Class 5 EVS · Chapter 10

10. Earth—Our Shared Home

Answers to all Write, Discuss, Find out, Activity and Let us reflect questions. NCERT Our Wondrous World, Class 5 EVS (CBSE) · Unit 5: Our Amazing Planet.

Activity 1

1We all live on this planet and each of us has an address. Fill up your address.

Name: Aarav Patil

House number/building name: 12, Shanti Niwas

Street name: Station Road

Village/Town/City: Nashik

District: Nashik | State: Maharashtra

Country: India | Planet: Earth

Write your own address.

2aUse a globe: Are all the oceans on Earth connected with each other?

Yes. All the oceans are connected with each other.

2bWhere is India on the globe?

India is in the northern half of the globe, in Asia. It has the Arabian Sea to the west, the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Indian Ocean to the south.

Story 1: The Travelling Birds!

1Does the rosy starling visit your area? What is it called locally?

Yes, it visits in winter. In Hindi, it is called Gulabi maina.

2What does this story tell us about nature?

Nature has no borders. Birds travel across countries and help farmers by eating pests. All of nature is connected.

Activity 2: Make a poster of 5 birds that visit your place in winter. Find out where they come from.

Rosy starling — Russia and Central Asia
Bar-headed goose — Mongolia and Central Asia
Demoiselle crane — Mongolia and Central Asia
Northern pintail (duck) — Europe and Siberia
Siberian crane — Siberia (Russia)

Imagine you are a bird travelling the world. Write a short postcard.

Dear friends,

I am a rosy starling flying from Russia to India. I see snowy mountains, deserts and green fields below me. The wind helps me fly far without getting tired. I am excited to reach warm India and eat locusts in the fields!

Love,
Rosy

What does it mean when we say ‘nature has no boundaries’?

Air, water, clouds, birds and seeds move freely across countries. The borders between countries are made by people, not by nature.

Story 2: Yoga

Why do you think yoga became popular in so many countries?

Yoga keeps the body fit and the mind calm. It needs no costly equipment. People of any age can do it anywhere.

Can you name a yoga pose you have tried or seen? What do you think it helps with?

Vrikshasana (tree pose). It helps with balance and concentration.

Story 3: Chilli

1What would happen if chillies disappeared from our kitchens for a week?

Our food would taste less spicy. Many dishes like chutneys and curries would taste different. We would use black pepper and ginger instead.

2Write the name of any recipe in which black pepper is used and not red chillies.

Rasam, ven pongal and kadha.

Activity 3: Find out and write the story of any one food that travelled to India.

The potato: Potatoes first grew in the Andes mountains of South America. About 400 years ago, Portuguese traders brought them to India. Today, potatoes grow all over India. We cannot imagine our food without aloo!

Story 4: The Sweet Story of Sugar!

1If you could choose one Indian food to share with the world, what would it be?

I would share idli. It is soft, healthy and easy to digest.

2What kind of new food items do you think will travel in the future?

Millet foods, Indian street foods and new plant-based foods.

Story 5: The Mexican Marigold

1Why do you think both Indian and Mexican cultures use marigolds during their festivals?

Marigolds have bright orange and yellow colours. These colours stand for joy, warmth and celebration. They are easy to grow and stay fresh for long.

2Why do you think people in different countries include flowers in their celebrations?

Flowers are beautiful, colourful and smell nice. They make any place look happy and festive.

Story 6: The Cows that Went to Brazil!

What does this story tell us about animals moving from one place to another?

Animals can adjust to new places. When they move, they help people in other lands too. It shows how countries are connected by sharing.

Activity 4

1Find out the names of at least 5 different breeds of cows.

Gir, Sahiwal, Red Sindhi, Tharparkar, Kankrej, Ongole and Khillari.

2Make a list of things in your house or school that came from another part of the world.

Items	Names	Origin from
Clothing	Jeans	America
Food	Tomato	South America
Sports	Cricket	England
Musical instruments	Guitar	Spain
Tree	Eucalyptus	Australia

Activity 5

1Interview a grandparent or neighbour about a food item, song or custom that is common today but was not there in their childhood.

My grandmother said noodles were not eaten in her childhood. Today, children love them. Noodles came from China.

2List things that came to India from other countries and those that travelled from India to the world.

Came to India: chilli, potato, tomato, peanuts, cashew, marigold, paper (from China), dates and lemons (from Arab traders).

Went from India: yoga, sugar, rice, mangoes, bananas, spices like pepper, indigo dye, chess, snakes and ladders, the idea of zero, and Gir, Kankrej and Ongole cows.

Write

1What does ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ teach us?

It teaches us that the whole world is one family. We should live with respect, care and love for everyone and for the Earth.

2Write the meaning of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ in your own words.

All people, animals, plants and rivers on Earth are part of one big family. We share one home — the Earth.

3How can we live like one big family, even when we are different?

We can respect each other’s languages, food and festivals. We can help each other, share and be kind. We can protect the Earth together.

Let us reflect

1Pick one idea. Write a short story about how it might have travelled from one place to another long ago.

The Journey of Zero

Long ago, mathematicians in India used a small dot for “nothing”. This dot became zero. Arab traders who came to India learnt about it. They took it home and used it in trade. Later, it reached Europe. Zero made counting and big calculations easy. Today, computers and phones work because of it!

2Write one way you can care for the Earth.

I will plant trees and look after them.

3Identify an item that can travel from India to other parts of the world and write about it.

Millets like jowar, bajra and ragi can travel from India to the world. They are healthy and grow with very little water. India is the largest producer of millets.

Seasons’ Journal

Make four entries during the year, one every term.

Observe the same place every term and note plant life, birds and animals, air, heat and light, water, and human activities. See Chapter 9 for a sample chart.

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