Questions, Activities, and Projects
1. What are some of the rules you follow in your family and neighbourhood? Why are they important?
Answer:
Family Rules:
- Examples: Eating dinner together, taking shoes off at the door, respecting elders, sharing household chores, being home by a certain time.
- Importance: These rules create discipline, ensure the house stays clean, and strengthen the bond between family members. They teach us respect and time management.
Neighbourhood Rules:
- Examples: Throwing garbage only in bins, not playing loud music late at night, parking vehicles in designated spots.
- Importance: These rules ensure that everyone lives peacefully without disturbing others. They maintain hygiene and order in the community.
2. Do you think some rules are unfair to a few people in the family or community? Why?
Answer: Yes, sometimes rules can be unfair or outdated.
- In the Family: In some traditional families, rules might dictate that only girls must do kitchen work while boys play outside. This is unfair because household responsibilities should be shared equally, as seen in Tenzing’s story where his father cooks and cleans.
- In the Community: Sometimes, strict rules about who can use a shared water source or enter certain places (based on caste or class) can exclude specific groups of people. This is unfair because resources and dignity should be accessible to everyone equally.
3. Describe several situations that you have observed where community support makes a difference.
Answer: (Note: Students can write their own observations. Below are model answers based on the chapter concepts.)
- Festivals: During festivals like Diwali or Ganesh Chaturthi, the entire community comes together to decorate the streets and organize events. This creates a sense of belonging and joy that a single family cannot achieve alone.
- Medical Emergencies: If a neighbour falls suddenly ill, others in the community often help by arranging a vehicle to the hospital or taking care of the children/pets of the affected family.
- Cleanliness Drives: Residents coming together on a Sunday to clean a local park. This collective effort achieves much more than a single municipal worker could do alone.
- Disaster Relief: As seen in the Chennai floods example, when a natural disaster hits, neighbours share food, water, and shelter, saving lives.