Class 4 EVS NCERT Book Chapter 8 How Things are Made

 Page 1


We learnt in Grade 3 that things around us are made 
of different materials. Are you curious to know how 
these things are made? As an example, let us learn 
with Pihu how paper is made.
It was a Sunday and Pihu was busy painting in her 
drawing book. Her mother was reading a newspaper. 
When Pihu looked up, she noticed a picture of trees 
on the front page of the newspaper.
How Things are How Things are 
Made Made
8
Chapter 8.indd   117 Chapter 8.indd   117 30-03-2025   09:52:22 30-03-2025   09:52:22
Page 2


We learnt in Grade 3 that things around us are made 
of different materials. Are you curious to know how 
these things are made? As an example, let us learn 
with Pihu how paper is made.
It was a Sunday and Pihu was busy painting in her 
drawing book. Her mother was reading a newspaper. 
When Pihu looked up, she noticed a picture of trees 
on the front page of the newspaper.
How Things are How Things are 
Made Made
8
Chapter 8.indd   117 Chapter 8.indd   117 30-03-2025   09:52:22 30-03-2025   09:52:22
118 Our Wondrous World
Paper is
made from trees,
Pihu. 
Yes, Pihu.
Your drawing  
book, this 
newspaper, paper 
napkins and even the 
chart papers you use 
for school projects, 
are all made
from trees. 
Yes, Pihu.
That is because, it is 
made from recycled 
paper.
Does that
mean my drawing 
book is also made 
from trees?
Maa, touch
this! The surface of this 
pot looks like it is made 
from paper. However, it 
feels rough unlike my 
drawing book.
Maa! This
picture says that if 
we recycle paper, we can 
save trees. How are trees
and paper related 
to each other?
Chapter 8.indd   118 Chapter 8.indd   118 30-03-2025   09:52:23 30-03-2025   09:52:23
Page 3


We learnt in Grade 3 that things around us are made 
of different materials. Are you curious to know how 
these things are made? As an example, let us learn 
with Pihu how paper is made.
It was a Sunday and Pihu was busy painting in her 
drawing book. Her mother was reading a newspaper. 
When Pihu looked up, she noticed a picture of trees 
on the front page of the newspaper.
How Things are How Things are 
Made Made
8
Chapter 8.indd   117 Chapter 8.indd   117 30-03-2025   09:52:22 30-03-2025   09:52:22
118 Our Wondrous World
Paper is
made from trees,
Pihu. 
Yes, Pihu.
Your drawing  
book, this 
newspaper, paper 
napkins and even the 
chart papers you use 
for school projects, 
are all made
from trees. 
Yes, Pihu.
That is because, it is 
made from recycled 
paper.
Does that
mean my drawing 
book is also made 
from trees?
Maa, touch
this! The surface of this 
pot looks like it is made 
from paper. However, it 
feels rough unlike my 
drawing book.
Maa! This
picture says that if 
we recycle paper, we can 
save trees. How are trees
and paper related 
to each other?
Chapter 8.indd   118 Chapter 8.indd   118 30-03-2025   09:52:23 30-03-2025   09:52:23
119 How Things are Made
Make Recycled Paper
1. Collect materials: Old newspapers, 
some fenugreek seeds (methi) and 
water. 
2. Prepare the paper pulp: Tear the 
newspapers into small pieces and 
soak them in water. Put a small 
quantity of fenugreek seeds in the 
water and leave it overnight. The 
fenugreek seeds are used as a 
binding material. 
3. Using a grinder, blend or mash the 
soaked paper and fenugreek seeds, 
to create a wet mixture. Soaked 
paper can also be mashed using 
hands or any other available tool. 
4. Roll out: Spread the paste on a flat 
base and roll it out into thin sheets. 
5. Leave the rolled sheets of paper to 
dry. Your recycled paper is ready!
Yes, Pihu.
Why not? Let us try.
Maa, can
we make such 
paper?
Chapter 8.indd   119 Chapter 8.indd   119 30-03-2025   09:52:24 30-03-2025   09:52:24
Page 4


We learnt in Grade 3 that things around us are made 
of different materials. Are you curious to know how 
these things are made? As an example, let us learn 
with Pihu how paper is made.
It was a Sunday and Pihu was busy painting in her 
drawing book. Her mother was reading a newspaper. 
When Pihu looked up, she noticed a picture of trees 
on the front page of the newspaper.
How Things are How Things are 
Made Made
8
Chapter 8.indd   117 Chapter 8.indd   117 30-03-2025   09:52:22 30-03-2025   09:52:22
118 Our Wondrous World
Paper is
made from trees,
Pihu. 
Yes, Pihu.
Your drawing  
book, this 
newspaper, paper 
napkins and even the 
chart papers you use 
for school projects, 
are all made
from trees. 
Yes, Pihu.
That is because, it is 
made from recycled 
paper.
Does that
mean my drawing 
book is also made 
from trees?
Maa, touch
this! The surface of this 
pot looks like it is made 
from paper. However, it 
feels rough unlike my 
drawing book.
Maa! This
picture says that if 
we recycle paper, we can 
save trees. How are trees
and paper related 
to each other?
Chapter 8.indd   118 Chapter 8.indd   118 30-03-2025   09:52:23 30-03-2025   09:52:23
119 How Things are Made
Make Recycled Paper
1. Collect materials: Old newspapers, 
some fenugreek seeds (methi) and 
water. 
2. Prepare the paper pulp: Tear the 
newspapers into small pieces and 
soak them in water. Put a small 
quantity of fenugreek seeds in the 
water and leave it overnight. The 
fenugreek seeds are used as a 
binding material. 
3. Using a grinder, blend or mash the 
soaked paper and fenugreek seeds, 
to create a wet mixture. Soaked 
paper can also be mashed using 
hands or any other available tool. 
4. Roll out: Spread the paste on a flat 
base and roll it out into thin sheets. 
5. Leave the rolled sheets of paper to 
dry. Your recycled paper is ready!
Yes, Pihu.
Why not? Let us try.
Maa, can
we make such 
paper?
Chapter 8.indd   119 Chapter 8.indd   119 30-03-2025   09:52:24 30-03-2025   09:52:24
120 Our Wondrous World
Colour and design the paper you have made.
Natural Colour Experiment 
Cut the recycled paper into pieces of same size. Colour them 
using natural ingredients mentioned in the table below. 
You can use any other natural ingredients as well. Make 
sure that the quantity of ingredients used is the same for 
colouring each piece of paper. Write down your observations 
in the table below.
Natural 
ingredient used
Paste a sample 
of your paper 
here
Colour and 
brightness 
(dull/bright)
Turmeric
Yellow, 
dull
Spinach 
Beetroot
Henna
2
Chapter 8.indd   120 Chapter 8.indd   120 30-03-2025   09:52:25 30-03-2025   09:52:25
Page 5


We learnt in Grade 3 that things around us are made 
of different materials. Are you curious to know how 
these things are made? As an example, let us learn 
with Pihu how paper is made.
It was a Sunday and Pihu was busy painting in her 
drawing book. Her mother was reading a newspaper. 
When Pihu looked up, she noticed a picture of trees 
on the front page of the newspaper.
How Things are How Things are 
Made Made
8
Chapter 8.indd   117 Chapter 8.indd   117 30-03-2025   09:52:22 30-03-2025   09:52:22
118 Our Wondrous World
Paper is
made from trees,
Pihu. 
Yes, Pihu.
Your drawing  
book, this 
newspaper, paper 
napkins and even the 
chart papers you use 
for school projects, 
are all made
from trees. 
Yes, Pihu.
That is because, it is 
made from recycled 
paper.
Does that
mean my drawing 
book is also made 
from trees?
Maa, touch
this! The surface of this 
pot looks like it is made 
from paper. However, it 
feels rough unlike my 
drawing book.
Maa! This
picture says that if 
we recycle paper, we can 
save trees. How are trees
and paper related 
to each other?
Chapter 8.indd   118 Chapter 8.indd   118 30-03-2025   09:52:23 30-03-2025   09:52:23
119 How Things are Made
Make Recycled Paper
1. Collect materials: Old newspapers, 
some fenugreek seeds (methi) and 
water. 
2. Prepare the paper pulp: Tear the 
newspapers into small pieces and 
soak them in water. Put a small 
quantity of fenugreek seeds in the 
water and leave it overnight. The 
fenugreek seeds are used as a 
binding material. 
3. Using a grinder, blend or mash the 
soaked paper and fenugreek seeds, 
to create a wet mixture. Soaked 
paper can also be mashed using 
hands or any other available tool. 
4. Roll out: Spread the paste on a flat 
base and roll it out into thin sheets. 
5. Leave the rolled sheets of paper to 
dry. Your recycled paper is ready!
Yes, Pihu.
Why not? Let us try.
Maa, can
we make such 
paper?
Chapter 8.indd   119 Chapter 8.indd   119 30-03-2025   09:52:24 30-03-2025   09:52:24
120 Our Wondrous World
Colour and design the paper you have made.
Natural Colour Experiment 
Cut the recycled paper into pieces of same size. Colour them 
using natural ingredients mentioned in the table below. 
You can use any other natural ingredients as well. Make 
sure that the quantity of ingredients used is the same for 
colouring each piece of paper. Write down your observations 
in the table below.
Natural 
ingredient used
Paste a sample 
of your paper 
here
Colour and 
brightness 
(dull/bright)
Turmeric
Yellow, 
dull
Spinach 
Beetroot
Henna
2
Chapter 8.indd   120 Chapter 8.indd   120 30-03-2025   09:52:25 30-03-2025   09:52:25
121 How Things are Made
Paper can be painted with natural and artificial 
dyes. Natural dyes are made from different parts of 
a plant like the leaf, flower, root, seed, stem, etc. 
Thus, the produced natural dyes are safe to use. 
These are also used to colour various materials such 
as clothes and pots.
A Special Gift
Pihu gifted her mother a beautiful greeting card.
Pihu: Maa, thank you for teaching me how to recycle 
paper to make greeting cards.
Maa: Oh Pihu, this is lovely! It is a special gift for me. 
Note to the Teacher
Guide the students to use paper pieces of the same size, and to 
use the same quantity of natural ingredients. Also, guide students 
to make colours using natural ingredients and encourage them 
to think creatively about different uses of paper.
Make a greeting card, a paper mask or any such 
item made of recycled paper.
3
Chapter 8.indd   121 Chapter 8.indd   121 30-03-2025   09:52:25 30-03-2025   09:52:25