Class 5 EVS · Chapter 5

5. Our Vibrant Country

Answers to all Write, Discuss, Find out, Activity and Let us reflect questions. NCERT Our Wondrous World, Class 5 EVS (CBSE) · Unit 3: Incredible India.

Write

1What special events or activities take place at your school on Republic Day?

Flag hoisting, singing the National Anthem, march-past, speeches, patriotic songs, dances and distribution of sweets.

2Name some rivers and mountain ranges mentioned in the National Anthem.

Rivers	Mountain Ranges
Yamuna (Jamuna)	Vindhya
Ganga	Himachal (Himalayas)

3On Republic Day, which activities would you like to participate in?

I would like to take part in the march-past and sing a patriotic song.

4Have you ever watched the Republic Day parade in Delhi on television? What did you like the most?

Yes. I liked the fighter jets flying in the sky and the colourful state tableaux the most.

Activity 1

Discuss and list the items of your state tableau. Make a poster or model of it.

Example — Maharashtra tableau: Ganesh festival, a fort of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Warli paintings and Lavani dancers.

Make the poster or model of your own state’s tableau.

Write

1What events take place at your school on Independence Day?

Flag hoisting, the National Anthem, patriotic songs, speeches about freedom fighters, fancy dress and sweets.

Activity 2

Write down five rules followed at your school. If you were to make one new rule, what would it be?

Come to school on time.
Wear a clean school uniform.
Stand in line during the assembly.
Keep the classroom clean.
Do not run in the corridors.

My new rule: No single-use plastic in school.

Activity 3

Take any Indian currency note, observe it carefully and fill in the table.

What to Observe	What You Found (₹10 note)
Value of the note	₹10
Colour of the note	Chocolate brown
Number of languages	17 (Hindi and English, and 15 more in the language panel)
Languages and their order	Hindi and English on the front. On the back: Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Malayalam, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu.
Name of the monument	Sun Temple, Konark
Symbols seen on the note	National Emblem, ₹ symbol, Swachh Bharat logo (spectacles)
Images of animals	Lions in the National Emblem
Any message written	“I promise to pay the bearer the sum of ten rupees” and “Ek kadam swachhata ki or”
Anything else	Picture of Mahatma Gandhi, watermark, security thread, serial number, year of printing

Activity 4

Design an emblem for your school.

Use symbols, words, shapes and colours. For example, a book and a tree inside a circle with the motto “Learn and Grow”.

Symbols that Speak

Read the riddles and guess the national symbols of India.

Riddle 1: Tiger — National animal of India.

Riddle 2: Peacock — National bird of India.

If we had to choose a national fruit, which one would you suggest? Tell us why.

I would suggest the mango. It is loved all over India. It grows in many states and has hundreds of varieties.

The mango is, in fact, already the national fruit of India.

Find out the symbols of your state.

Example — Maharashtra:

State animal: Indian giant squirrel (Shekru) | State bird: Yellow-footed green pigeon (Harial)

State tree: Mango | State flower: Jarul (Pride of India)

Draw: Choose a tree, bird, animal, flower or object near your school as your school symbol.

Example: The neem tree can be our school symbol because it gives shade, clean air and is useful as medicine.

Activity 5

1Find out the languages spoken by students in your class.

Hindi, Marathi, English, Urdu, Gujarati and Bengali.

2Pick a word (for example, mango) and learn what it is called in different languages.

Name of the Language	How is it Said?
Tamil	Māmpalam
Telugu	Māmidi pandu
Marathi	Āmba
Bengali	Ām

Diversity Everywhere

How many headgears can you name?

Saafa or pagri (Rajasthan), topi (Himachal Pradesh), pheta (Maharashtra), Mysore peta (Karnataka), japi (Assam), pagdi or dastar (Punjab), Gandhi topi and the turban.

Activity 6: Make a traditional headgear with a dupatta, or a cap from waste materials.

This is a craft activity to be done in groups.

Activity 7

Identify and mark the states on the map where these dance forms originated.

Garba — Gujarat
Bhangra — Punjab
Ghoomar — Rajasthan
Mohiniyattam — Kerala
Odissi — Odisha
Manipuri — Manipur
Bihu — Assam
Santhali (tribal dance) — Jharkhand

Mark each state on an outline map of India with your teacher’s help.

Write

1What are some traditional Indian musical instruments that you know of?

Tabla, sitar, bansuri (flute), shehnai, veena, mridangam, harmonium, dholak and santoor.

2Try to make a musical instrument from locally available materials.

Example: Fill a small plastic bottle with pebbles or rice and close it tightly. Shake it to make a shaker.

Let us reflect

1If you could learn one more Indian language, which one would you select and why?

I would learn Tamil. It is one of the oldest languages in the world and I want to talk to my Tamil friend in her language.

2Which monuments do you see in different currency notes? Make a table.

Denomination	Monument	Name of the State
₹10	Sun Temple of Konark	Odisha
₹20	Ellora Caves	Maharashtra
₹50	Hampi (Stone Chariot)	Karnataka
₹100	Rani ki Vav	Gujarat
₹200	Sanchi Stupa	Madhya Pradesh
₹500	Red Fort	Delhi

3Identify the currency symbol of India. Which other country’s currency symbol can you identify?

India’s currency symbol: ₹ (Rupee)

€ — Euro (European countries)
$ — Dollar (USA)
₽ — Rouble (Russia)
¥ — Yen (Japan) / Yuan (China)
£ — Pound (United Kingdom)

4Which animals do you see in a ₹10 note?

The National Emblem on the note shows lions. The older ₹10 note also shows a rhinoceros, an elephant and a tiger.

5Identify these great men and women and write a few lines about their contributions.

Bhagat Singh — A brave young freedom fighter. He gave his life for India’s freedom.
Rani Velu Nachiyar — A queen of Sivaganga in Tamil Nadu. She fought bravely against the British.
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose — He formed the Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauj) to fight for freedom.
Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam — The “Missile Man of India” and a former President. He loved children and science.
Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan — A great teacher and India’s second President. Teachers’ Day is celebrated on his birthday, 5 September.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj — He founded the Maratha kingdom (Swarajya). He was a brave and kind ruler.

6Group activity: Find out about people from your locality or state who have contributed to the nation.

Example — Maharashtra: Savitribai Phule opened the first school for girls. Lokmanya Tilak said, “Swaraj is my birthright.”

7Project: Cultural fair

Each group explores one state — dress, food, festivals, languages, dance and music — and sets up a booth. Then discuss the unique features and common values.

← 4. Our School—A Happy Place 6. Some Unique Places →