Science · Life Science

Plant Life Cycle — Reading Comprehension Lesson

Reading comprehension passage and printable worksheet about the plant life cycle — from seed to flower to new seed — for grades 3–6.

Reading Passage

The Plant Life Cycle

Plants go through a series of stages from the beginning to the end of their lives. This series of stages is called the plant life cycle. The life cycle of a plant includes germination, growth, reproduction, and eventually the production of seeds that start the cycle over again. Different plants complete this cycle at different speeds — some in just a few weeks, others over many years.

The life cycle of a flowering plant begins with a seed. Inside each seed is a tiny plant called an embryo and stored food to help it grow. When conditions are right — including the right amount of water, warmth, and light — the seed begins to germinate. During germination, the seed absorbs water, swells, and sprouts a small root and shoot. The root grows downward into the soil, and the shoot grows upward toward the light.

As the plant continues to grow, it develops a stem, leaves, and eventually flowers. The stem carries water and nutrients from the roots to the rest of the plant. Leaves capture sunlight and use it to make food through photosynthesis. Flowers are the reproductive organs of a plant. They produce pollen, which must be transferred to another flower in order for seeds to form.

The transfer of pollen from one flower to another is called pollination. Pollination is often carried out by insects, especially bees, which visit flowers to collect nectar and carry pollen on their bodies from plant to plant. Wind can also spread pollen. When pollen from one flower reaches the pistil of another flower of the same species, fertilization occurs and seeds begin to develop.

Once seeds are formed, they must be spread to new locations where they can germinate and grow. This is called seed dispersal. Seeds can travel in many ways: wind carries the fluffy seeds of dandelions, water floats coconuts to new shores, animals eat berries and deposit seeds in their droppings, and some seed pods burst open and shoot seeds far away. When a seed lands in a good spot and conditions are right, the cycle begins again.

Printable Worksheet

More Science Worksheets

Explore our full library of science reading comprehension worksheets and lesson resources.