Social Sciences: Class 3 — Chapter 7: Water – A Precious Gift

Clues that suggest it might rain:

• Dark, heavy clouds in the sky.
• Cool breeze blowing.
• Sound of thunder or flashes of lightning.

When it rains, observe the following:

• Is it a heavy rain or a light one?
• Are the raindrops big or small?
• Do they come down fast or slow?
• Is the rain falling straight down or slanting?
• Collect rainwater in a vessel to see if it looks clean or dirty.

When rain falls on different surfaces, it goes to various places:

• Absorption: Rainwater gets absorbed into the soil. It slowly flows under the soil to join streams, ponds, or gets stored as groundwater between rocks and soil. This underground water is what we draw from wells.
• Runoff: Water flows in streams, which later join rivers.
• Collection: Water gathers in puddles, ponds, lakes, and eventually flows into seas and oceans.
• Evaporation: Water remaining on hard surfaces gets dried up in the sun.

Taps in our homes and schools get water through pipes connected to a storage tank, often located on the roof or at a distance. But how does water reach these tanks?

• Water is pumped up to high tanks from underground sources, wells, or rivers using electric pumps.

People get water from various sources depending on where they live:

• Taps: Connected to overhead tanks or municipal supply lines.
• Wells and Borewells: Water is drawn using a pulley, hand pump, or electric pump.
• Natural Bodies: Rivers, lakes, or streams.
• Water Tankers: Delivered to areas facing water scarcity.

• Brushing teeth, bathing, and washing hands.
• Drinking and cooking.
• Cleaning utensils, floors, and washing clothes.
• Watering plants.

When running water is not available all the time, we store it in various containers. Historically and presently, different materials are used to make these vessels:

• Clay: Clay pot (ghara), Clay surahi.
• Metals: Copper vessel, Brass pot, Steel pot, Aluminium pot.
• Glass & Plastic: Glass bottle, Plastic bottle, Plastic bucket.

• Offer clean drinking water to visitors, delivery persons, or sanitation workers.
• Follow the tradition of keeping pots of water outside homes for thirsty passersby, especially in summer.
• Provide water for animals in tanks and set up a birdbath.

How to make a birdbath to offer water to birds in summer:

• Use a shallow and wide container (less than 10 cm deep).
• Place stones or pebbles inside for birds to perch and insects to access water safely.
• Keep it in a yard, balcony, or terrace and change the water frequently.
• Clean the birdbath with a dedicated scrubber twice a week.

• Write: Describe your observations of rain and find out about local water bodies (rivers, wells, ponds) and how they are used.
• Draw: Draw a picture of your birdbath and list the birds and insects that visit it.
• Discuss: Identify activities that pollute or waste water and think of three solutions to avoid water wastage.