Changing Times – CBSE Class 4 EVS Chapter 12

Why Do Times Change? – Understanding the Chapter

Every generation lives a little differently from the one before it. This happens because of new inventions, better technology, more education, and changes in how people think and work. For example, your great-grandparents may have written letters and waited many days for a reply, but today we can send a message instantly through a phone. Similarly, people earlier walked long distances or used bullock carts, but now we have buses, cars and trains.\n\nThe chapter teaches us to compare three time periods: the time of our grandparents, the time of our parents, and our own time today. We do this by asking elders questions, looking at old photos, and noticing objects that are no longer used (like a hand-operated grinding stone) versus objects we use now (like a mixer-grinder). This comparison helps us appreciate how far we have come and understand that change is a natural, ongoing part of life.

Important Words to Remember

Generation

A group of people born and living around the same time, such as grandparents' generation, parents' generation, and children's generation.

Olden days

A time in the past, usually referring to when our grandparents or great-grandparents were young.

Technology

New tools, machines or methods invented by people to make work easier, such as mobile phones, washing machines, or computers.

Communication

The way people share news or messages with each other, for example, through letters, telegrams, telephones, or mobile phones.

Transport

The means used to travel from one place to another, such as bullock carts, bicycles, buses, cars, or aeroplanes.

Then vs Now: How Life Has Changed

Worked Examples: Comparing Old and New Objects

• Example 1: Ramu's grandmother says she used to grind wheat using a hand-operated stone chakki that took almost an hour for a small amount of flour. Today, Ramu's mother uses an electric flour mill which grinds the same amount of wheat in just 5 minutes. Step 1: Identify the old method (hand chakki). Step 2: Identify the new method (electric flour mill). Step 3: Compare time and effort. Final understanding: Technology has made grinding faster and easier, saving time and effort for daily chores.
• Example 2: Suppose your grandfather went to school walking 5 km every day because there was no bus in his village, while you travel to school in a school bus in 15 minutes. Step 1: Note the old transport method (walking). Step 2: Note the new transport method (school bus). Step 3: Compare distance covered and time taken. Final understanding: Better roads and vehicles have reduced travel time and made schooling easier to access.
• Example 3: Earlier, if someone wanted to inform a relative in another city about a wedding, they sent a letter or telegram that could take 3-7 days to reach. Today, the same information can be shared instantly through a phone call or a WhatsApp message. Step 1: Identify old communication tool (letter/telegram). Step 2: Identify new communication tool (mobile phone/internet). Step 3: Compare speed of communication. Final understanding: Communication has become instant, connecting people across distances within seconds.

Common Mistakes Students Make

• Thinking that 'olden days' means only 100+ years ago — it can simply mean the time of your grandparents or even parents, just a few decades back.
• Believing that old ways of doing things were 'wrong' — old methods were suitable for that time; they were not less intelligent, just less advanced technologically.
• Forgetting to mention specific examples (like sil-batta, chulha, telegram) in answers and giving only vague statements like 'things were different'.
• Mixing up the order of generations — always remember: grandparents' time comes before parents' time, which comes before your own time.
• Not connecting the 'reason' for change (new inventions, technology, education) while explaining differences between old and new.

Exam Tip: How to Score Full Marks

When you get a question asking you to compare 'then and now', always write in this pattern: (1) name the old object/method, (2) name the new object/method, (3) give one reason why the change happened, and (4) mention one benefit of the new method. This structured answer fetches full marks in CBSE exams. Also practise talking to your grandparents at home and note down two or three real examples from your own family — teachers often ask personal, observation-based questions in this chapter, and real examples always impress examiners more than textbook lines.

Practice Questions with Solutions

• Q: Name any two ways in which the method of cooking food has changed from your grandparents' time to today. A: Step 1: Recall old cooking tools mentioned in the chapter, such as the chulha (wood-fired stove) and hand grinding stone (sil-batta). Step 2: Recall modern cooking tools, such as the gas stove and electric mixer-grinder. Step 3: Compare — chulha needed wood and took longer to cook; gas stove lights instantly and cooks faster. Sil-batta needed manual effort; mixer-grinder grinds in minutes with electricity. Final answer: Cooking has changed from using wood-fired chulha and hand grinding stones to using gas stoves and electric mixer-grinders, making cooking faster and easier.
• Q: Why do you think communication has become faster over the years? Give one example. A: Step 1: Identify the old communication method – sending letters or telegrams, which could take several days to reach. Step 2: Identify the new communication method – mobile phones and the internet, which deliver messages instantly. Step 3: Understand the reason – new technology (mobile networks, internet) allows information to travel at very high speed. Final answer: Communication has become faster because of new technology like mobile phones and internet, which send messages instantly; for example, a letter that once took 5 days now reaches as a phone message in seconds.
• Q: Ask an elder in your family about how they went to school. Compare it with how you go to school today. Write two differences. A: Step 1: Suppose your grandmother says she walked 4 km to school daily because there was no transport in her village. Step 2: Compare this with your own way of going to school, for example, by school bus or a family vehicle in 10-15 minutes. Step 3: Note the two differences: (a) mode of transport – walking vs bus/car, and (b) time taken – much longer earlier vs shorter now. Final answer: Difference 1: Grandmother walked to school, but I go by school bus. Difference 2: She took about 1 hour, but I reach in 15 minutes, showing how transport has improved over time.
• Q: Why is it important to respect old traditions even though we now have modern technology? A: Step 1: Understand that old traditions and methods were suited to the resources and knowledge available at that time. Step 2: Recognise that many traditions (like storytelling, festivals, handmade crafts) carry cultural values and family history. Step 3: Understand that modern technology makes life easier, but does not make old ways 'useless' or 'wrong'. Final answer: We should respect old traditions because they reflect our culture, history and the wisdom of earlier generations, even while we enjoy the comfort and speed offered by modern technology.
• Q: List three objects that were commonly used in olden times but are rarely used today, along with their modern replacements. A: Step 1: Recall objects from the chapter's examples of olden times, such as the hand grinding stone (sil-batta), the telegram, and the hand-washing method for clothes. Step 2: Match each with its modern replacement: sil-batta → mixer-grinder, telegram → mobile phone, hand-washing → washing machine. Step 3: Present them as a clear list with reasons (faster, easier, saves effort). Final answer: (1) Sil-batta replaced by mixer-grinder for faster grinding. (2) Telegram replaced by mobile phone for instant messages. (3) Hand-washing replaced by washing machine, which saves time and effort in cleaning clothes.

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