NCERT Class 3 EVS Chapter 14: The Story of Food

The Story of Two Families: Venu and Rani

In this chapter, we meet two families: Venu's family and Rani's family. In Venu's family, everyone works together. Venu's mother and father share household chores like cooking, cleaning, and washing. They also sit together to eat their meals. In contrast, in Rani's family, the women do all the housework. Rani's mother cooks, Rani serves food to her father and brother first, and she eats only after they have finished. By comparing these two families, we learn a valuable lesson: chores should be shared equally by everyone in the family, regardless of gender. When we help each other, our homes become happier places to live!

Comparing Venu's and Rani's Families

Where Does Our Food Come From?

Plant-Based Foods

Food items we get directly from plants, such as grains (rice, wheat), vegetables (potatoes, spinach), fruits (mangoes, apples), and spices.

Animal-Based Foods

Food products we get from animals, including milk, cheese, ghee, eggs, honey, fish, and meat.

Medicinal Plants

Special plants whose parts (leaves, seeds, roots) are used as home remedies to cure common illnesses and pains.

Using Plants as Simple Home Remedies

1. For a Wound or Injury — Apply a paste of turmeric (haldi) with milk or water on the hurt area. Turmeric helps heal wounds and stops infections.
2. For a Stomach Ache — Take some carom seeds (ajwain) or dry ginger with warm water to relieve pain and help with digestion.
3. For a Cough and Cold — Drink warm water or tea boiled with tulsi (basil) leaves, ginger, and honey. This quickly soothes the throat.
4. For a Toothache — Put a clove (laung) or apply a drop of clove oil directly on the aching tooth to ease the pain.

Smart Tips for Your EVS Exam!

Don't get confused between plant and animal products! Remember, dairy items like curd, butter, ghee, and cheese are animal products because they are made from milk. Also, pay close attention to medicinal plants as teachers love asking direct match-the-following questions on remedies (like Tulsi for cold, and Clove for toothache)!

Practice Questions with Solutions

• Q: Classify the following food items as plant products or animal products: Honey, Wheat, Spinach, Milk.
  A: Step 1: Identify the source of each food item.
  Step 2: Honey is made by bees, which are animals. So, Honey is an animal product.
  Step 3: Wheat is a cereal crop that grows in fields. So, Wheat is a plant product.
  Step 4: Spinach is a green leafy vegetable. So, Spinach is a plant product.
  Step 5: Milk is obtained from cows and buffaloes. So, Milk is an animal product.
  Final answer: Plant products: Wheat, Spinach. Animal products: Honey, Milk.

• Q: What values do we learn from Venu's family in the chapter?
  A: Step 1: Observe how Venu's family behaves. They work together and eat together.
  Step 2: Note that both Venu's mother and father cook and share household tasks.
  Step 3: Understand that this teaches us gender equality and helpfulness.
  Final answer: From Venu's family, we learn the values of sharing work, helping each other, and treating all family members equally regardless of gender.

• Q: Which part of the plant do we eat when we consume potato, cabbage, and carrot?
  A: Step 1: Identify what a potato is. It grows underground and is a stem.
  Step 2: Identify what cabbage is. It consists of layered green leaves.
  Step 3: Identify what a carrot is. It is the underground taproot of the plant.
  Final answer: Potato is a stem, Cabbage represents leaves, and Carrot is a root.

• Q: What home remedy would you suggest to someone who has a sore throat and cough?
  A: Step 1: Recall the medicinal plants used for respiratory issues.
  Step 2: Tulsi (basil) and ginger are excellent for curing colds.
  Step 3: Mix their juices with honey for relief.
  Final answer: I would suggest drinking warm water with boiled tulsi leaves and ginger, or taking a spoonful of honey mixed with ginger juice.

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