Chapter 5 of 24
Chapter 5: Chhotu's House
Turning a Shelter into a Home: Uninvited Animal Guests, House Cleanliness, and Decoration | CBSE Session 2026–27
Core Pedagogical Competencies & Concepts
- The difference between a physical shelter (roof/walls) and a home (warmth, family love, comfort).
- How Chhotu repurposed a large cement drainage pipe into a comfortable home with separate living, cooking, and sleeping zones.
- Uninvited animal guests in our homes: Lizards, spiders, mosquitoes, flies, ants, and mice.
- Keeping homes clean: Sweeping, mopping, waste disposal, and festive decorations (rangoli, torans).
All Textbook Exercises & In-Text Tasks (17 Questions)
100% Complete Ingestion
Q1
Shelter Adaptation
How did Chhotu divide the cement pipe into different spaces for his daily living?
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Chhotu smartly divided the pipe and the area around it into functional zones:
1. Inside the pipe was his sleeping space shielded from rain and heat.
2. Outside behind the pipe was his cooking space with a small clay stove.
3. An area next to it was for drying clothes on a rope.
4. A corner was set aside for storing drinking water in an earthen pitcher.
5. The front open space was for welcoming guests and chatting with his friend Monu.
1. Inside the pipe was his sleeping space shielded from rain and heat.
2. Outside behind the pipe was his cooking space with a small clay stove.
3. An area next to it was for drying clothes on a rope.
4. A corner was set aside for storing drinking water in an earthen pitcher.
5. The front open space was for welcoming guests and chatting with his friend Monu.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Detailed division into sleeping, cooking, water storage, and guest spaces
3 Marks
Q2
Uninvited Guests in Homes
Name four uninvited animals that live in our homes and explain where they are usually found.
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
1. Lizards (Geckos): Crawling on walls and ceilings near electric lights to hunt flies.
2. Spiders: Weaving webs in dusty corners and behind heavy cupboards.
3. Ants: Marching in straight lines toward sugary crumbs dropped in the kitchen.
4. Mice (Rats): Hiding in dark basements, store rooms, or kitchen drains.
2. Spiders: Weaving webs in dusty corners and behind heavy cupboards.
3. Ants: Marching in straight lines toward sugary crumbs dropped in the kitchen.
4. Mice (Rats): Hiding in dark basements, store rooms, or kitchen drains.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Naming four uninvited creatures
1.5 Marks
Accurate micro-locations within the house
1.5 Marks
Q3
Cleanliness Habits
Why is daily sweeping and wet mopping necessary for household health?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Daily sweeping removes dust and food crumbs that attract cockroaches and mice, while mopping with disinfectant cleans floor bacteria and prevents the breeding of germs that cause infectious illnesses.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Pest prevention by removing food crumbs
1 Mark
Bacterial disinfection for family health
1 Mark
Q4
Shelter Adaptation • Chhotu's House
When Chhotu came to Mumbai, he had no house. He saw a large cement pipe lying on the road.
(a) How did Chhotu use the cement pipe as his home?
(b) How did he divide the pipe and surrounding area into different parts for living?
[4 Marks]
(a) How did Chhotu use the cement pipe as his home?
(b) How did he divide the pipe and surrounding area into different parts for living?
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Chhotu's Shelter:
(a) Pipe as Shelter:
• Chhotu used the large cement pipe as a safe, dry home that protected him from rain, scorching heat, and cold winds without having to pay rent.
(b) Functional Zones:
• Inside the pipe: Sleeping area.
• Near the pipe entrance: Cooking area.
• On a string outside: Drying clothes.
• In a bucket outside: Water storage.
• Open space: Sitting area for chatting with friend Monu.
(a) Pipe as Shelter:
• Chhotu used the large cement pipe as a safe, dry home that protected him from rain, scorching heat, and cold winds without having to pay rent.
(b) Functional Zones:
• Inside the pipe: Sleeping area.
• Near the pipe entrance: Cooking area.
• On a string outside: Drying clothes.
• In a bucket outside: Water storage.
• Open space: Sitting area for chatting with friend Monu.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Protection from weather without rent
1.5 M
Zoning of pipe into sleeping, cooking, drying areas
2.5 M
Q5
Uninvited Guests • Household Pests
In the poem 'Home Sweet Home', which creatures are called 'uninvited guests' that live in our houses without our permission?
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Uninvited Guests in Houses:
• Lizards (crawling on walls)
• Mice / Rats (running races in cupboards)
• Mosquitoes and Flies (buzzing around)
• Cockroaches (creeping out from drains at night).
• Lizards (crawling on walls)
• Mice / Rats (running races in cupboards)
• Mosquitoes and Flies (buzzing around)
• Cockroaches (creeping out from drains at night).
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
At least three accurate household pests named
3.0 M
Q6
Home Cleanliness • Sanitation Rules
Why is it important to sweep floors and empty dustbins daily in a house?
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Sanitation Rationale:
• Leftover food crumbs, dust, and trash attract mice, cockroaches, and flies, which carry harmful bacteria that contaminate food and cause illnesses. Daily sweeping and mopping keep the house healthy and pleasant.
• Leftover food crumbs, dust, and trash attract mice, cockroaches, and flies, which carry harmful bacteria that contaminate food and cause illnesses. Daily sweeping and mopping keep the house healthy and pleasant.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Pest attraction and bacterial contamination explained
1.5 M
Hygienic living environment emphasized
1.5 M
Q7
Decorating the House • Festive Rangoli
How do families decorate their houses on special occasions and festivals? Give two examples.
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
House Decoration:
1. Drawing colorful rangolis with flower petals and rice powder on the front porch.
2. Hanging fresh mango leaf torans (bandanwar) and lighting clay diyas along balconies.
1. Drawing colorful rangolis with flower petals and rice powder on the front porch.
2. Hanging fresh mango leaf torans (bandanwar) and lighting clay diyas along balconies.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Two authentic Indian house decoration methods described
2.0 M
Q8
Observation Time • Animals and Habits
In Chapter 5 ('Chhotu's House'), 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
Urban Homelessness and Community Empathy
Like Chhotu, many migrant workers come to big cities in search of work and live under flyovers, in pipes, or in makeshift tin shacks without clean piped water or proper toilets.
Analytical Task: What basic civic facilities should city governments provide in night shelters (Rain Baseras) to help homeless people live with dignity?
Evaluation & Model Answer:
City governments should provide well-maintained night shelters (Rain Baseras) equipped with: (1) Clean, filtered potable drinking water taps. (2) Separate, hygienic restrooms with flushing toilets and running water. (3) Clean bedding, blankets in winter, and mosquito mesh windows. (4) Basic first-aid medical dispensary access. (5) Secure storage lockers so daily wage workers can keep their earnings and identification documents safe.
Rubric: Compassionate understanding of migration, clean sanitation, dignity, essential civic shelter amenities (4 Marks).