Chapter 9: Different Lands, Different Lives
Explore how people live in plains, deserts, coasts, and mountains!
Chapter Summary
This chapter explores how people live in different landforms—plains, deserts, coastal regions, and mountains. Through travel stories of children like Chandni, Ritika, Gurpreet, and Nayan, students discover how land, climate, plants, and animals influence housing, food, clothes, transport, and festivals in each region. Children are encouraged to compare and reflect on cultural diversity, environmental adaptations, local traditions, daily life, and challenges in each landform.
Let Us Answer
Page 131: Travel Table
Sample Travel Table:
| Name of Friend | Place Visited | Region Type | Something Special |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rina | Manali | Mountains | Snowfall, pine trees |
| Aarav | Jaisalmer | Desert | Camel ride, sand dunes |
| Meher | Puri | Coastal | Beaches, sand art |
| Tushar | Amritsar | Plains | Golden Temple, farming |
| Your Name | Nagpur | Plains | Orange orchards, cotton farms |
Which type of place do you find interesting?
Ans: I find the mountains interesting because of snow, adventure, and beautiful nature.
Similarities and Differences:
Ans:
Similarities: All places have unique food, culture, and fun activities.
Differences: Weather, clothing, and transport vary in each region.
Page 132: Picture Observation (Plains)
What kind of land do you see?
Ans: Flat, fertile land used for farming.
Activities people are engaged in:
Ans: Ploughing, harvesting, irrigation, carrying produce.
Animals seen:
Ans: Buffalo, cow, oxen.
Unique clothing:
Ans: Men wear kurta-pyjama and turban; women wear salwar-kameez or sarees.
Page 133: Popular Food
Food Item: Makki di Roti and Sarson da Saag
Ans: Ingredients: Corn flour, mustard leaves, garlic, onion, ghee, green chili.
Page 135: Desert Picture Observation
Kind of land:
Ans: Sandy, dry desert.
Types of plants:
Ans: Cactus, Khejri, Babool — all require little water.
Unique dressing:
Ans: Bright-coloured clothes, women wear ghaghras and dupattas, men wear turbans.
Travel in desert:
Ans: Camel (ship of the desert), jeeps.
Favourite part:
Ans: Colourful clothing, camel ride, traditional music.
Page 137: Folk Arts Table
Sample Folk Arts Table:
| Dance Form | Folk Music |
|---|---|
| Ghoomar (Rajasthan) | Maand |
| Bhangra (Punjab) | Dhol beats |
| Odissi (Odisha) | Odissi classical |
| Chaam (Sikkim) | Traditional mask music |
Page 138
Why is water scarce in deserts?
Ans: Deserts get very little rainfall and have dry, sandy soil that doesn’t retain water.
Page 139: Coastal Region Observation
Activities:
Ans: Fishing, boating, collecting shells, watching sand art, dancing.
Coastal Trees:
Ans: Coconut, palm trees — tall, bendy, grow in sandy soil.
Fun Beach Activities:
Ans: Playing in sand, collecting shells, boat rides, making sand castles.
Coastal Clothing:
Ans: Loose, light cotton clothes; often lungi, sarees, or traditional sarongs.
Page 142
Difference – Coastal vs Desert Life:
| Aspect | Coastal | Desert |
|---|---|---|
| Water | Abundant | Scarce |
| Food | More seafood | Dry preserved food |
| Clothing | Light cotton | Colourful traditional |
Why keep beaches clean?
Ans: To protect marine life, prevent pollution, and keep the environment healthy for visitors.
Page 143: Cyclone Awareness
Adverse Effects of Cyclones:
Ans: Damage to homes, trees, loss of life and animals, floods.
Preparedness:
Ans: Evacuation plans, early warnings, cyclone shelters, community awareness, emergency kits.
Page 145: Mountain Region Observation
Animals:
Ans: Yak, sheep, mountain goats, birds.
Clothing:
Ans: Thick woollen clothes, jackets, mufflers, traditional wear like Bakhu.
Trees:
Ans: Pine, oak, walnut – tall, evergreen, suited for cold climate.
Page 147
Cold climate effect:
Ans: People wear wool, use heaters, build wooden houses, grow limited crops.
Traditional clothes in your region (Sample):
Ans: Cotton kurta-pajama or saree – suitable for hot and humid climate.
Why pine/oak in mountains?
Ans: They survive cold and snow; needle leaves retain moisture.
Yak survival:
Ans: Thick fur, strong legs for slopes, adapted to cold.
Page 148
Why slanting roofs?
Ans: To allow snow/rain to slide off and prevent roof damage.
My home feature like mountain homes:
Ans: Sloping tiled roof for heavy monsoon.
Why landslides in rainy season?
Ans: Heavy rain loosens rocks and soil, causing slopes to collapse.
How to stay safe?
Ans: Avoid steep zones, build retaining walls, early warnings, evacuation plans.
Community help after disasters:
Ans: Provide food, shelter, clothes, rebuild homes, support emotionally.
Page 149: Life in My Landform
Sample:
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Landform | Plains |
| Area | Nagpur |
| People | Farmers, teachers, shopkeepers |
| Food | Wheat, rice, vegetables |
| Homes | Brick houses with flat roofs |
| Plants | Mango, neem, cotton |
| Animals | Cow, buffalo, dog |
Page 150: Comparison Table
Sample Comparison Table:
| Category | Plains | Desert | Coastal | Mountains |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trees | Mango, neem | Cactus, babool | Coconut, palm | Pine, oak |
| Animals | Cow, buffalo | Camel, lizard | Fish, crab | Yak, goat |
| Housing | Brick houses with flat roofs | Mud huts with thatched roofs | Tiled roof houses | Wooden houses with sloping roofs |
| Clothing | Cotton clothes | Colourful ghaghra and turbans | Light sarees, lungis | Woollen clothes |
| Food | Wheat, rice | Dal-bati-churma | Fish, rice, coconut dishes | Thukpa, sel roti |
| Festivals | Holi, Diwali | Teej, Gangaur | Rath Yatra | Loosong, Namsoong |
| Art Forms | Warli painting | Puppetry, mirror work | Sand art, Odissi dance | Mask dance, thangka art |
Page 151: Design Your Own Landform
Sample Mixed Features:
Ans:
- Pine trees (mountains)
- Coconut trees (coast)
- Cattle farms (plains)
- Colourful homes (desert)
Benefits:
Ans:
- Trees for clean air and fruits
- Water for farming and fishing
- Strong houses for all climates
Challenges:
Ans:
- Managing rainfall and dryness
- Blending food and traditions
- Protecting nature from overuse
Activities
Page 131: Travel Table
Activity: Create a table to record travel experiences of friends or family in different regions.
Instructions: Fill in details like name, place visited, region type, and something special. Discuss which region you find interesting and why.
Page 137: Folk Arts Table
Activity: Research and list folk dance forms and music from different regions.
Instructions: Use books or ask elders to identify dances and music (e.g., Ghoomar with Maand). Fill a table and share findings in class.
Page 149: Life in My Landform
Activity: Describe life in your own landform, focusing on people, food, homes, plants, and animals.
Instructions: Create a table with details about your area (e.g., Nagpur plains). Draw or paste pictures to illustrate your description.
Page 150: Comparison Table
Activity: Compare life in plains, deserts, coasts, and mountains across various categories.
Instructions: Fill a table with details on trees, animals, housing, clothing, food, festivals, and art forms for each landform. Discuss similarities and differences.
Page 151: Design Your Own Landform
Activity: Imagine a new landform by combining features from different regions.
Instructions: List mixed features (e.g., pine and coconut trees), describe benefits (e.g., clean air), and challenges (e.g., managing climates). Draw your landform and present it.
Let Us Reflect
Students can reflect on the chapter by discussing how landforms shape people’s lives, the beauty of cultural diversity, and ways to protect environments like beaches and mountains from pollution or disasters.
Concepts Covered
- Diversity of landforms: plains, deserts, coasts, mountains
- Influence of land and climate on housing, food, clothing, transport, and festivals
- Cultural diversity and local traditions
- Environmental challenges: water scarcity, cyclones, landslides
- Adaptations: slanting roofs, coastal trees, yak survival
- Hands-on activities: Travel table, folk arts, landform description, comparison, designing a new landform
