THE FOOD WE EAT

Learning Outcomes
At the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
●● Explain how food reaches us from the field to ●● Discuss the different kinds of food eaten
the table during special occasions
●● Discuss the foods grown and eaten in India ●● Explain the importance of the mid-day meal
scheme

Suggested number of sessions: 7

Session 1: Let’s begin, Introduction to the chapter, From the field to the table
Session 2: The food we eat—Grains,Pulses, Instructions for the Activity (names of pulses in home
language), which is to be given as home assignment, Fruits and vegetables, Instructions
for the Activity (Growing vegetables in kitchen containers), which is to be given as
home assignment, Instructions for the Activity (Identifying spices by their smells)
Session 3: Spices, Activity (Identifying spices by their smells),Meat, fish and eggs
Session 4: Food for special occasions—The tradition of eating together, Special dishes eaten during
festivals, In connection: Food for all: Mid-Day Meal
Session 5: Summary, Exercises, Case-based question
Session 6: Learn as you do(Instructions to be given for the Group Project a few days in advance),
Life skills and values
Session 7: Worksheets and other pending work

Teaching guidelines
●● Conduct a discussion in the class based on the questions given in the Let’s begin section.(Help
students recall that the food that they eat is either obtained from plants or from animals.)
●● Use the Concept Map to tell students what they will be learning about in the chapter.
●● Read out the introductory paragraph of the chapter. Explain the meaning of the word ‘staple’ with
the help of the glossary.

From the field to the table

●● With the help of the textbook, explain the journey of food from the field to the table.

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 Suggested activity: Put students into four groups. Assign each group a stage in the journey of
food from the field to the table. Let the groups read the text that pertains to the stage they have
been assigned. They can then show the activities of their stage through actions combined with
dialogues. Observe how they interpret the text. Correct them if required.

The food we eat

●● Ask a few students to talk about what the food they eat every day is made of. (They should list the
ingredients in the different food items they eat.) Help them conclude that their food includes food
grains, pulses, fruits, vegetables and dairy products. Tell them that the taste in their food comes
from different spices.

Grains
●● If possible bring samples of the food grains mentioned in the textbook. Help students identify
them. Tell them that these grains are also known as cereals.
●● Tell students that roti, chapati, naan, bhakri and so on, are different kinds of Indian breads. List the
cereals that are used to make Indian breads.
●● Ask students to read the information given in the Know more box. If possible, show them pictures
or actual samples of these varieties of rice.

Pulses
●● Explain what pulses are. Give examples of pulses from the textbook. Explain how we use pulses in
our diet.

Instruct students to attempt the Activity given. Encourage them to share their findings with the class.
This activity is aimed at making students more familiar with their home language. Sharing the names
of pulses in the class helps them overcome their inhibitions in speaking their language in public.

Fruits and vegetables

●● Tell students that the different fruits and vegetables that we eat come from different places.
●● Explain that these fruits and vegetables need different types of climate to grow so they can only
be grown in different places.
●● Name the fruits that grow in cool climate and those that grow in warm climate.
●● List the different vegetables that grow in India.
●● Ask students to read the information given in the Know More box. Students come to know that
chillies and potatoes that are so commonly used in India were brought to the country only around
3 to 5 hundred years ago.

Encourage students to attempt the Activity of growing vegetables in kitchen containers by

following the instructions carefully. Ask them to take pictures of the different stages in the growth
of their plants and display them in the class.

Spices
●● Explain why spices are added to Indian food.
●● List the common spices used in Indian cooking.

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 Instruct students to attempt the Activity given. Label the spice packets that students have brought
to the class (Instructions for bringing the spice samples to the class should be given a day or two in
advance). Put students in pairs. Ask the partners to blindfold each other by turns and complete the
task as instructed.

Meat, fish and eggs

●● List the different foods that we get from animals.
●● Name the different dairy products that we include in our diet.
●● Name the other food that we get from different animals and some meat-based dishes eaten in India.

Food for special occasions

●● Ask students: Is the kind of food you eat on birthdays, weddings and festivals the same as what
you eat every day?
●● Explain that on special days we like to eat special food.

The tradition of eating together

●● Ask students to say if they eat with their families every day. Tell them how eating together brings
family members closer.
●● Help students conclude that the practice of eating together during celebrations is followed in our
country so that relatives, friends and family members who do not live together get a chance to be
with each other and have fun. Tell them that special food is made on such occasions to make the
celebrations even more special.
●● Explain what Langar is as given in the textbook. Help students appreciate the kindness and
generosity in the practice of serving Langar.

Special dishes eaten during festivals

●● List the different special dishes that are eaten during the festivals of Eid-ul-Fitr, Poila Boisakh and
Onam.
●● Ask students to describe one or two special dishes that they eat on festivals celebrated in their
homes. They can get this information from the people at home.

Summary
●● Sum up the chapter with the help of the points given at the end of the chapter.
Exercises
●● Help students attempt the questions at the end of the chapter.

Think and answer

●● Instruct students to read the passage given and answer the questions given. Guide them to
answer the second and third questions, if need be. (You may ask them leading questions to help
them arrive at the answers. For example, for the second question, ask them if food can stay
without spoiling forever. Direct their attention to the sentence in the passage that says

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 “Processing prevents food from spoiling for some time." For the third question, ask them if
foods that contain a lot of sugar, salt and chemicals are good for health. (Note: Answers to the
questions are available in the Students’ book answer key for this chapter.)

Learn as you do
●● Instruct students to complete the task given under Let’s create. Display their work in the class.
This will help students get an idea about native vegetables and those that came to our country
from outside.
●● Encourage students to attempt Let’s write a story. They can read the sample story given and
develop their story on similar lines. Illustrating the story brings out their creativity. The task
integrates Art and Multiple intelligences.
●● Announce the potluck party suggested in the Group project a few days before the party is to be
conducted. Explain how students can participate in the party. Ensure that students name the
dish they bring to the party, in their language.

Life skills and values

●● Ask students to read the short passage given in this section. Have a discussion in class in which
they can share their ideas to prevent wastage of food. Students learn about the value of being
responsible and also about being kind and generous.

STUDENTS’ BOOK ANSWER KEY

THE FOOD WE EAT

Exercises
I. 1. c. retailer   2. c. mango   3. b. pigeon peas   4. c. radish   5. d. Gurpurab
II. 1. We can make a variety of dairy products such as paneer, curd, ghee and cheese from the milk
of cows and buffaloes.   2. Ploughing is followed by sowing.   3. Ragi is an example of a
cereal.   4. Peaches grow well in places with a cool climate.   5. The aim of the mid-day
meal scheme is to ensure the healthy growth of children.
III. 1. The farmers spray their fields with chemicals to protect the crop from pests and also to make
the crop grow well.
2. After harvesting the crop, farmers thresh the crop to separate the grain from the plant.
3. We use pulses to make curries and eat them with roti or rice.
4. Langar is a community meal prepared in gurudwaras. It is served free of cost to everyone
regardless of their background.
5. Special dishes like biryani, kebabs and sewain are eaten on Eid-ul-Fitr.
IV. 1. Journey of food from the field to table:
•  hapati is made from wheat. Every year in the month of October, the farmers plough their
C
fields and sow the wheat seeds. Slowly, young wheat plants grow from the seeds.

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 The farmers water the fields regularly and spray chemicals to protect the crop from pests
and to make the crop grow well.
• Within four to six months, the crop ripens and turns golden brown. The farmers now
harvest the wheat crop. Some farmers harvest their crop by hand, while some use
machines to cut the crop. The crop is then threshed to separate the grain from the plant.
• The wheat grain is packed in sacks and taken in a truck or a van to towns and cities where
they are sold in the wholesale markets or mandi. From the mandi, sacks of wheat grain are
taken to the flour mills.
• In the mills, the wheat is ground into flour and packed in packets and bags. Shopkeepers
or retailers buy these packets of flour and keep them in their shops. We, the customers,
buy the wheat flour from the shopkeepers. We eat the chapatis that are made with this
flour.
2. The food grains that we eat are also known as cereals. Pulses are the dried seeds of some
plants that form part of our diet.
Rice, wheat, ragi, jowar, bajra and corn are some cereals that are grown in India.
Pigeon peas, yellow split grams, red lentils, chickpeas and kidney beans are some examples of
pulses that are grown in India.
3. Spices added flavour and taste to the food. They are also good for our health. Some common
spices used in our food are cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper, cloves, turmeric, cumin
seeds, coriander seeds, mustard seeds and bay leaves.
4. During Poila Boisakh, people eat dishes such as pulao, fish curry, kosha mangsho (mutton
cooked in a thick gravy and spices) and sweet dishes such as rasgulla and mishti doi
(sweetened curd).
During Onam, people eat a special vegetarian meal on banana leaves called ‘Onam sadya’.
5. Some children do not get to eat enough food at home. They cannot afford to bring a healthy
lunch to school. They remain hungry most of the time and suffer from various health
problems. Keeping the needs of such children in mind, the government of our country has
started a mid-day meal scheme in many schools. Under this scheme, children get freshly
cooked food during lunchtime. The aim of this scheme is to ensure the healthy growth of
children in our country and make sure that every child gets enough nutrition.
V. 1. Wheat   2. We can make chapatis with wheat.

Case-based question
a. Processing usually involves adding sugar, salt and chemicals to food to make it look better,
taste better and last longer. Some foods that are processed are biscuits, chips, jams and fruit
juices.
b. Packaged foods have a ‘Use before’ date marked on them so that we use them before they
start spoiling.
c. Freshly cooked foods are better than packaged foods as we do not add chemicals to freshly
cooked foods. They also do not contain more sugar or salt than is needed.

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 QUESTION BANK WITH ANSWERS

THE FOOD WE EAT

A. Read the statements and write whether they are true or false.
1. Most of the food that we eat comes from animals raised on farms.
2. Retailers buy wheat flour from wholesale markets.
3. Peas, grams, beans and lentils are types of pulses.
4. The special dishes made on Eid-ul-Fitr include biryani and kebabs.
Ans: 1. False   2. False   3. True   4. True

B. Fill in the blanks.

1. Crops are to separate the grain from the plant.
2. Food grains such as rice, wheat, ragi and corn are also known as .
3. add flavour and taste to the food.
4. Kosha mangsho is mutton cooked in a thick and spices.
Ans: 1. threshed   2. cereals   3. Spices   4. gravy

C. Answer the questions in brief.

1. What does our staple food consist of?
Ans: Our staple food consists of grains, pulses, vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, eggs and several
dairy products.
2. What are the food grains that farmers in India grow?
Ans: The farmers in India grow different kinds of food grains such as rice, wheat, ragi, jowar,
bajra and corn.
3. Which cereals are commonly used for making Indian breads?
Ans: Wheat, jowar and bajra are commonly used for making Indian breads.

D. Answer the questions in detail.

1. Write a short note on the fruits and vegetables that grow in India.
Ans: A wide variety of fruits and vegetables are grown in India. • Fruits like apples, peaches
and apricots grow in places where the climate is cool. • Mangoes and bananas grow in
warm climates. • Papaya, pineapple, orange, litchee and coconut are some other fruits
that grow in India. • Potato, tomato, brinjal, cabbage, onion, chilli, pea and pumpkin
are some major vegetables that grow in India.
2. Write a short note on the food that we get from animals.
Ans: Some of us eat meat and eggs. They are obtained from animals that are raised on farms.
• We get milk from animals like cows and buffaloes. A variety of dairy products such as
paneer, curd, ghee and cheese are made from milk. • We also eat different kinds of sea
fish and river fish. • Meat-based dishes such as chicken tandoori, mutton kebabs and
fish curry are very popular in our country.

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 THE FOOD WE EAT WORKSHEET

A. Solve the crossword puzzle with the help of the clues given.

1.
Across:
2. 3. 1. A dairy product
2. A fruit that grows in a cool climate
4.
4. Common Indian spice
5. A wholesale market in India
Down:

5.
1. One of the common Indian pulses
2. Dried seeds of some plants that are part of our diet
3. A sweet eaten during Poila Boisakh
B. Cross the odd one in each set and say why it does not belong to the set.
1. Rice, wheat, kidney beans, corn

2. Mango, apricot, peach, apple

3. Cardamom, cinnamon, ragi, turmeric

4. Paneer, cheese, ghee, meat

C. Name them.
1. A vegetable that is a root of a plant
2. The things used in Indian food to add flavour and taste
3. The foods we get from hens
4. The community meal served in gurudwaras
5. The scheme started by the government of our country to provide children freshly cooked food
during lunchtime

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 ANSWER KEY TO THE WORKSHEET

THE FOOD WE EAT

A.
1.
C U R D
2. 3.
P E A C H R
U I A
4.
L C L O V E S
S K G
E P U
S E L
5.
M A N D I L
S A

B. 1. Kidney beans They are pulses, while the rest of the items are cereals.
2. Mango It grows in a warm climate, while the rest of the fruits grow in a cool climate.
3. Ragi It is a cereal, while the rest are spices.
4. Meat It is not a dairy product, while the rest are.

C. 1. Radish/ beetroot/carrot
2. Spices
3. Meat and eggs
4. Langar
5. Mid-day meal scheme

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 SAMPLE QUESTION PAPER I

CLASS 4

Max. Marks: 50 Duration: 2 hours

A. Choose the correct answers. (5 marks)
1. Which of these protects our brain?
a. joint   b. ribcage   c. skull   d. backbone
2. One of these is an indoor game:
a. kabaddi   b. volley ball   c. badminton   d. scrabble
3. Which of these fruits grow in a warm climate?
a. apricot   b. peach   c. mango   d. apple
4. This yellow substance is the main source of food for the life form inside a bird’s egg.
a. embryo   b. yolk   c. albumen   d. shell
5. This process is not a part of the water cycle:
a. condensation   b. evaporation   c. precipitation   d. pollution

B. Fill in the blanks. (5 marks)

1. The people who live in our homes are a part of our family.
2. An game helps us to focus and think faster.
3. We can make a variety of products such as paneer, curd and
ghee from milk.
4. A hatches from the egg of a frog.
5. The is the female part of the flower.

C. What do these words mean? (5 marks)

1. Warm-blooded   2. Hibernation   3. Migration   4. Parasites   5. Talons

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 D. Passage-based question. (3 marks)
Take an empty tumbler. Crush a sheet of tissue paper and push it tightly to the bottom
of the tumbler. Make sure that the paper cannot move from its place. Then, turn the
tumbler upside down, hold it straight and push it to the bottom of a bucket of water. Hold
it in this position for some time and remove the tumbler from the water. You will see that
the paper is dry.
1. How does the paper remain dry even when the tumbler holding it is pushed into water?
2. How will the paper get wet?
3. What does the experiment show?

E. Picture-based question. (3 marks)

1. What is the material used to make the things in the

picture?

2. What are the two methods by which these things are

made?

3. In which of the two methods are molds used?

F. Answer in brief. (10 marks)

1. What is respiration? What is the respiratory system made up of?
2. What is langar?
3. Why are slums found in cities?
4. Give reasons: The roots of mangrove trees grow above the soil.
5. Define: Buttress root

G. Answer in detail. (15 marks)

1. How did Jacob’s mother change after marriage?
2. What do games teach us?
3. List any three ways in which plants adapt to life in deserts.
4. Describe the life cycle of a butterfly.
5. How does water get polluted? Mention three effects of water pollution.

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 H. Think and answer. (4 marks)
1. The muscular system helps the circulatory system and the respiratory system. Can you
think how? (Hint: What important roles does the muscular system play in our body?)
2. Choose the correct answer. Explain your answer briefly.
Which of these brings changes in two families?
• marriage   • adoption   • the birth of a child
3. Ferns do not produce seeds. Why?
4. A very strong wind is blowing from west to east. From this statement, what two things
can you understand about air pressure in the two places?

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 ANSWER KEY TO SAMPLE QUESTION PAPER 1

A. 1. c. skull   2. d. scrabble   3. c. mango   4. b. yolk   5. d. pollution

B. 1. immediate   2. indoor   3. dairy   4. tadpole   5. pistil
C. 1. Warm blooded: It means having a body temperature that does not change with the
temperature of the surroundings. The body temperature remains more or less constant.
2. Hibernation: It is the state of being inactive or being asleep during winters.
3. Migration: It is the seasonal movement of birds and animals from one region to another in
search of food, water and better weather.
4. Parasites: Parasites are animals like tapeworms, mosquitoes and lice that feed on living
animals or plants.
5. Talons: Talons are the sharp claws of birds like eagles and vultures.
D. 1. There is air in the tumbler in the space that is not taken up by the paper. This air does not
allow water to enter the tumbler and reach the paper. This is how the paper remains dry.
2. Tilting the tumbler into the bucket will allow the air to leave and water to enter the tumbler.
The paper will get wet when water is able to reach it.
3. The experiment shows that air occupies space.
(Note: Students can answer these questions in their own words. Full marks should be given if the
concept is brought out correctly.)
E. 1. Clay is the material used to make the things in the picture.
2. Soft-mud process and stiff-mud process
3. Molds are used in the soft-mud process.
F. 1. The process of breathing is known as respiration. The respiratory system is the network of
organs that help us breathe. It includes the nose, the windpipe and the lungs.
2. Langar is a community meal prepared in gurudwaras. It is served free of cost to everyone
regardless of their background.
3. People who come in large numbers from villages to cities in search of work are often too poor
to rent rooms or build proper houses for themselves. They build temporary structures such as
huts, shanties and tents to live in. This is why slums are found in cities.
4. Mangrove trees grow in marshy places where the air cannot always reach the soil. Mangrove
trees have aerial roots that grow above the soil so that they can breathe air.
5. Buttress roots are large wide roots that grow out from the base of the tree trunk. They help
to support the tree and help gather nutrients as the main roots cannot go deep into the soil.
G. 1. After marriage, Jacob’s mother moved in with his father’s family. It was a joint family. She
had to adjust to her new family. She learnt to cook and share the household responsibilities

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 with Jacob’s grandmother and aunts. She changed a lot over the years. She not only looked
different now, her habits and interests had changed too. She did not dance anymore. Instead,
she painted and read books in her free time. She also taught children in the neighbourhood.
2. Playing games teaches us many things.
• Games bring people together. For instance, when a family plays together, the members
usually grow closer to each other. • Games teach us sportsmanship. They teach us to play
fairly and follow the rules of the game. They also teach us how to win and lose gracefully.
To lose gracefully means to accept that you have lost or to feel that it is alright to lose. •
Games help us to build team spirit. Team spirit is the desire to cooperate and work together
as part of a team to achieve a common goal.
3. Deserts have dry and sandy soil, and receive little rainfall. Plants that grow here have
adaptations that allow them to survive on very little water.
• Some plants have roots spread out wide just below the surface of the soil. This allows them
to absorb water quickly in case of rain. Some plants have roots that go deep into the soil in
search of water. • To prevent the loss of water, some plants have a waxy coating on the
leaves and stems, while some have leaves like sharp spines. • Some plants have thick and
fleshy stems that store water and food. The stem also makes food. When there is no rain,
the plant uses the water stored in its stem to survive.
4. L ife cycle of a butterfly: • The female butterfly lays tiny eggs on leaves. • The eggs hatch
into young ones called larvae. The larva of a butterfly is also called a caterpillar. • The
caterpillar eats leaves and quickly grows to become a pupa. In this stage, the caterpillar
weaves a hard shell around itself called a chrysalis. • The pupa remains inactive for a few
weeks or months. During this period, the caterpillar changes its shape inside the chrysalis.
• Upon becoming an adult, it comes out of the chrysalis and looks like a full grown butterfly.
When the newly born female butterfly lays its eggs, the life cycle is repeated.
5. W
 ater gets polluted due to: • Dumping of wastes from homes and industries into water
• Disposing of sewage in water bodies • Use of chemical fertilisers, pesticides and
insecticides in agricultural farms • Bathing, washing clothes and cleaning utensils in water
bodies
E ffects of water pollution: • Drinking polluted water can cause diseases like jaundice,
typhoid and diarrhea. • Using polluted water can cause skin diseases. • Plants and
animals that live in water suffer greatly due to water pollution. It can even kill them.
H. 1. The muscular system makes our heart beat. It thus helps the circulatory system. The muscular
system helps us breathe. It thus helps the respiratory system.
2. Marriage; When a woman marries, she usually leaves her parents’ home and moves in with
her husband’s family. Thus both families change.
3. Pollen is necessary for the formation of seeds. Ferns are non-flowering plants. They do not
produce pollen. So they do not produce seeds.
4. Winds blow from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure. Since the wind is blowing
from west to east, there is higher air pressure in the west than in the east. Greater the
difference in pressure, the stronger is the wind. Since it is a very strong wind, there must be a
lot of difference in the air pressure of these two places.

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