Q1.
Look at some clothes, bags or other things you use every day. List some of the materials that you have used. Are they made from natural or synthetic fibres? Then, write one thing you like about it in the table below.
| Item | Natural | Synthetic | What I Like About It? |
|---|---|---|---|
Answer
First remember which fibre goes in which group. The book shows them on pages 136 and 137.
| Natural fibres — from plants and animals | Synthetic fibres — made by people |
|---|---|
| Bamboo, cotton, linen (from the flax plant), jute — from plants Wool (from sheep), silk (from the silk moth) — from animals | Rayon, nylon, polyester, terylene |
Now look at your own things and fill the table. Put a tick in the correct column. Here is a filled sample.
| Item | Natural | Synthetic | What I Like About It? |
|---|---|---|---|
| My cotton school shirt | ✓ (cotton) | — | It lets air pass, so I do not feel hot in summer. It washes easily. |
| My woollen sweater | ✓ (wool) | — | It is soft and it keeps me really warm in winter. |
| My school bag | — | ✓ (nylon / polyester) | It is light, it does not tear, and rain does not soak through it. |
| My mother's silk saree | ✓ (silk) | — | It is smooth and shiny. She wears it on festival days. |
| The jute bag we take to the market | ✓ (jute) | — | It is strong, it carries heavy vegetables, and it is not plastic. |
| My raincoat | — | ✓ (polyester) | Water rolls off it and it dries in a few minutes. |
| The rope on our charpai | ✓ (coconut coir / jute) | — | It is thick and rough and does not break, even after years. |
| My socks | ✓ (cotton) | ✓ (a little nylon) | The cotton soaks up sweat and the nylon makes them stretch to fit. |
Your table will have your own things in it. Any true answer is correct — what matters is that you check the label or ask an elder, instead of guessing.
How to tell one from the other: Ask where the material came from. If it grew on a plant or came off an animal, it is a natural fibre. If it was made in a factory out of artificial material, it is a synthetic fibre. Notice the last row — many clothes today are a mixture of both, because that way we get the good points of each.
Did you know? India is the largest producer of jute in the world. And kala (black) cotton, grown in Gujarat, needs no chemicals and no extra water. Weavers there hand-spin it and weave it into a strong, eco-friendly cloth.