Plants and us

Plants are our food, they improve our air and they are used to make many things that we need such as medicines, clothes and paper. Trees are cut down and the timber used to build houses and furniture.

Plants are useful to us in many ways.

We need oxygen in the air we breathe. Plants take in the carbon dioxide gas that we breathe out and turn it into oxygen. Plants keep the air we breathe stocked full of oxygen.

Plants are food for us. They give the us the vitamins and minerals we need to grow and stay healthy. We eat the roots of plants such as carrots and potatoes. Potatoes can be baked, boiled and fried. Potatoes are used to make potato chips.

We eat the fruits of many plants. Apples, bananas and grapes are all fruits of plants.

We eat the seeds of plants. Rice, wheat and corn are the seeds of plants. We turn these grains into breakfast cereal. The grain is crushed into flour and the flour is used to make pasta, bread, and cakes. These farmers in Vietnam are planting rice in flooded fields called paddies.

Many of our drinks are made from plants. Fruits are crushed and squeezed to make drinks and cordials. Tea and coffee come from plants. Chocolate is made from the seeds of the cacao plant. It can be made into a hot chocolate drink.

Herbs and spices add flavour to our foods. Herbs are the leaves of plants and spices are made form the roots and bark of plants.

Plants are used to make medicines.

Plants are eaten by the animals we keep for food.   Cows eat grass and turn it into milk to feed to their calves. People milk the cows and drink the milk too.

Trees are plants. Trees are cut down and the timber used to make paper and to build furniture and houses.

Plants such as cotton are made into fabric and the fabric is used to make our clothes. Silkworms eat the leaves of the mulberry tree. Their silk cocoons are unwound and the threads are woven into cloth to make clothes and parachutes.
Go here to find out about how silk is made

Plants make gardens and parks. Places where we can enjoy ourselves.

Can you think of other ways that we use plants?

Acknowledge this source in your bibliography like this:
Plants and us (2002). [Online], Available: www.kidcyber.com.au

Other plant pages on kidcyber
More about Plants/ Plants We Eat/ Seeds and Bulbs/ potatoes/ tea / Seasons/
Australian Grasslands/ History of fruits and vegetables/ kidcyberQuests 1 & 2 / Activity pages 1 & 2

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updated August 2006