GRADE 5 NOTES
STRAND 1: LIVING THINGS
SUB- STRAND 1:1 PLANTS
CLASSIFICATION OF LIVING THINGS
a) Classification of flowering and non- flowering plants
b) Pre cautions when handling harmful plants in the
environment
c) Importance of flowering plants
d) Developing interest in classifying crops
Classification of flowering and non-flowering plants
Plants can be broadly categorized into two
main categories-flowering
-non flowering
Flowering crops-this are plants that
produce flowers and seeds enclosed as a
fruit in the process of reproduction.
Activity: take the learners outside
their classroom and help them to
indentify the flowering crops they can
see before embarking on your
examples
Examples
Shrubs
Some trees-acacia tree
onions
Sunflowers
Mexican merigold
sunflower Mexican onions
merigold
Non-flowering-they are crops that do not produce
flowers and fruits instead they use spores and
seeds for reproduction
Activity: take the learners outside their classroom and help
them to indentify the non- flowering crops they can see before
embarking on your examples.
Examples
Ferns
Mosses
Cedar
Pine
Ferns Mosses Cedar
Pre cautions when handling harmful plants in
the environment
Wear protective clothing-e.g., gloves, goggles and also closed
shoes to avoid irritation from plants substances
Wear long sleeves clothes to avoid stinging from plants like the
stinging nettles
Do not burn plants containing poisonous oak and ivy to prevent
poisoning
Avoid direct contact with the plants-use gloves, trowels or
pruners to handle crops
Hand wash your hands with lot of water and soap after
handling any plant to remove any residue that might be
remaining to avoid poisoning
Avoid touching sensitive parts of your body like the eyes,
mouth nose with your hands when handling the harmful plants
to avoid irritation and poisoning
Dispose properly your plants remains after use because some
other plants might be harmful even after disposal and use seal
bags to dispose them
Wash your working tools and garments immediately after using
them to avoid later poisoning.
Importance of flowering plants
They provide biodiversity-most insects and birds relies on
flowering plants as their sources of food and shelter e.g. the
bees and the weaver bird and the plants relies on the plants to
transport pollen grains for pollination
Aesthetic value-most of the flowering plants like the rose
flowers and rallies are used to beautify our homes
They are essential for food production and pollination-flowering
plants give sufficient food production through flowering e.g.
most fruits uses the above concept
Economic importance-flowers are used in industries for
production like in the textile, cosmetic,phamaceuticals and
agricultural related industries
Developing interest in classifying crops
Appreciation bit of the same
SUB- STRAND:1.2 ANIMALS
Vertebrates
what is a vertebrate
in the group of animals.
This is an animal that have a backbone or a
vertebral column, spinal cord
groups vertebrates into
mammals, birds, reptiles, fish
and amphibians
Mammals-mammals are warm blooded
animals usually with hair or far and produce
milk to feed their young ones
Examples are
i. Human beings
ii. Dogs
iii. Cats
iv. Whales
v. Elephants
Birds-they are worm blooded animals
characterized by their feathers beaks and
ability to lay eggs
Examples
i. Eagles
ii. Sparrows
iii. Penguins
iv. Ostriches
v. Chicken
vi. Owls
chicken owls parrot sparrows
Reptiles -these are cold blooded animals
that have scales and and some lay eggs for
reproduction while others give birth e.g.,
snakes and lizards
Examples
i. Snakes
ii. Lizards
iii. Crocodiles
iv. Turtles
v. Tortoise
vi. Chameleon
vii. Gecko
Crocodile Geoko Tortoise
Chameleon Lizard
identify major characteristics of each group of
vertebrates
mammals
characteristics
Have hair or far
Most are worm blooded
Have mammary glands
Have more complex brain than other animals
Have specialized teeth
Birds
Characteristics
Have feathers
Lay hard shelled eggs
They have beaks
Have wings
Reptiles
characteristics
Their skin is rough and dry
They have scales in their bodies
They are cold blooded
Fish
Have streamlined bodies
Have gills for breathing underwater
They have scales
They have fins
They are cold blooded
Amphibians
They are divided into head and
trunk
They can live both on land and on
water
They have external fertilization
Have moist skins
d)Make a portfolio on the
different classes of
vertebrates
e) develop interest in
characteristics of
vertebrates in their locality
