Social Sciences: Class 3 — Chapter 5: Plants and Animals Live Together

5.1 Introduction: Plants and Animals Live Together

Where there are plants, there are animals too. Lots of animals live on, around, and even underneath the plants that you see!

Examples of Animals Living with Plants

Elephants feeding on grass
A moth resting on a leaf
A caterpillar chewing a leaf
Earthworms on leaves and soil
A tailorbird singing
A woodpecker on a tree trunk
Ants building their nest using leaves
A colourful stink bug on a leaf
A frog resting on a leaf
A butterfly perched on a leaf
Squirrels using tree hollows to hide and rest
A barbet using a tree hollow for nesting

5.2 Life in the Soil

Soil is the topmost layer of the Earth’s surface. It is made from rocks that have broken up into tiny pieces, as well as old leaves, roots, stems, and living and dead animals like insects.

Activity 1: Examining Soil

Pick up a little soil near a plant and observe:

Feel: Can be rough, smooth, hard, or grainy.
Contents: May contain leaves, small stones, or insects.
Rainy Season Changes: When it rains and the soil is wet, other creatures like earthworms and millipedes may appear. More grasses and other plants also grow.

Activity 2: Spotting Animals Around Plants

Different animals can be spotted on or near plants:

Red bugs on a rotting fruit
Blue flying insect
Ants on leaves
Butterfly on Lantana flowers
Garden lizard on a rock

Note: Some insects wait for the rains to emerge from the soil. Seeds of plants may remain in the soil for long periods and sprout when it rains or they are watered.

5.3 How Animals Use Plants

Animals, birds, and insects use different parts of plants for food, shelter, and resting.

Food:
- Camels eat leaves of plants.
- Monkeys love eating the fruits of plants.
- Sunbirds and butterflies drink nectar from different flowers.
- Caterpillars munch on different leaves of plants for food.
Shelter and Nesting:
- Squirrels and crows use twigs from plants to build their nests and bring up their young ones.
- Birds like owls use hollows in the trees to bring up their young ones.
- Tailorbirds stitch leaves of plants to build their nests.
Resting and Protection:
- Bats and leopards use the branches of trees to rest and for shelter.

5.4 Sounds of Birds

Activity 3: Listening to Bird Sounds

Close your eyes and try to listen to the sounds of birds. Cupping your ears with your hands and pointing your face towards the direction of the sound helps you hear it more clearly.

Different birds make different sounds. For example, a Pigeon makes a Gutru Gu sound.

5.5 Let Us Reflect

Questions for Discussion

What was the colour and texture of the two soil specimens that you collected? Did they smell different?
During which month did fresh new leaves appear on the plant that you were observing?
Which animals, birds, and insects did you notice around plants?
Recall and write about how animals, birds, and insects rely on plants. Which one was your favourite example?
What is soil made up of?

Life Cycle Order: Caterpillar to Butterfly

Put the following changes in order:

One day it stopped eating.
The caterpillar formed a cocoon.
It came out of the cocoon.
Now it was a butterfly.
It flew away gently.