Class 5 EVS · Chapter 8

8. Clothes—How Things are Made

Answers to all Write, Discuss, Find out, Activity and Let us reflect questions. NCERT Our Wondrous World, Class 5 EVS (CBSE) · Unit 4: Things Around Us.

Patterns with Threads

What do you see in the picture?

I see a baya weaver bird weaving a hanging nest from grass. I also see a spider spinning a web.

Discuss

Have you seen products woven out of natural material at home or elsewhere? What are they?

Yes. Mats (chatai), baskets, jute bags, coir doormats, bamboo winnowing trays (soop), hand fans and rope cots.

Activity 1

Weave paper strips into a mat. Can you use this method to make a basket?

Yes. Weave the strips around a base and then bend them upwards to form the sides of a basket.

Try weaving with strings, ropes, ribbons or reeds too.

What can you find in your classroom that is woven?

Our uniforms, curtains, a durrie (mat), the duster cloth and a jute bag.

Activity 2

Look at a piece of cloth through a magnifying glass. Can you see the criss-cross pattern?

Yes. One set of threads runs lengthwise. The other set runs across, going over and under. Together they form the cloth.

Activity 3

Twist a strand of cotton and wind it on a pencil. What do you notice?

The cotton strand becomes stronger as it is twisted. Twisting fibres into thread is called spinning.

Activity 4

Look at some clothes, bags or other things you use every day. Are they made from natural or synthetic fibres?

Item	Natural	Synthetic	What I Like About It?
Cotton shirt	✔		Soft and cool in summer
Woollen sweater	✔		Keeps me warm
Jute bag	✔		Strong and eco-friendly
Raincoat		✔	Keeps me dry
School bag		✔	Strong and light
Socks		✔	Stretchy and fit well

Activity 5

Use broad leaves and toothpicks to make a plate or a spoon.

Overlap the leaves in a circle and pin them together with small twigs or toothpicks to make a plate (pattal).

Activity 6

1Have you ever seen someone stitching at home or in your neighbourhood? What were they making or fixing?

Yes. My grandmother was stitching a button on my shirt. The tailor near my house was stitching a blouse on a sewing machine.

2Look at your shirt or school bag. Can you find where the pieces have been stitched together?

Yes. Pieces are stitched at the sides, shoulders, sleeves and collar of the shirt. On the bag, the straps, pockets and zip are stitched.

Activity 7 and 8

Learn the running stitch and use it to join two pieces of cloth.

Do this only with your teacher’s help. Handle the needle with care.

Where else can we use running stitches in daily life?

To fold and stitch the edges of cloth, join pieces for a quilt, mend small tears and make cloth bags.

If one thread breaks in your stitching, what do you think will happen to the rest of the stitches?

The stitches near it become loose and start coming out. Slowly, the two pieces of cloth may separate.

Exhibition

Display your mats, stitched cloth pieces and leaf cutlery.

Add name tags and short notes on how you made each item. Invite classmates and parents.

Let us reflect

1Have you ever reused or recycled an old piece of cloth? What did you or your family make from it?

Yes. My mother made a quilt (godhadi) from old cotton sarees. Old T-shirts are used as dusters.

2If one thread breaks in a stitched cloth or in a woven mat, what might happen? Why is each thread important?

The cloth or mat becomes loose and starts to open up. Each thread holds the threads next to it in place. Together, all the threads make it strong.

3Visit a tailor’s shop or a handloom store. What tools or machines did you see being used there?

Sewing machine, scissors, measuring tape, needles, thread, tailor’s chalk and an iron. At a handloom store, a loom and a charkha (spinning wheel).

4Find out what kind of weaving or stitching work is famous in your area or state.

Example — Maharashtra is famous for Paithani silk sarees, woven in Paithan and Yeola.

5We should not throw old clothes away. Why?

Old clothes can be given to others or made into bags, dusters, mats and quilts. Throwing them adds to waste. Synthetic clothes do not rot easily and harm the land.

6Number the jumbled steps of the life cycle of a moth from 1 to 6.

Silk moth lays eggs.
Eggs hatch into tiny caterpillars.
Caterpillars eat mulberry leaves and grow big.
Caterpillars spin cocoons around themselves.
Adult moth comes out of the cocoon.
The cycle begins again.

7Observe 5–6 pieces of different clothes and complete the table.

Cloth Piece	How does it feel?	Thick/Thin	Shiny	Stretchy	Made of
1	Smooth and soft	Thin	No	No	Cotton
2	Rough and fluffy	Thick	No	Yes	Wool
3	Very smooth	Thin	Yes	No	Silk
4	Rough	Thick	No	No	Jute
5	Smooth	Thin	Yes	Yes	Nylon

Your answers will depend on the cloth pieces you collect.

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