The Lifecycle of Plants and Trees

For Lower Grades

What is happening at each stage?

The seed has fallen form the tree and is covered by the soil

The seed comes into contact with water and this begins releasing food for the seed to grow

The seed's stem is driven towards the sun

Sunlight helps the stem grow leaves

The seed has now become a small tree

When the tree is mature it will flower, then the flowers will fall off and fruit (or another type of seed) will be produced

The fruit or other type of seed will fall off the tree in the autumn

A new seed will find its way into the soil

The life cycle will start all over again

Video Resources for Lower Grades

SUPPLIES

1. One X-Acto knife or small knife.
2. One 8oz/226g Land O Lakes Spreadable Butter container.
3. One Yoplait Smoothie (strawberry) container or almost any plastic bottle can be used. Some red color on it will help attract the hummingbirds (red ribbons, stickers or red hummingbird nectar), use a larger size bottle if you have large numbers of hummingbirds.
4. A few zip-ties or some string to hang the feeder.

DIRECTIONS

1. Cut two nectar port holes, one at each end of butter container lid, about a .5 in or 1.3 cm from the edge on the flat area. Make the nectar port holes about the diameter of a pencil. Be sure to cut clean holes with no tears or over cuts so the hummers will not be injured while feeding.
2. Next cut a hole in the center of the butter container lid for the nectar reservoir bottle. Cut this hole a little smaller than the diameter of the bottle top so that it fits on the bottle with a snug tight fit.
3. Now push the top of the bottle through the center hole of the butter container lid, if the bottle has a retainer ring left from the bottle cap remove it, and push the butter container lid in to the groove or slot left from the retainer ring.
4. Attach zip-ties or string to hang the feeder. Do not punch holes in the nectar reservoir bottle to hang the feeder or the feeder will leak.
5. Fill the nectar reservoir bottle with nectar. You can use store bought hummingbird nectar, it is usually red colored or to make your own just mix four parts water with one part white sugar and stir until all sugar is dissolved. Red dye is not needed. Store extra nectar in the refrigerator. Snap the butter container bottom on and flip the feeder over, it will fill with nectar, additional nectar will remain in the nectar reservoir bottle until it's needed.
6. Hang the feeder near flower gardens or where ever you see hummingbirds. Try to avoid hanging the feeder in full sun. Change the nectar and thoroughly clean the feeder twice a week or every other day if you live in a hot climate.

How does a hummingbird feeder help the lifecycle of plants and flowers?

Links to Student Help pages:

Plant Biology
Photosynthesis
Parts of a Plant
Plant Life Cycle 1
Plant Life Cycle 2
Cell Cycle
Cell Cycle Mitosis
Cell Cycle Control