From Seed to Pumpkin

What happens to a pumpkin seed after it is planted and covered with moist soil?

• It immediately grows into a full pumpkin.

• It becomes a baby pumpkin plant, with roots digging down and stems sprouting up.

• It floats to the surface of the soil.

• It is eaten by worms.

How do green plants make their own food?

• They eat small insects and worms from the soil.

• They absorb nutrients directly from the air.

• Their leaves use sunlight, water, and air to create sugar.

• Their roots absorb food from the surrounding soil.

What is a key difference between the new leaves and the seed leaves of a pumpkin plant?

• New leaves are smooth and rounded, while seed leaves are rough and prickly.

• New leaves are rough and prickly, while seed leaves are smooth and rounded.

• Seed leaves are responsible for making food, while new leaves are not.

• New leaves grow underground, while seed leaves grow above ground.

What are the two main functions of the tubes within a pumpkin stem?

• To store extra water and to provide support for the plant.

• To transport water from the soil to the leaves and food from the leaves to the rest of the plant.

• To protect the plant from insects and to help it stand tall.

• To absorb sunlight and to release oxygen into the air.

What happens to pumpkins as they ripen, and what are two common uses for them?

• They shrink in size and are used as animal feed.

• They turn blue and are used for decoration only.

• They change color from green to yellow to orange, and are used for jack-o'-lanterns and pumpkin pies.

• They become soft and are used to make juice.