Plants for kids: what EVS teaches from Class 1 to 5
Plants run through EVS from Class 1 to Class 5. Younger children observe the plants around them and what plants need. Older children learn the parts of a plant, how seeds grow and travel, which plant parts we eat, and why forests matter.
Class 1: Plants Around Me
Look at the plants near you: big trees, small plants, and leaves of many shapes. Care for them!
- Plants Near Me: Observing and naming common plants, trees, grass and flowers near home and school. Examples: mango tree, neem tree, rose plant, marigold, grass, tulsi.
- Big and Small Plants: Sorting plants by size: big trees (mango, neem, banyan), small plants (rose, marigold, tomato), tiny grass. Comparing trunks, stems, and height.
- Leaves of Different Shapes: Observing leaves: shape (round, long, pointed, heart-shaped), size (big, small), colour (green, yellow, red). Examples: mango leaf (long), lotus leaf (round), tulsi leaf (small), banana leaf (big).
- What Plants Need: Plants need water, sunlight and air to live and grow. Observing a wilted plant and a healthy plant. Watering plants daily.
- Caring for Plants: Simple ways to care for plants: watering, not plucking leaves or flowers, not stepping on plants, keeping the soil clean. Role-play caring for a plant.
Class 2: Plants Around Us
Look at plants near you: their parts, what they need, and the food they give us.
- Parts of a Plant: The main parts of a plant: root (under soil, holds plant, takes water), stem (stands up, carries water), leaf (flat, green, makes food), flower (colourful, becomes fruit), fruit (holds seeds). Children observe a real plant or picture and point to each part.
- What Plants Need: Plants need water and sunlight to grow. Without water, a plant droops and dries. Without sunlight, leaves turn yellow and the plant becomes weak. Children observe a potted plant and discuss what happens if it is not watered.
- Trees, Shrubs and Herbs: Sort plants by their stem: trees are tall with a thick woody trunk (mango, neem, banyan), shrubs are medium with many woody stems (rose, hibiscus), herbs are small with soft green stems (tulsi, coriander, grass). Children observe plants in the school garden or neighbourhood.
- Food From Plants: Many foods come from plants. We eat roots (carrot, radish), stems (potato is a stem, sugarcane), leaves (spinach, coriander), flowers (cauliflower, broccoli), fruits (apple, mango, tomato), and seeds (rice, wheat, dal). Children match foods to the plant part.
Class 3: Plants Around Us
Look at the plants around you: their parts, leaves, flowers, fruits, and how a seed grows into a big plant.
- Plants We See: Common plants in the child's surroundings: neem, mango, rose, tulsi, money plant, grass. Sort them by size and stem into trees (big, woody trunk), shrubs (medium, many woody stems), herbs (small plants with soft green stems, like tulsi and grass) and climbers (need support). Where they grow: garden, roadside, park, pot.
- Parts of a Plant: Main parts of a flowering plant: root (holds plant, takes water), stem (carries water and food), leaf (makes food), flower (becomes fruit), fruit (contains seeds), seed (grows into new plant). Use a bean or wheat seedling to observe root and shoot.
- Leaves: Many Shapes and Smells: Leaves come in many shapes, colours, sizes and smells. Collect leaves from neem, mango, tulsi, money plant, and compare them. Use leaf rubbing to observe veins and edges. Group leaves by shape (round, long, pointed) and smell (tulsi smells, neem smells).
- Flowers and Fruits We Use: Flowers and fruits that people use: marigold and rose for decoration and worship, mango and banana for food, tulsi leaves for medicine. Observe flowers and fruits in the market or at home. Understand that flowers become fruits, and fruits contain seeds.
- How a Seed Grows: Sequence of a plant's growth: seed → sprout → small plant → big plant. Observe a seed sprouting on wet cotton in a bowl. A seed sprouts with water, air and warmth (even in the dark); the young plant then needs sunlight to grow and make food.
- Plants Give Us and We Care: Plants give us food (fruits, vegetables, grains), shade, wood, and medicine (tulsi, neem). We care for plants by watering them, giving them sunlight, not plucking leaves or flowers unnecessarily, and not breaking branches.
Class 4: Plants: Parts and Uses
Look at the plants around you: what each part does, how seeds travel, and how we use plants every day.
- Parts of a Plant: Identify the main parts of a plant: root, stem, leaf, flower, fruit, seed. Observe a real plant (like a bean or marigold) and label its parts. Understand the basic job of each part: roots hold and absorb water, stem supports and carries water, leaves make food, flowers become fruits, fruits hold seeds.
- How Seeds Travel: Seeds need to move away from the parent plant to get space, water and sunlight. They travel by wind (light seeds with hair or wings, like cotton and drumstick seeds), water (coconut, lotus), and animals (sticky grass seeds that cling to fur and clothes, tasty fruits like mango where animals eat and drop seeds).
- Plants We Eat: We eat many parts of plants: roots (carrot, radish), stems (potato is a stem, sugarcane), leaves (spinach, cabbage), flowers (cauliflower, broccoli), fruits (mango, apple), seeds (rice, wheat, beans). Understand that different parts of the same plant can be eaten.
- Plants for Medicine and Things: Plants give us medicine (tulsi for cough, neem for skin, aloe vera for burns) and materials for things we use (wood for furniture, cotton for clothes, rubber from trees for tyres, paper from bamboo). Understand that many everyday items come from plants.
- Caring for Plants: Plants need care to grow: water, sunlight, good soil, and protection from pests. We can help by watering, not plucking leaves, planting trees, and not littering. Understand that plants are living and need our care.
Class 5: Seeds, Plants and Forests
Watch seeds sprout, see how they travel, and discover why forests are important for all of us.
- Seed Germination: Observing how a seed grows into a seedling: seed absorbs water, swells, root comes out, then shoot, then leaves. Conditions needed: water, air, warmth. Simple observation activity with soaked chickpeas or moong in a wet cotton.
- How Seeds Travel: Seed dispersal: by wind (light seeds with hairs or wings, like cotton and drumstick seeds), by water (coconut, lotus), by animals (fruits eaten, seeds passed out; sticky grass seeds that cling to fur), by bursting pods (balsam, pea pods). Why dispersal is important: to avoid competition and spread the plants.
- Forests and Their Importance: What is a forest? A large area with many trees, plants, animals, and birds. Forests give us oxygen, food, wood, medicine, and help bring rain. They are home to many living things. Forests are called 'green lungs' because they clean the air.
- People Who Live in Forests: Tribal communities like the Adivasis in India live in or near forests. They depend on forests for food (fruits, roots, honey), fuel (wood), medicine (herbs), and materials for houses. They have traditional knowledge of plants and animals. They face challenges like displacement and loss of forest land.
- Protecting Forests: Why forests are in danger: cutting trees for wood, clearing land for farming or buildings, forest fires. How we can help: plant trees, save paper, not waste wood, spread awareness, respect tribal people who protect forests. Small actions by children matter.
How to practise at home
- Grow seeds together: soak a few moong or rajma seeds and watch them sprout over a few days.
- On a walk, compare leaves by shape, size and smell: tulsi, neem and mango.
- In the kitchen, sort vegetables by the plant part we eat: carrot (root), potato (stem), spinach (leaf), cauliflower (flower), peas (seed).
- Give your child a small plant to look after: water it and keep it where it gets sunlight.
Common mistakes to watch for
- Only big trees are plants; small flowers are not plants.
- A rose, a marigold, and even grass are all plants. Plants can be big or small.
- All big plants are trees.
- A banana plant is big but has a soft stem, not a woody trunk, so it is not a tree.
- The root is not a part of the plant because we cannot see it.
- The root is under the soil. It holds the plant and takes water from the ground.
- Plants need only water, not sunlight.
- Plants need both water and sunlight. Sunlight helps them make food.
- All plants are trees.
- Plants can be small like grass, medium like a rose bush, or big like a mango tree. Their size and stem help us tell them apart.
- The root is the part that is above the ground.
- The root is under the soil. It holds the plant and takes water from the soil.
- Plants are not living because they do not move.
- Plants are living. They grow, need water and food, and make seeds. They just move slowly.
- Seeds can only travel by wind.
- Seeds travel by wind, water, and animals. Coconuts float, and mangoes are eaten by animals.
- Seeds need sunlight to germinate.
- Seeds germinate in the dark or light; they need water, air, and warmth. Sunlight is needed later for the seedling to make food.
- All seeds fall and grow right under the parent plant.
- Seeds travel to new places so they get space, water, and sunlight. If all grew under the parent, they would compete.
Try this at home
- Class 1: Riya sees a mango tree and a rose plant. Which is a tree? Which is a small plant?
- Class 1: Meera sees a neem tree and a tomato plant. Which is bigger? Why?
- Class 2: Riya looks at a marigold plant. She points to the green flat part. What is it?
- Class 2: Arjun's plant is drooping. What does it need?
- Class 3: Riya looks at her garden: neem tree, rose shrub, money plant on a stick, tulsi and grass in a pot. Sort them.
- Class 3: Meera pulls out a small plant and sees the root under the soil. What does the root do?
- Class 4: Label the parts of a bean plant
- Class 4: Match the seed to its travel method: cotton seed, coconut, mango
- Class 5: Riya soaked moong seeds and kept them in a wet cloth. What will she see on the third day?
- Class 5: Kabir saw a coconut floating in the river. How will it travel?
Quick questions to ask aloud
Let your child answer before you open the answer.
- Arjun sees a plant with a thick trunk and many branches. What is it? (a tree / a small plant / grass)
Show answer
a tree. A tree is a big plant with a thick trunk and branches. - Which part of a plant is under the soil? (root / leaf / flower)
Show answer
The root is the part that stays under the soil and holds the plant tight. - A tulsi plant is small and has soft green stems. What type of plant is it? (a small plant (herb) / tree / climber)
Show answer
a small plant (herb). A herb is a small plant with soft green stems, like tulsi. - Which part of a plant is usually under the ground? (root / leaf / flower)
Show answer
The root grows down into the soil. It holds the plant and drinks water. - What does a seed need to start growing? (water, air, and warmth / only sunlight / only soil)
Show answer
water, air, and warmth. A seed needs water to swell, air to breathe, and warmth to start growing.
More help
Frequently asked questions
What are the main parts of a plant?
Root, stem, leaf, flower, fruit and seed. The root holds the plant and takes in water, the stem carries water and holds the plant up, and the leaves make food using sunlight.
What do plants need to grow?
Sunlight, water and air. Most plants also need soil for their roots.
In which class do children learn plants?
Class 1: Plants Around Me; Class 2: Plants Around Us; Class 3: Plants Around Us; Class 4: Plants: Parts and Uses; Class 5: Seeds, Plants and Forests. Each of these units is free on MangoMindz.
Is there a free app to practise plants?
Yes. MangoMindz is free and has no ads. Every unit listed here (Classes 1–5) has picture lessons read aloud, quick checks and a quiz, and parents can follow progress on a PIN-protected dashboard. No credit card is needed.