Getting to Know Plants

Table of Contents (tap to open/close)

  1. Herbs, Shrubs, and Trees
    1. Observing Plants Around Us
    2. Parts of a Plant
    3. Herbs, Shrubs, and Trees
    4. Activity 1: Observing Plant Stems (click here)
      1. Classifying Plants
      2. Creepers and Climbers
      3. Plants Around You
    5. Write Down:
    6. Group Work Suggestion
  2. Stem
    1. Observing Stems
    2. Activity 2: Upward Movement of Water
      1. Conclusion
  3. Leaf
    1. Observing Leaves
    2. Leaf Impression Activity (Activity 3)
    3. Functions of a Leaf
    4. Transpiration Activity (Activity 4)
    5. Photosynthesis Activity (Activity 5)
      1. Summary
  4. Root
    1. Watering Plants
    2. Importance of Roots
    3. Activity 6: Roots and Plant Health
    4. Activity 7: Roots and Anchorage
    5. Types of Roots
    6. Activity 8: Observing Root Types
    7. Activity 9: Exploring Root Types in Wild Plants
      1. Venation and Root Type
      2. Root Functions
      3. Food Transport in Plants
  5. Flower
    1. Recognizing a Rose Plant
    2. Activity 10: Observing Flowers
      1. Do You Know?
    3. Activity 11: Studying the Ovary
      1. Questions to Consider:
      2. Summary
  6. Chapter Summary:
  7. Keywords

Herbs, Shrubs, and Trees

Observing Plants Around Us

  • Variety of Plants:
    • Some are small, some very big.
    • Some have green leaves, others have reddish ones.
    • Some have huge red flowers, some tiny blue ones, some have none.
    • Plants can be seen near homes, in school grounds, parks, and gardens.

Parts of a Plant

  • Label the Parts:
    • Stem
    • Branch
    • Root
    • Leaf
    • Flower
    • Fruit

Herbs, Shrubs, and Trees

Activity 1: Observing Plant Stems (click here)

  • Different Plant Sizes:
    1. Plants smaller than you.
    2. Plants about your size.
    3. Plants taller than you.
  • Feel the Stems:
    • Check if they are tender or hard.
    • Notice the thickness of the stems.
    • Observe where branches grow – close to the ground or higher up.

Classifying Plants

  • Herbs:
    • Green, tender stems.
    • Usually short, may not have many branches.
    • Example: Mint (Fig.4.3a).
  • Shrubs:
    • Develop branches near the base.
    • Hard stem, but not very thick.
    • Example: Rose (Fig.4.3b).
  • Trees:
    • Very tall with hard and thick stems.
    • Branches in the upper part.
    • Example: Mango (Fig.4.3c).

Creepers and Climbers

  • Creepers:
    • Weak stems, spread on the ground.
    • Example: Pumpkin (Fig.4.4).
  • Climbers:
    • Weak stems, take support to climb up.
    • Example: Money plant (Fig.4.5).

Plants Around You

Write Down:

Names of any two trees, shrubs, herbs, or creepers in your school or home.

Group Work Suggestion

  • Work in groups of 4–5 to minimize damage to plants.
  • Use weeds with soft stems for activities.

Stem

Observing Stems

  • Parts Borne by the Stem:
    • Leaves
    • Branches
    • Buds
    • Flowers
    • Fruits

Activity 2: Upward Movement of Water

  • Materials Needed:
    • Glass
    • Water
    • Red/blue ink
    • Soft stem
  • Procedure:
    • Fill one-third of the glass with water, add a few drops of ink.
    • Cut the base of the stem and place it in the glass.
    • Observe the colour rising in the stem and leaves.
Conclusion
  • Stem’s Role:
    • Helps in the upward movement of water.
    • Transports water and minerals to leaves and other plant parts.

Leaf

Observing Leaves

  • Draw Leaves: Notice the different sizes, shapes, and colors.
  • Attachment to Stem:
    • Petiole: Part that attaches the leaf to the stem.
    • Lamina: Broad, green part of the leaf.
    • Not all leaves have petioles.

Leaf Impression Activity (Activity 3)

  • Materials Needed: White sheet of paper, pencil, and a leaf.
  • Steps:
    1. Place a leaf under the paper.
    2. Rub the pencil sideways on the paper.
  • Observation: Lines on the impression are similar to those on the leaf.
    • Veins: Lines on the leaf.
    • Midrib: Prominent line in the middle.
    • Venation:
      • Reticulate: Net-like pattern (e.g., mango leaf).
      • Parallel: Parallel lines (e.g., grass leaf).

Concepts:

  • Veins: Lines on the leaf.
  • Midrib: Prominent line in the middle.
  • Venation:
    • Reticulate: Net-like pattern (e.g., mango leaf).
    • Parallel: Parallel lines (e.g., grass leaf).

Functions of a Leaf

Transpiration Activity (Activity 4)

  • Materials Needed: Herb, two transparent polythene bags, thread.
  • Steps:
    1. Enclose a leafy branch in a polythene bag and tie it.
    2. Tie another empty bag and keep both in the sun.
  • Observation: Droplets of water inside the bag.
    • Transpiration: Water vapor released by leaves.
    • Importance of Polythene Cover: Helps see the evaporated water.

Photosynthesis Activity (Activity 5)

  • Materials Needed: Leaf, spirit, beaker, test tube, burner, water, watch glass, iodine solution.
  • Steps:
    1. Immerse the leaf in spirit in a test tube.
    2. Heat the test tube in a beaker with water until the green color comes out.
    3. Wash the leaf and place it on a watch glass.
    4. Pour iodine solution over the leaf.
  • Observation: Iodine solution changes color, indicating the presence of starch.
    • Photosynthesis: Process where leaves make food using sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide.
      • Produces: Starch and oxygen.
    • Storage: Food is stored in different parts of the plant.

Concepts:

  • Photosynthesis: Process where leaves make food using sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide.
    • Produces: Starch and oxygen.
  • Storage: Food is stored in different parts of the plant.
Summary
  • Leaf Parts: Petiole and lamina.
  • Venation Types: Reticulate and parallel.
  • Functions:
    • Transpiration: Release of water vapor.
    • Photosynthesis: Making food using sunlight.

Root

Watering Plants

  • Fig. 4.13 Question: Who is watering their plant correctly, Paheli or Boojho? Which part of the plant is in the soil?

Importance of Roots

Activity 6: Roots and Plant Health

  • Materials Needed: Two pots, soil, khurpi, blade/scissors, water.
  • Steps:
    1. Dig out two plants of the same kind with roots intact.
    2. Plant one with roots in pot A.
    3. Plant one without roots in pot B.
    4. Water both regularly and observe after a week.
  • Observation: Plants without roots are not healthy, showing roots are essential for plant health.

Activity 7: Roots and Anchorage

  • Materials Needed: Seeds of gram and maize, cotton wool, katori (bowl), water.
  • Steps:
    1. Place wet cotton in two bowls.
    2. Put gram seeds in one bowl and maize seeds in the other.
    3. Keep the cotton wet until sprouts grow into young plants.
    4. Try to separate the young plants from the cotton.
  • Observation: Roots hold the plant firmly to the soil.

Types of Roots

Activity 8: Observing Root Types

  • Materials Needed: Plants with different roots.
  • Steps:
    1. Compare the roots of gram and maize plants with Fig. 4.16 (a) and (b).
    2. Identify the types of roots in both plants.
  • Observation: Roots show variety, with tap roots and fibrous roots being common types.

Activity 9: Exploring Root Types in Wild Plants

  • Steps:
    1. Dig out wild plants and wash the soil off the roots.
    2. Observe and classify the roots as tap roots or fibrous roots (Fig. 4.17).
  • Tap Roots: Main root with smaller lateral roots (e.g., gram).
  • Fibrous Roots: All roots are similar, no main root (e.g., maize).

Roots Types

  • Tap Roots: Main root with smaller lateral roots (e.g., gram).
  • Fibrous Roots: All roots are similar, no main root (e.g., maize).

Venation and Root Type

  • Observation: Leaf venation and root type are related.
    • Tap Roots: Usually have reticulate venation.
    • Fibrous Roots: Usually have parallel venation.

Root Functions

  • Absorb Water and Minerals: Roots take up water and minerals from the soil.
  • Anchor Plant: Roots hold the plant firmly in place.
  • Store Food: Some roots store food (e.g., carrot, radish, sweet potato).

Food Transport in Plants

  • Stem Function: Acts like a street with two-way traffic.
    • Upward: Water and minerals travel from roots to leaves.
    • Downward: Food prepared by leaves travels to other parts of the plant.

Next, we will study the structure of a flower.

Flower

Recognizing a Rose Plant

  • Look at the branches of a rose in Fig 4.19.
  • Choose the branch that best helps you recognize the rose plant.
  • Notice the color of the flower in Fig. 4.19 (c).
  • Not all flowers are colorful.
  • Have you seen flowers on grass, wheat, maize, mango, or guava? Are they colorful?

Activity 10: Observing Flowers

Materials Needed:

  • One bud and two fresh flowers (datura, china rose, mustard, brinjal, lady’s finger, or gulmohur)
  • Blade, glass slide or sheet of paper, magnifying glass, and water

Steps:

  1. Look at the petals in an open flower.
  2. Observe the petals’ different colors.
  3. In a closed bud, find the prominent part made of small leaf-like structures called sepals.
  4. Examine the flower:
    • Count the sepals.
    • Check if sepals are joined.
    • Note the colors of petals and sepals.
    • Count the petals.
    • See if petals are joined or separate.
    • Observe if flowers with joint sepals have separate or joined petals.
  5. Fill Table 4.3 with observations.
  6. During a field trip, add more observations to the table.

Exploring Inside the Flower:

  • Cut open flowers with joined petals (like datura) to see inner parts.
  • Remove sepals and petals to find stamens and pistil.
  • Compare with Fig. 4.22 to identify stamens and pistil.
  • Look at different stamens in Fig. 4.23.
  • Draw a stamen and label its parts.
  • Identify and draw the pistil (see Fig. 4.24).
Do You Know?
  • Avoid studying marigold, chrysanthemum, or sunflower, as they are groups of flowers, not single ones.

Activity 11: Studying the Ovary

Steps:

  1. Identify the ovary, the swollen part of the pistil.
  2. Cut the ovary as shown in Fig. 4.25.
  3. Put a drop of water on the cut pieces to prevent drying.
  4. Use a lens to observe inside the ovary.
  5. Notice small bead-like structures called ovules.
  6. Draw and label the ovary’s inner parts.

Learning More:

  • Find names of flowers by asking a gardener.
  • Only pluck as many flowers as you need.
  • Fill Table 4.3 based on observations.
Questions to Consider:
  • Do all flowers have sepals, petals, stamens, and pistils?
  • Are there flowers missing some parts?
  • Are there flowers with no difference between sepals and petals?
  • Do some flowers have a different number of stamens than petals?
  • Notice that flower structures can vary, with some parts even absent!
Summary
  • We’ve studied leaves, stems, roots, and flower structures.
  • In higher classes, we’ll learn about the function of flowers and fruits.

Chapter Summary:

  • Plants are grouped into herbs, shrubs, and trees based on height, stem, and branches.
  • The stem bears leaves, flowers, and fruits.
  • A leaf usually has a petiole and lamina.
  • The pattern of veins on a leaf is called venation. It can be reticulate or parallel.
  • Leaves give out water vapor through transpiration.
  • Green leaves make food by photosynthesis using carbon dioxide and water in sunlight.
  • Roots absorb water and minerals from the soil.
  • Roots anchor the plant firmly in the soil.
  • Roots are mainly of two types: tap root and fibrous root.
  • Plants with leaves having reticulate venation have tap roots.
  • Plants with leaves having parallel venation have fibrous roots.
  • The stem conducts water from roots to leaves and food from leaves to other parts.
  • Parts of a flower are sepals, petals, stamens, and pistil.

Keywords

Serial No.KeywordsSerial No.Keywords
1Climbers14Ovule
2Conduct15Parallel Venation
3Creepers16Petal
4Fibrous roots17Petiole
5Herbs18Photosynthesis
6Lamina19Pistil
7Lateral roots20Reticulate Venation
8Midrib21Sepal
9Ovule22Shrubs
10Parallel Venation23Stamen
11Petal24Taproot
12Petiole25Transpiration
13Photosynthesis26Trees
14Pistil27Veins
Keywords
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