Plants — Parts of a Plant

Subject: Environmental Activities • Topic: Plants • Subtopic: Parts of a Plant • For age: 7 (Kenya)

Fruit Flower Leaf Stem Roots A simple plant

Parts of a plant

  • Roots (Mzizi) 🥔 — hold the plant in the soil and drink water.
  • Stem (Tawi) 🌿 — carries water and food from roots to leaves.
  • Leaves (Majani) 🍃 — make food from sunlight (they are like small kitchens).
  • Flower (Ua) 🌸 — makes seeds and can become fruit.
  • Fruit (Matunda) 🍌 — has seeds inside. We sometimes eat fruits.
  • Seed (Mbegu) 🌰 — plants start from seeds.

(Words in parentheses are Swahili names you might hear in Kenya.)

What each part does

  • Roots: keep the plant strong and take water and nutrients from the soil.
  • Stem: lifts the plant up and moves water and food up and down.
  • Leaves: use sunlight and air to make food (this is called photosynthesis).
  • Flower: can change into fruit. It helps make seeds.
  • Fruit: protects the seeds. People and animals eat many fruits.
  • Seed: is a baby plant waiting to grow.

Fun Environmental Activities (Easy & safe)

  1. Plant a bean or maize (mahindi) seed in a small cup. Water it and watch it grow each day.
  2. Go for a short walk and count how many different plants you see. Draw them in a book.
  3. Make a leaf rubbing: put a leaf under paper and rub with a pencil to see leaf shape.
  4. Help an older person water a plant. Ask them how often to water it.
  5. Keep a plant diary: write the date and take a small drawing or sticker for each week.

Safety note: Ask a grown-up for help when digging or using knives or scissors.

Examples of plants you can see in Kenya

  • Maize (Mahindi) 🌽 — we grow it on farms and it has big leaves and seeds (corn).
  • Mango (Embe) 🥭 — a tree with flowers, then sweet fruit.
  • Banana (Ndizi) 🍌 — has big leaves and a bunch of fruit.
  • Jacaranda 🌳 — a tree with purple flowers in many towns and schools.
  • Tea (Chai) 🍃 — small green leaves grown on farms in highlands.

Tiny Quiz (ask a friend or teacher)

  1. Which part drinks water from the soil? (Answer: Roots)
  2. Which part makes food using the sun? (Answer: Leaves)
  3. Which part can become a fruit? (Answer: Flower)

Have fun learning! Remember to be kind to plants and the environment. 🌱


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