Lesson Plan
From Flower to Fruit!
Students will be able to identify the key stages of fruit formation, from flower pollination to seed development, and understand the purpose of fruit in plant reproduction.
Understanding how plants make fruit helps us appreciate where our food comes from and the incredible life cycle of plants. It connects to biology, agriculture, and even healthy eating.
Audience
Autistic Middle School Students
Time
20 minutes
Approach
Visuals, clear steps, and a hands-on activity.
Materials
From Flower to Fruit! Slide Deck, Warm Up: What Do You Know About Fruit? (worksheet), Warm Up: What Do You Know About Fruit? Answer Key (answer-key), Plant Part Puzzles (activity), Life Cycle of a Fruit (worksheet), and Life Cycle of a Fruit Answer Key (answer-key)
Prep
Prepare Materials
10 minutes
- Review the From Flower to Fruit! Slide Deck to familiarize yourself with the content.
- Print copies of the Warm Up: What Do You Know About Fruit? (one per student).
- Print copies of the Warm Up: What Do You Know About Fruit? Answer Key for your reference.
- Prepare the Plant Part Puzzles by printing or displaying the visual aids. Laminating them for future use is recommended.
- Print copies of the Life Cycle of a Fruit (one per student).
- Print copies of the Life Cycle of a Fruit Answer Key for your reference.
Step 1
Warm Up: Fruit Facts
3 minutes
- Distribute the Warm Up: What Do You Know About Fruit? to each student.
- Instruct students to complete the warm-up activity individually.
- Briefly review answers as a class, addressing any misconceptions. Use From Flower to Fruit! Slide Deck - Slide 1 and Slide 2. Refer to the Warm Up: What Do You Know About Fruit? Answer Key as needed.
Step 2
Introduction to Plant Reproduction
5 minutes
- Use the From Flower to Fruit! Slide Deck to guide the discussion.
- Present Slide 3 to introduce the concept of flowers turning into fruit.
- Explain key terms like pollination, fertilization, and seed development in simple, clear language. Use Slide 4 and Slide 5 to illustrate these concepts visually.
Step 3
Activity: Plant Part Sequence
7 minutes
- Present the Plant Part Puzzles visual aids to the whole class.
- Guide students to collectively sequence the stages of fruit formation.
- Facilitate discussion and provide support as needed. Use Slide 6 for a visual aid.
Step 4
Worksheet: Life Cycle of a Fruit
5 minutes
- Distribute the Life Cycle of a Fruit.
- Instruct students to complete the worksheet individually, reinforcing the concepts learned.
- Review answers as a class, inviting students to share their understanding. Use Slide 7 to summarize. Refer to the Life Cycle of a Fruit Answer Key as needed.
Slide Deck
From Flower to Fruit!
How do plants make the yummy fruits we eat?
Welcome students and introduce the topic of plants and fruit. Ask them what fruits they like to eat. (Slide 1)
Where Does Fruit Come From?
Do you know that fruit starts as a flower?
Ask students to think about where fruit comes from. Show them a picture of a flower and a fruit, and ask them if they see any connection. (Slide 2)
Flowers: The Fruit Makers
Flowers aren't just pretty! They have a very important job: making fruit and seeds.
Explain that flowers are like 'factories' for fruit. Introduce the idea of a flower's parts working together. (Slide 3)
Step 1: Pollination
Pollen from one part of the flower (or another flower) moves to another part. Often, bees or butterflies help with this!
Explain pollination simply. Use hand gestures to show pollen moving from one part of the flower to another, or from one flower to another. Emphasize bees and butterflies. (Slide 4)
Step 2: Fertilization and Growth
After pollination, tiny parts inside the flower join together. This starts the fruit growing!
Explain fertilization as the joining of tiny plant cells inside the flower. This is where the 'baby' fruit starts to grow. (Slide 5)
Step 3: Fruit Develops & Ripens
The flower petals fall off, and the small fruit grows bigger and bigger. Seeds grow inside the fruit.
Show how the flower changes. The petals fall off, and the small fruit begins to get bigger. Point out that the seeds are also developing inside. (Slide 6)
The Fruit's Big Job: Seeds!
The fruit protects the seeds inside. When we eat the fruit, we help spread the seeds so new plants can grow!
Summarize the cycle. Emphasize that fruit protects the seeds, which can then grow new plants. (Slide 7)
Worksheet
Warm Up: What Do You Know About Fruit?
Instructions: Read each statement and circle YES or NO. If you circle NO, try to make the statement true in the space below.
-
All fruits are sweet.
YES / NO
-
Fruit grows on trees only.
YES / NO
-
Seeds are found inside fruits.
YES / NO
-
Flowers are important for making fruit.
YES / NO
-
Tomatoes are vegetables.
YES / NO
Activity
Activity: Plant Part Sequence
Instructions: Let's work together as a class to put the steps in order! Your teacher will show you pictures and descriptions, and we'll decide as a group what happens next to turn a flower into a fruit.
Visual Aids (For Teacher to Present)
Step 1: The Flower Blooms
(Image suggestion: A bright, open flower)
A beautiful flower opens up, ready to start its important work.
Step 2: Pollination Happens
(Image suggestion: A bee on a flower, with pollen indicated)
A bee or the wind helps move tiny pollen grains from one part of the flower to another.
Step 3: Fertilization & Ovary Growth
(Image suggestion: A cross-section of a flower showing an ovary swelling)
Inside the flower, tiny parts join together, and the part that will become the fruit starts to swell.
Step 4: Petals Fall Off
(Image suggestion: A flower with wilting or fallen petals, and a small green bump where the fruit will be)
The pretty petals fall away, and a small, green baby fruit is left behind.
Step 5: Fruit Ripens
(Image suggestion: A growing, unripened fruit)
The little fruit grows bigger and changes color as it gets ready.
Step 6: Mature Fruit with Seeds
(Image suggestion: A ripe fruit cut open to show seeds inside)
The fruit is now ripe and delicious, holding its seeds safe inside.
Step 7: Seeds Spread
(Image suggestion: A bird eating fruit, or a seed planted in soil)
Animals eat the fruit, or the fruit falls to the ground, and the seeds can then grow into new plants!
Worksheet
Life Cycle of a Fruit: Fill in the Blanks
Instructions: Use the words in the box to fill in the blanks and complete the sentences about how a fruit is made. Some words may be used more than once.
Word Bank:
- flowers
- pollen
- seeds
- fruit
- pollination
- grows
-
It all starts with a beautiful ______________.
-
During ______________, tiny ______________ moves from one part of the flower to another, often with help from bees.
-
After pollination, the flower starts to change, and a tiny ______________ begins to form.
-
The tiny fruit ______________ bigger and bigger, and ______________ develop inside.
-
The job of the ______________ is to protect the ______________ and help them spread so new plants can grow.
Draw the Cycle!
Instructions: In the space below, draw the steps of a flower turning into a fruit. You can use pictures and words to explain each step.
Answer Key
Warm Up: What Do You Know About Fruit? Answer Key
Instructions: Read each statement and circle YES or NO. If you circle NO, try to make the statement true in the space below.
-
All fruits are sweet.
NO
Explanation: Not all fruits are sweet! Some, like tomatoes, avocados, and cucumbers, are savory. Botanically, anything with seeds that develops from the flower's ovary is a fruit.
-
Fruit grows on trees only.
NO
Explanation: Fruit grows on many different types of plants, including bushes (berries), vines (grapes, pumpkins), and even some herbs (like chili peppers).
-
Seeds are found inside fruits.
YES
Explanation: The main purpose of the fruit is to protect the seeds and help them spread. So, yes, seeds are always found inside fruits!
-
Flowers are important for making fruit.
YES
Explanation: Fruits develop from the flowers of plants. Without a flower, there can be no fruit.
-
Tomatoes are vegetables.
NO
Explanation: Botanically, tomatoes are fruits because they develop from the flower's ovary and contain seeds. Culinarily, they are often used as vegetables. So it's a tricky one!
Answer Key
Life Cycle of a Fruit: Answer Key
Instructions: Use the words in the box to fill in the blanks and complete the sentences about how a fruit is made. Some words may be used more than once.
Word Bank:
- flowers
- pollen
- seeds
- fruit
- pollination
- grows
-
It all starts with a beautiful flower.
-
During pollination, tiny pollen moves from one part of the flower to another, often with help from bees.
-
After pollination, the flower starts to change, and a tiny fruit begins to form.
-
The tiny fruit grows bigger and bigger, and seeds develop inside.
-
The job of the fruit is to protect the seeds and help them spread so new plants can grow.
Draw the Cycle!
Instructions: In the space below, draw the steps of a flower turning into a fruit. You can use pictures and words to explain each step.
(Student drawings will vary, but should illustrate the following sequence:)
- Flower: A drawing of a flower.
- Pollination: A bee or wind near a flower, showing pollen moving.
- Fertilization/Ovary Swells: A flower starting to close or with a small bump at its base.
- Petals Fall: The flower losing its petals, with a small fruit forming.
- Fruit Grows: A green, developing fruit.
- Ripe Fruit with Seeds: A colorful, ripe fruit, perhaps cut open to show seeds.
- Seed Dispersal: An animal eating the fruit or seeds falling to the ground.