Use of Trees to Mankind

Learning Objectives: After completing this lesson on Trees, you will be able to Describe the parts of a tree List the products that can be made from coconut, neem, mango, teak, and rubber trees

Trees are one of the greatest boons of nature. You will find a tree in any corner of the world. You can find a tree in a forest, in a house garden, inside a farm, and in a crowded street in the city also. How does a Tree look? A tree has visible and invisible parts. The visible part of the tree is above the soil and usually has a brown bark or stem. A lot of branches come out from the stem or trunk. Each branch has some smaller branches or stems. And these stems or twigs have leaves, flowers, and fruits. The parts of the tree above the bark are called the crown. The roots below the soil make up the invisible parts of the tree.

The roots, trunk, branches, twigs, and trunk are brown in color. The leaves are green in color. The flowers and fruits have different colors in different trees.

Common Trees in India The most common trees in India are the coconut tree, mango tree, neem tree, teak wood tree, and rubber tree. Coconut Tree: The coconut tree has a very different structure from that of other trees. It has a very long trunk and a small collection of branches at the top of the trunk.

Parts of the Coconut Tree:

Leaves

Coconut

Tender Coconut

Husk

Trunk

Uses of Coconut Tree: The coconut tree has many uses. The white inner part of the coconut is used for cooking chutney, coconut rice, and the coconut milk is a base for several food items. Coconut oil made from coconuts is applied to hair for growth. The oil is also used for cooking. The long sticks on the edge of each long leaf are used to make a broomstick. The leaves are used to make small bags to hold dolls or other light weight items. The

coir from the coconut husk is used to make coir mats. Tender coconut is a health drink in hot seasons. So, almost every part of the coconut tree is useful to mankind.

Coconut Oil Coconut Chutney BroomStick Coconut Milk

Coir Mats
Tender Coconut
Products Made from Coconut Tree Neem Tree: You can find a Neem Tree in almost any place, as it needs very little water for growth. The Neem Tree has a lot of medicinal value and so is known as the Village Pharmacy.

Parts of a Neem Tree:

Products Made from Neem Tree:

Hey, Neem Tree. Can you tell what products can be made from you?

Sure. Toothpaste, bathing soaps, and neem oil are made from me. Vepam poo rasam made from my flowers is eaten for its medicinal value. Patients who have chicken pox sleep on my leaves for a quick cure. My tree extracts are used to make pesticides and mosquito repellants.

Neem Soap

Neem Toothpaste

Neem Rasam

Neem Chutney

Neem Pesticide

Products Made from Neem Tree

Mango Tree: A mango tree grows in a house garden as well as a farm. In India, the ripe mango fruit season is from May to July. Mangoes have large quantities of Vitamin C.

Parts of a Mango Tree:

Products Made from Mango Tree:

Hey, Mango Tree. Can you tell what products can be made from you?

Sure. My fruit can be used to make jam, mango fruit juice, mango milkshake, and dried sweet mango pieces. When I am unripe and green people make pickles and also mango powder for seasoning food. Mango leaves are used for decorations on auspicious days.

Mango Jam Mango Pickle Mango Juice Dry Mango Pieces

Decoration
Mango Powder
Products made from Mango Tree Rubber Tree: Rubber is not a common tree and you will not find it in any place. Instead, rubber is grown in special plantations. A lot of rubber plantations are found in Kerala and Assam in India. The gum or latex from the rubber tree is very useful.

Parts of a Rubber Tree:

Products Made from Rubber Tree: The latex from the rubber tree is used to make pencil erasers, rubber bands, rubber balls, and rubber boots.

Pencil Eraser Rubber Band Rubber Balls Rubber Boots

Products made from Rubber Tree

Teak Wood Tree: The Teak tree is mostly found in Asian countries such as India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Burma. Teak is termite resistant and so products made out of teak can be used without varnish or paint. Parts of a Teak Tree:

Products Made from Teak Wood: Teak wood is used to make furniture such as dining table, bed, multi-purpose cabinet, and kitchen sets.

Summary: Hope you will now be able to understand the wide range of uses of trees. So, you have to preserve and grow trees and not cut them down.

Worksheet -1: Match the products with the tree from which it is made. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Pickles Mats Eraser Toothpaste Table a. b. c. d. e. Rubber Teak Mango Coconut Neem

Worksheet -2 Match the product picture to the tree from which it is made.

a. b. c. d.

Neem Tree Coconut Tree Mango Tree Teak Tree

Worksheet - 3 Match the product picture to the tree from which it is made.

a. b. c. d.

Coconut Tree Neem Tree Rubber Tree Mango Tree

Worksheet 4 Identify the tree in the picture.

a. b. c. d.

Coconut Tree Teak Tree Rubber Tree Neem Tree

Worksheet - 5 Try making this mango pickle: Take a small glass bottle and fill it with drinking water. Add cut green mango pieces, small onions, green chillies, and salt to the water. Leave the mix for about 4 days. The sourness from the mango enters the small onions. The taste of onions and salt lingers in the water and mango pieces. You can eat the mango and onion pieces with food and also use the water as a base with rice. Worksheet - 6 Fill in the blank: 1. The part of the tree above the trunk is known as ____________________.

Worksheet - 7 Fill in the blank: 1. _______________ tree is known as Village Pharmacy.

Worksheet - 8 Match the product picture to the tree from which it is made.

a. b. c. d.

Mango Tree Neem Tree Teak Tree Coconut Tree

Worksheet - 9 Try planting a small plant/tree near your Eureka Superkidz centre. Start with something simple. Just grab a handful of coriander seeds from your home. Sprinkle some water on the ground/sand and spray the coriander seeds on the ground. Everyday sprinkle little water. Select an area where there is moderate sunlight. Watch the coriander plant grow. Take some home for cooking!

Worksheet 10 Fill in the blanks: 1. The part of the tree under the soil is called ______________.

Answer Key to Worksheets: 1. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Pickles c. mango Mats - d. Coconut Eraser - a. Rubber Toothpaste - e. Neem Table - b. Teak

2. B. Coconut Tree Coir mat is made from coconut tree. 3. C. Rubber Tree Rubber bands are made from rubber trees. 4. D. Neem Tree 5. Experiment 6. Crown 7. Neem 8. C. Teak Tree furniture is made from teak wood. 9. Experiment 10. Root