NCERT solutions for Environmental Studies - Looking Around [English] Class 4 chapter 18 - Too Much Water, Too Little Water [Latest edition]

How can unclean or dirty water harm our body?

Have you ever got dirty or unclean water in your area? What was the reason for this?

Do you know anyone who has fallen sick because of such water? Talk about this.

When the guest came to Suguna’s house, they offered him a cold drink, because they thought he should not drink such water. What do you think Suguna’s family must be doing for their own drinking water?

The guest said he did not take cold drinks. Why do you think he said this?

• Have you ever faced a shortage of water in your house? When?
• What did you do then?

Have you ever played in water? Where and when?

Are there times when you are not allowed to play in the water? What are the reasons for this?

Have you seen the wastage of water in your area? Discuss.

The water park had a lot of water to play in but the nearby village people did not have water even to drink. Think about it and discuss.

If you go to a water park, find out from where the water comes to the park.

Why was Raziya worried when she read the newspaper?

Raziya asked that all the water that was filled the previous day should be thrown. Could this water have been used for something else? What kind of things?

In what way did she plan to clean the water?

Do you know of different ways to clean the water? Describe them.

Suppose, Raziya had not read the news and everyone had drunk the water without boiling it, what could have happened?

Where Deepak lives, everyone has to stand in a queue to fill water from the common public tap. In Raziya’s house, water comes all day in the tap. Why is this?

Raziya read news about the water in the newspaper. Have you read any news about the water in the newspapers? What kind of news?

Look through the newspapers of the last one month. Look for all news items related to water. Cut them out. Stick all the cuttings together on a big paper to make a big collage. Talk about what you have collected. Discuss in the class.

Make three groups of students in your class.

• One group will find out about the arrangements of drinking water in the school.
• The second group will find out about the arrangement of toilet in the school.
• The third group will find out about illness affecting children in the class.

The questions given below will help the groups to collect information.

Group 1

Observe and Note –

1. Put a (✓) in the right box or boxes.

• Where does the water in your school come from?
  (Tap/Tank/Handpump/Any other)
• In your school, from where do you take water to drink?
  (Tap/Tank/Handpump/Any other)

2. If there is no tap, matka or handpump, then how do you get drinking water?

3. Is there water in all the taps or handpumps?

4. Is there any tap which is leaking or dripping?

5. Are all the matkas filled with water and are they covered?

6. Are the matkas and other water containers cleaned regularly?

7. How is water made safe for drinking?

8. Is there a long-handled ladle to take water from the matka or container? How many ladles are there per container?

9. Is the place around the drinking water–taps or matkas cleaned regularly?

Think and Discuss

• Why do the drinking water places get dirty?
• What can we do to keep these places clean?

Find out and write in your notebook

• How often (once a day, once in two days, etc.) are the containers or matkas and ladles cleaned? Who cleans them?
• How many children are there in your school? How many taps, matkas or handpumps are there? Are these sufficient for children?
• Who cleans the places near the water?
• Where does the water that is spilt go?

Group 2

Observe and Note –

1. Put (✓) in the box and write wherever it is required –

• What are the toilet arrangements in your school?
  (Built toilet/Open area)

2. How many toilets are there?

3. Are there separate toilets for girls and boys? (yes/no)

4. Is there water in the toilets? (yes/no)

5. Where does the water come from?

• the tap (yes/no)
• filled containers (yes/no)
• has to be brought from home (yes/no)

6. Is there water for washing hands near the toilet? (yes/no)

7. Do you wash your hands after using the toilet? (yes/no)

8. Is there any tap that is leaking or dripping? (yes/no)

9. Are the toilets kept clean? (yes/no)

Find out and write

• How many boys and girls are there in your school?
  Girls - ______, Boys - ______
• How many toilets are there for girls, and how many for boys?
  Girls - ______, Boys - ______
• If there are no taps, who brings the water for the toilet? From where does the water have to be brought?
• Who keeps the place clean?

Talk about it

• What can be done to keep the toilets clean?
• What can each of us do for this?
• Have you seen toilets at bus stands or railway stations? How are they different from the toilets at home?

Group 3

Talk with the children in your class and fill in the table given below. In the last few months, how many children in the class have suffered from any of these?

Discuss with your teacher what you have found out from your survey. Now make a report with your findings and suggestions. Read your report in the assembly. Put it up on the notice board.