Seasonal Change

Have you ever thought about how plants know when the seasons are changing?

As the Earth travels around the sun in its orbit, the length of our days and nights varies from season to season. This is because the Earth’s axis of rotation is tilted in respect to its plane of orbit around the sun.

In the summer, the plants begin to grow because of the warmth from the sun. Later, in the winter, they withdraw into the earth again. A shorter period of daylight will affect the amount of sunlight available for photosynthesis. The day is shorter and it causes the plant to go into a state of dormancy. That means they will stop growing.

The above graphic will help you understand the growth of a plant or tree. You can draw or print out and paste this graphic into your Science Main Lesson Book.

In the winter, the seed is reaching into the earth with its roots. With the help of water, air, and sunlight, the stem and leaves begin to form. As the sun becomes warmer, the blossoms come. Finally, in the fall, the fruit develops after the flower dies. Seed pods and fruits ripen in the autumn. When the fruit dies away, the seed is left. As the seed dies in the earth, the roots, stem, and leaves come forth from within once again.