Grade 5 Science Living Things – Plants:Classification Notes
Science — Living Things
Subtopic: Plants — Classification
Learning objectives (what you will learn):
- What a plant is and why we classify plants.
- Different ways to group plants (by size, stems, flowers, habitat, life cycle).
- Examples of Kenyan plants for each group.
Key words:
plant
flowering
non‑flowering
annual / perennial
habitat
What is a plant?
A plant is a living thing that usually makes its own food using sunlight (photosynthesis), has roots, stems and leaves, and grows in soil or water. Examples: maize 🌽, mango 🥭, eucalyptus 🌳, water lily 🌸.
Why do we classify plants?
Classification helps us to group plants so we can study and understand them easily — know which are food, which give wood, which live in water, and so on.
1. By size and type of stem
- Trees 🌳 – tall, woody stems, live many years. Examples: mango, eucalyptus, cypress.
- Shrubs 🌿 – smaller than trees, many stems from the ground. Examples: bougainvillea, hibiscus.
- Herbs 🍃 – soft, green stems, usually short. Examples: spinach, tomato, maize (young plant).
- Climbers and creepers 🧗 – climbers climb up supports (e.g., passion fruit vine), creepers spread on the ground (e.g., watermelon).
2. By reproduction (flowers and seeds)
Flowering plants (Angiosperms) 🌸: Make flowers and seeds inside fruits. Most common plants in farms and gardens. Examples in Kenya: maize (has flowers before seeds), sunflower, mango, papaya.
Non‑flowering plants: Do not make flowers. They may make spores or cones.
- Ferns – make spores under their leaves (example: brake fern).
- Mosses – small, soft plants that grow in moist places (example: moss on stones).
- Conifers – make cones and seeds (example: pine/cedar plantations).
Note: Fungi (mushrooms) are not plants. They cannot make their own food.
3. By where they live (habitat)
- Terrestrial – grow on land (maize, mango, eucalyptus).
- Aquatic – live in water (water lily, papyrus in swamps).
- Desert plants – store water, have thick leaves (aloe, cactus-like succulents).
- Grassland plants – many grasses used for grazing (Napier grass, wild grasses).
4. By life cycle (how long they live)
- Annuals – grow, flower and die in one year (e.g., sunflower, many garden flowers).
- Biennials – take two years to complete life cycle (some vegetables).
- Perennials – live for many years (trees like mango, shrubs, many grasses).
Simple classification diagram
Plants
🌱
🌱
Flowering
🌸
maize, mango, sunflower
🌸
maize, mango, sunflower
Non‑flowering
🍃
ferns, mosses, pines
🍃
ferns, mosses, pines
Examples you can see in Kenya
- Mango (tree) — fruit tree grown across Kenya.
- Maize (herb/grass) — main food crop 🌽.
- Napier grass — fodder for animals (grassland).
- Papyrus — grows in wetlands, used for craft.
- Aloe vera — a succulent, grows in drier areas.
- Eucalyptus and cypress — used for timber and poles.
Class activity (easy)
- Collect 6 different leaves from your compound or garden. Group them into trees, shrubs, herbs, climbers.
- Write one plant that grows in water and one that grows in a dry place.
- Find a plant that makes cones (visit a nearby pine tree) and a plant that makes flowers.
Quick quiz
- Give one example of a flowering plant grown for food in Kenya.
- What type of plant is papyrus — aquatic or desert?
- Is moss a flowering or non‑flowering plant?
- Name a tree that gives wood used for poles.
- What is the difference between annual and perennial?
Answers
- Maize, beans, or any crop that flowers (answer: maize/beans).
- Papyrus is aquatic (grows in wetlands).
- Moss is non‑flowering.
- Eucalyptus or cypress.
- Annuals live one year; perennials live many years.
Teacher's tip: Take learners outside for a short walk to identify groups. Real plants help children remember the groups better.