You will learn
- Name plants we eat.
- Name things made from plants.
- Say how plants give shade and shelter.
- Say why plants are important.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- We eat many plants and parts of plants.
- Wood comes from trees.
- Cotton comes from a plant.
- Trees give shade and homes for animals.
Words to know
the hard material that comes from trees
a soft plant fibre used to make cloth
a cool place out of the Sun
helpful to people
1. Discover: Plants in our day
Fatu wakes up and eats rice for breakfast. She puts on a cotton shirt and sits on a wooden chair. After school she rests in the shade of a mango tree. “Plants are in my whole day,” she says.
Think: Which things came from plants?
2. Understand: How we use plants
Idea 1: Plants for food
We eat many plants. We eat roots such as carrots, leaves such as cabbage, fruits such as mangoes and seeds such as rice and beans.
Idea 2: Plants for things we use
Wood from trees is used to make chairs, tables and houses. Cotton from a cotton plant is used to make cloth. Paper is made from plants. Grass and leaves can make roofs and baskets.
Idea 3: Plants for shade and homes
Trees give shade on hot days. Birds, insects and other animals live in trees. Plants also help to keep the air fresh. An adult must tell you which plants are safe to use as medicine. Never taste unknown plants.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Which part do we eat?
Carrot, cabbage, mango and rice.
- Carrot is a root.
- Cabbage is a leaf.
- Mango is a fruit; rice is a seed.
Answer: We eat different parts of plants.
Example 2 (We do it together): What is it made from?
A wooden table and a cotton shirt.
- The table is made from wood.
- Wood comes from trees.
- The shirt is made from cotton, a plant fibre.
Answer: The table is made from wood and the shirt from cotton, both from plants.
Example 3 (You try): Why plant a tree?
A school plants a tree in the yard.
Show the steps and answer
- It gives shade.
- Animals can live in it.
- It is good for the air.
Answer: A tree gives shade, a home for animals and helps the air.
Did you know?
Paper is made from plant fibres, often from wood. Some paper is also made from old paper that is used again.
Why this matters
Plants give food, materials and homes for animals, so we must look after them.
4. Explore: Plant sort
Sort pictures or real objects into groups: food from plants, things made from plants, and other things.
- Collect pictures or safe objects.
- Sort them into groups.
- Say why each one goes in its group.
- Choose your favourite plant use and draw it.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? Many everyday things come from plants.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- We eat ___ and rice.
- Chairs are made from ___.
- Shirts can be made from ___.
- Trees give ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. Name a plant food.
Rice, cabbage, mango or similar.
Question 2. What does wood come from?
Trees.
Question 3. What plant is cloth made from?
Cotton.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- Name a plant food.
- What does wood come from?
- What plant is cloth made from?
- What do trees give on a hot day?
- Do we taste unknown plants?
Level 2: Grow
- Name two things made from wood.
- Name two parts of plants we eat.
- How do trees help animals?
Level 3: Stretch
- Explain why plants are useful.
- Describe three things in your classroom made from plants.
- Why should we care for trees?
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Science in everyday life
Which plants do people use in your area?
Show a sample answer
Rice, cassava, cotton and trees for wood.
Another one. Tell a family member one thing from this lesson. Use the words you learned.
Show a sample answer
A clear sentence that uses at least one word from Words to know.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: Plants give food, wood, cloth and shade.
Fix: Never taste unknown plants.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can name plants we eat.
- I can name things made from plants.
- I can say how plants give shade and shelter.
- I can say why plants are important.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- We eat many plants and parts of plants.
- Wood comes from trees.
- Cotton comes from a plant.
- Trees give shade and homes for animals.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Caring for plants. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- Name two foods that come from plants. [2 marks]
- What comes from trees? [1 mark]
- What is cotton used for? [1 mark]
- Give two ways trees help. [2 marks]
- Why must we not taste unknown plants? [2 marks]
Total: 8 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- Any two [1 each]
- Wood [1]
- To make cloth [1]
- Shade [1]; homes for animals [1]
- They may be harmful [1]; ask an adult [1]
Score guide: 7 to 8 = secure. 5 to 6 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 5 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- Name a plant food.
- What does wood come from?
- What plant is cloth made from?
- What do trees give on a hot day?
- Do we taste unknown plants?
- Name two things made from wood.
- Name two parts of plants we eat.
- How do trees help animals?
- Explain why plants are useful.
- Describe three things in your classroom made from plants.
Homework
List five things in your home that come from plants. Draw one of them.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Name a plant food. | Rice, cabbage, mango or similar. | 1 |
| 2. What does wood come from? | Trees. | 1 |
| 3. What plant is cloth made from? | Cotton. | 1 |
| 4. What do trees give on a hot day? | Shade. | 1 |
| 5. Do we taste unknown plants? | No. | 1 |
| 6. Name two things made from wood. | Chair, table, door or house. | 1 |
| 7. Name two parts of plants we eat. | Roots, leaves, fruits or seeds. | 1 |
| 8. How do trees help animals? | They give homes and food. | 1 |
| 9. Explain why plants are useful. | They give food, materials, shade and homes. | 1 |
| 10. Describe three things in your classroom made from plants. | Wooden desk, paper, books, cotton clothes. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 Rice, cabbage, mango or similar.; 2 Trees.; 3 Cotton.; 4 Shade.; 5 No.. Level 2: 1 Chair, table, door or house.; 2 Roots, leaves, fruits or seeds.; 3 They give homes and food.. Level 3: 1 They give food, materials, shade and homes.; 2 Wooden desk, paper, books, cotton clothes.; 3 They give shade, food and homes..
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Name plants we eat | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Name things made from plants | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Say how plants give shade and shelter | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Say why plants are important | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: “Plants are only for looking at.” Plants give food, wood, cloth and shade.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Use five objects. Say which came from plants and which did not.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child learns how people use plants for food, materials, shade and homes for animals. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Name plant products at mealtimes.
- Look for wooden and cotton things at home.
- Remind your child never to taste unknown plants.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: name plants we eat; name things made from plants; say how plants give shade and shelter; say why plants are important.
Prerequisite knowledge. None. Learners should be able to look, listen and talk about what they notice.
Materials. Pictures of plants and plant products, real safe objects such as paper, a wooden spoon and cotton cloth, chart paper and pencils. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Gather safe plant products. Prepare picture cards for food and for materials. Show only safe items.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Ask, “What in this room came from a plant?”
Explanation (10 min). Teach food, materials and shade.
Guided activity (10 min). Learners sort the objects and give reasons.
Independent activity (10 min). Learners say why plants must be cared for.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. Where did it come from? How is it useful?
Teacher explanation notes. Start with real objects and safe, hands-on observation. Then talk about what was seen, then draw and write. Always say “how do you know?”. Keep to the safety notes, and use local, safe materials.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use real objects and pictures, short sentences and a partner. Let learners point, show or draw instead of writing. Extension. Ask learners to find a new example at home and explain how they know.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. “Plants are only for looking at.” Plants give food, wood, cloth and shade.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 8-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Use five objects. Say which came from plants and which did not. Enrichment. Look for one new example near your home or school, draw it and explain it to someone. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Next Generation Science Standards, Cambridge Primary Science and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Research used to shape this lesson. Courseversity Science curriculum, Grade 1 Unit 3, topic 9; Next Generation Science Standards, from molecules to organisms (structures and functions of plants); Cambridge Primary Science Stage 1, plants; IB Primary Years Programme, how the world works. These sources informed the lesson.