Bud, Flower, Fruit
GRADE LEVELS K-5th; California Content Standards for K – 3rd
SUBJECTS Life Sciences, Visual Arts
DURATION Preparation: 30 minutes Activity: 30 minutes
SETTING Classroom
Objectives
In this lesson, students will:
1. identify buds, flowers, and fruit on plant samples
2. learn about the sequence of development in plants from bud to flower to fruit
Materials
samples of plants that have buds, flowers, and fruits visible
pictures of common fruits and the flowers from which they develop
paper
colored pencils
Vocabulary
 angiosperms: plants that produce flowers for reproduction. Angiosperms are the most
common and diverse group of plants. Pines, ferns, and mosses are NOT angiosperms.
 flower: the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (angiosperms)
 fruit: the structure containing one or more seeds that develops from parts of a flower after
fertilization. Fruit provides protection for the seeds and aid in dispersal.
 pollen: a powder-like substance in a flower (or cone) that is made up of grains. Each
grain functions as a capsule for carrying the male gametes (sperm cells) of the plant;
during pollination, pollen is moved from the stamen of a flower to the stigma of a flower.
 pollination: a necessary step in the reproduction of flowering plants; the process by which
pollen is transferred from the male stamen to the female stigma, thereby enabling
fertilization.
 seed: a protective structure that contains a plant embryo
Teacher Background
Fruit develops from flowers. Many students (and some adults) are unaware of this simple fact,
which is fundamental to reproduction in flowering plants, otherwise known as angiosperms. The
flower is the reproductive structure of an angiosperm. Pollination, the transfer of pollen from
one flower to another, leads to the fertilization of ovules contained within the flower. Fertilized
ovules develop into seeds, and the tissues of the flower develop around the seeds to become a
fruit. The fruit protects the seeds within it and helps the seeds to disperse.
Fruits come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and structures, many of which are nothing like
what we typically think of when we hear the word “fruit.” To a scientist, “fruit” means the
structure that develops from a flower and contains the seeds. In everyday language, “fruit” is
something we find in the produce section of the grocery store, is usually somewhat sweet, and is
eaten for dessert or a snack. For example, we think of tomatoes as a vegetable since they are
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Bud, Flower, Fruit
savory rather than sweet, and usually eaten with dinner rather than for dessert. However,
biologically speaking, tomatoes are fruit since they develop from a flower.
Many other fruits would never be found in the produce section at all. For example, the fluffy
white material found on a dandelion would be considered dandelion fruit, a structure that
developed from the flower and contains the dandelion seeds. The tiny, soft dandelion fruits act
like parachutes and carry the seeds away from the parent plant.
Depending on the grade level of your students, you may or may not want to talk about this
expanded definition of fruit. For older students, it can be fascinating to broaden their perspective
on the many things that can be called fruit. However, it may be confusing for younger students,
especially if they are also learning about fruits and vegetables from a nutritional perspective at
the same time. The more important message, and the focus of this activity, is the simple fact that
fruit develops from flowers.
In this activity, students will draw a comic strip illustrating a sequence of events in the
development of a plant. They will start with a bud, which develops into a flower, which then
forms a fruit. Drawing is a valuable tool in the science classroom. Observational drawing is
excellent for honing observation skills and focusing attention on details, but is not ideal for
illustrating abstract ideas, concepts, or processes. The comic strip format works well for these
objectives, particularly for sequential processes. The experience of drawing the comic strip
helps students solidify their understanding of the content, and the drawings they produce are an
excellent assessment tool for you to check their understanding.
Activity
Preparation
1. Gather samples of plants for your students to observe. Explore plants in your
yard, neighborhood, or nearby park to find some options. Ideally, you want
samples of buds, flowers, and fruit all from the same type of plant. Don’t worry if
you don’t know the name or natural history of the plant; the point of the lesson is
the process, not the plant name.
2. Select pictures of common fruits and flowers to show. Some pictures are
provided with this lesson. (Note that the pictures provided include some
interesting but potentially confusing examples: tomatoes and peapods.
Biologically speaking, these are fruits because they are structures that develop
from flowers. However, in everyday speech we refer to them as vegetables. If
you think this may be too confusing for your students, you can skip these two
examples.)
3. Cut pieces of 8 ½ x 11 paper in half lengthwise to create long, narrow strips of
paper. Students will use these to illustrate their comic strips.
Introduction
 Ask students if they have heard the word “bud” used related to plants, and what
they think it means. Explain that buds can be new leaves, stems, or flowers that
have not yet fully developed. A flower bud will develop into a flower.
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Bud, Flower, Fruit
 Ask students to give you examples of fruits that they like to eat. Then ask them if
they know how fruits develop. Let them share their ideas about fruit formation.
 Explain that all fruits develop from flowers. When pollen is moved from one
flower to another (either by the wind or by animals), pollination occurs. A flower
that has been pollinated successfully will develop into a fruit.
 Show students some pictures of common fruits and the flowers from which they
develop.
 Tell students that every flower has the potential to become a fruit if it is
successfully pollinated. But the fruits that form on some plants may look very
different from the fruits that we eat, and may not fit in with what we normally
think of when we hear the word “fruit.”
Procedure
1. Divide students into groups. Give each group a sample of a plant that includes
bud, flower, and fruit.
2. Allow time for students to observe and discuss the plants. Have them try to
identify the buds, flowers, and fruit.
3. Go around to each group and make sure they have identified those three parts
correctly. It can sometimes be tricky to distinguish among them on an unfamiliar
plant, so students may need a little help to figure it out.
4. Tell students that they will be drawing a comic strip about their plant, illustrating
the development of the bud, flower, and fruit. Comic strips typically show a
sequence of events occurring in order. On the comic strips that they draw,
students should show the bud, flower, and fruit in the order in which they
develop.
5. Distribute blank comic strips and drawing materials, and allow time for students
to illustrate their sequence of events.
6. When the comic strips are completed, you may want to have a gallery walk so that
students can see each other’s work. Or, if you had samples of different types of
plants, have students who illustrated different plants pair up and tell each other
about what they drew.
Wrap-Up
Review once more the sequence of events in the development of a fruit: first the bud
forms, then the bud opens into a flower, then (if the flower is pollinated) the flower
develops into a fruit.
Resources
Laws, John Muir and Breunig, Emily. 2010. Opening the World Through Nature Journaling:
Integrating Art, Science, and Language Arts. Curriculum developed by the California Native
Plant Society. http://www.johnmuirlaws.com/cnps-curriculum
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Correlated California Content Standards
Kindergarten
Life Sciences
2c. Students know how to identify major structures of common plants and animals (e.g.,
stems, leaves, roots, arms, wings, legs).
Grade One
Visual Arts: Creative Expression
2.8. Create artwork based on observations of actual objects and everyday scenes.
Grade Two
Life Sciences
2f. Students know flowers and fruit are associated with reproduction in plants.
Grade Three
Life Sciences
3a. Students know plants and animals have structures that serve different functions in
growth, survival, and reproduction.
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