NCERT Class 1 Maths (Joyful Mathematics) · Chapter 1
Finding the Furry Cat!
Position words like inside and outside, on and under, above and below, top and bottom, before and after, and sorting things into groups.
📌 What you’ll learn in this chapter
- Inside and outside
- On, under, above, and below
- Top, middle, and bottom
- Before and after (in a line or a train)
- Sorting things into groups
🐶 Let’s Begin: Where is Moti?
Riya’s puppy Moti is hiding! Is he under the table? No. Is he inside the box? No. Is he on the sofa? No…
There he is, behind the door, wagging his tail! 🐾 Words like under, inside, on, behind tell us where things are.
📍 Part 1: Where Is It?
| Word | Example |
|---|---|
| Inside / Outside | The pencil is inside the box. The shoes are outside the room. |
| On / Under | The book is on the table. The cat is under the table. |
| Above / Below | The fan is above us. The floor is below us. |
| Top / Bottom | The cherry is on the top of the cake. |
🚂 Part 2: Before and After
In a line of children: Aman → Bina → Chotu. Bina comes after Aman and before Chotu.
💡 Remember
The engine comes first. The bogies after it are in a line, one after another.
🧺 Part 3: Making Groups
We can sort buttons by colour, by size, or by the number of holes. There is more than one right way!
⚠️ Common mistake
Thinking there is only one way to sort. ❌ The same things can be grouped by colour, shape, or size. Just tell why you made your groups.
✏️ Practice Time
Try these on your own first, then check your answer below each question.
Q1. Where do we keep milk to keep it cold: inside or outside the fridge?
✅ AnswerInside
Q2. The sky is ____ (above / below) us.
✅ AnswerAbove
Q3. Sort these: apple, ball, banana, top. Make 2 groups.
✅ AnswerFruits: apple, banana · Toys: ball, top
📘 NCERT Textbook Activity Help
Hints and answers for the activities in the textbook, page by page. Try each one yourself before looking at the answer!
Pages 1–3 · The furry cat poemEncircle the correct word
✅ AnswerLook at the pictures in the poem. A. The red ball is on the bed (check where it is in your book) · B. The cat is on the car (“playing at the top of my car”) · C. The man is lying under the tree · D. The cow is outside the house
Think and answer: A. Shoes go outside the room · B. Garbage goes inside the dustbin
Pages 4–5 · Inside, outside, on, and underThink and answer: A. Shoes go outside the room · B. Garbage goes inside the dustbin
Tick and draw
✅ AnswerA. Tick the things that are inside a box, bag, or basket. B. Tick the things that are outside them.
C. i. The boy is sitting under the tree · ii. The birds are on the tree
D. Draw the smile below the nose and the eyebrows above the eyes.
Page 6 · Our TirangaC. i. The boy is sitting under the tree · ii. The birds are on the tree
D. Draw the smile below the nose and the eyebrows above the eyes.
National Flag
✅ AnswerThe flag has 3 colours (saffron, white, and green), with a navy-blue Ashoka Chakra.
i. Saffron is at the top · ii. Green is below the white · iii. White is above the green · iv. The Ashoka Chakra is in the middle
Pages 7–9 · Train and groupsi. Saffron is at the top · ii. Green is below the white · iii. White is above the green · iv. The Ashoka Chakra is in the middle
Bogies and sorting
✅ AnswerCount the bogies behind the engine to answer A. For B, count only the bogies between the engine and the red bogie. Colour every bogie behind the red one orange, and every bogie in front of it (but after the engine) blue.
Suwali sorted the buttons by colour. Other ways: by size (big and small), by shape, or by the number of holes (2 holes and 4 holes).
Suwali sorted the buttons by colour. Other ways: by size (big and small), by shape, or by the number of holes (2 holes and 4 holes).
👨👩👧 Tips for Parents
- Play “hide the toy” and give clues like “It’s under something blue.”
- When tidying up, ask your child to sort spoons, socks, or toys into groups.
- In a queue, ask: “Who is before you? Who is after you?”