NCERT Class 4 EVS Our Wondrous World Chapter 04 Growing up with Nature PDF Download

Chapter 4: Growing up with Nature

A Journey Through a Forest

Reena and Amit were excited about a family trip. They were going to their village near a forest. It was the time for a harvest festival. Besides that, it was also a special occasion. On that day, their village was also going to be a fully solar-powered village! They could not wait to see the whole village lit up for the celebrations.

Welcome to the Village!

As they entered the village, children noticed trees full of bright orange-red flowers. Reena asked, "What are those flowers called?" Her father smiled and said, "This is a Palash tree. When the flowers bloom on this tree, the entire forest looks reddish-orange from a distance. So, Palash is called the 'flame of forest'."

Activity 1

1. Write names of five colourful flowers in your area. For example, Palash is called Kesuda in Gujarat.

Teacher's Note

When you visit your area, look closely at the flowers you see. Try to find out what local people call them - the names might be different from the ones in your textbooks. This helps you connect what you learn in school with the natural world around your home.

The village was decorated for the celebration.

Amit: Ahh! These houses look so different from houses in the city. The decoration on the wall is so beautiful!

Mother: Amit, these houses are made using clay, hay, cow dung, and other natural materials. Look, this painting is done by your grandmother. She has used a dye made by mixing rice flour and water.

Activity 2

Make the model of a house using materials from nature such as clay, wooden sticks, hay, grass, leaves, etc. Decorate it with an art form of your choice.

Reena and Amit started playing inside the house. They noticed that their grandmother was painting on a cloth. Amit asked about the paints. The grandmother told the children that the paint was made of natural extracts of flowers, leaves and with the powdered coloured stones.

Do you know?

Gond art is a form of painting on walls using natural colours. The artists make pictures of nature like trees, animals, birds and humans.

Activity 3

Let us prepare a natural dye.

Step 1. Collect some flowers, leaves, barks, and roots, such as beetroot, hibiscus, and marigold that have colouring properties.

Step 2. Boil any of the collected plant parts in approximately 1-2 litres of water for 30 minutes to an hour covering the container with a plate. (Please take help from your teacher or an elder.)

Step 3. Strain the liquid to remove the plant materials, leaving behind the natural dye.

Now, try to paint a piece of cloth such as a light-coloured handkerchief or hand towel using the dye you have prepared. Note that you need to soak the cloth overnight, squeeze it and dry it the next morning.

Teacher's Note

Natural dyes come from plants that have been used for thousands of years. When you make a dye, notice how the colour changes - it might be lighter or darker than you expected. This happens because different plants have different amounts of colour in them, and boiling time matters too.

The children were curious to see the tools used for farming and extracting honey. There were earthen pots and bamboo baskets, in the house, to store grains. Earthen pots were lined inside with neem leaves. The bamboo baskets were coated with cow dung on the outside. With this method, the stored grains remain protected from insects and pests.

Key Points

• Villages near forests use natural materials like clay, hay, and cow dung to build houses that are strong and keep people cool.
• Natural dyes and paints made from flowers, leaves, and coloured stones have been used for art for hundreds of years.
• Earthen pots and bamboo baskets protect stored grains from insects when lined with neem leaves or coated with cow dung - an old way of storing food safely without chemicals.

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