MAK LABS — Class 6 English Poorvi Spices that Heal Us

IWrite the names of three spices used for cooking in your home.

1. turmeric 2. cumin seeds 3. mustard seeds

IIWrite what you call these spices in your language.

S. No.	Name in English	Name in Hindi	Name in Marathi
1.	Turmeric	haldi	halad
2.	Fenugreek	methi	methi
3.	Cumin seeds	jeera	jire
4.	Asafoetida	heeng	hing
5.	Cinnamon	dalchini	dalchini
6.	Clove	laung	lavang
7.	Ginger	adrak	aale
8.	Black pepper	kali mirch	miri
9.	Fennel seeds	saunf	badishep
10.	Cardamom	elaichi	velchi

I‘When I was a child, I learnt them from my grandmother…’

1. Where exactly in the kitchen did her grandmother find the cures?

She found them in the spices kept in the kitchen.

2. Give one example of weather-related common illnesses.

Cough and cold.

3. What kind of relationship did the speaker have with her grandmother?

She had a close and loving relationship with her grandmother. She learnt the home remedies from her.

IIFill in the blanks.

Daadi soaked methi seeds overnight and drank the water in the morning to manage her sugar level and her body weight.

IIICircle the spice that is not useful for body pain according to Daadi’s letter.

Answer: 2. Fennel seeds (They help in digestion.)

IVWhy did Daadi ask Vikram and Vaibhavi to share the natural cures with their friends?

The cures had helped them. Daadi wanted their friends to know these simple cures and benefit from them too.

VWhat was Daadi’s final advice to Vikram and Vaibhavi?

She asked them to go into the kitchen and identify the herbs and spices. But they must consult an elder before using them.

VIHow do we know that natural cures are passed from one generation to another?

Daadi learnt these cures from her grandmother. Now she is teaching them to her grandchildren.

VIIWhy do you think we should know about the healing properties of spices?

Spices are easily available in our kitchen. They can give quick relief in common illnesses like cough, cold and stomach ache.

IComplete the table about spices.

Name	Part of the plant	Colour	Texture	Taste
Turmeric	root	yellow	rough	bitter
Fenugreek	seeds	yellowish-brown	rough	bitter
Cinnamon	bark	brown	rough	sweet
Clove	flower buds	dark brown	rough	spicy
Black pepper	fruit	black	rough	spicy
Cardamom	fruit (seeds)	green	soft	sweet

II.1Match the helping verbs with their functions.

Column A (helping verb)	Column B (function)
(i) may	b. suggestion
(ii) should	d. advice
(iii) can	e. ability
(iv) must	c. compulsion
(v) need to	f. necessity
(vi) used to	a. past habit

II.2Complete the dialogues with any four modals.

Ajay: Anand had fever last week. He (i) should take good rest.
Suman: Yes, he (ii) must or he will fall ill again.
Ajay: He (iii) may take grandmother’s natural cures.
Suman: Yes, we (iv) need to remember how effective they are.

♫Complete the fact sheet ‘The Wonder Herb’.

	Fact
1. Name	Tulsi — Family: basil
2. First found in	north central India
3. Now found	everywhere in India
4. Known as	The Queen of herbs
5. Can decrease levels of	glucose and cholesterol
6. Used to treat disorders of	breathing and digestion
7. Is used to make	mouth wash and toothpaste
8. We can have Tulsi leaves by	eating them raw or adding them while making tea

★Introduce yourself as a spice.

Hello! I am Haldi. In English, I am called turmeric. I come from the root of a plant. I am bright yellow in colour. I feel rough and I taste a little bitter. I give colour to your food. I improve your energy and digestion. I also reduce body pain.

Make the spicy headband as shown in the book and wear it while you speak.

IComplete the natural cures for cough. (Two phrases are extra.)

1. To prepare this home remedy, you just need ginger and honey. First, take a piece of fresh ginger, grate it and take the juice from it. Take about two teaspoons of this juice and add about two and half teaspoons of honey to it. Mix it properly. Warm the mixture slightly on very low heat for a minute. Then you can have it about three to four times a day to get relief from cough. Have patience to see the effect as natural cures for cough with ginger and honey might take some time to show results.

2. To prepare the second home remedy for cough, take about 10 grams of each— long pepper, dried ginger and basil leaves. Add four to six small cardamoms and grind to get a fine powder. If you take this powder with an equal amount of honey, it will give you relief from cough.

Extra phrases: some leaves of basil, for high fever.

IIWrite a short paragraph on Tulsi.

Tulsi is a shrub of the basil family. It was first found in north central India. Now it grows almost everywhere in India. It is known as the ‘Queen of Herbs’. It helps to decrease glucose and cholesterol levels. It is used to treat breathing and digestion problems. Tulsi is used to make mouth wash and toothpaste. We can eat its leaves raw or add them to tea.

IGuess the spices from the riddles.

1. Asafoetida (heeng)
2. Ginger (adrak)

IIComplete the riddle and write one of your own.

1. Brownish-yellow in colour, and bitter to taste, I help everyone, to control their weight. Who am I? — Fenugreek (methi)

2. I am small and green,
I keep your breath fresh and clean,
I help you digest your meal,
Who am I?
Ans: Cardamom (elaichi)

IIILearn about spices by smelling and feeling them.

Class activity under the teacher’s guidance.

Spices that Heal Us

Let us do these activities before we read

Let us think and reflect

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