3rd Grade Plant Study

1. Plant Adaptations
3rd Grade

2. Batten
Down the
Hatches!
• waxy leaves and
stems
A waxy coating can
be found on some
desert and alpine
plants’ leaves and
stems. The wax
prevents moisture
from evaporating
and helps to store
water inside.
Adapted from Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve teaching guide

3. Sunscreen
Please!
• light colors
Many desert and
alpine plants have
a light, gray- green
color.
This color helps to
reflect harmful,
destructive solar
radiation. It is like
sunscreen.
Adapted from Great Sand Dunes National
Park and Preserve teaching guide

4. I Demand
Attention!
• bright blossoms
Bees,
hummingbirds, and
other insects are
attracted to
colorful blossoms in
their search for
sweet nectar.
When birds and
insects drink
nectar they help
with pollination.
Adapted from Great Sand Dunes National
Park and Preserve teaching guide

5. Keep Away!
● spines
Spines and thorns
help stop
herbivores from
eating the juicy
insides of a plant.
Sometimes just the
stem is spiny. Other
times the entire
plant is covered in
spines.
Adapted from Great Sand Dunes National
Park and Preserve teaching guide

6. Stowaway!
• seed dispersal
Some seeds have
burrs and tiny thorns
that catch on animal
fur and clothing.
That way seeds can
travel many miles.
Seeds with
specialized “floating
devices” may also
travel by air

7. Hunker
Down!
● bushy and low-growing
Some bushy plants
stay warm during cold
months by keeping
close to the ground.
A bushy, compact plant
will also hold in heat,
by acting like a blanket.

8. Send out the
Reconnaissance!
● root systems
Many plants send
out extensive roots
in search of water
and nutrients and
other places to
sprout new
“satellite” plants.
Some have shallow,
spreading roots
and some have deep
taproots.

9. Brrrr...Time
for a
Sweater!
● hairy leaves, stems, or
seeds
Just like the hair on
your head, plants
produce hairs on their
leaves, stems, and
seeds for warmth.
Hairy leaves can also
help to protect plants
from solar radiation
and from drying out in
the wind.
Adapted from Great Sand Dunes National
Park and Preserve teaching guide

10. See if YOU can spot the
adaptations!

11. Globemallow

12. Evening Primrose
Taproot System

13. Juniper

14. Sagebrush

15. Sego Lily- Utah’s State
Flower
Edible- Used by
pioneers
Bulbs store water for the plant

16. Prickly Pear Cactus

17. Polliniation

18. Sources
● http://wildaboututah.org/amazing-adaptations-of-utahs-desert-plants/
● https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AArtemisia_tridentata_sagebrush_bu
sh.jpg
● http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/pollinator-of-the-
month/globe_mallow_bee.shtml
● https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Adventist_Youth_Honors_Answer_Book/Edible_Wi
ld_Plants/Evening_Primrose
● http://www.nps.gov/cany/learn/education/upload/FifthGrade_PlantAdaptations.p
df
● http://www.vegetablegardener.com/item/13228/herbs-that-attract-pollinating-
insects
● https://www.flickr.com/photos/artbystevejohnson/4710679366/sizes/m/in/photo
stream/