Class 6 English · Unit 3

Neem Baba

NCERT Poorvi · Unit 3: Nurturing Nature. Answers to all the textbook questions and activities, in simple words.

Let us do these activities before we read

IMention some uses of a tree.

Some parts of trees are used in preparing medicines.
Trees give us shade and fruits.
Trees give us wood for furniture.
Trees give us oxygen and keep the air clean.
Trees are homes for birds and animals.

IIWhat do you know about the neem tree and what do you want to know?

What do you know?	What do you want to know?
Neem leaves are bitter.	How long does a neem tree live?
Neem twigs are used to clean teeth.	How are medicines made from neem?
Neem gives cool shade.	Why are neem leaves bitter?
Neem is used in medicines.	In which countries does neem grow?

This is a sample. Your group may write different points.

Let us discuss

1Fill up the fact sheet ‘Let Us Know Our Neem’.

Fact	Answer
Common name	Neem — given by the Iranians
Period of birth	Millions of years ago
Born at	Somewhere in North India or Myanmar
Found in	Many Asian and African countries and some parts of America
Common names	Nimb, Nim, Leemba, Nimori, Nimbamond, Nimbe, Nimo (Sanskrit names: Arishta, Nimba, Nimbaca)
Names given by scientists	1. ‘bitter grace of God’ 2. ‘nature’s gift to man’ (also ‘cleanliness-parting tree’)
Names given by others	1. ‘magic tree’ 2. ‘the tree of the twentieth century’

2Part II

1. How is neem useful to farmers?

Neem seed powder mixed in water is sprayed on plants, so locusts do not eat them.
In rice fields, it stops mosquito breeding and helps to increase crop yield.
It saves the crop from termites and other insects that eat crops.

2. Mention some of the uses of the neem tree.

Its twigs are used to clean teeth and its leaves protect clothes.
Its leaves, bark, flowers, fruits and roots are used to make medicines.
Neem seed powder saves stored grains from insects.
Neem oil is used to make soaps and toothpaste.
Furniture made from neem wood is not eaten by termites.
Neem purifies the air.

Let us think and reflect

IWrite any two facts that surprised you the most.

The neem tree was born millions of years ago.
Furniture made from neem wood is not eaten by termites.

IIComplete the following sentences.

1. Amber played in the shade of the neem tree (Neem Baba).
2. Neem seed powder protects crops from locusts, termites and other insects.
3. Putting neem seed powder in stagnant water is a cost-effective method to stop mosquitoes from breeding in stagnant water.
4. One reason why doctors advise us to use neem leaves for someone suffering from measles is that neem leaves destroy germs and give comfort from itching.

IIIWhich parts of the neem tree are used to make medicines?

The leaves, bark, flowers, fruits and even the roots of the neem tree are used to make medicines.

IVWhy is the story of neem tree thought-provoking?

Neem was born in India and got Sanskrit names. But its popular name ‘Neem’ was given by the Iranians. It also has many other names. This makes us think.

Let us learn

IPut the compound words in their trees.

Open compound words	Closed compound words	Hyphenated compound words
neem oil	something	cleanliness-parting
well known	grandmother	thought-provoking
seed powder	childhood	cost-effective
well trained	classroom	well-being

More words added: cost-effective, classroom, well-being. Other examples: ice cream, school bus, sunlight, mother-in-law.

IIMatch the present verbs with the past verbs and make a sentence.

Present	Past	Answer
1. become	became	1. (iv)
2. find	found	2. (v)
3. make	made	3. (i)
4. discover	discovered	4. (vi)
5. tell	told	5. (iii)
6. give	gave	6. (ii)

Sentence: Neem Baba told Amber many facts about neem.

IIIPersonification — discuss more examples.

Personification means giving human qualities to non-living things.

The wind sang a sweet song.
The sun smiled at the children.
The old tree spoke to Amber.

Let us listen

♫Select the correct statements.

1 The mother was surprised to know that Peepal Baba had planted trees all over the country.

3 The mother wanted to know more about Peepal Baba.

4 The boy decided to take care of trees by listening to Peepal Baba’s journey.

Statements 2 and 5 are not correct. The mother praised Peepal Baba’s work, and the boy was not worried.

Let us speak

★Make leaf cards and speak about them.

Class activity. Collect dry leaves of four trees, draw and colour the leaf shape on a card, and write the tree’s name and one use inside. Then speak about how you made the card and ask your classmates to identify the leaf.

Let us write

✎Write a paragraph about any one tree that you like.

The Mango Tree Near My School

There is a big mango tree near the gate of my school. It is very tall and has a thick, brown trunk. Its leaves are long and dark green. In spring, it has small flowers and in summer it is full of mangoes. I like this tree because it gives us cool shade during the lunch break. Many birds live on its branches. Its leaves are also used to make torans for festivals.

Let us explore

★Find out which Indian languages these names of neem belong to.

Nimb – Hindi
Nim – Bengali, Assamese
Leemba, Nimori – Gujarati
Nimbe – Kannada
Nimo – Odia

Names of trees change from region to region. Check these with your teacher. In Marathi, neem is called kadulimb.

← The Chair What a Bird Thought →