Science
Parts of a Plant
Parts of a plant and what plants need
Meet the root, stem, leaf, flower and fruit, and find out what a plant needs to grow big and strong.
Plants are all around us
Look outside. Can you see a plant?
Grass is a plant. A mango tree is a plant. Maize is a plant.
Plants are living things. They grow, just like you!
Let us find out what a plant is made of.
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A plant has parts
You have parts: a head, arms, legs and feet.
A plant has parts too!
Root. Stem. Leaf. Flower. Fruit.
Each part has a job to do. Let us meet them one by one.
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The root
The root is under the ground. You cannot see it.
Roots hold the plant in the soil, like feet.
Roots drink water from the soil.
Pull up a weed with a grown-up. Look at the roots!
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What roots do
Ama pulls a cassava from the ground.
The cassava is a root! We eat it as fufu and banku.
Roots keep the plant standing when the wind blows.
Roots also drink water for the plant. Sip, sip!
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The stem
The stem stands up tall. It holds the leaves and flowers.
Water goes up the stem from the roots, like a straw.
On a tree, the stem is called the trunk.
Stand up straight. You are a stem!
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What stems do
Kofi sees a maize plant. Its stem is tall and green.
The stem lifts the leaves up to the sun.
A pawpaw tree has a thick stem. Grass has a thin stem.
Can you find a thick stem and a thin stem?
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The leaf
The leaf is flat and green.
Leaves make food for the plant using sunlight.
Leaves come in many shapes. Big, small, long, round.
Find a leaf. Feel it. Is it smooth or rough?
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What leaves do
Leaves catch the sunlight. They are like little cooks.
They make food for the whole plant.
We eat some leaves too! Kontomire is a leaf. So is cabbage.
What leaves have you eaten?
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The flower
The flower is the pretty part. It has bright colours.
Red, yellow, pink, white, purple.
Bees and butterflies visit flowers.
Flowers help the plant make seeds and fruit.
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What flowers do
Abena smells a flower. It smells sweet!
A bee comes to drink from it. Buzz, buzz.
After the flower, a fruit grows in its place.
No flower, no fruit!
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The fruit
The fruit holds the seeds.
Mango, orange, pawpaw, banana, pineapple. All fruit!
Fruit is sweet and good to eat.
Cut open a mango. Can you find the big seed inside?
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The seed
Inside the fruit is a seed.
A seed is a baby plant, sleeping.
Plant it in the soil. Give it water. It wakes up and grows!
A big mango tree starts as one small seed.
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From seed to plant
Kwame puts a bean in wet cotton wool.
Day 1: nothing. Day 3: a tiny root comes out.
Day 5: a little stem. Day 7: two small leaves!
Try it at home with a grown-up.
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All the parts together
Root at the bottom, in the soil.
Stem in the middle, standing tall.
Leaves on the stem, catching sun.
Flower at the top. Then fruit with seeds inside.
Point to each part on a plant you can see.
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Be a plant!
Crouch down. Your feet are the roots.
Stand up slowly. Your body is the stem.
Stretch out your arms. They are the leaves.
Open your hands wide. You are a flower!
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What do plants need?
Plants are alive. They need things to live, just like you.
You need food, water and air.
A plant needs water, sunlight, air and soil.
Let us look at each one.
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Plants need water
Ama waters the garden every morning.
The roots drink the water. The plant stands up strong.
No water? The leaves droop and go brown.
When it rains, plants are happy!
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Plants need sunlight
Leaves need sunlight to make food.
Put a plant in a dark cupboard. It turns pale and weak.
Put it in the sun. It turns green and strong.
A sunflower even turns to face the sun!
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Plants need air
Plants breathe! Not like you, but they take in air through their leaves.
Plants also give us clean air to breathe.
Trees are our friends. Thank you, trees!
Take a big breath. That air came from plants.
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Plants need soil
Soil is the ground where roots live.
Soil holds water and food for the plant.
Good soil is dark and soft.
Dig your fingers into some soil. How does it feel?
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A seedling grows
A baby plant is called a seedling.
It is small and soft. It needs care.
Water it. Keep goats away! Give it sun.
Soon it will be a big plant.
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Plants we eat
Kofi's lunch comes from plants!
Rice is a seed. Kenkey is made from maize seeds.
Kontomire is a leaf. Yam is a root. Tomato is a fruit.
What plant parts did you eat today?
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Plants on the farm
Farmers grow plants for us to eat.
Maize, cassava, yam, plantain, cocoa.
They plant the seeds. They water them. They wait.
Then they harvest and bring food to the market.
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Plants give us more
Plants give us food. What else?
Wood for tables and chairs comes from tree stems.
Shade comes from leaves. Medicine comes from roots and leaves.
Cotton for your clothes comes from a plant too!
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Look after plants
Plants need us to be kind.
Do not pull off leaves for fun.
Do not step on seedlings.
Water a plant at home. Watch it grow. You are a plant helper!
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Grow your own
Ask a grown-up for a bean and a small tin.
Put soil in the tin. Push the bean in. Water it.
Put it by a window.
Count the days until a leaf comes out!
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Plant hunt
Go outside with a grown-up.
Find a root. Find a stem. Find a leaf.
Can you find a flower? Can you find a fruit?
Which was the hardest to find?
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Big and small plants
A mango tree is a big plant. Grass is a small plant.
Both have roots, stems and leaves.
Both need water, sun, air and soil.
Big or small, every plant has the same parts.
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Plant or not?
A stone is not a plant. It does not grow.
A goat is not a plant. It walks and eats.
A flower is a plant. It has roots and leaves and grows.
Is a chair a plant? Is a tree a plant?
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You know plants!
You know the parts: root, stem, leaf, flower, fruit.
You know what plants need: water, sunlight, air, soil.
Plants give us food, air and shade.
Go and say thank you to a tree!
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Learn more
- Science Kids — simple plant facts, games and experiments for children
- National Geographic Kids — pictures and stories about plants and nature
- RHS gardening with children — easy growing activities for home and school
- Kiddle — a safe search engine for children to look up plants
- NaCCA Ghana — the Ghana curriculum that this book follows
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Watch more
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Think about it
- Which part of the plant is under the ground?
- What does a leaf do for the plant?
- Name four things a plant needs to grow.
- What plant parts did you eat today?
- What would happen to a plant if you never gave it water?
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This book is for reading on SchoolSpec and cannot be printed.