Science and Elementary Technology

There are a lot of plants around our homes. Some grow naturally while others are planted by human beings. However, all are important to people, animals and the environment as well. 

The essential questions to be answered after this unit are:

 • What are the main parts of the plant?

 • What is the function (use) of each part to a plant?

 • What is the importance of plants?

Activity 1

 1. Look at the pictures a, b, and c; 

2. What are the main parts of a plant?

 3. Give the importance of each part of the plant.

          What have you discovered from the pictures?

I have discovered that

 The main parts of the plant are: 

Roots, Stem, Branches and Leaves. Other parts are Flowers and Fruits. Each part of a plant has its own function (use): 

 • Roots hold the plant firmly in the soil and absorb food (nutrients) and water from the soil; 

• Stem and branches hold leaves, flowers and fruits. They also carry food and water to other parts of the plant;

 • Leaves make food for the plant and help the plant to breathe

 • Flowers give fruits; 

• Fruits give new plants.

Activity 2 

1. Look at the pictures a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i and j; 

2. Explain what you see in pictures a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i and j; 

3. What are the two groups of plants you have seen in the pictures? 

4. Basing on the pictures, what is the importance of plants to us?

                What have you discovered from the pictures?

I have discovered that 

Plants are divided in two groups:

 • Food crops: Irish potatoes, beans, banana. 

• Cash crops: Coffee, Tea, pyrethrum, cotton, sugar cane…

 The following are the importance of the plants:

 • Some are source of food: Irish potatoes, beans, banana 

Some are for sale: Coffee, Tea 

Some are used as herbal medicine: Eucalyptus, ginger bush (Umuravumba) and others. 

• Some are used for decoration: Flowers. 

• Some are used to control soil erosion: Seteria , elephant grass, pass palm.

 • Some are used for fire wood and timber: Eucalyptus, pines, grevilia, and others. 

• Some are used for fencing (hedges) Euphorbia (imiyenzi), bamboo, ficus thonningii(umuvumu) and others.

End of Unit Assessment 6

1. Answer the questions below:

 a) Draw a bean plant and show its major (main) parts. b) Explain the importance of each part of the plant. 

2. In the table below, put these plants in groups based on their use: beans, peas coffee, tea, Lemon, flowers, aloevera, ginger bush (umuravumba), Eucalyptus (inturusu), and euphorbia (umuyenzi).