Spore

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/spore

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 primary function?Reproduction and dispersal for plants (ferns, mosses) and fungi
2. What is the resilience factors?Resistance to desiccation, UV radiation, and extreme temperatures
3. What are spores and why are they called tiny travelers?Spores are microscopic seeds that plants and fungi use to grow and travel to new places. They can be carried by wind, water, or animals, making them great travelers.
4. How do spores travel to new places?Spores travel mainly by wind, water, or animals. Wind lifts them into the air, water carries them in streams, and animals can carry them on their bodies or inside their stomachs.

Propagule: A unit of asexual reproduction or dispersal, such as a spore or a vegetative fragment.
Aerodynamic Dispersal: The process of spreading by being carried through the air, especially by wind.
Saprophytic: An organism that feeds on dead or decaying organic matter.