CTET Paper 1 - 5th Jan 2022 (English-Hindi) (Previous Year Paper)

Human development is the product of both heredity and the environment. The development pattern of the children is determined by both heredity and environment.

• No person can be born without heredity and genes cannot develop without a proper environment. The environment is responsible for the growth and development of physical, mental, and social traits.

Key Points-

• The two forces heredity and environment are not opposed to each other but are complementary like seed and soil.
• Delay in the physical development of children can't be attributed entirely to their genetic makeup as if a child did not get proper nutrition and a healthy environment then the environment also can be responsible for delayed physical development.
• Hereditary factors are not solely responsible for the physical development of children as environmental factors such as Sea-side, high hills, deserts or plains, also influence one's physical development.

Hence, we can conclude that the right answer to this question is Both (A) and (R) are false.

Development refers to all aspects such as physical, cognitive, language, emotional, social, etc. There are different types of development i.e. physical, motor, social, emotional, cognitive, and moral development.

• Motor skills: A motor skill is a function, which involves the precise movement of muscles with the intent to perform a specific act. Motor skill learning is defined as the process by which movements are executed more quickly and accurately with practice.

Key Points

Physical & Motor development:

• Understanding physical and motor development is extremely important as it provides the basis for the development of a child’s personality.
• It helps to gain mastery over the child’s own body and movements. Physical development is the most recognized and observable change in the life of a child.
• It is divided into two parts, i.e., Gross motor skills and Fine motor skills.
• Gross motor skills are involved in the movement and coordination of the arms, legs, and other large body parts. They involve actions such as running, jumping, walking, swimming, etc.
• Fine motor skills refer to the small movements of the hands, wrists, fingers, feet, toes, lips, and tongue and they involve the coordination of smaller muscles. They involve actions such as drawing, writing, buttoning, scribbling, etc.

Thus, it is concluded that scribbling is an example of use of fine motor skills.

Childhood refers to the period of the human lifespan, ranging from birth to puberty. The three stages of childhood are- 

• Early Childhood (The Preschool Years) (2-6 years)
• Middle Childhood (The School Years) (6 to age 12)
• Later Childhood (12-14 years of age)

Key Points

• The significant psychological accomplishments of middle childhood are in the area of intellectual competence.
• Children in this age period become capable of logical thinking, reasoning, and problem-solving in a variety of tasks.
• The ability to think logically about concrete or real-world events and experiences is the hallmark of this stage.
• The children understand operations and develop an understanding of the meaning of rules and can reason.

Hint

• Make-believe play is a ubiquitous part of early childhood. In make-believe play, children pretend that an object is something other than what it actually is.
• A child who is in the adolescent period (14 to 18 years) can hypothesize possible causes and accordingly design complex experiments.
• At infancy 1-2 years of age, the child just beginning to show fine motor skills such as grasping a pencil and other such objects.

Hence, we can conclude that the right answer to this question is a child who has developed an understanding of the meaning of rules and can reason, would be in the middle childhood stage.

Socialization is the process of internalizing the norms and ideologies of society. It encompasses both learning and teaching and is thus "how social and cultural continuity is attained".

• Gender socialization is the process by which we learn our culture's gender-related rules, norms, and expectations. Gender role refers to the role of a male or female in society based on their biological or perceived sex.

Key Points-

• The most common agents of gender socialization, in other words, the people who influence the process are parents, teachers, schools, and the media.
• Through gender socialization, children begin to develop their own beliefs about gender and ultimately form their own gender identity.
• Lots of cues about gender-appropriate ways of behaving come from films and advertisements. This is the role of media as secondary socialization.
• It helps us to connect with a large number of people at one time and helps individuals to form and shape their opinions, beliefs, and values.
• Films and advertisements highly influence gender roles because when a girl or a boy admires someone as their role model, they try to adapt their style which they observe in the films, advertisements, and news and they mold up their lifestyle by following them.

Hence, we can conclude that lots of cues about gender-appropriate ways of behaving come from films and advertisements, this highlights the role of media as a secondary agency of socialization.

Additional Information -

Primary and secondary socialization are the two kinds of socialization important in the life of a human being.

• Primary socialization: Primary socialization involves learning the attitudes, values, and norms of one’s culture. Family members are the primary and most important agents of socialization. Children depend on their parents and other family members for everything and look up to them
• Secondary socialization: Secondary socialization takes place outside the home. It is where children and adults learn how to act in a way that is appropriate for the situations they are in. Media, school, peer groups, and the workplace are agents of it.

Jean Piaget, a Swiss psychologist, has made a systematic study of cognitive development in his theory that is categorized into four stages. 

Key Points

The pre-operational stage (2 to 7 years)- The pre-operational child progresses in the abilities that had emerged towards the end of the sensory-motor stage. Thus we have with us the pre-operational child who is now capable of representing reality mentally and who also understands that objects, in reality, can be represented by words.​

• The child knows by this stage that the objects which are physically absent do exist.
• This stage begins around age two and lasts until approximately age seven. During this stage, the child learns to use the symbols of language.
• This is the ability to make one thing - a word or an object stand for something other than itself.
• Ability of goal-oriented behaviour: being able to carry out a sequence of motor movements directed towards achieving something.
• At the end of the sensorimotor stage, the child develops the ability of goal-oriented behaviour.

Important Points

The limitations of the pre-operational child are:

• Pre-operational thinking tends to be egocentric.
• Pre-operational thinking tends to focus on only one aspect or dimension of a problem at a time.
• Pre-operational thinking tends to involve ‘transductive reasoning’.
• The pre-operational child cannot understand relational terms.
• The child at this stage is not able to understand how things operate. internally or how things relate to one another.

Thus from the above-mentioned points, it is clear that the cognitive ability that comes in the pre-operational period is the ability of goal-oriented behaviour.

Additional Information

• The ability to take others' perspectives develops in the concrete operational stage.
• Hypothetico-deductive thinking develops in the formal operational stage.
• The ability for abstract thinking develops in the formal operational stage.

Piaget believed that children develop through a continuous drive to learn and adapt schemas, which are mental templates that help them understand things. His ideas still have a considerable impact on child psychology and approaches to education.

Key Points

Factors that are considered important by Piaget about teachers to facilitate learning:

• The role of the teacher in the classroom is to guide the students through the cognitive stages.
• Teachers should be mobile, flexible, and active so that they can encourage students to be active and engaged.
• Teachers should use diverse materials as they will cater to the diverse needs of students to ensure effective learning.
• Teachers should facilitate learning by creating opportunities for the children to engage with the world around them and act on it.
• The teacher should facilitate learning by providing students with moderately novel experiences by connecting learning with life.
• The teacher should follow the child’s ideas, suggestions, and opinions, doing this will increase the interest of the child in teaching.
• Mobility of the teacher refers to transferring from one school to another, it helps teachers to gain different learning and multicultural experiences.

Hence we can conclude that according to Piaget it is very important for a teacher to be mobile and flexible.

'Lev Vygotsky', a Soviet psychologist, has propounded the "Socio-cultural Theory". This theory implies the idea that social interaction plays a crucial role in the development of a learner's cognitive ability. 

• His theory emphasizes that children learn through interaction and collaboration with skilled and knowledgeable people.

Key Points

Vygotsky's view on Language:

• Lev Vygotsky emphasized that the acquisition of speech is the major activity in cognitive development.
• He believed by acquiring language, the child modifies its higher mental functions.
• Vygotsky stresses the impact of language on cognitive development. According to him, children speak to themselves for self-guidance.

Important Points 

In his "Socio-cultural Theory", Vygotsky also proposed the three stages of language that a child progresses while developing cognitively. These stages are:

Hence, it could be concluded that in the views of Lev Vygotsky, language facilitates cognitive development.

There are many theories in psychology that are related to different schools of psychology such as cognitive, humanistic, behavioristic, etc. These theories are propounded by eminent psychologists to provide a framework to understand different aspects of human behavior.

• 'Lev Vygotsky**'**, a Soviet psychologist, has propounded the "Socio-cultural Theory".

Key Points

According to Lev Vygotsky, Cultural tools and Social interaction facilitate the cognitive development of children.

Cultural tools:

• Lev Vygotsky's social-cultural perspective of learning emphasizes the importance of cultural tools in the process of cognitive development.
• Cultural tools are the main determinant of cognitive development and learning. They play a significant role in human intellectual development and how humans perceive the world.
• Learning takes place through the interaction between the child and the culture. Different cultures play a vital role in shaping the abilities and behaviors of a child and work as a tool of intellectual adaptation.​

Social interaction:

• According to Vygotsky, social interaction is the primary cause of learners' development as his theory emphasizes that children learn through interaction and collaboration with skilled and knowledgeable people.
• He believed that learning is a social activity and emphasized the importance of social interaction with adults in his theory.
• Vygotsky felt that through joint activities with more mature members of society, children come to master activities and think in ways that have meaning in their culture.

Hence, we conclude that according to Lev Vygotsky, Cultural tools and Social interaction facilitate the cognitive development of children.

Hint

• The concept of equilibration is related to Piaget.
• The concept of rewards is related to Skinner.

Child-centered education puts learners in the centre and gives primacy to child's experiences and needs. It strongly believes that when children are given the freedom to work at their own pace, they develop the ability to assimilate the concepts efficiently.

Key Points

Characteristics of the child-centered teaching and learning​:

• It stresses the importance of enquiry, observation and investigation.
• It takes into account students' capabilities, capacities and learning styles.
• It uses methods like experiential learning, problem-solving, concept mapping and creative writing.
• It emphasises providing ample opportunities to the student to foster their own strategy of learning to perform a task.
• In this method, learning is co-constructed by the teacher and students, teachers facilitate students as a facilitator by providing them with the proper environment and materials to learn at their own pace.
• Students work in flexible, cooperative groupings to solve problems to demonstrate an understanding of the task that ensures their holistic development.

Hence, it could be concluded that in a child-centered classroom, learning is co-constructed by the teacher and students.

Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development is a theory that focuses on how children develop "morality" and "moral reasoning". Kohlberg's theory suggests that moral development occurs in three-level and each level has two stages

• The theory also suggests that moral logic is primarily focused on seeking and maintaining justice. It is based on the idea of Jean Piaget about children's righteous judgment.

Key Points 

Stages of Moral Development: Kohlberg's theory is broken down into three primary levels. At each level of moral development, there are two stages.

Level 1. Preconventional Morality (4 to 10 years): Preconventional morality is the earliest period of moral development. At this age, children's decisions are primarily shaped by the expectations of adults and the consequences for breaking the rules. There are two stages within this level:

• Stage 1 (Obedience and Punishment): Children at this stage see "rules as fixed and absolute". Obeying the rules is important because it is a way to avoid punishment. In this children ignore the intention of others and instead focus on the fear of authority and negative consequences.
• Stage 2 (Instrumental purpose orientation): At the individualism and exchange stage of moral development, children account for individual points of view and judge actions based on how they serve individual needs.

Level 2. Conventional Morality (10 to 13 years): The next period of moral development is marked by the acceptance of social rules regarding what is good and moral. During this time, adolescents and adults internalize the moral standards they have learned from their role models and from society.

• Stage 3 (Good-Boy Good-girl orientation): This stage of the interpersonal relationship of moral development is focused on living up to social expectations and roles. There is an emphasis on conformity, being "nice" and consideration of how choices influence relationships.
• Stage 4 (Maintaining Social Order): This stage is focused on ensuring that social order is maintained. The focus is on maintaining law and order by following the rules, doing one’s duty, and respecting authority.

Level 3. Postconventional Morality (13 to 16 years): At this level of moral development, people develop an understanding of abstract principles of morality. The two stages at this level are:

• Stage 5 (Social Contract and Individual Rights): At this stage, the people believe that rules of law are important for maintaining a society, but members of society should agree upon these standards.
• Stage 6 (Universal Principles): Kohlberg’s final level of moral reasoning is based on universal ethical principles and abstract reasoning. At this stage, people follow these internalized principles of justice, even if they conflict with laws and rules.

Hence, we can conclude that at the Punishment and Obedience orientation stage of Lawrence Kohlberg's theory of moral development, children ignore the intention of others and instead focus on the fear of authority and negative consequences.

Howard Gardner, an American Psychologist, proposed the Theory of Multiple Intelligences. In his book ‘Frames of Mind’, he pointed out that he did not believe there was “one form of cognition which cut across all human thinking. There are multiple intelligences with autonomous intelligence capacities.” So, intelligence cannot be viewed as a single entity.

• Gardner initially proposed eight types of intelligence which later on he increased to nine. Thus Gardner views each individual as a unique combination of various intelligence, hence we cannot say that one is more intelligent and another is less intelligent.

Key Points

• The ability to use the language fluently and flexibly to express one's thinking is a characteristic of linguistic intelligence in Howard Gardner's theory
• It includes the use of language. It is related to sounds,  rhythms, words, vocabulary, and verbal language.
• Writers, poets, lawyers, and speakers are among those that Howard Gardner sees as having high linguistic intelligence.

For example,

• Sensitivity to the sounds, rhythms, and meaning of words.
• Playing flashcards with vocabulary, listening, and reading stories.

Hence, the ability to use the language fluently and flexibly to express one's thinking is a characteristic of linguistic intelligence in Howard Gardner's theory.

Additional Information

The nine types of intelligence as given by Gardner:

• Linguistic Intelligence refers to the ability to use language. It is the capacity to use spoken and written words in a skilled way.
• Logical-mathematical intelligence is the ability to use logical reasoning and mathematical ability. Individuals high on this intelligence have good abstract reasoning, critical thinking, and good in dealing with numbers.
• Musical Intelligence is the ability to use rhythms, sounds, and patterns to create, compose and perform music. It involves sensitivity to music, and the ability to recognize and manipulate musical patterns.
• Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence is the ability to use and control one’s body movements and actions. Dancers and sports persons are usually high in such intelligence.
• Spatial Intelligence is the capacity to perceive, understand and use spatial and visual information effectively. Such people are good at spatial orientation, forming visual images and patterns.
• Interpersonal Intelligence refers to the ability to understand others and social interactions. They can understand the emotions and the perspectives of others and relate well to others.
• Intrapersonal Intelligence is the ability to understand oneself and know one’s thoughts, emotions, feelings, motives, and desires, and how these influence their behavior.
• Naturalistic Intelligence is the ability to recognize and understand the various patterns in nature. It includes sensitivity to nature with all its features including flora, fauna, and all biodiversity.
• Existential Intelligence: Gardner added existential intelligence as the ninth intelligence which refers to the sensitivity and capacity to tackle deep questions beyond sensory data and about human existence. It concerns the ‘big picture’ in life and the ultimate truth of life. Cosmologists and philosophers are high on this aspect of intelligence.

No two individuals are exactly the same. We all differ from one another not only in height, weight, color, appearance, speed of reaction but also in behavior.

• Individual differences are characteristic of all living organisms. It refers to the difference which distinguishes an individual from another on the basis of psychological characteristics.
• Every child is unique and they learn and grow at their own pace. Teachers shouldn't try to change learners’ aptitude or personality but they must accommodate their teaching to cater to the needs of learners.

Key Points

• It is very important for a teacher to know the individual differences among students for an effective and productive teaching-learning process. The knowledge of individual differences will help a teacher to adjust the curriculum, teaching strategies, and methods for the benefit of students.

Effective strategies to cater to individual differences in the class: 

• Recognize and respect differences: Teachers should recognize individual differences in their classroom, fulfill students' needs and respect the diversity and individual differences of learners.
• Use diverse pedagogical strategies: Teachers should use diverse pedagogical strategies to teach students because every student learns in their style, some learn by reading, some learn by doing, etc.
• Reflect on students' verbal and non-verbal communication: While communicating with students teachers should pay attention to their verbal and non-verbal communication to provide required guidance.

Hint

• "Identifying deficits in students and correcting them" is not an effective strategy to cater to individual differences in the class because just focusing on identifying deficits will lead to low self-esteem and anxiety in learners, it will hinder their development and learning.

Hence, we can conclude that identifying deficits in students and correcting them is not an effective strategy to cater to individual differences in the class.

Gender refers to the socially constructed differences between men and women. Gender-responsive pedagogy refers to teaching and learning processes that pay attention to the specific learning needs of girls and boys. It refers to the masculine and feminine qualities, behavior, roles, and responsibilities that society upholds.

Key Points

• The above-mentioned example illustrates gender stereotypes as "Gender stereotypes" are the beliefs that people have about the characteristics of males and females.
• A gender stereotype is a generalized view or preconception about attributes or characteristics, or the roles that are or ought to be possessed by, or performed by women and men.
• A gender stereotype is harmful when it limits women’s and men’s capacity to develop their personal abilities, pursue their professional careers, and/or make choices about something and about their lives.
• For example, pink clothes for girls and blue for boys; dolls for girls and guns for boys; girls can cry, but boys cannot dance class for girls and football for boys.

Hint 

• Gender relevance: Gender is an important consideration in development. It is a way of looking at how social norms and power structures impact the lives and opportunities available to different groups of men and women.
• Gender discrimination: Gender discrimination is the tendency to prefer one gender over another. It is a form of unconscious bias, or implicit bias, which occurs when one individual unconsciously attributes certain attitudes and stereotypes to another person or group of people.
• Gender Equity: Gender equity exists when both males and females are expected and encouraged to pursue interests, subjects, careers, and lifestyles that are determined by individual interests and ability, rather than according to sex-role stereotypes.

Hence, we can conclude that the above-mentioned example illustrates gender stereotypes.

Additional Information

• How to overcome gender stereotypes?
• Encourage girls to excel in Science and Math subjects.
• Expect men And women to share fairly in household chores.
• Acknowledge both men's and women's contributions to society.

Assessment is educational evaluation, the systematic way of collecting information and reading the work of class which is used to guide and improve students' performance in terms of learning and development. 

• There are several methods that teachers use to evaluate the learning progress and skills of students or the need for any academic assistance. It actually determines whether or not the goals of education are met.

Key Points

Formative Assessment (Assessment for Learning) :

• It is also known as Assessment for Learning, used to evaluate student learning progress and achievement.
• It helps teachers to identify problem-facing areas and to understand the learning needs of students to ensure their academic growth.
• It is considered an Informal Method of assessment that incorporates assessment into the daily process of teaching-learning.
• In this assessment, teachers give constructive qualitative feedback to facilitate learning by using several methods such as peer and self-assessment.

Hence, it is clear that to ensure 'assessment for learning' rather than 'assessment of learning' a teacher should incorporate assessment into the daily process of teaching-learning.

Additional Information 

 Summative Assessment (Assessment of Learning):  

• It evaluates student learning by comparing it against some standard or level.
• It ‘Sums-up’ how much a student has learned over a period of time.
• The main objective is to rank, grade, classify and compare students periodically that indicate their level of performance.
• It is considered a Formal method of Assessment as it is conducted at a specific time.
• Example: Mid-term Exams, unit tests, final projects, semester exams, etc.

Assessment as Learning:

• When learners are asked to assess their performance on their own, they use various assessment techniques and strategies to assess themselves.
• This practice helps learners to identify their knowledge gaps, adopt appropriate learning strategies and use assessment as a tool for new learning.
• It encourages students to take responsibility for their own learning. It requires students to ask questions about their learning.
• It encourages peer assessment, self-assessment, and reflection.

Critical Thinking is the ability to apply reasoning and logic to new or unfamiliar situations, ideas, and opinions. It refers to the process of judging or analyzing facts, events, etc.

• Critical Thinking requires proper analysis, evaluation, inference, and explanation. It is a process that challenges an individual to use reflective, reasonable, rational thinking to gather, interpret, and evaluate information in order to derive a judgment.

Key Points- 

• Critical thinking bifurcates the thought process by making different classifications, hence it gives the possible number of ways to reach a conclusion.
• It is self-guided thinking which attempts to reason at the highest level of quality in a fair-minded way. It allows thinking clearly and rationally to understand the logical connection between ideas.
• Critical thinking in children can be promoted by asking questions in which children start divergent thinking and try to find different answers and assess positive and negative aspects.
• Critical thinking in children can be promoted by asking questions such as Design an experiment to prove that seeds need air for germination as in this question, the child will think about many designs to prove it.

Hint 

• Questions that carry single answers do not promote critical thinking because they are based on rote memorization. These questions do not engage a child in critical thinking.
• Example: In which year was the Forest Rights Act passed?
• What is the sum of three angles of a triangle?
• Name the various layers of the earth's atmosphere.

​Hence, we can conclude that critical thinking in children can be promoted by asking questions such as Design an experiment to prove that seeds need air for germination.

Inclusive Education is an approach or an education system that brings all the students under the same roof regardless of their strengths or weaknesses. It welcomes and celebrates diversity.

Key Points

• In an inclusive setup, school makes reasonable accommodations as per the needs of the students as inclusive education assumes that we should change the system to fit the child.
• Inclusive education improves the quality and makes provisions of education for all.
• It provides a provision to include disabled children along with normal children in a regular classroom environment.
• It accommodates all children regardless of their physical, intellectual, social, emotional, linguistic, or other conditions.
• It values the diversity, each child brings to the classroom and facilitates all with equal opportunities to learn and grow.

Hence, it could be concluded that in an inclusive setup, school makes reasonable accommodations as per the needs of the students.

Learning disabilities are diagnosed particularly when children start going to school and are engaged in academic activities with other children in the school. It may be caused due to premature birth, low birth weight, and malnutrition.

• The differently-abled children feel difficulty in performing the basic processes required in understanding or using language, spoken or written. It may be seen as the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations.

Key Points

Dyslexia: 

• Dyslexia is a condition in which a child/student faces persistent challenges in reading the text and comprehending the long passages because of frequently omitting substitutes or reversing the letters and words while reading.
• It includes reading skills like reading comprehension, word recognition, oral reading skills, and even impairment in skills that require reading.
• When they face difficulty in reading, they can not spell the words properly and are unable to write them accurately as well.
• Students having dyslexia get confused between similar words, sounds of alphabets, and the same shapes of letters.
• Also, they will have problems in interpreting and understanding the letters and words. For example, the students can get confused between "69" and "96", and also they may read "saw" as "was".

Hence, it could be concluded that students having dyslexia face persistent challenges in reading the text and comprehending the long passages.

Additional Information

• Locomotor disability is a disability of the bones, joints, or muscles that leads to substantial restriction of the movement of the limbs or a usual form of cerebral palsy.
• Dyscalculia is a mathematical disability. In this disability, the learner has difficulty in learning or comprehending mathematics. For example, learners with dyscalculia may: have trouble in counting, have trouble in arranging things in order or sequence, etc.
• The term cerebral palsy stands for the loss or inability in exercising control over the movements of the body or motor behavior as a result of something wrong in the brain.

Students come to the classroom with a range of abilities, experiences, and backgrounds. Some students will have special needs and disabilities, while others will have additional learning needs and/or elements of educational disadvantage which are not formally recognized.

• Disadvantaged Learner - The socially disadvantaged child is one who is from a socially and economically backward section of the community, who cannot profit from school because of deprivation of one sort or another.
• Deprived Learner - The term 'underprivileged' refers to the disadvantaged section of people who are economically, socially, and vocationally in an unfavorable situation compared to the rest of the population of the society.

Key Points

• To address the learners from disadvantaged and deprived groups, a teacher should foster a sense of belonging among all students.
• Teachers should use a curriculum based on local culture and language to help 'disadvantaged' and 'deprived' learners to be aware of different cultures and languages which enhances learning effectively.
• Ensuring an inclusive and supportive learning environment for these groups is an important part of educational strategy. They may require adaptions to the curriculum, the learning materials, or to the physical environment to enable them to fully participate.
• Encouraging disadvantaged and deprived groups to articulate their own identified challenges, issues and needs can assist practitioners to adapt activities and materials to allow them to access the learning as fully as possible.
• Consideration of diversity helps in the inclusion of learners from disadvantaged and deprived groups and makes them feel a sense of belongingness. Diverse methods such as oral reading, recitation, group work, role-play, and peer- learning can be effective in the case of these learners.

Hence, to address the learners from disadvantaged and deprived groups, a teacher should foster a sense of belonging among all students.

Inclusive education approaches differences and "diversity" affirmatively, recognizing the value of such differences and the learning opportunities that such diversity offers.

• It provides opportunities to learn about and accept individual differences, lessening the impact of harassment and bullying.

Key Points

In a class having learners with diverse needs, a teacher should:

• provide opportunities for communication and expression.
• give importance to every student's perspective on information.
• not provide options for leveling and stereotyping the learners.
• ensure the presentation of content according to students' needs and interests.
• use various methods and strategies and modes of assessment to meet the demand of every individual.
• give priority to every child and never ignore students' on the basis of their background or physical appearance.

Hint

• "Stereotype" means a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing.
• Stereotypes are characteristics imposed upon groups of people because of their race, nationality, and sexual orientation.
• These characteristics tend to be oversimplifications of the groups involved and, even if they seem "positive," stereotypes are harmful.
• Classrooms need to reflect every child and every family in the class. The teacher should not make assumptions about what a child’s ethnic background is.

Hence, we can conclude that in a class having learners with diverse needs, a teacher should NOT provide options for stereotyping the learners.

This National Education Policy 2020 is the first education policy of the 21^st century and aims to address the many growing developmental imperatives of our country. This policy replaced the 34-year-old National Policy on Education (NPE), 1986.

• This Policy proposes the revision and revamping of all aspects of the educational structure, including its regulation and governance, to create a new system that is aligned with the aspirational goals of 21^st-century education.

Key Points-

• India’s National Education Policy 2020 (NEP) has been hailed as a new era in educational reform. The NEP asserts that children with disabilities will have opportunities for equal participation across the educational system.
• One-on-one teachers and tutors, peer tutoring, open schooling, appropriate infrastructure, and suitable technological interventions to ensure access can be particularly effective for certain children with disabilities.
• These recommendations include non-discrimination in schools, "accessible infrastructure", reasonable accommodations, "individualized supports", use of Braille and Indian Sign language in teaching, and monitoring among others.
• The policy has provisions for the recruitment of "special educators" with cross-disability training and incorporates disability awareness within teacher education.

Hint 

• Inclusive education in India has been described as exclusive to children with disabilities. NEP doesn't emphasize Compulsory Special Education rather it emphasizes "inclusive education" which means every child is equal and should have equal opportunities to learn and grow.

Hence, we can conclude that Compulsory Special Education has not been promoted by National Education Policy, 2020 in the context of education of students with disabilities

Learning is the process of acquiring new understanding, knowledge, behaviors, skills, values, attitudes, and preferences. Learning is a change in our behavior and it is an "active" process that goes lifelong. 

• It is a process that leads to change, which occurs as a result of experience and increases the potential for improved performance and future learning. It is the process of acquiring new understanding, knowledge, behaviors, skills, values, attitudes, and preferences.

 Key Points-

• Students learn by various methods like reading, listening, seeing, doing, etc.
• "Reading" is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of letters, symbols, etc., especially by sight or touch.
• "Learning by listening" is a great way to absorb information. Children listen to stories, and words in daily life and they learn by listening.
• Observational learning describes the process of "learning by seeing/watching" others, retaining the information, and then later replicating the behaviors that were observed.
• If a student is a visual learner, he learns by reading or seeing pictures. He understands and remembers things by sight.
• "Learning by doing" means learning from experiences. In the classroom, children learn through activities and it creates experiences for students. It makes learning more meaningful.

Hence, we can conclude that the right answer to this question is (i) (ii) (iii) (iv).

Learning is majorly a cognitive process involving the acquisition, assimilation, and accommodation of new learning experiences. A great way to encourage students to be fully engaged with their learning process is to allow them to control their own educational path through self-paced, asynchronous learning.

Key Points

• It is important to allow students to take some control over their own learning as a learner needs to be aware of the processes he/she is engaged in during the course of learning. It helps him/her to learn the new learning task effectively.
• Taking control over one's learning helps students to make decisions about what to learn and how by defining learning goals and monitoring their progress in achieving them through control of cognitive abilities, e.g., planning, reviewing and revising, etc.
• This "self-directed approach" also helps students develop a higher sense of responsibility since they are in charge of what they take forward from what is taught and presented to them.

Hence, we can conclude that the right answer to this question Both (A) and (R) are true, and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).

Diversity in classrooms across the nation has continued to increase. But the curriculum delivered in those classrooms doesn’t always follow a pattern. This leaves many students feeling disconnected, disengaged, and disinterested in the educational process⁠ which can have serious, lifelong consequences.

• The teaching-learning process consists of curricular activities (related to academic subjects) and co-curricular activities (organized outside the classroom). Teacher should plan these activities as per learners' interests.

Key Points

• A teacher should promote activities that are culturally appropriate as "Culturally appropriate activities" create a powerful connection between classroom lessons and diverse student backgrounds.
• By building strategies to design and deliver culturally responsive lessons, teachers can better engage diverse learners and promote success for all students. "Culturally responsive teaching" is a student-centered approach to education.
• It is based on the idea that every student brings unique cultural strengths to the classroom. Recognizing and nurturing those strengths not only encourages success but also promotes an open-minded, supportive environment that celebrates cultural differences.
• To be successful, culturally appropriate strategies must be incorporated at every stage of the learning process, from curriculum development to assessment. These activities should be according to the student's level, meaningful, and should fulfill the needs of the students.

Hence, we can conclude that a teacher should promote activities that are culturally appropriate.

Children learn best when they participate in activities that are perceived to be useful in real life and are culturally relevant. Interesting classrooms always maintain space for activities that engage the students and teachers resulting in effective learning.

• Each activity provided to students offer them the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the concepts they have learned in the classroom. The teacher can derive feedback about students’ potential and learning capabilities through activities.

Key Points

• A teacher should design activities that promote divergent thinking as it refers to a way of solving a problem by exploring many possible solutions.
• It emphasizes the idea that there is a limitless approach to any given problem.
• Divergent thinking is an act of working with open-ended questions using creativity and ingenuity.
• It is a process that includes brainstorming, imagination, and out-of-the-box thinking in it.

​Hence, we can conclude that a teacher should design activities that promote divergent thinking.

Hint

• Convergent answers are related to convergent thinking which refers to the thinking where thinking converges towards one right answer instead of exploring the extra information.
• Mere memorization is defined as a technique for learning that involves repeating pieces of information over and over. It is merely an ability to reproduce knowledge without knowing its meaning.
• Hopelessness is an emotion that makes a negative impact on the student toward learning.

Learning is the process of acquiring new understanding, knowledge, behaviors, skills, values, attitudes, and preferences. Learning is a change in our behavior and it is an "active" process that goes lifelong. 

• It is a process that leads to change, which occurs as a result of experience and increases the potential for improved performance and future learning.

Key Points-

• Contemporary learning theory recognizes that both experience and reflection play important roles in the development of ideas and skills.
• The importance of developmental stages and recognize that development can also be encouraged by social interaction and structuring of experiences within the learner’s zone of proximal development or readiness sphere.
• The role of culture, socio-emotional development, and other influences on experiences also shape the learning process of students. Therefore, the teaching-learning strategy is determined by the level of cognitive development and maturity of learners, their previous experiences, and the socio-cultural context.
• Learning is primarily a social activity and participation in the social life of the school is central for learning to occur.  According to the psychologist "Lev Vygotsky", children learn by internalizing the activities, habits, vocabulary, and ideas of the members of the community in which they grow up.

​Hence, we can conclude that according to contemporary theorists, learning is primarily a social activity.

​ 

Additional Information-Teachers can do many things to encourage social participation in ways that facilitate learning:

• They can assign students to work in groups and assume the role of a coordinator who provides guidance and support to the groups.
• They can create a classroom environment that includes group workspaces where resources are shared.
• Through modeling and coaching, they can teach students how to co-operate with each other.

Every day we face new problems and we try to overcome them to progress in our lives. It is obvious that to succeed in life, one needs to be a good problem solver.

• Problem-solving is not a genetic ability. It is developed over time through constant exposure to challenges. No one can develop this ability by staying in one's comfort zone. It is developed over time by facing challenges.

Key Points

• A teacher should facilitate the development of problem-solving strategies among students to help the children in becoming successful in life by solving real-life problems.
• Problem-solving strategies improve learning and foster critical thinking and allow a person to take necessary action against the source of problem generation.
• Problem-solving skills help students determine the source of a problem and find an effective solution. It is a process of overcoming difficulties that appear to interfere with the attainment of a goal.
• Problem-solving is part and parcel of our daily life. In the case of solving any type of problem our thinking becomes directed and focused and we try to use all the resources, both internal (mind) and external (support and help of others) to arrive at the right and appropriate decision.

Hence, we can conclude that Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is the correct explanation of (A).

Misconception, false opinion, wrong and premature understanding exist in all age groups of students as well as people throughout the world. Misconceptions are what students themselves develop erroneously and are different from the scientifically accepted concepts.

Key Points

• To deal with misconceptions teachers should not ignore students' misconceptions rather they should identify misconceptions and try to clear them by giving appropriate examples.
• Before misconceptions can be corrected, they need to be identified. Essay assignments that ask students to explain their reasoning are useful for detecting students' misconceptions.
• These essays and discussions need not be used for grading, but rather can be used as part of the learning process to find out what and how your students are thinking.
• Teachers should provide a forum for students to confront their misconceptions and should help students reconstruct and internalize their knowledge, based on scientific models

Hence, we can conclude that it is important to identify the misconceptions among students.

Fear is an emotion that creates high levels of anxiety in a person and causes the loss of courage in a person. Fear stops engagement and growth in learning.

Key Points

• In learning, fear makes a person scared of failing. It commonly happens to the students. The reason for such fear is due to peer pressure, focusing on the outcome rather than concentrating on the learning.
• It even damages the mental and emotional state. Sometimes the fear overpowers the students in such a manner that they even commit drastic measures. Fear of failure, fear of exams, and getting punished are is detrimental to learning.
• Teachers should create a fearless environment so that students' learning can be effective and meaningful. Students should be counseled and should be made to understand they should not focus on fear, failure, or success, rather they should put effort into developing their concepts.

Hence, we can conclude that fear among students is detrimental to learning.

Mastery learning is an instructional strategy based on the principle that all students can learn a set of reasonable materials with appropriate instruction and sufficient time to learn. With mastery learning outcomes it is possible to specify all (or nearly all) the specific responses the students are expected to demonstrate at the end of instruction.

Key Points

• Urge for competence is likely to motivate students towards mastery learning. "Mastery" is a key characteristic of "competency-based learning" that allows learners to keep learning until they feel that they can demonstrate skills mastery.
• For example, a mathematics teacher desires that all the students in the class should know basic requirements of mathematics and develop computational skills to solve different types of sums relating to the Unit on 'Interest'.
• In other words, there are the "minimum learning competencies" which each student should develop and master. Thus, the student should be able to compute time, principal, simple and compound interest if helshe has to be promoted to the higher class.
• In order to know whether a student has achieved this minimum level of competency or not, the teacher has to construct and administer a test so as to assess these minimum desired outcomes.
• Such type of testing is called 'mastery testing' which is concerned with the testing of minimum desired levels in a specific area of learning. So, if a person wants competency in any subject or any skill, he/she is motivated to mastery learning.

Hence, we can conclude that the urge for competence is likely to motivate students towards mastery learning.

Learning is the process of acquiring new understanding, knowledge, behaviors, skills, values, attitudes, and preferences. It is a continuous process that helps us to develop competence and the ability to function in our environment. 

• Meaningful learning refers to the process of acquiring information actively and properly with complete understanding. It takes place only when learners are actively engaged in tasks and activities.

Key Points

• Teachers can facilitate meaningful learning by valuing understanding of concepts rather focusing on rote memorization.
• Teacher should also encourage multiple ways of working on a problem to develop thoughts and rationality in learners so that they could understand the concepts effectively.
• For effective assimilation of concepts, the process of meaningful learning needs to be mediated by hands-on activities through which the children gain quality experience and boosts their understanding of the concept.​

​Hence, we can conclude that the teachers can facilitate meaningful learning by valuing understanding of concepts.

Given:

The given number are 9599, 5995 and 9995 

Solution:

Let the required number which is subtracted be x

A/Q

Sum of the given number = 9599 + 5995 + 9995 = 25589

Now, 25589 - x = 19995

⇒ x = 25589 - 19995

⇒ x = 5594

∴ The required number is 5594

Concept used:

Ones = 1

Tens = 10 

Hundred = 100

Thousand = 1000

Ten thousand = 10,000

Lakh = 100000

Calculation:

Fifty-five lakh fifty-five thousand five hundred fifty-five

⇒ 55,55,555

The time on 12 hour clock when both the hands of the clock are at 6 in the evening is 6:30 pm.

On 24 hour clock 1 pm is equal to 13 hours .

In the same way 6 pm will be equal to 18 hours , and 6:30 pm will be 18 hours 30 minutes .

Hence the time can be read as 18:30.

Solution:

3/15 + 7/12

⇒ 47/60

Formula used:

The perimeter of the square = 4 × side

Calculation:

The perimeter of the square = 4 × 20 = 80 cm

The perimeter of the square after a small square of 1 cm cut = 80 - 2 + 2 = 80 cm

∴ The boundary of the new shape will be equal to the boundary of the square.

Formula used:

Average = Sum of all the terms/Total number of terms

Calculation:

Average = (15.5 + 12 + 11.8 + 9.7 + 7)/5

⇒ 56/5

⇒ 11.2 cm

∴ The average length of all the pencil is 11.2 cm

Given:

Number of squares required to cover a currency note = 18

Calculations:

To cover one currency note, number of squares required = 18 

To cover 3 such notes, number of squares required = 18 × 3 = 54

Hence the required number of squares = 54.

Concept used:

Lines of symmetry are imaginary lines that pass through the centre of the shape or object and divide it into identical halves.

Calculation:

Square:

The total symmetrical lines of the square are 4 and all the angles are 90° 

Rectangle:

A rectangle has two lines of symmetry as shown in the figure and all the angles are 90° 

A rectangle can be folded in half either horizontally or vertically

Rhombus:

Lines of symmetry in a rhombus are 2 and no angles are 90° 

Parallelogram:

The parallelogram has no line of symmetry 

A rectangle has two lines of symmetry and all the angles are of 90°. 

∴ Option 3 is correct

Solution:

The minimum number of shirts of each colour he should buy = LCM of (5, 10, 12, 15)

LCM of (5 , 10 , 12 , 15) = 60

So, the number of packets of blue colour = 60/5 = 12 packets.

The number of packets of yellow colour = 60/10 = 6 packets.

The number of  packets of black colour = 60/12 = 5 packets.

The number of packets of white colour = 60/15 = 4 packets.

To make a circle with a rope having two nails at its end Renuka needs to fix one of the ends on the ground.

And rotate the another end to make a circle.

In this way the length of the rope is equal to the radius of the circle.

Given :

Total amount of sugar = \(51\frac{2}{3}\) = \(\frac{155}{3}\)

One packet of sugar contains = \(\frac{3}{4}\) 

Calculations:

Total number of packets that can be made = \(\frac{155}{3}\) ÷ \(\frac{3}{4}\)

⇒(155 × 4)/(3 × 3) = 68.88 packets 

Hence the complete packets that can be made from given amount of sugar is 68.

Concept used:

Prime number:- The number which is divisible by only one and itself.

Ex:- 2, 3, 5, 7 etc

2 is the only even prime number

1 is neither prime nor composite

3 is the smallest odd prime number

7 is the largest one-digit prime number

Composite number:- A composite number is a natural number or a positive integer which has more than two factors. 

4 is the smallest composite number

Ex:- 4, 6, 15, 22 etc

∴ 1 is neither prime nor a composite number.

Concept used:

The sum of all the angle of the triangle is 180° 

Calculation:

Let the angles of the triangle be 5x, 6x and 7x respectively.

We know that,

Sum of angles in a triangle = 180°

⇒ 5x + 6x + 7x = 180°

⇒ 18x = 180

⇒ x = 10°

∴ The measure of the smallest angle = 5 × 10° = 50°

Solution:

Let the total candies bought by Bimal is x.

The candies he gave to John = x/3

The candies he gave to Radha = x/4

The candies he gave to Sushmita = x/5

The candies he gave to Miku = x/6

After distributing the candies , remaining candies are 6.

So, x - (x/3 + x/4 + x/5 + x/6) = 6 

⇒ x - [(20x + 15x + 12x + 10x)/60] = 6 

⇒ 60x - 57x = 6 × 60 

⇒ 3x = 360

⇒ x = 120

Hence the total candies in the packet is 120.

Given: 

The sum of seven consecutive even numbers is 98.

Calculations:

Let the consecutive even numbers be x, x + 2, x + 4, x + 6, x + 8, x + 10, x + 12.

According to question , x + (x + 2) + (x + 4) + (x + 6) + (x + 8) + (x + 10) + (x + 12) = 98

⇒ 7x + 42 = 98 

⇒ 7x = 98 - 42

⇒ 7x = 56

⇒ x = 56/7 

⇒ x = 8

⇒ Third number is x + 4, putting the value of x = 8 

⇒ We get the third number, 8 + 4 = 12

Hence the third number is 12.

Mathematics is a science that deals with logical reasoning, quantitative calculation, practices of counting describing shapes, abstraction of subject matter, etc. Mathematics plays a vital role in daily life.

Key Points 

• Utilization understanding  - The students should be taught in a way so that they will think mathematically and use their logical thinking in their daily life, therefore encouraging students to think about numbers and quantities of objects when these are meaningful to them.
• The main goal of NCF 2005 is to mathematize the child's mind.
• Encourage students to make sets with movable objects and focus on hands-on exploration. For example, stones or coins can be used for learning counting, fraction, and for other mathematical concepts.
• The NCF focuses on conceptual understanding of any topic. The NCF discourages rote memorization but counting by recalling the number of names contradicts it.
• Mathematics increases logical thinking.
• The teaching-learning process should not focus on robotic learning of steps of solving any question.

Therefore, in the context of teaching numbers to students in early primary classes, a teacher should encourage students to think about numbers and quantities of objects when these are meaningful to them and encourage students to make sets with movable objects.

Geometry includes Euclidean geometry, Projection, Analytical geometry, Trigonometry, Combinatorial geometry, differential and Algebraic Geometry, etc. 

• According to two Dutch educators, Dina van Hiele-Geldof and her husband, Pierre Marie van Hiele, behaviors such as these reflect a student's level of geometric maturity.
• The model consists of five levels of understanding. The levels, labeled "visualization," "analysis," "informal deduction," "formal deduction," and "rigor" describe characteristics of the thinking process.

Key PointsThe sequence of development of geometrical understanding:

Level 1: Visualization

• At this initial stage, students are aware of space only as something that exists around them.
• Geometric concepts are viewed as total entities rather than as having components or attributes.

Level 2: Analysis

• At this level, an analysis of geometric concepts begins, through observation and experimentation, students begin to discern the characteristics of figures.
• These emerging properties are then used to conceptualize classes of shapes.
• Thus figures are recognized as having parts and are recognized by their parts.

Level 3: Informal Deduction.

• At this level, students can establish the interrelationships of properties both within figures and among figures.
• Thus they can deduce the properties of a figure and recognize classes of figures.

Level 4: Formal Deduction

• At this level, the significance of deduction as a way of establishing geometric theory within an axiomatic system is understood.
• A person at this level can construct, not just memorize, proofs; the possibility of developing a proof in more than one way is seen; the interaction of necessary and sufficient conditions is understood; distinctions between a statement and its converse can be made.

Level 5: Rigor

• At this stage the learner can work in a variety of axiomatic systems, that is, non-Euclidean geometries can be studied, and different systems can be compared.
• Geometry is seen in the abstract.

Hence, we can conclude that option 3 is correct regarding the correct sequence of development of geometrical understanding.

A mathematical task refers to a single problem or a set of problems that focuses student attention on a mathematical idea.

Key PointsFor designing Mathematical Task (or an activity)  a teacher should keep the following points into consideration-

• Children can learn most of the basic concepts of mathematics by being engaged in activities that give them pleasure.
• Every child loves to play games with other children and these games may be the perfect medium for learning several mathematical concepts.
• When students are challenged with appropriate mathematical tasks, there is a probability that they become confident in their ability to handle difficult problems.
• He should take any familiar game children love to play and with a slight modification, you can integrate some mathematics concepts into it so that the children can acquire those.
• Here are some examples: Number Race, Place Value, Addition Game, Guessing Game. He can introduce more mathematical concepts in this game by introducing some variations.
• Mathematical tasks should encourage students to become autonomous learners.
• Mathematical tasks should provide flexibility for exploring alternative paths to solve the problem.

Thus, we can conclude that if a mathematical task is difficult and not interested then it cannot be engaging for students is not correct.

Hierarchical Inclusion is defined as a counting principle, sometimes it is also called a cardinal principle. 

• The numbers are nested inside of each other and the number grows by one each count.  For example, 10 is inside of 11 or is the same as 11 + 1.  If you remove one, the number goes back to 10.

Key Points Teacher needs to introduce Hierarchical inclusion as -

• Students understand other number sense concepts, such as part/whole relationships and compensation by the concept of Hierarchical inclusion, because a child cannot understand that 5 can be broken up into parts 4 and 1 without understanding that the number "5" contains 4 and 1.
• For example we have three numbers 3,4,5

3

4=3+1

5=4+1=3+1+1

• Hence we can say that every preceding number is included in its succeeding number.

Thus, if "The child mentally includes one in two, two in three, three in four, four in five so on and so forth" then Hierarchical inclusion will help a child to understand the quantification of the objects.

Additional Information

• Equality is referred to the condition that ensures every individual has an equal opportunity to make the most of their lives and talents. It ensures equal rights for all.
• Normalization refers to the process of reorganizing data in a database so that it meets two basic requirements: There is no redundancy of data, and all data is stored in only one place.

Activity-based learning focuses on the use of these sense organs and learning should be based on doing some hands-on experiments and activities.

Key Points

The idea of activity-based learning is rooted in the common notion that children are active learners rather than passive recipients of the information.

• If a child is provided the opportunity to explore his/her own and provided an optimum learning environment then the learning becomes joyful and long-lasting.
• The key feature of the activity approach is that it uses child-friendly educational aids to foster self-learning and allows a child to study according to his/her aptitude and skill.
• At the school level in mathematics, the activity/activities may be in the form of games, puzzles, worksheets, paper folding/paper cutting, concept mapping of mathematical modeling, etc.
• More scope for brainstorming and reflective thinking. Encouragement for divergent thinking. More scope for problem-posing and problem-solving.
• Freedom for students for questioning and expressing ideas. More scope and freedom for fluent expression and elaboration of ideas.

Important Points

• At the primary stage, children should be engaged in activities that would help them in developing an understanding of the natural and social environment. Understanding at this level should be based on observation and illustration rather than abstractions.
• Illustrations need to be drawn from the children’s physical, biological, social, and cultural aspects of life. The skills, namely observation, identification, and classification are important to become an active learner at this stage.

Therefore, doing paper folding activities with symmetrical rectangular strips and circular cut-outs is the most appropriate strategy to introduce the concept of Fractions in primary mathematics class.

Additional Information

​The below methods are introduced at the upper primary level or at higher classes.

• Posing a word problem on fractions
• Showing a picture chart representing \(\frac{1}{2}\) and \(\frac{1}{4}\).
• Representing a fraction on a number line.

Manipulation of objects: It is through the manipulation of concrete objects that the children acquire mathematical skills at an early stage.

• Acquisition of any mathematical skill at the early stage like comparison, categorization, counting, and fundamental four operations, cannot be possible without the manipulation of concrete objects.
• Provision of a variety of objects both familiar and novel should be made available to children in the classroom for their free handling so that it would be easier for you to facilitate their learning of desired mathematical concepts.

Key PointsAccordingly, the stages or periods of cognitive development have been categorized by Piaget as:

• Sensory-motor Period (from birth to 2 years)
• Pre-operation Period (from 2 to 7 years)
• Concrete Operation Period (7 to 11 years)
• Formal Operation Period (11-12 years to 14-15 years).

Concrete Operation Period: The third stage, from approximately seven to eleven or twelve years of age, is that of concrete operations**. It is particularly important for you because most of the time that children are in elementary school they are in this stage of development. Hence during the early learning at the elementary level child's concrete thinking works but the above option, states falsely that primary class students start doing mathematics without thinking. When they enter school they bring some mathematical information to the school along with them.**

Therefore, it can be concluded that (A) is true but (R) is false. i.e. Mathematics curriculum in primary school must progress from concrete to abstract but primary class students start doing mathematics without thinking is not correct.

Assessment refers to the collection of data and the gathering of evidence from different sources through different tools, whereas evaluation refers to bringing meaning to the collected data through interpretation, analysis, and reflection. 

Key PointsAssessment in Mathematics -

• Assessment is a process by which information is obtained relative to some known objective or goal.
• The assessment provides feedback on the performance of the student specifying his/her strengths and areas for improvement which provides insights for taking appropriate steps for improving the learning.
• It focuses on skills including mathematical communication, reasoning, and problem-solving.
• It should not merely be done for evaluating the students, but rather should be done for providing feedback and improving the teaching-learning process.
• It explores the child’s understanding of mathematics.
• It helps in identifying and remediating group or individual deficiencies.
• It helps in recognizing the potential of the students and facilitates enriching their capabilities.

Important Points

• Classroom assessment is an approach designed to help teachers, find out what students are learning in the classroom and how they have learned it. Generally, assessment in the classroom is organized in different phases such as before, during, and after the teaching-learning process.

Thus, According to National Curriculum Framework 2005, It should not merely be done for evaluating the students, rather should be done for providing feedback and improving the teaching-learning process is the most appropriate statement about classroom-based assessment in mathematics

Children come to the classroom with a lot of exposure to the environment. They learn by imitation, observing, and questioning. knowingly or unknowingly they use Mathematics at each moment of life. Whether it is at home or playground they use different types of Mathematics.

• Children come to school with some ideas about mathematics.
• Children in primary classes are able to identify shapes in their surroundings.
• Children's ideas about mathematics before coming to school are relevant for school mathematics.
• Every moment in their life children are experiencing many things, and as a result of that, they are learning.

Key PointsMathematics teachers should-

• Use the previous knowledge of whatever Mathematics students know from their environment by connecting it with the topic of teaching.
• Make linkages between children’s experiential informal knowledge of mathematics and school mathematics.
• Connect mathematical concepts with the objects around the students is considered a successful teacher.
• Provide Numerous examples in which we use Mathematics in our daily life can be used with the various experiences of students in constructing mathematical concepts.

Therefore, children come to school with some ideas about mathematics, and children in primary classes are able to identify shapes in their surroundings.

National Curriculum Framework 2005 calls for a curriculum that is ambitious, coherent, and teaches important principles of mathematics*.*

• It should be ambitious in the sense that it seeks to achieve the higher aim mentioned above, rather than only the narrower aim.
• It should be coherent in the sense that the variety of methods and skills available piecemeal (in arithmetic, algebra, geometry) cohere into an ability to address problems that come from other problems in school Mathematics education.
• It should be important in the sense that students feel the need to solve such problems, that teachers and students find it worth their time and energy to address these problems.

Key PointsAccording to National Curriculum Framework 2005-

• The idea of activity-based learning is rooted in the common notion that children are active learners rather than passive recipients of the information.
• If a child is provided the opportunity to explore his/her own and provided an optimum learning environment then the learning becomes joyful and long-lasting.
• The key feature of the activity approach is that it uses child-friendly educational aids to foster self-learning and allows a child to study according to his/her aptitude and skill.
• At the school level in mathematics, the activity/activities may be in the form of games, puzzles, worksheets, paper folding/paper cutting, concept mapping of mathematical modeling, etc.
• More scope for brainstorming and reflective thinking. Encouragement for divergent thinking.

Therefore, According to National Curriculum Framework 2005, important features of the mathematics curriculum are It should be ambitious and coherent and It should be activity-oriented.

Additional InformationCoherent curriculum refers to an academic program that is -

• well organized and purposefully designed to facilitate learning.
• free of academic gaps and needless repetitions.
• aligned across lessons, courses, subject areas, and grade levels.
• Activity-based learning focuses on the use of these sense organs and learning should be based on doing some hands-on experiments and activities.

Student-centered mathematics classroom is where the primary focus is laid on students and the student will be active for most time in the class the teacher is just a facilitator and assist the student if and only necessary. Students will be given a lot of activities to perform in the classroom. 

Key PointsCharacteristics of students centered mathematics classroom:

• Students will be provided with enough scope and freedom to explore and learn various concepts.
• Many activities like an individual peer and group activities will be designed by the teacher as per the abilities of students.
• The teacher is engaging with students in the classroom to build their mathematical understanding from their personal experiences.
• Assessment is not done only after the learning process but it will be done during the learning process by observation and other tools.
• Authentic learning will take place as the students get a chance to ask as many questions as they can and discuss them with their teacher.

​Hence option 3 is the correct one. 

Additional Information

On the other hand, all the other options do not indicate towards student-centered mathematical classroom because when the teacher directly rights the question or solution on the blackboard the student would be treated just as a passive recipient of the knowledge.

The textbook is considered to be a primary source of learning for both students and teachers. Students learn a lot of concepts and get a lot of practice by solving the questions given in the textbook. A textbook acts as a primary guide for the students to know about what all topics they are going to be taught and how the process will progress from one lesson to other. 

Key Points

The language used in the textbook must not be far removed from the everyday speech of the students because:

• If the language is far from students' everyday speech then students cannot connect or relate with the concepts given in the textbook.
• Even if it is a mathematics textbook language plays an important role because one has to understand the sentences to find out what the problem is.
• The simple and understandable language which is appropriate to students makes the textbook more effective as compared to the one which has good but complex language.
• If the language is related to students' daily life they can easily understand the word problems and statements which are very useful to arrive at a specific conclusion and enhance learning.

​Hence "The language used in textbook must not be far removed from the everyday speech of the students"  is most appropriate for the mathematics textbook of primary classes.

 Additional Information

On the other hand, the other two options are given or wrong about the mathematics textbooks of primary classes because the textbooks should include stories and a lot of practice questions which may create curiosity and interest in the students.

The knowledge base behind mathematics teaching includes the knowledge of mathematics of connections among mathematical ideas, of student learning, and school culture. The process of teaching involves creating a learning community, challenging students to make sense of mathematical ideas, and supporting students’ developing understanding. In the process of mathematics teaching and learning, we develop abstraction, investigation, optimization, problem-solving, logical thinking, understanding, etc. 

Key Points

• Abstraction in math: Abstraction in mathematics, or mental abstraction, is a significant component of the mental activity aimed at the formulation of basic mathematical concepts. The most typical abstractions in mathematics are "pure" abstractions, idealizations, and their various multi-layered superpositions. Abstraction is an ongoing process in mathematics and the historical development of many mathematical topics exhibits a progression from the concrete to the abstract. Abstraction in mathematics is the process of extracting the underlying structures, patterns, or properties of a mathematical concept, removing any dependence on real-world objects with which it might originally have been connected, and generalizing it so that it has wider applications or matching among other abstract descriptions of equivalent phenomena.
• Investigation in math: It is applied in numerous areas of mathematics for specifying the theory of optimization. Optimization means examining “best available” values of the specific objective function in a defined domain including multiple types of objective functions.
• Optimization in math: Teaching through mathematical investigation allows for students to learn about mathematics, especially the nature of mathematical activity and thinking. It also makes them realize that learning mathematics involves intuition, systematic exploration, conjecturing and reasoning, etc, and not about memorizing and following existing procedures.

Important Points

• Rote Memorization: Rote memorization, or rote learning, is the process of learning through repetition and memorization. The goal of rote memorization is to be able to instantly recall information once it is presented to you. In process of mathematics, the teaching-learning teacher does not focus on rote memorization, he focuses on developing meaningful learning, understanding, logic, and inquiry-based approach in children.

Hence, we can conclude that the right answer to this question is Rote Memorization.

A man named George Polya devised a four-step process to handle any problem about a century ago: understand the situation, devise a strategy, carry out the plan, and look back and reflect. The approach has become a famous way of solving problems due to its simplicity and generalizability.

Key Points

• Students' work becomes dynamic, iterative, and metacognitive when they use Polya's four problem-solving processes - Understand, plan, solve, and Review. Students who are new to the process may want assistance in getting started, working, reflecting, and connecting. Polya's problem-solving model doesn't include memorizing the algorithm.
• Finding techniques to understand the basic idea of such algorithms is always preferable to memorizing them.
• Polya developed his famous four-step problem-solving approach, which is now widely used:
• Recognize the difficulty.
• Make a strategy for achieving your objectives (translate)
• Execute the plan (solution)
• Take a step back (check and interpret).

As a result, the algorithm is not memorized in Polya's problem-solving paradigm.

Additional Information

• George Polya, in his book Mathematical Discovery, defines problem-solving as the conscious search for some action appropriate to attain some clearly conceived, but not immediately attainable aim.
• Van Hiele's theory describes how young people learn geometry. It postulates five levels of geometric thinking which are labeled visualization, analysis, abstraction, formal deduction, and rigor.

Key PointsThe commutative property states that the change in the order of two numbers in an addition or multiplication operation does not change the sum or the product.

• a + b = c and also b + a = c     in addition
• a x b = c and also b x a = c     in multiplication

The associative property states that the sum or the product of three or more numbers does not change if they are grouped in a different way

• (A + B) + C = A + (B + C) in addition
• (a × b) × c = a × (b × c) in multiplication

In the above example while adding  73 + 35 + 27 the student followed (73 + 35) + 27 = (35 + 73) + 27 = 35 + (73 + 27) = 35 + 100 = 135 where he/she followed the commutative and associative properties.

Additional Information

In the initial stage when the students learn the basis for operations of mathematics which are addition subtraction multiplication and division they often get confused from one operation to another so they apply the algorithm of one operation to another and make a mistake. 

Key Points

• In the above example, the student has extended the algorithm of addition to multiplication.
• The student has got confused between both operations addition and multiplication.
• As in the above example, the student is given a problem to multiply 35 with 23 and produce the required solution.
• The student has written both the numbers in an algorithm of addition and has done it accordingly.
• The student has not done the problem correctly as per addition also because he first added 3 + 2 and wrote 5 in the first column and then added 5 + 2 and wrote 7 in the beside column and came with an answer of 75.

Hence the student has extended the algorithm of addition to multiplication.

 Additional Information

On the other hand, all the other options are wrong as recalling multiplications and grouping of numbers has no relation to the error the student has committed.

​Tarun Bharat Sangh:

• TBS (Tarun Bharat Sangh) is a non-profit environmental organization based in Bheekampura, Rajasthan.
• This sangha was founded in 1975.
• TBS began by rallying communities around the subject of water.
• TBS assisted them in reviving and revitalizing traditional water management techniques through the construction of Johads, Anicuts, and Bunds for rainfall gathering from Shramdan, which was partially funded by TBS.

Rajendra Singh:

• He is the Chairman of TBS.
• TBS has been fighting to restore life and hope to Rajasthan's arid desert since 1985, under his passionate leadership.
• Mr. Rajendra Singh has been named the 2015 recipient of the Stockholm Water Prize, also known as the "Nobel Prize for Water".
• Rajendra Singh is widely known as the "Waterman of India".
• He is the head of the Rashtriya Jal Biradari, a countrywide network of water-related organizations.
• This network is trying to restore all of the country's major and minor rivers.

Thus, Tarun Bharat Sangh is an organization that works for the conservation of water. The person heading the organization is Rajendra Singh.

Additional InformationMedha Patekar:

• Medha Patekar is a social activist and the founder of the Narmada Bachao Andolan.
• Medha Patekar is working on a number of important political and economic issues in India, including those raised by tribals, Dalits, farmers, laborers, and women.

Sunder Lal Bhaguna:

• Sunder Lal Bahuguna is a famous environmentalist.
• He is also the leader of the Chipko Movement in India.
• He also has an active role in the anti-Tehri Dam movement.
• He started his role as a social activist under the influence of Shri Dev Suman.
• For environment conservation, Bahuguna was honored with Padma Vibhushan in 2009.

P C Joshi:

• He was one of the earliest leaders of the communist movement in India.
• Joshi was the General Secretary of the communist party.
• This party passed a resolution to separate statehood to the hill region of Uttar Pradesh.

Concept:

Groundwater:

• Groundwater is the water that exists beneath the Earth's surface in the pore spaces of rocks and soils, as well as in the cracks of rock formations.
• Groundwater makes up about a third of all readily available freshwater on the planet.
• When a unit of rock or an unconsolidated deposit may supply a useable amount of water, it is called an aquifer.

Explanation:

Depletion of groundwater:

• Groundwater depletion is a major environmental concern.
• The most common cause of groundwater depletion is the repeated pumping of water from the ground.
• We pump the water faster than it can regenerate, resulting in a dangerous deficit of groundwater.
• We are constantly pumping groundwater from aquifers, leaving it with insufficient time to regenerate itself.
• A substantial volume of groundwater is required for agricultural purposes.
• A significant proportion of groundwater is used for agriculture with the help of tubewell and pumps.

Thus, tube wells and hand pumps are used for irrigation. It is the main reason for the depletion of groundwater levels.

Explanation:

• When the quantity of acids in the raining water is more than the average, then such rain is called 'Acid rain'.
• We are aware that normally rainwater has a pH of 5.6.
• When the pH of the rainwater drops below 5.6, it is called acid rain.
• Acid rain is a by-product of a variety of human activities that emit the oxides of sulphur and nitrogen in the atmosphere.
• As mentioned earlier, burning of fossil fuels (which contain sulphur and nitrogenous matter) such as coal and oil in power stations and furnaces or petrol and diesel in motor engines produce sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides.
• SO2 and NO2 after oxidation and reaction with water vapour and sunlight are major contributors to acid rain because polluted air usually contains particulate matter that catalyses the oxidation.

2SO2 (g) + O2 (g) + 2H2O (l) → 2H2SO4 (aq)

4NO2 (g) + O2 (g) + 2H2O (l) → 4HNO3 (aq)

Hence, the correct option is H2SO4 (Sulphuric acid) and HNO3 (Nitric acid)

Additional Information

The bad effects of acid rain:

• When acid rain falls and flows as groundwater to reach rivers, lakes etc, it affects plants and animal life in the aquatic ecosystem.
• Acid rain is harmful to agriculture, trees and plants as it dissolves and washes away nutrients needed for their growth.
• It causes respiratory ailments in human beings and animal.
• It may also cause corrosion in many buildings bridges, monuments, fencing etc.
• It causes irritation in the eyes and skin of human beings.
• This rain reduces the lustre of the metals too.
• Acid rain damages buildings and other structures made of stone or metal
• The Taj Mahal in India has been affected by acid rain.
• Acid rain indirectly affects plants by removing nutrients from the soil during which they grow; Acid rain dissolves and washes away all the vitamins in the soil which are very much essential for plants.

The Correct answer is Glaciers.

Explanation:

Freshwater on Earth:

• The Earth is a watery place. About 71 percent of the Earth's surface is water-covered, while the other 29% consists of continents and islands.
• 96.5% of all the Earth's water is contained within the oceans as saltwater, while the remaining 3.5% is freshwater lakes and frozen water locked up in glaciers and the polar ice caps.
• Water also exists in the air as water vapor, in rivers and lakes, in icecaps and glaciers, in the ground as soil moisture and in aquifers. The vast majority of water on the Earth's surface is saline water in the oceans.
• Over 68 percent of the freshwater on Earth is found in icecaps and glaciers, and just over 30 percent is found in groundwater. Only about 0.3 percent of our freshwater is found in the surface water of lakes, rivers, and swamps.
• The Antarctic ice sheet holds about 90 percent of the fresh water that exists on the Earth’s surface.
• The ice sheet covers approximately 8.7 million square miles. The Greenland ice sheet also contains large volumes of fresh water. These two ice sheets account for more than 99 percent of the freshwater ice on the planet.

Note- 22 March is celebrated as the world water day every year.

Concept:

Water:

• It is a substance composed of the chemical elements of hydrogen and oxygen.
• Water is a very plentiful and essential component of the world.
• Its formula is H2O.
• Its boiling point is 100⁰C and its melting point is 0⁰C.

Explanation:

Water is a universal solvent:

• More substances are dissolved in water than in any other chemical, that's why water is called a Universal solvent.
• This happens mainly because of the polarity of each water molecule.
• The positive electric charge of the hydrogen side and negative electric charge on the oxygen side of the water molecule helps water dissociate ionic compound into their positive and negative ions.

Water exists in all the three stages of matter:

• Water has 3 different physical states, mainly as solid, liquid and gaseous.
• The liquid state that we consume or use is mainly referred to as water.
• Solid:
• The freezing point of water is 0⁰C under STP( standard condition for temperature and pressure).
• At this temperature, the liquid water enters the solid-state by the freezing and cooling of the substance.
• Liquid:
• Under STP water is present in liquid form at a temperature of 0-100⁰C.
• About 70% of the earth's water is present in liquid form.
• Gaseous:
• The gaseous stage of water is mainly referred to as steam or vapour.
• It enters this stage when the temperature is above 100⁰C.
• Water mainly turn into gaseous form through two process boiling and evaporation.

Thus, the density of water is maximum at 100° C, the following is not true about water.

Additional InformationDensity of water is maximum at 4° C:

• Mass per unit manly defined as a density of a material.
• Water density means the weight of water per unit volume, which depends upon the temperature of the water.
• Approximately the density of water is1 gram/cm3.
• like other substances, the liquid water became dense when it is cooled from room temperature.
• But pure water is reached its maximum density at 4⁰ Celcius.

Concept:

• Families are of different types.
• Some are joint family, extended family, nuclear or single-parent family.

Explanation:

Given below are the list of things that happen in a family:

• People stay together in a family.
• The family members love and take care of each other.
• They cook and eat together.
• The entire family watches TV, plays games and goes out together.
• The elders of the family work hard to earn money and support each other financially.
• An elder in the family cooks delicious food for other members.
• Sometimes, a new member comes into the family.
• Sometimes, a family member dies or passes away.
• The children go to school and study regularly.
• Shared responsibility and safety of children.

Thus, 

Rita lives with a Joint family where all the members live together.

Additional Information

Types of families are: 

Joint Family:  

• ​A family which lives together with all family members up to the second generation like grandparents, parents, uncle, aunts and their children is called a joint family.
• Such a type of family arrangement is especially common in India.

Extended Family:

• An extended family is used in a broader sense than a joint family.
• The extended family is a family that consists of parents, children, uncle, aunt, grandparents, their relatives etc.

Nuclear Family:

• A nuclear family consist of a couple and their children(1 or more).
• It is also known as elementary family or conjugal family or small families.

Single Parent Family:

• Single-parent families are families with children under age 18 headed by a parent who is widowed or divorced and not remarried, or by a parent who has never married.
• In such type of families, children live with only one parent.

The right answer is Grass and herbs

Concept:

• Horses, cows, sheep, and goats are the types of animals with sharp, flat, broad front teeth.
• These types of animals are called herbivores.

Explanation:

• Herbivores have sharp, broad, flat front teeth for eating grass and herbs.
• They use these kinds of teeth for biting grass and leaves.
• They do not need to tear their food like carnivore animals**.**

Hence, the right answer is grass and herbs.

Additional InformationFlesh-eating animal

• Animals which eat flesh are mainly carnivorous.
• These kinds of animals have long, sharp teeth.
• They use these for tearing, cutting, and ripping flesh.

Fruits

• Fruit is the primary food source for hornbills, fruit bats, and owl monkeys.
• These kinds of animals do not have sharp, flat, broad front teeth.

Grains

• Birds and small animals like squirrels, and rats mainly eat grains.
• In most cases, birds do not have any teeth, so they use their beaks for eating grains.
• Other small animals have small teeth, they do not need broad, flat front teeth for eating grain.

The Correct answer is:  Halophytes

Concept:

• Some plants adapt according to the environment.
• Adaptations help plants to adjust to the environment and help in propagation.

Key Points

Halophytes:

• Halophytes are plants that naturally survive in salt-contaminated environments and can tolerate salinity concentrations as high as 1 M NaCl.
• About 1% of the total flora of the world (both dicots and monocots) are halophytic plants.
• Example- Mangroves.

Sciophytes:

• Sciophytes are shade-loving trees or plants.
• These plants have larger photosynthetic units than sun plants or heliophytes.
• Sciophytes are also known as photophobous plants and they reach their saturation level in only 20% sunlight. Example- Orchids.

Heliophyte:

• Plants that are adapted to live under plenty of sunlight are celled heliophytes.
• Example: sunflower and banyan.
• Heliophytes form the roof of a forest.
• Example- Rice requires a lot of water for its growth.

​Mesophytes:

• Any plant adapted to grow in soil that is well supplied with water and mineral salts.
• Such plants wilt easily when exposed to drought conditions as they are not adapted to conserve water.
• The majority of flowering plants are mesophytes.​

Xerophyte:

• These are plants growing in arid conditions throughout the year.
• Xerophyte plants mainly grow in deserts (psammophytes), on rock (lithophytes) or in alpine plants growing above 14000 feet altitude.
• Xerophyte plants lose very little water through transpiration.
• The leaves in these plants are either absent, very small, or are in the form of spines.
• This helps in reducing the loss of water from the leaves through transpiration.
• Examples of some xerophytes plants are cacti, pineapple, aloe vera etc.

Thus, the correct answer is Halophytes

Concept:

• Painting is a form of visual art where a picture is drawn on a solid surface with the application of paint, pigment, color, etc. through a medium such as a brush.
• The colors which are extracted through a natural source and do not contain any chemicals are known as natural colors.

Explanation:

• The word Chitra Kathi consists of two words. Chitra means picture and Katha means story.
• Therefore Chitra Kathi means telling a story with the help of a picture.
• It is tribal art, practiced by the Thakar tribe of Maharashtra.
• Pinguli village in the Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra is famous for its Chitrakathi art dating back to the 17^th century.

Hence, the Chitra Kathi painting belongs to Maharashtra.

Additional Information

Concept:

Tribal groups in India:

• In India, tribal people are referred to as "Adivasi."
• The term "Adivasi" refers to a diverse mix of ethnic and tribal groups.
• They are considered India's aboriginal inhabitants.

Explanation:

Gaddi Tribe:

• It is an Indo Aryan semi-pastoral ethnolinguistic tribe.
• This tribe mainly lives in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu Kashmir.
• The word Gaddi comes from the word "Garden", which is a native word in Himachal Pradesh that means "the home of the Gaddis".
• This scheduled tribe are mainly present in Bharmauri of Chamba district.
• They have their own defined culture, language, dress, food, marriage and devout celebration.
• According to a survey held in 2011, the Gaddi population in Himachal Pradesh is 1,78,130.

Thus, the tribal group that is native to the state of Himachal Pradesh, India is Gaddi Tribe.

Additional InformationSanthali Tribe:

• This is a Munda ethnic group native to India.
• According to its population, Santhal is the largest tribe in Jharkhand state.
• This tribe is also present in the state of Assa, Tripura, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Orisha and West Bengal.
• They spoke the most widely spoken Munda language Santali

Gond Tribe:

• This tribe is the Dravidian ethnolinguistic group.
• This tribe present a scheduled tribe present in the state of Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh.
• They spoke the Gondi language.

Sahavia Tribe:

• This ethenic group is mainly present in the state of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
• This tribe is classified as a particularly vulnerable tribe.
• This tribe believes in Animism folk Hinduishms Gods and Goddesses.

Explanation:

Cheraw dance is the traditional dance form of Mizoram.

• It consists of usually six to eight people holding a pair of bamboo staves onto another bamboo positioned horizontally on the ground.
• It is an attractive hub during festive occasions.
• In 2010, A Guinness World Record was made in which the highest number of Cheraw dancers performed at the same time.
• It is also recognized as the oldest dance form of Mizoram.
• Cheraw is performed by six to eight people holding a pair of bamboo staves on another horizontally placed bamboo on the ground on special occasions such as when there is a bumper harvest of a crop.
• Gongs and drums are used as musical instruments in Cheraw dance.
• Cheraw is one of the traditional and oldest dances of Mizoram. It also recognized as the oldest dance form of Mizoram.
• It is also known as the Bamboo dance.
• It is one of the most famous dances in Mizoram, and a centre of attraction during festive occasions.

Note: Khuallam, Sarlamkai, Chheihlam and Mizo are other Traditional Dances of Mizoram.

Additional Information

Sattriya dance:

• The Sattriya dance form was introduced in the 15^th century A.D by the great Vaishnava saint and reformer of Assam.
• The dance form evolved and expanded as a distinctive style of dance later on.
• Due to its of its religious character and association with the Sattras, this dance style has been aptly named Sattriya.

Rouf Dance:

• Rouf is a popular and main folk dance of Jammu and Kashmir performed by women of the Kashmiri community.
• Rouf is performed with the intriguing footwork carefully resonating with one another.
• Rouf dance is the most important and famous folk dance form of Kashmir Valley.

Garba dance:

• Garba is a Gujarati folk dance celebrated in Navratri, a celebration lasting nine nights.
• Garba songs typically revolve around the subjects of Lord Krishna or the nine goddesses.
• Sanedo is an example of a very popular song. Garba styles vary from place to place in Gujarat.

Some other common folk Dances are - 

Concept:

Railway:

• Railways are the principal mode of transportation for freight and passengers in India.
• Apart from being an important means of transport, the Indian Railways have been a great integrating force for more than 150 years.
• Railways in India bind the economic life of the country as well as accelerate the development of industry and agriculture.
• The Indian Railways is the largest public sector undertaking in the country.

Explanation:

Dibrugarh to Kanyakumari:

• Dibrugarh to Kanyakumari - Vivek Express is the longest train route in India.
• This route connects the southernmost tip of India's mainland namely Assam, Northeast India to Kanyakumari.
• In the chain of Vivek Express, there are mainly four trains that run.
• This train distance is 4189 km and its runs at the speed of 80hrs and 15 mins.
• On the 150^th Birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda in 2013, these trains first started to run.
• It is the 24^th longest route in the World according to its distance.

Thus, the largest rail route in India is from Dibrugarh to Kanyakumari.

Explanation: 

• Kalpana Chawla was the first female space traveller of Indian origin.
• She was born in Karnal, Haryana, India.
• She completed her bachelor's in engineering from the University of Punjab in India.
• She got her masters in Aerospace engineering from the University of Texas, Arlington.
• She joined the corps in March 1995 and was selected for her first flight in 1996.
• Chawla died on 1 February 2003, in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster along with the other six crew members.
• The Columbia disintegrated over Texas during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, shortly before it was scheduled to conclude its 28^th mission.
• Many roads, institutes, awards and honours have been named after her to honour her achievements.
• The girls' hostel at Punjab Engineering College is named after Chawla
• The University of Texas, Arlington has a department named after her.
• The Karnataka state government gives Kalpana Chawla Award to recognise women scientists.

∴ Kalpana Chawla, an Indian-American astronaut died in the space shuttle in the year 2003

Additional Information

• Recently the US has named its satellite in honour of Kalpana Chawla.

Concept:

• Birds build nests to lay their eggs and incubate their younger ones.
• Different birds build nests at different places, some on ground level, some high up on the tree.
• Different birds use different techniques and different materials to build their nests.

Explanation:

Barbet:

• It is a tropical bird constituting the family Capitonidae.
• Barbets are named for the bristles at the bases of their stout, sharp bills.
• They are big-headed, short-tailed birds, 9–30 cm long, greenish or brownish, with splashes of bright colours or white.
• The distribution of the family spans Central America to northern South America; sub-Saharan Africa; and Southeast Asia, eastward only to Borneo and Bali.
• All are non-migratory.
• Barbets sit stolidly in treetops when not feeding on insects, lizards, birds’ eggs, fruit, and berries.
• Some climb like woodpeckers; all fly weakly.
• The nest is a hole, dug with the beak, high up in a rotting tree or in a termite nest.

​Thus, the Barbet bird lives in a tree trunk.

Additional Information

• The dove makes its nest among the thorns of a cactus plant or a Mehendi hedge.
• The sparrow and pigeon make their nest anywhere on top of a cupboard, behind a mirror, on a ledge.
• The barbet or coppersmith bird makes its nest in a hole, in a tree trunk.
• The tailorbird uses its sharp beak to make its nest by stitching together two leaves on a bush. It lays its eggs in the fold of the leaf that it has made.
• The sunbird makes a nest that hangs from the branch of a small tree or a bush.
• The robin makes its nest with soft twigs, roots, wool, hair and cotton wool at ground level, lower branches of a tree or sometimes at the top.

Concept:

Vitamins:

• It is an organic compound.
• It is an essential nutrient for the body.
• It is required in small quantities.
• Different types of vitamins are required by the body.
• Vitamin means 'vital for life'.
• Vitamin is an organic non-protein substance.
• Vitamins are compounds necessary for the healthy functioning of our bodies.
• We need vitamins to help us grow, to see correctly, as well as to help us battle infections.
• It is required by an organism for normal metabolic function but cannot be synthesized in sufficient quantity by that organism.
• They are also required in small quantities to prevent deficiency diseases.

Explanation:

Vitamin C:

• It is also known as ascorbic acid.
• It helps to protect cells and keep them healthy.
• It helps to repair cell tissues.
• Helps in the proper functioning and builds resistance against infections for the immune system.

Major food containing vitamin C are:

• Broccoli
• Citrus fruits like orange, lemon
• Strawberries
• Kiwi
• Bell pepper

Thus the correct answer is, It builds resistance against infections.

Additional Information

The function of vitamins:

• Help shore up bones.
• Help heal wounds.
• Help boost the immune system.
• Act as a catalyst.
• Helps to provide energy.

Many times the answers given by the students to the various questions asked by the teachers help the teacher to assess and identify the special skills and understanding abilities of students. The teacher should keep asking many questions related to the topic very often. 

Key Points

In the above example, the objective of the teacher is to explore students' intuitive ideas because:

• Here the teacher asks question-related about the topic and tries to check the knowledge of the students.
• The teacher wants to know what the students feel and think about what happens to the food we eat inside our bodies.
• The teacher here is not expecting record facts from the students but the objective of the teacher is to understand the sense of the students.
• Intuitive questions need to be asked by the teachers regularly to understand the spontaneity and conscious thought of students.

Hence in the above example, the objective of the teacher is to explore students' intuitive ideas.

 Additional Information

On the other hand, getting correct responses from the students and calculating students' imagination was not the objective of the teacher in asking this particular question.

Field trips are educational trips that are considered to be a good source of learning for children because they provide hands-on experience and authentic learning to the students. Students learn with a lot of interest and curiosity in field trips. 

Key Points

• As in the above example, the teacher takes students to the museum as a part of field trips children observe a lot of things and a lot of models in the museum with a lot of interest.
• Here the students develop observation skills as they go through a lot of things and objects which have been placed in the museum.
• Children observe the shape size and history of various things placed in the museum and try to find out much more information about those things.
• Moreover, not only real objects but handmade models are kept in the museum and after seeing this children also get a lot of interest and enthusiasm to make models.
• Things learned through a field trip remain in the minds of children for a long time as they learn through their own experiences. 

Additional Information

All these can't be assessed by a trip to the museum.

Whenever an experiment is done or demonstrated to the children must be also involved in the experiment equally as a teacher. The teacher taking the control of the classroom and leaving children passive doesn't lead to authentic and effective learning. 

Key Points

In the above example, the teacher asks the students to bring things on their own because

• While collecting all these things at home the children get an idea of the objects needed for the experiment.
• Children exactly no what is the purpose of experimental and why these objects are being used for that experiment.
• There is a need to involve students so that they construct knowledge with ease and comfort as they already start learning while collecting those things.
• Children feel comfortable experimenting with their things as they have good knowledge about the things they have brought on their own.
• The students will also be able to relate their local knowledge with the knowledge provided in the classroom and school which leads to authentic learning.
• Hands in the above experiment the teacher ask the students to bring the things needed for the experiment on their own.

Hence C & D are the correct options. 

Additional Information

On the other hand, the other two options or wrong as involving students' families and saving the materials in the school laboratory is not the actual objective of the teacher behind this task.

In the NCERT, The  EVS (environment studies) syllabus for classes (III-V) as per NCF 2005 is woven around six common themes. These themes provide an opportunity for introducing aspects of science, social science, and environmental education.​

Key Points

Broad Six Themes of EVS are: 

• Family and Friends: ​It encompasses four sub-themes:
• Plants
• Animals
• Work and Play
• Relationships
• Water: ​It deals with the important issue of water like the availability and conservation of water.
• Travel: ​It suggests traveling throughout deserts, hills, forests, or big cities. It also suggests classroom resources like the experience of the children of migrating families and discussion on problems they face while a new life in a new city begins.
• Food: ​​It deals with cooking and eating in the family. This is the theme about what we, others, and animals eat, etc.
• Shelter: It includes habitat, which is associated with the world of Living things. It deals with the differences between urban and rural houses. It also deals with a variety of houses in different topographical regions.
• Things we Make and Do: We humans make things not only to meet our daily needs but also to express ourselves in different ways to delimit our limitations. We also comprehend better when we do things ourselves.

As a consequence, we can comprehend what we produce and accomplish, which is the core concept of EVS.

Additional Information

• A substance or mixture of substances that make up an object is referred to as a material. Materials might be clean or dirty, living or non-life. Materials can be categorized according to their physical and chemical qualities, as well as their geological origin and biological function.
• A natural resource is an item discovered in nature that can be utilized by humans. Light, air, water, plants, animals, soil, stone, minerals, and fossil fuels are all-natural resources on Earth. To keep alive, people require some natural resources. They make use of others to improve their lives.
• Food preservation is defined as the process of treating and handling food in order to prevent rotting and foodborne illness while keeping nutritional content, texture, and flavor.

According to NCF-2005 objectives of teaching EVS at the primary level is to develop an awareness about environmental issues and to nurture the curiosity and creativity of the child, particularly about the natural environment. 

Key PointsChild labor and class inequalities are dealt with in the curriculum as:

• These are closely related to children and their daily life.
• When these issues will be addressed students know the importance of education in their daily life.
• Students may refuse if their parents or somebody suggest they stop education and start working for money.
• Students will understand the inequalities and reflect on the issue and become a caretaker of discriminated children.
• Children may act on the issues when they grow up and try to minimize the issues in the country.

​Hence Child labor and class inequalities are dealt with in the curriculum.

 Additional Information

On the other hand caste discrimination, the dowry system, and domestic violence are not related to children and it is too early for the children to be aware of these issues so these are not discussed in the curriculum.

The textbook is considered to be a primary source of learning for both students and teachers. Students learn a lot of concepts and get a lot of practice by solving the questions given in the textbook. Textbook acts as a primary guide for the students to know about what all topics they are going to be taught and how the process will progress from one lesson to other. 

Key Points

Important features of EVS textbook at the primary level:

• The language in the textbooks is related to the language type of daily life of students so that they connect to the concepts very quickly.
• The syllabus and the lessons are designed in such a way that they have related to the student's daily life.
• Appropriate stories and narratives are often given in various lessons to give students the real experience of learning.
• A lot of activities that enhance thinking capacity in children or included rote memorization is avoided.
• A lot of open-ended questions are included at the end of each lesson so that students improve their divergent thinking and creativity and increase their scope of learning.

Hence avoiding rote memorization is the most appropriate objective in the above-given options. 

Additional Information

On the other hand, providing a lot of information through the content and focusing on stereotypes in society is not the objective of a good textbook of EVS at the primary level.

Stories and narratives are often included in textbooks of EVS as they increase a lot of interest and curiosity of children about the topic being discussed. Children learn more information through stories and narratives than by feeding them information directly in a theoretical manner. 

Key PointsThe most appropriate reason for using stories and narratives in EVS textbooks is:

• Stories and narratives can be used to introduce new topics and terminology very easily.
• Students get more involved when the same topic is transacted via stories and narratives as they arise a lot of curiosity in children.
• Students easily empathize with characters in stories or narratives and try to find and discover the problem faced by the character are the information given by the character.
• Stories provide an excellent basis for meaningful scientific inquiry and also discovery.
• Students remember the concept for a long time as they have learned in a meaningful way through stories and narratives but not through rote memorization.

Hence the reason for including stories and narratives in EVS textbooks is that students easily empathize with characters in a story or a narrative. 

Additional Information

On the other hand, all the other options or wrong as they indicate stories and narratives to make the works of teachers easily or the enjoyment of children which is not the objective of including stories and narratives in the textbooks and curriculum

The true definition of assessment does not lie in the process of awarding grades and marks to the students but it lies in identifying the learning difficulties of students and designing the remedial strategies according to the errors made by the students regularly.

 Key PointsThe frequency of assessment for the teaching EVS should be every day as:

• Assessment is not only done at the end of the term as an examination for the topics learned by the students throughout the year.
• Assessment should also be done during the learning process where the learning gaps of students should be identified and filled.
• Assessment should be done as a regular and continuous process where the learning difficulties of students should be identified through diagnostic tests.
• Assessment every day is the assessment of learning based on recorded information to know about the depth of learning of students and plan further activities of learning.

Hence assessment should be done every day. 

Additional InformationOn the other hand monthly, quarterly, and yearly assessments are not so effective as they do not support identifying the learning difficulties of students and acting accordingly. These assessments are useful only to measure the knowledge of students and award marks which is not the primary objective of the assessment.

Peer learning is the process of students learning with and from each other. It promotes collaboration and teamwork to give knowledge. 

Key PointsWhen the teacher like to share a quiet class and ask her students to set and work individually peer learning will be denied to her students as:

• Students miss the collaborative and cooperative learning which is obtained by discussing the topics with each other.
• As the students remind individuals there will be no scope for them to share their views or ideas with anyone.
• Students also lack peer assessment which is done when students assess the work of each other and reflect effective feedback.
• Individual learning also encourages rote memorization as students remain individual and passive without sharing knowledge.
• Peer learning also develops social skills like sympathy empathy and leadership which may make the student a great citizen in the future.

Hence when the teacher like to share a quiet class and ask her students to set and work individually peer learning will be denied to her students.

 Additional Information

Assessment not just indicates expecting correct answers and exact facts from the students. The thinking capacity of the students should be encouraged and all the responses which are divergent from the answer given in the textbook should also be equally given importance by the teacher. 

Key PointsStrategy for assessing student's answers to questions asked by teachers:

• All kinds of responses from the students should be encouraged.
• Only encouraging the student who gives an answer which is exactly as in the textbook should be avoided.
• Students should feel free to express views on the various ideas they get regarding the topics taught in the classroom.
• Students' ideas in answers should be assessed qualitatively like the students who give answers in fewer sentences and high quality should also be encouraged.
• Not only assessing the student's knowledge but students' experiences should also be assessed qualitatively because students often learn through experiences.

​Hence B & C are the correct answers.

 Additional Information On the other hand just assessing an answer as right or wrong may discourage many students to share their views as their answer does not match the answer given in the textbook. So focusing only on the right and correct answer while assessment should be avoided.

Enquiry based or discovery-based learning happens only when students are given enough scope to explore through various sources of learning and collect information and then analyze the information and finally come to a conclusion. Here students learn from their own experiences. 

Key PointsEncouraging students to interact with members of family and community to find diverse food preferences will promote enquiry as:

• Here the students will be fully active by communicating and collecting the appropriate information from parents and community members.
• Here the students discover many facts they didn't know till now through parents and community members which develop the ability of enquiry.
• Here students design various types of questions that they need to ask their parents and other community members to get the required information from them.
• If students find any novelty and diversity in the answers given by parents and the community members they question immediately regarding that information.
• When students perform all these actions they develop the ability and approach to enquiry.

Hence encouraging students to interact with members of family and community to find diverse food preferences will promote enquiry.

 Additional Information

On the other hand directly instructing students what to eat, showing them pictures of various sources of food and asking them to collect the pictures of food may not promote the enquiry approach as all these tasks are very ordinary and do not require enquiry based skills.

In 1895, Ronald Ross was based in Secunderabad, India, where he embarked on his quest to determine whether mosquitoes transmitted malaria parasites to man. For two years his studies were clouded by observations on what we now know to be insusceptible mosquito species. 

Key Points

• His discovery of the malarial parasite in the gastrointestinal tract of a mosquito in 1897 proved that malaria was transmitted by mosquitoes.
• He laid the foundation for the method of combating the disease.

The purpose of including this is to :

• Inspire students to take up research.
• Make students realize how important health is for humans.
• Help students relate malaria with mosquitoes.
• Provide insight into how scientists work.
• Make students knowledgeable about various diseases and their precautions.

Hence A, B, and C are the correct options.

Unit planning involves two major processes, namely, sequencing and selection. The main focus of unit planning should be to ensure effective learning on the part of children. After arranging the given set of competencies/content into a teaching-learning sequence, a unit can be formed based on the identification of meaningful segments of competencies/content which may also be viewed in terms of time available for teaching-learning. 

Key PointsFeatures of unit planning:

• It helps teachers to have a holistic view of teaching-learning, which may help in organizing time and resources available at/her disposal.
• It helps in designing a systematic, sequential, and graded arrangement of the course content which may give the insight to develop teaching activities in the best possible manner.
• It is planning for a large block of subject matter which is a cohesive whole.
• It helps in giving a balanced emphasis to various aspects of course content or competency under reference.
• It provides an opportunity to correlate textual content with the competencies to be dealt with in the class.
• It may help think about alternative approaches to teaching-learning and adapt to individual differences.
• It may help unit-wise evaluation of children and in organizing remedial teaching and undertaking enrichment measures as per the requirements.

​Hence option 3 is the most appropriate feature of a unit plan from the following statements.

 Additional InformationOn the other hand, all the remaining options don't indicate a unit plan as a unit plan is just not a sum of more than ten lesson plans of a chapter, and each lesson plan is also not included in the unit plan.

Language is considered to be an important aspect in EVS also because students can't understand the concept until they understand the language. So the teacher has to design appropriate strategies to develop linguistic ability. 

Key PointsExplaining concepts along with simple diagrams, concrete materials, and activities is  the most appropriate strategy to teach EVS to students with linguistic difficulties as:

• There is a saying that a picture speaks more than a thousand words when the teacher uses the pictures or diagrams to explain the concept the children with linguistic difficulty will feel better to learn.
• As the learning progresses from concrete to abstract the students with linguistic difficulties have to be taught using concrete materials by which they can grasp the concept by depending less on the language.
• Activities make the learners interested in the topic as these give a challenge to the learners, those who have difficulty in understanding the language can be addressed by activities.

Hence explaining concepts along with simple diagrams, concrete materials and activities is the most appropriate strategy to teach EVS to students with linguistic difficulties.

 Additional Information

On the other hand, all the other methods prove to be wrong as they don't make the students with language difficulties understand the concept better as diagrams, concrete materials, and activities.

Bachendri Pal is an Indian mountaineer, who in 1984 became the first Indian woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest. She was awarded the third-highest civilian award Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in 2019. 

Key PointsThe reasons for including narratives of Bachendri Pal's experiences in mountaineering are:

• The chapter challenges gender stereotypes
• The chapter describes challenges faced in scaling high peaks
• The chapter explains the importance of teamwork
• The chapter provides an exemplary role model.
• It inspires the students to aim at high goals in life without giving up even when the situation is tough and challenging.

Hence A, B, C, and D are the correct options.

The correct answer is 'A gives shelter to our families and C provides us with opportunities to grow.'

Key Points

• Refer to the lines from the passage:
• 'In present times, 'home' has become our world. But home is equally important to our fellow species. A common factor between millions of birds, animals, insects, and invertebrates on Earth- our shared home- is having a homestead. A home provides a sheltering base for our families enabling us to grow towards new possibilities. Similarly, their homes- nests high in trees, burrows deep underground, silken webs shimmering in sunlight, holes holding one's young hungry for a bite - mean the same to all spices.'
• Upon the perusal of the above lines, it can be concluded that the author underlines the importance of home because it adds to our happiness and provides us with opportunities to grow.
• Both A and C are true as both are given in the passage which is also shown in the above lines. But both B and D are not mentioned in the passage.

Hence, option 3) A gives shelter to our families and C provides us with opportunities to grow is the correct answer.

The correct answer is 'they provide protection from disease-carrying insects.'

Key Points 

• Refer to the lines from the passage:
• ​**'**Consider the green-backed, firecrown hummingbird of Chile- it builds a 'living nest' using moss species that cannot disperse their spores. The hummingbird selects these species to construct a bright green nest, helping land-based plants to proliferate. The little bird's generosity is rewarded by nature - these mosses have chemical properties that protect nests from vectors carrying disease.'
• Upon the perusal of the above lines, it can be concluded that the green-backed firecrowned hummingbirds of Chile use certain moss species that provide protection from disease-carrying insects.

Hence, option 4) they provide protection from disease-carrying insects is the correct answer.