Let us do these activities before we read.

I) A tree is useful to us in many ways. Mention some of these uses. Write them in the picture given below.

Ans.

• Some parts of trees are used in preparing medicines
• Trees are useful for providing oxygen and cleaning the air.
• Their roots hold soil together, preventing it from being washed away by rain or wind. 
• They play a role in the water cycle and can help filter water. 

II) Neem is a common tree in our country. Discuss in groups of four and fill Columns 1 and 2 with what you know about the neem tree and what you want to know.

Column 1. What do you know?	Column 2. What do you want to know?
Indian Tree	Use of leaves
Lengthy and deep roots	Use of Trunk
Bitter in taste	Use of Fruits
Strong trunk	Its height

Let us discuss

Amber found many facts about the neem tree from Neem Baba. Fill up the fact sheet based on what Neem Baba told her.

KNOW OUR NEEM
Common name:	Neem	Given by: Iranians
Period of birth:	Million Years Ago
Born at:	Mynammar
Found in:	Asian, African Countries, and Parts of America
Common names:	Nimba, Nimbaca, Nimb, Nim, Leemba, Nimori, Nimo, Nimbe, Nimbamond
Names given by scientists:	1. ‘Bitter grace of God’	2. ‘Nature’s gift to man, ‘Cleanliness Parting tree’
Names given by others:	1. Magic tree	2. The tree of the twentieth century

 

Let us discuss

1. How is neem useful to farmers?

Ans. If the powder of neem seeds is mixed in water and sprayed on plants and trees, then locusts don’t eat them. If it is used in rice fields, where water remains standing, it stops mosquito breeding and helps to increase crop yield. It also saves the crop from termites, which eat roots of the crop, and it also stops breeding of other insects that eat crops.

2. Mention some of the uses of the neem tree.

Ans. People save their stored grains from insects by adding neem seed powder to them. Neem oil is also used to make soaps and toothpaste. Furniture made from neem wood is not eaten by termites. Neem also purifies the air.

Let us think and reflect

I) You just read about the neem tree. Write any two facts that surprised you the most.

Ans.

1. Every part of the neem tree holds medicinal properties.
2. Furniture crafted from neem wood is immune to termite attacks.

II) Complete the following sentences.
1. Amber played in the shade of ______________________.

Ans. Amber played in the shade of the neem tree in her courtyard.

2. Neem seed powder protects crops from ______________________.

Ans. Neem seed powder protects crops from Termites, insects and mosquitoes. 

3. ______________________ is a cost-effective method to stop mosquitoes from breeding in stagnant water.

Ans. Powdered Neem seeds mixed with water is a cost-effective method to stop mosquitoes from breeding in stagnant water.

4. One reason why doctors advise us to use neem leaves for someone suffering from measles is __________.

Ans. One reason why doctors advise us to use neem leaves for someone suffering from measles is kill germs and stop it from breeding

III) Which parts of the neem tree are used to make medicines?

Ans. Almost all the parts of the neem tree, such as roots, bark, and leaves are used to make medicines.

IV) Why is the story of neem tree thought-provoking?

Ans. The story of neem tree is thought-provoking because neem has many names given by different cultures.

 

Let us learn

I) Study these words from the text.

• something	• neem oil	• cleanliness-parting
• well known	• grandmother	• seed powder
• childhood	• well trained	• thought-provoking

Put the compound words given above in their trees.

These words are known as compound words. There are three types of compound words, based on how the words are separated.
• Open compound words: spaces between the words.
• Closed compound words: no spaces between the words.
• Hyphenated compound words: hyphens between the words.

You may add some more words:

Ans.

Open compound words : living room, video game, common sense, high school

Closed compound words : somebody, baseball, airport, myself

Hyphenated  compound words : strong-arm,world-class, mind-blowing, father-in-law

II) Words that tell us what a person is doing are called verbs. In the table given below, match the verbs in the first column showing action in the present to verbs in the second column showing action in the past. Make a sentence with any one form of the verb. One has been done for you.

Ans.

Present	Past	Answer	Sentence
1. become	(i) made	1. (iv)	I want to become a teacher when I grow up.
2. find	(ii) gave	2. (v)	We found our bat.
3. make	(iii) told	3. (i)	I will make a science room.
4. discover	(iv) became	4. (vi)	You should discover a new story.
5. tell	(v) found	5. (iii)	He told me about her.
6. give	(vi) discovered	6. (ii)	Neem gives us many useful medicine.

III) Amber speaks to Neem Baba as if speaking to a person. This figure of speech is called personification. Let us look at some more examples.
• The leaves whispered in the wind.
• The flowers danced merrily in the breeze.
Now, discuss it with your classmates and teacher.

Ans. Students can discuss it with the classmates and teacher.

Let us listen

You will now listen to a boy speaking to his mother. As you listen, select the correct statements. (refer to page 101 for transcript)

1. The mother was surprised to know that Peepal Baba had planted trees all over the country.

Ans. Correct.

2. The mother disliked the work being done by Peepal Baba.

Ans. Incorrect.

3. The mother wanted to know more about Peepal Baba.

Ans. Correct.

4. The boy decided to take care of trees by listening to Peepal Baba’s journey.

Ans. Correct.

5. The boy was worried about what his teacher had told him.

Ans. Incorrect.

Let us speak

Collect dry leaves of four different trees and plants around you.

1. Make one card as given below. On the top, draw the shape of the leaf looking at the dry leaf and colour it. Inside the card, write the name of the tree/plant the leaf is taken from and one of its uses.

Ans. Students can do this activity with the help of teachers.

2. Now, speak about the whole process of making the card in front of the class.

Ans. Students can do this activity with the help of teachers.

3. Ask your classmates to identify the leaf and tell them one of its uses. After they answer, open the card, and share what you have written.

Ans. Students can do this activity with the help of teachers.

 

Let us write

You have read about Neem Baba and learnt many things about the neem tree. Look at the trees in your neighbourhood and write a paragraph about any one tree that you like.

• Where it is (roadside / park, etc.)
• How it looks (height, tree trunk, leaves, flowers, etc.)
• Why you like it (shade, medicinal properties, shelter, beauty, etc.)
• Give a title to your paragraph.

Ans. The cattley guava occurs in two forms: one has fruits with a bright yellow skin, and the other’s fruits have a purplish red skin. The fruits are round, up to 2 inches (5 centimeters) in diameter, and contain many hard seeds. The soft pulp has a strawberry-like flavor.

Let us explore

When people from Persia came to India and saw that a common tree of their country was freely growing here, they started calling the tree Azad Darakhte Hindi. So, the scientific name of Neem in Latin became Azadirachta indica. Neem has different names in the Indian languages. Discuss with your teacher and find out which Indian languages these names belong to.

Ans.

Name	Nimb	Nim	Leemba	Nimori	Nimbamond	Nimbe	Nimo
Indian	Hindi	Punjabi	Marathi	Gujarati	Bangali	Kannada	Tamil