Plant Part Adaptation Charades: Grades 5-8
Plant Part Adaption Charades
Classroom Activity: 5-8
Time: One 45-minute class period
Overview:
This is a review activity in which students reinforce their knowledge of plant parts and
adaptations, playing charades to act out plant adaptations for other students to guess.
Students also lead a discussion on the benefit(s) of the adaptation to the plant.
Integration with Project BudBurst
Students participating in Project BudBurst study changes in plants using a protocol to
make careful observations of the timing of leafing, flowering, and fruiting of a selected
plant. To enhance their understanding of their selected plant, students may conduct
background research identifying various adaptations of their plant. This Plant Part
Adaptation Charades activity may be used to review the concept of adaptation with
various plant examples, and help prepare students to explore their own plant’s
adaptations.
Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to:
 Describe plant adaptations and benefits to the plant.
 Categorize plant benefits from various adaptations
Materials:
 Plant Part Adaptation Cards
Education Standards: Available at:
http://budburst.org/educators/plantpartadaptation_sg.php
budburst.org
A Project BudBurst Educational Activity
http://budburst.org/educators/pdf/PBB_plantcharades.pdf
Page 1 of 5
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Plant Part Adaptation Charades: Grades 5-8
Preparation
Cut out Plant Part Adaptation Cards. Laminate the description cards if you would like to
reuse these cards with other groups of students.
Activity
1) Use this activity as a review of plant parts after studying this topic. Review the concept
of adaptations and how plants have adapted to their surroundings.
2) Separate the class into groups of 4-5 students.
3) Have each group pick one description card and meet for five minutes to plan how they
will act out the description of a plant adaptation. Tell student to prepare to also lead a
brief discussion on how the adaptation benefits the plant.
4) Give each group 5 minutes to act out their description for the rest of the class. They
need to try to get the rest of the class to guess the adaptation they are demonstrating.
5) The observing groups can call out or raise their hands to guess the answer (and
receive points if desired).
6) Once the adaptation is identified, give the group an additional few minutes to lead a
discussion on how the adaptation benefits the plant.
7) At the end of the game, lead a class discussion categorizing the adaptations into the
following groups:
A. Protection from Herbivory;
B. Improved Reproduction;
C. Protection from Environmental Conditions;
D. Improved Photosynthesis;
E. Other?
Suggested Extension Activities
 Have students research the different adaptation cards to come up with species of
plants that use that particular adaptation. Some examples are listed in Figure 1 on the
next page of this activity.
 Provide photos of the plants listed on the description cards. Have students use the
photos to aid in guessing the correct adaptation during the charade game.
budburst.org
A Project BudBurst Educational Activity
http://budburst.org/educators/pdf/PBB_plantcharades.pdf
Page 2 of 5
© 2016 Chicago Botanic Garden. All rights reserved. One of the treasures of the Forest Preserves of Cook County.
Plant Part Adaptation Charades: Grades 5-8
 Have students research adaptations for plants chosen from the Project BudBurst
website and write additional adaptation cards. They can play a second game of
charades using these cards.
Background Information
Plants have evolved in many ways to get the nutrients, water, and sunlight they need.
Plants have also evolved to have ways to avoid being eaten.
Plants that grow in the shade tend to have leaves that are thinner and have fewer hairs
than those that grow in direct light. Shade leaves also tent to be larger to increase the
surface area available to capture the limited sunlight. Desert plants may have thick,
leathery leaves, succulent leaves, or no leaves at all. Their leaves may be covered in
dense hairs, have a thick cuticle, or even an extra layer of cells beneath the epidermis.
These modifications help the plants store and conserve water and/or reduce water loss.
Other leaf modifications include tendrils, which help a plant climb and keep it anchored to
a supporting structure; spines, which reduce water loss and also prevent animals from
eating the plant; specialized leaves, called bracts, which attract pollinators; and the insecttrapping leaves of carnivorous plants.
The stems of some plants have become specialized over time. Horizontal, underground
stems called rhizomes are often modified for nutrient storage, while their aboveground
counterparts, stolons, are modified for reproduction. Tubers are stems that have been
modified for nutrient storage. Corms are almost completely stem tissue and also store
nutrients. Bulbs are actually large buds with a small stem at the bottom surrounded by
large fleshy leaves.
The two major functions of roots are to absorb water and inorganic nutrients and to anchor
the plant body to the ground. In addition, some roots are modified for food storage, while
others store water. Pneumatophores are roots that rise above the water surface and allow
trees with their roots under water to “breathe.” Bald cypress trees are an example of
pneumatophores. Aerial roots perform a number of different functions, including absorbing
extra water, providing additional support, and photosynthesis.
budburst.org
A Project BudBurst Educational Activity
http://budburst.org/educators/pdf/PBB_plantcharades.pdf
Page 3 of 5
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Plant Part Adaptation Charades: Grades 5-8
Plant Part Adaptations
 Plants with sharp points to repel wildlife – prickly pear, mesquite
 Plants that orient with or away from the sun – compass plant and some sunflowers
 Part that protects plants from fire – bur oak, creosote bush, grasses’ roots,
persimmon, agarita
 Catapulting seed pod – bluebonnets, jewelweed, Ruella (Mexican petunia, oxalis
(wood sorrel)
 Plants with waxy parts to protect them from water loss – cacti, agave, yucca
 Plants with nitrogen fixing bacteria in roots to put nitrogen back into the soil – pea
family (bluebonnet, partridge pea)
 Plants with flower parts that mechanically “insert” pollen on visiting insects –
foxgloves, bluebonnets
 Plant with hairy parts to protect them from the harsh sun and cold nights – bluebonnet
leaves, Indian blanket
 Plant parts that stick to animals so they can be carried to new places for the plants to
grow – Texas star seeds, grass burr (seeds), beggar’s ticks (seed pods)
 Plants that make people itch and keep predators away – stinging nettle, poison ivy
Figure 1. Plant part adaptations and examples
Student Assessment Suggestions:
Teachers may have students conduct research on their Project BudBurst plant’s
adaptations, and present their findings to the class or in a short paper/paragraph to be
turned in.
Source: Adapted from Exploring the Native Plant World, developed by the Lady Bird
Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas.
This teacher resource was made possible, in part, by support from the National
Geographic Education Foundation.
budburst.org
A Project BudBurst Educational Activity
http://budburst.org/educators/pdf/PBB_plantcharades.pdf
Page 4 of 5
© 2016 Chicago Botanic Garden. All rights reserved. One of the treasures of the Forest Preserves of Cook County.
Plant Part Adaptation Charades: Grades 5-8
Plant Part Adaptation Cards
Plants with sharp points
to repel wildlife
Plants that orient with
or away from the sun
Part that protects
plants from fire
Plants with waxy parts
to protect them from
water loss
Plants with nitrogen
fixing bacteria in roots
to put nitrogen back
into the soil
Plants with flower parts
that mechanically “insert”
pollen on visiting insects
Plants with hairy parts
to protect them from
the harsh sun and cold nights
Plant parts that stick to
animals so they can be
carried to new places
Plants that make people itch
and keep predators away
Catapulting seed pod
budburst.org
A Project BudBurst Educational Activity
http://budburst.org/educators/pdf/PBB_plantcharades.pdf
Page 5 of 5
© 2016 Chicago Botanic Garden. All rights reserved. One of the treasures of the Forest Preserves of Cook County.