NCERT Textbook: What's in a Name | NCERT Textbooks & Solutions for Class 3 PDF Download

 Page 1


A long long time ago, there was a 
cowherd family in Tarakeshwar. Every 
day Deba and Deep took the cows out for 
grazing. They used to return in the late 
evening together with all the cows.
One day, Deba asked: How do we know 
that we have not lost any cows? They did 
not know how to count.
What could Deba and Deep do?
Did all the cows come back home?
Their friend gave them an idea: When you 
  go out, make a mark on the wall for 
 each cow that leaves the gate. Then  
     when you come back, strike out one 
    mark from the wall each time a 
     cow re-enters the gate.
What's in a What's in a 
Name? Name?
1 1
The next day they followed 
their friend’s idea, and all the 
marks were struck out when 
they came back home.
Page 2


A long long time ago, there was a 
cowherd family in Tarakeshwar. Every 
day Deba and Deep took the cows out for 
grazing. They used to return in the late 
evening together with all the cows.
One day, Deba asked: How do we know 
that we have not lost any cows? They did 
not know how to count.
What could Deba and Deep do?
Did all the cows come back home?
Their friend gave them an idea: When you 
  go out, make a mark on the wall for 
 each cow that leaves the gate. Then  
     when you come back, strike out one 
    mark from the wall each time a 
     cow re-enters the gate.
What's in a What's in a 
Name? Name?
1 1
The next day they followed 
their friend’s idea, and all the 
marks were struck out when 
they came back home.
2
Maths Mela | Class 3
After a few years, they 
had many more cows. One 
day, their wall had this 
many marks when they left 
home.
So, they had .......... cows.
The next day they returned 
with the cows. They struck 
out one mark as each cow 
re-entered the gate. Two marks were still left on the wall but they 
didn’t see any cows outside. They were worried.
Why were Deba and Deep worried?
How many cows had reached home? .............................. 
Deba and Deep quickly went to search for the missing cows and 
found them in a nearby field. They all happily returned home 
together!
Their friend Hemant had 36 cows and 23 sheep. 
Help Hemant keep track of his cows and sheep by making marks like 
Deba and Deep.
Teacher’s Note: Encourage children to think of different strategies 
to count large groups of objects without using numbers. They can 
also use the above story as an activity where they can keep track of 
all children entering and leaving the classroom. 
Page 3


A long long time ago, there was a 
cowherd family in Tarakeshwar. Every 
day Deba and Deep took the cows out for 
grazing. They used to return in the late 
evening together with all the cows.
One day, Deba asked: How do we know 
that we have not lost any cows? They did 
not know how to count.
What could Deba and Deep do?
Did all the cows come back home?
Their friend gave them an idea: When you 
  go out, make a mark on the wall for 
 each cow that leaves the gate. Then  
     when you come back, strike out one 
    mark from the wall each time a 
     cow re-enters the gate.
What's in a What's in a 
Name? Name?
1 1
The next day they followed 
their friend’s idea, and all the 
marks were struck out when 
they came back home.
2
Maths Mela | Class 3
After a few years, they 
had many more cows. One 
day, their wall had this 
many marks when they left 
home.
So, they had .......... cows.
The next day they returned 
with the cows. They struck 
out one mark as each cow 
re-entered the gate. Two marks were still left on the wall but they 
didn’t see any cows outside. They were worried.
Why were Deba and Deep worried?
How many cows had reached home? .............................. 
Deba and Deep quickly went to search for the missing cows and 
found them in a nearby field. They all happily returned home 
together!
Their friend Hemant had 36 cows and 23 sheep. 
Help Hemant keep track of his cows and sheep by making marks like 
Deba and Deep.
Teacher’s Note: Encourage children to think of different strategies 
to count large groups of objects without using numbers. They can 
also use the above story as an activity where they can keep track of 
all children entering and leaving the classroom. 
3
What’s in a Name?
1.  Some animals and birds got together to play a game. They 
wanted to make 2 teams. They decided that the captain of the 
first team will be the one with the longest name, i.e., the one 
with the most letters. The captain of the second team will be the 
one with the shortest name, i.e., the one with the fewest letters.
tiger
elephant
deer
rat
monkey
ox
dog
snake
goat
lion
Find out the captains of the 2 teams.
First team : 
Letter count : 
Second team : 
Letter count : 
Do you know 
any animal 
having a longer 
name than the 
first team’s 
captain?
Mahesh
Kartik
2. Who has a longer name? Discuss. 
Let us Do
My name is 
longer.
Page 4


A long long time ago, there was a 
cowherd family in Tarakeshwar. Every 
day Deba and Deep took the cows out for 
grazing. They used to return in the late 
evening together with all the cows.
One day, Deba asked: How do we know 
that we have not lost any cows? They did 
not know how to count.
What could Deba and Deep do?
Did all the cows come back home?
Their friend gave them an idea: When you 
  go out, make a mark on the wall for 
 each cow that leaves the gate. Then  
     when you come back, strike out one 
    mark from the wall each time a 
     cow re-enters the gate.
What's in a What's in a 
Name? Name?
1 1
The next day they followed 
their friend’s idea, and all the 
marks were struck out when 
they came back home.
2
Maths Mela | Class 3
After a few years, they 
had many more cows. One 
day, their wall had this 
many marks when they left 
home.
So, they had .......... cows.
The next day they returned 
with the cows. They struck 
out one mark as each cow 
re-entered the gate. Two marks were still left on the wall but they 
didn’t see any cows outside. They were worried.
Why were Deba and Deep worried?
How many cows had reached home? .............................. 
Deba and Deep quickly went to search for the missing cows and 
found them in a nearby field. They all happily returned home 
together!
Their friend Hemant had 36 cows and 23 sheep. 
Help Hemant keep track of his cows and sheep by making marks like 
Deba and Deep.
Teacher’s Note: Encourage children to think of different strategies 
to count large groups of objects without using numbers. They can 
also use the above story as an activity where they can keep track of 
all children entering and leaving the classroom. 
3
What’s in a Name?
1.  Some animals and birds got together to play a game. They 
wanted to make 2 teams. They decided that the captain of the 
first team will be the one with the longest name, i.e., the one 
with the most letters. The captain of the second team will be the 
one with the shortest name, i.e., the one with the fewest letters.
tiger
elephant
deer
rat
monkey
ox
dog
snake
goat
lion
Find out the captains of the 2 teams.
First team : 
Letter count : 
Second team : 
Letter count : 
Do you know 
any animal 
having a longer 
name than the 
first team’s 
captain?
Mahesh
Kartik
2. Who has a longer name? Discuss. 
Let us Do
My name is 
longer.
4
Maths Mela | Class 3
        .......................................... 
 ..........................................  .......................................... 
 ..........................................  .......................................... 
 ..........................................  .......................................... 
 .......................................... 
3.  Write down the names of some of your friends in the spaces given 
below and then answer the questions from a to f.
Teacher’s Note: Teacher can ask children to mark the shortest and 
longest names among boys and girls and in the overall class. Help 
them share their strategy through discussion in the classroom.
 a.  Tick ü the longest name(s) and cross 
?
 the shortest 
name(s).
 b.  Write the starting letter of your name. .......................................
 c.  Count all the name(s) that have the same starting 
letter as yours.
 d.  Which starting letter is the most used? Count the 
names that begin with it. 
 e. Count the names with the same ending letter.
  ...........................................................................................................
 f. Write the letters that are not the starting letter of any name. 
  ...........................................................................................................
Page 5


A long long time ago, there was a 
cowherd family in Tarakeshwar. Every 
day Deba and Deep took the cows out for 
grazing. They used to return in the late 
evening together with all the cows.
One day, Deba asked: How do we know 
that we have not lost any cows? They did 
not know how to count.
What could Deba and Deep do?
Did all the cows come back home?
Their friend gave them an idea: When you 
  go out, make a mark on the wall for 
 each cow that leaves the gate. Then  
     when you come back, strike out one 
    mark from the wall each time a 
     cow re-enters the gate.
What's in a What's in a 
Name? Name?
1 1
The next day they followed 
their friend’s idea, and all the 
marks were struck out when 
they came back home.
2
Maths Mela | Class 3
After a few years, they 
had many more cows. One 
day, their wall had this 
many marks when they left 
home.
So, they had .......... cows.
The next day they returned 
with the cows. They struck 
out one mark as each cow 
re-entered the gate. Two marks were still left on the wall but they 
didn’t see any cows outside. They were worried.
Why were Deba and Deep worried?
How many cows had reached home? .............................. 
Deba and Deep quickly went to search for the missing cows and 
found them in a nearby field. They all happily returned home 
together!
Their friend Hemant had 36 cows and 23 sheep. 
Help Hemant keep track of his cows and sheep by making marks like 
Deba and Deep.
Teacher’s Note: Encourage children to think of different strategies 
to count large groups of objects without using numbers. They can 
also use the above story as an activity where they can keep track of 
all children entering and leaving the classroom. 
3
What’s in a Name?
1.  Some animals and birds got together to play a game. They 
wanted to make 2 teams. They decided that the captain of the 
first team will be the one with the longest name, i.e., the one 
with the most letters. The captain of the second team will be the 
one with the shortest name, i.e., the one with the fewest letters.
tiger
elephant
deer
rat
monkey
ox
dog
snake
goat
lion
Find out the captains of the 2 teams.
First team : 
Letter count : 
Second team : 
Letter count : 
Do you know 
any animal 
having a longer 
name than the 
first team’s 
captain?
Mahesh
Kartik
2. Who has a longer name? Discuss. 
Let us Do
My name is 
longer.
4
Maths Mela | Class 3
        .......................................... 
 ..........................................  .......................................... 
 ..........................................  .......................................... 
 ..........................................  .......................................... 
 .......................................... 
3.  Write down the names of some of your friends in the spaces given 
below and then answer the questions from a to f.
Teacher’s Note: Teacher can ask children to mark the shortest and 
longest names among boys and girls and in the overall class. Help 
them share their strategy through discussion in the classroom.
 a.  Tick ü the longest name(s) and cross 
?
 the shortest 
name(s).
 b.  Write the starting letter of your name. .......................................
 c.  Count all the name(s) that have the same starting 
letter as yours.
 d.  Which starting letter is the most used? Count the 
names that begin with it. 
 e. Count the names with the same ending letter.
  ...........................................................................................................
 f. Write the letters that are not the starting letter of any name. 
  ...........................................................................................................
5
What’s in a Name?
Teacher’s Note: Let the children observe what is common in the 
numbers that have the same number of letters in their number names.
4. Teji and Jojo are making numbers using these cards.
Teji and Jojo made the number 56 (Fifty-six). It has 8 letters. 
Write other numbers between 1 and 99 that have 8 letters.
Teji makes her roll 
number 43 like this. 
Its number name has 
10 letters.
Jojo makes his roll 
number 17 like this. 
Its number name has 
............. letters.
One
Four
Seven
Two
Five
Eight
Six
Fourteen
Seventeen
Ten
Fifteen
Twenty
Thirty Forty
Three
Forty
Fifty
Sixty Seventy
Eighty
Ninety
Eleven
Sixteen
Seventeen
Eighteen
Nineteen
Twelve
Thirteen
Nine
Three
forty-two 42
 a.  Write your roll number using number cards as shown above. 
Number cards are given at the end of the book.
  • My roll number is .............  
  • Its number name has ............. letters.
 b.  Write some numbers and their number names in your 
notebook. How many letters does each have?
Let Us Think
Let us Think
Fifty
Six