Chapter 7 of 13
Chapter 7: Lina's Family
Non-Standard Lengths, Handspans, Footsteps, Heavy vs Light | CBSE Session 2026–27
Core Pedagogical Competencies & Concepts
- Measuring length using non-standard body units: handspan, fingers, and footsteps (paces).
- Understanding why non-standard units vary between children and adults.
- Comparing lengths: longer vs shorter, longest vs shortest.
- Comparing heights: taller vs shorter, tallest vs shortest.
- Comparing weights qualitatively: heavier vs lighter.
All Textbook Exercises & In-Text Tasks (16 Questions)
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Q1
Textbook Exercise • Measuring with Handspan
What is a 'handspan'? Measure the length of your mathematics textbook using your handspan. How many handspans long is it?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Step-by-Step Solution:
1. A handspan is the distance from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the little finger when the hand is stretched wide open.
2. When measured by a Class 1 student, the Joyful Mathematics book is approximately 2 to 3 handspans long.
1. A handspan is the distance from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the little finger when the hand is stretched wide open.
2. When measured by a Class 1 student, the Joyful Mathematics book is approximately 2 to 3 handspans long.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Definition of handspan
1 M
Measurement: ~2 to 3 handspans
1 M
Q2
Textbook Exercise • Longer and Shorter Pencils
Look at two pencils: Pencil A has not been sharpened, and Pencil B is a small stub after many days of use. Which pencil is longer?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Step-by-Step Solution:
• Pencil A is longer (new, unsharpened pencil).
• Pencil B is shorter (used stub).
• Pencil A is longer (new, unsharpened pencil).
• Pencil B is shorter (used stub).
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Pencil A is longer
1 M
Reason based on sharpening
1 M
Q3
Let Us Do • Measuring Classroom with Footsteps
Walk from the classroom door to the teacher's blackboard counting your footsteps (paces). If it takes you 15 footsteps and your teacher takes 10 footsteps, explain why.
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Step-by-Step Solution:
1. The distance between the door and board is the same.
2. The teacher is an adult with longer legs, so her footsteps are bigger (takes 10 steps).
3. A student's steps are shorter, requiring more footsteps (15 steps).
1. The distance between the door and board is the same.
2. The teacher is an adult with longer legs, so her footsteps are bigger (takes 10 steps).
3. A student's steps are shorter, requiring more footsteps (15 steps).
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Teacher steps are longer
1 M
Student needs more steps
1 M
Q4
Textbook Exercise • Taller and Shorter in the Family
In Lina's family, who is the tallest person and who is the shortest: Grandfather, Mother, Lina, or Baby Brother?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Step-by-Step Solution:
• Tallest: Grandfather (or Father).
• Shortest: Baby Brother (crawling toddler).
• Tallest: Grandfather (or Father).
• Shortest: Baby Brother (crawling toddler).
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Tallest identified
1 M
Shortest identified
1 M
Q5
Let Us Do • Measuring with Eraser / Paperclips
How many erasers long is your wooden pencil? Place erasers end-to-end to measure.
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Step-by-Step Solution:
• A standard new wooden pencil is about 4 to 5 standard erasers long.
• A standard new wooden pencil is about 4 to 5 standard erasers long.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Valid estimate (4 to 5 erasers)
1 M
End-to-end placement method
1 M
Q6
Textbook Exercise • Heavier and Lighter
Hold a watermelon in one hand and a lemon in the other hand. Which fruit is heavier and which is lighter?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Step-by-Step Solution:
• Heavier: Watermelon (pulls down heavily on your hand).
• Lighter: Lemon (feels very light and easy to hold).
• Heavier: Watermelon (pulls down heavily on your hand).
• Lighter: Lemon (feels very light and easy to hold).
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Watermelon is heavier
1 M
Lemon is lighter
1 M
Q7
Let Us Think • Comparing Ladders
Two painters have ladders: Ladder 1 has 12 rungs, and Ladder 2 has 6 rungs. Which ladder is longer?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Step-by-Step Solution:
• Ladder 1 is longer because it has 12 rungs reaching higher up.
• Ladder 2 with 6 rungs is shorter.
• Ladder 1 is longer because it has 12 rungs reaching higher up.
• Ladder 2 with 6 rungs is shorter.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Ladder 1 is longer
1 M
12 rungs > 6 rungs
1 M
Q8
Textbook Exercise • Longest Ribbon
Three girls have hair ribbons: Sita has a 20 cm ribbon, Gita has a 40 cm ribbon, and Rita has a 10 cm ribbon. Whose ribbon is the longest and whose is the shortest?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Step-by-Step Solution:
• Longest ribbon: Gita (40 cm).
• Shortest ribbon: Rita (10 cm).
• Longest ribbon: Gita (40 cm).
• Shortest ribbon: Rita (10 cm).
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Gita's ribbon is longest
1 M
Rita's ribbon is shortest
1 M
Q9
Let Us Do • Measuring Desk with Finger-Widths
How many finger-widths wide is your eraser? Place fingers side-by-side.
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Step-by-Step Solution:
• A standard eraser is about 2 to 3 finger-widths wide.
• A standard eraser is about 2 to 3 finger-widths wide.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
2 to 3 finger-widths
2 M
Q10
Let Us Think • Seesaw Balance
An elephant and an ant sit on opposite ends of a seesaw in a funny cartoon. Which side will touch the ground?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Step-by-Step Solution:
1. The elephant is much heavier than the tiny ant.
2. Therefore, the elephant's side will touch the ground, and the ant's side will shoot up into the air.
1. The elephant is much heavier than the tiny ant.
2. Therefore, the elephant's side will touch the ground, and the ant's side will shoot up into the air.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Elephant's side touches ground
1 M
Elephant is heavier
1 M
Q11
Textbook Exercise • Thick and Thin
Compare a dictionary and a comic book. Which book is thicker and which is thinner?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Step-by-Step Solution:
• Thicker: The dictionary (has hundreds of pages).
• Thinner: The comic book (has only a few thin pages).
• Thicker: The dictionary (has hundreds of pages).
• Thinner: The comic book (has only a few thin pages).
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Dictionary is thicker
1 M
Comic book is thinner
1 M
Q12
Observation Task • Tallest Animal
Among a dog, a giraffe, and a cat, which animal is the tallest?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Step-by-Step Solution:
• The giraffe is the tallest animal with its long neck standing high above trees.
• The cat is the shortest among the three.
• The giraffe is the tallest animal with its long neck standing high above trees.
• The cat is the shortest among the three.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Giraffe is tallest
1 M
Cat is shortest
1 M
Q13
Activity • Arm-Span vs Handspan
What is larger: your arm-span (both arms stretched out wide) or your single handspan?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Step-by-Step Solution:
• Your arm-span is much larger than a single handspan.
• An arm-span equals several handspans together.
• Your arm-span is much larger than a single handspan.
• An arm-span equals several handspans together.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Arm-span is larger
1 M
Explains stretching both arms
1 M
Q14
Textbook Exercise • Heavy School Bag vs Light Pencil
Which is heavier: your school bag full of books or a single wooden pencil?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Step-by-Step Solution:
• Heavier: School bag full of books.
• Lighter: A single wooden pencil.
• Heavier: School bag full of books.
• Lighter: A single wooden pencil.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
School bag is heavier
1 M
Pencil is lighter
1 M
Q15
Let Us Do • Comparing Rope Lengths
Rope Red is 8 footsteps long. Rope Blue is 11 footsteps long. Which rope is longer and by how many footsteps?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Step-by-Step Solution:
• 11 is greater than 8, so Rope Blue is longer.
• Difference = 11 - 8 = 3 footsteps longer.
• 11 is greater than 8, so Rope Blue is longer.
• Difference = 11 - 8 = 3 footsteps longer.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Rope Blue is longer
1 M
3 footsteps difference
1 M
Q16
Competency Review • Standard vs Non-Standard
Why do we need a standard ruler to measure cloth in a shop instead of using the shopkeeper's handspan?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Step-by-Step Solution:
1. Every person's hand has a different size.
2. A standard wooden or plastic ruler is fixed and equal everywhere, ensuring fair and accurate measurement.
1. Every person's hand has a different size.
2. A standard wooden or plastic ruler is fixed and equal everywhere, ensuring fair and accurate measurement.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Handspans differ per person
1 M
Ruler is fixed and equal
1 M
🌟 NEP 2020 Competency-Based Case Study
Measuring the Study Table Case Study
Lina measures the length of her dining table using her handspan. She finds it is 10 handspans long. Her father measures the same table and finds it is only 6 handspans long.
Analytical Task: Why did Lina get 10 handspans while her father got only 6 handspans? Whose handspan is bigger?
Evaluation & Model Answer:
1. Father's handspan is bigger because he is an adult.
2. Because father's handspan is bigger, fewer handspans (6) are needed to cover the same table.
3. Lina's hand is smaller, so she needed more handspans (10).
2. Because father's handspan is bigger, fewer handspans (6) are needed to cover the same table.
3. Lina's hand is smaller, so she needed more handspans (10).
Rubric: 1.5 M for father's handspan is bigger + 1.5 M for fewer spans needed