पर्यावरण अध्ययन — 30 Marks | CTET Paper I (Class 1–5)
| Component | Questions | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Content (EVS topics) | ~15 | Family, food, shelter, water, travel, animals, plants, things we make, sports and play |
| Pedagogical Issues | ~15 | Nature of EVS, integration of subjects, learning principles, assessment, NCF 2005 |
EVS (Environmental Studies) is a thematic, integrated subject that connects natural science, social science, and environmental concerns around the child's immediate world. It is not a separate science subject — it draws from multiple disciplines to help young children understand their surroundings.
| Traditional Approach | EVS Approach |
|---|---|
| Separate subjects: Science, Geography, History | Integrated around themes: Family, Water, Food, Shelter |
| Abstract facts and definitions | Child's immediate experience and environment |
| Teacher lecture + textbook | Observation, exploration, investigation, field visits |
| Fixed right answers | Questions, hypotheses, inquiry |
The NCERT EVS textbooks "Looking Around" (Classes 3–5) are organised around 6 themes. CTET questions often reference specific chapters from these books.
| Theme | Class 3 Topics | Class 4 Topics | Class 5 Topics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family and Friends | My Family, Houses and Homes, Animals | Our Family, Tribal Communities | Seeds and Seeds, Different Families |
| Food | What We Eat, From Grain to Grain | Eating Together, Mangoes Round the Year | Seeds and Seeds, Sunita's Experience |
| Shelter | Our Houses | Houses and Construction | Sunita in Space (different shelter contexts) |
| Water | Water, More Rains, Less Rain | Too Much Water Too Little Water | Water and the Forest |
| Travel | Going to School | Run! Run! Run! (transportation) | No Place for Us? Migration |
| Things We Make and Do | Chhotu's House (traditional crafts) | Nandita in Mumbai (urban crafts) | Every Drop Counts (water management) |
| Topic | Key Facts |
|---|---|
| Kharif crops | Grown June–November (monsoon); paddy, maize, cotton, bajra, jowar, arhar (pigeon pea) |
| Rabi crops | Grown November–March; wheat, gram, mustard, peas, barley, potato |
| Food preservation | Drying/pickling (mango, amla), salting (fish), fermentation (idli, dosa batter), refrigeration |
| Food processing | Wheat → flour; sugarcane → jaggery/sugar; rice husk removal |
| Nutrition | Carbohydrates (energy — rice, wheat), Proteins (growth — dal, eggs, milk), Vitamins (disease prevention — fruits, vegetables), Fats (energy — oil, ghee) |
| Category | Examples | Key Feature |
|---|---|---|
| Birds | Weaver bird (nest), koel (lays eggs in crow's nest), Baya weaver | Nesting behaviour; migration |
| Insects | Honeybee (colony: queen, worker, drone), silkworm (sericulture), antlion | Social insects; lifecycle |
| Reptiles | Chameleon (colour change), turtle (bony shell), crocodile (wetland animal) | Adaptation to environment |
| Mammals | Camel (stores fat not water; leathery mouth to eat thorny plants), bat (echolocation), whale (blowhole) | Specialised adaptations |
| Wild animals | Tiger (National Animal), Peacock (National Bird), River dolphin (endangered) | National symbols; conservation |
| Climate/Region | House Type | Feature |
|---|---|---|
| Mountain (snowfall) | Sloping roof (wood/slate) | Snow slides off; keeps warm inside |
| Coastal/flood-prone | Stilt houses (on bamboo poles) | Raised to avoid flood water |
| Hot dry region (desert) | Mud/thick-walled houses | Mud is a poor conductor; keeps cool inside in day, warm at night |
| Heavy rainfall regions | Houses with ventilation | Good air flow to reduce humidity |
| Cold regions (Arctic) | Igloo (ice blocks) | Ice traps air; insulates against extreme cold |
EVS should be taught through direct experience with the environment. Children should:
| Connection | Example |
|---|---|
| EVS + Language | Write a story about a water drop's journey; poem about animals; read stories set in forests |
| EVS + Mathematics | Measure rainfall in mm; count seeds per fruit; calculate water usage; survey data bar charts |
| EVS + Art | Draw food chain diagrams; paint local birds; make collages of leaves |
| EVS + Social Studies | Map local area; discuss community occupations; study how different communities use water |
NCF 2005 strongly advocates against testing EVS through written recall examinations. Assessment should be:
| Issue | Cause | Effect | Solution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air pollution | Vehicular exhaust, industrial smoke, stubble burning | Respiratory disease, acid rain, smog | CNG vehicles, pollution filters, afforestation |
| Water pollution | Industrial effluents, sewage, plastic waste in rivers | Waterborne disease, aquatic life death, clean water scarcity | Sewage treatment, industrial norms, wetland conservation |
| Soil degradation | Chemical fertilizers, deforestation, overgrazing | Reduced crop yield, landslides, desertification | Organic farming, vermicomposting, contour ploughing |
| Deforestation | Agriculture expansion, urbanization, timber trade | Biodiversity loss, climate change, soil erosion | Social forestry, afforestation, protected areas |
| Climate change | Greenhouse gas emissions (CO₂, CH₄, N₂O) | Rising temperatures, extreme weather, glacial melt | Renewable energy, reduced fossil fuel use, Paris Agreement |