Wood

High school (ages 12+)
Making & Design

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/wood

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 botanical classification?Xylem, a secondary growth tissue in woody plants
2. What is the primary structural polymers?Cellulose (tensile strength) and Lignin (compressive strength)
3. What makes wood so strong?Wood is made of cellulose fibers that pull tight, giving it great tensile strength. Lignin, a natural glue, keeps the fibers rigid and strong under pressure.
4. How do hardwoods and softwoods differ?Hardwoods have vessels for water transport, while softwoods use long, narrow tracheids. These differences change how dense, hard, and easy to work with each type is.

Xylem: The vascular tissue in plants that conducts water and dissolved nutrients upward from the root.
Lignin: A complex organic polymer that strengthens cell walls and provides rigidity to woody plant tissues.
Vascular Cambium: A lateral meristem responsible for secondary growth, producing new xylem and phloem.