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Basic 2 · Our World and Our People · Plants and Animals

Important Plants in Our Community

In this topic you will learn about important crops and plants in your community and why they matter.

By the end of these notes you should be able to:

  • Name important crops in Ghana
  • Explain why the crops are important
  • Show ways to care for plants

What you already know

  • Plants and their uses (Basic 1)

Copy everything that has a blue line on its left into your notebook. The other parts are for reading.

Strand
All About Us
Sub-strand
Plants and Animals
Indicator
B2.2.2.1.1 – Explore the important plants in the community

Introduction

Cocoa beans are sold to other countries. Maize and yam feed many families. Shea nuts make shea butter. Plants are very important to our communities.

1. Important Crops

Important crops in Ghana
CropWhere it growsImportance
cocoaforest areassold for money; chocolate
maizemany areasfood (banku, kenkey)
yammany areasfood (fufu, ampesi)
sheathe northshea butter for cooking and skin
cassavamany areasfood (gari, fufu)
Cocoa pods, maize cobs, yam tubers and shea nuts
Figure 1: Important crops in Ghana Draw two crops and write one use of each.Photos: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Olgatladi2020, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Ibn Dagara, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Abdul-Rauf Moshie, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

2. Why Plants Matter

  • food for people and animals
  • money for farmers and the country
  • jobs for many people
  • medicine and shade

New words

crop
A plant grown on a farm.
cash crop
A crop grown mainly to sell, like cocoa.
food crop
A crop grown mainly to eat, like yam.
shea butter
A fat made from shea nuts.

Summary

  • Cocoa, maize, yam, shea and cassava are important crops.
  • Plants give food, money, jobs and medicine.
  • We must care for plants.

Class activity: Crop Corner

  1. Look at the maize, cocoa leaves and photographs.
  2. Say what each crop is used for.
  3. Draw and colour one important crop.

You need: Local maize, Cocoa leaves, Printed photographs of mango, Shea trees, Exercise books

Exercises

Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.

  1. 1. Which crop is used to make chocolate?

    • A. Cocoa
    • B. Yam
    • C. Maize
    • D. Cassava
    Show answer
    Answer: CocoaChocolate comes from cocoa beans.

  2. 2. Shea trees grow mostly in…

    • A. The north
    • B. The sea
    • C. Accra city centre
    • D. Forests only
    Show answer
    Answer: The northShea grows in the savanna north.

  3. 3. Gari is made from cassava.

    • A. True
    • B. False
    Show answer
    Answer: TrueGari is processed cassava.

  4. 4. Cocoa is a food crop only.

    • A. True
    • B. False
    Show answer
    Answer: FalseIt is a cash crop sold for money.

  5. 5. A crop grown mainly to sell is a ______ crop.

    Show answer
    Answer: cashCocoa is a cash crop.

  6. 6. Give two reasons why plants are important.

    Show answer
    Answer: Any two: food, money, jobs, medicine, shade.Plants help us in many ways.

Homework

  1. Name the crops grown in your community.