Parts of Plants

Context

SCIENCE/ The external parts of plants

Jokers of interest

Drawing activities

Flowersong

Physical activity

Model of a flower

Chichewa translation

Groupwork/Competition

1) I draw a flower plant on the board

We label it together with English and Chichewa words. The learners copy into their exercise books.

2) Flower song

Tune: Head and shoulders, knees and toes…

           

Flower, leaves, stem and roots, stem and roots

Flower, leaves, stem and roots, stem and roots

Come sing along our flower song,

Flower, leaves, stem and roots, stem and roots

Duwa, masamba, tsinde ndi mizu, ndi mizu

Duwa, masamba, tsinde ndi mizu, ndi mizu

Bwelani tiimbe nyimbo yathu ya duwa,

Duwa, masamba, tsinde ndi mizu, ndi mizu

The leaves absorb water and CO2, CO2

The leaves absorb oxygen and glucose, and glucose,

And do you know the trick?

Photo-, photo-syn-the-sis, syn-the-sis!

With dancing movements:

            Flower = draw with fingers curls around your head

            Leaves = wave your arms to the sides

            Stem = hands on hips

            Roots = hands on toes

Exercise suggestion: With their notes from 1) the learners can translate the first stanza on their own into Chichewa.

 3) The external parts of a leaf

We pick leaves from outside, but a paper on top and rub over it with a pencil. Then we label our sketch.

PICTURE COMING 

4) Functions of a leaf

English	Chichewa
A leaf has many small openings called `stomates´	Tsamba lili ndi maboo ang´ono ambiri dzina lawo stomates
The stomates absorb water and carbondioxide CO2.	Stomates amayamwa madzi ndi CO2 (mpweya tikupuma kunja)
The leaves use the sunlight to produce plant food, glucose, out of water and CO2.	Masamba akugwiritsa ntchito kuwala kwa dzuwa kupanga glucose (chakudya za zomera) kuchokera mu madzi ndi CO2.
As a side product the leaves also produce oxygen O2, fresh air.	Chotsatira ndi masamba akupanganso oxygen, mpweya wabwino wopatsa moyo.
To process of producing glucose is called photosynthesis.	Dongosolo pa kupanga glucose lili ndi dzina `photosynthesis´.

I rub some of the important English words (the red ones) from the board and the learnes try to fill in.

5) Functions of flowers

Materials

Model made of

• Wire
• Polystyrene
• carton

 PICTURE COMING

How do humans reproduce themselves?

• through fertilization. Humans reproduce by having sexual intercourse. The sperm of a man has to get into the egg cell of the woman.

How do plants reproduce themselves?

• through seeds, sometimes in fruits
• out of the seed grows a new plant
• to produce the seed, a flower also has to be fertilized

Flowers also have male and female parts ( I show it on the model)

-         the stamen are the male parts of a flower. They are filled with pollen (Chichewa=mungu)

-         pollen are compareable with the sperm (umuna) of men

-         stigma, pistil and ovule are the female parts of a flower

Pollination

The pollen of the male parts of the flower (stamen) have to get to the female parts of the flower (stigma, pistil and ovule).

Flowers reproduce through

-         wind pollination (e.g. dandelion)

-         water pollination

-         pollination through birds, snails or bats

-         pollination through insects like bees

Example

The flower attracts a bee through its colour, smell or nectar. When the bee touches the male stamen of the flower, the pollen get stuck in the fur of the bee. When the bee stops on the next flower it will leave some pollen on the female stigma. The flower is fertilized and will produce a seed or fruit.

            Vocabulary help Chichewa

            Flower = duwa

            attracts = ikudolola mtima

            Bee = njuchi

            Colour = mtundu

            Smell = fungo

            Produces = imapanga

            Seed = mbewu

            Fruit = chipatso

We draw the female and male parts of a flower.

Revision on the model

I let someone point out the male and female parts of the flower model, we repeat the names: stamen, pollen, stigma.

 6) Functions of the roots                                                   

Functions of the roots	Ntchito pa mizu
-         hold the plant in the soil -         take in water and mineral salts from the soil -         some roots store plant food, glucose, for example sweet potatoes and cassava.	-         imagwira chomera mu dothi -         imatenga madzi ndi mchere wa mthaka mu dothi -         mizu ina imasunga zakudya zitsanzo mbatata ndi chinangwa.

7) Functions of the stem

Functions of the stem	Ntchito pa tsinde
-         connects the leaves, flower and roots -         carries water and mineral salts -         some stems store plant food, glucose, for example sugar cane and Irish potatoes	-         imalumikiza masamba, duwa ndi mizu -         imatuta madzi ndi mchere wa mthaka -         Masinde ina imasunga zakudya zitsanzo mzimbe ndi mbatatesi.

Groupwork Revision Activity Parts of Plants

I divide the class into groups and distribute poster sheets and wax crayons to the groups.

Task: They shall draw a big flower plant and label as many parts as they can (parts of the leaf and parts of the flower are also valid). It´s allowed to use the exercise book notes.