis is the process that plants and phytoplankton use to make
their own food. They use energy from sunlight to turn carbon dioxide, a gas, and water
into sugar. They also produce oxygen, another gas. The earliest microscopic life forms
couldn’t conduct photosynthesis, but by 500 million years ago, tiny algae in the oceans
had evolved the ability to make their own food through photosynthesis.]
2. What are the parts of a seed? Why is each important? Why was seed-making such
an important development for ancient plants? (pages 10 and 12) [A seed contains
an embryo, a miniature version of a plant. The embryo is surrounded by a starchy
food that provides energy for the embryo to grow. The embryo and its starchy food
are surrounded by a tough seed coat that protects the embryo. Seed-making was an
important development for ancient plants because it allowed the plants to grow in many more places than sporemaking plants could. Spore-making plants can’t reproduce without water, but seed plants can. And seed coats
protect the seeds from heat and cold as well as from drying out. An embryo can wait a long time before starting to
grow. It can wait until conditions in the environment around it are just right for growth.]
3. Look at the chart. Match the type of plant with its characteristics.
Write the matching letter under the appropriate number. Then
pick one type of plant from the chart. Draw what one looks like
and write three sentences about it. (pages 7–13)
[1.Cone-bearing plants, E
2. Flowering plants, D
3. Tree ferns, B
4. First land plants, A
5. First plants with vessels, C
Sample answer: Cone-bearing plants (see photos on pages 11
and 12 for an idea of what students’ drawings might look like.)
Cone-bearing plants reproduce using seeds that are sheltered
by cones. Male cones produce pollen, and female cones produce
ovules. Cone-bearing plants ruled the plant kingdom for millions
of years.]
4. What is your favorite flower? Draw and label its parts. Where are the ovules located? (page 15) [Answers will
vary, but drawings should match the floral structure of the chosen flower; parts should be accurately labeled. The
ovules should be drawn inside the ovary.]
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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FLOWERING PLANTS: HEY, I KNOW THAT!
Study Guide
5. Give an example of a pollinator and explain how it helps a flowering plant reproduce. (page 16) [Sample answer:
Bats pollinate some kinds of flowers. A bat stops to drink sweet nectar from a flower. The bat’s face gets covered
with pollen. When the bat moves to another flower of the same type, some of the pollen gets stuck on the flower’s
stigma. The pollen from the first flower fertilizes the second flower’s ovule, and a seed begins to develop. A new
plant grows from the seed.]
6. Name at least two adaptations that flowering plants have that attract pollinators to their flowers. (pages 16
and 17) [Adaptations that flowering plants use to attract pollinators include flower colors that are easy to spot,
contrasting stripes or spots on the flowers’ petals, and tempting scents.]
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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STUDENT
FLOWERING PLANTS HANDOUTS
Key Concepts in Science
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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FLOWERING PLANTS • Chapter 1
Invasion! Notes for Chapter 1
As you read Chapter 1, write down the most important information you come across. Resist the urge to write down
everything that you read. Instead, focus on the big ideas, or gist, of what you are reading.
HOW FLOWERING PLANTS CONQUERED THE LAND
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OUT OF THE WATER
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PLANTS WITH PARTS
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FIRST FORESTS
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THE SEED STORY
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FROM EGG TO EMBRYO
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THE CONE-BEARERS
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© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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FLOWERING PLANTS • Chapter 1
FLOWER POWER
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PICTURE THIS
Review your notes for Chapter 1. Summarize your notes by developing timeline of the events described in the chapter.
Start your timeline at 500 million years ago—“500 mya.” Label the other end of your timeline “today.” Then divide the
line in segments of 100 million years. Add important events that you read about to your timeline.
PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
Use your notes and timeline to help you identify and list the most important ideas—the key concepts—in Chapter 1.
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© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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FLOWERING PLANTS • Create a Timeline
Create a Timeline
Use this sheet to make an illustrated
version of the timeline you drew
on your Chapter 1 worksheet. For
each important development on your
timeline, add a drawing with a caption.
Look at the chart showing when
different kinds of algae and plants first
appeared. Compare this chart to the
timeline on your worksheet and revise
your timeline if you missed any dates or
events. You can make drawings above
and below your timeline. Be sure to
color your drawings.
Timeline of Plant Evolution
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
FLOWERING PLANTS • Chapter 2
A Closer Look: Notes for Chapter 2
As you read, write down the most important information you come across. Resist the urge to write down everything that
you read. Instead, focus on the big ideas, or gist, of what you are reading.
MEET THE FLOWERING PLANTS
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AMAZING VARIETY
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THE BIRDS AND THE BEES
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TRICKS OF THE TRADE
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AWAY WE GO
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LENDING A HAND . . . OR PAW OR WING
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© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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FLOWERING PLANTS • Chapter 2
PICTURE THIS
Review your notes for Chapter 2. Summarize your notes by developing a concept map that makes sense to you. Start
with a central circle labeled Flowering plants. Extending from this circle, draw other circles describing important concepts
about flowering plants in the chapter.
PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
Use your notes and concept map to help you identify and list the most important ideas—the key concepts—in Chapter 2.
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© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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FLOWERING PLANTS • Thinking Like a Scientist
Thinking Like a Scientist
Read Thinking Like a Scientist on pages 20-21. Then use the table to answer the questions on this sheet.
1. How many acorns did the squirrel bury during the study?
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2. During what month did the squirrel dig up the most acorns?
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3. Why might the squirrel have needed to eat more acorns that month than any other?
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4. What percentage of the buried acorns survived being eaten by spring? How does that percentage compare with the
scientists’ estimate?
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© 2015 Sally Ride Science
FLOWERING PLANTS • Chapter 3
Seed, Plant, Flower, Fruit: Notes for Chapter 3
As you read Chapter 3, write down any questions that occur to you. Also write down any answers to your questions that
you find.
A LIFE CYCLE
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FROM SEED TO SEEDLING
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FORMING FRUIT
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ROUND AND ROUND
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© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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FLOWERING PLANTS • Chapter 3
PICTURE THIS
Review your notes for Chapter 3. Summarize your notes by developing a circle diagram that shows the stages in an apple
tree’s life cycle. Write a description of one stage, such as “An apple seed sprouts,” in a box. Then draw an arrow to a
second box and describe the next part of the apple tree’s life cycle, and so on. Arrange the boxes in a circle to show that
the life cycle keeps going around and around.
PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
Use your notes and diagram to help you identify and list the most important ideas—the key concepts—in Chapter 3.
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© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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FLOWERING PLANTS • Create a Science Diagram
Create a Science Diagram: An Apple Tree Life Cycle
With a partner, create a science diagram that shows the life cycle of an
apple tree. Review the text and photos in Chapter 3 for ideas, and also
the circular diagrams you drew on your Chapter 3 worksheets. You can
also do further research in reference books and on the Internet.
Your drawing should include:
> an appropriate title.
> a drawing of an apple tree.
> drawings that show details of each stage of the plant’s life cycle.
> labels and captions explaining each stage of the life cycle.
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
FLOWERING PLANTS • How Do We Know?
How Do We Know? How Old Is the Orchid?
Review the questions below for each section of How Do We Know? Then read each section in
the book and answer the questions.
THE ISSUE
As you read, analyze the writing by thinking about these questions:
1. How does the science writer capture your interest at the beginning of the feature?
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2. How does the picture on page 26 help you understand the topic?
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THE EXPERT
3. How did Santiago Ramírez decide he wanted to be a biologist?
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IN THE FIELD
4. How was Santiago Ramírez able to figure out when the oldest orchids lived?
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TECHNOLOGY
5. Why does Santiago Ramírez use a microscope to learn more about orchid pollen?
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© 2015 Sally Ride Science
FLOWERING PLANTS • Invention Connection
Invention Connection: Dream Up a Flower
We all know orchids don’t think when it comes to choosing pollinators.
But imagine that you are an orchid. Come up with a clever way to attract a
pollinator. How would you do it?
> First, imagine the insect or other animal you want to attract. Sketch a
picture of your pollinator. Give your pollinator a name.
> Now, draw your flower. Give your orchid a name.
Pollinator: ___________________________________
Orchid:______________________________________
1. What shape would work best with your pollinator? Why?
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2. What color would your petals be? Why?
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3. What kind of scent would you give off? Why?
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© 2015 Sally Ride Science
FLOWERING PLANTS • Hey, I Know That!
Hey, I Know That! Study Guide
Use this sheet to answer the Hey, I Know That! questions on page 30 of Flowering Plants.
1. What is photosynthesis? What was carrying out photosynthesis 500 million years ago? (page 6)
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2. What are the parts of a seed? Why is each important? Why was seed-making such an important development for
ancient plants? (pages 10 and 12)
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
3. Look at the chart. Match the type of plant with its characteristics.
Write the matching letter under the appropriate number. Then pick
one type of plant from the chart. Draw what one looks like in the box
and write three sentences about it. (pages 7–13)
1. Cone-bearing plants _________
2. Flowering plants _________
3. Tree ferns _________
4. First land plants _________
5. First plants with vessels _________
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© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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FLOWERING PLANTS • Hey, I Know That!
4. What is your favorite flower? Draw and label its parts. Where are the
ovules located? (page 15)
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5. Give an example of a pollinator and explain how it helps a flowering
plant reproduce. (page 16)
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6. Name at least two adaptations that flowering plants have that attract pollinators to their flowers. (pages 16 and 17)
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© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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