NCERT Textbook - Changing Times | EVS for Class 4 PDF Download

 Page 1


My name is Chetandas. Many years ago I used to teach children
like you. These days I spend my time by writing about the days
when I was young. I would love to share some of these with you.
A Big Move A Big Move A Big Move A Big Move A Big Move
I remember the time
when I was nine years
old. It must have been
over sixty years ago.
That was when we lived
in Dera Gazikhan.
Today this place is in
Pakistan. At that time,
there were a lot of
problems all around us.
I could not understand
what was happening.
One day Baba told us
For the teacher: Before starting this lesson, you can talk to the children about
how India got freedom from the British rule, and also about the partition. Show
them India and Pakistan on the map.
2024-25
Page 2


My name is Chetandas. Many years ago I used to teach children
like you. These days I spend my time by writing about the days
when I was young. I would love to share some of these with you.
A Big Move A Big Move A Big Move A Big Move A Big Move
I remember the time
when I was nine years
old. It must have been
over sixty years ago.
That was when we lived
in Dera Gazikhan.
Today this place is in
Pakistan. At that time,
there were a lot of
problems all around us.
I could not understand
what was happening.
One day Baba told us
For the teacher: Before starting this lesson, you can talk to the children about
how India got freedom from the British rule, and also about the partition. Show
them India and Pakistan on the map.
2024-25
Changing Times
97
that we had to leave our village
and move to another place. I
was sad to leave my house and
my village. That was where I
had all my friends. All of us –
Baba, Amma, my younger
brothers and sisters and I took
a train to come here, near
Delhi. Like us, many people
from our area also moved. People were saying that our country
was being divided into two – India and Pakistan. Many people
from India went to Pakistan just like we moved to India. For
some time we all stayed in a camp. We lived in big tents that were
put up in a huge ground.
A New Home A New Home A New Home A New Home A New Home
One day Baba told us that we had been given some land in
Sohna village. He said that we could build our house there. I
was very happy. Baba and Amma worked hard to make the
house. We children also helped. Baba dug the soil, and we
quickly filled the pans and passed them on to Amma.  Gudiya
and Amma mixed husk in it. Baba put up the walls.
We brought cow dung
from nearby houses.
Amma mixed it with the
mud. She coated the floor
with this mixture, just like
she used to do in our old
house. Amma used to say
that this would keep the
insects away.
2024-25
Page 3


My name is Chetandas. Many years ago I used to teach children
like you. These days I spend my time by writing about the days
when I was young. I would love to share some of these with you.
A Big Move A Big Move A Big Move A Big Move A Big Move
I remember the time
when I was nine years
old. It must have been
over sixty years ago.
That was when we lived
in Dera Gazikhan.
Today this place is in
Pakistan. At that time,
there were a lot of
problems all around us.
I could not understand
what was happening.
One day Baba told us
For the teacher: Before starting this lesson, you can talk to the children about
how India got freedom from the British rule, and also about the partition. Show
them India and Pakistan on the map.
2024-25
Changing Times
97
that we had to leave our village
and move to another place. I
was sad to leave my house and
my village. That was where I
had all my friends. All of us –
Baba, Amma, my younger
brothers and sisters and I took
a train to come here, near
Delhi. Like us, many people
from our area also moved. People were saying that our country
was being divided into two – India and Pakistan. Many people
from India went to Pakistan just like we moved to India. For
some time we all stayed in a camp. We lived in big tents that were
put up in a huge ground.
A New Home A New Home A New Home A New Home A New Home
One day Baba told us that we had been given some land in
Sohna village. He said that we could build our house there. I
was very happy. Baba and Amma worked hard to make the
house. We children also helped. Baba dug the soil, and we
quickly filled the pans and passed them on to Amma.  Gudiya
and Amma mixed husk in it. Baba put up the walls.
We brought cow dung
from nearby houses.
Amma mixed it with the
mud. She coated the floor
with this mixture, just like
she used to do in our old
house. Amma used to say
that this would keep the
insects away.
2024-25
Looking Around
98
Then, it was the turn for the roof to be made. Baba made a
frame by joining strips of wood and fixed it on the four walls.
We put branches of neem and keekar trees on the frame, so
that termites would not harm the wood. Amma put old gunny
bags on this and covered them with mud.
Most of the houses around our house were made like ours.
A few were different. But I liked my house the best. It was just
like our old house.
Find out and Write Find out and Write Find out and Write Find out and Write Find out and Write
Ö Ö Ö Ö Ö Talk to any one of your grandparents or any other elderly
person. Find out, when she or he was eight-nine years old –
Ö Ö Ö Ö Ö Where did she or he live? Name that place.
Ö Ö Ö Ö Ö From what material was her or his house made?
Ö Ö Ö Ö Ö Did they have a toilet in their house? If no, where was it?
Ö Ö Ö Ö Ö In which part of the house was food cooked?
Ö Ö Ö Ö Ö A lot of mud was used when Chetandas' house was made.
Why?
For the teacher: Sohna village is in Haryana. Ask the children to locate
Haryana on the map. Point out that when Chetandas’ parents built their
house, most of the material they used were locally available. Discuss
about locally available material and their uses.
2024-25
Page 4


My name is Chetandas. Many years ago I used to teach children
like you. These days I spend my time by writing about the days
when I was young. I would love to share some of these with you.
A Big Move A Big Move A Big Move A Big Move A Big Move
I remember the time
when I was nine years
old. It must have been
over sixty years ago.
That was when we lived
in Dera Gazikhan.
Today this place is in
Pakistan. At that time,
there were a lot of
problems all around us.
I could not understand
what was happening.
One day Baba told us
For the teacher: Before starting this lesson, you can talk to the children about
how India got freedom from the British rule, and also about the partition. Show
them India and Pakistan on the map.
2024-25
Changing Times
97
that we had to leave our village
and move to another place. I
was sad to leave my house and
my village. That was where I
had all my friends. All of us –
Baba, Amma, my younger
brothers and sisters and I took
a train to come here, near
Delhi. Like us, many people
from our area also moved. People were saying that our country
was being divided into two – India and Pakistan. Many people
from India went to Pakistan just like we moved to India. For
some time we all stayed in a camp. We lived in big tents that were
put up in a huge ground.
A New Home A New Home A New Home A New Home A New Home
One day Baba told us that we had been given some land in
Sohna village. He said that we could build our house there. I
was very happy. Baba and Amma worked hard to make the
house. We children also helped. Baba dug the soil, and we
quickly filled the pans and passed them on to Amma.  Gudiya
and Amma mixed husk in it. Baba put up the walls.
We brought cow dung
from nearby houses.
Amma mixed it with the
mud. She coated the floor
with this mixture, just like
she used to do in our old
house. Amma used to say
that this would keep the
insects away.
2024-25
Looking Around
98
Then, it was the turn for the roof to be made. Baba made a
frame by joining strips of wood and fixed it on the four walls.
We put branches of neem and keekar trees on the frame, so
that termites would not harm the wood. Amma put old gunny
bags on this and covered them with mud.
Most of the houses around our house were made like ours.
A few were different. But I liked my house the best. It was just
like our old house.
Find out and Write Find out and Write Find out and Write Find out and Write Find out and Write
Ö Ö Ö Ö Ö Talk to any one of your grandparents or any other elderly
person. Find out, when she or he was eight-nine years old –
Ö Ö Ö Ö Ö Where did she or he live? Name that place.
Ö Ö Ö Ö Ö From what material was her or his house made?
Ö Ö Ö Ö Ö Did they have a toilet in their house? If no, where was it?
Ö Ö Ö Ö Ö In which part of the house was food cooked?
Ö Ö Ö Ö Ö A lot of mud was used when Chetandas' house was made.
Why?
For the teacher: Sohna village is in Haryana. Ask the children to locate
Haryana on the map. Point out that when Chetandas’ parents built their
house, most of the material they used were locally available. Discuss
about locally available material and their uses.
2024-25
Changing Times
99
A Changing House A Changing House A Changing House A Changing House A Changing House
Time passed quickly. I finished my studies and got a job. Amma-
Baba wanted me to get married. I thought that before I got
married we should repair our house and build one more room.
In those days, people in cities were using cement. They said
that this made the houses stronger. We also thought we would
use cement. We used iron and cement for making the roof of
the new room.
In those days
unbaked bricks were
also available in the
market. We made the
walls with them. The
use of bricks was
useful – we did not
need to coat the wall
every week. Once a
year we would whitewash the walls. We also built a small
kitchen in the courtyard. The kitchen had a mud chulha and
place to keep the vessels.
Then I got married, and my wife Suman came to our new
house. To cook, Suman used to sit on the floor in the kitchen.
We all used to sit on mats in the kitchen and eat together. It
was a happy time!
People used to go out to the field for their toilet in those
days. Some of the houses had a separate place for this. We also
made a small toilet with unbaked bricks behind the house.
For the teacher: Encourage children to ask their elders about toilets at
their times.
2024-25
Page 5


My name is Chetandas. Many years ago I used to teach children
like you. These days I spend my time by writing about the days
when I was young. I would love to share some of these with you.
A Big Move A Big Move A Big Move A Big Move A Big Move
I remember the time
when I was nine years
old. It must have been
over sixty years ago.
That was when we lived
in Dera Gazikhan.
Today this place is in
Pakistan. At that time,
there were a lot of
problems all around us.
I could not understand
what was happening.
One day Baba told us
For the teacher: Before starting this lesson, you can talk to the children about
how India got freedom from the British rule, and also about the partition. Show
them India and Pakistan on the map.
2024-25
Changing Times
97
that we had to leave our village
and move to another place. I
was sad to leave my house and
my village. That was where I
had all my friends. All of us –
Baba, Amma, my younger
brothers and sisters and I took
a train to come here, near
Delhi. Like us, many people
from our area also moved. People were saying that our country
was being divided into two – India and Pakistan. Many people
from India went to Pakistan just like we moved to India. For
some time we all stayed in a camp. We lived in big tents that were
put up in a huge ground.
A New Home A New Home A New Home A New Home A New Home
One day Baba told us that we had been given some land in
Sohna village. He said that we could build our house there. I
was very happy. Baba and Amma worked hard to make the
house. We children also helped. Baba dug the soil, and we
quickly filled the pans and passed them on to Amma.  Gudiya
and Amma mixed husk in it. Baba put up the walls.
We brought cow dung
from nearby houses.
Amma mixed it with the
mud. She coated the floor
with this mixture, just like
she used to do in our old
house. Amma used to say
that this would keep the
insects away.
2024-25
Looking Around
98
Then, it was the turn for the roof to be made. Baba made a
frame by joining strips of wood and fixed it on the four walls.
We put branches of neem and keekar trees on the frame, so
that termites would not harm the wood. Amma put old gunny
bags on this and covered them with mud.
Most of the houses around our house were made like ours.
A few were different. But I liked my house the best. It was just
like our old house.
Find out and Write Find out and Write Find out and Write Find out and Write Find out and Write
Ö Ö Ö Ö Ö Talk to any one of your grandparents or any other elderly
person. Find out, when she or he was eight-nine years old –
Ö Ö Ö Ö Ö Where did she or he live? Name that place.
Ö Ö Ö Ö Ö From what material was her or his house made?
Ö Ö Ö Ö Ö Did they have a toilet in their house? If no, where was it?
Ö Ö Ö Ö Ö In which part of the house was food cooked?
Ö Ö Ö Ö Ö A lot of mud was used when Chetandas' house was made.
Why?
For the teacher: Sohna village is in Haryana. Ask the children to locate
Haryana on the map. Point out that when Chetandas’ parents built their
house, most of the material they used were locally available. Discuss
about locally available material and their uses.
2024-25
Changing Times
99
A Changing House A Changing House A Changing House A Changing House A Changing House
Time passed quickly. I finished my studies and got a job. Amma-
Baba wanted me to get married. I thought that before I got
married we should repair our house and build one more room.
In those days, people in cities were using cement. They said
that this made the houses stronger. We also thought we would
use cement. We used iron and cement for making the roof of
the new room.
In those days
unbaked bricks were
also available in the
market. We made the
walls with them. The
use of bricks was
useful – we did not
need to coat the wall
every week. Once a
year we would whitewash the walls. We also built a small
kitchen in the courtyard. The kitchen had a mud chulha and
place to keep the vessels.
Then I got married, and my wife Suman came to our new
house. To cook, Suman used to sit on the floor in the kitchen.
We all used to sit on mats in the kitchen and eat together. It
was a happy time!
People used to go out to the field for their toilet in those
days. Some of the houses had a separate place for this. We also
made a small toilet with unbaked bricks behind the house.
For the teacher: Encourage children to ask their elders about toilets at
their times.
2024-25
Looking Around
100
Ö Ö Ö Ö Ö Chetandas tells that people from the basti used to come to
clean the toilets and take away the waste.
Ö Ö Ö Ö Ö The people who used the toilets did not clean them.
Discuss.
Ö Ö Ö Ö Ö Is there a toilet in your house? Who cleans it?
More Changes More Changes More Changes More Changes More Changes
My two sons and a daughter were born in that house. Time
passed. The children completed their studies. Fifteen years
ago, our daughter Simi got married and moved to Palwal.  When
Raju was to get married, we felt that we should get the house
ready for the new bride.
By then, everyone
was using baked
bricks. We also used
them for the walls
and put a lintel for
the roof. We used
marble chips and
cement for a strong
and fancy floor. In
the toilet we put
pipes to take away
the waste. The kitchen was made bigger. Now, Raju's wife does
not use the clay chulha. She stands while cooking on the gas
stove.
For the teacher: Ask the children what they think about the cleaning of
toilets by others. Do they know of places where this is still done?
2024-25