Conifer

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/conifer

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Pinophyta
2. What is the geological age?Fossil record extends back over 300 million years to the Carboniferous period
3. What are conifers and why do they stay green all year?Conifers are evergreen trees like pine, fir, and spruce. Their needle‑like leaves stay green all year, so the trees keep making food even in winter.
4. How do conifer needles help the trees survive in cold or dry places?The needles have a thick skin and tiny pores that are hidden inside, which stops water from escaping and protects the tree from frost.

Sporophyte: The diploid multicellular stage in the life cycle of a plant or alga that produces spores.
Angiosperms: Flowering plants that produce seeds enclosed within a fruit, which diversified significantly after conifers.
Transpiration: The process where moisture is carried through plants from roots to small pores on the underside of leaves, where it changes to vapor and is released to the atmosphere.
Boreal Forest (Taiga): A biome characterized by coniferous forests, found in high northern latitudes, with long, cold winters and short, mild summers.