Horsetail

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/horsetail

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?Equisetum
2. What is the age of ancestors?Over 300 million years old (Carboniferous period)
3. What are horsetails and why are they called "ancient pipe cleaners"?They are green, straw‑like plants that have lived for more than 300 million years. Their stiff stems are full of silica, so they feel like tiny natural scouring pads, which is why people once used them to clean pots and tools.
4. How do horsetails protect themselves from animals and diseases?The stems contain up to 10% silica, making them hard and abrasive. This toughness keeps animals and germs from eating or damaging the plant.

Sphenophytes: An ancient group of vascular plants, including the ancestors of modern horsetails.
Biogenic Silica: Silica produced by living organisms, forming a key structural component in horsetails.
Strobili: Cone-like reproductive structures found in horsetails and some other primitive plants.
Gametophyte: The haploid stage in a plant's life cycle that produces gametes (sex cells).