Chapter 1: Living Together
Chapter at a Glance
This chapter is told by Chandan, a boy who lives in a village with a big playground and a huge banyan tree where elders sit and chat. He shows us how the people and places of a village are linked to one another. Shops, roads, a health centre, the police and the school all serve the people, and the people take care of these shared places. Together they make a community.
When Van Mahotsav, the tree-planting festival, comes near, Chandan and his friends decide to clean the park and plant saplings. Their parents and neighbours join in. One repairs the benches, one fixes the street light and one brings saplings from her nursery. Everyone works in groups, and the day ends with a community feast served on banana leaves. The used leaves are buried in a pit, where they turn into manure. The chapter also tells how villagers in Kanker, Chhattisgarh built a bamboo bridge over the Chinar river in just two days.
We also learn about festivals and customs that bring people together, like Uruka during Magh Bihu in Assam and the Khetala helpers of Sikkim who harvest crops together. Like ants and bees, people in a community share work and depend on each other. The chapter ends by showing that a school is also a team where teachers, students, drivers and caretakers each have a role.
Word Meanings
| Word | Simple Meaning |
|---|---|
| Community | A group of people who live in the same area and share places and resources |
| Locality | The area around our home |
| Public place | A place that everyone can use, like a park, road or bus stop |
| Van Mahotsav | A festival of planting trees, held from 1 to 7 July |
| Sapling | A young plant or small tree |
| Nursery (plant) | A place where young plants are grown and sold |
| Occupation | The work a person does to earn a living |
| Mason | A person who builds or repairs walls with bricks and cement |
| Trowel | A small flat tool used by a mason to spread cement |
| Cooperation | Working together to do something |
| Volunteer | A person who offers to help without being paid |
| Feast | A big meal shared by many people on a special day |
| Manure | Rotted plant or animal waste that makes soil rich |
| Colony | A large group of ants or bees living together |
| Bhela Ghar | A hut made of bamboo and hay built during Magh Bihu in Assam |
| Khetala | People in Sikkim who are skilled at farming and help each other at harvest time |
| Artefact | A useful or decorative object made by hand |
Important Topics
1. People and Places in a Community
- A community is made up of people and the places they share.
- Schools, markets, roads, parks and playgrounds are used by everyone.
- Public places are used for playing, resting and meeting others.
- People also clean and decorate these places together on special days.
| Place / People | How they help the community |
|---|---|
| Shopkeeper | Sells food, clothes and daily-use goods, including local products |
| Road | Connects different areas; helps move people and goods |
| Health Centre | Gives treatment when people are ill |
| Police | Keeps people and property safe |
| School | Gives education and helps children grow |
2. Van Mahotsav: The Tree-Planting Festival
- Celebrated every year in India from 1 July to 7 July, during the rainy season.
- People plant trees to protect the environment and make the earth greener.
- Chandan’s friends planned to clean the park and plant trees so that elders could enjoy fresh air on their walks.
3. Helping Hands in the Community
| Person | Help given for the park |
|---|---|
| Sameer | Fixed the benches using wood and nails |
| Babita | Repaired the street light |
| Noor | Brought saplings from her plant nursery |
| Mallika | Made announcements on the microphone |
- Groups were formed for cleaning, planting, watering and cooking.
- The park became beautiful with new saplings, clean paths and painted walls.
4. Community Bridge in Kanker
- The Chinar river in Kanker, Chhattisgarh often floods in the rainy season.
- In 2024, villagers built a strong bridge in two days using bamboo and stones.
- Now children reach school and villagers cross the river easily.
5. Sharing a Meal
- Villagers brought vegetables and cereals for a community feast.
- Children handed out banana leaves; volunteers served food.
- Used leaves were buried in a pit to become manure, which improves soil.
6. Communities in Nature and Culture
- Ant colony: some ants collect food, some care for babies, some guard the home.
- Bees: gather food, protect young ones and build hives.
- Uruka (Assam): first day of Magh Bihu, 14 January; people build a Bhela Ghar and share a feast.
- Khetala (Sikkim): farming experts who help each other harvest crops.
7. Our School, Our Team
- Teachers help students learn; bus drivers bring students safely.
- Caretakers keep the school clean; students help keep it tidy.
- Everyone working as a team makes the school a happy place.
Question-Answers
Very Short Answer Questions
- Who is the narrator of the chapter? Chandan.
- Which game does Chandan play after school? Kabaddi.
- Which tree stands at the corner of the playground? A big banyan tree.
- What is Van Mahotsav? A festival of planting trees.
- When is Van Mahotsav celebrated? From 1 July to 7 July.
- Who brought saplings for the park? Noor.
- Who repaired the street light? Babita.
- Which tool does a mason use? A trowel.
- On which river did people build a bridge in Kanker? The Chinar river.
- What did people use to build the bridge? Bamboo, stones and other materials.
- What does a leaf buried in a pit become? Manure.
- What hut is built during Uruka in Assam? Bhela Ghar.
- What are farming helpers in Sikkim called? Khetala.
Short Answer Questions
Q1. What is a community?
A community is a group of people living in one area who share places like roads, parks, schools and markets. They help one another and depend on each other.
Q2. Why did Chandan and his friends want to clean the park?
Mallika’s grandmother and her friends walked there every morning. A clean park with new trees would give them a nicer place to walk and fresher air to breathe.
Q3. How did the parents help in preparing the park?
Sameer fixed the broken benches with wood and nails. Babita repaired the street light, and Noor brought saplings from her nursery to plant along the boundary.
Q4. Why are leaves buried in a pit after a feast?
Buried leaves slowly rot and turn into manure. This manure makes the soil rich, and no waste is left lying around.
Q5. How is an ant colony like a human community?
In an ant colony every ant has a job, such as collecting food, caring for babies or guarding the home. In the same way, people in a community do different jobs to make life better for all.
Q6. What is Uruka?
Uruka is the first day of Magh Bihu, celebrated in Assam on 14 January. People build a Bhela Ghar from bamboo and hay and end the day with a big shared feast.
Long Answer Questions
Q1. Describe how the villagers celebrated Van Mahotsav.
The children and their families gathered in the park. Mallika made announcements using a microphone. People were divided into groups for cleaning, planting saplings, watering and cooking. Everyone helped each other, and soon the park looked beautiful with new plants, clean paths and painted walls. After the work, all sat together for a feast served on banana leaves. The children then promised to look after the park.
Q2. Explain the story of the community bridge in Kanker. What does it teach us?
In Kanker, Chhattisgarh, the Chinar river overflows in the rainy season. It becomes hard to move goods and vehicles, and children cannot reach school easily. In 2024, the whole community came together and built a simple but strong bridge in only two days using bamboo and stones. The story teaches us that when people unite in times of need, they can solve big problems quickly.
Q3. Why are public places important? How can we keep them clean and safe?
Public places like parks, schools, hospitals and bus stops are used by everyone. They give us space to play, learn, get treatment and travel. Without them, daily life would be very difficult. We can keep them clean by using dustbins, not damaging property, planting trees and joining cleanliness drives.
Textbook Exercise Answers
Q1. Write the different roles people play in your school.
| Person | How they help in the school |
|---|---|
| Teacher | Helps students learn new things |
| School bus driver | Brings students to school and back home safely |
| Caretaker / Helper | Keeps classrooms and the campus clean |
| Principal | Runs the school and guides teachers and students |
| Student | Learns, follows rules and helps keep the school tidy |
(a) Why is it important for everyone to work as a team in a school?
When everyone does their part, work gets done faster and better. The school stays clean, safe and happy, and students learn well.
(b) What is your role as a member of your school community?
My role is to study sincerely, follow school rules, respect teachers and classmates, and keep my classroom clean.
Q2. Group activity table (sample).
| Group name | Activity chosen | Material used | What did you learn? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green Team | Tree plantation | Saplings, spade, water | Plants need care; working together is fun |
| Clean Team | Cleanliness drive | Brooms, gloves, dustbins | A clean place keeps everyone healthy |
| Leaf Team | Leaf plate making | Dry leaves, thin sticks | Nature gives us useful materials |
Q3. Match the riddles with their answers.
(a) Bus stop (b) Post office (c) Market (d) Park / Playground
Sample riddle on a public place: I have many books upon my shelves, where you can sit and read yourselves. Keep it quiet, turn each page. What am I? (Answer: Library)
Q4. Improving the locality (sample).
| Group | Situation | Activity | Your role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group 1 | Garbage near the bus stop | Cleanliness drive | Collect waste and put up a dustbin sign |
| Group 2 | Few trees in the park | Tree plantation | Plant and water saplings |
| Group 3 | Elderly neighbours need help | Help with shopping | Carry bags, fetch items |
(a) Yes. Working together shares the load, brings new ideas and finishes the task faster.
(b) My involvement makes the locality cleaner, greener and friendlier, and encourages others to help too.
Q5. Special skill or craft of your region (sample).
In many villages, pottery is a famous craft. Potters shape wet clay on a spinning wheel to make pots, lamps (diyas) and toys, then bake them in fire to make them hard.
Other in-text questions
- Why is it important to have parks, schools, hospitals and bus stops in our locality? They meet our daily needs of play, learning, health and travel.
- How would life change if one of them did not exist? Without a hospital, sick people would have to travel far; without a bus stop, travel would be hard.
- How can communities help in times of need? By sharing work, money, food and skills, like the Kanker villagers who built a bridge together.
- Ways to care for nature and our neighbourhood: plant trees, avoid littering, save water, avoid plastic, and keep parks clean.