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Basic 2 · Science · Living and Non-Living Things

What Plant Parts Do

In this topic you will learn the job of each part of a plant.

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

  • State the work of roots, stem, leaves and flowers
  • Explain why a plant needs all its parts
  • Name plant parts we eat

What you already know

  • Parts of a plant

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

Strand
Diversity of Matter
Sub-strand
Living and Non-Living Things
Indicator
B2.1.1.1.1 – Know the basic structure of plants (roots stem leaves and flowers)

Introduction

Every part of a plant has a job. Roots drink water, leaves make food and flowers make seeds.

1. Jobs of Plant Parts

What each part does
PartIts job
rootshold the plant in the soil and take in water
stemcarries water to the leaves and holds the plant up
leavesmake food for the plant using sunlight
flowersmake seeds and fruits
A plant with arrows showing water going up from roots and sunlight on the leaves
Figure 1: How a plant works Draw a plant and show water moving up with arrows.Illustration: Sirbus

2. Plant Parts We Eat

Parts we eat
PartExample
rootcassava, carrot
stemsugarcane
leafkontomire (cocoyam leaves), cabbage
fruitmango, orange
seedbeans, maize

New words

job
The work something does.
sunlight
Light from the sun.
seed
A small part that can grow into a new plant.
fruit
The part of a plant that holds seeds.

Summary

  • Roots take in water and hold the plant in the soil.
  • The stem carries water; leaves make food.
  • Flowers make seeds and fruits.

Class activity: Food from Plants

  1. Look at pictures of foods.
  2. Say which plant part each food is.
  3. Sort them into roots, stems, leaves, fruits and seeds.

You need: Uprooted bean, Grass plants, Cassava cutting, Hand lens

Exercises

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

  1. 1. Which part makes food for the plant?

    • A. Leaves
    • B. Roots
    • C. Seeds
    • D. Flowers
    Show answer
    Answer: LeavesLeaves use sunlight to make food.

  2. 2. Cassava is which part of a plant?

    • A. Root
    • B. Leaf
    • C. Flower
    • D. Stem
    Show answer
    Answer: RootWe eat the cassava root.

  3. 3. Flowers make seeds.

    • A. True
    • B. False
    Show answer
    Answer: TrueSeeds come from flowers.

  4. 4. Roots carry food to the sky.

    • A. True
    • B. False
    Show answer
    Answer: FalseRoots take in water from the soil.

  5. 5. Water moves up the plant through the ______.

    Show answer
    Answer: stemThe stem carries water.

  6. 6. Name one plant part we eat and give an example.

    Show answer
    Answer: E.g. leaf – kontomire.Many plant parts are food.

Homework

  1. List three foods at home and say which plant part each one is.