NCERT Solutions for Class 6 English Unit 3 Nurturing Nature Chapter 01 Neem Baba

Let Us Do These Activities Before We Read

Question 1. A tree is useful to us in many ways. Mention some of these uses. Write them in the picture given below.
Answer: Here are some key benefits of trees:
* Trees produce oxygen during photosynthesis, which helps almost all living things on Earth breathe and survive.
* Different parts of a tree can be used to make medicines.
* Tree roots grip the dirt tightly to stop soil erosion, which prevents landslides and keeps the land fertile.
* Trees give us shade and shelter, which keeps buildings cool and provides homes for many kinds of animals.
In simple words: Trees are extremely important because they give us oxygen, food, medicine, and homes for wildlife.

Exam Tip: When listing the benefits of trees, think of everyday uses like shade, clean air, and medicine.

Question 2. Neem is a common tree in our country. Discuss in groups of four and fill Columns A and B with what you know about the neem tree and what you want to know.
Answer: Here is a chart showing facts we know and questions we want to explore:

In simple words: We can list what we already know about neem, like its use in medicine, and write questions about things we want to learn.

Exam Tip: Filling a K-W-L (Know, Want to know, Learnt) chart helps you organize your thoughts before starting a new chapter.

Let Us Discuss

Question. Amber found many facts about the neem tree from Neem Baba. Fill up the fact sheet based on what Neem Baba told her.
Answer: Here is the completed fact sheet for the neem tree:

In simple words: This fact sheet summarizes the name, birth place, and different nicknames of the neem tree.

Exam Tip: Memorize key scientific names and historical origins of the neem tree, as these fact-based details are often asked in short-answer questions.

Question 1. How is neem useful to farmers?
Answer: Here is how neem helps farmers protect their crops:
* Mixing neem seed powder in water and spraying it on plants keeps locusts from eating the leaves.
* Adding neem to rice fields stops mosquitoes from laying eggs and helps crops grow better.
* It protects crop roots from being destroyed by termites and stops other harmful bugs from multiplying.
In simple words: Neem is a great helper for farmers because it acts as a natural shield to protect crops from insects and pests.

Exam Tip: List specific examples like 'termites', 'locusts', and 'mosquito breeding' to make your answer scientifically precise.

Question 2. Mention some of the uses of the neem tree.
Answer: Here are some of the most common uses of the neem tree:
* People brush their teeth using fresh neem twigs.
* Dry neem leaves can be kept inside cupboards to protect clothes from moths.
* Placing neem leaves on a patient's bed gives relief and stops infections during measles.
* Different parts like bark, leaves, fruits, and roots are used to make medicines for illnesses.
* We can make eye kajal from neem flowers to stop itching.
* Putting neem seed powder in standing water prevents mosquitoes from breeding.
* Placing neem powder in grain jars keeps insects away from stored food.
* Factories use neem oil to create soaps and toothpaste.
* Furniture made of neem wood does not get ruined by termites.
* The tree filters and cleans the air around us.
In simple words: Every single part of the neem tree, from its leaves to its wood, is useful for health, farming, and household chores.

Exam Tip: Presenting these points as a bulleted list makes your answer neat, organized, and easy for the examiner to score.

Let Us Think and Reflect

Question 1. You just read about the Neem tree. Write any two facts that surprised you the most.
Answer: Here are two facts about the neem tree that are very surprising:
* I was amazed to learn that scattering neem seed powder in standing water can stop mosquitoes from multiplying cheaply.
* It was surprising that furniture built with neem wood is completely safe from termites and lasts for a very long time.
In simple words: Neem is surprising because it is a very cheap way to fight mosquitoes and its wood is safe from bugs.

Exam Tip: Use expressive words like 'amazed' or 'surprising' to make your personal reflections sound genuine.

Question 2. Complete the following sentences.
(a) The old man asked Amber to call him Neem Baba because ____________________.
(b) Neem seed powder protects crops from ____________________.
(c) ____________________ is a cost-effective method to stop mosquitoes from breeding in stagnant water.
(d) One reason why doctors advise us to use neem leaves for someone suffering from measles is ____________________.
Answer:
(a) The old man asked Amber to call him Neem Baba because he watched her grow up from a baby while she played beneath his green branches.
(b) Neem seed powder protects crops from hungry locusts, termites, and several other pests that destroy farming fields.
(c) Pouring neem seed powder into muddy standing pools is a cost-effective method to stop mosquitoes from breeding in stagnant water.
(d) One reason why doctors advise us to use neem leaves for someone suffering from measles is because the leaves contain special properties that kill bacteria, relieve itching, and keep the skin clean.
In simple words: These sentences explain why Neem Baba is friendly, how neem seeds protect plants and water, and how its leaves cure measles.

Exam Tip: Ensure that the grammatical flow of the sentence remains correct when completing fill-in-the-blank questions.

Question 3. Why can Neem Baba not remember the year when he was born?
Answer: He cannot recall his exact birth year because he has been on Earth for a huge amount of time, having been born millions of years ago.
In simple words: Neem Baba is extremely old and has been alive for millions of years, so he forgot his birth year.

Exam Tip: Focus on the key detail 'millions of years ago' to show why the character's memory has faded.

Question 4. Which parts of the neem tree are used to make medicines?
Answer: Almost all sections of the tree are used for making medical treatments, such as its roots, bark, leaves, flowers, and fruits.
In simple words: We can make medicines using the leaves, flowers, fruits, bark, and roots of the neem tree.

Exam Tip: Listing all five parts (leaves, bark, flowers, fruits, and roots) clearly shows that you read the textbook thoroughly.

Let Us Learn

Question 1. Study these words from the text.
[something, neem oil, cleanliness-parting, well known, grandmother, seed powder, childhood, well trained, thought-provoking]
Put the compound words given above in their trees.
Answer: Here is the correct grouping of the compound words from the text:

Open compound words (separated by spaces):
1. neem oil
2. well known
3. seed powder
4. well trained

Closed compound words (joined together without spaces):
1. something
2. grandmother
3. childhood

Hyphenated compound words (connected by a hyphen):
1. cleanliness-parting
2. thought-provoking
In simple words: Compound words are made by joining two words together. They can have a space between them, have no space, or be joined by a hyphen.

Exam Tip: Always check if there is a space, a hyphen, or no gap between two joined words to classify them correctly as open, closed, or hyphenated compound words.

Question 2. Words that tell us what a person is doing are called verbs. In the table given below, match the verbs in the first column showing action in the present to verbs in the second column showing action in the past. Make a sentence with any one form of the verb. One has been done for you.
Answer: Here is the completed verb matching table with sentences:

In simple words: We can match actions happening now (present) to actions that already happened (past) and use them to write sentences.

Exam Tip: Irregular verbs (like find-found, tell-told, give-gave) change their spellings completely in the past tense. Practice these spellings often.

Question 3. Neem Baba speaks to Amber as if he is a person. This figure of speech is called personification. Let us look at some more examples.
• The leaves whispered in the wind.
• The flowers danced merrily in the breeze.
Now, discuss it with your classmates and teacher.
Answer: Personification means describing things, plants, or animals as if they are human beings. It helps make our writing more fun and colorful.

Let us look at the two examples:
* "The leaves whispered in the wind."
Leaves cannot speak, but saying they 'whisper' helps us imagine the soft, rustling sound they make when the wind moves them gently.
* "The flowers danced merrily in the breeze."
Flowers do not really dance, but this word helps us picture them bending and swaying in a happy, cheerful way.

In this lesson, Neem Baba speaks like a wise old grandfather. By giving the neem tree a voice, the story makes learning about nature much more interesting and memorable. It helps us feel a close connection to the tree, as if it is a real friend.
In simple words: Personification is when we write about non-living things (like wind or trees) doing human things (like talking or dancing) to make stories exciting.

Exam Tip: When identifying personification, look for action verbs like 'danced', 'smiled', or 'whispered' applied to nature or objects.

Let Us Listen

Question. You will now listen to a boy speaking to his mother. As you listen, select the correct statements. (refer to page 101 for transcript)
(a) The mother was surprised to know that Peepal Baba had planted trees all over the country.
(b) The mother disliked the work being done by Peepal Baba.
(c) The mother wanted to know more about Peepal Baba.
(d) The boy decided to take care of trees by listening to Peepal Baba's journey.
(e) The boy was worried about what his teacher had told him.
Answer: The correct statements from the talk are:
* (a) The mother felt surprised when she heard that Peepal Baba had planted trees across the nation.
* (c) She showed interest in learning more details about Peepal Baba.
* (d) Hearing about Peepal Baba's journey inspired the boy to protect and look after trees.

These choices show that both the mother and her son were excited and supportive of planting trees.
In simple words: The correct facts from the talk are that the mother was amazed by Peepal Baba, wanted to learn more, and her son decided to care for trees.

Exam Tip: Listen for keywords like 'surprised', 'more about', and 'take care of' to match statements with the spoken audio.

Let Us Speak

Question 1. Collect dry leaves of four different trees and plants around you.
Make one card as given below. On the top, draw the shape of the leaf looking at the dry leaf and colour it. Inside the card, write the name of the tree/plant the leaf is taken from and one of its uses.
Answer: Here is how you can make your leaf card:
* Card Top: Draw a pointed, green leaf with jagged edges to represent a neem leaf.
* Card Inside:
- Name of the tree: Neem
- Use of this leaf: It has natural germ-killing properties and is used as a home remedy to heal skin rashes and infections.
In simple words: Draw a leaf on a folded card and write its name and how it is useful inside it.

Exam Tip: Use clean drawings and simple, clear handwriting to make your project cards look neat and presentable.

Question 2. Now, speak about the whole process of making the card in front of the class.
Answer: Hello friends,
Today, I will tell you how I made this beautiful leaf information card. I used a neem leaf as my sample. Here are the simple steps I followed:

* Step 1: Finding the Leaf
First, I picked up a clean, dry leaf from a neem tree in my neighborhood.

* Step 2: Drawing and Coloring
Next, I took a piece of paper folded like a card. On the front, I carefully drew the outline of the neem leaf. I made sure to show its pointed, zigzag edges and tiny veins. Then, I colored it bright green.

* Step 3: Adding the Facts
Inside the card, I wrote down these key details:
- Tree Name: Neem Tree
- Common Use: Its leaves kill harmful bacteria and are used to soothe itchy skin rashes.

* Step 4: Final Review
Lastly, I checked the card to make sure my writing was neat and easy to read.

Making this card was very fun and helped me learn a lot about trees!
In simple words: This is a speech telling your class how you found a leaf, drew it, colored it green, and wrote down its uses inside a card.

Exam Tip: When speaking in front of a class, stand straight, speak clearly, and show your card to your classmates while explaining.

Question 3. Ask your classmates to identify the leaf and tell them one of its uses. After they answer, open the card, and share what you have written.
Answer: This is a fun activity to do in school. You can show the front of your card to your friends, ask them to guess the tree, and then open the card to show them the correct answer.
In simple words: This is an activity where you play a guessing game with your classmates using your leaf card.

Exam Tip: Keep your card closed during the guessing game to build curiosity among your friends.

Let Us Write

Question. You have read about Neem Baba and learnt many things about the neem tree. Look at the trees in your neighbourhood and write a paragraph about any one tree that you like.
• Where it is (roadside / park, etc.)
• How it looks (height, tree trunk, leaves, flowers, etc.)
• Why you like it (shade, medicinal properties, shelter, beauty, etc.)
• Give a title to your paragraph.
Answer: Here is a short paragraph about a tree:

The Great Banyan Tree
In the big park near my house, there is a giant banyan tree. It is very tall and has a huge green top. Its trunk is very thick, and long aerial roots hang down from the branches like curtains. The leaves are wide and shiny, creating a nice, cool shade on warm sunny days. In some seasons, small red fruits grow on it, bringing many colourful birds and busy insects to the tree.

I love this banyan tree because of its cool shade and peaceful feel. Sometimes, I sit under it to read my favorite books or just relax quietly. Children also love playing around its big trunk and swinging from its hanging roots. It is also a safe home for squirrels and birds. To me, it is the most beautiful and friendly tree in our neighborhood.
In simple words: This is a short essay about a beautiful banyan tree in a local park, explaining how it looks and why kids and birds love it.

Exam Tip: A good paragraph should start with a catchy title, answer all the prompt questions in order, and end with a nice concluding sentence.

Let Us Explore

Question. When people from Persia came to India and saw that a common tree of their country was freely growing here, they started calling the tree Azad DarakhteHindi. So, the scientific name of Neem in Latin became Azadirachta indica.
Neem has different names in the Indian languages. Discuss with your teacher and find out which Indian languages these names belong to.
Name: Nimb | Nim | Leemba | Nimori | Nimbamond | Nimbe | Nimo
Indian: ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ | ________
Answer: Here are the names of the neem tree in different Indian languages:

In simple words: This table shows how people speak about the neem tree in different Indian regional languages, like Hindi, Punjabi, and Tamil.

Exam Tip: Notice how words like 'Nimb' or 'Nim' are similar across different Indian languages due to shared linguistic roots.