EVS / Science

Plants

Class 4 | CBSE / NCERT / ICSE

🎯 Learning Objectives

Explain how plants make their own food through photosynthesis.
Identify the parts of a flower and their functions.
Describe how pollination happens by insects and wind.
List different methods of seed dispersal: wind, water, animals, and bursting.
Explain the process of germination.

📖 Let Us Begin!

Have you ever noticed that plants do not go to the market to buy food? That is because plants are amazing -- they make their own food! They use sunlight, water, and air to prepare food right inside their leaves.

Plants also have beautiful flowers that do a very important job -- they help the plant make seeds so that new plants can grow. In India, we see flowers everywhere -- marigolds at festivals, lotus in ponds, and jasmine in gardens. Let us discover the wonderful world of plants!

Photosynthesis -- How Plants Make Food

The process by which plants make their own food is called photosynthesis. The word "photo" means light and "synthesis" means to make. So photosynthesis means "making food using light."

What plants need for photosynthesis:

Sunlight -- Energy from the sun powers the food-making process.
Water -- Roots absorb water from the soil and send it up to the leaves.
Carbon dioxide (CO₂) -- A gas in the air that enters the leaves through tiny holes called stomata.
Chlorophyll -- The green colour in leaves that traps sunlight. This is why most leaves are green.

What plants produce:

Food (glucose) -- A type of sugar that gives the plant energy to grow.
Oxygen -- A gas that is released into the air. This is the oxygen we breathe!

So plants take in carbon dioxide and give out oxygen. This is why trees are so important -- they clean the air for us.

Think about it: Why do plants kept in a dark room turn yellow and weak? Without sunlight, they cannot make food!

Image needed: A labelled diagram of a plant showing parts: roots, stem, leaves, flower, fruit, seeds. Each part with a brief function label. Title: "Parts of a Plant and Their Functions".
Style: Clean labelled diagram, child-friendly, colourful
Size: 600×700px

Parts of a Flower

A flower has four main parts. Each part has a special job:

Part	Description	Function
Sepals	Small green leaf-like parts at the base of the flower	Protect the flower bud before it opens
Petals	The colourful parts of the flower	Attract insects and birds for pollination
Stamen	The male part; has a thin stalk (filament) with a tip (anther) that holds pollen	Produces pollen grains (the yellow powder)
Pistil	The female part; found in the centre with a sticky top (stigma), a tube (style), and a base (ovary)	Contains ovules that become seeds after pollination

The hibiscus (gudhal) flower is a good example to study because all four parts are large and easy to see.

Pollination -- How Flowers Get Help

Pollination is the transfer of pollen from the stamen (male part) to the pistil (female part) of a flower. After pollination, seeds begin to form.

Pollination by insects: Bees, butterflies, and other insects visit flowers to drink nectar (a sweet liquid). While doing so, pollen sticks to their body. When they visit another flower, the pollen rubs off onto the pistil. Bright petals and sweet smell attract insects. Marigold and sunflower are pollinated by insects.

Pollination by wind: Some flowers do not have bright petals or sweet smell. Their pollen is light and carried by the wind to other flowers. Grass, wheat, and rice are pollinated by wind.

Think about it: Why do you see bees buzzing around flowers in a garden? They are helping the flowers with pollination!

Seed Dispersal -- How Seeds Travel

After pollination, seeds form inside the fruit. If all seeds fell right under the parent plant, they would be too crowded and would not get enough sunlight or water. So nature has clever ways to spread seeds far away. This is called seed dispersal.

Method	How It Works	Indian Examples
By wind	Seeds are light, have wings or hair-like structures that help them float in the air	Dandelion, maple, drumstick (sahjan), cotton
By water	Seeds float on water and travel to new places	Coconut (travels across rivers and seas), lotus
By animals	Animals eat fruits and drop seeds elsewhere; some seeds stick to animal fur	Mango, guava, berries (eaten by birds); gokhru seeds stick to clothes
By bursting	Some fruits burst open when ripe and scatter seeds around	Balsam (gul mehndi), pea pods, lady's finger (bhindi)

Think about it: Have you seen tiny seeds stuck to your socks after walking through a field? Those seeds are using you for dispersal!

Germination -- A Seed Becomes a Plant

Germination is the process by which a seed grows into a new baby plant (seedling). For germination, a seed needs:

Water -- The seed soaks up water and swells. The seed coat softens.
Air -- The baby plant inside the seed needs oxygen to breathe and grow.
Warmth -- Seeds germinate best in warm conditions, not too hot or too cold.

Steps of germination: The seed absorbs water and swells. The seed coat breaks open. A tiny root grows downward into the soil. A tiny shoot grows upward toward the sunlight. Leaves appear, and the plant begins to make its own food through photosynthesis.

You can see germination at home by placing moong (green gram) seeds on a wet cotton pad. In 2-3 days, you will see tiny white roots and green shoots.

📝 Key Words

Word	Meaning
Photosynthesis	The process by which plants make food using sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide
Chlorophyll	The green substance in leaves that traps sunlight
Stomata	Tiny holes on leaves through which gases enter and leave
Pollination	Transfer of pollen from stamen to pistil
Seed dispersal	The spreading of seeds away from the parent plant
Germination	The process by which a seed begins to grow into a new plant

⭐ Key Points to Remember

Photosynthesis: Plants make food using sunlight + water + carbon dioxide. They release oxygen.
Chlorophyll (green colour) in leaves traps sunlight for photosynthesis.
A flower has four parts: sepals, petals, stamen (male), and pistil (female).
Pollination is the transfer of pollen from stamen to pistil, done by insects or wind.
Seeds are dispersed by wind, water, animals, or bursting.
Germination needs water, air, and warmth. A seed grows into a seedling.

Finished learning? Now test what you know!

🎯 Quick Quiz — Test Yourself!

Answer these 8 questions about plants. Read each one carefully and pick the best answer!

Score: 0 / 8

1. The process by which plants make their food is called...

Photosynthesis is how plants make food using sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide.

2. Which gas do plants release during photosynthesis?

Plants release oxygen during photosynthesis, which we need to breathe.

3. The green colour in leaves that traps sunlight is called...

Chlorophyll is the green colour in leaves that traps sunlight for photosynthesis.

4. The transfer of pollen from the stamen to the pistil is called...

Pollination is the transfer of pollen from stamen to pistil, done by insects or wind.

5. When a seed starts to grow into a seedling, it is called...

Germination is when a seed grows into a seedling. It needs water, air, and warmth.

6. Which is the female part of a flower?

A flower has four parts: sepals, petals, stamen (male), and pistil (female).

7. Seeds can be spread (dispersed) by...

Seeds are dispersed by wind, water, animals, or by bursting.

8. Besides water and carbon dioxide, plants need ______ to make their food.

Plants make food using sunlight + water + carbon dioxide during photosynthesis.

✏️ Practice Questions

A. Fill in the Blanks

1. The process by which plants make food using sunlight is called .

2. The green substance in leaves that traps sunlight is .

3. The colourful parts of a flower that attract insects are called .

4. The transfer of pollen from stamen to pistil is called .

5. Coconut seeds are dispersed by .

B. Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which gas do plants take in during photosynthesis?

(a) Oxygen(b) Nitrogen(c) Carbon dioxide(d) Hydrogen

2. Which part of the flower produces pollen?

(a) Petals(b) Sepals(c) Pistil(d) Stamen

3. Balsam (gul mehndi) disperses its seeds by:

(a) Wind(b) Water(c) Animals(d) Bursting

C. Short Answer Questions

1. What three things does a plant need for photosynthesis? What two things does it produce?

2. Name the four parts of a flower and write one function of each.

3. Give one example each of seed dispersal by wind, water, animals, and bursting.

🎨 Think and Do -- Fun Activity

Grow Your Own Plant: Take 5 moong (green gram) seeds. Place them on a wet cotton pad in a small bowl. Keep the cotton moist and place the bowl near a window. Observe the seeds every day for one week and fill in the table below.

Day	What I See (Draw or Write)	Did the Seed Change? (Yes / No)
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 5
Day 7

On which day did you first see a root? Day __________ A shoot? Day __________

Want to review the lesson again?

🎯 Learning Objectives

Explain how plants make their own food through photosynthesis.
Identify the parts of a flower and their functions.
Describe how pollination happens by insects and wind.
List different methods of seed dispersal: wind, water, animals, and bursting.
Explain the process of germination.

📖 Let Us Begin!

Photosynthesis -- How Plants Make Food

The process by which plants make their own food is called photosynthesis. The word "photo" means light and "synthesis" means to make.

What plants need:

Sunlight -- Energy from the sun powers the food-making process.
Water -- Roots absorb water from the soil and send it up to the leaves.
Carbon dioxide (CO₂) -- A gas in the air that enters leaves through stomata.
Chlorophyll -- The green colour in leaves that traps sunlight.

What plants produce:

Food (glucose) -- A type of sugar that gives the plant energy to grow.
Oxygen -- A gas that is released into the air -- the oxygen we breathe!

Think about it: Why do plants kept in a dark room turn yellow and weak? Without sunlight, they cannot make food!

[Image: A labelled diagram of a plant showing parts — roots, stem, leaves, flower, fruit, seeds. Each with a function label. Title: "Parts of a Plant and Their Functions"]

Parts of a Flower

Part	Description	Function
Sepals	Small green leaf-like parts at the base	Protect the flower bud before it opens
Petals	The colourful parts of the flower	Attract insects and birds for pollination
Stamen	The male part; thin stalk with anther holding pollen	Produces pollen grains
Pistil	The female part; stigma, style, and ovary	Contains ovules that become seeds

Pollination -- How Flowers Get Help

Pollination is the transfer of pollen from the stamen to the pistil. After pollination, seeds begin to form.

By insects: Bees and butterflies visit flowers for nectar. Pollen sticks to their body and rubs off onto the next flower. Marigold and sunflower are pollinated by insects.

By wind: Light pollen is carried by the wind. Grass, wheat, and rice are pollinated by wind.

Think about it: Why do you see bees buzzing around flowers in a garden? They are helping with pollination!

Seed Dispersal -- How Seeds Travel

Method	How It Works	Indian Examples
By wind	Seeds are light, have wings or hair-like structures	Dandelion, drumstick (sahjan), cotton
By water	Seeds float on water and travel to new places	Coconut, lotus
By animals	Animals eat fruits and drop seeds; seeds stick to fur	Mango, guava, gokhru
By bursting	Fruits burst open when ripe and scatter seeds	Balsam (gul mehndi), pea pods, bhindi

Think about it: Have you seen tiny seeds stuck to your socks after walking through a field? Those seeds are using you for dispersal!

Germination -- A Seed Becomes a Plant

Germination is the process by which a seed grows into a new baby plant (seedling). A seed needs:

Water -- The seed soaks up water and swells. The seed coat softens.
Air -- The baby plant needs oxygen to breathe and grow.
Warmth -- Seeds germinate best in warm conditions.

Steps: Seed absorbs water → seed coat breaks → root grows downward → shoot grows upward → leaves appear → plant makes food via photosynthesis.

📝 Key Words

Word	Meaning
Photosynthesis	The process by which plants make food using sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide
Chlorophyll	The green substance in leaves that traps sunlight
Stomata	Tiny holes on leaves through which gases enter and leave
Pollination	Transfer of pollen from stamen to pistil
Seed dispersal	The spreading of seeds away from the parent plant
Germination	The process by which a seed begins to grow into a new plant

⭐ Key Points to Remember

Photosynthesis: Plants make food using sunlight + water + carbon dioxide. They release oxygen.
Chlorophyll (green colour) in leaves traps sunlight for photosynthesis.
A flower has four parts: sepals, petals, stamen (male), and pistil (female).
Pollination is the transfer of pollen from stamen to pistil, done by insects or wind.
Seeds are dispersed by wind, water, animals, or bursting.
Germination needs water, air, and warmth. A seed grows into a seedling.

A. Fill in the Blanks

1. The process by which plants make food using sunlight is called .

2. The green substance in leaves that traps sunlight is .

3. The colourful parts of a flower that attract insects are called .

4. The transfer of pollen from stamen to pistil is called .

5. Coconut seeds are dispersed by .

B. Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which gas do plants take in during photosynthesis?

(a) Oxygen(b) Nitrogen(c) Carbon dioxide(d) Hydrogen

2. Which part of the flower produces pollen?

(a) Petals(b) Sepals(c) Pistil(d) Stamen

3. Balsam (gul mehndi) disperses its seeds by:

(a) Wind(b) Water(c) Animals(d) Bursting

C. Short Answer Questions

1. What three things does a plant need for photosynthesis? What two things does it produce?

2. Name the four parts of a flower and write one function of each.

3. Give one example each of seed dispersal by wind, water, animals, and bursting.

🎨 Think and Do -- Fun Activity

Grow Your Own Plant: Take 5 moong (green gram) seeds. Place them on a wet cotton pad in a small bowl. Keep the cotton moist and place the bowl near a window. Observe every day for one week.

Day	What I See (Draw or Write)	Did the Seed Change?
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 5
Day 7

On which day did you first see a root? Day __________ A shoot? Day __________

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Plants

🎯 Learning Objectives

📖 Let Us Begin!

Photosynthesis -- How Plants Make Food

Parts of a Flower

Pollination -- How Flowers Get Help

Seed Dispersal -- How Seeds Travel

Germination -- A Seed Becomes a Plant

📝 Key Words

🎯 Quick Quiz — Test Yourself!

✏️ Practice Questions

Plants

Plants (continued)

Plants — Practice Questions