NCERT Solutions for Class 6th English Chapter 3 Nurturing Nature
Updated on 2026-09-19
About this chapter
The unit has three texts. Neem Baba is a conversation in which a girl, Amber, talks to the neem tree in her courtyard and learns where neem came from, what its many names mean, and how every part of it is useful. What a Bird Thought is an anonymous four-stanza poem in which a bird describes its world four times over — as an egg-shell, as a straw nest, as a tree full of leaves, and finally as a world nobody fully understands. Spices that Heal Us is a letter from a grandmother to her grandchildren Vikram and Vaibhavi, listing the home remedies hidden in an ordinary Indian kitchen — haldi, methi, jeera, heeng, dalchini, laung, adrak, kali mirch, saunf and elaichi. All three texts make the same point in different ways: nature is not a background to our life, it is part of it . A tree heals us,
- Neem Baba
- Neem Baba, Part I
- Neem Baba, Part II
- What a Bird Thought
- Spices that Heal Us
Quick revision
| Word | Where it comes | What it means | Used in a sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| thought-provoking | Neem Baba | Interesting; something that makes you think | The story of the neem tree's name is thought-provoking. |
| grace | Neem Baba | Blessing | Scientists call neem the 'bitter grace of God'. |
| twigs | Neem Baba | Small thin branches | Many people still clean their teeth with neem twigs. |
| measles | Neem Baba | A disease with fever and red spots on the skin | When her brother had measles, neem leaves were spread on his bed. |
| itching | Neem Baba | The feeling of needing to scratch | Measles causes itching all over the body. |
| breed | Neem Baba | Grow in numbers | Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water. |
| locusts | Neem Baba | Flying insects that damage crops | Neem spray keeps locusts away from the crop. |
| termites | Neem Baba | Insects that damage wood and buildings | Termites do not eat furniture made of neem wood. |
| stagnant | Neem Baba | Not flowing | Neem seed powder is put in stagnant water near homes. |
| cost-effective | Neem Baba | Good result for very little money | Neem seed powder is a cost-effective way to stop mosquitoes. |
| purifies | Neem Baba | Removes harmful particles | The neem tree purifies the air around it. |
| pale | What a Bird Thought | Light in colour, not dark | The egg was made of pale, blue shell. |
| nestled | What a Bird Thought | Settled warmly and comfortably | The chick was nestled by its mother. |
| fluttered | What a Bird Thought | Moved lightly and quickly with the wings | One day the young bird fluttered from its nest. |
| at length | What a Bird Thought | At last; after some time | At length the bird flew beyond the tree. |
| labours | What a Bird Thought | Hard work | The bird felt fit for grown-up labours. |
| remedies | Spices that Heal Us | Simple cures for an illness | Daadi shared her home remedies in a letter. |
| digestion | Spices that Heal Us | The way the body breaks down food | Saunf and ajwain help in the digestion of food. |
| respiratory | Spices that Heal Us | Connected with breathing | Elaichi helps with respiratory troubles. |
| extensively | Spices that Heal Us | Very widely; in many ways | Ginger is used extensively in Indian cooking. |
Exercises
- Neem Baba — Let us do these activities before we read Page 75
- Neem Baba, Part I — Let us discuss Page 77 & 78
- Neem Baba, Part II — Let us discuss Page 80
- Neem Baba — Let us think and reflect Page 81
- Neem Baba — Let us learn Page 81 to 83
- Neem Baba — Let us listen Page 83
- Neem Baba — Let us speak Page 83
- Neem Baba — Let us write Page 84
- Neem Baba — Let us explore Page 84
- What a Bird Thought — Let us do these activities before we read Page 85
- What a Bird Thought — Let us discuss Page 87
- What a Bird Thought — Let us think and reflect Page 88 & 89
- What a Bird Thought — Let us learn Page 89 & 90
- What a Bird Thought — Let us listen Page 90
- What a Bird Thought — Let us speak Page 90 & 91
- What a Bird Thought — Let us write Page 91
- What a Bird Thought — Let us explore Page 91 & 92
- Spices that Heal Us — Let us do these activities before we read Page 93 & 94
- Spices that Heal Us — Let us think and reflect Page 95
- Spices that Heal Us — Let us learn Page 96 & 97
- Spices that Heal Us — Let us listen Page 98
- Spices that Heal Us — Let us speak Page 98 & 99
- Spices that Heal Us — Let us write Page 99 & 100
- Spices that Heal Us — Let us explore Page 100