Current Affairs 4th Class

LEARNING OBJECTIVES This lesson will help you to:

• understand movement of livin9 and non-living things.
• examine the growth and sensitivity of living and non-living things.
• understand how sense organs help living things.

  QUICK CONCEPT REVIEW As you already know there are mainly two types of thing around us living and non-living things. You also know that living things can move, eat, grow and breathe and non-living things do not eat, move, grow and breathe.    Now, we shall learn more about living and non-living things. Let's discuss them one by one: 2. Movement: We all go from one place to the other. Birds fly from one place to the other. Animals can walk and fishes can swim. All these show how living organisms move from one place to the other. This is the characteristic of living things.                

• All human beings and -animals use their legs to move from place to place by walking or running like horse, cow, dog, goat and human beings.
• Birds use their wings for their flight.
• Fishes use their fins to swim in water.

All living things go from one place to the other for different purposes. Animals move from place to place in search of food. Whereas non-living things cannot move unless a force is applied on it. Examples

• A book lying on the table can never move from place to place.
• A table cannot walk.

All the vehicles move from place to place but that does not mean that they are living. We put fuel in them and drive them, only then they can move. A car parked in the garage cannot get started by its own so it is non-living. It will only move when a driver will start it.              2. Growth: A small plant will grow into a tree one day. We all grow in size with time. All living things grow. Non-living things do not grow. A small chair will not become a big chair with time, size of a kite, a vehicle, refrigerator, computer, pen, window will not change because all these are non-living things. A baby elephant becomes a big elephant one day. Like this all living things grow in size. 3. Food and Water: When we talk about our growth everybody suggests us to eat healthy food and drink milk. This is because living things need food to grow. We get our strength and energy from the food we eat. But all living things more...

LEARNING OBJECTIVES This lesson will help you to:—

• Understand about different types of roots.
• Know about the roots that we use in our daily life.
• Observe flowering plants.
• Learn about different types of flowers and their uses.
• Uses of flowers.
• Examine wild and domestic plants.

  Real Life Examples

• The branch of Biology which deals with study of plants is called Botany.
• Chocolate is a food made from cocoa beans.
• Bananas contain a natural chemical which can make a person happy.

  QUICK CONCEPT REVIEW Parts of plants and their functions

Shoots: The part of the plant which grows upwards, above the ground forms the shoot. The shoot grows from a seed or from the main stem of a plant.

Roots: The part which grows underground forms the root. Roots hold the plant firmly in the ground.

Stems: The main support of the plant, above the ground is called the stem. Along the stem there can be branches, leaves and buds. The water and salts absorbed by the roots travel up the stem and into the leaves. The food is carried by the stem to all parts of the plant. In some plants, such as sugarcane extra food is stored in the stem. Potato and ginger are underground stems. We eat these stems. Stems come in many varieties.

        I. Some stems are thick, strong and woody and are covered in bark.       Example: Stem of the neem tree.        II. Some stems are thick but they are soft.      Example: Stem of banana plant.       III. Some stems are weak. They climb with the help of a support.      Example: Stem of grapevine.

Leaves: Plants make their food in the leaves. If you look carefully at a leaf you will see some veins on its flat part. The veins bring water and salts to the leaves from the roots.

Flowers: Flowers are of various colors and smell sweet. We use flowers to make garlands, to put into vases and for decoration during festivals. Flowers help plants to reproduce. In order for a flower to produce fruits and seeds, the pollen from one flower has to be carried to another flower. Pollen is a fine yellow dust. It is carried by the wind, water or by small insects such as bees.

Fruits and Seeds: Fruits are formed from flowers. Fruits contain seeds. First, a tiny bud appears on the stem of a plant. The bud grows into a flower. Later on, the flower grows into a fruit. When a fruit is broken open or dries up, its seeds may fall into the soil near the plant. Some seeds have wings and are carried by the wind to places far away from the plant. Some seeds get carried by the water animals to faraway places. Some seeds are collected by people and planted in the soil. Seeds usually have a hard covering. Inside each seed there is a baby plant. When a seed more...

LEARNING OBJECTIVES This lesson will help you to:

• Understand classification of animals.
• Learn about movement of animals.
• Understand different features of animals like skin, ear, hair etc.
• Brainstorm about the various uses of animals for human beings.
• Know about the animals being used as means of transportation.
• Correlate animal and human life.
• Sensitise towards the cruelty of humans towards animals.

  CLASSIFICATION OF ANIMALS

MAMMALS		REPTILES
	Give birth to‘live young’ ones. Have hair or fur Mother nurse their young warm-blooded		Have scales, not fur They have dry skin Usually lay eggs, sometimes lives young ones Cold-blooded

 

AMPHIBIANS		BIRDS		FISH
	Live on land and in water. Cold-blooded. Moist skin Webbed feet		Have feathers & wings Lay eggs Warm-blooded		Breathe under water using gills. Have scales and fins. Cold-blooded. Lay eggs.

  LET’S UNDERSTAND DIFFERENT FEATURES OF ANIMALS The animal kingdom is comprised of millions of profoundly diverse creatures. Though all these animals have the same types of organs and body parts, they appear very different from each other. Ear: Consider animal ears, for example. The ears of animals can be very large or very small. Some do not have ears at all. When present they may be of different shapes and sizes.                                     Mammals are the only animals that have visible outer ears. Like dog, cow, elephant, deer etc. Dogs have highly sensitized ears which are helpful when they work with police in detective work. Bats use their ears to locate things. They make loud cries that are too high pitched for the human ear to hear. Sound waves from these cries more...

LEARNING OBJECTIVES This lesson will help you to:—

• understand what are rocks.
• know about the various uses of rocks.
• understand different types of rocks.
• know different types of soil.
• learn about different layers of soil.

  Historical Preview

• The earth is approximately 4.8 billion years old. This has been found out from the sample of the rocks collected.
• The first geologist on the moon was Harrison Schmitt who was part of the Apollo 17 mission. From the rock samples he collected, scientist have been able to learn many things about the moon.

  QUICK CONCEPT REVIEW       Why are we studying about rocks? If we took all the rocks away, we would have a miserable life. We use rocks for roads, metals, jewelry, tombstones, building materials, cosmetics, and many, many more things. Most of the famous sculptures of the world are made from blocks of stones such as granite and marble. Did you know that the Great Wall of China and the Taj Mahal are made out of rocks? If we did not have rocks, this earth mould be pretty empty. We can also collect rocks as a hobby.    Amazing Facts

• The diamond is the hardest natural substance found on earth.
• Quartz is one of the most common minerals on earth.
• It takes more than 500 years to form 2 centimeters of topsoil.

  Soil has its own colour palette. Soil comes in: red, yellow, black, brown, grey, and white.    FUN TRICKS Shortcut to problem solving                            Think of a chocolate chip cookie as a rock. The cookie is made of flour, butter, sugar & chocolate. The cookie is like a rock and the flour, butter, sugar & chocolate are like minerals. All rocks are made of minerals   How are rocks formed?                              Different types of rocks are formed in different ways.

• After the eruption of volcanoes a liquid comes out which is called magma. When magma cools and solidifies it forms igneous rock.

Granite, basalt are examples of igneous rocks.    

• Sediment deposited over time, often as layers at the bottom of lakes and oceans, forms sedimentary rocks.

Examples of sedimentary rocks include sandstone, shale, and chalk.

• Metanrorphic rocks are rocks that shape up due to intense heat and pressure. When the earth's crust moves, it causes rocks to get squeezed so hard that the heat causes the rock to change.

Examples of metamorphic rocks include marble, quartzite and slate.                                 USES OF ROCKS Rocks have been used by human beings more...

LEARNING OBJECTIVES This lesson will help you to:—

• understand the concept of work and motion.
• study about force and its application.
• examine how and where energy is used.

  Misconcept/Concept Misconcept: Work is any activity one gets tired doing, gets paid for doing, or doesn’t like doing. Concept: When a force moves an object through a distance, then work is said to be done.   Amazing Facts Only 10% of energy in a light bulb is used to create light. Ninety percent of a light bulb’s energy creates heat. Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLS), on the other hand, use about 80% less electricity than conventional bulbs and last up to 12 times as long.   QUICK CONCEPT REVIEW Before starting with the topic, you should be aware of two concepts, which are: Rest: When an object is not moving it is called at rest. Like the table in your room is not moving, it is at rest. Motion: When an object is changing position, it is said to be in motion. For example a moving car or a flying bird.   WORK When we apply some force to move something and that thing moves then work is said to be done. It does not matter how much the force is applied, if the thing gets displaced from its position work is said to be done. On the other hand if after applying the force the object does not get displaced work is said to be not done. For example: If we push the wall with great force, the wall does not get displaced. In this case we have not done any work. But if we push a ball very lightly and it starts rolling, the work is said to be done.   FORCE When we want to move something we either push or pull it at this point we are putting force. By applying force, we can bring a body at rest, or in motion. For example when you kick a ball it comes into motion. You are applying force in your kick. We can also stop a moving body and bring it to rest by applying force. Like, you can stop a moving ball. So we can Say: When we push or pull something we are applying a force on it.                                                Friction is the force which stops the movement of a body when the body is in contact with surface. Force moves the objects and friction force stops the object. Force more...

LEARNING OBJECTIVES This lesson will help you to:—

• understand the change with time in people residing together.
• learn and understand about the family tree in today's time.
• understand the birth of newborn babies.
• understand the core of mother-child relationship.
• learn about childless parents and adoption.
• learn and study how changes in value system leads to changes in the society.
• understand the meaning and significance of family gatherings and festivals.
• learn to develop sensitivity towards people who are differently able.
• study about good and bad touch.

  Real Life Examples

• We can all feel a deep connection with our mother. Some things that we cannot share with our father, we can share with our mother. She is all ears for our problems and always gives the best solution that is best for us.
• Now we usually see nuclear families only. However, if we go in rural areas, we can still see the concept of joint families where all the members of a family are living together under one roof. They are a true example of the saying- “united we stand. Divided we fall” .The family members share responsibilities and are more sensitive to each other’s needs and demands.

  QUICK CONCEPT REVIEW People have to change their home with time.

• Marriage; Before her marriage a girl lives with her parents, siblings and grandparents. But as she gets married, she has to leave her house to go to her husband's home. Your mother also lived with her parents and siblings before the marriage with your father.
• Work: Sometimes people have to leave their joint or extended family to go to some other place for work. Also when people get transfer from one place to another during their job, they have to shift their home.
• Education: For better education also people leave their home.

  FAMILLY TREE

• A few years back, the concept of joint families were more prominent in our society. Everyone lived together in one house. This represented love and unity in a family,                                
• But with time, people now prefer to have smaller families. This concept of nuclear family has only limited members living together in a house. Usually husband-wife and their children make up a nuclear family.

       New arrival in the family- New born baby and adoption

• Babies are a god's gift to complete one's family. Babies come from their mothers. The babies grow inside their mother's body in an organ called womb. The mothers feed their baby, takes good care and more...

LEARINNG OBJECTIVES This lesson will help you to:—

• learn about the transport of food.
• study about the various plants and animal foods.
• study about community eating.
• study about how food is eaten in mouth, chewed and swallowed.
• learn and study about how animals and birds eat their food.

  Real Life Examples

• In Amritsar, langar is offered to the general public throughout the day.
• Now, in India, mid-day meals are being provided in the government school as an incentive to promote education among poor.

  QUICK CONCEPT REVIEW Transport of Food Food items like cereals, pulses, fruits and vegetables are sown by farmers in fields. The farmer sows seeds of different plants in the field. They require sunlight, water, soil and minerals to grow. The farmers grow them in large fields and take care of them until they grow and are ready to cut. Later, the farmers sell these food items into the market to sellers. The food items are carried to large distances from the place where they are grown. The sellers further bring them to us and we buy them.   There are a lot of people involved in this cycle of transfer of food from farmers to us. The farmers sell the crops to the large mandi. They further transport the crops to very far distances with the help of trucks. The trucks further carry them to the smaller mandis in different cities. The vegetable sellers, fruit sellers and other small cereal sellers buy them from these mandis and sell them to us.   PLANTS AND ANIMAL FOODS We get food items from both plants arid animals. Food items like fruits, vegetables, cereals and pulses are obtained from plants. Others like milk and milk products (curd, paneer, butter, cheese etc.), meat, eggs. fish, honey are obtained from animals. Food items can be grouped into the following; Fruits: Mango, Apple, Banana, Cheeku, Grapes, Litchi, Cherry Vegetables: Potato, Tomato, Cauliflower, Carrot, Peas, Beans Cereals: Wheat, Rice, Maize, Bajra, Jowar Pulses: Arhar dal, Moong dal. Chickpea (chana), Rajma Spices: Salt, Pepper, Turmeric and many more Oil seeds: Mustard, flax, corn, wheat etc. Other food items can be milk and milk products, meat, eggs, fish, honey. Different vegetables, fruits, cereals and pulses grow in different seasons according to conditions required for them to grow. Spices: Spice is a dried seed. fruit, root, bark, or vegetative substance primarily used for flavouring, colouring or preserving food. Sometimes a spice is used to hide other flavours. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are parts of leafy green plants more...

LEARNING OBJECTIVES This lesson will help you to:

• learn and study about the various water sources.
• study about the ill effects of drinking dirty water.
• study about the seasonal change in water flow and about different water animals.
• study about water pollution and its harmful effects on the animals.
• learn about the importance of water conservation.

  QUICK CONCEPT REVIW Sources of Water The various sources of water are ocean, sea, rivers, springs, lakes, ponds, wells, taps, rains, waterfalls etc. Water is also stored underground.   Real Life Examples

• We often see water boiling in our homes to kill the germs in the water and make it germ free.
• During rainy reason. We often see pople suffering from fevers and diarrhea. The reason behind this is the contamination of water and the high percentage of germs in the rainy season.

   WATER POLLUTIN AND ITS HARMFULL EFFECTS

• Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies (e.g. lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers and groundwater), very often by human activities.
• Water pollution occurs when pollutants (particles, chemicals or substances that make water contaminated) are discharged directly or indirectly into water bodies without enough treatment to get rid of harmful compounds. Pollutants get into water mainly by human causes or factors.
• Water pollution affects drinking water, rivers, lakes and oceans all over the world. In many developing countries, it is usually a leading cause of death, by people drinking from polluted water sources.
• The effects of water pollution are varied and depend on what chemicals are dumped and in what locations.
• Many water bodies near urban areas (cities and towns) are highly polluted. This is the result of both garbage dumped by individuals and dangerous chemicals legally or illegally dumped by manufacturing industries, health centers, schools and market places.
• The various effects are:

(a) Death of aquatic (water) animals. (b) Disruption of food-chains. (c) Diseases- People can get diseases such as hepatitis by eating seafood that has been poisoned. (d) Destruction of ecosystems.   Historical preview

• Ancient sanskrit writing known as “Sus’ruta Samhita,” which dates back to approximately 2000 B.C., reveal a traditional recipe using alum that was used to purify water. In the recipe, a lump of earth (alum) was mixed with local Indian herbs, with names such as phana, mustaka, ela, ustra and candana, and baked well in a fire. The resulting material was then dropped into water to purify it.

  NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF DRINKING DIRTY WATER Drinking or swimming in unclean water can cause:

• Vomiting more...

LEARNING OBJECTIVES This lesson will help you to:

• learn about first aid and its requirement.
• understand how one should react during emergency.
• know about the precautions which should be taken to avoid accidents.

QUICK CONCEPT REVIEW Have you heard of houses being damaged by floods, earthquakes, cyclones, fires, storms, lightening? Natural disasters like floods, earthquakes, cyclones, fires, storms, lightening damage both life and property. Many people die in these disasters; lose their homes, fields, family, friends, relatives and animals etc. Manmade disasters like road accidents or some accidents which happen by chance like fire, wounds, insect bites are also very harmful or may even lead to death. In case of major calamities like earthquakes, floods etc. some people take an initiative to help people without their own benefit. They are called volunteers.   Some organisations-both government and non-government help in such cases. We should always inform ambulance, police and fire brigades to help in such situations according to the need. What can you do to help others in such cases before the doctor arrives? When such calamity or an accident occurs, it may take some time for the doctor to reach or to take the wounded person to a hospital. In such a case, the immediate help given to the wounded person on the spot is called emergency care or first aid. It also refers to the immediate and temporary help given to patient in case of sudden illness before the medical expertise can be taken. So, it is very important to learn first aid techniques to help ourselves as well as others in case of emergencies. What is the major objective of first aid? First aid is given not to cure but prevent the condition of the patient from becoming worse. For this, you will need a first aid Kit. A first aid kit is a kit containing important articles like bandage, cotton wool, dettol, burnol, etc. which are needed to help people in case of emergency. Amazing Facts

• If the fire occurs due to short circuit of any electrical fault, never use water. Throw sand over it or use fire extinguisher.
• Can you think, why?
• This is so because water is a good conductor of electricity and you too may get an electrical shock.

  MAKING YOUR OWN FIRST AID KIT You will need: A rectangular plastic box and cover it with white sheet of paper. If you don't have it, you can take a clean shoe box and cover it with white paper. There are some important things you will need to keep in that box like-

• Thermometer
• Hot water bottle
• Ice bag
• A pair of scissors
• Adhesive bandages
• Gauze bandage
• Cotton
• Antiseptic ointments and creams (for more...

Real Life Example Trying to figure out English idioms on your own can be frustrating. English idioms are an important component of natural English. English idioms are non-literal phrases that have a meaning that?s different from the individual words. Phrases such as ?saved by the bell,? 'it's raining cats and dogs' and countless others are a common part of the English vernacular. Whether you're learning English for the first time or just looking to add to your vocabulary, idioms are a great place to start.     Amazing Fact To 'shed crocodile tears.' Crocodiles have a reflex that causes their eyes to tear when they open their mouths. This makes it look as though they are crying while devouring their prey. In fact, neither crocodiles nor people who shed ?crocodile? tears feel sorry for their actions.                   LEARNING OBJECTIVES This lesson 'will help you to: learn idioms and phrases. understand their meanings. understand their correct usage.     QUICK CONCEPT REVIEW Idioms are words or phrases with an informal meaning that is different from the words' dictionary definitions. For example, "under the weather" is an idiom: it means "sick/' not "beneath rain or sunshine." English speakers use idioms every day, often without even realizing it, and non-native speakers must learn at least the most common ones in order to understand conversational English. Examples: At home in:-familiar with. He is equally at home in German and French. By virtue of:-on account of. He occupied the chair at the meeting by virtue of seniority. Fair play:- equal conditions for all. All political parties want fair play in the elections. In full swings-working busily. The share market was in full swing. Well of:- rich. These people are very well of.   PHRASES A phrase is a group of words that have a particular meaning when used together, or which someone uses on a particular occasion.                                    Example:                                  He disposed off his car for a small sum.                Here the phrase 'disposed of can easily be replaced with "sold", so, that's how we use a phrase.                      PROVERBS A short well-known statement that gives advice or expresses something that is generally true. Take the famous proverb:                                       Slow and steady wins the race. 'A penny saved is a penny earned' is another example of a proverb.     Historical Preview "Bury the hatchet." Native Americans used to bury weapons to show that fighting had ended and enemies were now at at peace. Today, the idiom means to make up with a friend after an argument or fight. "Raining cats and dogs" In Norse mythology, the dog is associated with wind and the cat with storms. This expression means it?s raining very heavily.