Earth—Our Shared Home

This is a personal activity. Students should fill in their own details. A sample answer is given below:

Name: Aarav Sharma
House number/building name: 12, Sunflower Apartments
Street name: MG Road
Village/Town/City: Pune
District: Pune
State/Union Territory: Maharashtra
Country: India
Planet: Earth

*(Note: Every student's answer will be different based on where they live. The last answer — Planet — will always be Earth for everyone.)*

Given: We use a globe to observe the oceans of the Earth.

Observation: When we look at the globe carefully, we can see that all the major oceans — the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, the Arctic Ocean, and the Southern Ocean — flow into one another without any complete barrier separating them.

Answer: Yes, all the oceans on Earth are connected with each other. They form one large, continuous body of water. That is why some people call it the 'World Ocean.' Water, marine animals, and ocean currents can move freely from one ocean to another.

Given: We use a globe to locate India.

Observation: India is located in the continent of Asia, in the Southern part of Asia (also called South Asia).

Answer: On the globe, India is found:
- In the Northern Hemisphere (above the Equator)
- In the Eastern Hemisphere
- It is surrounded by the Indian Ocean to the south, the Arabian Sea to the southwest, and the Bay of Bengal to the southeast.
- The Himalayan mountains form its northern boundary.

India is roughly in the centre of the globe when looking at the Asian continent, making it easy to spot.

Answer: This is a personal/regional question. Students should observe their surroundings and ask elders or teachers.

Sample Answer: Yes, rosy starlings do visit many parts of India during winter, especially in states like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and parts of South India. Locally, they may be called by different names in different languages. For example, in some regions they are called 'Tilyer' or 'Rosy Pastor'. Students living in areas where these birds do not visit can write: 'No, rosy starlings do not visit our area, but we see other migratory birds like [name a local bird] in winter.'

*(Note: Students should find out the local name from their parents, grandparents, or a local birdwatcher.)*

Answer: This story tells us several important things about nature:

1. Nature has no boundaries: Birds like the rosy starling travel freely across countries and continents. They do not need passports or visas — nature connects all places on Earth.

2. Everything in nature is connected: The birds travel from Russia and Mongolia to India, showing that what happens in one part of the world affects another part.

3. Nature maintains balance: The rosy starlings eat locusts and grasshoppers, which are pests harmful to crops. By eating these pests, the birds help farmers and protect food crops. This shows how different living beings depend on and help each other.

4. Migration is a wonderful natural phenomenon: Small birds can travel thousands of kilometres guided by instinct, showing the amazing abilities living beings have.

Conclusion: Nature is a vast, connected web of life where animals, plants, weather, and people are all linked to one another.

This is a creative activity. Students should observe birds in their area during winter and make a colourful poster. Below is a sample list of common migratory birds that visit India in winter:

| Bird | Where it comes from |
|---|---|
| Rosy Starling | Russia, Mongolia |
| Siberian Crane | Siberia (Russia) |
| Bar-headed Goose | Central Asia, Tibet |
| Greater Flamingo | Central Asia, Europe |
| Common Teal | Europe, Central Asia |

Instructions for the poster:
- Draw or paste pictures of each bird.
- Write the bird's name and the country it comes from.
- Use bright colours to make it attractive.
- Add arrows on a small map showing where each bird comes from.

This is a hands-on globe activity.

Steps to do this activity:
1. Take a globe and identify Russia and Mongolia in Central/Northern Asia.
2. Identify India in South Asia.
3. Take a piece of coloured string (e.g., red or yellow).
4. Place one end of the string on Russia/Mongolia.
5. Stretch the string southward, passing through Central Asia, and bring it down to India.
6. Pin or hold the string at both ends to show the migration route.

Observation: The string will show a long path from the north (Russia/Mongolia) to the south (India), covering thousands of kilometres. This helps us understand how far these small birds travel every winter.

Sample Postcard (creative writing):

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*Dear Friends,*

*Greetings from high above the clouds! I am a rosy starling, and I am on my long journey from the cold lands of Russia to the warm and beautiful India.*

*As I fly, I can see vast green forests, shining rivers, and the sparkling blue ocean far below. The cool wind from the north pushes me forward, making my wings feel lighter. The warm air currents rising from the land help me glide without getting too tired.*

*The days are getting warmer as I fly south, and I know I am getting closer to India. I can smell the fields full of crops and I am excited to feast on the grasshoppers there!*

*Nature is my guide — the stars at night, the sun during the day, and the wind beneath my wings. I feel free and connected to the whole world.*

*Your friend,*
*Rosy the Starling*

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*(Students may write their own creative version. They should mention at least wind, warm weather, and what they see during the journey.)*

Answer: When we say 'nature has no boundaries', it means:

1. Animals, birds, and plants are not limited by the borders that humans have made between countries. A bird like the rosy starling flies freely from Russia to India without needing permission.

2. Natural forces like wind, water, and sunlight move across the entire Earth without stopping at any border.

3. The oceans, rivers, and air connect all parts of the world. A river that starts in one country may flow into another. The same air we breathe circulates around the whole planet.

4. Living beings depend on each other across different regions. A bird from Russia helps an Indian farmer by eating pests. This shows that nature works as one big, connected system.

In simple words: Nature does not know the difference between 'my country' and 'your country.' The Earth belongs to all living beings equally, and everything in nature is linked together like a web.

Answer: Yoga became popular in so many countries because of the following reasons:

1. Health benefits: Yoga helps keep the body fit, flexible, and strong. It also helps in reducing stress and keeping the mind calm. People all over the world want to be healthy, so they were attracted to yoga.

2. No special equipment needed: Yoga can be done anywhere — at home, in a park, or in a studio. You only need a mat. This makes it easy for everyone to practise.

3. Suitable for all ages: Children, adults, and elderly people can all do yoga. This makes it popular across all age groups.

4. Mental peace: In today's busy world, people feel a lot of stress. Yoga and meditation help calm the mind, which is why people from different countries adopted it.

5. Spread through travel and media: As Indians travelled to other countries and as information spread through books, television, and the internet, people around the world learned about yoga and started practising it.

6. United Nations recognition: The United Nations declared 21st June as International Yoga Day, which helped spread awareness about yoga globally.

Conclusion: Yoga is a gift from India to the world. Its benefits for the body and mind made it popular in every corner of the globe.

Answer: *(This is a personal answer. A sample answer is given below.)*

Yoga pose I have tried: Tadasana (Mountain Pose)

Description: In Tadasana, you stand straight with your feet together, arms by your sides, and your body balanced evenly.

What it helps with:
- It improves posture and helps us stand and sit straight.
- It strengthens the legs and back.
- It helps improve balance and concentration.
- It makes the body feel calm and steady.

Other examples students can write about:
- Vrikshasana (Tree Pose) — helps with balance
- Balasana (Child's Pose) — helps with relaxation
- Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation) — a full-body exercise that energises the body

*(Students should write about a pose they have personally tried or seen.)*

Answer: If chillies disappeared from our kitchens for a week, many things would change:

1. Our food would taste very different: Most Indian dishes — curries, chutneys, pickles, snacks — use chillies for their spicy flavour. Without chillies, the food would taste bland and less flavourful to those who enjoy spicy food.

2. We would use substitutes: People might use more black pepper, ginger, or mustard to add spice to their food, just as people did before chillies arrived in India.

3. Many recipes would be incomplete: Dishes like sambar, biryani, chutney, and most street food would not taste the same without chillies.

4. We would realise how important chillies are: We often take chillies for granted. A week without them would make us appreciate this spice that came all the way from South America and became an essential part of Indian cooking.

Conclusion: A week without chillies would remind us of the incredible journey this small spice made — from South America to India — and how deeply it has become part of our food and culture.

Answer: *(This is a personal activity. Students should ask their parents. A sample answer is given below.)*

Recipe using black pepper instead of red chillies:

Rasam (South Indian soup): Rasam is a thin, tangy soup made with tamarind, tomatoes, and a generous amount of black pepper. It is a traditional recipe where black pepper is the main spice that gives it its heat and flavour.

Other examples students may find:
- Pepper chicken — uses whole black pepper corns
- Mulligatawny soup — a traditional recipe with black pepper
- Kadha (herbal drink) — made with black pepper, ginger, and tulsi for colds and coughs
- Pepper water — a traditional remedy using black pepper

*(Students should write the recipe name that their own parents share with them.)*

This is a hands-on globe activity.

Steps:
1. Take a globe and locate South America (look for countries like Brazil, Peru, and Mexico on the left side of the globe).
2. Now locate India in South Asia.
3. Take a coloured string (e.g., red, to represent the red chilli).
4. Place one end of the string on South America.
5. Trace the likely route: South America → across the Atlantic Ocean → Portugal (Europe) → around Africa or through the Arabian Sea → India.
6. Pin or hold the string to show this long journey.

Observation: The string will show a very long route across oceans and continents, helping students understand how far the chilli travelled before reaching India about 400–500 years ago.

The Story of the Potato:

Origin: The potato originally comes from the Andes Mountains in South America (present-day Peru and Bolivia). It was grown by the indigenous people there for thousands of years.

How it travelled: About 400–500 years ago, Spanish explorers came to South America and discovered the potato. They took it back to Europe, where it slowly became popular. From Europe, especially through Portuguese and British traders, the potato was brought to India around the 16th–17th century.

How it became part of Indian life: At first, Indians were not sure about this new vegetable. But slowly, people began cooking it and discovered how versatile and filling it was. Today, the potato is one of the most widely eaten vegetables in India. We use it in aloo sabzi, samosa, aloo paratha, biryani, chaat, and hundreds of other dishes.

Fun fact: India is today one of the largest producers of potatoes in the world!

Conclusion: Just like the chilli, the potato made a long journey from South America to India and became an inseparable part of our daily meals. This shows how food connects people across the world.