37
The mimosa
Textbook: Part 3, pp. 21–23
GoalCompare a poem and scientific information about a plant; treat nature carefully.
New words
mimosa (sensitive plant) · mimozaleaf · bargshy · uyatchanbotany · botanika
Explanation
The textbook has the poem “Mimoza” by Quddus Muhammadiy, which describes the features of the shy mimosa plant. We do not retell it. The leaves of the sensitive mimosa fold in pairs when touched or at night and open again after a few minutes. This is a natural feature of the plant. A poem describes it artistically, calling the plant “shy”, whereas a scientific text gives exact facts. The poet and the scientist express one thing differently. We should not pick plants or break their leaves.
Worked examples
“A shy plant”. In the botanical garden the teacher showed us a small plant with feather-like leaves. When we gently stroked a leaf with a finger, the leaves folded in pairs. They bent as if embarrassed. The teacher said it was a mimosa and explained that the leaves open again after a few minutes. We watched it carefully without breaking it. In our notebook we wrote the scientific fact and our feelings separately.
Comparison: scientific fact – leaves fold when touched; artistic image – “shy”. Table with two columns: fact / image.
Class activity
“Fact and image”: children write a scientific fact in one column and an artistic image in the other (e.g. about wind).
Practice
1
What did the teacher show in the garden?
A mimosa plant with feather-like leaves
2
What happened when the leaf was stroked?
The leaves folded in pairs.
3
When do the leaves open again?
After a few minutes
4
Why is the mimosa called “shy”?
When touched its leaves close as if embarrassed.
5
State the difference between a scientific fact and an artistic image.
A fact is exact; an image is expressed with feeling and comparison.