Chapter 3 of 24
Chapter 3: Water O' Water!
Poem on Water Forms (River, Waterfall, Lake, Spring), Scarcity, Droughts, and Floods | CBSE Session 2026–27
Core Pedagogical Competencies & Concepts
- Diverse natural forms of water: Flowing rivers, roaring waterfalls, serene lakes, and underground springs.
- The indispensability of water for human life, agriculture, animals, and industry.
- The duality of water: In droughts, crops dry up and cattle starve; in floods, swollen rivers submerge homes.
- Traditional poems and songs celebrating monsoons and rainfall across Indian cultures.
All Textbook Exercises & In-Text Tasks (17 Questions)
100% Complete Ingestion
Q1
Sources and Uses of Water
List four daily activities that cannot be done without water and two activities that can be done without water.
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Activities that CANNOT be done without water:
1. Cooking food (boiling rice, making dal).
2. Bathing and washing clothes.
3. Quenching thirst (drinking).
4. Growing crops in fields (irrigation).
Activities that CAN be done without water:
1. Reading a storybook or writing.
2. Singing, dancing, or riding a bicycle.
1. Cooking food (boiling rice, making dal).
2. Bathing and washing clothes.
3. Quenching thirst (drinking).
4. Growing crops in fields (irrigation).
Activities that CAN be done without water:
1. Reading a storybook or writing.
2. Singing, dancing, or riding a bicycle.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Four correct essential water-dependent activities
2 Marks
Two correct water-independent activities
1 Mark
Q2
Drought vs Flood
What is the difference between a drought and a flood? How do both affect living beings?
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
• Drought: Occurs when there is no rainfall for a very long period. Water sources dry up, crops wither in fields, soil cracks, and humans and cattle face severe hunger and dehydration.
• Flood: Occurs when excessive, heavy monsoon rains cause rivers and lakes to overflow their banks. Rushing floodwaters drown villages, destroy crops, wash away roads, and cause waterborne disease outbreaks.
• Flood: Occurs when excessive, heavy monsoon rains cause rivers and lakes to overflow their banks. Rushing floodwaters drown villages, destroy crops, wash away roads, and cause waterborne disease outbreaks.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Accurate cause and effect of drought
1.5 Marks
Accurate cause and effect of flood
1.5 Marks
Q3
Potable Water Safety
Why is water from rivers and ponds not safe to drink directly without boiling or filtering?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Open water bodies contain microscopic disease-causing germs (bacteria, protozoa), dissolved chemical effluents, mud sediments, and animal waste. Drinking untreated river water causes dangerous waterborne illnesses like cholera, typhoid, and dysentery.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Contaminants (germs, chemicals, animal waste)
1 Mark
Risk of waterborne diseases
1 Mark
Q4
Water Poem Comprehension • 'Water O' Water!'
In the poem 'Water O' Water!' by Shri Prasad:
(a) Name three natural forms in which water exists on Earth.
(b) Write two human activities that cannot be done without water, and two activities that do not require water.
[3 Marks]
(a) Name three natural forms in which water exists on Earth.
(b) Write two human activities that cannot be done without water, and two activities that do not require water.
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Water Analysis:
(a) Three Natural Forms:
• Liquid water (rivers, oceans), Solid ice / snow (glaciers), Gas / water vapor (clouds, steam).
(b) Activities:
• Cannot be done without water: Cooking food, bathing, drinking.
• Can be done without water: Reading a book, running a race, singing a song.
(a) Three Natural Forms:
• Liquid water (rivers, oceans), Solid ice / snow (glaciers), Gas / water vapor (clouds, steam).
(b) Activities:
• Cannot be done without water: Cooking food, bathing, drinking.
• Can be done without water: Reading a book, running a race, singing a song.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Three natural states of water named
1.5 M
Accurate contrast of activities requiring vs not requiring water
1.5 M
Q5
Water Capacity Ranking • Household Containers
Rank these containers in order of the amount of water they hold (1 = holds least water to 4 = holds most water):
Water bottle (1 Litre), Spoon (5 mL), Overhead tank (500 Litres), Bath bucket (15 Litres).
[4 Marks]
Water bottle (1 Litre), Spoon (5 mL), Overhead tank (500 Litres), Bath bucket (15 Litres).
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Capacity Ranking:
1. Spoon (5 mL) — Holds least
2. Water bottle (1 Litre)
3. Bath bucket (15 Litres)
4. Overhead tank (500 Litres) — Holds most.
1. Spoon (5 mL) — Holds least
2. Water bottle (1 Litre)
3. Bath bucket (15 Litres)
4. Overhead tank (500 Litres) — Holds most.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
All 4 containers ranked in exact ascending order
4.0 M
Q6
River Flow • The Journey of Water
Where do mountain rivers get their water from, and where do they finally empty their water?
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
River Journey:
• Mountain rivers originate from melting glaciers (snowfields) and seasonal monsoon rainfall in high mountain ranges.
• After flowing hundreds of kilometers through valleys and plains, they finally empty their water into the Ocean or Sea.
• Mountain rivers originate from melting glaciers (snowfields) and seasonal monsoon rainfall in high mountain ranges.
• After flowing hundreds of kilometers through valleys and plains, they finally empty their water into the Ocean or Sea.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Glacier melting and rain origin noted
1.5 M
Sea/Ocean terminal destination noted
1.5 M
Q7
Safe Drinking Water • Boiling and Filtering
Why is water from a river or pond boiled or filtered before drinking?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Water Safety:
• River and pond water often contains invisible germs, bacteria, parasites, and dirt. Boiling water for 10 minutes or passing it through a certified filter kills harmful microbes and prevents waterborne diseases like cholera, typhoid, and diarrhea.
• River and pond water often contains invisible germs, bacteria, parasites, and dirt. Boiling water for 10 minutes or passing it through a certified filter kills harmful microbes and prevents waterborne diseases like cholera, typhoid, and diarrhea.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Microbial disinfection and disease prevention explained
2.0 M
Q8
Observation Time • Animals and Habits
In Chapter 3 ('Water O' Water!'), what animals did the characters observe, and how do they move from place to place?
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Observations:
Animals move in diverse ways adapted to their bodies:
• Birds (Crow, Pigeon): Fly using wings and hop on two feet.
• Mammals (Cow, Dog): Walk and run on four legs.
• Reptiles (Lizard, Snake): Crawl on walls or slither on the ground.
• Insects (Ant, Grasshopper): Walk on six legs and hop/fly.
Animals move in diverse ways adapted to their bodies:
• Birds (Crow, Pigeon): Fly using wings and hop on two feet.
• Mammals (Cow, Dog): Walk and run on four legs.
• Reptiles (Lizard, Snake): Crawl on walls or slither on the ground.
• Insects (Ant, Grasshopper): Walk on six legs and hop/fly.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Birds, mammals, reptiles, insects movement
3 M
Q9
Find Out & Write • Animal Habitats
Name two animals that live:
(a) On trees
(b) In water
(c) On land
(d) Underground in burrows.
[2 Marks]
(a) On trees
(b) In water
(c) On land
(d) Underground in burrows.
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Habitats:
• (a) On trees: Monkey, Squirrel, Owl.
• (b) In water: Fish, Frog, Crocodile.
• (c) On land: Horse, Elephant, Goat.
• (d) In burrows: Rabbit, Earthworm, Snake.
• (a) On trees: Monkey, Squirrel, Owl.
• (b) In water: Fish, Frog, Crocodile.
• (c) On land: Horse, Elephant, Goat.
• (d) In burrows: Rabbit, Earthworm, Snake.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Correct examples for all 4 habitats
2 M
Q10
Discuss & Share • Our Senses
How do our five sense organs help us understand and navigate our daily environment?
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Five Senses:
1. Eyes: Help us see shapes, colours, and identify hazards.
2. Ears: Help us hear traffic horns, spoken words, and alarm sounds.
3. Nose: Helps us smell food, flowers, and detect smoke or gas leaks.
4. Tongue: Helps us taste sweet, sour, salty, and bitter food.
5. Skin: Helps us feel touch, heat, cold, roughness, and pain.
1. Eyes: Help us see shapes, colours, and identify hazards.
2. Ears: Help us hear traffic horns, spoken words, and alarm sounds.
3. Nose: Helps us smell food, flowers, and detect smoke or gas leaks.
4. Tongue: Helps us taste sweet, sour, salty, and bitter food.
5. Skin: Helps us feel touch, heat, cold, roughness, and pain.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
All 5 sense organs explained with functions
3 M
Q11
Water Cycle & Weather • Rain and Clouds
Where does rainwater come from, and why do plants and trees look fresher and greener after a rain shower?
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Rain and Plant Health:
• Rain comes from water evaporating from rivers, ponds, and seas, forming clouds in the sky that cool and condense into rain droplets.
• Rain washes off thick dust accumulated on leaves, unblocks stomata for breathing, and deeply soaks the roots with fresh mineral-rich moisture.
• Rain comes from water evaporating from rivers, ponds, and seas, forming clouds in the sky that cool and condense into rain droplets.
• Rain washes off thick dust accumulated on leaves, unblocks stomata for breathing, and deeply soaks the roots with fresh mineral-rich moisture.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Water cycle / cloud formation
1.5 M
Why plants look greener after rain
1.5 M
Q12
Food Diversity • Regional Diets
Why do people living in Kerala eat more rice, fish, and coconut, while people in Punjab eat more wheat chapatis, mustard greens, and lassi?
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Regional Food Factors:
• What people eat depends directly on what grows easily and abundantly in their climate and geography.
• Kerala has coastal climate, abundant rainfall, and coconut groves, making fish and rice staples.
• Punjab has fertile plains ideal for wheat and mustard cultivation, and a strong dairy culture.
• What people eat depends directly on what grows easily and abundantly in their climate and geography.
• Kerala has coastal climate, abundant rainfall, and coconut groves, making fish and rice staples.
• Punjab has fertile plains ideal for wheat and mustard cultivation, and a strong dairy culture.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Climate and agriculture connection
1.5 M
Kerala and Punjab examples explained
1.5 M
Q13
Cooking Methods • Kitchen Science
Match each food item to its primary method of cooking:
(a) Idli — (1) Frying
(b) Puri — (2) Steaming
(c) Roti — (3) Roasting on Tawa.
[3 Marks]
(a) Idli — (1) Frying
(b) Puri — (2) Steaming
(c) Roti — (3) Roasting on Tawa.
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Matching:
• (a) Idli — (2) Steaming
• (b) Puri — (1) Frying in oil
• (c) Roti — (3) Roasting on Tawa.
• (a) Idli — (2) Steaming
• (b) Puri — (1) Frying in oil
• (c) Roti — (3) Roasting on Tawa.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Idli-Steaming, Puri-Frying, Roti-Roasting
3 M
Q14
Shelter & Houses • Diversity in Homes
Why are houses in heavy-rainfall regions like Assam built on bamboo stilts with sloping roofs?
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Stilt Houses:
• Bamboo Stilts: Keep the house 10 to 12 feet above ground level to prevent floodwaters and wild animals from entering.
• Sloping Roofs: Allow torrential rainwater to slide off quickly without accumulating or causing leaks.
• Bamboo Stilts: Keep the house 10 to 12 feet above ground level to prevent floodwaters and wild animals from entering.
• Sloping Roofs: Allow torrential rainwater to slide off quickly without accumulating or causing leaks.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Reason for bamboo stilts (floods)
1.5 M
Reason for sloping roof (rain runoff)
1.5 M
Q15
Community Helpers • Occupations
Identify the worker who:
(a) Mends our shoes
(b) Delivers letters and parcels
(c) Shapes clay into earthen pots on a wheel
(d) Treats sick people and prescribes medicines.
[2 Marks]
(a) Mends our shoes
(b) Delivers letters and parcels
(c) Shapes clay into earthen pots on a wheel
(d) Treats sick people and prescribes medicines.
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Community Helpers:
• (a) Mends shoes: Cobbler
• (b) Delivers letters: Postman / Mail carrier
• (c) Shapes clay pots: Potter
• (d) Treats sick people: Doctor.
• (a) Mends shoes: Cobbler
• (b) Delivers letters: Postman / Mail carrier
• (c) Shapes clay pots: Potter
• (d) Treats sick people: Doctor.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Cobbler, Postman, Potter, Doctor
2 M
Q16
Web of Life • Food Chain
What is the 'Web of Life'? Draw a simple food chain showing how grass, deer, and lion are connected.
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Web of Life & Food Chain:
• The Web of Life shows that every living organism is interconnected and depends on others for survival.
• Food Chain: Sunlight → Grass (Producer) → Deer (Herbivore) → Lion (Carnivore).
If grass disappears, deer starve; if deer disappear, lions cannot survive.
• The Web of Life shows that every living organism is interconnected and depends on others for survival.
• Food Chain: Sunlight → Grass (Producer) → Deer (Herbivore) → Lion (Carnivore).
If grass disappears, deer starve; if deer disappear, lions cannot survive.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Definition of Web of Life
1.5 M
Grass → Deer → Lion chain explained
1.5 M
Q17
Review Questions • True or False
Write True or False:
(a) Blind people can read books written in Braille script using their fingertips.
(b) Rainwater is the main natural source of fresh water on Earth.
(c) Animals do not have feelings and cannot communicate danger to each other.
[3 Marks]
(a) Blind people can read books written in Braille script using their fingertips.
(b) Rainwater is the main natural source of fresh water on Earth.
(c) Animals do not have feelings and cannot communicate danger to each other.
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Answers:
• (a) True: Braille uses raised dots felt with fingertips.
• (b) True: Rain replenishes rivers, lakes, and groundwater.
• (c) False: Animals communicate through warning calls, scents, and body language to alert their group of predators.
• (a) True: Braille uses raised dots felt with fingertips.
• (b) True: Rain replenishes rivers, lakes, and groundwater.
• (c) False: Animals communicate through warning calls, scents, and body language to alert their group of predators.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
True, True, False with reasoning
3 M
🌟 NEP 2020 Competency-Based Case Study
Disaster Preparedness: Flood Safety in Coastal Communities
Due to a cyclone, heavy rain lashes a coastal town. Floodwater enters the ground floor of houses, submerging electric plug points, floating garbage around, and contaminating the municipal drinking water supply pipes.
Analytical Task: What emergency safety precautions must families follow during a flood to protect their lives and health?
Evaluation & Model Answer:
Families must observe immediate flood safety protocols: (1) Electrical Safety: Turn off the main electrical circuit breaker immediately to prevent lethal electrocution through flooded water. (2) Move to Higher Ground: Evacuate to higher floors or designated cyclone shelters with emergency medicine, dry snacks, and torches. (3) Strict Drinking Water Hygiene: Drink only vigorously boiled water or bottled water; never drink cloudy floodwater. (4) Avoid Walking in Moving Water: Fast currents of even knee-deep water can sweep away adults, and hidden submerged open drains or reptiles pose fatal hazards.
Rubric: Electrical cut-off, higher ground evacuation, safe potable drinking water, hazard avoidance (4 Marks).