Chapter 6: Living in Harmony

Chapter at a Glance

We share our homes and surroundings with many animals, birds, insects and plants. Some we keep and care for, like cows, dogs, cats, parrots and potted plants. Others come uninvited, like ants, lizards, mosquitoes, cockroaches and rats. Even if we do not like some of them, we should not hurt them, because animals usually harm others only when they feel threatened.

In the story of the mango tree, Shambhu and his father rest under a big mango tree that is home to birds, squirrels and monkeys. A monkey eats a mango and throws away the seed, and his father explains that a new plant can grow from it. This is how animals help plants. Plants give us fruits, vegetables, medicines, fibre for clothes, wood, shade and fresh air, and give animals food and shelter. Animals help plants by spreading seeds and making the soil fertile with their waste. Squirrels even plant thousands of trees by accident when they bury nuts and forget them.

Children observe an animal closely and try an ant experiment with sweet, fried and cooked food to see which the ants like best. They learn to make friends with a tree and share their feelings with it. The chapter ends with a true story from Valparai, Tamil Nadu, where school children welcome Grey Wagtails, winter visitor birds, with posters and sweets. Living in harmony means caring for all living beings.

Word Meanings

Important Topics

1. Animals in Our Homes

• We give pets food, water and shelter.
• We should not hurt any animal, even if we do not like it.

2. Uses of Plants

• Fruits and vegetables.
• Medicines.
• Fibre for clothes.
• Wood for houses and furniture.
• Shade, fresh air, and shelter for animals.

3. How Plants and Animals Help Each Other

• Squirrels bury nuts and forget them, and new trees grow.

4. How We Depend on Each Other

• We get milk from cows, buffaloes and goats, and loving company from pets.
• We get food, shelter, clothing and medicine from plants.
• In return, we give plants and animals care, water, food and protection.

5. Activities

• Get to know an animal: watch its movement, sounds and habits.
• Ant experiment: ants usually go to sweet food first and carry it to their nest.
• Plant friend: share your feelings with a tree to feel calm.
• Guess Who I Am: act like an animal or tree for others to guess.

6. Valparai and the Grey Wagtails

• Grey Wagtails come from the cold mountains to warmer places in winter.
• Children in Valparai, Tamil Nadu, welcome them with posters and sweets.
• In Tamil they are called Vaalatti kuruvi.

Question-Answers

Very Short Answer Questions

1. Who is the boy in the mango tree story? Shambhu.
2. What did the monkey throw away? The mango seed.
3. What can grow from the seed? A new mango plant.
4. Name two things we get from plants. Fruits and wood.
5. What do we get from cows? Milk.
6. Which animal plants trees by accident? The squirrel.
7. Which food do ants usually like the most? Sweet food, like sugar or jaggery.
8. Where is Valparai? In Tamil Nadu.
9. Which birds visit Valparai in winter? Grey Wagtails.
10. How many legs does an insect have? Six.

Short Answer Questions

Q1. How do animals help plants?

Animals spread the seeds of plants, like the monkey with the mango seed. Their waste makes the soil fertile, which helps plants grow.

Q2. How do plants help animals?

Plants give animals food such as leaves, fruits and nectar, and shelter in their branches and hollows.

Q3. Why should we not hurt uninvited animals?

Animals generally do not hurt us unless they feel threatened. Every living being has a right to live, so we should gently keep them away instead of harming them.

Q4. How do squirrels plant trees?

Squirrels bury nuts in the soil to eat later but often forget where they hid them. These nuts grow into new trees.

Q5. Why are Grey Wagtails called so?

They are grey and keep wagging their long tails up and down.

Long Answer Questions

Q1. How are we dependent on plants and animals?

We get fruits, vegetables, grains, medicines, cotton for clothes, wood for houses, fresh air and shade from plants. We get milk from cows, buffaloes and goats, and love and company from pets. Animals also help plants grow, which gives us more food. So our life depends on both plants and animals.

Q2. Write the story of the mango tree in your own words.

Shambhu and his father were walking through a forest and sat under a big mango tree. Many birds, squirrels and monkeys lived in it. Shambhu saw a monkey eat a mango and throw away its seed. His father explained that a new plant would grow from that seed, and that this is how animals and plants help each other. Shambhu picked up a fallen mango, and his father told him that we also get vegetables, medicines, fibre and wood from plants.

Textbook Exercise Answers

A1. How are we dependent on plants and animals? For food, clothes, medicines, shelter, fresh air, milk and companionship.

A2. How should we care for plants and animals? Water plants, do not pluck leaves or flowers, keep water and grain for birds, feed animals and never hurt them.

A3. How do plants and animals depend on us? Pets need our food, water and care. Plants in gardens need watering and protection. They also need us not to cut forests or pollute.

B1. Complete the sentences (sample).

a. I like looking at butterflies because their wings are colourful.

b. Monkeys make me laugh because they jump and make funny faces.

c. My friend Riya likes parrots because they can copy words.

d. I would like to take care of a puppy because it is cute and loving.

B2c. Smallest to largest (sample): ant, bee, butterfly, sparrow, squirrel, cat, dog, cow, elephant.

C. Animals by number of legs.

Title for the Valparai story (sample): “Welcome, Little Wagtails!”