Changing Times – Class 4 EVS NCERT Solutions

Explore the solutions for Changing Times, Class 4 EVS NCERT. This chapter teaches us valuable lessons about how houses and lifestyles have changed over time in India. Through Chetandas’s story, we learn about the historical events like partition, changes in construction materials and methods, and the evolution of modern living conditions. The chapter also helps us understand the importance of adaptation to change while preserving our connections to our past.

Chapter Summary (English)

The chapter “Changing Times” narrates the story of Chetandas, who recalls his life journey from the age of nine when he lived in Dera Gazikhan (now in Pakistan) to his current life at age seventy. During partition, his family moved to India and settled near Delhi in Sohna village. The story describes how their house evolved over time – from a mud house with traditional materials to a modern house with cement and bricks. The narrative covers changes in construction materials, household amenities like toilets and kitchens, and overall lifestyle changes over sixty years. Through Chetandas’s story, we learn about the historical significance of partition and the gradual modernization of Indian housing and living conditions.

अध्याय सारांश (Hindi)

अध्याय “बदलते समय” चेतनदास की कहानी है, जो अपने नौ साल की उम्र से लेकर सत्तर साल तक की जीवन यात्रा को याद करते हैं। वे पहले डेरा गाजीखान (जो अब पाकिस्तान में है) में रहते थे। बंटवारे के दौरान, उनका परिवार भारत आ गया और दिल्ली के पास सोहना गाँव में बस गया। कहानी बताती है कि कैसे उनका घर समय के साथ बदलता गया – मिट्टी के परंपरागत घर से लेकर सीमेंट और ईंटों के आधुनिक घर तक। कहानी में निर्माण सामग्री, शौचालय और रसोई जैसी घरेलू सुविधाओं और साठ सालों में जीवनशैली में आए बदलावों का वर्णन है। चेतनदास की कहानी के माध्यम से, हम बंटवारे के ऐतिहासिक महत्व और भारतीय आवास एवं जीवन स्थितियों के क्रमिक आधुनिकीकरण के बारे में जानते हैं।

Word Meanings

Find Out and Write

1. Talk to any one of your grandparents or any other elderly person. Find out when she or he was eight-nine years old:

After talking to my grandmother, here are her responses:

a) Where did she or he live? Name that place.
My grandmother lived in a small village called Rampur near Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.

b) From what material was her or his house made?
Her house was made primarily of mud walls, with a thatched roof made of dried grass and bamboo. The floor was also made of mud and was coated with cow dung regularly.

c) Did they have a toilet in their house? If no, where was it?
No, they didn’t have a toilet in their house. People used to go to the fields early in the morning or late in the evening.

d) In which part of the house was food cooked?
Food was cooked in a separate mud kitchen located in the courtyard. They used a traditional mud chulha for cooking.

e) A lot of mud was used when Chetandas’ house was made. Why?
Mud was used extensively because:

• It was readily available and cost-effective
• It kept the house cool in summer and warm in winter
• It was easy to work with and repair
• Mixed with cow dung, it acted as a natural insect repellent
• It was the traditional and most common building material at that time

Discussion Questions about Toilets

1. Chetandas tells that people from the basti used to come to clean the toilets and take away the waste.

This practice reflects the social inequality and discrimination that existed in our society. It was an unfair system where people from certain communities were forced to do this work, which was both unhygienic and undignified.

2. The people who used the toilets did not clean them. Discuss.

This situation highlights several social issues:

• It shows the caste-based discrimination in our society
• It reflects how manual scavenging was normalized
• It indicates the lack of proper sanitation systems
• It demonstrates how some work was considered beneath certain sections of society
• This practice is now illegal and we should promote dignity of labor

3. Is there a toilet in your house? Who cleans it?

Yes, there is a toilet in our house. In my house:

• All family members take responsibility for cleaning the toilet
• We have modern sanitation with flush system
• Regular cleaning is done using proper cleaning agents
• We maintain hygiene and cleanliness ourselves
• Everyone understands it’s their responsibility to keep it clean

Questions about Your House and Future

1. What material have been used in making your house?

My house is made of:

• Baked bricks for walls
• Cement and steel for reinforcement
• Concrete for the roof and foundation
• Ceramic tiles for flooring
• Glass for windows
• Metal frames for doors and windows

2. Find out the material from which your friend’s house is made? Is there any difference? Write about it.

My friend’s house is also made of similar modern materials, but there are some differences:

• They have marble flooring instead of ceramic tiles
• Their walls have texture paint while we have regular paint
• They have wooden doors while we have metal ones
• The ceiling height is different
• They have granite kitchen counters while we have tile ones

3. What kind of house do you think Chetandas’ grandchildren will live in?

I think Chetandas’ grandchildren will probably live in:

• Modern apartments or smart homes
• Houses with energy-efficient features
• Buildings with automated systems
• Eco-friendly and sustainable homes
• Houses with modern amenities like solar panels, rainwater harvesting, etc.

4. Where would you like to live when you grow up? What kind of house would you like?

When I grow up, I would like to live in:

• A house that combines modern technology with eco-friendly features
• A home with a small garden for growing vegetables
• A house powered by renewable energy
• A space that has good ventilation and natural light
• A home that is both comfortable and sustainable

5. You had written about the things that your grandparent’s house was made of. Has some of those materials been used in your house? Name them.

Yes, some materials are still used, though in modified forms:

• Bricks – though now we use baked instead of unbaked
• Wood – for doors and some furniture
• Stone – in foundation and some decorative elements
• Sand – as part of concrete mixture
• Clay – in roof tiles

Questions about Construction Workers

1. In your place, what do you call a person who works with wood?

In our place:

• In English, we call them a carpenter
• In Hindi, we call them “Badhai” or “Mistri”
• They are skilled craftsmen who make furniture and wooden structures

2. What kind of work is being done by different people here? Complete the table:

3. Do you know people who do these type of work? Talk to them and find out about their work.

Yes, I talked to some construction workers in our area:

• They typically work 8-10 hours daily
• Most have learned their skills from family members or as apprentices
• They face challenges like irregular work and weather conditions
• Many travel from villages to cities for work
• Their children often don’t get proper education due to frequent movement

Construction Site Visit Questions

1. What is being built there?

A three-story residential building is being constructed with:

• Six apartments
• Underground parking
• A common garden area
• Solar panels on the roof

2. How many people are working there?

There are 25 people working at the site:

• 1 Site supervisor
• 5 Masons
• 3 Carpenters
• 2 Plumbers
• 14 General workers

3. What kind of work are they doing?

Different workers are doing various tasks:

• Masons are laying bricks and building walls
• Workers are mixing cement and carrying materials
• Plumbers are installing water pipes
• Electricians are doing the wiring work
• Supervisors are overseeing the construction

4. How many men and women are there?

At the construction site, there are:

• 18 men workers
• 7 women workers
• Women mostly carry materials and mix cement
• Men typically do masonry and technical work
• This shows gender division in construction work

5. Are any children working there? What are they doing?

No, there are no children working at the site because:

• Child labor is illegal and punishable by law
• Construction sites are dangerous for children
• Children should be in school getting education
• The site follows proper labor laws
• There’s strict supervision to prevent child labor

6. How much money do these people get paid daily? Ask from any three different people.

After talking to three workers:

• Mason (skilled worker): ₹800 per day
• Helper (unskilled worker): ₹400 per day
• Supervisor: ₹1200 per day

7. Where do these people live?

The workers have different living arrangements:

• Some live in temporary shelters near the construction site
• A few rent rooms in nearby areas
• Some local workers live in their own homes
• Many share rooms to save money
• Some workers have migrated from villages

8. What are the materials being used for making the building?

The construction uses various materials:

• Bricks for walls
• Cement and sand for mortar
• Steel rods for reinforcement
• Gravel for concrete mixing
• Tiles, paint, and finishing materials

9. Try and guess how many trucks of bricks and bags of cement will be used.

For a three-story residential building:

• Approximately 8-10 trucks of bricks (each truck carrying about 4000 bricks)
• Around 500-600 bags of cement
• This is an estimate based on the building size
• Actual quantity may vary based on design
• Additional materials might be needed for modifications

10. How do the materials reach the building site?

Materials are transported through various means:

• Large trucks bring bricks, sand, and cement
• Small tempo vehicles deliver daily supplies
• Handcarts move materials within the site
• Workers carry materials using baskets
• Pulley systems lift materials to upper floors

11. Find out the price of:

a) One bag of cement: ₹350-400 per bag (50 kg)
b) One brick: ₹8-10 per piece
c) One truck of sand: ₹15,000-18,000 per truck

12. Ask a few other questions and write their answers:

Additional Question 1: How long will the construction take?
The construction is expected to take 12-15 months to complete.

Additional Question 2: What safety measures are taken at the site?
Workers wear helmets, safety boots, and have proper scaffolding. First-aid facilities are available.

Activity Questions

1. Over the sixty years, different materials were used at different times in Chetandas’ house. List these in the correct order:

1. Initial House (After Partition):

• Mud walls
• Wooden frame roof
• Cow dung flooring
• Neem and keekar branches

2. First Renovation:

• Unbaked bricks
• Cement for roof
• Iron supports
• Basic toilet structure

3. Second Renovation:

• Baked bricks
• Concrete lintel
• Marble chip flooring
• Modern plumbing

4. Latest Updates:

• Colored tiles
• Modern bathroom fittings
• Gas stove kitchen
• Contemporary amenities

2. Let us make houses (Group Activity)

Instructions for the activity:

• Divide the class into 3-4 groups
• Each group will make a different type of house model
• Use materials like:
  • Mud for traditional house
  • Paper and cardboard for modern house
  • Wood pieces for wooden house
  • Match boxes for apartment building
• Decorate with colored paper and cloth
• Arrange all houses to create a neighborhood