NCERT Class 5 EVS Our Wondrous World Chapter 04 Our School A Happy Place PDF Download

Chapter 4: Our School - A Happy Place

Green School

Aasha and Mohit were walking to school together. "Do you like going to school?" Aasha asked. Mohit smiled happily and said, "I love school! It is where I see my friends, play games and learn new things every day. It is my happy place".

Our school is a place where we feel safe, and cared for. It is where we learn so many things.

Asha said, "My school teaches us how to care for plants, trees and animals. I want to make my school better like a green school".

"What is a green school?" Mohit asked.

"My brother told me once, green school is a school where we manage our waste, save water, use electricity carefully, and make the campus green by planting more trees and taking care of them".

Aasha and Mohit share their idea with their classmates. Everyone became curious. What about our school? Can we make it a green school too? Their teacher Anupam, who is teaching them 'The World Around Us' asked, "I enjoyed your discussion, I want to know how will you begin this?".

[Figure: School building with children playing in the playground and garden, See in your textbook]

Aasha shared her suggestion with her classmates, "Let us take a closer look at our school and decide what we can do to make our school a happy, safe and green school".

Activity 1

Walk around your school and create its map. Include the main building, playground, garden, water tanks and other key features. Do not forget the school gate and the pathways that connect the buildings.

Do you know?

Swachh Bharat Swachh Vidyalaya (Clean India Clean Schools) is a part of the Swachh Bharat Mission started by the Government of India. It focuses on keeping schools clean and healthy for all. This includes clean toilets, safe drinking water, proper waste management, and hygiene education. Every child has the right to study in a clean and safe environment!

Write

1. What do I really like about my school?
2. How can I make my school greener?
3. In case there is any difficulty at school, whom do I talk to or inform?

Be a School Explorer!

You and your classmates can form 'School Explorer Teams'. Here are some name ideas for your groups to choose from:

• Water watchers
• Electricity savers
• Waste warriors
• Green guardians
• Traffic trackers

Before you start exploring, each group has to decide what to observe.

Here are some suggestions:

In many villages, people clean floors with cow dung and mud to keep insects away and keep the house cool.

Once you have finished making your explorations, it is time to sit together and discuss your findings with the class.

1. What did you find?
2. Was there anything that made you feel concerned?
3. Did anything surprise you? What was it?
4. What made you feel proud?

Let us understand more about each of the things we tried to explore.

Teacher's Note

When you explore your school with your group, look carefully at what actually happens, not just what you think should happen. For example, a Water Watchers team might find that a tap is dripping even though nobody is using it - that is real waste you can measure and report. Write down exact observations with details like locations and times, so your findings are strong and helpful to your school.

Waste Management

We can reduce waste by using only what we need, reusing things and not throwing away useful items. However, some waste such as food peels, leftovers and paper still remain. We have learned in earlier classes about the importance of separating waste into dry and wet categories to manage it better, and to keep our surroundings clean.

Write

Can you name the colour of the bin used for the following?

Dry waste: _________________ Wet waste: _________________

Have you noticed that things like old newspapers are never thrown into these bins? They are usually kept aside and given to the traditional recyclers. Different recyclers collect different items. What are the various recyclers in your area called? Find out what each one collects.

In Assam, a man planted a forest by himself, now it is home to elephants, deer and birds!

Teacher's Note

Waste separation is not just about following rules - it helps things get recycled and reused instead of sitting in landfills. When you find out what colour bin is used for dry waste and what colour for wet waste in your school, check if students are actually using them correctly. If they are not, that becomes something your group can help fix by reminding classmates or suggesting clearer labels.

Key Points

• A green school manages waste carefully, saves water and electricity, and plants trees to make the campus green and healthy for everyone.
• By forming School Explorer Teams with different responsibilities - such as Water Watchers or Waste Warriors - you can find out what needs to improve in your school and work together to make it better.
• Waste should be separated into dry and wet categories so that useful materials can be recycled and harmful waste does not pollute the environment.
• Observing your school closely, taking notes about what you find, and discussing findings as a class helps you understand what changes are possible and necessary.
• Every student has a right to study in a clean and safe environment, and you can play an important role in keeping your school that way.

This is a preview of the first 5 pages. To get the complete chapter, click below.