NCERT Book Class 5 EVS Whose Forests

20. Whose Forests?

Daughter of the jungle

Look at the picture. Where do you think these children are off to, with little bundles on their sticks? When you find out you too would want to go with them! The children are going to the forest. There they jump, run, climb trees and sing songs in their language called Kuduk.

They pick the fallen flowers and leaves, to weave them into necklaces. They enjoy the wild fruits. They look for birds, whose calls they imitate. Joining them in all this fun is their favourite didi – Suryamani. Every Sunday Suryamani takes the children to the forest.

As they move around, she shows them how to recognise the trees, the plants, and animals. Children enjoy this special class in a forest! Suryamani always says, “To learn to read the forest is as important as reading books.” She says,”We are forest people (adivasis). Our lives are linked to the forests. If the forests are not there, we too will not remain.”

Discuss

• What do you think is a forest?
• If someone grew lots of trees close to each other, would this become a forest?

Find out and write

• Other than trees what all is there in a forest?
• Do all forests have similar types of trees? How many trees can you identify?
• Suryamani says, “If the forests are not there, we too will not remain.” Why so?

Please refer to attached file for NCERT Class 5 EVS Whose Forests