Notes: Plants and Animals | GK Olympiad for Class 3 PDF Download

Plants and their features

Plants

Plants are fascinating living things that grow all around us. They come in different shapes, sizes, and types, each with its own unique features.

How Plants Grow:

Plants need a few important things to grow and thrive:

1. Sunlight: Plants use sunlight to make their own food through a process called photosynthesis. It's like their superpower!

2. Water: Just like we need water to stay healthy, plants need water too. Water helps them stay hydrated and grow strong.

3. Soil: Plants grow in soil, which provides them with essential nutrients. It's like their nutritious meal!

Parts of Plants

Plants have different parts that work together to help them grow and survive:

1. Roots: These are like the plant's underground anchor. They absorb water and nutrients from the soil, helping the plant stay healthy.

2. Stem: The stem is like the plant's backbone. It supports the plant and transports water and nutrients from the roots to the rest of the plant.

3. Leaves: Leaves are like the plant's solar panels. They use sunlight, water, and air to make food through photosynthesis. They also release oxygen into the air, which is what we breathe!

4. Flowers: Flowers are like a plant's way of attracting pollinators such as bees and butterflies. They produce seeds, which can grow into new plants.

5. Fruits: Some plants produce delicious fruits like apples, oranges, and strawberries. These fruits contain seeds that can grow into new plants.

Types of Plants

1. Flowering Plants: These plants produce beautiful flowers of different colors and shapes. Examples include roses, sunflowers, and tulips.

2. Non-Flowering Plants:

   • Ferns: Ferns have feathery leaves called fronds and reproduce through spores.

   • Mosses: Mosses are small, non-flowering plants that grow in damp places like forests and rocks.

3. Trees: Trees are tall plants with woody stems. They provide shade, oxygen, and materials like wood for us.

4. Grasses: Grasses are plants that cover the ground in fields and lawns. They are important for animals to graze and play on.

5. Cacti: Cacti are unique plants that live in dry areas like deserts. They store water in their stems to survive in harsh conditions.

6. Herbs

   • Meaning: Small, green plants with soft stems, usually used in cooking and medicine.
   • Example: Mint, basil, coriander

7. Creepers

   • Meaning: Plants that grow along the ground with weak stems that spread horizontally.
   • Example: Pumpkin, watermelon, strawberries

8. Climbers

   • Meaning: Plants that grow upwards by clinging to supports with tendrils, hooks, or aerial roots.
   • Example: Grapevine, ivy, pea plant

Products from Plants:

Plants provide us with many useful products and benefits:

1. Fruits and Vegetables: Apples, bananas, carrots, and potatoes are some examples of delicious and nutritious foods we get from plants.

2. Wood: Trees give us wood, which is used to make furniture, houses, paper, and many other things.

3. Oxygen: Plants release oxygen into the air during photosynthesis, which is essential for all living things to breathe.

4. Medicines: Some plants have medicinal properties, and their extracts are used to make medicines that help us stay healthy.

Plants are essential for life on Earth, and they play a vital role in providing us with food, oxygen, shelter, and medicine. We should take care of plants and appreciate all the wonderful things they do for us!

Animals

Animals are living creatures that can move, breathe, and grow. They need food and water to survive and come in many different shapes and sizes, from tiny insects to huge elephants. Unlike plants, animals cannot make their own food and usually eat plants or other animals.

Types of Animals

1. Mammals

• Examples: Dogs, cats, elephants, humans
• Characteristics: They have fur or hair, give birth to live babies, and feed their babies with milk.

2. Birds

• Examples: Sparrows, eagles, penguins
• Characteristics: They have feathers, wings, and most can fly. They lay eggs.

3. Reptiles

• Examples: Snakes, lizards, turtles
• Characteristics: They have scales and lay eggs. Many reptiles live on land, but some can live in water too.

4. Amphibians

• Examples: Frogs, toads, salamanders
• Characteristics: They can live both in water and on land. They have moist skin and lay eggs.

5. Fish

• Examples: Goldfish, sharks, salmon
• Characteristics: They live in water, have gills to breathe underwater, and have scales. They lay eggs.

6. Insects

• Examples: Butterflies, bees, ants
• Characteristics: They have six legs, a body divided into three parts (head, thorax, abdomen), and many have wings.

Fun Facts About Animals

• Elephants: The largest land animals, with big ears and trunks.
• Penguins: Birds that can't fly but are great swimmers.
• Frogs: Can live both in water and on land and have sticky tongues to catch insects.
• Sharks: Fish with sharp teeth that have been around for millions of years.
• Butterflies: Insects that go through a big change called metamorphosis from caterpillars to beautiful butterflies.

Why Animals Are Important

• Food: Animals provide us with meat, milk, eggs, and honey.
• Clothing: Some animals give us wool (sheep) and leather (cows).
• Work: Animals like horses and oxen help us with farming and transportation.
• Companionship: Pets like dogs and cats make great friends.
• Nature Balance: Animals help keep the environment healthy by controlling pests, pollinating plants, and more.

Animals and Their Homes, Babies, and Sounds

These were some examples of some animals and there are a lot more to explore!

Endangered and Extinct Creatures

Imagine a world where some animals are like superheroes but are in danger of disappearing forever. Some have already vanished, and we call them extinct. Let's learn about these incredible creatures and why it's important to protect them.

Endangered Creatures

What Does "Endangered" Mean?

When an animal is endangered, it means there are very few of them left in the wild, and they are at risk of becoming extinct if we don’t help protect them.

Examples of Endangered Animals

1. Giant Panda

   • Where They Live: China
   • Why They’re Endangered: Loss of bamboo forests, which are their main food source.
   • Fun Fact: Giant pandas spend most of their day eating bamboo!

2. Tigers

   • Where They Live: Asia
   • Why They’re Endangered: Habitat loss and poaching (illegal hunting).
   • Fun Fact: No two tigers have the same stripes; each pattern is unique!

3. Sea Turtles

   • Where They Live: Oceans around the world
   • Why They’re Endangered: Pollution, getting caught in fishing nets, and loss of nesting beaches.
   • Fun Fact: Sea turtles have been around since the time of the dinosaurs!

4. Blue Whales

   • Where They Live: Oceans
   • Why They’re Endangered: Hunting and collisions with ships.
   • Fun Fact: Blue whales are the largest animals ever known to have lived on Earth!

5. Rhinos

   • Where They Live: Africa and Asia
   • Why They’re Endangered: Poaching for their horns and habitat loss.
   • Fun Fact: Rhino horns are made of keratin, the same material as our hair and nails.

6. Orangutans

   • Where They Live: Indonesia and Malaysia
   • Why They’re Endangered: Deforestation and illegal pet trade.
   • Fun Fact: Orangutans share about 97% of their DNA with humans!

7. Snow Leopards

   • Where They Live: Mountain ranges in Central and South Asia
   • Why They’re Endangered: Poaching and habitat loss.
   • Fun Fact: Snow leopards can leap up to 50 feet in one jump!

8. African Elephants

   • Where They Live: Africa
   • Why They’re Endangered: Poaching for ivory and habitat loss.
   • Fun Fact: Elephants have excellent memories and can remember routes to water holes over great distances.

Extinct Creatures

What Does "Extinct" Mean?

When an animal is extinct, it means there are no more of them left anywhere in the world. They have disappeared forever.

Examples of Extinct Animals

1. Dodo

   • Where They Lived: Mauritius (an island in the Indian Ocean)
   • Why They’re Extinct: Hunting by sailors and the introduction of new animals that ate their eggs.
   • Fun Fact: The dodo was a flightless bird that couldn't fly!

2. Mammoth

   • Where They Lived: Ice Age tundras
   • Why They’re Extinct: Climate change and hunting by early humans.
   • Fun Fact: Mammoths had long, curved tusks and were covered in shaggy hair to keep warm.

3. Passenger Pigeon

   • Where They Lived: North America
   • Why They’re Extinct: Overhunting and habitat destruction.
   • Fun Fact: At one time, passenger pigeons were the most numerous birds in North America!

4. Tasmanian Tiger (Thylacine)

   • Where They Lived: Tasmania, Australia
   • Why They’re Extinct: Hunting, disease, and habitat destruction.
   • Fun Fact: Thylacines looked like a mix between a dog and a tiger with stripes on their back.

5. Great Auk

   • Where They Lived: North Atlantic coasts
   • Why They’re Extinct: Hunting for their feathers and eggs.
   • Fun Fact: Great Auks were excellent swimmers but could not fly.

6. Quagga

   • Where They Lived: South Africa
   • Why They’re Extinct: Hunting and competition with livestock for grazing.
   • Fun Fact: Quaggas were a type of zebra with stripes only on the front part of their bodies.

Why Are Animals Endangered or Extinct?

1. Habitat Loss: When forests, oceans, and other natural places where animals live are destroyed.
2. Pollution: Harmful substances can make animals sick or destroy their homes.
3. Hunting and Poaching: Illegal hunting can reduce the number of animals quickly.
4. Climate Change: Changes in the Earth’s climate can make it difficult for some animals to survive.

How Can We Help?

1. Protect Habitats: Preserve forests, oceans, and other natural places.
2. Recycle and Reduce Pollution: Keep the environment clean.
3. Support Wildlife Organizations: Help groups that work to protect animals.
4. Learn and Share: The more we know about these animals, the better we can help them. Tell your friends and family about the importance of protecting wildlife.