Chapter 8: Animals and Their Shelters
Kennel, Stable, Coop, Shed, Burrows and Nests | CBSE Session 2026–27
Core Pedagogical Competencies & Concepts
- Need for Shelter for Animals
- Natural Shelters: Caves, Dens, Burrows, Tree Hollows
- Man-Made Domestic Shelters: Stable, Kennel, Shed, Coop, Aquarium
- Birds and Their Diverse Nesting Styles
All Textbook Exercises & In-Text Tasks (15 Questions)
100% Complete Ingestion
Q1
Think and Tell
Why do animals need a shelter or home? State two reasons.
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Animals need a shelter to:
1. Protect themselves from bad weather like harsh sunlight, rain, cold winds, and snow.
2. Keep their eggs and newborn babies safe from predators.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Protection from weather
1
Safety of eggs and young ones from enemies
1
Q2
Natural Shelters
Where do the following wild animals live in nature?
(a) Lion
(b) Rabbit
(c) Bear
(d) Monkey
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
(a) Lion - Den
(b) Rabbit - Burrow (underground tunnel)
(c) Bear - Cave
(d) Monkey - Branches of trees.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
All 4 correct natural shelters
2
Q3
Man-Made Shelters
Name the shelters built by humans for:
(a) Pet Dog
(b) Horse
(c) Cow and Buffalo
(d) Hen and Rooster
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
(a) Dog - Kennel
(b) Horse - Stable
(c) Cow - Shed
(d) Hen - Coop.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
All 4 correct domestic shelters
2
Q4
Bird Nests
Why do birds build nests? What natural materials do they use to weave nests?
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Birds build nests to lay eggs, hatch them, and protect their baby chicks until they learn to fly. They weave nests using twigs, dry grass, straw, feathers, leaves, and cotton.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Laying eggs and rearing chicks
1.5
Materials: twigs, grass, cotton, feathers
1.5
Q5
Special Bird Builders
Name two master builder birds known for their unique nests.
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
1. Weaver Bird (Baya): Weaves an intricate hanging bottle-shaped nest from grass strips.
2. Tailorbird: Stitches two large green leaves together with plant fiber like a needle.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Weaver bird with description
1
Tailorbird with description
1
Q6
Underground Shelters
Which animals live in underground holes or anthills?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
1. Ants build large underground colonies called 'Anthills'.
2. Snakes live in holes in the ground or abandoned rat burrows.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Ants - Anthill
1
Snakes/Rats - Holes/burrows
1
Q7
Water Animal Shelters
Where do pet fish live at home? What natural shelter does a snail have?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Pet fish live in a glass 'Aquarium' filled with water. A snail carries its own hard protective spiral 'Shell' on its back.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Fish in aquarium
1
Snail carries shell on back
1
Q8
Match the Following
Match the animal with its shelter:
(a) Honeybee -> (i) Stable
(b) Spider -> (ii) Beehive
(c) Horse -> (iii) Pigsty
(d) Pig -> (iv) Web
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
(a) Honeybee -> (ii) Beehive
(b) Spider -> (iv) Web
(c) Horse -> (i) Stable
(d) Pig -> (iii) Pigsty.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
All 4 correct matches
2
Q9
True or False
State True or False:
(a) Birds live in their nests all year round even after their babies fly away.
(b) Spiders spin silky webs to trap flying insects for food.
(c) Sheep are kept inside an enclosed shelter called a pen.
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
(a) False (Birds use nests mainly during breeding season to lay eggs)
(b) True
(c) True.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
1 mark per correct answer
3
Q10
Fill in the Blanks
Fill in the blanks:
(a) Honeybees store sweet honey inside a ________ (beehive / kennel).
(b) A cuckoo (koel) does not build its own nest; it lays eggs in a ________ (crow's / pigeon's) nest.
(c) A dog's shelter is called a ________ (kennel / den).
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
(a) beehive
(b) crow's
(c) kennel.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
1 mark per correct blank
3
Q11
Woodpecker's Home
How does a woodpecker make its nest?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
A woodpecker uses its sharp, chisel-like beak to drill a deep hole into the trunk of a tree to make its nest.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Drills hole into tree trunk using sharp beak
2
Q12
Animal Adaptations
Why do polar bears have thick white fur and fat under their skin in their ice shelters?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
The thick fur and heavy fat layer (blubber) keep the polar bear warm in sub-zero Arctic temperatures and camouflage it in white snow.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Keeps warm against sub-zero cold
1
Camouflage in snow
1
Q13
Caring for Farm Shelters
Why must cow sheds and stables be cleaned and washed every day?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Regular washing removes animal dung and urine, prevents flies and ticks from biting livestock, and keeps animals healthy and disease-free.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Prevents flies, ticks, and diseases; keeps animals healthy
2
Q14
Penguin Nesting
How do penguins make nests in freezing Antarctica where there are no twigs or leaves?
[1 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Penguins collect small rounded pebbles and stones from the frozen ground to build a raised nest to keep eggs off the ice.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Collects stones/pebbles on ice
1
Q15
Shelter Riddle
Guess who I am:
'I carry my own house on my back wherever I crawl. When danger comes, I pull my head and legs inside my rock-hard shell. Who am I?'
[1 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
I am a 'Tortoise' (or Turtle / Snail).
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Tortoise / Turtle
1
🌟 NEP 2020 Competency-Based Case Study
Practical Application Task
Analytical Task: Why do domestic farm animals need human-built shelters, and what shelter was provided for each of the 4 animals Simran saw?
Evaluation & Model Answer:
Domestic farm animals need human-built shelters to protect them from extreme heat, cold rains, predators like leopards or wolves, and to keep them safe and comfortable. Shelters observed:
1. Cow -> Shed
2. Horse -> Stable
3. Hen -> Coop
4. Dog -> Kennel.
Rubric: [object Object],[object Object]