NCERT Solutions for Class 6 English Unit 3 Nurturing Nature Chapter 02 What a Bird Thought

Let Us Do These Activities Before We Read

Question 1. Look at the picture and discuss what you see in the picture with your teacher and classmates.
Think of a time when you worked hard. What did you do then?
• How did it help you?
• How did it make you feel?
Also, discuss in groups.
Answer: Here are my observations and reflection:

* Description of the picture: In the picture, we can see a beautiful tree with bright green leaves. There is a green parrot sitting on a branch and a small red bird caring for its three chicks in a cozy nest. It shows how birds nurture and love their families.

* Personal Reflection:
I remember working hard to create a simple website page for our class project. My goal was to add some colorful pictures and text. I spent many hours finding the right codes, testing them, and fixing small errors. It took a lot of late nights and patience.

* How did it help me?
It improved my computer skills. My teacher and classmates liked the page, and it helped our team get a high grade.

* How did it make me feel?
I felt very proud of myself and happy. It gave me more confidence to try harder school projects in the future.
In simple words: The picture shows a happy bird family in a tree. Working hard on a school project helps us learn new things and makes us feel proud.

Exam Tip: When describing a picture, look closely at the colors, the animals, and what they are doing to write a detailed answer.

Question 2. Where are the places you see birds? What do you see the birds doing?
Answer: Here are the places and activities of birds:

* Places we can spot birds: We often see them in home gardens, local parks, forests, backyards, and city trees.
* Things birds do: They can be seen flying high, eating food, building nests, singing songs, taking baths, and cleaning their feathers.
In simple words: Birds can be found almost everywhere, and they spend their time flying, singing, and looking for food.

Exam Tip: Use simple action words (verbs) like flying, singing, and building to describe what animals do.

Question 3. Do you want to fly like a bird? Why?
Answer: Yes, I would love to fly. It would feel amazing to glide high in the sky and see everything from above. I could travel to new cities easily, explore beautiful mountains, and feel completely free.
In simple words: Flying like a bird would give us the freedom to travel anywhere and see the beautiful earth from the sky.

Exam Tip: When asked a 'Why' question, always give at least two clear reasons to support your choice.

Question 4. What does a baby bird think about its world?
Answer: A tiny baby bird likely feels safe and warm inside its small nest. It thinks the world is made only of straw and its mother's feathers. As it grows, it feels curious and excited to explore the vast green trees and the open blue sky outside.
In simple words: At first, a baby bird thinks the world is just its small nest, but later it discovers a huge, exciting world outside.

Exam Tip: Use descriptive words like 'safe', 'curious', and 'vast' to show how a character's thoughts change as they grow.

Question 5. Read the sentences and replace the underlined words with their correct meanings.
(a) The colour of the feather was not dark but pale. (Meaning options: at last / light / labour / Fluttered)
(b) The butterfly moved lightly and quickly on to the flower.
(c) Finally, I finished my bird painting after trying many times.
(d) The pretty flowers were the prize for the gardener's hard work.
Answer: Here are the sentences with replaced words:

(a) The colour of the feather was not dark but light. (Meaning: light)
(b) The butterfly fluttered on to the flower. (Meaning: fluttered)
(c) At last, I finished my bird painting after trying many times. (Meaning: at last)
(d) The pretty flowers were the prize for the gardener's labour. (Meaning: labour)
In simple words: We replaced words like 'pale', 'moved lightly', 'finally', and 'hard work' with their matching words: 'light', 'fluttered', 'at last', and 'labour'.

Exam Tip: Learning synonyms helps you understand the meaning of context clues in stories and poems.

Let Us Discuss

Question 1. Read the poem again. Identify the main idea of each stanza. There are two extra options given.
(a) The bird steps out into the world.
(b) The bird lived happily in a small world.
(c) The bird becomes blind due to leaves.
(d) The bird flies away as an adult.
(e) The bird is unhappy with the straw nest.
(f) The bird lived in a cosy nest with its mother
Answer: Here are the main ideas for each stanza of the poem:

* First Stanza: The bird lived happily in a small world. (Option b)
* Second Stanza: The bird lived in a cosy nest with its mother. (Option f)
* Third Stanza: The bird steps out into the world. (Option a)
* Fourth Stanza: The bird flies away as an adult. (Option d)
In simple words: The poem tells the story of a bird's life, from living in its egg, staying in a straw nest, visiting the trees, and finally flying into the open sky.

Exam Tip: Summarizing each stanza of a poem in one sentence is a great way to understand its overall theme and structure.

Question 2. Look at the pictures (a)-(d) and write the matching line from the poem for each.
Answer: Here are the matching lines from the poem for each picture:

(a) For the egg:
"I lived first in a little house,
And lived there very well,"

(b) For the nest of straw:
"I lived next in a little nest,
Nor needed any other,
I thought the world was made of straw,
And nestled by my mother."

(c) For the leafy branch:
"One day, I fluttered from my nest,
To see what I could find,"

(d) For the flying bird:
"At length I flew beyond the tree,
Quite fit for grown-up labours,"
In simple words: Each picture matches a stage in the bird's life: starting in an egg, moving to a straw nest, sitting on green leaves, and flying into the blue sky.

Exam Tip: Match visual clues in pictures with key nouns from the poem (like 'egg', 'nest', 'leaves', and 'tree') to find correct lines.

Question 3. Answer the following with a word from the poem and check the answers with your partner.
(a) What was the shape of the bird's first house? _ O _ _ _
(b) What was the bird's second nest made of? _ _ R _ _
(c) What did the bird see when it came out of its nest? L _ _ _ E _
(d) What did the bird do at the end? _ _ _ W
Answer:
(a) ROUND
(b) STRAW
(c) LEAVES
(d) FLEW
In simple words: The bird's first home was a round egg, its nest was made of straw, it saw green leaves outside, and at last, it flew away.

Exam Tip: When filling in word puzzles, count the number of letters to make sure your answer fits the blank spaces exactly.

Question 4. Now, recite the poem aloud along with your teacher and classmates.
Answer: This is a classroom speaking activity. Students should read and recite the poem aloud together with expression and rhythm in class.
In simple words: Practice reading the poem out loud with your friends to enjoy its rhythm.

Exam Tip: Reciting poems aloud helps improve your pronunciation, confidence, and voice modulation.

Let Us Think and Reflect

Question 1. Write whether the following sentences are True or False.
(a) The bird changed its house two times.
(b) The neighbours tell the bird about the world.
Answer:
(a) True
(b) False
In simple words: The bird moved homes twice (from egg to nest, then to the tree), and it discovered the world by itself, not from its neighbors.

Exam Tip: Read each line of the poem carefully to check if the statements in True/False questions match the actual text.

Question 2. Read the following lines from the poem and answer the questions given below.
(a) I thought the world was made of straw,
And nestled by my mother.
(i) Who lived in the nest along with the baby bird?
(ii) Complete the following by choosing the correct option.
The bird thought the world was made of straw because _________.
a. it lived in a straw hut | b. its nest was made of straw | c. its mother fed straw to it | d. there was straw all around
(iii) Which word tells us that the baby bird was warm and comfortable?
(b) Let me use my heart to see,
To realise what friends can be,
And make no judgements from afar,
But love my friends the way they are. (Wait, the question is based on the poem text below):
(b) I said the world is made of leaves,
I have been very blind.
(i) Why did the bird think the world was made of leaves?
(ii) What does the set of words 'I said' mean?
a. flew | b. shouted | c. spoke | d. cried
(iii) Fill in the blanks to complete the sentence.
The bird felt that it had been very blind because it could not _____ the leaves from _____ the nest.
Answer:
(a)
(i) The mother bird lived in the nest with the baby bird.
(ii) b. its nest was made of straw
(iii) Nestled
(b)
(i) The bird thought this because when it stepped out of its nest, it only saw green leaves everywhere around it.
(ii) c. spoke
(iii) see, inside
In simple words: The baby bird lived safely with its mother, and it only saw the real world of leaves and trees once it left its straw nest.

Exam Tip: Look for words like 'nestled' to understand feelings of comfort, and pay attention to prepositions like 'inside' and 'outside' to get context right.

Question 3. Why did the baby bird think that its first world was small, round and blue?
Answer: The baby bird thought this because it was still inside its egg. The eggshell was small and round, and its color was pale blue, which made the bird think that was the whole world.
In simple words: When the bird was an unhatched baby, it only knew the inside of its round, blue eggshell.

Exam Tip: Connect physical objects (like an egg) with their shape and color to explain why characters have certain thoughts.

Question 4. Where did the bird go when it fluttered from its straw nest?
Answer: When the bird flew out of its straw nest, it landed on the branches of the tree. There, it saw many green leaves and explored the world outside.
In simple words: After leaving the nest, the bird went to the tree branches and saw green leaves for the first time.

Exam Tip: Always describe the sequence of events clearly: first, the nest, then the tree branches, and finally the open sky.

Question 5. What quality did the bird say it had, when it flew away?
Answer: The bird mentioned that it was ready for adult work. This shows that it felt strong, grown-up, and prepared to face the world on its own.
In simple words: The bird felt strong and ready to take care of itself when it finally flew into the big sky.

Exam Tip: Explain the meaning of old-fashioned phrases like 'grown-up labours' in modern, simple terms to show deep understanding.

Question 6. Who do you think were the bird's neighbours? Why do you think so? Discuss.
Answer: The neighbors of the bird were probably other forest animals, like squirrels, insects, and different birds living in nearby branches. We can guess this because trees are home to many small creatures that share the same space and resources.
In simple words: The bird's neighbors were other birds, busy squirrels, and tiny insects that also made their homes in the same big tree.

Exam Tip: Think about the natural habitat of a bird (a tree) to identify who else might live nearby as a neighbor.

Let Us Learn

Question 1. Let us write some rhyming words. One has been done for you.
Now, complete a new stanza with rhyming words at the end of each line.
I fly high and I fly low,
But one thing I surely k _ _ _ ,
Whenever I wish to rest,
My little nest is the b _ _ t.
Answer:
Here is the completed table of rhyming words:

Completed Stanza:
"I fly high and I fly low,
But one thing I surely know,
Whenever I wish to rest,
My little nest is the best."
In simple words: Rhyming words have the same ending sound, like 'low-know' and 'rest-best'. We can use them to write beautiful poems.

Exam Tip: Listen to the ending vowel and consonant sounds of words to find perfect rhymes easily.

Question 2. The poet uses words like 'pale', 'blue', 'round', 'straw' and 'little' to describe the bird's nest.
Read a few more describing words.
[pointed, green, thin, brown, small, wooden, hanging, round]
Now, use the describing words given in the box to create six sentences based on the given picture.
Answer: Here are six descriptive sentences based on the picture:

(a) The cozy birdhouse features a pointed roof covered in red tiles.
(b) A small brown bird is sitting right at the front doorway.
(c) This lovely birdhouse is seen hanging down from a tree branch.
(d) The thin branch has fresh green leaves growing on it.
(e) The sturdy birdhouse is constructed from natural wooden panels.
(f) There is a round hole that allows the bird to come in and out easily.
In simple words: We used words like 'pointed', 'brown', 'hanging', 'green', 'wooden', and 'round' to describe the birdhouse in the picture.

Exam Tip: Adjectives describe nouns (like colors, shapes, and materials). Using them makes your sentences very descriptive.

Let Us Listen

Question. You will listen to a short poem. As you listen, fill in the missing words. You can listen to the poem more than once. (refer to page 102 for transcript)
I'm a parrot, my name is Paro,
My feathers are _ _ _ _ _ _ g _ _ and they glow.
In the morning, I spread my wings,
_ _ _ around and see wonderful things.
Come with me through the skies so _ _ _ _ ,
To places old and places new.
Among the _ _ _ _ _ , where the breeze is light,
Many new s _ _ _ _ _ s, oh, what a sight!
Answer: Here is the completed poem with the missing words:

I'm a parrot, my name is Paro,
My feathers are bright and they glow.
In the morning, I spread my wings,
Fly around and see wonderful things.
Come with me through the skies so blue,
To places old and places new.
Among the trees, where the breeze is light,
Many new streets, oh, what a sight!
In simple words: The poem is about a parrot named Paro who has bright feathers, flies in the blue sky, sits on trees, and explores new streets.

Exam Tip: Listen for the missing rhyming words (like 'glow-Paro' or 'blue-new') to complete poem gap-fills successfully.

Let Us Speak

Question 1. Speak with your classmates about which bird you would like to be.
Include the following points.
• Which bird are you? [I am ................]
• What do you look like? [I am ................... in colour. I am a big/small bird. I have ...................].
• Where do you live? [I live in ................... It is (where) ...................]
• What do you do during the day? [ I ................... I also ...................]
• Do you have any message for humans? [ I want to tell the humans ...................]
Answer: Here is a guide to speaking about your favorite bird:

* Bird Name: I want to be a peacock.
* Appearance: I am a large bird with many bright, colorful feathers. My long tail has beautiful, shiny blue and green patterns that look like eyes.
* Home: I live in warm forests and grassy fields. I love finding tall trees to sleep on.
* Daily Activities: During the day, I show off my lovely tail feathers. I also walk around looking for insects and seeds to eat.
* Message for Humans: I want to ask humans to protect our forest homes and take care of nature.
In simple words: This is a speech where you pretend to be a peacock, describing your beautiful feathers, forest home, and asking humans to protect nature.

Exam Tip: Present your thoughts in bullet points using 'I am' and 'I live' to make your speech direct and easy to follow.

Let Us Write

Question. 1. Read how the bird perceived its world.
My world was small, round and light blue at first. After that my world was warm and comfortable. It was made of straw. In this world I could only see leaves whenever I stepped out. In the end, my world became big. It had the sky and the earth as a part of it.
2. Now, discuss with your teacher and classmates how you think the world would look to the following.
(a) a baby (b) a fish
3. Now, write five sentences each, for both (a) and (b), in your notebooks.
You can take help from the example given in 1.
Answer: Here is how the world looks to a baby and a fish:

(a) A Baby's World:
My world is very tiny, cozy, and packed with soft toys and warm blankets.
I always see my parents' smiling faces, which makes me feel secure.
My daily world is made of warm milk bottles and sweet, soft songs.
As I get older, my surroundings grow to include bright picture books and fun noises.
Later on, my world will expand to outdoor parks and play areas where I can explore.

(b) A Fish's World:
My world is a round glass bowl filled with clean water and colorful stones.
I watch the bright light shining through the water, making pretty shapes.
My little home has green plants and small places where I can hide.
Whenever I swim to the top, I see friendly humans giving me food.
In the end, my world grows larger as I move to a big aquarium to swim freely.
In simple words: To a baby, the world is just its crib and parents. To a fish, the world is a glass bowl with water, plants, and pebbles.

Exam Tip: Write from the character's point of view ('My world is...') to make your imaginative descriptive paragraphs highly engaging.

Let Us Explore

Question 1. The bird's first home was made of a shell. Later its home was among leaves and made of straw.
• Look at your home carefully and make a list of all the materials it is made of.
• Why do you think our homes are not made of straw?
• If you had to own a home of your choice, what would it look like and what materials would you like to use?
• How is a home different from a house? Discuss with your classmates and teacher.
• Look at the list of some workers who build houses. Find out the work they do and write, as shown in the example. You can think of other workers and add them too.
Answer: Here are the answers to the exploration questions:

* Materials used in my home: Concrete, bricks, wood, iron rods, glass, floor tiles, and paint.

* Why our homes are not made of straw: We do not build homes with straw because it is too weak. Rain, strong winds, and heavy storms can easily destroy a straw hut. Also, straw catches fire easily and can be damaged by pests.

* My dream home: I would like a small, modern house surrounded by trees. It would have large glass windows to let in plenty of sunlight. I would build it using strong wood, red bricks, and stone. I would also have a tiny backyard garden for flowers and birds.

* Home vs. House: A house is just a building made of bricks and cement. A home is a special place filled with love, laughter, and family where we feel completely safe.

* Workers who build houses:

In simple words: A house is made of hard materials like bricks and cement by painters, carpenters, and builders, but it becomes a home when a family lives there with love.

Exam Tip: Distinguish between the physical materials of a 'house' and the emotional feelings of a 'home' to write a complete answer.

Question 2. Look at the different kinds of nests and homes the birds make. Have you seen any? Discuss these type of nests with your teacher and classmates.
Answer: Here are the descriptions of different bird nests:

* Classic Tree Nest:
- Description: This is a cup-shaped nest made from dry twigs, small leaves, and soft grass placed on tree branches.
- Birds: House sparrows, robins, and pigeons build these types of homes.
- My Observation: They are usually hidden safely behind thick leaves so cats cannot find them.

* Hanging Nest:
- Description: This nest hangs down from a high branch like a bag. It is made by weaving grass together.
- Birds: Baya weaver birds and orioles make these amazing hanging homes.
- My Observation: They look like beautiful knitted pockets swaying gently in the wind.

* Cavity Nest (Tree Hole Nest):
- Description: A cozy home built deep inside a hollow hole in a tree trunk.
- Birds: Woodpeckers, parrots, and owls love staying in these tree hollows.
- My Observation: These holes keep the birds safe from rain and cold winds.

* Leaf Nest (Stitched Nest):
- Description: This unique nest is made by sewing big green leaves together using plant fibers as thread.
- Birds: Tailorbirds make these highly skilled green nests.
- My Observation: It is very hard to see because it looks just like the rest of the green leaves on the bush.
In simple words: Birds build different types of homes like twigs in branches, hanging grass bags, holes in tree trunks, or stitched green leaves to keep their eggs safe.

Exam Tip: Learn about unique birds like 'woodpeckers' (cavity nests) and 'tailorbirds' (leaf nests) to write detailed environmental science answers.