CHAPTER 20: Eating together

Published on by Dr. Gauri Kshirsagar

CBSE Class 4 EVS – Looking around – Takshila-DPS Pune- Patna-Coimbatore

Author: Gauri Kshirsagar

The following notes are from the academic year 2022-23 of DPS Pune- Patna-Coimbatore, compiled by my twin daughters. These notes include all the important material of the chapter which can be asked in the exam, compiled from the EVS textbook, study course material books and the notes from class.

Readers, if you find these notes helpful please do write your views in the ‘comment section’ of this article and if you like me to upload any notes on any topic taught in class 4, please be free to post your replies. Subscribe to my blog for new updates, notes and posts. Have a great year and all the best.

Read more: CHAPTER 20: Eating together

Important Points which can be asked as ‘Fill in the Blanks’ or ‘MCQs’:

  • All living things depend on food for living.
  • Food provides the necessary nutrition for proper growth and development.
  • Grains like wheat and rice constitute our staple or main food, in the form of roti, rice and dal.
  • Protective Nutrients are vitamins and minerals.
  • Our food contains six main nutrients.
  • Soya beans contain maximum proteins.
  • Cereals consumed by most Indians – Rice and Wheat
  • The special type of sticky rice used during Bihu. Bora rice
  • Nutrients needed for the proper growth of bones and muscles. Proteins
  • A diet that contains all the nutrients required by our body in the proper amount. Balanced diet
  • The traditional dress worn by women in Assam.  pat and muga Mekhala-chador.
  • Magh Bihu is celebrated on 14th and 15th January.
  • When the farmers harvest the crops, they rejoice and celebrate in the form of festivals known as Harvest festivals.
  • Roughage is the fibre in our food.
  • Carbohydrates give us energy to do work and are called energy giving nutrients.
  • Tamil Nadu was the first state in India to start the mid-day meal programme.
  • Aarti had a lot of fun at her uncle’s wedding
  • All students had planned a class party.
  • Bihu is a harvest festival in Assam.
  • Bora rice and Cheva rice are the common varieties of rice used in Assam.
  • Rongali Bihu marks the beginning of sowing of seeds.
  • Bhela Ghar is made up of grass and bamboo.
  • Which one is not necessary to make BHELA GHAR? (wood, Cement, Bamboo, Thatch) Cement.
  • Tao is a big vessel.
  • The evening before Bihu is called Uruka.
  • Mid-day meal is the right of every child.
  • Name the occasion in which we eat together. Birthdays, marriages, anniversaries,
  • Food for the feast was served in banana leaves.
  • The Bihu festival signifies a celebration of farming, especially paddy.
  • Bhat-shukto is one of the dishes prepared with rice with vegetable curry that is served to students during mid-day meal.
  • Magh Bihu marks the arrival of harvest time.
  • A nutrient is a substance used by an organism to survive, grow, and reproduce.
  • Carbohydrates are called energy giving nutrients.
  • For the proper growth of bones and muscles the nutrients that is essential is proteins.
  • Kati Bihu marks the completion of sowing and transfer of the saplings.
  • Cheva rice is prepared by using soaked rice.
  • Mid-day meal scheme has started to improve the nutritional status of children thus reducing malnutrition.
  • Mid-day meal scheme is run in government schools. 

IMPORTANCE OF FOOD:

  1. Food provides energy, to the body for various activities.
  2. It helps in the growth and development of the body.
  3. Food protects our body from illness and helps us to stay healthy.

*Q.) Why we need food?

SOURCES OF FOOD

We get food from plants and animals.

  1. Food from plants

Plants provide us with most of our food. E.g. Cereals, pulses, vegetables, fruit, spices, oil, tea, sugar etc.

Different parts of the plant are used as food.

  1. Roots – Carrot, beetroot, turnip etc.
    1. Stem – Sugarcane, potato etc.
    1. Leaves – Spinach, coriander, lettuce etc.
    1. Flowers – Cauliflower, Broccoli etc.
    1. Fruit – Tomato, brinjal, apple, watermelon etc.
    1. Seeds – Maize, rice, wheat, groundnut etc.

Grains like wheat and rice constitute our staple or main food, in the form of roti, rice and dal.

  • Food from animals
  • Milk, meat and eggs come from animals.
  • Cows and buffaloes are the chief providers of milk.
  • Milk productsàYoghurt, butter, cheese, paneer, ghee, ice cream, sweets, chocolates, milk shakes are many things that we make from milk.
  • Sheep and goats provide us with meat. (Also chicken)

*Q) What are the two sources of food and give two examples of each.

NUTRIENTS

Definition: A nutrient is a substance used by an organism to survive, grow, and reproduce. Our food contains six main nutrients.

1. CARBOHYDRATES

  • Carbohydrates give us energy to do work and are called energy giving nutrients.
  • We take carbohydrate in the form of sugar and starch.
  • Food items like cereals (rice, bread, chapatti), potatoes, sugar etc. are rich in carbohydrates.

2. PROTEINS

  • Proteins are the body building nutrients.
    • Proteins are required for proper growth and development of our body.
    • Proteins are needed for proper growth of bones and muscles, skin, nail and hair.
    • Milk and its products (like curd, cheese), fish, eggs, meat, pulses and peanuts contain proteins.
    • Soya beans contain maximum proteins.

3. FATS

  • Food that contains fats gives us heat and energy.
  • Fats are stored in our body cells.
  • They are also referred to as stored energy.
  • Cheese, milk, butter, ghee and nuts are rich in fats.

4. VITAMINS: PROTECTIVE NUTRIENTS

  • This nutrient keeps our body safe from diseases. These are called protective nutrients.
  • It must be taken in small quantities regularly.
  • Fresh fruits and vegetables are rich sources of vitamins.

5. MINERALS: PROTECTIVE NUTRIENTS

  • This nutrient keeps our body safe from diseases. These are called protective nutrients.
  • Some minerals help to build strong bones and healthy teeth. (calcium)
  • Fresh fruits and vegetables are rich sources of minerals.

6. WATER

  • Water is an important nutrient without which we cannot live.
  • The food we eat contains water.
  • Importance:
    • It helps in the proper digestion and carries nutrients and oxygen to cells of our body.
    • It helps to regulate our body temperature. Our body releases water in the form of sweat and urine. This water must be replaced by more water.

7. ROUGHAGE  

  • Roughage is the fibre in our food.
  • It makes our digestion smooth and easy.
  • Raw fruits and vegetables contain roughage.

*Q) Vitamins and minerals are called as ‘Protective nutrients’. Give reasons

*Q) Water is an important nutrient for our body. Give reasons

BALANCED DIET

Definition: A diet that contains all the nutrients required by our body in the proper amount is called a balanced diet.

Why is balanced diet important?

  • All nutrients are very important.
  • All these nutrients are not present in any one foodstuff.
  • We should take a diet which contains all the nutrients in proper amounts.
  • Such a diet is called a balanced diet.

*Q) Define Balanced diet. Why it is so important?

*Q) We should eat a balanced diet. Give reason.

*Our food consists of:

  1. Pulses: Dal, chickpeas, kidney beans,
  2. Cereals: wheat, rice, rye, oats, barley, corn (maize)
  3. Oilseeds: groundnut, soybean, sunflower, sesame, safflower.
  4. Fruits:
  5. Vegetables:
  6. Milk
  7. Meat: Chicken, mutton, turkey
  8. Spices: pepper, chili powder, oregano, rosemary, fennel, bay leaves seed.


EATING TOGETHER:

  • In our normal daily life, we eat together with our family members residing with us.
  • There are various occasions when we eat together with a lot of people such as birthdays, anniversaries, marriages and other celebrations in our social circle.

Benefits of eating together:

  1. During festivals and different occasions, when people from different castes, classes, religions and states sit and eat together, food serves as an instrument for developing social relationships.
  2. When family members sit and eat together, it helps to strengthen their relationships.
  3. It also helps to develop healthy eating habits.
  4. It reduces our stress.
  5. Children get to learn table manners and etiquette.

* Q) Eating together with our family or friends is always beneficial.

MID DAY MEAL (Every child’s right)

Definition: The Mid-Day Meal Scheme is a school meal programme of the Government of India designed to improve the nutritional status of school-age children nationwide.

  • It is run in government schools. It involves provision of lunch free of cost to school children on all working days.
  • Tamil Nadu was the first state in India to start the mid-day meal programme.
  • It is the largest such programme in the world.

Q. What are the objectives of the Mid-Day Meal Programme?

  1. Improving the nutritional status of children thus reducing malnutrition. Malnutrition is a condition when a person’s diet does not provide enough nutrients.
  2. Encouraging children to attend school more regularly and reducing dropout rates. (Dropouts are the students who fail to complete a school course)
  3. Helping them to concentrate on classroom activities and improving the effectiveness of primary education.
  4. Promotes the feeling of oneness and respect for all the religion and cultures among the students from different religions and cultures.

Q. What all the things that children learn when this scheme is implemented in the schools? (any 2).

  1. Helping them to concentrate on classroom activities and improving the effectiveness of primary education.
  2. Promotes the feeling of oneness and respect for all the religion and cultures among the students from different religions and cultures.

* Q) What is the Mid-Day Meal Programme? List its objectives.

FESTIVALS: An occasion of feasting together.

  • Festivals are celebrated all over the world. In India, different festivals are celebrated by different communities because we are a multicultural society.
  • They are celebrated with immense joy and pleasure.
  • Festivals are of many types like national festivals, religious festivals, harvest festivals etc.

HARVEST FESTIVALS

Definition: The farmer and his family work hard for months to raise the crops in the fields. When the farmers harvest the crops, they rejoice and celebrate in the form of festivals known as harvest festivals.

Importance:

  1. It is a time of relaxation and enjoyment for them.
  2. They offer thanks to God for the bountiful harvest.
  3. These harvest festivals are celebrated with different names and rituals in different states of India.

Some harvest festivals celebrated in different parts of our country are:

  1. Baisakhi in Punjab and Haryana
  2. Makar Sankranti in Gujarat, Maharashtra
  3. Lohri in Punjab
  4. Basant Panchami in West Bengal, Bihar,
  5. Bihu in Assam
  6. Onam in Kerala
  7. Pongal in Tamil Nadu
  8. Ugadi in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka
  9. Nuakhai In Odisha
  10. Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra.

*Q) Define Harvest festivals. Give two examples. Why are they important?

BIHU – Harvest Festival of ASSAM:

Definition:Bihu or Bohag Bihu is the most important festival of the people of Assam. The Bihu festival signifies a celebration of farming, especially paddy.

The Assamese observe not one but three Bihus:

 Rongali BihuAprilIt marks the beginning of sowing of seeds.
 Kati BihuOctoberIt marks the completion of sowing and transfer of the saplings.
 Magh BihuJanuaryIt marks the arrival of the harvest period.

*Q) Define Bihu and the three types of Bihu.

Magh Bihu:

  1. Magh Bihu is celebrated on 14th and 15th of January. (1st and 2nd Magh, the tenth month of Assamese calendar).
  2. It marks the arrival of the harvest period.
  3. A temporary shed called the Bhela Ghar is made of grass and bamboo.
  4. The community feast is held in the Bhela Ghar.
  5. The first day of Bihu is called the Uruka.
    1. On this day, the whole village eats together.
    1. Everyone contributes money to buy fish, vegetables and Bora rice.
    1. Bora rice is a special variety of sticky rice used in Assam.
  6. Some of the delicacies prepared for the feast are pitha, roasted sweet potatoes and Cheva rice.
  7. Women wear pat and muga Mekhala-chador. (pat and muga are both varieties of silk cloth)
  8. People sing and dance and spend their whole night at the Bhela Ghar.
  9.  Next day they get up early to light the Mezi and Bhela Ghar.

Q.) Where and when is the festival of Bihu celebrated?

Ans) Bihu is the most important festival of the people of Assam. Magh Bihu is celebrated on 14th and 15th of January.

Q.) Differentiate between- Rogali Bihu and Kati Bihu

 Rogali Bihu Kati Bihu
1It is celebrated in the month of April.1It is celebrated in the month of October.
2It marks the beginning of sowing of seeds.. 2It marks the completion of sowing and transfer of the saplings

Q) Draw any two utensils used for cooking food for a large number of people.

Q.) How is Cheva rice prepared?

Ans) People light a fire and boil the water in the big tao (a big vessel). On this vessel, they will put the Kadhahi containing soaked rice and cover it with banana leaves. After some time, the cheva rice will be cooked and ready to eat.

Q.) What are the special dishes prepared during Bihu celebration?

Ans) Bora rice, pitha, roasted sweet potatoes and Cheva rice.

DEFINE:

  1. NUTRIENTS: A nutrient is a substance used by an organism to survive, grow, and reproduce. Our food contains six main nutrients.
  • BALANCED DIET: A diet that contains all the nutrients required by our body in the proper amount is called a balanced diet.
  • MID DAY MEAL: The Mid-Day Meal Scheme is a school meal programme of the Government of India designed to improve the nutritional status of school-age children nationwide.
  • MALNUTRITION: Malnutrition is a condition when a person’s diet does not provide enough nutrients.
  • DROP OUTS:  Dropouts are the students who fail to complete a school course.
  • HARVEST FESTIVALS: The farmer and his family work hard for months to raise the crops in the fields. When the farmers harvest the crops, they rejoice and celebrate in the form of festivals known as harvest festivals.
  • BIHU: Bihu or Bohag Bihu is the most important festival of the people of Assam. The Bihu festival signifies a celebration of farming, especially paddy. The Assamese observe three Bihus: Rongali Bihu, Kati Bihu and Magh Bihu.
  1. URUKA: The first day of Bihu is called the Uruka. On this day, the whole village eats together. Everyone contributes money to buy fish, vegetables and Bora rice.
  1. BORA RICE: Bora rice is a special variety of sticky rice used in Assam.
  1. BHELA GHAR: A temporary shed called the Bhela Ghar is made of grass and bamboo to celebrate Magh Bihu. The community feast is held in the Bhela Ghar
  1. TAO: It is a big vessel in which Cheva rice is prepared.
  1. MEZI: On the last day of the Bihu festival, people get up early to light the Mezi and Bhela Ghar.

DIAGRAMS

TEXTBOOK NOTES

CLASS PARTY

Characters:

  1. Meena
  2. Aarti
  3. David
  4. Rehana
  5. Reena
  • The school reopened after vacations.
  • Children shared news about how they spent their holidays.
  • Aarti put Mehendi on her palms at her uncle’s wedding.
  • Aarti enjoyed the wedding feasts the most.
  • At the wedding Aart had fun with all her cousins and other relatives, eating and doing everything together.
  • David had an idea to have a class party, so that they can eat and have fun together.
  • In Rehana’s colony, whenever there is a festival, everybody collects money from everyone for the part. They cook some dishes and buy other things from the market.
  • Reena suggested they don’t need a festival to have a party. Since Saturday is a half-day they can have party then.

Q.) Why did the children enjoy the party?

Ans) On Saturday the children really enjoyed their party:

  • Everyone in the class decided what each would bring for the party.
  • There was so much variety in food.
  • They played many games.
  • Everybody was relaxed.
  • There was singing and dancing too.
  • They decided that they would have such a party again.

CELEBRATING BIHU

Characters:

  1. Sonmoni
  2. Tanvir
  3. Fatima
  4. Mazani.
  • Today was a special day in Assam. The new rice crop had been harvested.
  • They also arranged wood for mezi.
  • Hariya and Bhadiya have not given money, but they are helping with all the work.
  • The whole village is busy making pitha.
  • In the evening, everyone will be served tea and pitha.
  • The drums started to play and everyone started to sing and dance.
  • The food was served on banana leaves.

MID DAY MEAL PROGRAMME

Characters:

Master Moshai

Didi Moni

  • It is almost one o’clock in the afternoon.
  • The children were not able to pay attention to the lesson in the class because, the smell of food cooking was coming from the verandah and their stomachs were rumbling and they were hungry.
  • Master Moshai sent all the children to the handpump at the corner of the courtyard.
  • After washing our hands, we all stood in queue to take our food.
  • Some had their own boxes, and others had plates and all sat down in a circle with our food.
  • Today there is bhat-shukto (rice with vegetable and gravy) in our meal. Yesterday, we had luchi and chhola-dal.
  • Outside Didi Moni’s room, a list of food items has been displayed. It tells what we will get on different days of the week.
  • When my didi was in the primary school, children did not get afternoon meal in school. Some children come to school in the morning without eating anything. Imagine! Having to study on an empty stomach!

Q.) What is the interesting thing at lunch time in the school? And why does the narrator like it?

Ans) There is another interesting thing about lunch time at school. Every day we change our places in the circle and sit next to a different child. I really like this because I can meet new children and make new friends.

Q.) What was the problem with the mid-day meal in the narrator’s school?

Ans)

  1. The food was not always very nice. Sometimes, rice was of poor quality, sometimes, it was not properly cooked. Some parents did not like their children to eat such food.
  2. Didi Moni explained to them it was everyone’s duty to make sure that the children got fresh, hot and properly cooked food. Also make sure that every child gets afternoon meal regularly. The parents also decided to help.
  3. Now things are better. We eat fresh, hot and properly cooked food together. The younger children sometimes cannot finish all the food, but my friends and I are sometimes still a little hungry even after we eat.

Many children in our country are not able to get even one full meal every day. Many of them go to school empty stomach and cannot study properly. Some years ago, the highest court of our country gave

an important decision. All children up to elementary school should be provided with hot, cooked food. This is the right of every child.

Map work- Harvest festival and related state

1. Baisakhi in Punjab and Haryana

2. Makar Sankranti in Gujarat, Maharashtra

3. Lohri in Punjab

4. Bihu in Assam

5. Onam in Kerala

6. Pongal In Tamil Nadu

7. Ugadi in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka

8. First state to start Mid day meal – Tamil Nadu

Draw, colour and label-

  1. Draw two examples of food sources for the nutrients- carbohydrate, fats, protein, roughage, vitamins and minerals etc.
  2. Bhela ghar
  3. Big vessels used to cook food on large scale
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