How Do Plants Protect Themselves? | Plant Adaptations

Discover some adaptations plants have developed to protect and defend themselves, like growing spiky thorns or strong bark, hiding among a crowd, or pretending to be something else. Disponible en español.

Back to Digital Classroom Resources

View Transcript

Additional Resources

Questions and Prompts for Educators

Check for Understanding

Why do plants protect themselves?
What are some ways plants defend themselves that we can or can’t see?

Take It Further

Some plants have defenses we can see. Some have defenses we can’t see. Which defense do you think is more effective? What makes you think that?
Think of plants in your school or community. What adaptations do they have to protect themselves?

Create

Pick a plant you like and research it. Where does it come from? What does it need to protect itself in its native environment? How do its adaptations protect it? Draw your plant and label its adaptations or write about it.

Make a Personal Connection

What are some ways that you defend yourself against different environmental factors, such as the weather or animals?

Next Generation Science Standards: Disciplinary Core Ideas

LS1.A: STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION
How do the structures of organisms enable life’s functions?
LS4.C: ADAPTATION
How does the environment influence populations of organisms over multiple generations?

Table of contents heading: Additional Resources