How Things are Made
Class 4 · The World Around Us
4 ideas in Class 4 The World Around Us, explained in plain words, with games and quizzes to practise.
Handmade Paper and Tree Conservation
Part of: Materials, Paper, and Sustainability
Making new paper requires cutting trees, large volumes of water, and electricity. We can save trees by recycling old newspapers into pulp using soaked fenugreek seeds (methi) as a natural binder.
Why it matters. Learning paper recycling shows children how everyday waste can be remade into useful sheets, inspiring conservation of forests and natural resources.
Try it in two minutes
- Tear a scrap of old newspaper into tiny bits and soak it in warm water with your child.
- Discuss why fenugreek seeds (methi) help bind loose paper fibres together.
- Look at historical writing materials like palm leaves (talapatra) and banana fibre paper.
Try at home. Mash wet soaked paper shreds with hands, roll them flat between two cloth towels, and dry them on a sunny windowsill.
Natural Dyes for Paper Crafts
Part of: Materials, Paper, and Sustainability
Handmade paper can be tinted using natural kitchen and garden extracts: turmeric provides yellow, spinach yields green, beetroot gives red or pink, and henna produces warm brown.
Why it matters. Experimenting with plant dyes teaches children basic chemistry, fair testing (using equal amounts of dye), and the beauty of safe, non-toxic craft materials.
Try it in two minutes
- Dab a pinch of turmeric water onto a paper scrap to see an instant yellow stain.
- Rub a fresh spinach leaf against paper to observe bright green chlorophyll.
- Discuss why natural vegetable dyes are safer for small children than solvent paints.
Try at home. Colour three small handmade paper greeting cards using turmeric, beetroot juice, and crushed spinach extract.
Paper Varieties and Braille System
Part of: Materials, Paper, and Sustainability
Different papers serve specific needs: tissue paper is soft and absorbent for wiping, cardboard is thick and rigid for packaging, and Braille paper features raised embossed dots that allow visually challenged people to read with their fingertips.
Why it matters. Exploring diverse paper textures builds sensory observation and introduces children to inclusive technologies like Braille.
Try it in two minutes
- Compare the softness of tissue paper with the thickness of a corrugated cardboard box.
- Gently poke a pencil tip into heavy paper from the back to make a raised bump your child can feel.
- Explain how visually impaired individuals read books by touching patterns of raised dots.
Try at home. Close your eyes and use fingertips to distinguish between a tissue paper, sandpaper, and a cardboard flap.
The 5Rs of Waste Management
Part of: Materials, Paper, and Sustainability
The 5Rs framework guides waste reduction: Refuse single-use plastics, Reduce daily consumption, Reuse containers, Repurpose old goods creatively (like bottle vases), and Recycle materials like paper into fresh items.
Why it matters. Practising the 5Rs empowers children to make responsible daily lifestyle choices that conserve Earth's resources and reduce municipal landfill garbage.
Try it in two minutes
- Look around the kitchen and identify an item you can reuse (like a washed glass pickle jar).
- Discuss what it means to 'Refuse' single-use plastic straws or disposable party cups.
- Turn an empty shoebox into a desk pencil organiser with your child.
Try at home. Keep a cloth shopping bag near your front door so your family remembers to refuse plastic bags at the market.
What your child will practise
- Handmade Paper and Tree Conservation: Desert Quick Fire (Quick Fire)
- Handmade Paper and Tree Conservation: Garden Quest (Collect the Answer)
- Natural Dyes for Paper Crafts: Space Puzzle (Clue Puzzle)
- Paper Varieties and Braille System: Ocean Quick Fire (Quick Fire)
- The 5Rs of Waste Management: Mission Control Quest (Collect the Answer)
- Quiz: Handmade Paper and Tree Conservation (8 questions)
- Quiz: Natural Dyes for Paper Crafts (8 questions)
- Quiz: Paper Varieties and Braille System (8 questions)
- Quiz: The 5Rs of Waste Management (8 questions)