Seeds are found inside fruits and flowers and contain new plants. Seeds are dispersed in many ways, including by attaching to animal fur or feathers, being eaten and passed in animal waste, being buried and forgotten by squirrels, floating on water, or being carried by wind if shaped like parachutes. This allows seeds to land and potentially grow in new environments. Seed dispersal is important for plant reproduction and survival in different habitats.

1. Sarah Green Educational Technology 470 San Diego State University Fall 2008

2. Seeds are found inside flowers & fruits. New plants are inside of seeds. Seeds are planted & new plants grow. Review: Kinds of Fruits

3. Think of different ways seeds might travel Turn to a partner and share your predictions Share with the class Let’s find out!

4. Seeds have different characteristics These characteristics help seeds travel Seeds travel in many different ways Seeds travel to become planted & grow

5. Gardeners & farmers plant seeds in the ground These seeds become new plants, trees, & flowers People plant fruits & vegetables that we eat You may have planted seeds yourself! Find Out: The Job of a Farmer

6. Most plants do not rely on people Animals, wind, and water help seeds travel Seeds travel to be planted in new places

7. Animals’ fur and feathers help seeds travel Some seeds are sticky and spiky with hooks They grab on and stick to animals When the animal travels, the seeds travel with it Have seeds ever stuck to your clothes?

8. Animals eat fruit, including the seeds The seeds are not digested When the animals leave waste, it contains the seeds These seeds become new plants

9. Some animals, like squirrels, bury seeds in the ground They sometimes forget about these seeds The seeds stay in the ground and become new plants

10. Some seeds are shaped like parachutes or helicopters! They are light and float in the wind Wind helps the seeds travel through the air The seeds land and grow in new places Video of Drifting Seeds

11. Some seeds float on water! Water dispersal is important for plants that live near water Pockets of air allow them to float Seeds are washed up to the shore They will begin to grow if conditions are right Floating seeds

12. Flowers must be pollinated to make new seeds Pollination is different from other seed dispersal Insects are attracted to flowers because of color and smell Insects land on flowers; pollen sticks to their bodies They transfer the pollen to new flowers This makes new seeds for the flowers

13. Bees carry out more pollination than any other insect Hummingbirds use nectar to help pollinate flowers Small mammals, like bats Other insects, like butterflies and ants An In-Depth Look at Pollination

14. Traveling seeds land in new places If the conditions are right, these plants start to grow

15. Discuss in small groups. What might help these seeds travel?

16. Why is it important for seeds to be able to travel far? How does environment play a role in seed dispersal?