Chapter 2 of 24
Chapter 2: The Plant Fairy
Outdoor Plant Exploration: Leaf Colors, Shapes, Margins, Textures, and Tree Bark Rubbings | CBSE Session 2026–27
Core Pedagogical Competencies & Concepts
- Diversity in plant leaves: Shape (round, oval, triangular, elongated), size, color (light green, dark green, purple, yellow), and margins (plain, serrated, wavy).
- Leaf scents: Crushed leaves of mint, coriander, neem, lemon, and tulsi have distinct identifying aromas.
- Tree bark textures: Smooth barks (e.g., Guava) vs rough, cracked barks (e.g., Neem, Peepal).
- Taking bark and leaf rubbings using crayons and paper to observe surface textures.
All Textbook Exercises & In-Text Tasks (17 Questions)
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Q1
Leaf Diversity
How can you identify different leaves using your senses of touch and smell without looking at them?
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
• Sense of Touch: We can feel the leaf margins (smooth plain edge vs toothed/serrated edge) and surface textures (soft hairy like pumpkin leaves, waxy smooth like banana leaves, or prickly like rose leaves).
• Sense of Smell: Crushing a leaf releases aromatic essential oils with distinctive scents—such as the pungent cooling aroma of mint (pudina), the citrus smell of lemon leaves, and the characteristic medicinal aroma of neem or tulsi.
• Sense of Smell: Crushing a leaf releases aromatic essential oils with distinctive scents—such as the pungent cooling aroma of mint (pudina), the citrus smell of lemon leaves, and the characteristic medicinal aroma of neem or tulsi.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Tactile assessment (margins, textures, hairiness)
1.5 Marks
Olfactory identification (aromatic herbs)
1.5 Marks
Q2
Bark Texture & Function
What is tree bark, and how do you make a bark rubbing on paper?
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Tree Bark: The protective outer woody skin of a tree trunk that shields the tree from insect attacks, extreme weather, and dehydration.
How to Make a Bark Rubbing: Place a plain sheet of paper firmly against the tree trunk. Using the side of a wax crayon or soft pencil, rub gently and evenly across the paper until the rough textures and ridges of the bark appear clearly.
How to Make a Bark Rubbing: Place a plain sheet of paper firmly against the tree trunk. Using the side of a wax crayon or soft pencil, rub gently and evenly across the paper until the rough textures and ridges of the bark appear clearly.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Function of tree bark
1.5 Marks
Practical technique for making a crayon rubbing
1.5 Marks
Q3
Herbarium & Leaf Art
How can fallen dry leaves be used creatively without harming living branches?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
We can collect naturally fallen dry leaves from the ground, press them between the pages of old heavy books, and paste them onto card sheets to create animal shapes (like elephants, birds, and fish) for scrapbooks and greeting cards.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Using only naturally fallen leaves
1 Mark
Creative leaf-art craft method
1 Mark
Q4
Poem Comprehension • 'Leaves'
In the poem 'Leaves' by V. P. Shrivastava:
(a) What different colors do leaves have in nature?
(b) What different shapes do leaves take?
(c) Describe what happens to dry leaves when the wind blows.
[3 Marks]
(a) What different colors do leaves have in nature?
(b) What different shapes do leaves take?
(c) Describe what happens to dry leaves when the wind blows.
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Poem Analysis:
(a) Leaf Colors:
• Green, light green, dark green, yellow, red, and purple.
(b) Leaf Shapes:
• Round (like lotus), long and pointed (like mango), triangular, and broad with wavy borders.
(c) Dry Leaves in Wind:
• Dry leaves flutter and whisper in the breeze, making a dry rustling crackle as they dance across the ground.
(a) Leaf Colors:
• Green, light green, dark green, yellow, red, and purple.
(b) Leaf Shapes:
• Round (like lotus), long and pointed (like mango), triangular, and broad with wavy borders.
(c) Dry Leaves in Wind:
• Dry leaves flutter and whisper in the breeze, making a dry rustling crackle as they dance across the ground.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Variety of leaf colors noted
1.0 M
Variety of leaf shapes described
1.0 M
Rustling sound and movement of dry leaves explained
1.0 M
Q5
Leaf Margins • Sorting & Classification
Collect fallen leaves from around your school. Classify them into:
(a) Leaves with smooth edges.
(b) Leaves with uneven, saw-toothed (serrated) edges.
[3 Marks]
(a) Leaves with smooth edges.
(b) Leaves with uneven, saw-toothed (serrated) edges.
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Classification:
• (a) Smooth Edges (Entire margin): Mango leaf, Banana leaf, Peepal leaf.
• (b) Saw-toothed / Serrated Edges: Rose leaf, Neem leaf, Hibiscus leaf.
• (a) Smooth Edges (Entire margin): Mango leaf, Banana leaf, Peepal leaf.
• (b) Saw-toothed / Serrated Edges: Rose leaf, Neem leaf, Hibiscus leaf.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Correct examples of smooth-edged leaves
1.5 M
Correct examples of serrated/toothed leaves
1.5 M
Q6
Tree Trunk Rubbing • Bark Textures
How can you take a rubbing of a tree trunk? What differences do you feel between the trunk of a young sapling and that of an old banyan or neem tree?
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Trunk Rubbing & Bark Textures:
• Method: Press a sheet of paper against the tree trunk and rub a dark wax crayon or soft pencil flat across the surface.
• Texture Comparison: A young sapling has a soft, thin, green, and smooth bark. An old neem or banyan tree has thick, deeply grooved, rough, dark brown bark that protects the wood from harsh weather and pests.
• Method: Press a sheet of paper against the tree trunk and rub a dark wax crayon or soft pencil flat across the surface.
• Texture Comparison: A young sapling has a soft, thin, green, and smooth bark. An old neem or banyan tree has thick, deeply grooved, rough, dark brown bark that protects the wood from harsh weather and pests.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Paper and crayon rubbing method described
1.5 M
Contrast between smooth sapling and rough old bark
1.5 M
Q7
Herbarium Activity • Plant Ethics
Why does the teacher tell children to collect only fallen leaves from the ground instead of plucking fresh leaves from live branches?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Plant Care Ethics:
• Leaves are the 'food factories' (kitchens) of plants. Plucking green leaves needlessly damages the plant and hinders its growth. Collecting fallen leaves from the ground shows respect for living nature.
• Leaves are the 'food factories' (kitchens) of plants. Plucking green leaves needlessly damages the plant and hinders its growth. Collecting fallen leaves from the ground shows respect for living nature.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Biological role of leaves and compassionate nature ethics
2.0 M
Q8
Observation Time • Animals and Habits
In Chapter 2 ('The Plant Fairy'), what animals did the characters observe, and how do they move from place to place?
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Observations:
Animals move in diverse ways adapted to their bodies:
• Birds (Crow, Pigeon): Fly using wings and hop on two feet.
• Mammals (Cow, Dog): Walk and run on four legs.
• Reptiles (Lizard, Snake): Crawl on walls or slither on the ground.
• Insects (Ant, Grasshopper): Walk on six legs and hop/fly.
Animals move in diverse ways adapted to their bodies:
• Birds (Crow, Pigeon): Fly using wings and hop on two feet.
• Mammals (Cow, Dog): Walk and run on four legs.
• Reptiles (Lizard, Snake): Crawl on walls or slither on the ground.
• Insects (Ant, Grasshopper): Walk on six legs and hop/fly.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Birds, mammals, reptiles, insects movement
3 M
Q9
Find Out & Write • Animal Habitats
Name two animals that live:
(a) On trees
(b) In water
(c) On land
(d) Underground in burrows.
[2 Marks]
(a) On trees
(b) In water
(c) On land
(d) Underground in burrows.
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Habitats:
• (a) On trees: Monkey, Squirrel, Owl.
• (b) In water: Fish, Frog, Crocodile.
• (c) On land: Horse, Elephant, Goat.
• (d) In burrows: Rabbit, Earthworm, Snake.
• (a) On trees: Monkey, Squirrel, Owl.
• (b) In water: Fish, Frog, Crocodile.
• (c) On land: Horse, Elephant, Goat.
• (d) In burrows: Rabbit, Earthworm, Snake.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Correct examples for all 4 habitats
2 M
Q10
Discuss & Share • Our Senses
How do our five sense organs help us understand and navigate our daily environment?
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Five Senses:
1. Eyes: Help us see shapes, colours, and identify hazards.
2. Ears: Help us hear traffic horns, spoken words, and alarm sounds.
3. Nose: Helps us smell food, flowers, and detect smoke or gas leaks.
4. Tongue: Helps us taste sweet, sour, salty, and bitter food.
5. Skin: Helps us feel touch, heat, cold, roughness, and pain.
1. Eyes: Help us see shapes, colours, and identify hazards.
2. Ears: Help us hear traffic horns, spoken words, and alarm sounds.
3. Nose: Helps us smell food, flowers, and detect smoke or gas leaks.
4. Tongue: Helps us taste sweet, sour, salty, and bitter food.
5. Skin: Helps us feel touch, heat, cold, roughness, and pain.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
All 5 sense organs explained with functions
3 M
Q11
Water Cycle & Weather • Rain and Clouds
Where does rainwater come from, and why do plants and trees look fresher and greener after a rain shower?
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Rain and Plant Health:
• Rain comes from water evaporating from rivers, ponds, and seas, forming clouds in the sky that cool and condense into rain droplets.
• Rain washes off thick dust accumulated on leaves, unblocks stomata for breathing, and deeply soaks the roots with fresh mineral-rich moisture.
• Rain comes from water evaporating from rivers, ponds, and seas, forming clouds in the sky that cool and condense into rain droplets.
• Rain washes off thick dust accumulated on leaves, unblocks stomata for breathing, and deeply soaks the roots with fresh mineral-rich moisture.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Water cycle / cloud formation
1.5 M
Why plants look greener after rain
1.5 M
Q12
Food Diversity • Regional Diets
Why do people living in Kerala eat more rice, fish, and coconut, while people in Punjab eat more wheat chapatis, mustard greens, and lassi?
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Regional Food Factors:
• What people eat depends directly on what grows easily and abundantly in their climate and geography.
• Kerala has coastal climate, abundant rainfall, and coconut groves, making fish and rice staples.
• Punjab has fertile plains ideal for wheat and mustard cultivation, and a strong dairy culture.
• What people eat depends directly on what grows easily and abundantly in their climate and geography.
• Kerala has coastal climate, abundant rainfall, and coconut groves, making fish and rice staples.
• Punjab has fertile plains ideal for wheat and mustard cultivation, and a strong dairy culture.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Climate and agriculture connection
1.5 M
Kerala and Punjab examples explained
1.5 M
Q13
Cooking Methods • Kitchen Science
Match each food item to its primary method of cooking:
(a) Idli — (1) Frying
(b) Puri — (2) Steaming
(c) Roti — (3) Roasting on Tawa.
[3 Marks]
(a) Idli — (1) Frying
(b) Puri — (2) Steaming
(c) Roti — (3) Roasting on Tawa.
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Matching:
• (a) Idli — (2) Steaming
• (b) Puri — (1) Frying in oil
• (c) Roti — (3) Roasting on Tawa.
• (a) Idli — (2) Steaming
• (b) Puri — (1) Frying in oil
• (c) Roti — (3) Roasting on Tawa.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Idli-Steaming, Puri-Frying, Roti-Roasting
3 M
Q14
Shelter & Houses • Diversity in Homes
Why are houses in heavy-rainfall regions like Assam built on bamboo stilts with sloping roofs?
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Stilt Houses:
• Bamboo Stilts: Keep the house 10 to 12 feet above ground level to prevent floodwaters and wild animals from entering.
• Sloping Roofs: Allow torrential rainwater to slide off quickly without accumulating or causing leaks.
• Bamboo Stilts: Keep the house 10 to 12 feet above ground level to prevent floodwaters and wild animals from entering.
• Sloping Roofs: Allow torrential rainwater to slide off quickly without accumulating or causing leaks.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Reason for bamboo stilts (floods)
1.5 M
Reason for sloping roof (rain runoff)
1.5 M
Q15
Community Helpers • Occupations
Identify the worker who:
(a) Mends our shoes
(b) Delivers letters and parcels
(c) Shapes clay into earthen pots on a wheel
(d) Treats sick people and prescribes medicines.
[2 Marks]
(a) Mends our shoes
(b) Delivers letters and parcels
(c) Shapes clay into earthen pots on a wheel
(d) Treats sick people and prescribes medicines.
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Community Helpers:
• (a) Mends shoes: Cobbler
• (b) Delivers letters: Postman / Mail carrier
• (c) Shapes clay pots: Potter
• (d) Treats sick people: Doctor.
• (a) Mends shoes: Cobbler
• (b) Delivers letters: Postman / Mail carrier
• (c) Shapes clay pots: Potter
• (d) Treats sick people: Doctor.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Cobbler, Postman, Potter, Doctor
2 M
Q16
Web of Life • Food Chain
What is the 'Web of Life'? Draw a simple food chain showing how grass, deer, and lion are connected.
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Web of Life & Food Chain:
• The Web of Life shows that every living organism is interconnected and depends on others for survival.
• Food Chain: Sunlight → Grass (Producer) → Deer (Herbivore) → Lion (Carnivore).
If grass disappears, deer starve; if deer disappear, lions cannot survive.
• The Web of Life shows that every living organism is interconnected and depends on others for survival.
• Food Chain: Sunlight → Grass (Producer) → Deer (Herbivore) → Lion (Carnivore).
If grass disappears, deer starve; if deer disappear, lions cannot survive.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Definition of Web of Life
1.5 M
Grass → Deer → Lion chain explained
1.5 M
Q17
Review Questions • True or False
Write True or False:
(a) Blind people can read books written in Braille script using their fingertips.
(b) Rainwater is the main natural source of fresh water on Earth.
(c) Animals do not have feelings and cannot communicate danger to each other.
[3 Marks]
(a) Blind people can read books written in Braille script using their fingertips.
(b) Rainwater is the main natural source of fresh water on Earth.
(c) Animals do not have feelings and cannot communicate danger to each other.
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Answers:
• (a) True: Braille uses raised dots felt with fingertips.
• (b) True: Rain replenishes rivers, lakes, and groundwater.
• (c) False: Animals communicate through warning calls, scents, and body language to alert their group of predators.
• (a) True: Braille uses raised dots felt with fingertips.
• (b) True: Rain replenishes rivers, lakes, and groundwater.
• (c) False: Animals communicate through warning calls, scents, and body language to alert their group of predators.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
True, True, False with reasoning
3 M
🌟 NEP 2020 Competency-Based Case Study
Botanical Observation and Indigenous Herbal Knowledge
While playing in the park, Ananya scrapes her knee on a rough stone. Her grandmother does not panic; she plucks three leaves of a common garden weed called 'Patharchatta' (Bryophyllum) / Marigold, crushes them between her clean palms to extract green juice, and applies it to the scrape, stopping the bleeding immediately.
Analytical Task: What does this experience teach children about traditional botanical knowledge and neighborhood medicinal plants?
Evaluation & Model Answer:
This demonstrates that our surrounding plants possess valuable medicinal properties preserved through traditional indigenous wisdom (Ayurveda and grandmother's remedies). Many common plants like tulsi (for coughs), neem (for skin infections), marigold (for cuts), and aloe vera (for burns) have natural antiseptic and healing capabilities. Learning to identify these beneficial plants connects scientific inquiry with practical first-aid.
Rubric: Appreciation of medicinal plants, grandmother's home remedies, scientific validation of traditional knowledge (4 Marks).