HISTORY / CIVICS

Contents

Preface 3

Key Features 5

Unit 1 : Let Us Remind Ourselves 7

1. The Sources of History: How We Find Out What Happened in the Past 8

2. Understanding CE and BCE 16

Unit 2 : The Earliest People 21

3. AWandering Life 23

4. A Settled Life 33

5. A Scientific Attitude 41

6. Trade Develops 49

Unit 3 : Some Early Civilizations 58

7. The Ancient Egyptians 59

8. The Harappan Civilization 69

9. Other River-Based Civilization 77

Unit 4 : What Is Civics? 86

10. Being a good Neighbour 88

11. Elections 94

12. A Look Back 100

Unit 5 : Supplementary Content

13. Subhash Chandra Bose– Famous Personality 105

- Reason for adding: In order to complete the advance syllabus, this topic has been

added.

14. Hornbill– Indian Festival 110

- Reason for adding: In order to complete the advance syllabus, this topic has been

added.

15. Nalanda University – Historical Monument 114

- Reason for adding: In order to complete the advance syllabus, this topic has been

added.

Class wise Activities

Confusions and Remedies

SOCIAL SCIENCE SYLLABUS

CLASS – 4 HISTORY/CIVICSGeneral confusion of students and their solutions

1. The Sources of History

Confusion- Confusion in the different sources of history like- written records, artefacts, monuments,stories that people tell about the past.

Remedies- The students can be shown the pictures of different coins, artefacts found and monumentsfrom the past and for more details, can be taken to the museum.

2. Understanding CE and BCE3. A Wandering Life

Confusion- Due to lack of reading, students usually commit spelling mistakes.

Remedies- Reading practice can be done on the individual basis.

4. A Settled Life5. A Scientific Attitude

Confusion- Confusion in the years of discoveries and inventions. Due to lack of reading, studentsusually commit spelling mistakes.

Remedies- An activity can help the students to remember the dates.

6. Trade Develops7. The Ancient Egyptians8. The Harappan Civilization

Confusion- Confusion in the geographical areas of the Harappan civilization.

Remedies- The confusion can get cleared with the help of showing ancient map of India and byshowing the videos on the Harappan civilization to the students

9. Other River-based Civilization

Confusion- Confusion in how to recognize the different civilizations.

Remedies- PPT showing the comparison and timeline of different civilizations can be shown in the class.

10. Being a good Neighbour

11. Elections

Confusion- Confusion in candidates and voters.

Remedies- An activity of conducting elections for the monitor of the class can the help the students tounderstand this concept.

12. A Look Back

13SUBHASH

CHANDRA BOSEIntroductionSubhas Chandra Bose, by name Netaji (Hindi: “Respected Leader”),(born January 23, 1897, Cuttack, Orissa India—died August 18,1945, Taipei), Indian revolutionary prominent in the independencemovement against British rule of India. He was strongly influenced bySwami Vivekananda’s teachings, and also believed that the BhagavadGita was a great source of inspiration for the struggle against the British.Bose was an Indian nationalist, and a prominent figure of the Indianindependence movement. The leader spearheaded the revolutionary Indian National Army during World War II.He always pitched for complete and unconditional independence of India from the British Rule.S. C. Bose was a twice-elected President of the Indian National Congress (INC), founder and President of theAll India Forward Bloc, and founder and Head of State of the Provisional Government of Free India, which heled alongside the Indian National Army from 1943 until his demise in 1945.

Early Life of S. C. BoseSubhash Chandra Bose, popularly known by the name of 'Netaji' (Respected Leader), was born to PrabhavatiDevi and Janakinath Bose on January 23 in 1897 in Odisha. He took admission into the Protestant EuropeanSchool which was run by the Baptist Mission. He did B A in Philosophy from the Presidency College inCalcutta, and was later expelled for assaulting Professor for the latter's anti-India remarks. After the incident,Bose was considered as one of the rebel-Indians.

During his college days, he gradually developed nationalistic temperament, and became socially and politicallyaware. He found Britishers' insults to Indians in public places as offensive. In December 1921, Bose wasarrested and imprisoned for organizing a boycott of the celebrations to mark the Prince of Wales’s visit to India.Bose left for England in 1919 to appear for Indian Civil Service Examination.

105

Political Life of Subhash Chandra BoseAfter a few years, Bose returned to India as he resigned from his civil service job in April 1921, and later joinedthe Indian National Congress to fight for the independence of India. Subhash Chandra Bose started thenewspaper known as 'Swaraj', and took charge of publicity for the Bengal Provincial Congress Committee. In1923, Bose was elected as the President of All India Youth Congress and as the Secretary of Bengal StateCongress. He was also editor of the newspaper called 'Forward', founded by his mentor Chittaranjan Das, andhe served as the CEO of the Calcutta Municipal Corporation. By December 1927, Bose was appointed as theGeneral Secretary of the INC.

In November 1934, he wrote the first part of his book 'The Indian Struggle', which was about nationalism andIndia's independence movement during 1920–1934, but the British government banned the book. By 1938, heagreed to accept nomination as the Congress President, and presided over the Haripur session. However, dueto his strong differences with Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, he resigned in 1939.

Subhash Chandra Bose's Rolein India's Independence

S C Bose was always in favour of armedrevolution in order to expel the Britishers fromIndia. During the time when the Second WorldWar took place, Bose revived the Indian NationalArmy (INA) with the help of the ImperialJapanese Army, and also founded an IndianRadio Station called 'Azad Hind Radio'.

A few years later, he travelled to Japan, where more soldiers and civilians joined the INA. Even when facedwith military reverses, Bose was able to maintain support for the Azad Hind movement. In Europe, S C Bosesought help from Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini for the liberation of India. Bose had struck an alliance withJapan and Germany as he felt that his presence in the East would help India in the freedom struggle against theBritish.

106

The Azad Hind Fauj and Bose

The Azad Hind Fauz was formed in 1941 in Berlin andcomprised of Indian prisoners of war from Europe andNorth Africa. In December, Japan marked the beginning ofWorld War II in Asia after it attacked Pearl Harbour. Thefall of Singapore during that time shook the foundation ofBritish Raj across the world.

Meanwhile, the Indian freedom struggle was at its finalround after Gandhi called for the Quit India Movement in1942. In 1943, Bose became the commanding officer for Azad Hind Fauz — the army which attacked Britishers ayear later. His army was able to free several Indian areas including Parel and Tihim from the British.In September 1944, his famous dialogue “Tum mujhe khoon do mein tumhe azadi dunga” (Give me your blood, I’ll giveyou your freedom) triggered a new wave of patriotism. He established a provisional government of Azad Hind in 1944with a slogan ‘Chalo Delhi’.

Subhash Chandra Bose's famous quotesS C Bose's most famous slogans/quotes are "Give me blood and I willgive you freedom", Dilli Chalo ("On to Delhi)!" This was the call heused to give to the INA army to encourage them. "Jai Hind", or,"Glory to India!" was another slogan used by him, and later adoptedby the Government of India and the Indian Armed Forces. Anotherslogan coined by him was "Ittefaq, Etemad, Qurbani" (Urdu for"Unity, Agreement, Sacrifice").INA also used the slogan "Inquilab Zindabad", which was coined by

Maulana Hasrat Mohani. In July 1944, in a speech broadcast by the Azad Hind Radio from Singapore, Boseaddressed Mahatma Gandhi as the "Father of the Nation".

Mysterious death and controversy behind itAmidst all this melee, just a few years before India became independent, Bose vanished. Japanese Domei news agencysaid Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose died on August 18 in a plane crash at the Japanese-controlled Matsuyama militaryairport in Taihoku (now Taiwan). The incident left many Indians in a state of shock and disbelief.Even after 75 years, the controversy surrounding the death of Bose refuses to die down. A few believe that hedid not die during the accident. Other theories say that he spent his last days in Uttar Pradesh while some say helived abroad.

107

Lesser-known yet inspiring facts about Subhas Chandra Bose, India'sNetaji:1. Born in Odisha in the year 1897, Bose was exceptionally brilliant and secured top ranks throughout his studyin school and university. He completed his BA in Philosophy with a first class score in 1918.2. He cleared the Indian Civil Service examination in 1920 in England. Later, he resigned from his civil servicejob on April 23, 1921 after hearing about India's struggle for freedom.3. Earlier, Bose had been a leader of the younger, radical, wing of the Indian National Congress in the late1920s and 1930s, rising to become Congress President in 1938 and 1939. He was expelled from Congressleadership positions in 1939, following differences with Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and the Congress highcommand, after openly attacking the Congress' foreign and internal policies.4. During the period of 1921-1941, he was imprisoned eleven times in various jails due to his stand forcomplete independence.5. Bose believed that Gandhi's tactics of non-violence would never be sufficient to secure independence andadvocated violent resistance.6. At the outset of the Second World War, he had travelled to a number of countries, including Soviet Union,Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, so as to seek alliance with each and to attack the British government in India.Later, he re-organised with Imperial Japanese assistance and led the Azad Hind Fauj or Indian National Army(INA), formed with Indian prisoners-of-war and plantation workers from British Malaya, Singapore and otherparts of Southeast Asia, against the British forces.With Japanese monetary, political, diplomatic and military assistance, he formed the Azad Hind Government inexile, and regrouped and led the Indian National Army. Along with the Japanese army they broughtindependence to Andaman and Nicobar Islands and came all the way to Manipur in India.7. On August 23, 2007, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited the Subhas Chandra Bose memorial hall inKolkata. Abe said to Bose's family, "The Japanese are deeply moved by Bose's strong will to have led theIndian independence movement from British rule."8. He established the Azad Hind Radio station in Germany and led the Indian nationalist movement in East Asia.9. Subhas Chandra Bose believed that the Bhagvad Gita was a great source of inspiration for him. SwamiVivekananda's teachings on universal brotherhood, his nationalist thoughts and his emphasis on social serviceand reform have had instilled a vision in him.

THINGS TO DO108

A. Fill in the blanks:

1. Subhash Chandra Bose was strongly influenced by the teachings of _____________.2. Bose believed that _____________ was a great source of inspiration for the struggle against the British.3. He always pitched for complete and ________________ independence of India from the British rule.4. Subhash Chandra Bose is popularly known by the name of ____________.5. Netaji started a newspaper known as _____________.6. Bose revived the Indian National Army (INA) with the help of the _____________.7. The ‘Azad Hind Fauz’ was formed in 1941 in _____________.

B. Write ‘True’ or ‘False’:

1. The fall of America during world War II shook the foundation of British Raj across the world.2. Bose was editor of the newspaper ‘Swaraj’ founded by his mentor Chittaranjan Das.3. S.C. Bose sought help from Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini for the liberation of India.4. The Indian freedom struggle was at its final round after Gandhi called for Non-cooperation movement.5. Bose believed that Gandhi’s tactics of non-violence would never be sufficient to secure independence

and advocated violent resistance.6. Bose established the Azad Hind Radio station in Germany and led the Indian nationalist movement in

East Asia.

C. Answer these questions:

1. Bose was founder and President of which party?2. Why Subhash Chandra Bose was expelled from Presidency college in Calcutta?3. When and why Bose was arrested first time ?4. Write about the Azad Hind Fauz.5. Write two famous quotes of Netaji.6. Write about the political life and beliefs of Netaji.

109

14

IntroductionHornbill Festival is a very popular festival of Nagaland. Often cited as “festival of all festivals”, The HornbillFestival is a grand celebration that is brought to life each year in Nagaland, North East India. The festival isgritting in its element and a powerful representation of the Naga culture through splendid traditional music,dance and performances. The performances are perhaps extremely eye catching and demand attention. Alldiverse tribes in Nagaland offer their heartfelt contribution towards making the festival more vibrant andentertaining. All people come together, united under one wing to make this celebration an extraordinarypossibility. People from all over the world come to visit this promising occasion either to merely witness orparticipate or sometimes, both. To visitors, the festival offers a clearer glimpse into understanding the Nagaculture better. People are welcome to partake in various extravagant dance and musical performances as well ascompetitions. It a very beautiful display of the cultural practices of Nagaland. The people of Nagaland are allthe more kind with their helping hands and smiles. This charming festival has been compelling tourists andtravellers who visit the festival over holidays.

Origin and History of Hornbill FestivalThe North-East Indian state of Nagaland is the home of several tribes with their distinct festivals. As most of thepopulation of Nagaland depends on agriculture for their livelihood, their celebrations revolve around agriculture.For Naga people, their culture and festivals are sacred; therefore, participation in the festivals is mandatory. AsNagaland is a state with several tribes, the State Government of Nagaland to promote inter-

110

tribal interaction and cultural heritage of Nagaland organizes the Hornbill festival. The first Hornbill Nagalandfestival was held in 2000. Since then the Hornbill Festival is celebrated by the Nagaland state Governmentannually.

The Hornbill Festival 2021 takes its name from the Indian Hornbill bird found abundantly in Nagaland. IndianHornbill is a colourful bird that is prominently displayed in most folklore of the Nagaland Tribes. The largeforest bird can be commonly seen prancing in and around the various forests of Nagaland. The different tribesof Nagaland hold their culture with the utmost respect, so the hornbill bird also respects them. Therefore theHornbill Festival 2021 represents all the tribes of Nagaland collectively and the tribes celebrate it every yearwith pride and enthusiasm. They all grace the festival with their presence and do various performances todisplay their culture. The Hornbill Mahotsav is getting stronger year by year, and a large number of visitors is asign of its immense success.

When is the Hornbill Festival?Hornbill Festival is an annual festival of Nagaland. The vibrant festival takes place mostly in the first week ofDecember every year. The Hornbill Festival will start on 1st December and will go till 10th December. Themain venue of the Hornbill Festival, 2021 is Kohima, the capital of Nagaland. Though, the celebrations ofHornbill Festival, 2021 may happen at other locations too.

How Hornbill is celebrated:1. 16 Tribes and Their 16 Mesmerizing DancesOver 16 major tribes and several other sub tribes make Nagaland the wonder that it is. All these tribes havediverse rituals, assorted practices and yet share a surprisingly similar way of life. Each of these communities hasdedicated their entire time in making life happy and comfortable for themselves and for their families. Everyindividual can be distinguished specifically according to their intricately designed clothes and completed withstriking jewellery and beads. The hornbill festival showcases each tribe’s individuality in its full fervour.

Their tribal dances are filled with positive rhythm, highspirited energy and are often warrior rituals. The hornbillfestival does a glorious job of bringing together all thesetraditionally diverse tribes together as one and presentsthemselves as a single entity.

111

2. Multicultural Art Displays

A pleasant place for art lovers fromround the world, the hornbill festivalwill definitely satisfy your thirst forexperiencing quality and the finestart Nagaland has to offer. Thisfestival is also held during one of thechoicest holiday time i.e. winter time.Hornbill spreads its wings and bringstogether all the rituals, customs andactivities of the Naga tribes in thespotlight.

Traditional arts and indigenous craftsplay an extremely important part inmaking this carnival a success. Fromrural games, delicious food fairs andoddly pleasant ceremonies is the

heart of this festival. The paintings, wood carvings and sculpture displays are presented in completepride and impressive vigor to the attendees.

112

THINGS TO DO

A. Fill in the blanks:

1. The population of Nagaland is about two-thirds _____________ in religion.2. Most of the population of Nagaland depends on ______________ for their livelihood.3. The first Hornbill Nagaland Festival was held in ____________.4. Indian Hornbill is a _____________ that is prominently displayed in most folklore of the Nagaland

Tribes.5. The main venue of the Hornbill Festival, 2021 is ______________.6. The Hornbill festival takes place mostly in the first week of ______________ every year.

B. Write ‘True’ or ‘False’:

1. In 19th century, with the advent of British rule, Muslim religion was introduced in Nagaland.2. The South-west Indian state of Nagaland is the home of several tribes.3. In Nagaland, participation in the festivals is mandatory.4. The Hornbill festival is celebrated by the Nagaland state Government annually.5. Only few tribes grace Hornbill festival with their presence.6. The Hornbill festival showcases each tribe’s individuality in its full fervour.

C. Answer these questions:

1. Which are the beliefs of traditional Naga religion?2. Write about hornbill bird?3. How Hornbill festival celebrated by Naga tribes?4. When and where Hornbill festival celebrated?5. How you can distinguish Naga tribes?6. How are the tribal dances of Nagaland?

113

15

NALANDA UNIVERSITYIntroductionNalandawas an ancient Mahavihara, a revered Buddhist monastery which also served as a renowned centre oflearning, in the ancient kingdom of Magadha (modern-day Bihar) in India. The university of Nalanda obtainedsignificant fame, prestige and relevance during ancient times, and rose to legendary status due to its contributionto the emergence of India as a great power around the fourth century. The site is located about 95 kilometres(59 mi) southeast of Patna near the city of Bihar Sharif, and was one of the greatest centres of learning in theworld from the fifth century CE to c. 1200 CE. Today, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

At its peak the school attracted scholars and students from near and far, with some travellingfrom Tibet, China, Korea, and Central Asia. The highly formalised methods of Buddhist studies helped theestablishment of large teaching institutions such as Taxila, Nalanda, and Vikramashila, which are oftencharacterised as India's early universities. Archaeological evidence also notes contact with the Shailendradynasty of Indonesia, one of whose kings built a monastery in the complex. Nalanda flourished under thepatronage of the Gupta Empire in the 5th and 6th centuries, and later under Harsha, the emperor of Kannauj.The liberal cultural traditions inherited from the Gupta age resulted in a period of growth and prosperity until

114

the ninth century CE. The subsequent centuries were a time of gradual decline, a period during whichthe tantric developments of Buddhism became most pronounced in eastern India under the Pala Empire.

Much of our knowledge of Nalanda comes from the writings of pilgrim monks from Asia, suchas Xuanzang and Yijing, who travelled to the Mahavihara in the 7th century CE. Vincent Smith remarked that"a detailed history of Nalanda would be a history of Mahayanist Buddhism." Many of the names listed byXuanzang in his travelogue as alumni of Nalanda are the names of those who developed the overall philosophyof Mahayana. All students at Nalanda studied Mahayana, as well as the texts of the eighteen (Hinayana) sects ofBuddhism. Their curriculum also included other subjects, such as the Vedas, logic, Sanskrit grammar, medicine,and Samkhya.

Nalanda was destroyed three times but was rebuilt only twice. It was ransacked and destroyed by an army ofthe Mamluk Dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate under Bakhtiyar Khalji in c. 1200 CE. While some sources note thatthe Mahavihara continued to function in a makeshift fashion after this attack, it was eventually abandonedaltogether and forgotten until the 19th century, when the site was surveyed and preliminary excavations wereconducted by the Archaeological Surveyof India. Systematic excavationscommenced in 1915, which unearthedeleven monasteries and six brick templeneatly arranged on grounds 12 hectares(30 acres) in area. A trove of sculptures,coins, seals, and inscriptions have alsobeen discovered in the ruins, many ofwhich are on display in the NalandaArchaeological Museum, situated nearby.Nalanda is now a notable touristdestination, and a part of the Buddhisttourism circuit.

The MahaviharaWhile its excavated ruins today only occupy an area of around 488 metres (1,600 ft) by 244 metres (800 ft) orroughly 12 hectares, Nalanda Mahavihara occupied a far greater area in medieval times.The subjects taught at Nalanda covered every field of learning, and it attracted pupils and scholars from Korea,Japan, China, Tibet, Indonesia, Persia and Turkey.Xuanzang left detailed accounts of the school in the 7th century. He described how the regularly laid-out towers,forest of pavilions, harmikas and temples seemed to "soar above the mists in the sky" so that from their cells themonks "might witness the birth of the winds and clouds". The pilgrim states: "An azure pool winds around themonasteries, adorned with the full-blown cups of the blue lotus; the dazzling red flowers of the lovely kanakahang here and there, and outside groves of mango trees offer the inhabitants their dense and protective shade.

115

LibraryIt is evident from the large numbers of texts that Yijingcarried back with him after his 10-year residence atNalanda, that the Mahavihara must have featured a well-equipped library. Traditional Tibetan sources mentionthe existence of a great library at Nalandanamed Dharmaganja (Piety Mart) which comprised

three large multi-storeyed buildings, the Ratnasagara (Ocean of Jewels), the Ratnodadhi (Sea of Jewels), andthe Ratnaranjaka (Jewel-adorned). Ratnodadhi was nine storeys high and housed the most sacred manuscriptsincluding the Prajnyaparamita Sutra and the Guhyasamaja.

The exact number of volumes in the Nalanda library is not known, but it is estimated to have been in thehundreds of thousands. When a Buddhist scholar at Nalanda died, his manuscripts were added to the librarycollection. The library not only collected religious manuscripts but also had texts on such subjects as grammar,logic, literature, astrology, astronomy, and medicine. The Nalanda library must have had a classification schemewhich was possibly based on a text classification scheme developed by the Sanskrit linguist, Panini. Buddhisttexts were most likely divided into three classes based on the Tripitaka's three main divisions: the Vinaya, Sutra,and the Abhidhamma.

CurriculumIn his biography of Xuanzang, Hwui-Li states that all the students of Nalanda studied the Great Vehicle(Mahayana) as well as the works of the eighteen (Hinayana) sects of Buddhism. In addition to these, theystudied other subjects such as the Vedas, Hetuvidyā (Logic), Shabdavidya (Grammar andPhilology), Chikitsavidya (Medicine), the works on magic (the Atharvaveda), and Samkhya.[18]

Xuanzang himself studied a number of these subjects at Nalanda under Shilabhadra and others. BesidesTheology and Philosophy, frequent debates and discussions necessitated competence in Logic. A student at theMahavihara had to be well-versed in the systems of Logicassociated with all the different schools of thought of the time ashe was expected to defend Buddhist systems against the others.Other subjects believed to have been taught at Nalanda includelaw, astronomy, and city-planning.

Decline and destructionThe decline of Nalanda is concomitant with the disappearance ofBuddhism in India. When Xuanzang travelled the length andbreadth of India in the 7th century, he observed that his religionwas in slow decay and even had ominous premonitions of

116

Nalanda's forthcoming demise. Buddhism had steadily lost popularity with the laity and thrived, thanks to royalpatronage, only in the monasteries of Bihar and Bengal. By the time of the

Palas, the traditional Mahayana and Hinayana forms of Buddhism were imbued with Tantric practices involvingsecret rituals and

magic. The rise of Hindu philosophies in the subcontinent and the waning of the Buddhist Pala dynasty after the11th century meant that Buddhism was hemmed in on multiple fronts, political, philosophical, and moral. Thefinal blow was delivered when its still-flourishing monasteries, the last visible symbols of its existence in India,were overrun during the Muslim invasions that swept across Northern India at the turn of the 13th century.

In around 1193 CE, Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khalji, a Turkic chieftain out to make a name for himself, was inthe service of a commander in Awadh. The Persian historian, Minhaj-i-Siraj in his Tabaqat-i Nasiri, recordedhis deeds a few decades later. Khalji was assigned two villages on the border of Bihar which had become apolitical no-man's land. Sensing an opportunity, he began a series of plundering raids into Bihar and wasrecognised and rewarded for his efforts by his superiors. Emboldened, Khalji decided to attack a fort in Biharand was able to successfully capture it, looting it of a great booty.

THINGS TO DO

A. Fill in the blanks:

1. Nalanda was an ancient Buddhist _______________.2. The Nalanda site is located about 95 kilometres south-east of ____________.3. Nalanda flourished under the patronage of the ____________ empire in the 5th and 6th centuries.4. All students at Nalanda University studied _____________ as well as the texts of the eighteen (Hinayana) sects

of Buddhism.5. Nalanda was ransacked and destroyed by an army of the ________________Dynasty of the Delhi sultanate.6. Buddhist texts were most likely divided into three classes based on the ________________.

B. Write ‘True’ or ‘False’:

1. Nalanda was an ancient Mahavihara in the kingdom of Kalinga.2. Nalanda was one of the greatest centres of learning in the world.3. At its peak, Nalanda University attracted scholars and students from Europe and America.4. Nalanda curriculum only includedBuddhist texts.5. The exact number of volumes in the Nalandalibrary is not known.6. A student at the Nalanda had to be well-versed in the systems of Logic.

117

C. Answer these questions:

1. Nalanda University attracted students from which countries?2. Name the main three ancient teaching institutions.3. Which are the main sources for much of our knowledge of Nalanda University?4. Who destroyed Nalanda and how many times it was destroyed and built?5. Which things were discovered at the ruins of Nalanda?6. How Xuanzang, an ancient foreign scholar, described the Nalanda University?

118

CLASS WISE ACTIVITIESSubject- History / Civics

S.No. Name oftheChapter

Activity Requirement

1. The Sourcesof History:How We FindOut WhatHappened inthe Past

a) Prepare your own Manuscript!Work in pairs for this activity.What to do:- Draw a rectangle (about 10 cm x

20 cm) on a sheets of paper. Cut itout.

Use this to cut out similar stripsfrom the other sheets of paper andmount board.

Punch holes in the centre of thestrips of paper and mount board.

Write a short description of yourvisit to any of the historical placeon the sheets of paper, leavingplace for pictures. Write on oneside of the paper only.

Decorate the mount board covers. Thread the string through the

covers and pages. Tie the string toclose the manuscript. To read it,untie the string and lay it flat on atable.

Few A4 sheets, two pieces of pen, mountboard, pencil, pen and colours, scissors,string, punching machine.

2. UnderstandingCE and BCE

a) Find out the years in which yourparents, grandparents, brothers andsisters were born. Arrange these in asequence and make a timeline. Youcan also add the birth dates of youruncles, aunts and cousins.

-

3. A WanderingLife

a) Natural Painting!Cave artists used colours made fromnatural materials. You can do similarpaintings on stones using: Yellow turmeric or ‘Haldi’, mixed

in water. Red ochre or ‘geru’ mixed in

water. Charcoal or soft coal for black

lines.

Yellow turmeric or ‘Haldi’, Red ochre or‘geru’ , water, charcoal or soft coal.

4. A Settled Life a) Cereals – the wonder food.Cereals are the main food for millionsof people all over the world. Getcereal grains like wheat, rice, maize(corn), bajra, jowar, etc. from agrocer’s shop. Display them in bowls.Talk about the differences in colourand shape, and how they feel.

Cereal grains like wheat, rice, maize(corn), bajra, jowar, etc., bowls.

5. A ScientificAttitude

a) Prepare a power point presentation onthe science in Ancient India and give apresentation in the class.

-

6. TradeDevelops

a) Have your own Barter Bazaar! Make groups of 5 or 6. Choose which goods you want to

barter(pencils, sweets, toys,stickers etc), and collect enough ofthem

On Barter Bazaar Day, set upstalls to display your goods.

Decide which of the otherdisplayed goods your group wants.

Send someone to talk aboutexchanging your goods you want-how many sweets in exchange ofpencils, etc.

Continue until each group hasbeen able to barter.

Goods to barter- pencils, toys, sweets,stickers etc., tables for stalls.

7. The AncientEgyptians

a) Picture Study!The Rosetta Stone, discovered in the19th century, has three types ofwriting-hieroglyphs, writing used fordaily purposes and Greek writing.Scholars who knew Greek were ableto use it to decipher and read thehieroglyphs. Find the three different types of

writing. Why was the Rosetta Stone an

important discovery?

Picture showing Rosetta Stone.

8. The HarappanCivilization

a) Be an artist!Harappan terracotta pottery wasreddish-brown, with designs on it. Getsome mud or terracotta jars or vesselsand draw designs on them with apencil and colour the designs black.

Some mud or terracotta jars or vessels,pencil, colours, paint brush.

9. Other River-BasedCivilization

a) Picture Study!A ppt prepared on the river-basedcivilizations will be shown in theclass. The name of the civilizations,writing material, monetary systemetc., will be discussed in the class andthe students will come to know toabout various river-basedcivilizations.

PPT on river-based civilizations

10. Being a goodNeighbour

a) Group discussion about the UNICEFand the WHO in the class and dividethe class into the group of 4-5 studentsand prepare the power pointpresentation and anyone from thegroup have to present their ppt in theclassroom.

-

11. Elections a) Conduct elections for the monitor inthe classroom. Three students will be selected as

the volunteers. They have to prepare the symbols

for representing their parties. 2 days will be given for the

promotion.On the final day, voting will be done inthe class using ballot box.

Ballot box, sheets with party’s symbols,colours.

12. A Look Back - -13. Subhash

Chandra Bosea) Write the brief report on the

contributions of any of the followingfreedom fighters: Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Gopal Krishna Gokhale Lala Lajpat Rai Chandrashekhar Azad Bhagat Singh

-

14. Hornbill a) Write a brief report on the chapterdiscussed.

-

15. NalandaUniversity

a) Prepare a power point presentation onthe Nalanda University.

-

GEOGRAPHY

Contents

1. Our Country: India 8

2. The Climate of India 15

wow!ourindia.com 21

Indian Subcontinent: Physical Features, States and Neighbours 22

3. The Northern Mountains 23

4. The Hill States of North India 29

5. The Hill States of North-eastern India 38

6. The Great Northern Plains 47

7. The Western States of the Great Northern Plains 53

8. The Eastern States of the Great Northern Plains 64

9. The Great Indian Desert 74

10. The Dry Western States 79

11. The Vast Central Plateau 87

12. Some States of the Plateau Region 93

13. The Coastal Plains 103

14. States of the Eastern Coastal Plains 108

15. States of the Western Coastal Plain 117

16. The Island Regions 128

Class wise Activities

Confusions and Remedies

SOCIAL SCIENCE SYLLABUS

CLASS – 4 GEOGRAPHYGeneral confusion of students and their solutions

1. Our Country: India

Confusion- Confusion in labeling the geographical areas of natural regions, states and union territoriesof India.

Remedies-More practice of map can be done in the class.

2. The Climate of India

Confusion- Confusion in labeling the climatic regions of India.

Remedies-More practice of map can be done in the class and also a group discussion can beconducted side by side.

3. The Northern Mountains

Confusion- Confusion in the names of rivers, languages spoken, crops and festivals as per thedifferent states.

Remedies-More map work and the video showing the effects of Himalayas on the sub-continent canbe done in the class.

4. The Hill States of North India

Confusion- Confusion in the names of rivers, different forms of dances, languages spoken, crops andfestivals as per the different states.

Remedies- An activity can be conducted in which the class can be divided into 3-4 groups and eachgroup will be given a state to find the information about it and then volunteers from the groups willpresent their state before the class.

5. The Hill States of North-eastern India

Confusion- Confusion in the names of rivers, different forms of dances, languages spoken, crops andfestivals as per the different states.

Remedies- An activity can be conducted in which the class can be divided into 3-4 groups and eachgroup will be given a state to find the information about it and then volunteers from the groups willpresent their state before the class.

6. The Great Northern Plains

Confusion- Confusion in labeling the geographical area of northern plains.

Remedies-More map work can be done.

7. The Western States of the Great Northern Plains

Confusion- Confusion in labeling the geographical area, rivers, crops regions.Remedies-More map work can be done.

8. The Eastern States of the Great Northern Plains

Confusion- Confusion in the names of rivers, monuments, different forms of dances, languages spoken,crops and festivals as per the different states.

Remedies- The students will asked to do report writing on any of the eastern state.

9. The Great Indian Desert10. The Dry Western States

Confusion- Confusion in the difference between the cultures of Rajasthan and Gujarat.

Remedies- Videos on the similarities and differences between the Rajasthan and Gujarat can be shownin the class. Also the students can be asked to prepare a detailed project on them.

11. The Vast Central Plateau12. Some States of the Plateau Region

Confusion- Confusion in geographical regions of different states, their culture, arts, crops, festivals etc.

Remedies- The students will asked to do report writing on any of the state.

13. The Coastal Plains14. States of the Eastern Coastal Plains

Confusion- Confusion in geographical regions of different states, their culture, arts, crops, festivals etc.

Remedies- Each student can be asked to find the information on the state they want and then theyhave to represent their state before the class.

15. States of the Western Coastal Plain

Confusion in geographical regions of different states, their culture, arts, crops, festivals etc.

Remedies- Each student can be asked to find the information on the state they want and then theyhave to represent their state before the class.

16. The Island Regions

CLASS WISE ACTIVITIESSubject- Geography

S.No. Name of theChapter

Activity Requirement

1. Our Country:India

a) Map study!Colour and label all the states and unionterritories in the political map of India.

A blank political map of India,coloured pencils.

2. The Climate ofIndia

b) How many climate regions?Which climate regions would you travelthrough if you went in a straight linefrom: Srinagar to Chennai Jaipur to Itanagar Mumbai to Kokata

Political map of India, coloured pens.

3. The NorthernMountains

b) Prepare a power point presentation onthe Northern Mountains. A discussionwill held in the class.

c) Two rivers have their sources in theTrans-Himalayan region beyond India.Name them and mark in the map.

Map of India.

4. The Hill States ofNorth India

d) a) Write a diary entry! Write a diary entry on any hill

station that you have visited. Write about the places of interest in

that hill station. Mention the food habits and climate

of that region.

-

5. The Hill States ofNorth-easternIndia

a) Mind maps of the states!Make seven groups, one for each state.On a sheet of drawing paper make amind map about the state.Present your mind map and informationto the class.

Sheets of drawing paper, colouredpens.

6. The GreatNorthern Plains

- -

7. The WesternStates of theGreat NorthernPlains

a) Divide the class into groups of two.Each group will represent one state.Create a large scrapbook should containpictures and information on all aspectsof the state-climate, people, history andculture, monuments, dance and musicand food. This scrapbook can be exhibited as a

class activity.

Coloured paper, pictures, colouredpens.

8. The EasternStates of theGreat NorthernPlains

a) Tea Things! Find out where the tea that is used in

your home is grown. Collect wrappers or packaging of

Assam tea and Darjiling tea. List thebrand names of each kind of tea intwo columns.

Bring different types of tea to classand discuss the differences you see,feel and smell.

-

9. The Great IndianDesert

a) Map work! Colour the Thar Desert on the Indian

Map. Label the neighbouring country to

which the Thar Desert extends. Label the river Luni.

A map of India and colours.

10. The Dry WesternStates

b) Write a report writing on the similaritiesand differences between the Rajasthanand Gujarat (their culture, festivals,regions, etc)

-

11. The Vast CentralPlateau

a) Map work!Mark the Deccan plateau, Malwaplateau and Chota Nagpur plateau.

A map of India and colours.

12. Some States ofthe PlateauRegion

b) Find out! The names of the wildlife

sanctuaries in the plateau region. Historical place in the region.Note down this information in your

notebook.

-

13. The CoastalPlains

a) Have a group discussion on the salt bedsatKanyakumari. Talk about why this areais good for salt and how it is made.

-

14. States of theEastern CoastalPlains

a) Divide the class into three groups-onefor each state and make a mind map foreach of the states with all the importantdetails. Put up your maps and have adiscussion in the class.

-

15. States of theWestern CoastalPlain

b) Select any two states each on the Easternand Western Coastal Plains and collectthe information on: Main rivers Main languages Main festivals Main crops Different tourist destinations

c) Prepare a power point presentation onthe above information.

-

16. The Island a) Write a report writing on the similarities -

Regions and differences between theLakshadweep Islands and Andaman andNicobar Islands (their rivers, languages,crops, festivals, famous for, life of thepeople)