Introduction
Nature is full of variety: plants, animals, sounds, smells, movements.
Every bird has a unique chirp, every plant has different leaves, stems, and flowers.
This variety is called Biodiversity.
We must observe without disturbing nature — respect living beings.
💡 Learning Trick: Think of biodiversity as a "nature's festival" — everything is different but connected.
Diversity in Plants and Animals Around Us
🌿 Plants
Plants differ in:
- Stems: hard/soft
- Leaves: shape, arrangement
- Flowers: colour, smell
🐾 Animals
Animals differ in:
- Habitat: land, water, both
- Food: herbivore, carnivore, omnivore
- Movement: walk, crawl, swim, fly
Example Tables
📋 Plants Examples
| Plant | Stem | Leaves | Flower |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grass | Soft | Single, alternate | Green |
| Tulsi 🌿 | Hard | Opposite pairs | Purple |
| Neem 🌳 | Hard, thick | Smooth surface | Small white |
📋 Animals Examples
| Animal | Habitat | Food | Movement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crow 🐦 | Trees | Insects | Fly & walk |
| Ant 🐜 | Soil | Leaves, seeds | Crawl |
| Fish 🐟 | Water | Insects/plants | Swim |
How to Group Plants and Animals?
Why Group?
Makes study easier by finding similarities & differences. Like arranging books by subject.
Grouping Plants
1. Herbs 🌱
Short, soft stems (tomato)
2. Shrubs 🌹
Medium height, woody stems branching near ground (rose)
3. Trees 🌳
Tall, hard thick stems, branches high (mango)
4. Climbers 🍇
Need support (grapevine)
5. Creepers 🎃
Spread on ground (pumpkin)
Grouping by Leaves (Venation)
- Reticulate venation – net-like veins (hibiscus, mustard)
- Parallel venation – veins run parallel (banana, grass)
Grouping by Roots
- Taproot – one main root + side roots (mustard, hibiscus)
- Fibrous roots – bunch of thin roots (wheat, grass)
Grouping by Seeds
Dicots
2 cotyledons, reticulate venation, taproots (chickpea)
Monocots
1 cotyledon, parallel venation, fibrous roots (maize)
💡 Memory Trick: Di = Two = Dicots | Mono = One = Monocots
Grouping Animals
By Movement
- Walk (goat)
- Crawl (ant)
- Swim (fish)
- Fly (pigeon)
By Habitat
- Land (camel)
- Water (whale)
- Both (frog)
By Food
- Herbivores
- Carnivores
- Omnivores
Plants and Animals in Different Surroundings
Habitats
Terrestrial (land)
forests, deserts, grasslands, mountains
Aquatic (water)
rivers, ponds, oceans
Amphibians
live in both (frogs)
Adaptations
Plant Adaptations
- Desert cactus: fleshy stem stores water 🌵
- Mountain deodar tree: cone shape lets snow slide ❄️
Animal Adaptations
- Hot desert camel: long legs, one hump, wide hooves 🐪
- Cold desert camel: two humps, thick hair 🐫
- Whales & fish: streamlined body for swimming 🐋🐟
💡 Learning Trick: "HASA → Habitat, Adaptation, Survival, Adjustment" – these four always go together.
Key Words
HOTS (Higher Order Thinking Skills)
- 1Why do desert plants have thick stems?
- 2How are dicot plants different from monocot plants?
- 3Why do animals living in water have streamlined bodies?
- 4Why is grouping of plants and animals important?
Quick Recap
- Biodiversity = variety in plants & animals
- Plants grouped by stem, leaves, roots, seeds
- Animals grouped by movement, food, habitat
- Adaptations help survival in different surroundings
- Habitat = natural home providing food, water, shelter
- Protecting biodiversity = protecting life on Earth
✍️ Memory Hook: "Plants show variety in stem, leaves, roots, seeds. Animals show variety in food, movement, habitats. All show adaptations for survival."