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Where a Plant's Mass Comes From is a free printable Grade 5 science worksheet on arguing that plants get their materials chiefly from air and water, aligned to Common Core standard 5-LS1-1. It prints 5 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two pupils in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.

Set 21 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.

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Set 1 has all 25 in a single PDF. All 25 sets ask different questions.

Where a Plant's Mass Comes From

5-LS1-1

NameDate

Read the record, then answer the questions.

1.Read the record, then answer the questions.

Where the Plant's Mass Came From

A five-month record of a potted plant, with the pot and soil weighed separately. OVER FIVE MONTHS Plant mass at the start ......... 12 g Plant mass at the end ........... 486 g Dry soil at the start ........... 2,000 g Dry soil at the end ............. 1,988 g Water given over five months .... about 9 litres The pot stood in the light and was not fed.

  1. 1. Can the soil account for the plant's gain?
  2. 2. Where did most of the plant's new material come from?
  3. 3. How much dry soil was lost?
  4. 4. How much did the plant gain over five months?
2.A plant gained 474 g while the dry soil lost only 12 g. What does that rule out?
  • A.That the plant's mass came mostly from the soil
  • B.That soil matters at all
  • C.That the plant grew
3.Why weigh the soil dry rather than damp?
  • A.Water in the soil would change the reading without any material being used
  • B.It is easier to handle
  • C.Dry soil is lighter
4.Why does this argument need the soil weighed as well as the plant?
  • A.It fills the table
  • B.Without it you cannot say the mass did not come from the soil
  • C.Soil is interesting
5.So where did most of the plant's new material come from?
  • A.From air and water
  • B.From the pot
  • C.From the light itself

LessonPrint · 5-LS1-1 · Set 21 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Where a Plant's Mass Comes From

Set 21. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. No: the plant gained 474 g and the soil lost only 12 g. 2. From air and water rather than from the soil. 3. 12 g, from 2,000 g to 1,988 g. 4. 474 g, from 12 g to 486 g.
  2. 2.That the plant's mass came mostly from the soil
  3. 3.Water in the soil would change the reading without any material being used
  4. 4.Without it you cannot say the mass did not come from the soil
  5. 5.From air and water

More practice for 5-LS1-1

Argue that plants build themselves mostly from air and water.

Teaching this next? Where a Plant's Mass Comes From is the 60-minute plan for it, with the misconceptions to expect.

All Grade 5 worksheets

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to 5-LS1-1 of the Next Generation Science Standards.