What Plants Need

Start with something students can look at or think about: a photo, a short video, a jar on the windowsill, or a question like "what do you already know about what plants need?" Then let them work through the worksheet on their own or with a partner, keeping a word bank or anchor chart in view so the vocabulary stays available. When you review, ask students how they knew, and let them point to the part of the diagram or reading that told them. These what plants need worksheets work well as a lead in before an investigation, as a way to capture what students noticed afterward, or as review before an assessment.

These what plants need worksheets for 1st grade give students a clear, visual way to work through one of the big ideas in plants. Students label diagrams, sort and classify examples, read short explanations, and answer questions that ask them to say why, not just what. Each page keeps the science vocabulary front and center so students leave with the words they need to talk about what plants need accurately. Working through what plants need on paper gives 1st grade students something concrete to hold onto before, during, or after the hands on part of a lesson.

This worksheet is designed for 1st Grade students (Ages 6-7), aligned to NGSS standard 1-LS1-1. It can also be used as review for early students at the next grade level or as an introduction for advanced students.

Yes. This worksheet works for homeschool, classroom, and tutoring settings. Print individual pages for targeted practice, or print the full set as a packet. Works great as a morning warm-up, independent center activity, or fast-finisher task.

First graders learn that plants are living things with specific needs that must be met for them to survive and grow. They explore how sunlight powers food-making in leaves, how roots draw up water and minerals, and why plants wilt or yellow when something is missing. Understanding plant needs lays groundwork for ecosystems and food chains later on.

This topic is usually covered early in a Grade 1 plants unit, often as an introduction before students begin growing their own plants. It connects to NGSS life science standards about the needs of living organisms.

Use a houseplant or small garden to bring these worksheets to life. Try moving a plant to a dark spot for a few days and ask your child to predict and observe what changes. Worksheet activities pair naturally with simple experiments that show what happens when one need is removed.