NCERT Class 5 English Santoor Chapter 06 What a Tank PDF Download

Chapter 6: What a Tank!

Let us Read

Water conservation is a practice that has existed for centuries. Even hundreds of years ago, there were huge water storage structures. These did not just store water but also protected cities from floods, provided drinking water, and brought people together.

Today in many parts of India, many communities still practice the traditional water management methods. In Tamil Nadu, Ooranis store rainwater for drinking and farming. In Kerala, Panam Keni wells are known for not drying up even in the hottest months. Similarly, Tankas as shown below are quite common in Rajasthan's Thar region.

[Figure: A traditional tanka, an underground water tank structure, See in your textbook]

They are underground tanks that can store enough water for six to seven months.

Nowadays most people have water tanks to store water in their homes. These tanks store hundreds and even thousands of litres of water. Usually, they are kept or built on the roofs. Such water tanks are called overhead water tanks.

Most of us are familiar with water tanks but there is something different about the overhead tanks of Punjab.

Punjab is a state in the northwestern part of India. Rich in culture and heritage, Punjab is also known for the unique designs of water tanks in its rural areas. You may see tanks shaped like a giant flower, a large football, a brown rooster, a statue or even an aeroplane.

People carefully plan the design of their water tanks. Every tank tells us something about the people of the house. For example, if the owner of the house is a farmer, the water tank may be in the shape of a tractor or a bullock cart or even a rooster. If the owner likes football, the water tank of the house may be shaped like a football.

All these tanks are made of cement. The frame of the water tank is made using steel rods. Later, concrete is used to give it final shape. Then it is installed on the roof of the house. The final product is a unique tank that can hold hundreds of litres of water. These unique water tanks are the heart of the communities in rural Punjab.

New Words

conservation, overhead, culture, heritage, containers, unique, concrete

Teacher's Note

Water tanks in Punjab are shaped to show what their owners care about - a farmer might have a tractor-shaped tank, while a football fan might have a football-shaped one. Notice how the shape of the tank tells you something true about the person who lives in that house. This is a good example of how we express our identities through the things we create and design.

Let us Think

A. Answer the following questions.

1. What do we use a water tank for?
2. Where is Punjab located on the map of India?
3. How are the water tanks in Punjab made?
4. How do the unique shapes of water tanks reflect the identity of the house owners?

B. Think and answer

1. An overhead water tank is a way to store water. Do you know any other ways of storing water?
2. If you had to build a water tank, what would you make it look like? Why?

Let us Learn

Short forms (or contractions) are when two words are combined and some letters are left out. An apostrophe (') takes the place of the missing letters.

For example:

• aren't = are not
• wouldn't = would not

C. Read the following

1. That's so creative!
2. He saw a rooster, a tractor, and a giant football, all made of cement!

A. Write the contractions for the following words.

1. do not
2. is not
3. are not
4. cannot
5. could not
6. did not

B. Rewrite the following underlined words using contracted forms.

1. Partho is not feeling well today. His parents have decided that he will stay at home till he gets better. Partho is bored and cannot stay at home anymore. He decides to ask his grandmother if he can go outside, but he thinks she, too, would not agree.
2. It is a rainy day, and Tina is not happy. She cannot go out to play with her friends. Her brother does not want to play indoors either. They have decided to watch a movie instead. Their mother says she will make popcorn for them.

Teacher's Note

Contractions save space and make writing sound more casual and natural - the way people actually speak. When you contract "is not" to "isn't", the apostrophe replaces the letter 'o'. The same rule works for most contractions: the apostrophe always marks where letters have been left out, so you can use this to check if your contraction is spelled correctly.

Key Points

• Water storage structures have been important for thousands of years, helping people store water, prevent floods, and build communities.
• In Punjab, water tanks are designed in creative shapes that reflect what the house owners care about - their jobs, hobbies, or interests.
• Water tanks are made by first creating a steel frame, then covering it with concrete, and finally installing it on the roof of a house.
• Contractions combine two words by removing some letters and replacing them with an apostrophe, making writing sound more like natural speech.

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