Family & Friends (Relationships, Work, Animals, Plants) • Topic 4 of 4

Plants: Parts, Uses & Growth

Plants round out the theme. Every child must know the parts of a plant and what each does: the root anchors the plant and absorbs water and minerals from the soil; the stem holds the plant up and carries (transports) water and food between roots and leaves; the leaf makes food using sunlight, water and air, a process called photosynthesis, which is why leaves are green; the flower is the colourful, often scented part that later becomes the fruit; and the fruit holds the seeds. Plants are classified by their stem and height: herbs have soft, short stems (tomato, coriander, mint); shrubs are bushy with woody stems branching near the ground (rose, hibiscus, lemon); trees are tall and strong with a thick woody trunk (mango, neem, banyan); creepers have weak stems that spread along the ground (pumpkin, watermelon); and climbers have weak stems that climb up a support (grapevine, money plant, pea). Germination is the sprouting of a seed into a new plant, needing water, air and warmth. Plants give us food, oxygen, medicine, wood, paper, shade and clothes (cotton), so EVS stresses conservation: planting trees, not wasting paper, and protecting forests. CTET asks which part does which job and how to classify a named plant.

✅ Solved examples

1. Which part of the plant absorbs water and minerals from the soil?
The root. It also fixes (anchors) the plant firmly in the ground.
2. A rose plant has a woody, bushy stem branching near the ground. It is classified as a:
Shrub. Herbs have soft green stems and trees have a tall thick trunk, but shrubs are bushy and medium-sized.
3. The process by which a green leaf makes food using sunlight is called:
Photosynthesis. The leaf uses sunlight, water and carbon dioxide (air) to prepare food, which is why leaves are green.
4. A money plant or grapevine that needs a support to climb upward is a:
Climber. A creeper, in contrast, has a weak stem that spreads flat along the ground (like a pumpkin).

✏️ Practice — try these, take hints as needed

1. Which part of a plant holds it upright and carries water from the roots to the leaves?
The middle transport part.
Not the root, not the leaf.
Stem
2. A mango or banyan with a tall, thick, woody trunk is a:
Biggest type of plant.
Gives shade.
Tree
3. The sprouting of a seed into a tiny new plant is called:
Needs water, air and warmth.
Start of plant growth.
Germination
4. A pumpkin plant with a weak stem that spreads along the ground is a:
Does not climb up.
Crawls on the soil.
Creeper
5. Tomato, mint and coriander with soft, short, green stems are examples of:
Smallest type of plant.
Stem is not woody.
Herbs

📝 Topic test — 8 questions

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