Volume I · Scene 08 of 30
The hidden roots
The hidden roots
The roots hold the olive tree in the ground.
They take up water and useful substances.
They also need the air in the soil.
We discover them in the drawing, without damaging them.
@ A.D.O.S. INTERNATIONALThe story
‘Does the olive tree have very long feet?’ asks Leo, looking at the picture. Neri smiles. ‘Those are roots. They hold the plant in the ground and take up water with substances dissolved in it.’ The grower points to the finest little roots in the drawing. ‘They need air in the spaces in the soil too.’
Sami adds little blue dots beside the roots. Ada follows the path towards the stem with her pencil. Rumo would like to see it all for real. Tila stops him with a question: ‘Can we learn without uncovering and damaging the roots?’ They open another picture. The olive tree stays undisturbed in its place, while the notebook shows what the ground hides.
Let’s talk about it
What are roots for?
One possible answer
They hold the plant in the ground and take up water and useful substances. They also need the air in the soil.
A little activity
Our notebook — In the picture, follow a root up to the trunk with your finger. Leave the roots of real plants covered and protected.