Continue with Microsoft TeamsSeeds On the Move
Vocabulary
Read the vocabulary terms to understand the reading better.
Burr
A burr is a plant seed that has hooks or teeth.
Manure
Manure comes from animal droppings and is a fertilizer that helps plants grow.
Seeds
Seeds are the part of the plant that can grow into a new plant.
Sprout
A sprout is when a plant stem grows up out of the soil.
Imagine if all seeds sprouted close together. Soon the plants would be crowded. Each plant would not have enough water, light, and space to grow well. Seeds can travel away from the parent plant that made them. Travelling helps seeds. The seed may land in a good place to grow.
How Do Animals Help Seeds Travel?
Here are a few ways that animals help seeds travel:
Manure
Animals eat fruit that contains seeds. The seeds take time to move through the animal’s body. The seeds come out in the animal’s droppings (called manure). The manure may end up far away from the plant that made the fruit.
Hiding Places
Some animals hide fruits and nuts (a type of seed) so they can eat them later. For example, a squirrel finds a nut. The squirrel carries the nut to a different place and buries it. The nut might grow into a plant if the squirrel does not come back.
Hooks and Spikes
Some fruit or seeds are covered in hooks or spikes. One example is called a burr. You may have seen burrs stuck to your pants or shoes. The hooks or spikes on the burr get caught in an animal’s fur. Then the seed is carried on the animal until it falls off. The seeds may fall off far away from the plant that made them.
To learn more about how seeds move, watch the video by SciShow Kids on YouTube.
Show What You Know!
Complete some questions about the reading selection by clicking “Begin Questions” below.
