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NCERT Solutions for Class 4th The World Around Us Chapter 6 Journey of the Grains — Activity 2 and Write

Book page 88–89 Updated on2026-09-19

Q1.
Observe the pictures and answer the following questions. Put a tick (✓) on the elements that assist a grain in its journey.
SoilStoneAirWoodWaterTiger
✓     
FarmerEarthwormHillsFireInsectBat
      
The table printed on page 88. Soil is already ticked in the book.
Answer

Tick these six: Soil, Air, Water, Farmer, Earthworm and Insect. Soil is already ticked in the book.

SoilStoneAirWoodWaterTiger
✓ ✓ ✓ 
FarmerEarthwormHillsFireInsectBat
✓✓  ✓ 
The same table with all the helpers ticked.

Here is what each one does for the grain:

  • Soil — holds the seed and gives the plant its food.
  • Air — every plant needs air to live and grow.
  • Water — makes the seed sprout, and the plant drinks it every day.
  • Farmer — sows, waters, weeds, guards and harvests the crop.
  • Earthworm — moves inside the soil and makes it soft and loose.
  • Insect — carries pollen from one flower to another.

Do not tick Stone, Wood, Tiger, Hills, Fire and Bat. None of them helps a grain grow in a field.

Why: A helper is anything without which the grain could not reach our plate. Take away the soil or the water, and there is no crop at all.
Q2.
What is the role of farmers in this process?
PictureWhat it shows
1A farmer walking over the ploughed field and sowing seeds by hand.
2The sun shining over the young crop, and water flowing into the field from a pump.
3Rain falling from dark clouds on the field and on the stream beside it.
4A cow standing beside the growing crop, next to two sacks marked MANURE.
5Earthworms moving about inside the brown soil, under the crop.
6The farmer standing in the tall green crop, beside a scarecrow.
7The farmer sitting in the field and pulling out the weeds.
8The farmer cutting the ripe golden crop with a sickle.
9The farmer filling grain into a sack from a big heap.
10A shopkeeper at his shop filling grain for a customer, with open sacks marked WHEAT and RICE.
11A woman cleaning grain on a tray at home, and a man cooking in a pan on the stove.
12A girl at the table eating rotis, with a bowl of curry and a glass of water.
The twelve pictures of ‘Journey of the Grains’ on pages 86 and 87.
Answer

The farmer does most of the work in this journey. The pictures show him at six different jobs.

  1. He sows the seeds in the ploughed field (picture 1).
  2. He brings water to the field (picture 2).
  3. He puts manure in the field to make the soil rich (picture 4).
  4. He guards the crop, and puts up a scarecrow (picture 6).
  5. He pulls out the weeds growing among the plants (picture 7).
  6. He cuts the ripe crop with a sickle and fills the grain into sacks (pictures 8 and 9).
Why: Soil, water and sunlight are already there in the field. But someone must sow the seed, care for the crop and harvest it. That someone is the farmer, so without him the seed would never become grain in a sack.
Tip: The farmer waits many months between picture 1 and picture 8. That is why the book calls this a remarkable journey.
Q3.
List out the missing elements in the table above.
SoilStoneAirWoodWaterTiger
✓     
FarmerEarthwormHillsFireInsectBat
      
The table printed on page 88. Soil is already ticked in the book.
Answer

The table on page 88 leaves out many helpers. The pictures on pages 86 and 87 show them.

  • Sunlight — the plant makes its own food in the sunlight.
  • Rain and clouds — they fill the field with water.
  • Seed — the whole journey starts with it.
  • Manure — it makes the soil rich.
  • Cattle — they give manure, and pull the plough and the cart.
  • Shopkeeper — he keeps the grain in his shop and sells it to us.
  • Cook and family members — they clean the grain, cook it and serve it.
  • Tractor and farm tools — they plough the field and cut the crop.
Tip: The Hindi edition asks this more clearly — list the helping things that are not in the table. So do not write stone, wood, tiger, hills, fire or bat here. They are in the table, but they are not helpers.
Why: No single helper is enough by itself. The grain reaches our plate only when all of them work together.
Q4.
From the time a seed is sown, to the point when food reaches our plate, it is a remarkable journey. Can you list the roles of the different elements involved in this journey? (a) Soil: (b) Water: (c) Farmer: (d) Cattle: (e) Shopkeeper: (f) Family members: (g) Any other:
PictureWhat it shows
1A farmer walking over the ploughed field and sowing seeds by hand.
2The sun shining over the young crop, and water flowing into the field from a pump.
3Rain falling from dark clouds on the field and on the stream beside it.
4A cow standing beside the growing crop, next to two sacks marked MANURE.
5Earthworms moving about inside the brown soil, under the crop.
6The farmer standing in the tall green crop, beside a scarecrow.
7The farmer sitting in the field and pulling out the weeds.
8The farmer cutting the ripe golden crop with a sickle.
9The farmer filling grain into a sack from a big heap.
10A shopkeeper at his shop filling grain for a customer, with open sacks marked WHEAT and RICE.
11A woman cleaning grain on a tray at home, and a man cooking in a pan on the stove.
12A girl at the table eating rotis, with a bowl of curry and a glass of water.
The twelve pictures of ‘Journey of the Grains’ on pages 86 and 87.
Answer

Write one line against each name. Here is what each of them does.

 Its role in the journey
(a) SoilHolds the seed, and gives the plant food and a place to stand.
(b) WaterMakes the seed sprout, and the plant drinks it every day.
(c) FarmerSows, waters, puts manure, weeds, guards and harvests the crop.
(d) CattleGive manure for the field, and help in ploughing and carrying the load.
(e) ShopkeeperKeeps the grain in sacks in his shop and sells it to us.
(f) Family membersClean the grain, cook it, and serve the food on our plate.
(g) Any otherSunlight helps the plant make its food; earthworms make the soil soft; rain fills the field with water.
Why: The efforts of people and animals make this journey possible for us. Water, soil and sunlight also play an important role in it.
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