Ms Meena Rawat

M.A., M.Sc., M.Ed.

Ex. Principal
Raja Ram Mohan Roy Academy, Dehradun
La Chatelaine School, Chennai
Presently
President, Prayatna Society for Social Upliftment
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First Edition: 2014

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We are committed to serve students to the best of our knowledge and

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of the religious and cultural sentiments of all communities. We have
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 The series Our Green World has been prepared keeping in view the developmental characteristics
and needs of the students of Classes I-V. The focus of the series is to develop an awareness about
the environment and to develop habits, attitudes and skills in students to become healthy and active
members of the community.
Salient Features
l Enables the students to:
* develop an understanding of basic structure and functions of various parts of human body

and the need to take care of these parts.
* develop an understanding of social, cultural, natural and man-made environment and their

inter-relationships.
* develop awareness and understanding about their personal well-being, belongings and

surroundings and ways to keep them clean.
* demonstrate an understanding for conservation of natural resources and protection of

the environment and thus provide motivation towards proper utilization of resources and
protection of the environment.
* demonstrate an understanding of distance in space and time and the relationship between

them.
l Develops skills of learning, and keeps the students abreast of relevant knowledge through
self-learning.
l Inclusion of values, habits and attitudes (learning to live together).
l Perceives the environment as an integrated whole taking into its fold the natural, the man-made,
the social and the cultural environment.
l Adopts the principle of moving from oneself to the immediate environment extending gradually
to wider environment.
l The text has been written in a simple and lucid language.
l Carefully structured and graded, the concepts are explained through real-life examples and lively
and multicoloured illustrations which stimulate the students power of observation.
We hope that all these will contribute towards making environmental studies an appealing subject
for students and teachers alike.
Constructive suggestions towards the betterment of the book would be thankfully acknowledged.
— Authors
Contents
Lesson Name
UNIT 1 : RELATIONSHIPS AND
BEYOND
Contents

· Relationships
Learning objectives

· Understanding
Activities

· Formation of correct
1. Our Family · Migration relationships with the statements.
Page 1 aid of a family tree · True and False.
· Change in family
structure · Awareness about need · Comprehension
for migration questions.
· Recap
· To grasp the meaning of · Drawing a flow chart of
· Activity time
a nuclear family individual family trees
· Things to do

2. Games and Martial Art · Indoor and outdoor · Differentiation between · Formation of correct
Page 5 games. indoor and outdoor; statements
· Individual and team individual and team · Fill in the blanks
games. games.
· True and False
· Hockey. · Gaining knowledge
· Comprehension
about hockey and
· Kabaddi. questions
other traditional Indian
· Kho Kho games. · Identification of
· Wrestling. qualities of good
· Introduction to Martial
sportsmanship.
· Martial arts arts
· Recap
· Activity time
· Things to do

3. International Days · World Environment Day. · To learn about · Formation of correct

Page 10 · International Literacy International days. statements
Day. · To grasp significance of · True and False.
· World Health Day. meaningful recreational · Match correctly
activities.
· Earth Day. · Comprehension
· Recreational activities. Questions.
· Reading. · Making a poster
on protection of
· Television and Radio.
environment.
· Weekly Market.
· Visit to a weekly market.
· Recap
· Activity time
· Things to do
 Lesson Name Contents Learning objectives Activities
4. Kinds of Work · Introduction. · To appreciate the · Formation of correct
Page 14 · Mental and physical contribution of those statements
work. who provide us with · Fill in the blanks
essential services.
· Dignity of labour. · True and False
· To respect the dignity
· Recap · Comprehension questions
of labour.
· Activity time · Tasks to sensitize dignity
· Things to do of labour.

5. Forests and Tribal Life · Importance of forests. · To increase awareness · Formation of correct
Page 18 · Tribal life. about the importance statements.
of forest life. · Fill in the blanks.
· Dependence of tribal
people on forest · To learn about Tribal · True and false.
products. communities and their
· Comprehension
dependence on forest
· The Chipko Movement. questions.
products.
· Recap. · Preparation of posters to
· To gain knowledge
· Activity time. sensitize need to protect
about the Chipko
the environment.
· Things to do. Movement.
· Research on national
forests and sanctuaries.

UNIT 2 : OUR BODY AND ITS · External and internal · Meaning of organ · Formation of correct
FUNCTIONS organs. systems. statements
· Internal body structure. · Knowledge about · Filling in blanks correctly
6. Our Body · Functions of the internal body structure. · True and False
Page 23 skeleton. · Awareness about · Comprehension
· Joints. individual differences. questions.
· Individual differences. · Appreciation of the · Research on Stephen
· Living with physical differently abled. Hawking.
challenges.
· Tabulation of individual
· Recap differences.
· Activity time
· Things to do

7. Blow Hot and Blow Cold · Breathing. · To understand the · Formation of correct
Page 29 · The heart and heart process of breathing. statements.
beat. · To learn about the · Fill in the blanks.
· Blowing hot and working of the heart. · True and False.
blowing cold. · To understand why we · Match correctly
· Recap. breathe out hot and
humid air. · Comprehension
· Activity time. questions.
· Things to do. · Simple experiments to
observe our breath and
rate of heart beat.
 Lesson Name Contents Learning objectives Activities
8. From Tasting to Digestion · Tasting food. · To gain knowledge · Formation of correct
Page 34 · The digestive system. about how we can taste statements.
food. Fill in the blanks.
· Nutrients in food.
· To learn how food · True and false.
· Energy giving , body
is digested along its
building and protective · Comprehension
journey through the
food. questions.
digestive system.
· Famine. · Preparation of chart
· To familiarize students
· A balanced diet and its of deficiency diseases
with the different kinds
importance. followed by a Class
of foods and food
discussion.
· Recap. habits.
· Interview grandparents to
· Activity time.
find out what kind of food
· Things to do. they ate when they were
young.

UNIT 3 : OUR SURROUNDING · Environment. · To comprehend · Formation of correct

9. Living and · Biotic and Abiotic the meaning of the statements.
Non-living Things components of the term environment · Fill in the blanks.
environment. its biotic and abiotic
Page 39 · True and false.
components.
· Characteristics of living · Comprehension
things. · To learn about
questions.
characteristics of living
· Interdependence of · Ability to differentiate
things.
living things. between living and non
· To understand
· Producers, consumers living things.
the significance of
and decomposers. · Solution of riddles.
interdependence in
· Interdependence of terms of food chains
living and non living and food webs.
things.
· To gain knowledge
· The food chain. about insectivorous
· Insectivorous plants plants.
· Recap.
· Activity time.
· Things to do.

10. Animal Senses · Sense organs. · Knowledge about sense · Formation of correct
Page 46 · Sense of sight. organs of sight, smell, statements.
hearing, taste and · Fill in the blanks
· Sense of hearing. touch. · True and false.
· Sense of smell. · To understand the need · Finding the correct
· Sense of taste. for sleep. matches.
· Sense of touch. · Comprehension
· Need for sleep. questions.
· Recap. · Observation of how birds
are attracted to food.
· Activity time.
· Research on hibernation
· Things to do.
in animals.
 Lesson Name Contents Learning objectives Activities
11. Animals in Our Lives · Food from animals. · Familiarity with different · Formation of correct
Page 51 · Milk. kinds of food obtained statements.
from animals. · Fill in the blanks.
· Eggs and meat.
· To learn about materials · True and false.
· Honey.
obtained from animals.
· Materials from animals. · Finding the correct
· Awareness about how matches.
· Other uses of animals. animals are used to
· Comprehension
· People who depend on make a living.
questions.
animals.
· Interview a snake
· Recap.
charmer and mahout.
· Activity time.
· Visit to a zoo to check
· Thing to do.
out how animals are
treated and to report any
negligence.

12. Germinating Plants · Structure of a seed. · Introduction to process · Formation of correct

Page 57 · Germination of seeds. of pollination. statements
· Conditions necessary · To learn about the · Fill in the blanks
for germination. structure of a seed by · True and False
observation.
· Seed dispersal by wind · Comprehension questions
water and animals. · To learn about different
· Observation of
methods of seed
· Vegetative propagation. germination in potatoes.
dispersal.
· Recap. · Drawing and labeling
· To gain knowledge
· Activity time. parts of a seed.
about vegetative
Formative Assessment 2 · Things to do. propagation.
Page 67
13. Preservation of Food · Food preservation. · To understand what · Formation of correct
Page 62 · Methods of food happens to food over a statements.
preservation. period of time. · Fill in the blanks.
· Wastage of food. · To learn how food · True and false.
can be preserved
· Recap. by not allowing the · Comprehension
· Activity time. microorganisms to questions.
· Things to do. attack it. · Visit to a cold storage
· To gain knowledge unit to see how fruits and
about various methods vegetables are stored.
used to preserve food. · Observation of growth of
mould on moist piece of
bread.
Revision Exercise 1 To assess knowledge
Page 67 gained from (Chapters1
to 13.)

Test Paper 1 To evaluate knowledge

Page 69 gained from (Chapters 1
to 13.)
 Lesson Name Contents Learning objectives Activities
UNIT 4: WATER · Need for water. · To arouse awareness · Formation of correct
14. Sources of Water · Sources of water. about the importance statements.
and Irrigation of water. · Fill in the blanks.
· Water harvesting.
Page 71 · To learn about various · True and false.
· Irrigation.
sources of water and
· Water wheels. · Comprehension
how it is used for
questions.
· Recap. irrigation.
· Ideas on rainwater
· Activity time.
harvesting to be made
· Thing to do. and discussed.
· Observation of birds as
they come to drink water

15. Life in Water · Floating plants. · Awareness about plants · Formation of correct
Page 76 · Submerged plants. and animals living in statements.
water.
· Plants found near water · Fill in the blanks
bodies. · To gain knowledge
about amphibians. · True and false.
· Aquatic animals.
· Comprehension
· Amphibians.
questions.
· Recap
· Collection of pictures of
· Activity time
plants and animals living
· Things to do in the sea to paste in
scrap book.
· To observe photosynthesis
in duck weed plant.

16. Substances that Float, · Water a wonderful · To understand that · Formation of correct
Sink or Mix liquid. matter is made up of statements.
Page 81 · Density. molecules. · Fill in the blanks.
· Floating and sinking. · To observe that some · True and false.
· Things that sink in substances sink where
as others float. · Comprehension
water. questions.
· Measuring liquids. · To differentiate
between miscible and · Experiment to find out
· Recap. immiscible liquids. which substances float
· Activity time. and which sink in water.
· Things to do. · Experiment to observe
salt dissolved in sea
water.
 Lesson Name Contents Learning objectives Activities
UNIT 5 : CLOTHES · Natural fibres. · To gain knowledge · Formation of correct
17. Fibres and their Sources · Cotton. about different fibres statements
obtained from plants · Fill in the blanks
Page 86 · Jute. and animals.
· Linen. · True and False
· To learn how to
· Wool. differentiate between · Match correctly.
· Silk. artificial and natural · Comprehension
fibres. questions.
· Recap.
· Collection of fibres made
· Activity time.
from plants to paste in
· Thing to do. scrap book.
Simple experiment to
observe which fibre
absorbs the most amount
of water.

UNIT 6 : SHELTER · Neighbourhood and · To reinforce the fact that · Formation of correct
18. Neighbourhood Buildings neighbours. we are social animals. statements
Page 90 · School. · To learn about the · Fill in the blanks.
· Health care centre. different facilities · True and false.
available in a
· Post Office. · Comprehension
neighbourhood
questions.
· Police Station. · To promote need to
· Making of a poster
· Railway Station. acquire a responsible
to arouse sense of
· Panchayat Ghar. attitude towards public
responsibility towards
property.
· Social insects. public property.
· Recap
· Activity time
· Thing to do

19. Natural Calamities · Natural calamity. · To be able to · Formation of correct

Page 96 · Earthquakes. differentiate between statements
natural calamities and · Fill in the blanks
· Tsunami.
manmade disasters. · True and False
Floods.
· To gain knowledge · Match correctly
· Coping with disasters. about how earthquakes · Comprehension questions
· First Aid and Tsunami occur. · Collection of pictures of
· To learn how to cope natural disasters to paste
with disaster in scrap book.

UNIT 7: HEALTH AND HYGIENE · Infectious diseases · To understand what · Formation of correct
20. Common Infectious caused by bacteria and infectious diseases are. statements.
Diseases virus. · To be able to · Fill in the blanks.
Page 102 · Prevention and control differentiate between · True and false.
of malaria diseases caused by
· Comprehension
viruses and bacteria.
questions.
 Lesson Name Contents Learning objectives Activities

· Precautions to check · To learn about simple · Finding of names of

the spread of infectious methods to control infectious diseases in an
diseases. infectious diseases. alphabet grid.
· Recap
· Activity time
· Thing to do

21. Exploring Heights · Mountaineering. · To gain knowledge · Formation of correct

Page 107 · Preparing for about adventure sports statements
mountaineering. those mountaineers · Fill in the blanks
who scaled Mount
· Ride in a space craft. · True and False
Everest.
· The night sky and the · Comprehension
· To learn about the solar
solar system. questions
system.
· Indian astronauts. · Research on
· To gain awareness
· Astronauts training. constellations.
about space travel and
· Recap astronauts who have · Research on five
done India proud. adventure sports.
· Activity time
· Collection of pictures
· Thing to do
for scrap book.

22. Historical Buildings · The Ashoka Pillar. · To gain knowledge · Formation of correct
Page 114 · The Taj Mahal. about Historical statements
· The Jama Masjid. buildings in India and · Fill in the blanks
· The Red Fort. abroad.
· True and False
· Kutub Minar. · To learn how to take
· Comprehension questions
· The Victoria Memorial. care of these historical
buildings · Collection of pictures of
· The Charminar. Heritage buildings of India
· The Hawa Mahal. to paste in scrap book.
· The leaning tower of · Class discussion on steps
Pisa. to be taken to protect
· Care of Historical Heritage buildings.
Buildings.
· Recap.
· Activity Time.
· Things to do.

UNIT 8: THINGS WE
MAKE AND DO
23. Growing Food · Manures and Fertilizers. · Learning how to · Formation of correct
Page 120 · Irrigation. cultivate land for statements
growing a crop. · Fill in the blanks
· Harvesting and
· To understand the need
Threshing. · True and False
for irrigation.
· Storage of Grains. · To gain knowledge · Comprehension questions
· Subsistence Farming. about harvesting · Visit to a Farm.
and the meaning of
· Drawing a water sprinkler.
subsistence farming.
 Lesson Name Contents Learning objectives Activities
· Different Ways of
Growing Crops.
· Storage of Crops.
· Recap.
· Activity Time.
· Things to do.

UNIT 9: FEATURES OF
THE ENVIRONMENT
24. Physical Features of the · Landforms. · To gain knowledge · Formation of correct
Earth · Hills and Mountains. about the age of the statements.
Page 125 · Plains. earth. · Fill in the blanks.
· To learn about various · True and False.
· Deserts. land forms and water
· Valleys. bodies on the surface of · Comprehension
the earth. questions.
· Water Bodies.
· Collection of pictures of
· Recap.
different landforms to
· Activity Time. paste in scrapbook.
· Things to do. · To find the names of rivers
in an alphabet grid.
UNIT 10: PROTECTION OF THE
ENVIRONMENT
25. Natural Resources · Natural resources. · To differentiate · Formation of correct
and Pollution · Exhaustible and between renewable statements.
Page 131 Inexhaustible resources. and nonrenewable · Fill in the blanks.
resources.
· Causes of depletion of · True and False.
natural resources. · To become aware about
· Comprehension questions
air and water pollution.
· Air pollution. · Comparison of a place
· To learn how to
· Water pollution. with and without trees.
decrease pollution.
· Ways to reduce · Making of greeting cards
pollution. to say “No” to crackers.
· Recap.
· Activity Time.
· Things to do.

26. Fuels · Introduction. · To learn about fuels and · Formation of correct

Page 136 · Sources of Energy. where they come from. statements
· Fossil fuels. · To understand the need · Fill in the blanks
· Coal. for conservation of fossil · True and False
· Petroleum. fuels. · Comprehension questions
· Natural gas. · Talk with parents about
· Conserving fuels. fuels.
· Recap. · Visit to a petrol station
· Activity Time. to learn about mileage of
· Things to do. vehicles.
 Lesson Name Contents Learning objectives Activities
27. Conservation of · Introduction. · To understand the · Formation of correct
Plants and Animals · Deforestation. dangers of shift of statements
Page 141 balance in eco systems. · Fill in the blanks
· Conservation.
· To implement methods · True and False
· Recap.
to conserve natural
· Activity Time. · Comprehension questions
resource.
· Things to do. · To find out about wildlife
sanctuaries in India and
make a list of animals in
them.
· Learning about
biodegradable and non
degradable waste from
parents.

Revision Exercise 2 To assess knowledge

Page 145 gained from (Chapters14
to 27.)

Test Paper 2 To evaluate knowledge

gained from (Chapters 14
Page 147
to 27.)
 UNIT 1: RELATIONSHIPS AND BEYOND

1 Our Family
Relationships in the family
Parents and their children form a family. People in the family are called members. They are
related to one anoher. Our father and mother are our parents. Parents of our father are our
paternal grandparents. Parents of our mother are our maternal grandparents. Parents of
our paternal grandparents are our paternal great grandparents.
Akash asked his grandfather to tell him about his family. His grandfather told him about
his family with the help of this family tree. A family tree is a diagram that shows the
relationship between different members of a family.

Great grandparents
(Late Anil Ahuja + Late Archna Ahuja)

Pankaj Ahuja (Son) + Deepika (Daughter) + Rajat (Son) +

Preeti Ahuja Aman (Son-in-law) Sonam
(Daughter-in-law) (Daughter-in-law)

Rohan (Son) + Pinki (Daughter) + Ashok (Son) + Aadi (Son) +

Deepti Ravi (Son-in-law) Lalita Poorvi
(Daughter-in-law) (Daughter-in-law) (Daughter-in-law)

Akash Alka Simi Sakshi Pawan

(Son) (Daughter) (Daughter) (Daughter) (Son)

Shifting from place to place

Earlier some families lived in a place for many generations in joint families. But today big
families are rare. Some members of families have to move from one place to another. The
movement of people from one place to another to work and live is called migration, the
people are called migrants. There are several reasons for migration. Some people have
1
transferable jobs. Anuj’s father is an IAS officer. He is transferred to different cities in India
after every two or three years. Every time he takes his family to a different city, Anuj and his
younger sister have to join a new school.
In villages, farming and rearing cattle are the only sources of income. Job opportunities in
villages are less, so people move to cities for jobs. Some people in towns and cities move
to other countries to earn money. People who move from their native country to another
country are called emigrants. They are known as immigrants in the country where they
settle down.
Many times, people are forced to move from their native places for several reasons.
Poverty, construction of dams and roads, earthquakes and cyclones are some such reasons.
Such a forced movement is called displacement. Thousands of people are displaced when a
dam is constructed and slums are demolished. They face many problems at new places.

Construction of a dam

The change in family structure

In olden days families lived in a place for generations. People lived in joint families. Only
men went out to work and earn money. Women in the family used to be homemakers.
Big families are rare nowadays. Time has changed, even women go out to work and earn
money. Men help them in doing household work. Some members of families move to other
places for work, in this way the family becomes smaller. A small family is a nuclear family.
Both have advantages and disadvantages.

2
 • A family tree is a diagram that shows the relationship between diffferent
members of a family.
• The movement of people from one place to another is called migration.
• People move from one place to another for many reasons such as in search
of jobs and shelter.
• People who leave their native country to settle in another country are
called emigrants.
• Immigrants are the people who arrive to live in a new country.
• Joint and nuclear families have advantages and disadvantages.

Activity Time
Activity 1: Strike out the wrong words to complete these sentences.

1. Immigrants Nomads are people who arrive to live in a new country.

2. In villages, there are lesser greater job opportunities than in the cities.

3. The movement from one place to another is called migration flight .

4. The lifestyle in a nuclear family and a joint family are same different .

Activity 2: State whether True or False.

1. Migration means going from one place to another permanently. _____________

2. Transfer means a change of job. _____________

3. Floods make people homeless. _____________

4. People may go to another country for higher education. _____________

3
 Activity 3: Answer these questions.
1. What is migration?

____________________________________________________________________
2. What is displacement?

____________________________________________________________________
3. Who are emigrants?

____________________________________________________________________
4. Who are immigrants?

____________________________________________________________________
5. Give two reasons for emigration.

____________________________________________________________________
6. Why do people shift from place to place? Give two reasons.

____________________________________________________________________

Things To Do
1.
Find out if your family has always lived in their native place. If not, find out from your grandsparents
where their native place is and why they migrated from their native place.
2. Draw your family tree with the help of the eldest person in your family.

4
 Games and
2 Martial Arts
Indoor and outdoor games
We play some games inside our house. They are called indoor games. Chess, carom and
ludo are some indoor games. We play some games in open fields or courts. They are called
outdoor games. Hockey, cricket, football and basketball are outdoor games.

Individual games and team games

We can play some games ourselves or against another person. They are called individual
games. Chess, archery, rifle shooting and golf are some individual games. We participate
in these games as individuals. Some games are played by a certain number of persons. They
are called team games. Cricket, football, hockey, basketball and volleyball are some team
games.
In a team game, there is a captain or a leader. They follow decisions of the captain. The
captain plays an important role in understanding each member’s strength or weakness.
A team in which all the team members have a good understanding with each other is a
strong team. Team games generally have umpires or referees. All the players obey the
decision of the umpire. The umpire or referee makes sure that every player in the team
follows the rules.

Hockey
Hockey , also called field hockey, is our
national game. The word ‘hockey’ came
from the French word hocquet meaning a
shepherd’s stick that is curved at the end.
In hockey, each player has a hockey stick.
The aim of each player of a team is to send
the ball into the opposing team’s goalpost.
Hockey players must be physically fit. They
should have stamina and speed. Major
Dhyan Chand, Balbir Singh and Dhanraj
Pillay are some famous players of the Indian
hockey team. Hockey

5
Traditional games
Traditional or local games have been an important part of Indian culture. Several local
games are played in our country. They are known by different names in different parts of
India. They are played in different ways. Some traditional or local games like kabaddi are
played at the national level even today. Let us learn more about some traditional games.

Kabaddi
Kabaddi is an old and popular game of India. It is also popular in some other countries like
Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. It is known by different names in different parts
of India and other countries. In Bangladesh, it known as haduda and as dodo in Nepal.
Kabaddi is played between two teams of seven players each. The game requires skill, power
and stamina.

Fact File
Kabaddi was first introduced
in Asian Games in 1990.

“Kabaddi, kabaddi, kabaddi”

Kho Kho
Kho Kho is one of the most popular games in India. It is very simple and inexpensive.
The game is more popular among girls. It is played between two teams of twelve players
each. But only nine members take the field for a contest. The game is played in innings.
A match has two innings of seven minutes each. The teams are divided into chasing the
opposite teams and the defenders. Members of the chasing team have to chase and touch
the members of the defending team uttering the word ‘kho’ loudly. Each side alternates
between chasing
and defending.

“Kho Kho”
6
Wrestling
Wrestling or kusti is another popular Indian game. It is a contest of strength. In this game,
two wrestlers, called pehalwans, compete with each other. Each of them attempts to
throw the other on the floor on his/her back. They are trained under expert teachers called
ustads. The competition is conducted in an akhara which is a clay ground or mud pit.

Wrestling

Martial arts
The term ‘martial arts’ means arts concerned with war. Martial arts involve self-defence,
fitness, meditation and character development. Karate, kung-fu and judo are some
international martial arts. Let us learn more about some national ones.

Thangta
Thangta is a martial art of Manipur. A sword and a spear are used in thangta. The
contestants fight duels in a circle. Earlier, this art was used by Manipuri kings to fight their
enemies.

Thoda
Thoda is a martial art of Himachal Pradesh. Wooden bows and arrows are used in thoda. In
thoda, two groups of archers armed with bows and arrows face each other.

Kalaripayattu
Kalaripayattu is a form of martial art of Kerala. It is similar to karate. It involves acrobatic
skills. In kalaripayattu, the contestants attack with swords and knives.

7
 • Games are of many types — indoor games, outdoor games, individual
games and team games.
• Indoor games are played inside the house while outdoor games are played
in the open field.
• We participate in individual games as an individual.
• Team games are played by a certain number of players.
• Many traditional and local games are played in our country.
• Hockey is our national game.
• There are many forms of martial arts in our country.

Activity Time
Activity 1: Strike out the wrong words to complete these sentences.

1. Carom Cricket is an indoor game.

2. Golf is an individual a team game.

3. Basketball is an indoor outdoor game.

4. The national game of India is cricket hockey .

Activity 2: Fill in the blanks with the right words.

inexpensive umpires Team Wrestling different

1. ________________ games are played together by a group of people.

2. ________________ is contested in akharas.

3. Team games generally have ________________ .

4. Hockey is known by ________________ names in different parts of the world.

5. Kho Kho is a very simple and ________________ game.

Activity 3: State whether True or False.

1. Chess is played in the open field. _____________

2. All the members of a team obey the decisions of the captain. _____________

8
 3. The word ‘hockey’ came from the Greek word hocquet. _____________

4. Toda is a martial art of Kerala. _____________

Activity 4: Answer these questions.

1. What is the difference between indoor and outdoor games?

________________________________________________________________________________

2. Write the names of any three individual games.

________________________________________________________________________________

3. What are team games?

________________________________________________________________________________

4. Name any three team games.

________________________________________________________________________________

5. What is the martial art of Kerala?

________________________________________________________________________________

6. What is the martial art of Manipur?

________________________________________________________________________________

7. By what names is kabaddi known in Bangladesh?

________________________________________________________________________________

Things To Do
1. Who is your favourite sports person? Write any four qualities that he/she possesses which inspire you.
2. A captain of a team game has some qualities. Colour the boxes that show the qualities of a captain.

Liar Trustworthy Selfish Motivated Focussed Passionate

9
 3 International Days
International Days
The days which are celebrated all over the world are called International Days.
Environmental Day, Literacy Day and Health Day are a few examples of international days.

World Environment Day

To save the environment from harmful effects of pollution, people all over the world
celebrate 5th June as Environment Day. The World Environment Day was declared by the UN
on 5th June 1972.
On Environment Day, many programmes are held in
schools. Children plant trees. They make attractive
posters. “Pollution Free Zone”, “Environment
Friendly” and “Eco-Friendly” are some common
slogans which children use on banners. Children
march through the cities with these banners and
posters.
Many programmes are held in community centres.
Scientists and environmentalists discuss the measures
to be taken to keep the environment clean. They tell
people how important the environment is for them. Plants give us oxygen.
They also tell them about the various ways of keeping
the environment clean.

International Literacy Day

International Literacy Day is celebrated on 8th
September every year. It was first considered by
UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and
Cultural Organisation) on 8th September, 1966. It
is celebrated throughout the world. Many literacy
programmes are implemented on this day. Leaders
and educated persons tell people about the
significance of literacy. They arrange meetings in their
Let us all become literate.
10
cities. They persuade educated people to come forward to eradicate the curse of illiteracy.
‘Each One Teach One’ and “You Who Can Read, Teach an Illiterate” are some common
slogans used to motivate people to spread the cause of literacy.
Our government is also doing its best in this direction. It has implemented Adult Education
Programmes under which adults are taught. In many states, education up to class V has
been made compulsory and children are provided with books free of cost.

World Health Day

The World Health Organisation (WHO) works to
promote better health throughout the world. This
agency chose to celebrate 7th April as Health Day.
It was first observed by the WHO on 7th April and
now it is celebrated all over the world.
Many programmes related to health are Fig. of a vaccination programme
promoted on this day. Awareness is created
among people about health and hygiene. They
are taught how to maintain good health and
prevent the spread of diseases. Many camps are
organised to give free medical aid to the poor.

Vaccinations keep away diseases.

Earth Day
Earth Day is celebrated on 22nd April throughout the world. It is a special day to think about
the ways in which we can take care of the Earth. It is celebrated to create an awareness
about the need of conservation of the Earth’s resources.
Recreational activities
We celebrate different festivals, national and international days. Besides these, we engage
ourselves in some recreational activities in our free time. Listening to music, watching
television reading books and dancing are some recreational activities. These recreational
activities help us to gain knowledge. They also give us an opportunity to interact with other
people.

Reading books
Reading books is a good habit. It increases our vocabulary and language skills. It also
helps us to gain knowledge about the world in an enjoyable way. Many of us love reading
storybooks and cartoon books. While reading a storybook, we come across various
characters living in different regions. Books are our best companions.

11
Television and radio
Today, television has become the most popular means of recreation. It is an audio-visual
medium of entertainment. We all enjoy watching television. We can watch a number of
programmes like news, serials, movies, cartoon shows and sports. We can also watch
several educational programmes on television. Over one hundred channels telecast
different types of programmes round the clock. Advanced satellite technology has made
it possible to watch the live telecast of latest events and the weather forecast. Watching
television has both good and bad aspects. Watching television for long hours is harmful. The
light rays coming out of the television screen can damage our eyes too.
We can listen to many programmes on the radio. We can listen to music on the radio.
It relaxes and refreshes our mind.

Visiting the weekly market

The weekly market is set up in almost every township. It is usually held on the roadside
once a week. We can buy many essential commodities from the weekly market like
vegetables, fruits pulses and spices at reasonable prices. Many people wait eagerly for the
weekly market.

• We celebrate many International Days all over the world.

• Environment Day, Earth Day and Health Day are some International Days.
• Recreational activities not only help us to gain knowledge but give us a
chance to interact with other people.
• Reading books, watching television, listening to the radio and going to the
weekly market are some other recreational activities.

Activity Time
Activity 1: Strike out the wrong words to complete these sentences.

1. World Environmental Day was declared by the UN in 1966 1972 .

2. World Health Day was first observed in 1966 1948 .

3. Health Earth Day is celebrated across the world on 5th June.

4. WHO UNESCO works to promote better health throughout the world.

12
 Activity 2: State whether True or False.

1. World International Day is not celebrated in India. _____________

2. WHO declared the International Literacy Day. _____________

3. Books are our best companions. _____________

4. Watching television does not have any bad effect. _____________

Activity 3: Draw lines to match correctly.

1. Literacy Day (a) 7th April
2. Environmental Day (b) 22nd April
3. Health Day (c) 8th September
4. Earth Day (d) 5th June

Activity 4: Answer these questions.

1. When do we celebrate World Health Day?

________________________________________________________________________________

2. Why do we celebrate World Environment Day?

________________________________________________________________________________

3. What does UNESCO stand for?

________________________________________________________________________________

4. Write the significance of World Literacy Day.

________________________________________________________________________________

5. How is watching the television harmful?

________________________________________________________________________________

Things To Do
1. Prepare a poster on environmental protection. Display it on your class bulletin board.
1I. Visit a weekly market in your locality with your parents. Write ten sentence about what you observe
there. Then discuss your observations with your classmates.

13
 4 Kinds of Work
We cannot do all the work ourselves. We are dependent on other people for several things.
For example, a milkman brings milk for us every morning. A newspaperman brings the
newspaper every morning. A maid servant helps us in our household work. A washerman
washes our clothes. Farmers, craftsmen and factory workers produce goods for us. They all
provide essential services to us.
All people work in different positions and capacities to earn their living. All work is
important. There is no good or bad work. Therefore, we must be thankful to the people
who help us. We must respect them.

House maid

Newspaperman

Milkman Laundry man

Mental and physical work

Some people work to earn a living. The work done by a person to earn a living is called a job
or an occupation. Jobs can be grouped as mental work and physical work. Doctors, teachers
and lawyers are examples of people who do mental work. They are highly educated people.
They require some training in their fields of work. People who work in offices also do
mental work. They are called white-collar workers.
Any work that involves physical labour is called physical work. Farmers, masons, carpenters,
cobblers and rickshawpullers do physical work. They are not highly educated people and
they do not require training to do their jobs. People who do physical work in industries are
called blue-collar workers.
14
Dignity of labour
In Kolkata a boy named Ishwar Chandra lived with his
father. His father was very poor and could not provide
his son with proper lighting facilities to study at night.
Ishwar Chandra was a brilliant and hard-working boy.
Later on, he became a renowned professor better known
as Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar. He used to do all his
work himself. Once while traveling to his hometown he
was mistaken to be a coolie. Instead of taking offence he
wrapped his shawl on his head and carried the suitcase of
the person who had taken him to be a coolie. When the
Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
gentleman offered him money, Ishwar Chandra refused,
and said, “I am not a coolie, I am Vidyasagar. This suitcase is not so heavy that you could not
carry it. We should not be ashamed of carrying our own luggage or doing our own work.”
That day the gentleman realized the dignity of labour. Respect for any kind of work and the
person who does it is called dignity of labour.

Mahatma Gandhi used to say that “Every job or work is

worship of God”. He believed in dignity of labour and respect
for all human beings. To set an example, he himself cleaned
the toilet of his house. He assured sweepers that there is
no disgrace in doing their job. He would call their work —
essential social work.
Many social reformers like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Swami
Vivekanand and Swami Dayananad worked hard to promote
Mahatma Gandhi the dignity of labour.

• We cannot do all the work ourselves.

• We are dependent on other people for many things.
• Any work done to earn a living is called a job or an occupation.
• Mental work needs good education and training.
• Physical work needs physical labour and training.
• Any type of work is equally important.
• Respect for every kind of work and the person who does it is called dignity
of labour.
• Many social reformers worked very hard to promote the dignity of labour.

15
 Activity Time
Activity 1: Strike out the wrong words to complete these sentences.

1. We can cannot do all work ourselves.

2. All people work in same different positions to earn their living.

3. Mental Physical work needs good education and training.

4. People who do physical work in industries are called white-collar blue-collar workers .

Activity 2: Fill in the blanks with the right words from the list given below.

occupation dependent household respect

1. A maid servant helps us in ________________ work.

2. We must ________________ the people who help us.

3. We are ________________ on other people for many things.

4. Any work done to earn a living is called an ________________ .

Activity 3: State whether True or False.

1. Doctors are considered blue-collar workers. _____________

2. We must be thankful to people who help us. _____________

3. Mahatma Gandhi did not believe in dignity of labour. _____________

4. Raja Ram Mohan Roy was a social reformer. _____________

Activity 4: Answer these questions.

1. Can we do all work ourselves?

________________________________________________________________________________

2. Who are white-collar workers?

________________________________________________________________________________

16
 3. Are blue-collar workers highly educated?

________________________________________________________________________________

4. Give any two examples of people who do physical work.

________________________________________________________________________________

5. What is dignity of labour?

________________________________________________________________________________

6. How should we treat people who help us?

________________________________________________________________________________

Things To Do
1. Imagine that the father of your classmate is a rickshawpuller. How would you treat him/her in school?
2. Talk to five persons in your neighbourhood. Then complete the table given below.

Questions White-collar worker Blue-collar worker

Name of the person ______________________ ______________________

Occupation ______________________ ______________________
Work timings ______________________ ______________________
Nature of work ______________________ ______________________
Contribution to the society ______________________ ______________________
Reason for choosing this work ______________________ ______________________

17
 Forests and
5 Tribal Life
Importance of forests
A forest is a large area of land covered with trees. It also has smaller plants such as mosses
and varieties of grasses as undergrowth along with, shrubs and wild flowers. Many wild
animals and birds live in forests. Forests are known for a variety of products which are very
useful to us. The major products include firewood and timber. Some trees such as pine and
deodar provide soft wood. This wood is used for building bridges, furniture and matchsticks.
We also get paper, rubber and gum from trees. Forests help to clean the air we breathe.
Green plants use carbon dioxide gas that we exhale to make their own food. They in turn,
give out oxygen gas which is essential for our survival. No human being can stay alive
without oxygen. Forests are also the home of wild animals.

Tribal life
There are about 437 tribal communities in India. Forests are home to many tribal
communities. Forests provide them with food, water and materials required for every day
living. The tribals living in forests feed on fruits and vegetables that they grow in forests.
They mostly feed on berries and nuts. They build their shelter with the branches of trees.
To earn their livelihood, they sell the things that grow in the forest. They sell wood, bamboo
products, pattals and gum to earn money. In India, people living in forests are known as
adivasis. They share a close bond with the natural world. They practise several ancient
customs and traditions.

Tribal life
18
Dependence of tribal people on forest products
Tribal people lead a simple life. They are dependent on the forests they live in. They get
food, fuel, fodder and timber from forests. They use the wood of trees as fuel and to
make boats. They make brooms, goblets, pipes and containers from natural materials like
bamboo, grass and leaves. They make medicines from the resins of pine trees and the bark
of cinchona trees. Forests are the main part of social, religious and cultural lives of tribals.
But deforestation has destroyed their homes, livelihood and culture. Deforestation is the
excessive cutting of trees in forests without planting new ones.
Forests and trees are often regarded to be sacred in India. Sacred groves are a unique
tradition in India. The term ‘sacred groves’ refers to special areas of forests containing
trees that are on the verge of extinction. Tribal people protect these groves. They call them
‘devovans’ or ‘drorais’. They do not allow people to cut trees and kill animals in these areas.
The following table shows some plants and animals that are protected and worshiped by
some tribal communities.

Tribes Sacred plants Sacred animals

Orissa tribes sal, mango, and mahua black bucks, fawns and
trees pregnant doves

Khond tribes of Kalahandi salap tree the tiger

Ankiya Konda of Gujarat sarai, bel and orange trees —

The Chipko Movement or Chipko Andolan

The word ‘chipko‘ means ‘to hug the trees’.
The Chipko Movement was started in Tehri
Garhwal in 1973 when a sports goods
company came to cut down the forest trees.
To prevent the cutting down of trees, villagers
embraced them. The villagers were led by
Chandi Prasad Bhatt. By hugging the trees, the
people were able to protect them. One of the
greatest leaders of the movement, Sunderlal
Bahuguna appealed to the then Prime
Minister to order the authorities to stop the
felling of trees. The government finally agreed
and took steps to stop deforestation. Stop felling down our trees.

19
The Chipko Movement gave rise to many other movements to conserve the environment.
Namely:
• The Narmada Bachao Andolan in Gujarat
• The Chilka Lake Agitation in Odisha
• The Appiko Movement in Karnataka
The Bishnois are a community of people living in many parts of India. For the Bishnois of
Rajasthan, preservation of plants and animals is a religion. They are known to be ardent
lovers of nature. Amrita Devi Bishnoi believed that it is worth saving a tree even at the cost
of one’s life.

• A forest is a large area of land covered with trees and has thick
undergrowth where many wild animals live.
• Forests are known for a variety of products that are useful to us.
• Forests help to clean the air we breathe.
• The tribal people are completely dependent on forests.
• Deforestation has destroyed the homes of the tribal people.
• Deforestation is the excessive cutting of trees without planting new ones.
• The Chipko was a movement to protect trees.
• Forests and trees are often regarded to be sacred in India.

Activity Time
Activity 1: Strike out the wrong words to complete these sentences.

1. Green plants use oxygen carbon dioxide gas to make their food.

2. Tribal communities can cannot stay alive without forests.

3. Afforestation Deforestation is the excessive felling of trees without planting new ones.

4. The Chipko Movement was started in 1973 1793 .

20
 Activity 2: Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the list.

adivasis trees protect home clean

1. A forest is a large area of land covered with _______________ .

2. Forests help to _______________ the air we breathe in.

3. Forests are the _______________ for many tribal communities.

4. The Chipko Movement means a movement to _______________ the trees.

5. In India, people living in forests are known as _______________ .

Activity 3: State whether True or False.

1. Forests give us no wood. _____________

2. Forests provide the tribal communities with food. _____________

3. India is the home to about 437 tribal communities. _____________

4. Tribals do not consider any animal as sacred. _____________

Activity 4: Answer these questions.

1. What is a forest?

________________________________________________________________________________

2. Who are adivasis?

________________________________________________________________________________

3. Name any two sacred plants in India.

________________________________________________________________________________

4. Name any two sacred animals in India.

________________________________________________________________________________

21
 5. What do tribals use to make their homes?

________________________________________________________________________________

6. Why do we need forests?

________________________________________________________________________________

Things To Do
1. Prepare a poster on saving trees and the environment. Paste it on the display board in your school.

2. Find out the names of some national forests and wildlife sanctuaries.

22
 UNIT 2: OUR BODY AND ITS FUNCTIONS

6 Our Body
External and internal organs
Our body is made up of many parts. Each of these parts is called an organ. We can see some
organs of our body. They are called external organs. The head, sense organs and the limbs
are external organs of our body. Some organs of our body are not visible. They are located
inside our body. They are called internal organs. The brain, lungs and heart are examples of
internal organs of our body.
Each organ of our body performs a specific function. Some organs perform only one
function. For example, the heart pumps the blood around the body. Some organs perform
more than one function. For example, the kidneys remove waste and regulate water in
the body. A group of related organs which perform a similar function constitute an organ
system. The skeletal system, the respiratory system and the digestive system are some
organ systems of our body.

Our internal body structure skull

Our body is made of some hard things called bones.
Bones are not visible. We can feel them. Bones in
the body join together to form the skeletal system. forelimb
The frame of bones that supports the human body
rib cage
is called the skeleton. The given picture shows the
human skeleton. The skeleton of an adult human is
made up of 206 bones. At birth a human baby has 350
bones. As the baby grows into an adult, some bones
fuse together. The bones in our body are of different
shapes and sizes. The bones of our head, shoulders
and hips are flat. The bones of our limbs are long. Our backbone
palms and feet have short bones. The backbone has an hind limb
irregular shape as it is made up of many small bones.
Fact File
Bones are made up of calcium, phosphorus and
protein. These substances give hardness to the bones.
The human skeleton

23
Functions of our skeleton
The skeleton gives a particular shape to our body. It supports our body. It also helps to
protect the delicate organs in the body. The brain is protected by the skull. The skull is
a bony structure that surrounds and protects our brain from any injury. The rib cage is a
structure of ribs. The ribs are thin, flat and curved bones. The rib cage protects our heart
and lungs.

Joints
The point at which two separate bones meet is
called a joint. There are several kinds of joints in vertebra
ribs and vertebrae (cartilagenous
our body. Freely movable joints, slightly movable (semi-mobile joints) joints)
joints and immovable joints are some of them. Our
arms and legs have freely movable joints. The spine
skull
has slightly movable joints. The joints in the skull (immovable joints)
are immovable. Our bones cannot move. Bones
and muscles work together to move our body. elbow hip
(hinged joint) (ball and
Different kinds of joints socket joint)

Height
We have two eyes, two ears, one nose, one mouth, two arms
and two legs. Though we have the same body parts, our
body differs in shape and size from others. As we grow, our
body increases in size. Our height increases as we grow. The
clothes and shoes that we wore two years ago are smaller for
us now. It means our height and size has increased. Different
members in a family have different heights.
We are all different
Everybody is unique
Every member in a family is unique. He/she has some qualities and skills. Let us read about
Nidhi’s family. Nidhi lives in a joint family. There are seven
members in her family. Her grandfather is the tallest in her
family. He has a beard. Nidhi’s father speaks softly and
he is a good musician. Nidhi’s mother is a very good
cook. She makes very delicious idlis and dosas.
Nidhi’s aunt has long, black hair and she
is a good dancer. She teaches kathak
dance in a school. Nidhi’s elder sister
has a sweet voice. She is a very good
singer. Nidhi’s uncle speaks the loudest
in the family. Nidhi is a good athlete. She
Nidhi’s family
has won many medals.
24
Our likes and dislikes
We all have some likes and dislikes. Our likes and dislikes may be same or different. Our
sense organs are responsible for our likes and dislikes. Each of us has a different choice
of colours, food, dresses, flowers, fruits, movies and games. Some of us like reading
comic books, others may like reading short stories and novels. Some of us like pop music,
somebody else may like classical music. If we like light colours, somebody else may like dark
colours. Non-vegetarians like the smell of fish, eggs and meat. Vegetarians do not like the
smell of these things.
The people living with us influence our likes and dislikes. Our surroundings influence our
likes and dislikes. We all dislike the foul smell of garbage.

Special people
The sense organs of some people function differently.
A lady named Helen Keller was blind and deaf. She
was a great author. Once she wrote “the best and most
beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even
touched. They must be felt within the heart.” Born in
1880, Helen was struck down by an incurable disease
at the age of only nineteen months. The disease left
her deaf and blind. But she overcame her disabilities
and became special. She was the first person to get a
university degree in her time. She travelled to more
than 39 countries. She gave talks on many subjects and
Helen Keller
became internationally famous.
People who cannot see are blind or visually impaired.
They use the Braille system to read and write. They
read Braille by running their fingertips along the raised
dots. In the Braille system, each letter of the alphabet
is made up of a combination of six raised dots arranged
in a rectangle. Each rectangle has two columns of three
dots each. Today, the system is used in several different
languages.
People who cannot speak and hear use sign language
to communicate. Sign language requires making
gestures through various body parts like the head,
Braille script
hands and face.

25
Living with physical challenges
There are some people who cannot walk or move. Special
wheelchairs are available for these people. Public places
like railway stations and airports have ramps built alongside
staircases. These are for people who use wheelchairs.
Wheelchairs can go up and down the ramps. There may
also be people who are special in the way their mind works.
They may not be able to remember things well. They may be
suffering from mental ailments. The government has taken
Our special friend James
some measures to help physically challenged people. For
example, we can see seats specified for such people in public buses and metro-trains.

• Our body is made up of many parts called organs.

• The framework of bones that supports the human body is called a skeleton.
• There are 206 bones in an adult’s body.
• The skull protects the brain from any injury.
• The rib cage which is made up of bones protects our heart and lungs.
• Every member in a family has some special qualities and skills.
• Blind people use the Braille script to read and write.
• Deaf and dumb people use sign language to communicate.
• The government has taken some measures to help physically challenged
people.

Activity Time
Activity 1: Strike out the wrong words to complete these sentences.

1. The brain is an interanl external organ.

2. We can see feel bones in our body.

3. There are 452 206 bones in our body.

4. The deaf blind persons use sign language.

26
 Activity 2: Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the list.

increases brain specific skeleton short

1. Each organ of our body performs a ________________ function.

2. The framework of bones supporting the body is called ________________.

3. The skull protects our ________________ .

4. Our palms and feet have ________________ bones.

5. Our height ________________ as we grow.

Activity 3: State whether True or False.

1. A newborn baby has 305 bones. _____________

2. The rib cage protects the heart. _____________

3. All of us have likes and dislikes. _____________

4. Our surroundings never influence our likes and dislikes. _____________

Activity 4: Answer these questions.

1. What are external organs?

________________________________________________________________________________

2. Name any three internal organs.

________________________________________________________________________________

3. What is an organ system?

________________________________________________________________________________

4. Give the functions of the human skeleton.

________________________________________________________________________________

5. What is a joint?

________________________________________________________________________________

27
 6. Name the two organs in our body that have movable joints.

________________________________________________________________________________

7. What do
a) blind people use to read?

_____________________________________________________________________________

b) deaf and dumb people use to communicate?

_____________________________________________________________________________

Things To Do
1. Find out about the life of Stephen Hawking. Why is he special? Write your thoughts about him. Then
discuss his achievements with your classmates.

2. Complete the table about you and two of your friends.

Me Ist Friend IInd Friend

Favourite food
Favourite colour
Favourite singer
Favourite
sportsperson
State you belong to
Favourite comic book

28
 Blow Hot and
7 Blow Cold
Breathing
We breathe air to stay alive. The process of taking in and giving out
air is called breathing. The lungs help us in this process. Our lungs
are located in a rib cage which is made of bones. Breathing causes
nose
expansion and contraction of the chest. Our lungs and ribcage
expand when we breathe in air. They contract when we breathe trachea or
wind pipe
out air. The process of breathing in is called inhalation or
inspiration. The process of breathing out is called exhalation
lungs
or expiration. During inhalation we take in air rich in oxygen
gas. During exhalation, we breathe out air rich in carbon
dioxide gas. The whole process of inhalation and exhalation
is called respiration. This process is carried out by the
respiratory system in our body. The nose, windpipe and Respiratory system in humans
lungs are the main organs of the respiratory system. We breathe in air through our nose.
Our lungs are two sac like structures. They are located in the chest. The lungs are connected
to the nose through the windpipe. Lungs have several air sac, that are covered by a network
of tubes. Oxygen present in the inhaled air enters the air sacs through the windpipe. Blood
absorbs this oxygen. It carries the oxygen to all parts of our body. Nutrients come along
with the blood. They provide energy to our body.

Fact File
The nose has small fine hair and a sticky fluid called mucus Smoking poisons the cells that
which traps dust particles, thus preventing them from line the lungs. Thus, it damages
our lungs. Regular smokers
entering our body when we breathe in through the nose. often suffer from lung diseases.
But, if we breathe in through the mouth, dust particles can
easily enter our body.

The heart and heart beat

Have you seen blood oozing out of wounds? Blood is a very special liquid. It is also called
the river of life. On an average a healthy adult human body has 4 to 5 litres of blood. It
circulates throughout the body every 2 to 3 minutes. The continuous movement of blood
around the body is called blood circulation. Let us now study how blood goes to all parts
29
of our body. The heart pumps blood to every part of our body. It is a
muscular organ. It is located in the chest cavity. It helps blood to travel
throughout the body. We can feel the pumping action of the heart
by placing our fingers on the inner side of our wrist. When we run or
excercise, we breathe faster to take in more air. The heart of a healthy
adult beats 72 times a minute. It beats about 10,000 times a day. It
slows down when we are asleep. Every time the heart beats, it pumps
blood to all parts of the body. Heart
Place the fingers of your right hand on the back of your left wrist, a little below your thumb.
You can feel the pulse or the regular movement of your blood through your body. Now,
count the number of times your heart beats in a minute, this is called the pulse rate.

Fact File
The pulse rate of a new born
baby is about 140 heart beats per
minute whereas for old people it
can be about 60 per minute.

Find your pulse rate

Blowing hot and blowing cold
Breathing helps us in several ways. We blow on something hot to cool it. For example, we
try to cool hot milk or tea by blowing on it. The milk or tea cools down as our breath is
cooler than the hot milk or tea. When we feel cold, we blow on our hands. It makes them
warmer. Our body has a steady temperature. Due to this, the air we breathe out is warm
and humid. Temperature shows how hot or cold something is. Oxygen gas present in air
helps the fire to burn. In villages, we use coal and wood as fuel to cook food. We frequently
blow air through a pipe to light the fire. This is done to increase the supply of air. When we
blow on the fire, the ash particles fly aside.
As a result, the burning fuel gets more oxygen and starts burning faster.

Oxygen present in air is required for burning

30
 • We breathe in air that is rich oxygen gas.
• The process of taking in and giving out air is called breathing.
• We breathe out air that is rich in carbon dioxide.
• The process of taking in oxygen is called inhalation and giving out carbon
dioxide is called exhalation.
• The process of inhalation and exhalation is called respiration.
• The nose, wind pipe and lungs are the main organs of the respiratory
system.
• The air we breathe out is warmer than the air we breathe in.

Activity Time
Activity 1: Strike out the wrong words to complete these sentences.

1. The whole process of breathing in oxygen and breathing out carbon dioxide is called
inspiration respiration .

2. The heart beats approximately 10,000 1,00,000 times a day.

3. Air sacs are covered with a network of tubes that carry blood air .

4. Fire needs oxygen carbon dioxide to burn.

Activity 2: Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the list.

cool bones fire nose windpipe

1. The rib cage is made of ________________ .

2. Our lungs are connected to the nose through the ________________ .

3. We breathe in air through our ________________ .

4. We blow on something hot to ________________ it.

5. Oxygen helps the ________________ to burn.

31
 Activity 3: State whether True or False.

1. Respiration does not need lungs. _____________

2. Our heart beats faster when we run. _____________

3. Lungs are connected to the nose. _____________

4. We inhale air rich in carbon dioxide. _____________

Activity 4: Draw lines to match correctly.

1. Exhalation (a) Respiration

2. Blowing over hot food (b) Pumps blood
3. Heart (c) Carbon dioxide
4. Inhaling and exhaling (d) Blowing cold

Activity 5: Answer these questions.

1. Define the term ‘breathing’.

________________________________________________________________________________

2. Name the gas that we breathe out.

________________________________________________________________________________

3. What is respiration?

________________________________________________________________________________

4. Name the main organs of our respiratory system.

________________________________________________________________________________

5. Give one difference between inhalation and exhalation.

________________________________________________________________________________

32
 6. What does the heart do?

________________________________________________________________________________

7. Why should we breathe in air through our nose?

________________________________________________________________________________

Things To Do
1. Take a looking mirror. Hold it just in front of your mouth. Blow onto the surface of the mirror. What
do you observe on the mirror’s surface. Discuss your observations with your friends.

2. Place your right hand on your chest. Feel how fast your chest is contracting and expanding. Now
run a distance of about 100 metres. Find out how many times you breathe by placing your right
hand on the chest. Share your experience with your classmates.

33
 From Tasting to
8 Digestion
Tasting food
No living thing can survive without food. However, we do
not eat just to live, we can also taste food. All of us like to
eat tasty food. Don’t we?
Our tongue helps us to taste food. The taste buds present
on the tongue help us to identify different tastes, i.e.,
sweet, salty, sour and bitter. The taste buds present at the
front and centre of the tongue taste sweet things. The taste
buds at the front of the tongue also identify salty things.
Those on the sides taste sour things. Those at the back of
the tongue help to identify bitter things. Our tongue helps us to taste food

The digestive system

The process of breaking down of food into simpler forms
mouth
that the body can use is called digestion. The mouth,
stomach, small intestine and large intestine together with
the liver form our digestive system. The digestive system esophagus
tongue
helps us to digest the food that we eat. We take in food
through the mouth. The teeth help to break down the
food into simpler form. When we chew the food, it gets
mixed with saliva. Saliva is a juicy fluid secreted by the
mouth. It makes the food moist and easy to swallow. From stomach
the mouth, the food enters the stomach. In the stomach, liver
the food is mixed with other digestive juices. The food is gallbladder
partially digested here. Then it enters the small intestine. pancreas
Juices of the small intestine completely digest the food. large
intestine
The completely digested food is absorbed by the blood.
small
The blood takes it to all parts of the body. The undigested intestine
and unabsorbed food goes to the large intestine. It is rectum anus
passed out of our body as faeces. The digestive system

34
Nutrients from food
The food we eat helps us in many ways. It gives us energy. It helps us to grow. It helps to
protect us from diseases. The food we eat contains different chemical substances, called
nutrients. The nutrients are useful substances that our body needs to do all its activities.
They can be grouped as energy-giving food, body-building food and protective food.

Energy-giving food
Carbohydrates and fats are energy-giving foods. Fats give more energy than carbohydrates.
Foods containing sugar and starch are rich in carbohydrates. Some sources of carbohydrates
are wheat, rice, potato, banana and milk. Ghee, butter and vegetable oil are common
sources of fats.

Body-building food
Proteins are body building foods. They help our body to grow. Some sources of proteins are
pulses, milk, fish, eggs and meat.

Protective foods
Vitamins and minerals are protective foods. They protect our body against diseases.
Eggs, green leafy vegetables, salt, meat and fish are common sources of vitamins
and minerals.
About fifteen vitamins and twenty-one minerals are needed by our body.
Our body also needs roughage and water. They are not nutrients. They do not give us
energy. Roughage keeps our digestive system in good working order. We get roughage from
fruits and vegetables.

A balanced diet and its importance

To keep our body healthy, we should have
balanced meals. Balanced meals give us all
the substances (nutrients) that our body
needs in proper proportion. A diet that
contains carbohydrates, fats, proteins,
vitamins and minerals in the right
proportion is called a balanced diet.
The deficiency of nutrients in our body
results in various deficiency diseases.
The following table shows some diseases
caused by deficiency of some nutrients along
with their sources.

Balance your diet by choosing food from each section.

35
 Disease Caused by deficiency of Food needed to prevent it
Night blindness Vitamin A Tomatoes, green leafy
vegetables, carrots, butter
Beri-Beri Vitamin B Peas, fruits, milk
(thin, weak body)
Scurvy Vitamin C Citrus fruits, lemon, tomatoes
(bleeding gums)
Rickets Vitamin D Sunlight, milk, eggs, vegetables
(fragile bones)
Anaemia Iron Dry fruits, fish, green vegetables
(weakness)
Goitre Iodine Milk, yoghurt, eggs
Kwashiorkor Protein Meat, eggs, pulses
(low appetite,
swollen belly)

Different food habits

Food habits are changing because of a variety in food items. People all over the world cook
differently. Yet, traditional diets are balanced and suitable to a community’s lifestyle and the
climate of the place in which people live.
With the advancement in science and technology, new Fact File
Earlier, Roman emperors collected
varieties of crops have been introduced. Modern means ice from near by mountains. Royal
of transport and communication have helped us get food cooks used this ice to make a cool
grown in different climates. Mangoes which are grown in desert by mixing ice with honey
India are exported to different European countries. We can and fruit juices.
easily get vegetables and fruits grown in cooler climates.

Famine
Famine is a condition when people living in an area do not get enough food for a long time.
It can be natural or man-made. Sometimes, there is no rainfall or a little rainfall for some
years. The crops do not grow in these areas. This leads to a natural famine. Sometimes,
animals like rats destroy food grains in stores. This can also result in natural famine. During
such times some people hoard food grains. They do not sell them in the market. They sell
these food grains at a very high price to get a big profit. As a result, there is a shortage of
food grains in the market. Poor people cannot buy food at high rates. This leads to a man-
made famine.
36
 • All living things need food.
• Our tongue has taste buds which help us to taste food.
• The process of breaking down of food into simple forms that our body can
use is called digestion.
• The mouth, stomach, small intestine and large intestine are organs of our
digestive system.
• The chemical substances required by our bodies in the food we eat are
called nutrients.
• Carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals are main nutrients that
our body needs.
• A balanced diet provides us with all the nutrients our body needs in the
right amount.
• Deficiency of nutrients in our body results in various deficiency diseases.

Activity Time
Activity 1: Strike out the wrong words to complete these sentences.

1. All living things need do not need food.

2. There are six four types of taste buds on the tongue.

3. The liver mouth is not an organ of our digestive system.

4. Carbohydrates are protective energy-giving foods.

Activity 2: Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the list.

taste roughage grow body-building protective

1. The food that we eat helps us to ________________ .

2. Proteins are ________________ foods.

3. Minerals are ________________ foods.

4. Taste buds help us to ________________ .

5. We get ________________ from vegetables and fruits.

37
 Activity 3: State whether True or False.

1. Plants do not need food. _____________

2. Taste buds present on the sides of the tongue help us to identify sweet things. _____________

3. Roughage and water are nutrients. _____________

4. Famine can be both natural and man-made. _____________

Activity 4: Answer these questions.

1. How is the food we eat helpful to us?

________________________________________________________________________________

2. What is digestion?

________________________________________________________________________________

3. Name the organs of our digestive system.

________________________________________________________________________________

4. What are nutrients?

________________________________________________________________________________

5. Name the nutrients that protect our body against diseases.

________________________________________________________________________________

6. What is a famine?

________________________________________________________________________________

Things To Do
1. Prepare a chart of deficiency diseases and their symptoms. Paste it on the notice board in school.
Discuss with your classmates how these diseases can be prevented.
2. Ask your grandparents or elders in your family to tell you whether they ate the same kind of food as
you do when they were of your age.

38
 UNIT 3: OUR SURROUNDINGS

9 Living and
Nonliving Things
Environment
There are many things in our surroundings. They include plants, animals, human beings,
stones, rivers, lakes, ponds, soil, etc. Some of these things are living and others are
nonliving. Plants, animals and human beings are living things. All living and nonliving
things interact with one another to make up our environment. We are also part of the
environment. So, the environment is the natural state of the air, water, land, animals and
plants in the world.
Biotic and abiotic components
Plants, animals and human beings are living things. They are also called biotic components
of the environment. Nonliving things like air, water, soil and light are nonliving or abiotic
components of the environment.
Living things show the following characteristics
Movement: Living things can move. Animals and human beings can move from one place to
another. Plants cannot move from one place to another. But their leaves, stems and flowers
show movement.
Growth: All living things grow in size.
Reproduction: All living things reproduce offsprings of their own kinds.
Sensitivity: All living things feel. Animals and human beings can see, smell, hear and touch.
Plants are also sensitive to touch.
Nutrition: All living things need food (nutrients) to grow.
These characteristics are common to all plants and animals. However, plants and animals
differ in many ways. Some of the differences between plants and animals are given
below.
Animals Plants
l Animals can move from one place to another. l Most plants are fixed to the soil.
l They cannot prepare their own food. l They can prepare their own food.

l They have a definite body form. l They do not have a definite body form.

l They grow till a certain age. l They grow as long as they are alive.

39
Interdependence of living things
There is interdependence among living things. Plants, animals and human beings are living
things. All animals and human beings depend on plants in many ways. We depend on
plants for things such as food, clothes and medicines. Similarly, we get milk, eggs and meat
from animals. Thus, we depend on animals as well. Animals depend on plants for food and
shelter. Plants also depend on human beings and animals for carbon dioxide. Animals and
human beings release carbon dioxide during respiration. Plants use this carbon dioxide to
make their food.
Living things can be grouped as producers, consumers and
decomposers, producers
All green plants are able to prepare food. The green leaves
prepare food for the plant. They use sunlight, carbon dioxide
from the air, water and chlorophyll to prepare food. This
process is called photosynthesis. During this process, oxygen
gas is released by plants. This oxygen is available to us for
breathing. Since plants can make their food themselves, they
are called producers. They are also called autotrophs. Photosynthesis

Consumers
Some animals provide us food. Animals depend on plants and other animals for their
food. Since animals and human beings consume food prepared by plants, they are called
consumers. On the basis of the type of food, animals can be divided into three categories—
herbivores, carnivores and omnivores.
Herbivores: The animals that eat only plants or plant products are herbivores. They are also
called primary consumers. Animals like goat, deer, cows, camels, elephants, giraffes, sheep
and buffaloes are primary consumers.
Carnivores: Those consumers which eat only flesh of other animals are called carnivores or
carnivorous animals. Animals like the lion, tiger, fox, wolf, etc., are carnivores.
Some carnivores like jackals, crows, hyenas and vultures consume the dead bodies of other
animals. They are called scavengers. Thus, scavengers help in keeping the environment clean.
Omnivores: Animals that eat all types of food (plants and animals) are called omnivores.
Human beings, rats, dogs and bears, are omnivores.

Herbivores Carnivores Scavengers Omnivores

40
Decomposers
There are some organisms that cannot be seen with the
naked eyes. They decompose the dead bodies of animals
and plants. They are called decomposers. Bacteria and
fungi are examples of decomposers. They break down the
dead bodies of plants and animals into minerals. Minerals
get mixed with the soil. These minerals are again taken
up from the soil by plants. This process is called recycling.
Bacteria and fungi are also called microorganisms. Bacteria

Interdependence of living and nonliving things

Living and nonliving things constantly interact one another. For example, we drink water
when we feel thirsty. Water is a nonliving or an abiotic component. Plants and animals,
need water, air and sunlight to survive. Thus, plants, animals and human being are
dependent on abiotic components. This dependence of living things (biotic) and nonliving
things (abiotic) components is called interdependence. Every single thing in the world is
interdependent. All living and nonliving things keep their balance in nature.
The food chain
There is interdependence between plants and animals. Every organism on the Earth needs
energy to perform several activities. The Sun is the ultimate source of energy. Plants use
sunlight to prepare their food. They store this energy in their food. Herbivores get this
energy when they eat plants. Carnivores get this energy when they eat herbivores. The
feeding relationships and energy flow forms a chain. Since food is involved in this chain, it is
called food chain. Thus, a food chain is a group of plants and animals which feed upon each
other. A food chain starts with a plant and ends with a consumer. Look at the food chains
given below:
A deer eats grass. A lion eats the deer. This forms a food chain. In this food chain, the
energy passes from the Sun to the grass to the deer and finally to the lion. Now a

eaten by eaten by

grass deer lion

eaten by eaten by

grass grasshopper birds

41
grasshopper eats grass. A bird eats the grasshopper. This forms another food chain. In this
food chain, the energy passes from the Sun to the grass to the grasshopper and finally to
the bird.
Animals and plants form complex food chains called a food web. A food web is a network of
food chains. It shows all the feeding relationships between organisms.

Fact File
No organism can live in isolation. It lives in the
company of other organisms. All organisms at
a place constitute a community called a biotic
community. A biotic community includes
plant communities, animal communities and
communities of microorganisms. The place a biotic
community occupies is called a habitat.

Food web
Insectivorous plants
There are some plants that eat small insects. They are
called insectivorous plants. They also make their food by
photosynthesis. The pitcher plant and Venus flytrap are
examples of insectivorous plants. Sundew and bladderwort
are other insectivorous plants. The leaves of a pitcher plant Fig of a pitcher plant
look like a pitcher. The hollow bottom of the plant has a sweet
smelling liquid. It attracts insects. When an insect enters
the pitcher, the lid closes. The insect gets trapped in the
pitcher and is then digested. Pitcher plants fulfil their protein
requirements by trapping insects. Insectivorous pitcher plant

The leaves of the Venus flytrap plants have tentacles. These tentacles enable the plant to
trap and kill insects. When an insect sits on the leaf, the tentacles trap it.

Fact File
Some plants grow on other plants. They get their
food from them. They are called parasitic plants.
Mushrooms and fungi are parasitic plants.
Kelp is a plant. It can grow in very long strands of
up to 65 m. It is fastened to the seabed with a
root-like organ called a hold fast.

Flytrap plant
42
 • Plants, animals and human beings are living things. They are also called
biotic components of the environment.
• Air, water, light and soil are abiotic components of the environment.
• Living things interact with nonliving things.
• Plant can prepare their own food while animals cannot.
• Plants are called producers and animals consumers.
• A food chain shows the feeding relationship between living things.
• A network of food chains is called a food web.
• Plants that feed on insects are called insectivorous plants.

Activity Time
Activity 1: Strike out the wrong words to complete these sentences.

1. All green plants are called consumers autotrophs .

2. The lion is an omnivorous a carnivorous animal.

3. Water is a abiotic biotic component of the environment.

4. Mushroom is a parasitic an insectivorous plant.

Activity 2: Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the list.

insectivorous food environment scavengers living

1. Interaction of the living and nonliving things form our ________________ .

2. Animals that feed on dead bodies of animals are called ________________ .

3. Plants can prepare their own ________________ .

4. A food chain shows the feeding relationships between ________________ things.

5. A pitcher plant is an ________________ plant.

Activity 3: State whether True or False.

1. We depend on plants and animals for our food. _____________

2. Plants do not depend on animals for their survival. _____________

43
 3. Bacteria and fungi are parasitic plants. _____________

4. Omnivores are also called scavengers. _____________

5. Living things and nonliving things do not interact with one another. _____________

Activity 4: Draw lines to match correctly.

1. Fungi (a) Herbivores
2. Crows (b) Carnivores
3. Hyenas (c) Decomposers
4. Horses (d) Omnivores
5. Cheetahs (e) Scavengers

Activity 5: Answer these questions.

1. Why are plants called autotrophs?

________________________________________________________________________________

2. Why are animals called consumers?

________________________________________________________________________________

3. How are scavengers useful to us?

________________________________________________________________________________

4. What are decomposers?

________________________________________________________________________________

5. What is a food chain?

________________________________________________________________________________

6. What is a food web?

________________________________________________________________________________

7. Give any two difference between plants and animals.

________________________________________________________________________________

44
 Things To Do
1. Put a cross (7) against the thing to which the given features are not applicable and a tick (3) to
those which are applicable features.
Name Exhibits Shows Breathes Takes food Reproduces Moves from
growth its own kind one place to
another
Neem tree

Boat

Housefly

Kite

Balloon

Clock

2. Solve this puzzle of living and nonliving things by filling in the blanks.
C
(a) Petrol is my food. I move on the road. I am a nonliving things. M
(b) I am sensitive to touch. I am a plant. S
(c) I am the ultimate source of energy. M
(d) I have four legs. But I can walk on two legs like man. N
P
(e) A bird lays eggs in it and hatches them.
N
(f) Animals and human beings depend upon us for their food.
(g) I am a tree. You feel cool under my shade.

45
 10 Animal Senses
Sense organs
We have five sense organs. They are the eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin. They help us to
find out more about the world around us.
Like us, animals too have sense organs. They have
different sense organs for vision, hearing, smell,
taste and touch. They respond to changes in their
environment using these sense organs. They respond
to things like food, light, sound and pain with the help
of these sense organs. If we place a piece of laddu on
the ground, many ants collect around it after some
time. The ants use their sense organs to lead them to Ants have a sharp sense of smell
the laddu (food). Different animals respond differently
to the same stimulus.

Sense of sight
In animals, birds have an amazing power of vision. They
use their power of vision to spot food while flying in
the sky. Eagles, kites and hawks are birds of prey. Their
eyeballs are about 11 times bigger than our eyeballs.
They can locate their prey on the ground while flying
high above in the sky. Falcons can see small objects
from a distance of about 1.5 km. This extraordinary
power of vision enables them to easily spot their prey.
They then swoop down to attack the prey. Power of vision

Fact File We cannot see very clearly in the dark.

We have one lens in our eyes. Some insects
have several lenses in their eyes. Such eyes
However, nocturnal animals like owls can see
are called compound eyes. These eyes help clearly at night. Their eyes are especially made
the insects to detect movement and see for night vision. They catch their prey only at
almost 360° around them. night. Their eyes are bigger than our eyes.

46
Sense of hearing
Most animals hear by detecting movements in the air. Dogs have a strong sense of hearing.
They can hear very soft sounds that we cannot hear. Some animals depend on their power
of hearing for food. They use their power of hearing to escape from enemies. Bats are such
animals. They are nocturnal animals. They have a strong power of hearing. But they have
a poor sense of vision. They use their power of hearing to find their prey. Hearing is vital
to bats. If the ears of a bat are covered, it will crash into objects when it tries to fly. Lions,
tigers and elephants have a strong power of hearing. Elephants can hear with their trunks.
They can also hear very soft sounds.
Some insects have hearing organs in different parts of the body. Crickets have hearing
organs on their forelimbs. The fine hair on the legs of spiders act as organs of hearing.
Grasshoppers have the sense of hearing on their abdomen.

Bat Cricket Grasshopper

Sense of smell
Mammals have a good sense of smell. Mammals are animals that suckle their babies. Dogs
and cats are mammals. They have a strong sense of smell. The nose of a dog is about a
thousand times more sensitive than our nose. The sense of smell enables dogs to find their
food. They also use their sense of smell to follow trails and recognise danger. They can
identify a person from a distance by his/her odour. This is the reason why police use dogs to
find missing people and criminals. Snakes and lizards have smell organs inside their mouth.
When they flick their forked tongue, they are actually smelling.

A snake can also smell.

Sense of taste
We taste things with our tongue. Our tongue has taste buds. These taste buds help us to
enjoy the tastes of different things. Like us, animals can also taste food. Most animals can
taste food without using their tongue. Some animals have taste buds in their mouth. Some

47
animals use the same organs to taste and smell. Animals like fish
that live in water are aquatic animals. Some fish have taste buds
in their mouth. Some fish have taste buds on their fins and skin.
Some insects have taste buds on their legs. Bees and houseflies
know the taste of a thing by walking on it. Earthworms have
taste buds all over their body.

Sense of touch Bees enjoy the taste of honey

Our sense organ of touch is our skin. Some animals have the
sense of touch in different body parts. For example, whiskers
of a cat act as the sense organ of touch. They enable the cat
to feel its way through the underbrush. They help the cat to
avoid bumping into objects. A cat has 12 whiskers on each
side of its nose. It has 24 whiskers in all. Cats also use their
Cat’s whiskers are whiskers as hunting tools. Birds use their beaks as a sense
sense organs of touch organ of touch. A woodpecker uses the tip of its beak to
locate worms underground.
Do animals sleep?
All of us need to sleep. If we do not sleep well at
night, we feel uneasy and cannot work. Sleep is
also necessary for animals. All mammals, reptiles
and birds sleep at different times of the day.
All of us dream when we sleep. Cows, giraffes,
kangaroos and zebras also dream while sleeping,
Different animals sleep in different ways.
Some animals love to sleep during unfavorable
conditions. This is known as hibernation. Dogs
All animals need to sleep
and cats sleep for a short interval of time. A
giraffe needs about 115 minutes of sleep a day. Nocturnal animals like bats and owls sleep
during the day. Other animals sleep during the night.

• Like us, animals have sense organs for vision, hearing, smell, taste and touch.
• Different animals have different sense organs.
• Sense organs of animals are stronger than our sense organs.
• Birds of prey like hawks, eagles and kites have a strong sense of vision.
• Dogs, cats and bats have an amazing sense of hearing.
• Snakes and lizards use their forked tongue to smell and touch.
• Aquatic animals have the same organs to taste and smell.
• All animal need to sleep.

48
 Activity Time
Activity 1: Strike out the wrong words to complete these sentences.
1. Animals have have no sense organs.

2. Different animals have different same sense organs.

3. Nocturnal animals can cannot see things at night.

4. Elephants can hear with their teeth trunks .

5. The dog’s nose is more less sensitive than ours.

Activity 2: Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the list.

nocturnal abdomen strong softer hear bigger

1. Eagles have a ______________ power of vision.

2. Eyes of owls are ______________ than our eyes.

3. Elephants can hear a ______________ sound that we cannot ______________ .

4. Grasshoppers have the sense of hearing on their ______________ .

5. Owls are ______________ birds.

Activity 3: State whether True or False.

1. A dog is a nocturnal animal. _____________

2. Animals have no sense of touch. _____________
3. Eagles are birds of prey. _____________
4. All animals need to sleep. _____________

Activity 4: Draw lines to match corretly.

1. Owls (a) Taste buds all over the body

2. Falcons (b) Sense of touch
3. Crickets (c) Night vision
4. Cat’s whiskers (d) Sense of hearing on forelimbs
5. Earthworms (e) Strong power of vision

49
 Activity 5: Answer these questions.
1. Do all animals have the same sense organs?

____________________________________________________________________
2. Name any two birds of prey.

____________________________________________________________________
3. How does the falcon use its sharp power of vision?

____________________________________________________________________
4. Write the names of any two nocturnal animals.

____________________________________________________________________
5. How does a cat sense touch?

____________________________________________________________________
6. How do whiskers of a cat help it?

____________________________________________________________________
7. Name any two insects that have taste buds on their legs.

____________________________________________________________________

Things To Do
1.
Place some pieces of bread outside your house. Observe the different animals and birds who are
attracted to them. How do they come to know that you have kept food. Discuss your observations
with your classmates.
2. Find out about hibernation from your parents or teachers. Make a list of animals that hibernate. Also
find out for how long they hibernate.

50
 Animals in
11 Our Lives
Animals are very useful to us. We depend on animals for many things. We get milk, eggs
and meat from animals.

Food from animals

Milk
We get milk from milch animals like cow, buffaloes and
camels. We make curd, butter and cheese from milk.
These are called dairy products. Milk is a nutritious
food. It contains many necessary components required
by our body to remain healthy. Milk is essential for us.
We should drink milk every day.

Eggs and meat Milk products

Chicken and ducks are called poultry. We rear them

for eggs and meat. We keep them in a poultry farm.
We also rear geese and turkeys in a poultry farm for
meat. Eggs of a hen are nutritious. They are rich in
proteins, vitamins and minerals.
We get meat from sheep, goat and cattle. We also get
meat from fish. Meat contains large amounts
Poultry
of proteins.

Honey
We get honey from honeybees. Honeybees suck
nectar from flowers. They convert nectar into honey
and collect it in honeycombs. We squeeze the honey
comb to get honey. Honeycombs are also a source
of wax. Honey has medicinal value. It is used as an
antiseptic.

Honeybees
51
Food from aquatic animals
Animals that live in water are called aquatic animals. Fish, prawns, crabs and squids are
aquatic animals. We catch them for their flesh. We also get oil from some fish like cod and
salmon. Fish are a source of proteins and vitamins.

Materials from animals

Besides food, we get many other
materials from animals. We get wool
from the fur of sheep, camels and
rabbits. We make warm clothes, blankets
and carpets from wool. Wool from sheep
We get leather from the skin of goat, buffaloes, cows and camels. We also get leather from
the skin of snakes, lizards, crocodiles and tigers. We make several things like shoes, belts,
coats and purses from leather.

Leather products
We get silk from silkworms. We rear silkworms for silk. Silkworms feed on mulberry leaves.
The rearing of silkworms for silk production is called sericulture.
We get pearls from oysters. Pearls are hard and look like round white beads. They are used
for making ornaments.
We use feathers of some birds to make shuttlecocks. We also use feathers of some birds to
make hats, adorn, clothes and cushions.

feather
shuttlecock
Silk from silkworms Pearls from oysters Feathers are useful

Other uses of animals

We use some animals for transportation. Donkeys, camels and mules are used to draw
carts. Bullocks pull carts and also help us to plough our fields. We keep dogs as pets. They
guard our homes.
Today, dogs are being trained to help find suspects and are used for other detective work.
52
People who depend an animals
There are many people who depend on animals for their livelihood. They use animals to
earn a living. They catch some animals and display them to entertain people. They get
money in return. Snake charmers, madaris, circus owners, and moviemakers are people
who depend on animals for their living. However, whatever the circumstances, the use of
animals in entertainment means removing animals from their natural habitat which is cruel.
Wildlife Protection Act (WPA) 1972, Prevention of Cruelty (PCA) Act and other such acts
make the use of animals for entertainment illegal.
Snake charmers
We often see snake charmers on streets carrying
snakes in bamboo baskets. A snake charmer catches
a snake and takes out its venom. The snake charmer
trains the snake to dance while he plays a flute.
When he starts playing the flute, the snake raises
its hood. The snake eventually comes out of the
basket as if drawn by the music of the snake charmer.
People who see this act, toss some money to the
snake charmer in appreciation. In this way, the snake
charmer earns his living. Snake charmer

Madaris
Madaris are people who keep monkeys and bears.
They train monkeys and bears to show different feats.
They arrange shows in which monkeys and bears
entertain people by their an antics. However such
shows are today illegal. It is not correct to use animals
for entertainment.
Madaris
Mahouts
Some people keep elephants and train them. They are called mahouts. Earlier kings and
emperors appointed mahouts to look after their
elephants. Today, mahouts are usually seen in
circuses. Elephants are used in marriages, circuses
and religious processions. This is also illegal.
Fact File
These days, many organisations like People for Ethical
Treatment of Animals (PETA) and World Wildlife Fund
(WWF) are working for animal rights.

Mahout
53
 • Animals are very useful to us.
• We use many animal products every day.
• We get milk from milch animals like cows, buffaloes and camels.
• Chicken and duck are poultry. We rear them for eggs and meat.
• We get honey from honeybees.
• We get leather from the skin of goats, buffaloes, cows and camels.
• We get pearls from oysters.
• Some animals are used as means of transport.

Activity Time
Activity 1: Strike out the wrong words to complete these sentences.

1. Animals are not very useful to us.

2. Cheese is a dairy leather product.

3. Honeybees suck nectar from flowers roots of plants.

4. Animals that live in water are called desert aquatic animals.

Activity 2: Fill in the blanks with right words from the brackets.

mahouts aquatic pearls sheep proteins

1. Prawns and crabs are ________________ animals.

2. Meat contains ________________ in a large amounts.

3. We get wool from ________________ .

4. We get ________________ from oysters.

5. People who keep elephants and train them are called ________________.

54
 Activity 3: State whether True or False.

1. Milk is a nutritious food product. _____________

2. Honeycomb is a source of pearls. _____________

3. Some fish like cod and halibut are caught for their oil. _____________

4. Elephant tusks are used to make wax. _____________

Activity 4: Draw lines to match correctly.

1. Chicken and ducks (a) Apiculture

2. Crocodiles and snakes (b) Sericulture

3. Cows and buffaloes (c) Leather products

4. Rearing of bees for honey (d) Poultry

5. Rearing of silk worms for silk (e) Dairy products

Activity 5: Answer these questions.

1. Why should we drink milk every day?

________________________________________________________________________________

2. Name any three dairy products.

________________________________________________________________________________

3. What is poultry?

________________________________________________________________________________

4. What do we get from sheep?

________________________________________________________________________________

5. Why do we rear geese and turkey?

________________________________________________________________________________

55
 6. Who are madaris?

________________________________________________________________________________

7. Which musical instrument does a snake charmer use?

________________________________________________________________________________

8. Who are mahouts?

________________________________________________________________________________

9. What does P E T A stand for?

________________________________________________________________________________

Things To Do
1. Talk to a snake charmer and mahout. Find out how they train and take care of animals.

2. Visit a nearby zoo with your parents. Find out how are the animals treated there. Also find out if
the animals are fed with proper food. If you find something wrong bring it to the notice of the zoo
authorities.

56
 Germinating
12 Plants
We often see bees and butterflies hovering over and sitting on flowers. The bright colours
and sweet scent of flowers attract bees and butterflies. These insects play an important
role in the life cycle of plants. Flowers have a powdery substance callen pollen. Pollen is
produced by the male part of a flower. When bees and butterflies sit on flowers, the pollen
sticks to their body. They transfer pollen to another flower of the same type when they sit
on it. This process of transfer of pollen is called pollination. This results in fertilization which
in turn results in the formation of seeds. Most flowering plants produce a large number of
seeds. New plants grow from seeds. Seeds are necessary to give life to new plants. They
help the plant kingdom to survive for generations.
Structure of a seed
A seed consists of three parts. They are the seed coat, cotyledons and the embryo. Take a
soaked bean seed. Carefully break open the outer brown layer. This is the seed coat. Take
a needle and break the seed. Inside the seed, you will find the baby plant (embryo). The
pointed white portion you find in the sprouted seed will give rise to the root. The yellowish
green portion will form the future shoot (stem, branches, leaves and flowers). The thick
yellow fleshy parts are the cotyledons (seed leaves). They supply food to the baby plant.
Seeds of bean, rajmah, gram, neem, tamarind and pea that have two cotyledons are
called dicotyledons. Seeds of paddy, wheat and maize that have one cotyledon are called
monocotyledons.

Germination of seeds
When a seed starts to grow, it is said to be germinating. The process by which a seed
changes into a seedling is called germination.
All seeds do not grow into plants. Most seeds face great danger of destruction before they
can germinate into seedlings. They are often destroyed by animals that feed on them. They
may be destroyed by excessive heat or cold. Some of them are washed away by wind and
water into streams and rivers. Only a few seeds grow into plants. Seeds that are young,
light and unhealthy cannot germinate. Old seeds stored for several years may not be able
to germinate. Seeds damaged by insects, rodents and fungi, having holes, and have been
eaten up, also cannot germinate. Only seeds that have life and are healthy will be able to
germinate.
57
Conditions Necessary for Germination
Seeds need the following three things to germinate.
1. Water: Seeds soak water from the soil. Water helps to soften the seed coat and the
seed swells up. It also dissolves the food in the cotyledons which is used by the baby
plant to grow.
2. Air: Air contains oxygen. Seeds need oxygen to breathe. Germinating seeds respire at a
fast rate and grow quickly.
3. Temperature: Suitable temperature or warmth, makes the embryo active and grow
fast. Seeds can germinate even in the dark. But they do not germinate in unsuitable
temperature.

Seed dispersal
Plants do not move from place to place. It means, the seeds produced by a plant are likely
to fall underneath or very close to it. If all these seeds were to germinate, it would lead to
overcrowding of young plants. The young plants will not get enough nutrients required for
proper growth. To overcome this plants have devised ways and means to distribute seeds
over a wide area. Seeds get scattered or carried over long distances in different ways. The
process of spreading seeds that allow plants to reproduce is called seed dispersal.
The dispersal of seeds and fruits takes place with the help of wind, water and animals.
These are known as agents of dispersal. This is good example to understand how biotic and
abiotic components of the environment interact with each other.

Dispersal by wind
Seed of some plants are very small and light. They
can be carried away by the wind. Seeds of some
plants possess certain wing-like structures or tufts of
hair. These structures help them to be easily carried
away by the wind over long distances. Cotton seeds
have tufts of hair. They are dispersed by the wind.
Dispersal by wind Seeds of orchids are small and light. Seeds of maples
and drumstick trees have wings.
Dispersal by water
In plants, like lotus and coconut, the
dispersal of seeds takes place by water.
The seeds of such plants develop floating
devices which enable them to float over
long distances. For example, the fruit of
coconut has a fibrous wall which keeps it
afloat in water.
Dispersal by water
58
Dispersal by animals
Animals also help in the dispersal of seeds
and fruits. Some seeds and fruits have hooks,
spines and stiff hair. They stick to the bodies of
cattle when they go for grazing. The cattle carry
them far away and disperse them.

Dispersal by animals
Dispersal by explosion
Some fruits explode or burst open with force. This is an example of mechanical dispersal.
It is also called explosive mechanism. Pods of beans and peas split up suddenly. As a result
seeds get dispersed.

Dispersal by explosion

Reproduction in plants without seeds

There are some plants that do not produce seeds. For example, the money plant does not
produce seeds. Such plants are reproduced from their body parts like the root, stem or leaf
and spores. This type of reproduction is called vegetative propagation. There are three
types of vegetative propagation. Let us learn more about vegetative propagation.

By roots
Roots help in reproduction. Buds develop
on the roots of plants like dahlia, sweet
potato and guava. These buds give rise to
new plants under favourable conditions.
Budding in potato

Budding in sweet potato

By stems
Rose, money plant and sugarcane can grow from
stem cuttings. If we cut any branch of these plants
and plant it in wet soil a new plant grows from it.
Potato, ginger and onion are underground stems.
Buds develop on them at certain points. These
buds grow into new plants.
Vegetative reproduction from stem cuttings
59
By leaves
Buds grow on the edges of leaves of the Begonia plant. These buds give rise to new plants
under favourable conditions. Bryophyllum can also reproduce in this manner.

Fact File
Plants like ferns, mosses and mushrooms
have small seed like structures under their
surface. These structures are called spores.
New plants grow from these spores under
favourable conditions.

Budding in leaves

• The process of transfer of pollen from one plant to another similar plant is
called pollination.
• A seed consists of a seed coat, cotyledons and embryo.
• For germination, a seed needs three things: water, oxygen and warm
temperature.
• The process of changing a seed into a seedling is called germination.
• The process of scattering seeds that allow plants to reproduce is called
seed dispersal.
• Seeds can be dispersed by wind, water, animals or explosions.
• Some plants reproduce from their body parts. This type of reproduction is
called vegetative propagation.

Activity Time
Activity 1: Strike out the wrong words to complete these sentences.

1. The process of transfer of pollen grains leaves is called pollination.

2. A seed consist of three five parts.

3. The process of changing a seed into seedling is called dispersal germination .

4. Potato Sweet potato reproduces by stem vegetative propagation.

60
 Activity 2: Fill in the blanks with correct words from the list.

germination wind seed coat water

1. Air, water and suitable temperature are essential for the ________________ of seeds.
2. The ________________ protects the inner delicate parts of a seed.
3. Seeds of cotton are dispersed by ________________ .
4. In coconut, the dispersal of seeds takes place by ________________ .

Activity 3: State whether True or False.

1. All seeds can germinate. _____________

2. Water is necessary for the germination of seeds. _____________
3. Young, light and unhealthy seeds can germinate easily. _____________
4. The seedling cannot prepare its own food. _____________
5. Dispersal of seeds can be done with the help of animals. _____________

Activity 4: Answer these questions.

1. How does a plant grow from a seed?

________________________________________________________________________________
2. What is meant by germination of seeds?
________________________________________________________________________________
3. Why do some seeds stick to clothes or drift in the water?
________________________________________________________________________________
4. Why doesn’t a potted seedling kept in the dark grow adequately?
________________________________________________________________________________
5. Which part of a bean seed supplies food materials to the developing embryo?
________________________________________________________________________________

Things To Do
1. If potatoes are left for about ten days they develop eyes or shoots. New shoots and roots grow
from these eyes. Take two potatoes and leave them in a moist place. You will find that some shoots
start developing from potatoes. Discuss this observation with your friends and classmates.
2. Draw the structure of a seed and label its main parts.

61
 Preservation of
13 Food
Food preservation
Preservation of food is the process of treating food materials for longer retention. The
spoiling of food can be detected by a change in its flavour or odour.
Food is spoiled by microorganisms and insects. Yeast and
bacteria are microorganisms.
Moulds cause a cotton-like appearance on bread. Such
bread is not fit to eat. Milk, eggs and meat are also spoiled
after some time. Bacteria spoils them. After a few days,
fruits and vegetables begin to rot. We should never eat
stale bread, rotten fruits and vegetables. Such food causes
food poisoning which can cause abdominal pain, diarrhoea,
and vomiting. It can also cause various diseases like
dysentery, typhoid and cholera. It can even cause death. Bread mould

Food can be preserved by providing conditions in which microorganisms cannot live. For
instance, bacteria need moisture to live. If in a food product there is no water, bacteria
cannot spoil it. Bacteria and moulds need air to live. If we put food in air tight containers,
bacteria cannot spoil it. A layer of oil on any food, prevents the growth of moulds and
yeasts.

Methods of food preservation

Refrigeration and cold storage
Fig of food Bacteria cannot survive at very low temperature.
preserved in a So, milk, egg, meat and vegetables are preserved by
refrigerator keeping them in refrigerators.
In big towns and cities, there are cold storages
where vegetables and fruits can remain fresh for a
long time.
Say, ”No” to bacteria. Refrigerate your food.
62
 Fact File
Food items like jam, jelly, pickle and cooked dishes go bad easily.
They are called perishable food. They are stored in a cold place.
This process is called cold storage.

Canning
Certain foodstuffs are kept in airtight tins or containers. These containers keep away
moisture and, thus help in preserving food for a longer time.
Foods like fruits and fish are boiled, sterilized and put into airtight tins. Then these tins are
sealed. Though we lose vitamin C by this method of preservation, we can get such food
items during off seasons as well. While canning foodstuffs, one must ensure that no air is
left in those bottles or tins.
By adding preservatives
Food can also be protected by adding preservatives.
Salt, sugar, oil, spices, sodium benzoate, sodium nitrite
and potassium metabisulphite are some of the most
commonly used preservatives.
We have an old tradition of preserving food and
vegetables in the form of pickles, chutneys and candy.
While preparing these things, salt, sugar, oil, spices,
vinegar, etc., are used as preservatives. Always store food in air tight containers

• In salting method of food preservation, the food is mixed well with salt. Salt dehydrates
the bacteria and thus, does not allow them to survive This is why salted food last longer.
Food items like fish, meat and vegetables are mixed with salt.
• Sugar is used in making jams, jellies, biscuits, marmalades, syrups, candy, etc., and acts as
a preservative. Sugar also acts in a similar manner, it extracts water from the bacteria by
the process of exosmosis and thus, destroys them and the food does not decay.
• Oil is also used as a preservative in pickles and chutneys. In the presence of oil the
preserved food loses its contact with oxygen. Bacteria cannot survive without oxygen
and the preserved food does not decay. Can you now tell why pickles remain fresh for a
long time?
Boiling
Boiling kills bacteria and other germs. Hence, boiling also helps in the preservation of liquid
food like milk. Boiled milk can be preserved for 2 to 3 days, otherwise it goes sour within
8 to 10 hours.
63
Drying
Bacteria cannot grow without water. So, spices, pulses and grains need to be well dried in
order to be preserved.
These dried grains are then stored in moisture free places or vessels. Different vegetables
are also dried in the Sun. Mango powder and ginger powder are prepared by drying mango
slices and ginger. Dried vegetables and other food can be used later during off seasons.
Food grains are, generally, attacked by insects. So, they
must be periodically exposed to the Sun. Sometimes neem Fact File
Food items like sugar, wheat, rice,
leaves or boric powder is mixed with food grains to prevent pulses and nuts do not spoil easily.
insects from attacking the grains. These food grains are They are called non-perishable
stored in bins. food. They can be stored in a dry
place. This is called dry storage.
Cooked food can also be preserved for some time by
storing it properly, away from dust and insects. Food must
be cooked in pure water. It should not be touched with
dirty hands. Food must be stored under hygienic conditions
in clean utensils.

Wastage of food
Wasting food is a bad habit. Many of us fill our plates with a lot of food and are not able to
eat as much, throwing away the food that we could not eat.
We must avoid wasting food as much as possible. Many of the poor people cannot afford
even two meals a day. If we avoid wasting food, there would be more food for those who
cannot enjoy a balanced meal every day. We must never waste food.

• Preservation of food is the process of treating food materials for longer

retention.
• Food is spoiled by microorganisms and insects.
• Food can be preserved by providing conditions in which microorganisms
cannot live.
• Drying, canning, freezing and adding preservatives are some methods of
food preservation.
• Bacteria cannot live without air and in very low or hot temperatures.
• We should never waste food.

64
 Activity Time
Activity 1: Strike out the wrong words to complete these sentences.

1. Bacteria and moulds need need no air to live.

2. A layer of water oil on any food prevents the growth of moulds and yeasts.

3. Jam and jelly are perishable nonperishable food items.

4. Eating spoilt food can cannot cause cholera.

Activity 2: Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the list.

moisture microorganisms preserved bacteria airtight insects

1. Food is spoiled by ___________ and ___________ .

2. Food can be ___________ by providing conditions in which microorganisms cannot live.

3. Bacteria and moulds need ___________ to live.

4. ___________ cannot survive at very low temperature.

5. In canning method of food preservation, foodstuffs are kept in ___________ containers.

Activity 3: State whether True or False.

1. We should not eat stale food. _____________

2. Oil cannot be used as a preservative. _____________

3. Bacteria need moisture for their growth. _____________

4. Methods of food preservation aim to stop the growth of microorganisms. _____________

5. Milk is preserved by canning. _____________

65
 Summative Assessment
Activity 4: Answer these questions.

1. Why should we not eat stale food?

________________________________________________________________________________

2. How does food get contaminated?

________________________________________________________________________________

3. What can we do to prevent food from getting spoilt?

________________________________________________________________________________

4. Why do we need to preserve food?

________________________________________________________________________________

5. How do we do to keep food fresh while travelling?

________________________________________________________________________________

6. How does salting help to preserve food?

________________________________________________________________________________

7. How does boiling help to preserve food?

________________________________________________________________________________

8. Name any two food items in which oil is used as a preservative.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Things To Do
1. Visit any nearest cold storage in your town and see how fruits and vegetables are preserved there.

2. Take a slice of bread and sprinkle some water on it. After that put it in a box. Observe it after 2 or
3 days. Record your observations.

66
 Revision Exercise 1
(From chapters 1 to 13)
A. Tick (3) the correct answer.
1. A newly-born baby has ______________________ bones.
(a) 206 (b) 250 (c) 350
2. The skull protects the ______________________ .
(a) brain (b) heart (c) eyes
3. The process of breathing in oxygen and breathing out carbon dioxide is called ____________ .
(a) inhalation (b) exhalation (c) hockey
4. The national game of India is ______________________ .
(a) Cricket (b) Kabaddi (c) Hockey
5. Environment Day is observed worldwide on ______________________ .
(a) 20th April (b) 20th June (c) 5th June
6. Animals that feed only on animals are known as ______________________ .
(a) carnivores (b) herbivores (c) omnivores
7. Bacteria and fungi are known as ______________________ .
(a) herbivores (b) omnivores (c) decomposers
8. A food chain starts with ______________________ .
(a) herbivores (b) producers (c) decomposers
9. The process of transfer of pollen grains is known as ______________________ .
(a) dispersal (b) pollination (c) germination
10. The raising of silkworms to produce raw silk is called ______________________ .
(a) apiculture (b) pisciculture (c) sericulture
B. Write ‘True’ or ‘False’ against each of these statements and rewrite the false statement.
1. All of us have different likes and dislikes. ______________

2. The ribcage protects our brain. ______________

3. The process of taking in air is called exhalation. ______________

4. The heart pumps blood to all parts of the body. ______________

5. Our heart beats faster when we run. ______________

67
67
 6. Kalaripayattu is a martial game of Delhi. ______________

7. Earth Day is cellebrated on 8th March all over the world. ______________

8. Nonliving things are biotic components of the environment. ______________

9. Human beings are scavengers. ______________

10. Most plants produce seeds. ______________

C. Match the following.
1. Brain (a) Martial art of Himachal Pradesh
2. Limbs (b) Earth Day
3. Thamgata (c) Internal organ
4. Thoda (d) World Health Day
5. 7th April (e) Women’s Day
6. 8th September (f) External organs
7. 8th March (g) Environmental Day
8. 22nd April (h) International Literacy Day
9. 5th June (i) Sense of touch
10. Cat’s whiskers (j) Martial art of Manipur
D. Fill in the blanks with suitable words.
1. A nuclear family has ________________ members.

2. The framework of bones supporting our body is called the ________________ .

3. Our arms and legs have ________________ joints.

4. People employed in inductries are called ________________ workers.

5. Sunlight and air are ________________ components.

6. Animals that feed on the flesh of dead animals are called ________________ .

7. A network of food chains is known as a ________________ .

8. ________________ protects the baby plant from injury.

9. An owl is a ________________ bird.

10. Fish are rich in ________________ and ________________ .

68
 Test Paper 1
(From chapters 1 to 13)
Answer the following questions.
1. With the help of a family tree trace your family from the time of your great grandparents.

2. Describe the story of a differently abled person you have met or read about.
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
3. Describe the process of respiration.
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
4. What do you understand by the term ‘Martial Arts’?
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

69
69
 __________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
5. How do bats locate their prey?
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
6. What have you learnt about ‘The Chipko Movement’?
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
7. In your own words describe why human beings should not use animals to earn a living.
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
8. Describe how food can be preserved.
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
9. What is the role of protective food in our diet?
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
10. In what manner can we contribute towards keeping our environment free from pollution?
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

70
 UNIT 4: WATER

14 Sources of Water
and Irrigation
Need for water
No living thing can survive without water.
We need water for various activities. We need water for drinking, bathing, cooking
and washing or cleaning things. We need it to water our crops. We also need water for
recreation.

Sources of water
We get water from many sources such as ponds, rivers and lakes. Rain is the main source of
fresh water. We also get underground water from wells and hand pumps. Rivers, lakes and
underground water are secondary sources of water. We depend on secondary sources of
water to fulfill our requirements.

Sources of water in ancient times

In ancient times, human beings settled down near sources of water. Most of the big cities
at that time developed around the banks of rivers. Those people who settled in places that
were further away from rivers or other sources of water had to travel long distances to fetch
water. This made life difficult for them. Since early times, people have been drawing water
from different kinds of sources. Let us learn more about some of them.

Baolis
Baolis, also called stepwells are wells or ponds in which the water may be reached by
descending a set of steps. They, were used in India centuries ago and were built to ensure
that a city would have a constant supply of water.
Most of the baolis today lie in ruins. A baoli has two
parts: a vertical shaft and the surrounding steps. The
vertical shaft helps to draw water. The surrounding
steps provide access to the well. They were also
used as a resting place during the summer. Today
baolis are no longer in use. However, many baolis
still exist in Delhi, Lucknow, Agra and Fatehpur Sikri.
Baoli
71
 Fact File
The oldest existing baoli in Delhi is Anangtal near Mehrauli.
It was built during the reign of the Tomar Dynasty.

Wells
Wells are vertical holes dug into the ground to
get underground water. We use a rope attached
to a bucket to draw water out. Nowadays
pulleys are commonly used to make the process
easier. A pulley is a wheel over which a rope or
a chain is pulled in order to easily lift the bucket
of water. These days, diesel and electric pumps
are used to draw underground water.
Pulleys help us to easily take out water from the well.

Water harvesting
The term ‘water harvesting’ mean collecting and
storing any run-off water such as rainwater. We
can collect rainwater and store it for use during
the dry season. Flood water from local streams
can also be collected and stored underground for
future use.

Water harvesting
Irrigation
Irrigation is the supply of water to crops in order to grow. Plants being living things need
water to survive. The main source of water for crops is the monsoon rainfall. But the
monsoon is unpredictable. So, an alternate supply of water is needed for crops. Water is
supplied to fields in many ways. Sometimes, water is supplied to the fields directly from a
pond, lake or river. Water from these sources flows to the nearby fields through channels.
Irrigation can also be done by canals. A canal is a long
and narrow stretch of water that has been made to take
water from one place to another over long distances.
Canals are dug from rivers or tanks to let the water flow Fig of a dug
to the crop fields. Canals also draw water from artificial well
reservoirs such as dams. Today, canals are the best means
of irrigating crops. Another important source of irrigation
is groundwater from wells. Dug wells and tube wells are
An open dug well.
72
two types of wells. Dug wells are open wells. Tube wells are deeper than dug wells. They
run with electricity or diesel pump sets.
Fact File
The Indira Gandhi Canal is one
of the biggest canals in India.
It originates from the Harike
Barrage in Punjab, runs through
Punjab and Haryana and ends
near Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.
It covers seven districts of
Rajasthan. The canal was
constructed in 1958. Its total
length is 649 km.

A tube well
Waterwheels
A waterwheel is an ancient device that uses the force of falling or flowing water as a source
of energy. Waterwheels are of two types: Undershot wheels and overshot wheels.
Undershot wheels and overshot wheels
Undershot wheels move round by the flow of water as it pushes against the flat paddles.
Overshot wheels consists of bucket-shaped paddles arranged on the surface. The buckets
dip into water and fill up one by one as the wheel rotates with the help of a machine or
an animal. While rotating filled buckets empty into a tank and this water is directed into
various water channels to feed the crops.

Undershot wheel

Overshot wheel
73
 • All living things need water.
• We get water from various sources such as rain, rivers, lakes and ponds.
• In earlier times, wells were dug to get underground water.
• Today, we get water through taps.
• The process of collecting and storing run-off water such as rainwater is
called water harvesting.
• We need water for irrigation in order to grow crops.
• The supply of water to make crops grow is known as irrigation.

Activity Time
Activity 1: Strike out the wrong words to complete these sentences.

1. All animals need do not need water to survive.

2. The primary source of fresh water is a river rain .

3. Baolis are also called tube wells stepwells .

4. River Underground water can be drawn up with a pump.

Activity 2: Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the list.

irrigation taps settled unpredictable water

1. All living things need ________________ .

2. In early times, human beings ________________ down near water sources.

3. Today, we get water at home through ________________ .

4. A waterwheel is used for ________________ .

5. The monsoon in India is ________________ .

Activity 3: State whether True or False.

1. People have to always walk long distances to fetch water. _____________

2. Plants need no water. _____________

74
 3. Water harvesting is the process of collecting and sharing run-off water. _____________

4. A pulley is a small wheel over which a rope or chain is pulled. _____________

Activity 4: Answer these questions.

1. Why do living things need water?

________________________________________________________________________________

2. Which is the primary source of freshwater?

________________________________________________________________________________

3. What are baolis?

________________________________________________________________________________

4. What is a canal?

________________________________________________________________________________

5. What is irrigation?

________________________________________________________________________________

6. Why is irrigation necessary?

________________________________________________________________________________

7. What is a pulley?

________________________________________________________________________________

Things To Do
1. Find out about rainwater harvesting. How does it help people. Plan how you can collect rainwater.
Discuss your plan with your classmates.
2. Place a bowl of water outside your house for birds.
Observe what happens.
Discuss your observations with your classmates.

75
 15 Life in Water
We see many plants and animals around us. Some of these live on land. Some live in water.
Living things, i.e., plants and animals, that live on land are called terrestrial plants and
terrestrial animals. Plants that live in water are called aquatic plants. Animals that live in
water are called aquatic animals. Let us learn more about some aquatic plants and animals.

Floating plants
Often we see some plants floating on the surface of
water bodies such as ponds and lakes. Duckweed and
water hyacinth are common examples of floating plants.
Fig of duck
Duckweed is a very small plant with flat, disc-shaped weed
leaves. It has a single root and white flowers. It is so
small and light that it can easily float on the surface of
water. It usually grows in stagnant water.
Duckweed

Water hyacinth is a large plant with smooth

and round leaves. It has spongy leaf stalks
that are filled with air. It makes the plant light
Fig of water hyacinth and, thus, helps it to float. These plants have
freely hanging roots and light purple flowers.
The flowers grow in bunches. Water hyacinth
double in numbers within two weeks. Their
dense growth prevents sunlight from reaching
Water hyacinth
other plants. These plants die of starvation as
they are unable to make food without sunlight. This also leads to death of some aquatic
animals like fish and turtles. So, water hyacinth should be plucked out from time to time to
ensure balance.
Water moss fern is another example of an aquatic plant. Its leaves are small, hairy and
boat-shaped. The hair traps air which makes the leaves waterproof. The trapped air makes
the plant light. Thus, the plant floats on the surface of water easily. Its roots dangle in water.

76
Submerged plants
Some aquatic plants like lotus have their roots fixed to the soil under water, but their leaves
and flowers float on the water surface. These plants are called partially submerged plants.
Water lily is another example of a partially submerged plant. The leaves of lotus and water
lily are large and round with a waxy surface. The waxy surface makes the leaves waterproof
and keeps the water out.
Some aquatic plants like Hydrilla, Vallisneria, Elodea, Tape grass and Cabomba remain
underwater through out their life. They are submerged plants. Their roots are fixed to the
soil under the water. The leaves of these plants are thin and delicate.

Fact File
• The ribbon-like leaves of vallisneria do not have
any stomata. Stomata are tiny holes on the surface
of leaves through which plants respire.
• Aquatic plants help to keep the water fresh by
taking in carbon dioxide to make their food. They
also give out oxygen gas which the aquatic animals
need to breathe.
Hydrilla

Plants found near water bodies

We see many plants growing on the banks of ponds,
lakes and rivers. Plants such as grass and water
banana grow along the sides of these water bodies.
They have strong roots that hold the soil. They do
not get washed away easily. Many animals in these
water bodies hide under the leaves of these plants.
These animals use the leaves to lay their eggs on.

Water banana
Aquatic animals
Animals that live in water are called aquatic animals. A variety of animals live in water. Let
us read about some of them.
The water flea is a very small aquatic animal. It floats on water. We cannot see it with the
naked eye. We can see these creatures with a magnifying glass. Water fleas are usually
found in a pond. They feed on algae, the tiny green plants. Many pond animals feed on
water fleas.
77
 Water stick insects are thin and long insects. They use their front
legs to catch their prey like damsel flies, dragon flies, fish and
tadpoles.

Dragon fly

The water boatman is a small aquatic animal. It is a good

swimmer. It uses its hind limbs as oars to swim. Perhaps
because of this it gets its name. A water boatman can also fly.
Unlike the spiders found commonly in our homes, there are
a few species of spiders who also live in water. The body of a Water boatman
water spider has air bubbles. Because of this, it can remain underwater for a long time. It
feeds on tiny insects, fish and tadpoles.
Fish are the most common aquatic animals. They
are of different sizes and shapes. Their habits are
different. Some fish feed on aquatic plants only. They
are herbivores. Some fish eat both plants and animals.
The guppy fish feeds on small water plants and water
fleas. The tilapia and the snake head fish are bigger in
size than the guppy fish. They feed on aquatic plants,
Guppy fish decaying matter, small fish and dragon flies.
Lobsters, shrimphs, crabs and crayfish are other water animals. They have a hard shell on
their body. That is why these animals are known as crustaceans. They have special limbs
that help them to swim in water.

Amphibians
Some animals can live in water as well as on land.
They are called amphibians. Frogs, toads, and
salamanders are amphibians. Their skin is suited to
respire in water. They also have lungs that help them to
breathe on land.

Salamander

78
 • Plants and animals that live on land are called terrestrial plants and animals.
• Plants and animals that live in water are called aquatic plants and animals.
• Some aquatic plants float on the surface of water while some remain
submerged underwater.
• Duckweed and water hyacinth are floating plants.
• Lotus and water lily are partially submerged plants.
• Hydrilla, vallisneria and elodea are submerged plants.
• There are many kinds of aquatic animals like fish and lobsters.
• Frogs, toads and salamanders are amphibians. They can live both in water
and on land.

Activity Time
Activity 1: Strike out the wrong words to complete these sentences.

1. Plants that live in water are called terrestrial aquatic plants.

2. Aquatic terrestrial animals live in water.

3. Duck weed is a floating submerged plant.

4. Fish can cannot live on land.

Activity 2: Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the list.

submerged boat-shaped white amphibians spongy

1. Duck weed has ________________ flowers.

2. Water hyacinth is a large aquatic plant with ________________ leaf stalks.

3. Water moss fern has ________________ leaves.

4. Hydrilla is a ________________ plant.

5. Salamanders are ________________ .

79
 Activity 3: State whether True or False.
1. Air filled leaf stalks of water hyacinth makes it heavy. _____________
2. Plants like guppy grow along the sides of a pond. _____________
3. Tilapia is a small fish. _____________
4. Toads cannot live in water. _____________

Activity 4: Answer these questions.

1. What are aquatic animals?

________________________________________________________________________________

2. Give one difference between aquatic plants and terrestrial plants.

________________________________________________________________________________

3. Name any two plants that grow along the sides of a pond.

________________________________________________________________________________

4. Name any two submerged plants.

________________________________________________________________________________

5. What are amphibians?

________________________________________________________________________________

6. Give two examples of amphibians.

________________________________________________________________________________

Things To Do
1. Collect pictures of acquatic plants and animals and paste them in your scrap book.

2. Collect some duckweed from a pond. Put it in a glass jar containing water. Place the glass jar on a
sunny windowsill. You will notice some bubbles in water. Ask your parents or teacher how these
bubbles are formed. Discuss your observations with your friends.

80
 Substances that
16 Float, Sink or Mix
Water — A Wonderful Liquid
In nature, water is found in three different forms — solid, liquid and gas. Ice and snow are
solid forms of water. Rain, water we drink, dew and mist are liquid forms. Steam also called
water vapour is the gaseous form of water.

When we heat water in a pan or kettle, it turns into steam.

We can see the steam coming out of the pan or kettle. The
steam gets mixed with air and becomes invisible.

Water and steam

Everything is made up of minute particles called molecules.
Water is also made up of many molecules. When we put
some water in a bowl in the freezer of a refrigerator, it
changes into ice. Ice takes more space than water. The mass
or weight of ice is less than the same amount of water.
Ice floats on water

Density
Every substance has density. The mass per unit volume of a body is called its density. The
mass of a substance is the matter contained in it. The volume of a substance is the space
occupied by it. The more the density of a substance, the greater will be the number of
molecules per unit volume.

Floating and sinking

We have read that ice cubes float on water. Ice is less dense than water. This is the reason
why it floats. If we drop a small pebble in water, it sinks in it. This is because the pebble is
more dense than water.
If we place a stone in a glass full of water, some water splashes out of the glass. This shows
that the stone displaces some water. The stone is pushed by water. Water exerts some
upward force on the stone. This upward force is called upthrust or buoyancy. If the weight
81
or mass of a body is less or equal to the upthrust, the Fact File
body will float on water, otherwise it will sink. Submarines have special water
Swimming tubes are made of a special material called tanks called ballast tanks. Water is
pumped in and out of these tanks to
polystyrene. It is a soft and light-weight material. Its make the submarine sink or float.
density is less than that of water. That is why it is used
to make swimming tubes. People learn to swim with the
help of these tubes. The tube helps nonswimmers to keep
afloat too and are used to save people from drowning.

Substances that mix in water

Water has an ability to dissolve many things in it. A solid substance is said to be dissolved in
water if it is completely absorbed in the liquid (water). Some substances dissolve in water
quickly. For example, common salt and sugar dissolve in water readily.
If we add some common salt in a glass of water, the salt disappears. The salt and water mix
together to form a solution. So, the salt is no longer visible, and a salt solution is formed.
Similarly, when sugar is dissolved in water, we get sugar solution. But, if we try to dissolve
sand in it, the sand does not dissolve. The sand settles down at the bottom of the glass.
The ability of a substance to dissolve in a liquid is called its solubility. Salt and sugar dissolve
in water. They are called soluble substances. Substances like sand that do not dissolve in
water are called insoluble substances. Likewise, milk and water mix readily. They are called
miscible liquids. However, liquids like oil and water do not mix. They are called immiscible
liquids. Some gases mix with water too. For example, soft drinks have dissolved carbon
dioxide gas. When we open a soda water bottle, the dissolved gas escapes in the form
of bubbles.
As water can dissolve most solids,liquids and gases, it is called a universal solvent.
Substances dissolve faster on stirring or heating the water. However, the solubility of gases
decreases on heating.

Measuring liquids
We observe that the milkman measures milk in a vessel
marked with numbers. These numbers indicate how
much milk the vessel contains. Liquids do not have a
definite shape. Liquids take the shape of the container
in which they are kept. They have a definite volume.
Liquids are measured by volume. One unit of volume
is a litre. One litre has 1000 millilitres.
1 litre = 1000 millilitres
1000 litres = 1 kilolitre Devices to measure liquids
82
 • In nature, water is found in three different forms — solid, liquid and gas.
• Every substance is made of minute particles called molecules.
• The mass per unit volume of a body is called its density.
• The upward force exerted by water is called upthrust or buoyancy.
• As water can dissolve most of the substances, it is called a universal solvent.
• Some substances dissolve in water easily while others do not dissolve in it.
• Liquids that mix with each other are called miscible liquids and those that
do not mix are called immiscible liquids.
• Liquids are measured in litres and millilitres by volume.

Activity Time
Activity 1: Strike out the wrong words to complete these sentences.

1. Steam is the liquid gaseous state of water.

2. Everything is made of large minute particles called molecules.

3. Ice is less more dense than water.

4. Sand is soluble insoluble in water.

Activity 2: Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the list.

polystyrene liquid miscible less buoyancy

1. Dew is the ________________ form of water.

2. The mass of ice is ________________ than the same amount of water.

3. The upward force exerted by water on a body is called ________________ .

4. Swimming tubes are made of ________________ .

5. Milk is ________________ in water.

83
 Activity 3: State whether True or False.

1. The ability of a substance to dissolve in water is called its density. _____________

2. Sugar does not dissolve in water. _____________

3. Gases do not dissolve in water. _____________

4. Kerosene and water are miscible. _____________

Activity 4: Answer these questions.

1. In which three forms does water exist in nature?

________________________________________________________________________________

2. Which form of water is rain?

________________________________________________________________________________

3. Define density.

________________________________________________________________________________

4. What are molecules?

________________________________________________________________________________

5. Name one soluble and one insoluble solid.

________________________________________________________________________________

6. What is upthrust force?

________________________________________________________________________________

7. Why is water called a universal solvent?

________________________________________________________________________________

84
 8. How many millilitres make 1 litre?

________________________________________________________________________________

9. What are miscible liquids? Give one example.

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

Things To Do
1. Collect the following articles namely: matchstick, eraser, pencil, paper clip, iron nail, toothbrush,
key, etc. Fill a trough with water and put the collected articles into the water. Make a record of your
observations. Classify the articles as lighter or heavier than water.

2. Sea or ocean water is salty. Take some tap water in a cooking pan. Heat the pan till no water is left
in the pan. Remove the pan from stove and let it to cool. Record your observations, discuss your
observations with your classmates.

85
 UNIT 5: CLOTHES

17 Fibres and
Their Sources
We wear different types of clothes made from cotton,jute, silk, wool, etc. These raw
materials have thin filaments called fibres. Fibres are of two types: natural and artificial.

Natural fibre
Fibres obtained from plants and animals are called natural fibres. Natural fibres include
cotton, jute, linen, wool and silk. Cotton, jute and linen are obtained from plants. Wool and
silk are obtained from animals.
Natural fibres are long and flexible, so they can be easily spun into threads.
Cotton
Cotton comes from the balls (seed pods) of the cotton
plant. These cotton balls are hand picked. Seeds are
removed from these balls. This process is called ginning.
The cleaned cotton is spun into yarn or thread on a
spinning wheel or charkha.
The yarn is then woven into cloth or fabric on looms. This
process is called weaving. Cotton plant
Cotton is the most widely used of all plant fibres. It has a property of absorbing moisture.
This makes cotton clothes cooler in summer. Cotton fibre is strong. Therefore, cotton
clothes are durable.
Jute
Jute fibre comes from jute plants. The fully grown
jute plants are uprooted and tied into bundles. These
bundles are kept in water for about 15 days. The
fibre from the stems becomes loose and is separated.
This fibre is then washed, dried and tied in bundles
and is ready for most processes.
Jute fibre is one of the cheapest natural fibre, it has a
variety of uses. It is extensively used to make ropes,
sacks, mats, bags and other things.
Jute plant
86
Linen
Linen fibre is obtained from flax plants. To obtain this fibre, the full-grown plant is pulled
out. It is soaked in water and left to rot for some time. This process is called retting. After
that it is dried and threshed and is ready for next process. Linen fibre is elegant and strong.
It is about 2 to 3 times stronger than the cotton fibre. It is used in sewing threads, fishing
nets and mattress covers. It is also used for table cloths, napkins, towels, and handkerchiefs.

Wool
Wool comes from the fleece of sheep and
some other animals. The sheep has a thick
layer of hair on its body. The thick layer of hair
is shaved from the sheep’s skin. This process is
called shearing. The hair is washed and dried.
It is then passed through rollers. This process
is called carding. The fibre is then spun into
Wool
woollen threads.
Wool is used to make woollen clothes like sweaters, cardigans, gloves, socks, etc. Woollen
fabrics resist wrinkles and hold their shape well. Wool also absorbs heat. That is why we
wears woollen clothes in winter.

Silk
Silk comes from cocoons spun by silkworms.
Silkworms are cultivated and fed on Mulberry
leaves. Raising silkworms for the production of
silk is called sericulture. Full grown (mature)
silkworms start spinning cocoons round their
bodies. To obtain silk, the cocoons are boiled in
water. This helps to loosen the threads. These
threads are then unwound to get silk fibre. This
silk fibre is then used to produce silk thread.
Silk thread and
cloth

Artificial fibre
Artificial fibre also called synthetic fibre is man-made. It is synthesized from chemical
compounds. These fibres are stronger than natural fibres. Cloth made from this fibre is
called synthetic cloth. Clothes made from synthetic cloth are more durable than those
made of cloth woven from natural fibres.
Nylon, rayon, polyester and acrylic are artificial fibres.

87
 • Fibres are of two types — natural and artificial.
• Fibres obtained from plants and animals are called natural fibres.
• Cotton, jute, silk and wool are natural fibres.
• The process of removing seeds from cotton is called ginning.
• The process of making fabric from yarn is called weaving.
• Nylon, rayon, polyster and acrylic are artificial fibres.

Activity Time
Activity 1: Strike out the wrong words to complete these sentences.

1. Fibres are of two six types.

2. Silk is a synthetic natural fibre.

3. Wool is obtained from plants animals .

4. Linen Nylon is a synthetic fibre.

Activity 2: Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the list.
woolen synthetic flax natural cool

1. Cotton is a ________________ fibre.

2. Linen is obtained from the ________________ plant.

3. ________________ clothes do not wrinkle.

4. We blow on something hot to ________________ it.

5. Nylon is a ________________ fibre.

Activity 3: State whether True or False.

1. Cotton is obtained from silkworms. _____________

2. Rayon fibre is extracted from a jute plant. _____________

3. Natural fibre is stronger than synthetic fibre. _____________

4. Polyster is a man-made fibre. _____________

88
 Activity 4: Draw lines to match correctly.
1. Retting (a) Raising silkworms for production of silk
2. Ginning (b) Making cloth on looms
3. Sericulture (c) Process of colouring a fabric
4. Dying (d) Removing seeds from cotton balls
5. Weaving (e) Soaking in water to remove fibre.

Activity 5: Answer these questions.

1. What do you understand by natural fibres?

____________________________________________________________________
2. Differentiate between natural and synthetic fibre.

____________________________________________________________________
3. How do we get wool?

____________________________________________________________________
4. What is the use of linen?

____________________________________________________________________
5. How is silk obtained from silkworms?

____________________________________________________________________
6. How is jute fibre obtained from jute plants?

____________________________________________________________________

Things To Do
1.
Collect pictures of plants from which fibres can be obtained and paste them in your scrapbook.
In India, every state has its own culture and tradition. People of different states wear different types
of clothes. Collect the pictures of traditional dresses worn by people in different states. Also write
down the properties like colour texture, fibre used below each picture.
2. Take identical pieces of nylon, rayon, cotton and acrylic fabrics. Take four glasses of equal size and
same material. Fill each glass with equal amount of water. Dip each fabric piece in the glass of
water separately for 15 minutes. Take out the fabric and measure the amount of water in each glass.
The glass with least water shows that the fabric dipped in it absorbed the maximum water. Thus, it
will absorb more sweat from our body. We say that such a fabric breathes. Clothes made from such
fabric are comfortable to wear during the summer season.

89
 UNIT 6: SHELTER
Our
18 Neighbourhood
Neighbourhood and neighbours
We are social beings. We cannot live in isolation. We live close to one another. We depend
one each other for our needs. The area around our house is called our neighbourhood.
Many families live in our neighbourhood. They are our neighbours. We all share with them
some basic facilities like roads, parks and markets.
Our neighbourhood has many establishments like a school, hospital, parks, post office and
a market. They provide us with facilities like education and health care. In villages, there are
some local bodies called panchayats. They help to take care of the villagers. In towns and
cities, municipal corporations help to take care of people living there.
School
A school is a place where we meet, learn and work
together. We learn different subjects, like Hindi,
English, Mathematics, Science and Environmental
Studies, in school. Besides this, we do a lot of other
things in school.
We participate in a number of competitions, like
debates, dance, singing and essay-writing. We
play different games in the school playground. We
celebrate national festivals, sports day, children’s
day and teacher’s day. We learn manners and We learn many things in school.
etiquette. We learn to work in groups. We learn about culture and environment. Many
people work in a school. The Principal, teachers, office staff and sweepers are some of
them. Together they work to run the school. Some government school give free uniforms
and books to children. In government schools, children are also given midday meals.

Health care centre

A hospital is an institution that provides medical services to a community. It forms a vital
part of public health service. Hospitals in villages are small in size and they serve the local
communities. Such hospitals are called public health centres.

90
These health centres help the people in many
ways. They conduct programmes related to
health and family planning. They provide
inexpensive medical help to patients. They
help in checking the spread of epidemics. They
organise free medical camps.
Therefore, health care centres are a basic need
of a community. We should take care of these
health centres. We should not make them
unhygienic by spitting and urinating. Maintaining
cleanliness ensures better health.

A health care centre

Post office
Many of our friends and relatives live in distant
places. We can communicate with them by sending
letters. There is a post office in every neighbourhood.
It is helpful in many ways. We can get post cards,
inland letters, envelopes and stamps at the post
office. We can send money orders and parcels. Many
magazines are delivered by mail. We can deposit our
money in a post office savings account.
A post office

Police station
A police station is the headquarter of the police
in the neighbourhood. The Inspector of Police,
Sub Inspector and Head Constable work from
this station. Every police station has an area that
comes under its control. It is the duty of the police
officials of that station to maintain peace in that
area.
The policemen protect us by maintaining law
and order, rounding up burglars and keeping the
accused in a cell called a lockup provided in the A police station
police station.
For any assistance from the police, we can dial 100. Any complaint made by us in the police
station is recorded as a First Information Report (FIR).

91
Railway station
A railway station is a place where trains stop so
that we can board and get off them. Trains follow
a regular time table. The railway station is the
place where we board or get off trains. We can
reserve tickets at any railway station. Railway
stations provide many essential services like
drinking water facilities and toilets.
We should not disrupt trains, steal bulbs or fans
from the trains. We should not throw waste
under our seats. Some people smoke and chew A railway station
tobacco inside trains. These habits make trains dirty and unhygienic.

Panchayat
Panchayats have been set up by the government in all villages. The panchayat meets every
now and then to discuss ways and means of improving the life of people in the village and
to settle disputes. The place where a panchayat holds its meeting is called the Panchayat
Ghar. The village panchayat looks after sanitation and cleanliness. It supervises water
supply, digs wells and ponds and maintains them. It provides dispensaries and arranges for
vaccination. It constructs and maintains roads. It arranges night classes for illiterate persons
and also looks after primary education. The government gives every panchayat funds to
conduct various programmes in the village.
We must take care of all public property because it belongs to all of us. It is our right to use
all the facilities and it is also our duty to see that they function properly.

Social insects
Some insects like bees, wasps, ants and termites live together in groups. Thus, they are
called social insects. A community of social insects is called a colony. They share the work.
Ant colony
Ants are found is almost every corner of the world. They live in large groups in anthills.
Different ants do different kinds of work. This is called division of labour.
An anthill has many chambers connected to each
other by small tunnels. There are separate chambers
for storing food and the young ones in an anthill.
Each ant colony has one queen ant and many
winged male ants. The remaining members of the
colony are female worker ants. The queen ant has
to lay eggs. The male ants help the queen ant to lay An anthill
92
eggs. The worker ants guard the colony and collect food for all the ants. They also repair any
damage to the structure of the colony.

Bee hive
Honey bees live in a nest called a hive. A bee hive or a bee colony may have about 8,000
bees. All bees in a hive help in building the hive. There are three kinds of bees in a bee
colony namely, the queen bee, male bees and worker bees. The queen bee lays eggs. The
male bee, also called drone, helps the queen bee to lay eggs. Drones are the biggest bees
in the colony. The worker bees are many in number and are the smallest bees in the colony.
They take care of the queen bee and guard the hive. They collect nectar from flowers. They
feed the young ones and defend the entire colony.

Fact File
There are four stages in the growth of
a bee. The egg hatches into a larva, the
larva grows into a pupa and a pupa
grows into a full grown bee.

A bee hive

• The area around our house is our neighbourhood.

• People living in our neighbourhood are our neighbours.
• A school is a place where we go to become educated.
• A health care centre provides medical services to a community.
• We buy letters, post cards and envelopes at a post office.
• A railway station is a place where trains stop and depart.
• A police station is the headquarter of the police in the neighbourhood.
• In a village, local bodies called panchayats, take care of the needs of
the villagers.
• Insects like ants, bees, wasps and termites are social insects. They live
in colonies.

93
 Activity Time
Activity 1: Strike out the wrong words to complete these sentences.

1. We can cannot live in isolation.

2. We go to a school police station to be educated.

3. We buy letters and stamps at the police station post office .

4. Ants Bees collect nectar in a hive.

Activity 2: Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the list.

hives duty public policeman litter

1. We should take care of ________________ property.

2. We should not ________________ trains.

3. It is our ________________ to maintain public property.

4. A ________________ gives protection to people.

5. Nests of bees are called ________________ .

Activity 3: State whether True or False.

1. A school provides inexpensive medical help to patients. _____________

2. We can get envelopes and postcard from post the office. _____________

3. A police station is the headquarter of the local police. _____________

4. A health care centre is a basic need of a community. _____________

5. Panchayats arrange night classes for illiterate persons.

94
 Activity 4: Answer these questions.

1. What is a neighbourhood?

____________________________________________________________________
2. Name any three people who work in a school?

____________________________________________________________________
3. Who runs the postal services?

____________________________________________________________________
4. What is an FIR?

____________________________________________________________________
5. What is a panchayat?

____________________________________________________________________
6. How can we call for police assistance?

____________________________________________________________________
7. What do the worker ants do?

____________________________________________________________________
8. What does the queen ant do?

____________________________________________________________________
9. What is a colony?

____________________________________________________________________

Things To Do

Make a poster to encourage maintenance of public property and display them in your class
bulletin board.

95
19 Natural Calamities
Natural calamity
A natural calamity is a disaster caused by nature. An event which causes great harm or
damage is called disaster. A severe natural calamity may kill thousands of people and cause
a great loss to property.
Disasters are of two types: natural disasters and man-made disasters. Earthquakes, floods,
droughts, tsunamis and cyclones are natural disasters. Fires and wars are some man-made
disasters.

Earthquakes
An earthquake is a sudden movement of the Earth’s surface. Some earthquakes are mild.
They are hardly felt. Some earthquakes are so strong that they cause great loss to life and
property. They make millions of people homeless. Earthquakes occur without any warning.
Falling objects and collapsing buildings cause deaths and injuries during an earthquake.
Perhaps the worst earthquake ever recorded in India was that of 2001, in Gujarat. The
earthquake of 2005 in Pakistan was another severe earthquake. It occured on October 8th,
2005. Its centre was the Pakistan occupied region of the disputed territory of Kashmir. The
earthquake caused widespread destruction in northern Pakistan and northern India.

Fact File
The intensity of an earthquake
is measured with the help of an
instrument called seismograph
on the Richter Scale.

Buildings can collapse during an earthquake.

Tsunami
Tsunami is a Japanese word. It means a harbour wave. It is
an unusually large sea wave produced by an earthquake
originating in the ocean bed. Such waves are usually
very destructive. They sweep in from the sea like a
96
huge tide. They are caused by undersea earth movements and can destroy thousands of
miles of coastline and submerge entire islands permanently.
The 2004 Indian Ocean quake popularly known
as the Sumatra–Andaman Earthquake was an
undersea quake that occurred on December 26th,
2004. A large number of people were killed and
over a million left homeless.
The most affected countries were Indonesia,
Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Somalia and Malaysia. The
2004 Tsunami was the deadlist in recorded history.
Tsunami waves

Floods
Floods are caused by heavy rainfall due to which rivers overflow their banks and the river
waters enter into nearby areas. Floods cause a lot of damage, they not only wipe out
habitats but also crops. This leads to shortage of food and results in famine. Floods destroy
houses and other valuable property. They cause great damage to crops. They wash away
the top fertile soil making the land infertile. Flood water gets mixed with waste water which
leads to spread of epidemics. As floods destroy crops, famines can occur after a flood. A
flood may also result in landslides in hilly areas.

Driving through flood waters is risky.

Coping with disasters
Disasters catch people unawares. When we face any disaster, we should stay calm. We
should not panic. We should have phone numbers of important services like ambulance,
police station, hospitals and fire brigade. We can contact them when we sense danger. We
know that timely help saves many lives. The armed forces play a vital role during natural
calimities. They help by distributing food, water, medicine and clothes by helicopters to
affected areas. Some non-governmental organisations (NGOs) also provide help to victims
of natural disasters. The United Nation (UN) plays a major role during natural calimities.
UN agencies like UNICEF (United Nations Children Fund), WHO (World Health Organisation)
and UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation) work for

97
the people affected by disasters all over the world. The Red Cross Society is another
organisation that helps the victims of disasters.
On July 26th, 2005, 94.4 cm of rainfall was recorded in Mumbai. It was the highest ever
recorded rainfall in the history of Mumbai. The city was flooded and remained cut off from
the rest of the country by road, rail and air.
A large number of people were killed in those two days of torrential rains. A number of
people were buried in landslides.
As individuals, it is our duty to help the affected people in any form, like: We can give
shelter to them. We can provide food, water and other essential things to the victims.
Many voluntary organisations send their teams to provide essential commodities to the
affected people.

First Aid
First Aid is the help given to a sick or injured person until definitive medical treatment can
be accessed. First aid prevents worsening of a medical condition. It also involves trying
to start the recovery process from illness or injury. We should always keep a First Aid box
handy.
A First Aid box should contain the following things:
• Adhesive bandages • Sterile gauze • Cotton
• Antiseptic liquid • A pair of scissors • Antiseptic cream
• An oral rehydration solution
Let us find out how we can give First Aid.

Cuts and wounds

A wound is a certain part of the body that is damaged
by a cut. Wash the cut or wound with an antiseptic
lotion. Apply a bandage on the wound. If the cut or
Taking care of your cuts and wounds
wound is deep, take the victim to a doctor.

Fractures and sprains

A crack in a bone is called a fracture. A sprain is an injury in a joint,
caused by the ligament being stretched beyond its capacity. In case
of a fracture or sprain, we should not move the affected part. If there
is a swelling apply an ice pack till the swelling disappears. We can
use a splint to support the fractured part. We should apply a pain
relieving ointment on the sprained area and then take the person to an
orthopedic surgeon for treatment.
Person with a
hand fracture
98
Burns
In case of a minor burn, apply cold water to the affected area. Fact File
Do this for at least 5 to 10 minutes or until the pain is relieved. To confirm whether the bone
Do not apply ice or cold water for a long time. Keep the is fractured or not a doctor
affected area uncovered. Apply an antiseptic ointment on the takes an X-ray.
burn. Apply a dry dressing, if necessary. Do not use ointments
or creams, etc. Blisters are formed when the burn is severe.
We should not prick the blisters. We should apply a piece of
cloth dipped in baking soda solution over the burn. If there are signs of infection, take the
victim to the doctor.

Nose bleeding
Put the victim on his or her side. This will help inhalation of air. Bend the victims head
slightly backward. Pinch the nostrils for 2 minutes. Ask the victim to breathe through the
mouth. If bleeding does not stop, do the same for 10 minutes. At the same time, apply ice
on the area around the nose.

• A natural calamity is a disaster caused by nature.

• An event which causes great harm or damage is called a disaster.
• Earthquakes, floods, droughts and tsunamis are natural disasters.
• Man-made disasters include wars and fires.
• We should share the sufferings of the victims of disasters.
• First aid is the help given to a sick or injured person.
• We should always keep a First Aid box handy.

Activity Time
Activity 1: Strike out the wrong words to complete these sentences.

1. A natural calamity causes no a great loss to property.

2. Disasters can cannot be man-made.
3. An earthquake is a natural man-made disaster.
4. The land becomes dry wet during floods.
5. We should should not keep a First Aid box handy.

99
 Activity 2: Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the list.

sufferings warning people sprain seaquake 26th January

1. A severe natural calamity may kill thousands of ________________ .

2. Earthquakes strike without ________________ .

3. A massive earthquake jolted the country on ________________ 2001.

4. A ________________ is an injury in a joint.

5. It is our duty to share the ________________ of the affected people.

6. Tsunami is an unusually large sea wave produced by a ________________ .

Activity 3: State whether True or False.

1. Natural calamities affect life and property on a large scale. _____________

2. We should be ready to help the victims of disasters. _____________

3. Wars are natural disasters. _____________

4. Tsunami is a Chinese word. _____________

5. Floods can cause destruction. _____________

Activity 4: Answer these questions.

1. What is a disaster?

________________________________________________________________________________

2. What is a natural calamity?

________________________________________________________________________________

3. Give any two examples of natural calamities.

________________________________________________________________________________

4. Name any two man-made disasters.

________________________________________________________________________________

100
 5. Describe what happens during floods.

________________________________________________________________________________

6. What is first aid?

________________________________________________________________________________

7. What is a sprain?

________________________________________________________________________________

Things To Do
1. Collect pictures of natural calamities and paste them in your scrapbook.
2. Make a list of essential commodities to be sent to help people affected by a natural calamity in or
around your locality.

Natural Calamity Affected Area Essential Commodities to be Sent

101
 UNIT 7: Health and Hygiene

20 Common Infectious
Diseases
When our body does not seem to be working normally and we feel sick, we may have a
disease. We must visit a doctor when we feel sick. The doctor looks for signs that show
what kind of disease we might have.

Infectious diseases
Diseases that spread from an infected person to another are called infectious diseases.
They are generally caused by germs like bacteria, viruses and protozoans. These germs are
microscopic organisms. They cannot be seen with the naked eye. But they are visible under
a microscope. These germs are generally spread through air, water, food or contact with an
infected person.
Table: Some germs and diseases caused by them
Germs Diseases
Bacteria Whooping cough, tuberculosis, typhoid, plague, cholera
Viruses Measles, influenza (flu), chickenpox, mumps, common cold, polio,
AIDS, rabies, hepatitis
Protozoans Malaria, dysentery, dengue

Infectious diseases caused by viruses

Influenza, also called flu, is an infectious disease. It is
caused by a virus and spreads through air. High fever
accompanied by headaches is a common symptom of
influenza. Sore throat and dry cough are other symptoms
of influenza. It spreads through coughing and sneezing.
To prevent this disease, one should keep away from those Always cover your nose and
people who are infected. mouth while sneezing.
Hepatitis, also called jaundice infects the liver. It is caused by contaminated food and water.
Weakness, yellow skin and orange urine are common symptoms of the disease.
Rabies, also called hydrophobia, is caused by the bite of a dog, cat, monkey or a bat. Fear,
confusion and agitation are common symptoms of the disease.

102
AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. It is a serious viral disease. It is
caused by blood transfusion, sexual contact and sharing unsterilized surgical instruments.
The disease destroys the ability of the body to fight infections.

Infectious diseases caused by bacteria

Tuberculosis is an air-borne disease that is
transmitted by coughing, sneezing and spitting by
infected persons. Typhoid is a bacterial disease
which spreads through water. High fever and
abdominal pain are symptoms of the disease.
Diarrhoea is another bacterial disease. It is caused
by contaminated food, water and drinks. A person
with diarrhoea has loose motion, vomiting and
Headaches and fever are
abdominal pain. symptoms of diseases.
Malaria and Dengue
Malaria is a disease caused by protozoans. Protozoans are unicellular animals. Plasmodium
is the parasitic protozoa that lives inside the bodies of female Anopheles mosquitoes. Only
Anopheles mosquitoes can spread malaria. They are mainly active after dark. When they
bite a person, the disease-causing protozoans enter the blood. The disease develops within
12 to 25 days from the bite. A person with malaria suffers from severe headache, fever and
shivering. The fever subsides with profuse sweating.
Dengue is another dangerous infectious tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. It is
transmitted by the bite of Aedes mosquito. This mosquito lays its eggs in fresh water. It is
active during the day.
Prevention and control of malaria
The occurrence of malaria can be prevented and controlled as follows:
• Mosquitoes lay eggs in stagnant water. So, we should not
let water stagnate in and around our house.
• We should change water in the water cooler regularly.
• We should use mosquito nets or repellents like creams
and coils while sleeping.
• We should spray a mosquito repellent in the house to
reduce the breeding of mosquitoes. Sleep safely under a mosquito net.
• We should minimise the hiding places of mosquitoes in the house as they hide
themselves behind furniture, curtains or cupboards.

103
Precautions to check the spread of infectious diseases
The spread of infectious diseases can be prevented by following these measures.
• Keep the surroundings clean and drains covered.
• Maintain proper sanitary conditions.
• Take innoculation or vaccination at regular
intervals.
• Do not send children suffering from any infectious
disease to school till they have fully recovered.
• Wash hands with a disinfectant before and after
touching the patient or any article used by him/
her.
• Do not share towels or any other object used by Remember to take innoculations
the infected person. at regular intervals.

• Diseases that spread from an infected person to another are called

infectious diseases.
• Infectious diseases are generally caused by germs like bacteria, viruses and
protozoans.
• Tuberculosis, typhoid, plague and cholera are caused by bacteria.
• Influenza, chickenpox, mumps, polio, AIDS, rabies and hepatitis are caused
by viruses.
• Malaria, dysentery and dengue are caused by protozoans.

Activity Time
Activity 1: Strike out the wrong words to complete these sentences.

1. Plague Polio is caused by bacteria.

2. Viruses are are not visible with the naked eye.

3. Influenza is also called jaundice flu .

4. Rabies is caused by the bite of men dogs .

104
 Activity 2: Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the list.

microscopic contaminated disease viral anopheles

1. Malaria is an infectious ________________ .

2. AIDS is a ________________ disease.

3. Germs are ________________ organisms.

4. Cholera spreads through ________________ water.

5. Malaria is caused by the bite of ________________ mosquitoes.

Activity 3: State whether True or False.

1. We can see protozoans with the naked eye. _____________

2. Influenza is a viral disease. _____________

3. Typhoid spreads by an insect bite. _____________

4. Polio is a caused by bacteria. _____________

Activity 4: Answer these questions.

1. What is an infectious disease?

________________________________________________________________________________

2. Name any three infectious diseases caused by bacteria.

________________________________________________________________________________

3. Name any three infectious diseases caused by viruses.

________________________________________________________________________________

4. How is jaundice caused?

________________________________________________________________________________

5. What are the symptoms of malaria?

________________________________________________________________________________

105
 6. What does AIDS stand for?

________________________________________________________________________________

7. Write any two measures to prevent malaria.

________________________________________________________________________________

Things To Do
Search and encircle the names of seven infectious diseases in the grid.

a c i j k m a l a r i a x y h c

x h l m z e p r j a u n d i c e

y o z c e a q k l b m n k o o q

z l f f l s p o l i o v g t h o

b e u u v l p o i e l u u w l m

p r t e d e t o u s l z a v n d

q a r a s s u t y p h o i d f e

106
 21 Exploring Heights
Mountaineering
Adventure is an exciting and risky activity. People who love adventure often undertake
some daring sports called adventure sports. River rafting, scuba diving, trekking and
mountaineering are some adventure sports. The love for adventure and living dangerously
adds excitement to our lives.
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is a popular sport. It requires an open mind and
strong determination.

Preparing for mountaineering

Before starting their climb, mountaineers have to train very hard. They should have a
certain level of physical and mental fitness. For that, they are provided rigorous training in
special institutes like NIM (National Institute of Mountaineering). They exercise for months.
Exercises builds up stamina and develops muscle strength.
No elaborate equipment is required to climb mountains. However, ice axes, ropes, torches,
and pitons are necessary for rock climbing. A piton is a metal spike having a hole through
which a rope can be passed. On long treks mountaineers carry a set of spare clothes,
waterproof jacket, compass, special mountain hooks, sleeping bags, water and raw
materials to make food.
Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay of Nepal were the first humans to scale
Mount Everest on 29th May, 1953. Bachendri Pal was the first Indian woman to scale Mount
Everest on 23rd May, 1984.

Edmund Hillary Tenzing Norgay Bachendri Pal

107
 Fact File
Mount Kilimanjaro, Denali, Elbrus, Aconcagua, Carstensz, Pyramid, Vinson
and Everest together are known as the seven summits. Till now, about 130
climbers have been able to reach all the seven peaks.

Ride in a spacecraft
The study of space, i.e., stars and planets is called astronomy. People who study astronomy
are called astronomers. They study the objects in space like stars, planets, comets, etc. They
travel into space in spacecrafts.
During the day, we usually notice many changes that take place in the sky. For example, the
clouds change their position and shape in the sky. The Sun changes its position in a specific
way every day.

Night sky
The Sun rises in the East every morning. It provides us with the right amount of heat and
light. It keeps changing its position and it is at the highest point in the sky at noon. We say it
is the hottest and the brightest time of the day. Then the Sun moving across the sky sets in
the West. It becomes dimmer all around. The air becomes cooler, the sky is dark and night
sets in. After sunset, the Moon and numerous stars become visible in the sky.

Our wonderful universe

The Solar System

The eight planets together with the Sun in the centre make up the solar system. A planet
is a large body in space that revolves around the Sun in fixed orbits and has no light of
its own.

108
The planets in order of their distance from the Sun are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter,
Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Unlike stars, planets have no light of their own.

Fact File
Every day, the Sun looks as if it
rises and sets. But it is not true.
Fig of solar system The Sun is fixed in its place.

Mercury is the nearest planet to the Sun. It is the hottest planet of the solar system. It has
no air and water. It is very hot during the day and becomes freezing cold at night.
Venus is the second planet which is also called the Morning Star or the Evening Star. We
can see it in the sky early in the morning and just after the Sun sets.
The Earth, is the only planet that supports life. It looks like a blue ball when seen from
space by astronauts. Its blue colour shows the presence of water.

Fact File
There is no air (oxygen) in
space which is essential for
life. That is why space missions
carry their own air supply.

Next to Earth in the solar system is Mars. It is also called the Red planet.
Its surface is dry and rocky like a desert.
The fifth planet is Jupiter. It is the brightest planet in the solar system.
Saturn is well known for its beautiful rings. It has seven rings around it. These rings are
made up of chunks of ice and rocks.
Uranus has eleven rings around it. These rings are less visible than those of Saturn.
The planet furthest away from the Sun in the solar system is Neptune.

109
Some planets have satellites or moons that revolve around them. The moon that we see
at night is a natural satellite of the Earth. Some artificial or man-made satellites have been
sent into space to find out more about space. The artificial satellites receive and collect
information. They then send signals to the Earth through which the collected information is
investigated. Artificial satellites are controlled by scientists from the Earth.
The first artificial satellite sent into space was Sputnik I. It was the first attempt made by
Russia in 1957 to venture into space.
Thereafter, Russia and the USA sent several space missions between 1960 to 1968 to collect
information about space.
Neil Armstrong of USA was the first human being to set foot on the moon. He did it on 21st
July, 1969. Along with him, Edwin Aldrin and Collins also went on this mission. After that,
many American astronauts landed on the Moon and explored its surface. They collected
samples of the lunar soil and brought back samples to Earth. They carried out experiments
and found that the Moon had no chemicals produced by living beings. Photographs taken
by astronauts showed no traces of life on the Moon.
Many Indians also travelled into space. Rakesh Sharma, born on 14th January 1949, was
the first Indian to travel into space. He went into space on 2nd April 1984 along with two
Soviet cosmonauts. They went into space in the spacecraft Soyuz T-11. When Indira Gandhi,
the Prime Minister at that time, asked him how India looked from space, Rakesh Sharma
replied, “Saare Jahan se Achchha Hindustan Hamara”.
Kalpana Chawla, born on March 17, 1962, in Karnal, Haryana, was the first woman of
Indian origin to travel into space. Her mission began on 19th November, 1997. She was a
part of the six-member crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia flight ST5-87. The space shuttle
broke up on re-entry into the earth’s atmosphere just 16 minutes before landing. All the six
astronauts were killed.
Sunita Williams, the second woman of Indian origin, set a world record by staying for the
longest period (195 days) in space.

Rakesh Sharma Kalpana Chawla Sunita Williams

110
Astronaut training
It is a very difficult task to go out into space. Astronauts are physically and mentally trained
for space travel. They are given special training. Subjects like Mathematics, Geology,
Meteorology, Oceanography, Astronomy and Physics are taught to the chosen candidates.
They are taught about the working systems of a space shuttle. They are given training
about things like scuba diving and parachute jumping. They are trained to move about in
spacesuits. They are also trained to fly in extremely fast T-38 jets.
Suitable candidates are then trained to become astronauts. They are provided training in
Shuttle Mission Simulators (SMSs). Here, they practice everything related to travel in space,
such as how to launch, fly and land a spacecraft.
All things including humans float about in space, i.e., nobody can stand or sit in one place.
Astronauts stay in one place by strapping themselves to the spacecrafts. They are given
special training to live in places having no gravity. Gravity is a force that causes things to
fall down.

• Adventure is an exciting and risky activity.

• Mountaineering requires an open mind and strong determination.
• Before their climb, mountaineers are given a rigorous training in special
institutes.
• The scientific study of stars and planets is called astronomy.
• Astronauts are people who study astronomy.
• Planets revolve around the Sun in fixed paths called orbits.
• There are eight planets in the solar system.
• Planets in order of their distance from the Sun in the solar system are
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.
• The Moon is a natural satellite of the Earth.
• Astronauts are given special training before going into space.

111
 Activity Time
Activity 1: Strike out the wrong words to complete these sentences.

1. A piton is a metallic wooden spike.

2. The first Indian woman to climb Mount Everest was Santosh Yadav Bachendri Pal .

3. The study of stars and plants planets is called astronomy.

4. The Sun rises in the East West every morning.

Activity 2: Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the list.

sun risky 23rd May 29th May climb

1. Adventure is an exciting and ________________ activity.

2. Before they ________________ , mountaineers are given a rigorous training.

3. Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay climbed the Mount Everest on ________________ , 1953.

4. Bachendri Pal was the first Indian woman to climb the Mountain Everest on
________________ , 1984.

5. Planets revolve around the ________________ .

Activity 3: State whether True or False.

1. Mountaineers need no training before they climb. _____________

2. Exercise builds up stamina. _____________
3. The Moon is the natural satellite of the Earth. _____________
4. Mercury is also known as the Morning Star. _____________
5. Sputnik I was the first artificial satellite sent to space by the USA. _____________

Activity 4: Answer these questions.

1. What is a piton?

________________________________________________________________________________

2. Write the full form of NIM.

________________________________________________________________________________

112
 3. Name the seven summits.

________________________________________________________________________________

4. Name the hottest planet of the solar system.

________________________________________________________________________________

5. Name the planet of the solar system which is farthest from the Sun.

________________________________________________________________________________

6. How many planets are there in the solar system?

________________________________________________________________________________

7. How does the Earth look from space?

________________________________________________________________________________

8. By what other names is planet Venus known?

________________________________________________________________________________

9. Which planet is also known as the Red planet?

________________________________________________________________________________

10. Who was the first Indian astronomer to travel into space?

________________________________________________________________________________

Things To Do
1. Stars form some interesting patterns. Try to find out what are these patterns of stars called. Discuss
your answers in class.

2. Try to find out about any five adventure sports. Collect pictures of these sports and paste them in
your scrapbook.

113
 Historical
22 Buildings
India has been home to people of different cultures and religions. People made attractive
buildings, statues, etc., to establish their identity in India. Now, these buildings have gained
historical importance. The Government of India takes care of these historical monuments.
A statue or a building that is built to honour a special person or an event is called a
monument. Monuments tell us about the way of living of people in the past, their skills and
culture. Many people from all over the world come to India to see these historical buildings.
Let us learn more about some of these historical buildings.

The Ashoka Pillar

Emperor Ashoka was a great ruler of ancient India. He ruled India
more than two thousand years ago. During the latter part of his life, he
followed Buddhism and devoted himself to the spread of Buddhism.
He was a warrior. He started to believe in non-violence, love, truth and
tolerance after adopting the Buddhist faith. He constructed hospitals,
roads, pillars, and many other buildings. The Ashoka Pillar is the most
popular structure made by Ashoka. It is in Sarnath. The pillar has
carvings of four lions which are standing back to back. The carving of
four lions is the national emblem of India. A chakra called the Ashoka
Chakra is one of the carvings on this pillar. The Ashoka Chakra depicted
in the centre of the Indian flag has been taken from this pillar. Ashoka Pillar

The Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal is perhaps one of the most
magnificent buildings built by Muslim
emperors. It is in Agra. The Taj Mahal was
built by Emperor Shah Jahan in 1631 in
the memory of his beloved wife Mumtaj
Mahal. When Mumtaj was alive, she made
the Emperor promise that he would build
the Taj in her memory. He kept his promise.
The construction of the building began in
1631 and was completed in 22 years. About
Taj Mahal
114
twenty thousand people were deployed to Fact File
work on it. The materials and artists were The Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan was popularly
brought in from various parts of India and known as the engineer king. He built many
Central Asia. In addition, it took a fleet of monuments such as the Taj Mahal, the Red Fort
1000 elephants to transport the material to and the Jama Masjid. Moti Masjid, Wazir Khan
Mosque and Lahore Fort (now in Pakistan) are
the construction site.
some other constructions of Shah Jahan.
The famous building is made of white
marble. It stands on a 22 feet high platform.
It is an eight sided building.

The Jama Masjid

On the west of the Red Fort, a mosque
called Jama Masjid was built by Shah Jahan.
This building was built between 1644 and
1658 by five thousand artisans. The Jama
Masjid is the largest and perhaps the most
magnificent mosque in India.
Jama Masjid

The Red Fort at Delhi

The Red Fort at Delhi was constructed by Shah Jahan 1639. It is said that it took 10 years
to be completed. It has thick red stone walls bulging with turrets and bastions. The walls
extend up to two kilometres and vary in height rising up to 18 metres. It is situated on the
banks of the river Yamuna. It contains a mosque, halls for public and private audience,
domed and arched marble
palaces, private apartments
and gardens. Entrance to the
fort is through the Lahore Gate.
It takes its name from the fact
that it faces Lahore. This gate
has a special significance for
India. Most of the speeches have
been made by freedom fighters
and national leaders from here.
Our Prime Minister hoists the
tricolour above this gate on
Independence Day.
Red Fort
115
 Qutab Minar
The Qutab Minar is in Delhi. It was constructed by
Qutab-Ud-Din Aibak in 1199. It took 20 years to complete
this minar. It was completed by the Sultan’s successor and
son-in-law Iltutmish. This 22 m high minaret is surrounded by
ruins of several other ancient monuments. This area together
is called the Qutab Complex. It was declared a World
Heritage Site by the UN agency UNESCO.

Qutab Minar

The Victoria Memorial

Victoria Memorial is a splendid example of Christian
architecture. It was built in the memory of Queen Victoria.
This famous structure is based on the architecture of the
Taj Mahal. It is made of white marble. The statue of the
Queen at the entrance spells the magic of British grandeur. Victoria Memorial

The Charminar
The Charminar is situated in Hyderabad, the capital city of
Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It is a beautiful building.
It was built by Mohammed Quli Qutab Shah in 1591 to
celebrate the end of the plague in Hyderabad. It has four
minarets and four arches through which pass the main
streets of the city. It rises to a height of 50 metres above the
base. It derives its name from the four minarets.

Charminar

The Hawa Mahal

The Hawa Mahal is in the Pink
City of Jaipur. The crown shaped
five storeyed building was built by
Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh in 1799.
It was designed by the architect Lal
Chand Ustad. He dedicated his work
to Lord Krishna. The monument is
made up of red and pink stones.
Hawa Mahal
116
It has some beautiful work of white lime. The are 953 small windows in this monument.
These windows were built so that the women of the Jaipur royal family could watch the
activities taking place in the city and market place.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa

The Leaning Tower of Pisa was constructed in 1173. This
187 feet tall structure is located at Pisa in Italy. The strange
structure was initially upright at the time of construction.
But because of poorly laid foundation, it began leaning
towards the south-east direction. It was declared a World
Heritage Site by the UN agency UNESCO in 1987.

Leaning Tower of Pisa

Care of historical buildings
Historical buildings are very important as they are proof of historical facts. People from all
over the world come to India to see our historical buildings. Our government takes care of
these buildings.
We too must take care of our historical buildings and preserve them.
• We should not throw waste in and around the historical buildings.
• We should not scribble our names on the walls of the historical buildings and
spoil them.
• We should not spit or urinate anywhere in and around the historical buildings.

• India has been a home for people of different cultures.

• A monument is a statue or a building that is built to honour a special person
or an event.
• Monuments tell us about the way of living of people in the past, their skills
and culture.
• Each monument has its own unique story and history.
• The Taj Mahal, Ashoka Pillar, Jama Msjid, Red Fort at Delhi, Qutab
Minar, Victoria Mahal, Charminar and the Hawa Mahal are some famous
monuments in India.
• We must take care of our historical buildings and preserve them.

117
 Activity Time
Activity 1: Strike out the wrong words to complete these sentences.

1. Emperor Ashoka believed in violence non-violence .

2. The Ashoka pillar is in Delhi Sarnath .

3. The Taj Mahal Hawa Mahla was built by Shah Jahan.

4. The Qutab Minar is made up of white red stones.

Activity 2: Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the list.

Hyderabad 1199 four 1639 22

1. The Ashoka Pillar has carvings of ________________ lions which are standing back to back.

2. The Taj Mahal stands on a ________________ feet high platform.

3. The Red Fort was constructed by Shah Jahan in ________________ .

4. The Charminar is located in ________________ .

5. The Qutab Minar was built in ________________ .

Activity 3: State whether True or False.

1. The Taj Mahal is made up of red stones. _____________

2. The Jama Masjd is the largest mosque in India. _____________

3. Victoria Mahal was built in the memory of Mumtaz Mahal. _____________

4. Jama Masjd was built by Akbar. _____________

5. The Hawa Mahal was designed by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh. _____________

Activity 4: Answer these questions.

1. Why are historical buildings important?

________________________________________________________________________________

2. How many sides does the Taj Mahal have?

________________________________________________________________________________

118
 3. Who built the Hawa Mahal?

________________________________________________________________________________

4. When and by whom was the Charminar built?

________________________________________________________________________________

5. Name two world heritage sites.

________________________________________________________________________________

6. How many years did it take to build the Qutab Minar?

________________________________________________________________________________

7. What is the Qutab Complex?

________________________________________________________________________________

8. Where is the Leaning Tower of Pisa situated?

________________________________________________________________________________

Things To Do
1. Collect pictures of heritage buildings of India as well as of the World. Paste them in your scrapbook.

2. Discuss with your classmates what steps should be taken to preserve our heritage buildings.

119
 UNIT 8: Things We Make and Do

23 Growing Food
Plants and animals are sources of food. Farmers grow crops and rear animals. Some farmers
produce certain kinds of crops such as cereals, pulses, sugarcane, tea, spices, fruits and
vegetables. Some farmers run dairy farms, piggeries or sheep farms. Agriculture is the
process of growing food crops and rearing animals. Cultivation of food crops is essential for
our survival.
Not all farmers have their own land. Some of them take land on lease from a ‘Zamindar’ or
landlord. A part of the produce is given to him as royalty.

Crop cultivation
Growing of food involves a number of processes like preparing the soil, sowing seeds,
applying manure or fertilizers, irrigating the fields, harvesting the crop and transporting it to
processing units.

Ploughing the field

The first essential stage for cultivating any crop is preparation of the soil. Ploughs made of
wood and iron, and driven by animals are used to plough the field. A plough is a tool which
digs the soil with its metal blade. Nowadays farmers use tractors to plough their fields.
Furrows are made in the soil with ploughs. When the soil is ready, seeds are sown. Today,
seeds are sown using seed drills. This is called sowing. The plants begin to grow within
a few weeks. They need adequate quantity of water, sunlight and air. Seedlings of some
crops like paddy (rice) need to be transferred to another field after some time. This is called
transplantation.

120
Manures and fertilizers
Manure is a natural substance which is formed from
dead decaying matter and animal waste. It provides Fact File
Farming without the use of chemical
all the nutrients a plant needs to grow well.
fertilizers and pesticides is called
Fertilizers are commercially produced plant nutrients organic farming. Such food is called
(chemicals). They are used to increase the fertility organic food.
of soil. They supply nitrogen, phosphorus and
potassium salts for better yield of agricultural
products. If applied in large quantities they may spoil
the plants.

Irrigation
The process of watering crop plants in the field is
called irrigation.
In primitive times, farmers mainly depended on rain
water for growing crops. Today, modern irrigation
facilities such as wells, pumps, water wheels,
sprinklers and canals are being used by farmers.
Canals are dug to provide water to the fields. A
water pump is a machine that is used for drawing up
Irrigation in progress underground water.

Harvesting and threshing

Once the crop has matured, it is harvested.
Harvesting means gathering of crops. It may be
done either by hand with a sickle or with machines
called harvesters. The stems of wheat, paddy or
maize plants are cut to make hay. Then the grains
are separated from the chaff by threshing. This can
be done manually or by machines. After that grains
are separated from husk. This process is called
winnowing. Finally the grains are packed in sacks.
Harvesting
Storage of grains
Storage means keeping the harvested crops till they are taken to the consumer. Grains can
be stored in clay pots and woven baskets in cemented halls called godowns.
Grains such as wheat and maize cannot be eaten in the raw form. They are sent to flour
mills, where they are ground into flour. This flour is then bought by the consumer. The flour
is kneaded into dough to make chapattis, pooris, etc. Similarly, rice may be used for making
biryani, idli, dosa, etc.
121
Subsistence farming
Fact File
In this type of farming, a farmer grows a large
Gypsies lead a nomadic life. They settle in a place for
variety of crops sufficient to maintain his
a while, grow crops as long as the land remains fertile
family. He markets a small surplus, if there is
and then leave that place and settle in another.
any. The farmer uses few modern tools and
implements.
Changing crops grown in some areas
In some areas different ways of growing crops are used to obtain maximum yield.
1. Mixed Cropping: In this type of farming, two or more crops are sown at the same time.
The products and refuse from one crop plant help in the growth of the other crop plant
and vice-versa.
Examples: Wheat + mustard or groundnut + sunflower
2. Inter Cropping: In this type of farming, two or more crops are grown simultaneously on
same field in a definite pattern. It is practised in highly dense populated areas.
3. Crop rotation: When two crops are grown one after another, it is known as crop
rotation. Different crops have different nutrient requirements and affect soil balance
differently. By rotation of crops the nutrient value of soil can be maintained. Crops like
beans and peas are grown to maintain the fertility of the soil. Such leguminous crops are
able to fix the Nitrogen in the soil, thereby increasing its fertility.
Grain being spoilt in storage
For future use, grains are stored in air conditioned cemented godowns, clay pots or
woven baskets. In villages, grains are stored in small clay cottages. Often storage losses in
agricultural produce can be very high. These losses are due to attack by insects, rodents,
fungi, mites and bacteria.
Preventive measures should be taken before storing grains. Grains should be properly dried
in sunlight before storing. Fumigation, using chemicals which can kill pests (insects which
eat grains during storage) is another preventive measure before storing grains.

• Growing crops and rearing animals for food is called agriculture.

• Growing crops involves many processes like preparing the soil, sowing
seeds, irrigation, harvesting, threshing and winnowing.
• Some crops require transplantation.
• Farming without the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides is called
organic farming.
• In mixed cropping, two or more crops are sown at the same time.
• When two crops are grown one after another, it is known as crop rotation.

122
 Activity Time
Activity 1: Strike out the wrong words to complete these sentences.

1. Growing crops involves five many processes.

2. A plough harvester is a tool which digs the soil with its metal blade.

3. The process of watering crop plants in the field is called irrigation transplantation .

4. In mixed inter cropping, two or more crops are grown simultaneously on the same field.

Activity 2: Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the list.

Gypsies royalty Canals gathering

1. A part of total produce is given to the Zamindar as ________________.

2. ________________ are dug to irrigate fields.

3. ________________ lead a nomadic life.

4. Harvesting means ________________ of crops.

Activity 3: State whether True or False.

1. Farmers grow crops. _____________

2. All the crops grown in subsistence farming are sold in the market. _____________

3. Wheat crop is grown by transplantation. _____________

4. The first stage of cultivating a crop is sowing. _____________

Activity 4: Answer these questions.

1. What is agriculture?

________________________________________________________________________________

2. What is irrigation?

________________________________________________________________________________

123
 3. What do you understand by subsistence farming?

________________________________________________________________________________

4. What is harvesting?

________________________________________________________________________________

5. Define transplantation.

________________________________________________________________________________

6. What is organic farming?

________________________________________________________________________________

7. Name some methods of irrigation.

________________________________________________________________________________

8. What tools do we use for preparing the field?

________________________________________________________________________________

9. How is sowing done?

________________________________________________________________________________

Things To Do
1. Visit a field or an agriculture farm with your parents or teacher. Study all the agricultural implements
used by the farmer.

2. Draw and colour the figure of a water sprinkler.

124
 UNIT 9: Features of the Environment

24 Physical Features
of the Earth
The Earth is said to have been formed from a cloud of dust particles about 45 billions years
ago. The Earth’s surface also called the crust is a thin layer of rocks. Just below the crust is
a layer called the mantle. It surrounds the core at the centre of the Earth. The core is made
up of a molten rock. It is very hot at the centre of the Earth.

Crust
Mantle
Outer core
Inner core

The crust‘s surface always keeps moving.

This slowly causes the continents to Fact File
drift apart. It also results in the rising There are seven continents in the world. They are Asia,
Europe, Australia, Africa, Antartic, North America and
and falling of waters in the oceans. A
South America. Australia is the only country which is
continent is a big part of land on Earth. an island as well as a continent.
There are seven continents in the world.
Besides these continents, the land area
of the Earth’s surface is made up of large
islands and island groups.

Landforms
A landform is a natural shape of the Earth’s surface. Mountains, hills valleys, plains, plateaus
and deserts are the main landforms. They are said to be formed by natural processes such
as erosion earthquakes and eruption of volcanoes. Let us study about these landforms in
detail.

Hills and mountains

A hill is a landform which is higher than its surroundings. High hills are called mountains.
Mountains have peaks. Some of the peaks remains snow covered throughout the year. The
125
surface of the land in hills and mountains is uneven and rocky. Mountains usually occur as
ranges which are a group of continuous mountains, e.g., the Himalayan range in the north.

A range of mountains
These mountains are the highest and longest in the world. They spread from Arunachal
Pradesh in the northeast to Jammu and Kashmir in the northwest. The highest peak of the
world, Mount Everest, is in the Himalayas. The Himalayas form three parallel ranges of hills
and mountains known as Himadri, Himachal and Shivalik ranges.
• Himadri is the highest range of the Himalayas. Its average height is about 6,000 m above
sea level.
• Himachal is the part of Himalayas below Himadri. Its average height is about 5,000 m
above sea level.
• Shivalik is the lowest range of Himalayas comprising of more hills than mountains and
thick forests. Its average height is about 1250 m above sea level.
Due to rocky land and very cold climate, the life of people living here is difficult. Farming
is the main occupation of the people. Farming is done chiefly on terraced fields. Crops of
maize, wheat and barley are grown in these fields. Fruits such as apples, peaches, apricots,
grapes and cherries are also grown. In thick forests of lower Himalayas many species of
tigers, deer, rhinoceros, etc., are found. In the northeast part antelopes, tigers, elephants
and spotted dear are common. People also rear sheep, goats, mules, and horses for
domestic purposes.

Farming in mountainous terrain

126
The Himadri range of the Himalayas are almost bare of vegetation. We can find a wide
variety of trees in hilly areas. The foothills of mountains have trees with broad leaves. Pine,
deodar, chir, fir, spruce, birch and oaks are important trees found here.

Different kinds of trees

Plains
Plains form vast stretches of flat lands. They are mostly fertile. There are two types of
plains — alluvial plains and coastal plains.
Alluvial plains are formed by the silt brought by rivers. In India, the Northern Plains are
alluvial plains. They stretch from Punjab in the west to Assam in the east. The states of
Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and parts of Assam are covered by the
Northern Plains. The Ganga, Yamuna, Satluj, Kosi and Brahmaputra are important rivers of
this area.
The plains along the seacoast are called coastal plains. They slope towards the sea. India
has a long coastline. In India, we have two main stretches of coastal plains. The Eastern
Coastal Plains and the Western Coastal Plains. The Eastern Coastal Plains run through the
states of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The Western Coastal Plains stretch from
Gulf of Kutch in Gujarat to Kanyakumari at the southernmost tip of India comprising the
states of Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala.

Deserts
A desert is a hot, dry and sandy area. Deserts are covered by sand, or are rocky with no
vegetation. At places, different types of sand dunes are found. Sand dunes are sand hills
that keep changing place by the action of wind. The force of wind is enough to push the
sand dunes a few hundred metres away. Many deserts are dry as they receive very little
rainfall.
The Gobi and the Thar deserts are in Asia. The Thar desert also called the Great Indian
Desert is in India. Rajasthan lies in this desert.
Some deserts are extremely cold and are often covered with snow. Lahaul and Spiti in
Himachal Pradesh are cold deserts.
127
Valleys
The low land between hills and mountains is called a valley. It can also be a path between
two mountains or a depression in a single mountain. Valleys are normally formed by the
erosion caused by rivers or the movement of glaciers. Valleys often
have a river or a stream running along them. So, the soil of valleys Fact File
Plateaus are also called
is very fertile. A canyon is a valley with steep sides. A ravine or a
table lands as they rise
gorge is a small canyon. Jammu and Kashmir lie in a valley. Parts straight up from the land.
of Himachal Pradesh and Uttrakhand states also lie in valleys. The
Ganga, Brahmaputra, Godavari and Mahanadi are important rivers
flowing through valleys.

Water bodies
Seas, rivers, lakes streams and ponds are sources of water. Rivers originate from a source
and flow across lands then empty into a large water body. Streams, brooks and creeks are
small rivers. Water in rivers comes from rain. Besides rain rivers are fed from underground
springs and mountain streams. When glaciers and ice in the mountains melt they feed
the rivers. Large rivers have three courses: the upper, middle and estuary. Small rivers or
streams flow into large rivers or lakes. These small rivers or streams are called tributaries. A
tributary ends at a confluence.

Our beautiful Earth

• The surface of the Earth is called the crust.

• Beneath the crust is the mantle.
• The centre of the Earth, called core, is made up of molten rock.
• A landform is a natural shape of the Earth’s surface.
• Mountains, hills, valleys, plateaus, plains and deserts are main landforms.
• Seas, rivers, lakes, streams and ponds are common water bodies.

128
 Activity Time
Activity 1: Strike out the wrong words to complete these sentences.

1. Lakes Valleys are landforms.

2. The highest range of the Himalayas is Himachal Himadri .

3. A plain desert is a hot, dry and sandy area.

4. Lahaul and spiti are hot cold deserts.

Activity 2: Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the list.

Coastal Valley Himalayas Mountains Himadri

1. The ________________ are the highest mountains in the world.

2. High hills are called ________________ .

3. ________________ is the highest range of Himalayas.

4. A ________________ is a low land area between mountains.

5. The plains along the seacoast are called ________________ plains.

Activity 3: State whether True or False.

1. The surface of Earth is the same everywhere. _____________

2. Gobi is a desert in India. _____________

3. The highest peak, Mount, Everest is in the foothills of Himalayas. _____________

4. Kashmir is famous for its shawls in the world. _____________

5. Lahaul in Himachal Pradesh is a hot and dry desert. _____________

Activity 4: Answer these questions.

1. What are hills?

________________________________________________________________________________

2. What type of land surface do mountains have?

________________________________________________________________________________

129
 3. State the mountain ranges of Himalayas.

________________________________________________________________________________

4. What is the Earth’s crust?

________________________________________________________________________________

5. What are plains?

________________________________________________________________________________

6. What is a valley?

________________________________________________________________________________

7. What makes the soil of a valley fertile?

________________________________________________________________________________

Things To Do
1. Collect the pictures of different landforms and paste them in your scrapbook.
2. Find the names of the rivers in this grid.

T I Y G H A G H R A B

B R A H M A P U T R A

K S M I A B E T W A L

R A U C H A M B A L O

I T N H A G A N G A T

S L A M N A R M A D A

H U O S A T W A J O P

N J G O D A V A R I I

A D A N I N D U S U N

130
 UNIT 10: PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT
Natural Resources
25 and Pollution
Natural resources
The things that we get from nature are called natural things. They are found in, on or above
the earth. They are essential for our survival. Air, water, sunlight and forests are natural
resources.

Exhaustible resources
Natural resources that exist in nature in a limited quantity are called exhaustible resources.
They are likely to be depleted by human use. Once consumed, they cannot be replaced
or they take a long period of time to replenish. Exhaustible resources are of two types.
They are renewable resources and non-renewable resources. Forests, domestic animals
and crops are renewable resources. Minerals, coal and petroleum are non-renewable
resources.

Inexhaustible resources
Natural resources that exist in nature in an unlimited quantity are called inexhaustible
resources. Sunlight, air, water and sand are inexhaustible resources. They cannot be
exhausted. They can be replenished in a short period of time.

Causes of depletion of natural resources

We manipulate the environment for our benefit. We depend on natural resources more
than other living things. We use natural resources without realising the impact on nature.
Depletion of these resources will cause an imbalance in nature. Some reasons for depletion
of natural resources are given below.
• Increase in human population at a tremendous rate
• Urbanisation
• Establishment of new industries of advanced technology

Pollution
When unwanted substances get mixed up with these resources, they become unfit for
use and are said to be polluted. The mixing of unwanted and harmful substances to any
resource is called pollution. Pollution is harmful because it can lead to many diseases.

131
Air pollution
The air around us is not always pure. Dust,
smoke, germs, and harmful gases make the
air impure.
Air picks up dust when we sweep our
houses or roads. This can cause irritation of
eyes, skin infections and can even damage
our lungs. Dust particles also carry germs
that can spread diseases. Air gets polluted
by harmful gases from factories and the
smoke emitted by running automobiles. Air pollution
The burning of garbage, wood and coal also causes air pollution. Air pollution causes many
diseases like asthma, irritation of eyes and skin infections.

Fact File
Air pollution leads to global warming and acid rain. A gradual
increase in the Earth’s temperature is called global warming.
Automobiles emit harmful gases namely carbon dioxide,
sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide. Carbon dioxide traps
the heat of the Sun. This makes the Earth warmer. Sulphur
dioxide and nitrogen dioxide get mixed with rainwater. They
fall on the Earth as acid rain.

Ways to reduce air pollution

We can reduce air pollution by following these steps:
• We should grow more plants around our house. Plants keep the air clean
and fresh.
• We should not throw garbage in the drains.
• We should not burn garbage in the open. We should bury it.
• We should not spit in the open as this spreads germs.
• We should cover our nose and mouth while sneezing or coughing.
• Factories should be far away from residential areas.

Water pollution
Sometimes, we bathe our cattle in ponds or rivers. The dirt and mud sticking to the cattle
mixes with the water. We wash our utensils and clothes in water. The leftover food and dirt
132
from utensils and clothes mix with the water. When this dirty water is allowed to flow into
water bodies, the water gets polluted.
Wastewater from factories contains harmful chemicals. When this water is released into
water bodies, it pollutes them. Domestic sewage, soaps detergents and chemicals pollute
the water bodies. In oceans, water gets polluted by leakage of oil from oil tankers.

Water pollution

Ways to reduce water pollution

We can reduce water pollution by following these steps:
• We should not bathe cattle and wash utensils in lakes, rivers or any other source of water.
• We should not defecate or urinate around any water body.
• The use of chemical fertilizers should be minimized.
• We should not discharge untreated sewage water into any water body.
• Discharge of wastewater from factories should be stopped.

Noise pollution
Any unwanted, unpleasant and loud sound is called
noise. Automobiles, loudspeakers and burning
of firecrackers produce loud sounds. They cause
headaches and upset people. When this happens it is
known as noise pollution.
Noise pollution can damage our ears. It can cause
partial or permanent hearing loss. Noise affects our
brain, causes headaches and results in sleeplessness.

Ways to reduce noise pollution

To reduce noise pollution, we can follow these steps:
• We should not unnecessarily blow the horn while
driving.
• While listening to music we should remember to
keep the volume low.
Noise pollution
133
• We should use loudspeakers only within the allowed time frame and ensure the volume
is low.
• Machines in factories produce loud noise. We must wear ear plugs while working there.
Pollution is a serious problem which needs to be tackled immediately. To keep our
environment clean and healthy, we should promote awareness. To decrease the pressure
on natural resources, we need to reduce, reuse and recycle our resources.

• The things that we get from nature are called natural resources.
• Natural resources are of two types: exhaustible and inexhaustible.
• The mixing of unwanted and harmful substances in any resource is called
pollution.
• Air pollution leads to global warming and acid rain.
• Domestic sewage, soaps, detergents and chemicals pollute the water
bodies.
• Any unwanted, unpleasant and very loud sound is called noise.
• Air, water and noise pollution can cause serious diseases.
• Noise pollution can damage our sense of hearing.

Activity Time
Activity 1: Strike out the wrong words to complete these sentences.
1. Exhaustible resources are present in limited unlimited quantities in nature.

2. Forests are exhaustible inexhaustible resources.

3. Gases emitted from factories make the air fresh dirty .

4. Air water pollution can cause asthma.

Activity 2: Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the list.

air deafness natural harmful

1. Air, water and soil are ______________ resources.

2. Pollution is ______________ to us.

134
 3. The dust particles in ______________ carry disease-causing germs.

4. Noise pollution can cause ______________ .

Activity 3: State whether True or False.

1. Sunlight is not a natural resource. _____________

2. Air around us is always pure. _____________
3. We should not spit in the open. _____________
4. Bathing cattle in a river does not pollute the water. _____________

Activity 4: Answer these questions.

1. What are natural resources?
____________________________________________________________________
2. What is pollution?
____________________________________________________________________
3. Give one difference between renewable and nonrenewable resources.
____________________________________________________________________
4. Give any two causes of air pollution.
____________________________________________________________________
5. Write any two causes of water pollution.
____________________________________________________________________
6. What is noise?
____________________________________________________________________
7. How is noise pollution harmful to us?
____________________________________________________________________

Things To Do
1.
Observe the plants and trees near a road and away from it. Note the difference and discuss with
your classmates.
2. You can help in controlling air and noise pollution by saying “No to Crackers”. On Diwali, make a
greeting card to spread the message that burning crackers increases air and noise pollution and we
must avoid it.

135
 26 Fuels
What is a fuel?
Anything that is burnt to produce heat and energy is called a fuel. Firewood, cowdung
cakes and kerosene are common fuels that we use. Cooking gas, diesel and petrol are some
other fuels.

Sources of energy
Anything that gives us energy to do work is called a source of energy. Nature has given
us many sources of energy. We make use of them for our needs. We use firewood and
cowdung cakes for cooking and heating. We also use coal, kerosene and cooking gas for
domestic purposes. We use petrol and diesel in industries. We also use them to run vehicles
likes scooters, motorbikes, cars and buses.
Sources of energy are of two types — renewable sources and nonrenewable sources.
Sunlight, wind, water, animal waste and wood are renewable sources of energy. They can
be renewed in nature. They are found in abundant quantities in nature.
Coal, petrol, diesel and cooking gas are nonrenewable sources of energy. Once used, they
cannot be replenished easily. They are available in a limited quantity.

Fossil fuels
Coal, petroleum and natural gas are fossil fuels. They have been derived from fossils that
were formed millions of years ago. Fossils are remains of plants or animals that were buried
millions of years ago and slowly decomposed. Let us study about these fuels in detail.

Coal
Coal is a brown or black solid rock that has stored
energy. It is formed from dead plant matter. Millions of
years ago, plants grew in swamps and bogs. The intense
heat and high pressure under the Earth changed plants
into coal. Coal is found in layers under the ground. It is
taken out from under the ground. A place where the
Earth is dug up to extract coal is called a coal mine. Coal

Coal
136
is used to cook food. It is used to generate electricity. It is also used as Fact File
a fuel to run steam engines. The pencil lead that
we use for writing
Petroleum is made of graphite.
The word ‘petroleum’ is derived from the Greek words ‘petro’ and Graphite is a form of
‘oleum’. ‘Petro’ means rock and ‘oleum’ means oil. Petroleum is also coal.
called crude oil, rock oil or mineral oil. It is a dark and thick oily liquid.
Petroleum is mainly found in areas under the sea. It is formed from the
dead remains of sea plants and animals. Millions of years ago when sea plants and animals
died, their bodies were covered with mud. The intense heat and pressure under the Earth
changed the dead organisms into petroleum and natural gas.
Petroleum is extracted from underground wells. The crude oil extracted from wells is a
black thick liquid. It cannot be used as a fuel in its natural form. It is sent to refineries. In
a refinery, the crude oil is refined to get various useful components. Petrol and diesel are
components of petroleum. The main components obtained from the crude oil are shown in
the figure given below.
reflinery gas: used as a fuel

gasoline: used as a fuel in cars

(petrol)

naphtha: used for making chemicals

kerosene: used as a fuel in jet

engines

diesel oil or gas: used as a fuel

in diesel engines
crude oil

residue: used as a fuel oil in ships

and power stations, to make
heater
lubricating oil and waxes, and to
make asphalt for surfacing roads
137
Natural gas
Natural gas is found along with petroleum in oil wells. It can be used directly for burning.
It is filled in cylinders. It is subjected to high pressure to obtain Compressed Natural Gas
(CNG). It is then transported through pipelines to distant places. CNG is now being used
as a fuel in vehicles. It is an environment-friendly fuel compared to others. It causes no
pollution.

CNG is now being used as a fuel in vehicles

Conserving fuels
Fossil fuels are very important, however, we are using them indiscriminately. Being
nonrenewable resources they cannot be replaced quickly. It will take millions of years for
these fuels to be formed again. We should use them judiciously. The wise and judicious
use of a resource without wasting is called conservation. If we do not conserve these
resources, there will be no more fuel on Earth. Our future generations might see them only
in museums along with the vehicles which run on them.
As an individual, we can contribute in reducing the use of fuels. We can save fuel by walking
to nearby places instead of using a vehicle. We can use bicycles to go to many places. We
can also use public transport instead of private vehicles.
Coal and diesel produce smoke on burning. This causes air pollution which makes the air we
breathe in dirty. This leads to breathing problems. New vehicles that run on solar energy or
batteries are being developed these days to reduce pollution.

• Anything that is burnt to produce heat and energy is called a fuel.

• Sources of energy are of two types: renewable sources and nonrenewable
sources.
• Sources of energy that can be renewed are called renewable sources of
energy.
• Sources of energy that cannot be renewed are called nonrenewable
sources.
• Coal, petroleum and natural gas are fossil fuels.
• We should use fossil fuels judiciously.
• The wise use of a resource without wasting it is called conservation.

138
 Activity Time
Activity 1: Strike out the wrong words to complete these sentences.

1. Firewood coal is a renewable source of energy.

2. Sources of energy are of two five types.

3. Renewable sources are found in a large limited quantity in nature.

4. We should should not use fossil fuels judiciously.

Activity 2: Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the list.

fossil renewable nonrenewable coal mine

1. Water is a ______________ source of energy.

2. Cooking gas is a ______________ source of energy.

3. Coal is a ______________ fuel.

4. A place where the Earth is dug up to get coal is called a ______________ .

Activity 3: State whether True or False.

1. Diesel is used to run a bicycle. _____________

2. Sunlight is a nonrenewable source of energy. _____________

3. Fossil fuels are found in abundant quantity in nature. _____________

4. Coal is also called crude oil. _____________

5. Wind energy will finish in the near future. _____________

Activity 4: Answer these questions.

1. What is a fuel?

____________________________________________________________________
2. What are fossil fuels?

____________________________________________________________________

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 3. Name any two renewable sources of energy.

____________________________________________________________________
4. Name any three vehicles that run on petrol.

____________________________________________________________________
5. What do trains run on?

____________________________________________________________________
6. What did trains run on earlier?

____________________________________________________________________
7. How are fossil fuels formed in nature?

____________________________________________________________________
8. Natural gas is considered an eco-friendly fuel. Why?
____________________________________________________________________

Things To Do
1.
Ask your parents the ways in which fuels affect our every day life. Then discuss it with
your friends.
2. Visit a petrol pump with your parents. Find out the cost of a litre of petrol or diesel. Also find
out what would happen if all the vehicles consume the same amount of fuel for running the same
distance.

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 Conservation of
27 Plants and Animals
A balance in nature
Due to felling of trees in forests, many species of animals have become extinct. When an
animal no longer exists on the earth, it is said to be extinct. Dodo, Caspian tiger and Quagga
are now extinct. Irish deer and dinosaurs are other examples of extinct animals. Some
animals are in danger of extinction. They are called endangered animals. The blue whale,
snow leopard, tiger and albatross are some endangered animals.

Dodo Dinosaur

All living things depend on one another for many reasons. We get many things such as food,
wood and medicines from plants. Plants help to clean the air we breathe. They also help
in bringing rain. Animals depend on plants for food and shelter. Human beings depend on
plants and animals for food and many other useful things. If we destroy forests animal life
will suffer and an imbalance will be created in nature.

Deforestation
Fact File
The word ‘deforestation’ means cutting down of forests There are some wildlife sanctuaries
to use the land for other purposes. Forests have been in India. These are areas where
cleared for building houses and factories. They also have animals are protected. Some wildlife
been cleared to construct roads and railway tracks. This sactaries in India are Jim Corbett Park
in Uttarakhand, Kaziranga National
results in the disappearance of vast areas of forests. So
Park in Assam and Periyar National
to save plants, animals and ourselves, forests should be Park in Kerala.
conserved. Maintenance and upkeep of forests is called
forest conservation. Forests should be protected from fire.
Hunting of endangered animals should be stopped. Forests
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are the natural habitat of wild animals. Without forests, there would be no natural habitat
for these animals.

Conservation
Our progress directly depends on natural resources. Forests are a treasure house of natural
resources, it is crucial that we protect them. Every year more trees are cut down than are
planted. Paper is made from the pulp of trees. Paper makes about 40 per cent of the total
waste we generate. In this way we are destroying trees.
We can easily conserve our resources if we learn to recycle, reduce and reuse them. In
recycling, some used products are broken down to make new products. Today, we recycle
newspapers and magazines. We recycle used plastic items, glass jars and bottles. We also
recycle metal cans to make new things. We can reuse some things such as glass jars and
bottles. We can use old pieces of cloth as dusters. We can also conserve our resources by
reducing waste. We should make conservation a part of our daily life. We can help to save
our resources by adopting these measures.
l We sould use public transport to go to schools and places of work to save fuel.

l We should use a cloth or jute bag for shopping instead of a plastic bag.

l We should use reusable shopping bags for groceries.

l We should write on both sides of a piece of paper before throwing it away.

l We should use old calenders for covering books and notebooks.

l Instead of throwing old toys, book, clothes and shoes, we should donate them to needy

people.
l We should turn off the lights and fans before leaving a room.

l We should not let the water run while brushing our teeth or washing clothes.

l We should plant more trees.

• Animals which no longer exist on Earth are called extinct animals.

• Animals that are in danger of extinction are endangered animals.
• All living things depend on one another for survival.
• Any imbalance in nature has harmful effects on living things.
• We should make conservation a part of our daily life.
• We can conserve our resources by recycling them, reusing them and
reducing waste.
• We should plant trees to promote conservation of our environment.

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 Activity Time
Activity 1: Strike out the wrong words to complete these sentences.
1. Animals that are not present now are called extinct endangered animals.

2. Peacocke Dodo is an extinct bird.

3. Animals are protected killed in wildlife sanctuaries.

4. Plants Animals clean the air we breathe.

5. The three Rs rule helps to conserve waste resources.

Activity 2: Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the list.

conservation recycling living extinct cut

1. Dinosaurs are ______________ animals.

2. All ______________ things depend on one another.

3. Forests should be protected from being ______________ down.

4. In ______________, used products are broken down to make new things from them.

5. We should make ______________ a part of our life.

Activity 3: State whether True or False.

1. Plants do not depend on animals. _____________

2. Plants help in bringing rain. _____________
3. Maintenance and upkeep of forests is called deforestation. _____________
4. Recycling does not help in conservation of resources. _____________

Activity 4: Draw lines to match corretly.

1. Extinct animals (a) To protect or take care of

2. Endangered animals (b) Felling down of trees
3. Conservation (c) In danger of extinction
4. Deforestation (d) Not present now

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 Activity 5: Answer these questions.
1. What are endangered animals?

____________________________________________________________________
2. Name any two extinct animals.

____________________________________________________________________
3. What is deforestation?

____________________________________________________________________
4. What is forest conservation?

____________________________________________________________________
5. Name any two whildlife sanctuaries in India.

____________________________________________________________________
6. Why do we need to protect endangered animals?

____________________________________________________________________

Things To Do
1.
Make a list of wildlife sanctuaries in India. Also make a record of the names of animals that live in
these sanctuaries. Discuss about these sanctuaries and animals with your classmates.
2. There are two types of wastes: biodegradable and non-biodegradable. Find out about these wastes
from your parents. Then discuss with your friends.

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 Revision Exercise 2
(From chapters 14 to 27)
A. Tick the correct answer.
1. All living things need ______________________ .
(a) water (b) sunshine (c) entertainment
2. Duckweed is a ______________________ plant.
(a) terrestrial (b) submerged (c) floating
3. Volume is measured in ______________________ .
(a) milliliters (b) millimeters (c) kilometers
4. Linen is obtained from ______________________ plants.
(a) jute (b) flax (c) cotton
5. ______________________ are social insects.
(a) Butterflies (b) Bees (c) Mosquitoes
6. Hepatitis infects the ______________________ .
(a) liver (b) brain (c) pancreas
7. People who study astronomy are called ______________________
(a) astronauts (b) astrologers (c) astronomers
8. The Morning Star is another name for ______________________ .
(a) Mars (b) Mercury (c) Venus
9. The Charminar is situated in ______________________ .
(a) Hyderabad (b) Delhi (c) Jaipur
10. The common cold is caused by a ______________________ .
(a) bacteria (b) virus (c) protozoan
B. Write ‘True’ or ‘False’ against each of these statements and rewrite the false statement.
1. The Space Shuttle Columbia, Flight ST5-87, was manned by 8 astronauts. ____________

2. Sunita Williams stayed in space for 365 days. ____________

3. Emperor Ashoka believed in nonviolence. ____________

4. The ‘Hawa Mahal’ was designed by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh. ____________

5. The Leaning Tower of Pisa was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987. ____________

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 6. Amphibians respire with their lungs as well as with the help of their skin. ____________

7. Liquids that mix with each other are said to be immiscible. ____________

8. Rabies is caused by the bite of a snake. ____________

9. Neil Armstrong stepped on the surface of the moon on 21st September 1969. ____________

10. We can reduce pollution by cutting down trees. ____________

C. Match the following.
1. Natural gas (a) Seismograph
2. Conservation (b) Contaminated water
3. Irish deer (c) Transplant
4. Crustacean (d) Tenzing Norgay
5. Flood (e) Mumtaz
6. Hepatitis (f) Famine
7. Mt. Everest (g) CNG
8. Taj Mahal (h) Extinct
9. Earthquake (i) Shell
10. Paddy (j) Recycle
D. Fill in the blanks with suitable words.
1. Dengue is spread by the bite of __________________ mosquito.

2. __________________ is the highest range of the Himalayas.

3. Beneath the crust of the Earth is its __________________ .

4. Sputnik I was the first satellite sent into space by ________________ in ________________.

5. __________________ was the first Indian woman to reach Mount Everest.

6. Diarrhoea is a __________________ disease.

7. A sprain is an injury in a __________________ .

8. The leaves of the Water Hyacinth are __________________ and __________________.

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 Test Paper 2
(From chapters 14 to 27)
Answer the following questions.
1. What is another name for a step well? What was so special about these wells?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________
2. Describe two aquatic animals.

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________
3. Why is water called a universal solvent?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________
4. Why are swimming tubes made of polystyrene?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________
5. Differentiate between natural and artificial fibres. Give two examples of each.

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________
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 6. What is the role of ‘Panchayats’ in villages?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________
7. What first aid should be given to a person who has a sprain?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________
8. How would you control the spread of infectious diseases?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________
9. What equipment is required to climb mountains?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________
10. Differentiate between renewable and nonrenewable sources of energy.

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

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