Environmental Studies PYQs

In Environmental Studies (EVS), the term "environment" refers to the natural and human-made surroundings in which living and non-living components interact. This includes everything from air, water, soil, plants, and animals to human structures, cultures, and activities.

Key PointsIn Environmental Studies (EVS), the term environment encompasses:

• (a) Man-made environment: Human-created or modified surroundings, including buildings, roads, and cities.
• (b) Natural environment: The natural world and its components, such as landforms, water bodies, plants, and animals.
• (c) Social environment: The social interactions and structures within a community or society, including relationships and institutions.
• (d) Cultural environment: The cultural practices, traditions, and values that shape human behavior and interaction with the environment.

All these aspects contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the environment in EVS. Hence, the correct answer is (a), (b), (c) and (d).

The correct answer is 'A herd has 20 to 25 female elephants and their young ones.'

Key Points

• Elephant Herd Structure:
• Elephant herds are matriarchal, meaning they are led by a dominant female known as the matriarch.
• These herds are typically composed of related females and their offspring.
• Herd sizes can vary greatly, but they generally consist of around 8 to 12 elephants, not 20 to 25 as stated in the incorrect statement.

Additional Information

• Female Elephants in Herds:
• Female elephants typically remain in the same herd for their entire lives, forming strong social bonds with other members.
• Male Elephants' Lifecycle:
• Male elephants leave the herd when they are around 14 to 15 years old. This is a natural part of their lifecycle.
• Upon leaving the herd, male elephants either live solitarily or form loose associations with other males, known as bachelor groups.
• Older male elephants, especially those over 15 years of age, are often seen wandering alone.

A map reading activity involves teaching students how to interpret and navigate maps, enhancing their spatial awareness and understanding of geography. During this activity, students learn to recognize symbols, understand scale, interpret directions, and locate specific places or features on a map.

Key PointsMap Reading activity in EVS classes helps develop the following abilities and skills:

• (a) Understanding relative positions of places: Students learn to recognize and understand the spatial relationships between different locations on a map.
• (b) Understanding directions of places: Students become familiar with cardinal directions and how to navigate maps using directional cues.
• (c) Understanding symbols and scale: Students learn to interpret map symbols and understand the scale of a map, which helps them grasp the real-world size and distance of features.

Hint

• (d) Drawing precisely according to the scale maps is more related to creating maps rather than reading and interpreting them. Therefore, it is not as directly associated with the skills developed through map reading activities.

Hence, the correct answer is (a), (b) and (c).

The correct answer is 'Due South'.

Key Points

• Direction from X to Y:
• Starting at X, you move 125 m due north to point A.
• From A, you go 75 m due west to point B.
• From B, you travel 150 m due north to point C.
• Finally, from C, you go 75 m due east to reach Y.
• Calculating the overall displacement:
• Total northward movement: 125 m (X to A) + 150 m (B to C) = 275 m north.
• Total westward movement: 75 m (A to B).
• Total eastward movement: 75 m (C to Y).
• Since the westward and eastward movements cancel each other out, the net displacement is 275 m north.
• Relative position:
• Since Y is 275 m north of X, X must be 275 m south of Y.

The correct answer is 'Obesity and Anaemia'

Key Points

• Obesity and Anaemia:
• Saleem is likely to suffer from obesity due to his consumption of a lot of fried food and 'maida' products, which are high in unhealthy fats and refined carbohydrates.
• Raju, despite eating homemade healthy food, avoids spinach and other green leafy vegetables, which are rich in iron. This dietary habit can lead to anaemia due to iron deficiency.

Additional Information

• Scurvy and Anaemia:
• Scurvy is caused by a deficiency of vitamin C, which is not directly related to the consumption of fried foods or avoidance of green leafy vegetables.
• Anaemia is correctly associated with Raju's dietary habits, but scurvy is not relevant to Saleem's situation.
• Kwashiorkor and Anaemia:
• Kwashiorkor is a severe form of malnutrition caused by protein deficiency, which is not typically caused by consuming fried foods.
• Anaemia due to iron deficiency is correctly associated with Raju, but Kwashiorkor is not relevant to Saleem's dietary habits.
• Pellagra and Anaemia:
• Pellagra is caused by a deficiency of niacin (vitamin B3) and is not directly related to the consumption of fried foods or avoidance of green leafy vegetables.
• Anaemia due to iron deficiency is correctly associated with Raju, but pellagra is not relevant to Saleem's dietary habits.

The correct answer is 'Steel, Brass, Bronze'

Key Points

• Alloys:
• An alloy is a mixture of metals or a mixture of a metal and another element. Alloys are designed to have properties that are different from those of their component elements.
• Common examples of alloys include steel, brass, and bronze.
• Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon, sometimes with other elements to enhance its properties.
• Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc.
• Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin, sometimes with other elements like phosphorus or aluminum.

EVS textbooks are educational resources specifically designed to teach Environmental Studies to students, typically at the primary and elementary levels.

• These textbooks provide structured content that covers various environmental topics, including natural resources, ecosystems, pollution, conservation, and human-environment interactions.

Key Points

• Assertion: Stories and narratives have indeed been used throughout EVS textbooks to engage students in learning about their environment and society.
• Reason: The use of stories and narratives helps sensitise children by allowing them to empathise with characters, which aligns with the objective of helping students understand and appreciate the diverse aspects of society.
• The reason effectively explains why stories and narratives are included in EVS textbooks: they are used to build empathy and raise awareness about societal differences, which supports the assertion.

Hence, the correct answer is 'both the Assertion and Reason are correct and Reason is the correct explanation of the Assertion'.

The correct answer is 'All (a), (b), and (c) are correct.'

Key Points

• Volume Composition of the Earth:
• The Earth's structure is divided into three main layers: the crust, the mantle, and the core.
• Crust: The outermost layer, which is relatively thin and makes up about 1% of the Earth's volume.
• Mantle: This layer lies beneath the crust and extends to a depth of about 2,900 kilometers. It constitutes approximately 84% of the Earth's volume.
• Core: The innermost layer, composed of the outer core and inner core, making up about 15% of the Earth's volume.

Additional Information

• Understanding Earth's Layers:
• The crust varies in thickness from about 5 kilometers (in oceanic regions) to up to 70 kilometers (in continental regions).
• The mantle is composed mostly of silicate minerals rich in magnesium and iron.
• The core is divided into the liquid outer core and the solid inner core, primarily composed of iron and nickel.

The correct answer is '(A) is false but (R) is true.'

Key Points

• Assertion (A) is False:
• The assertion claims that Al-Biruni and Ibn Batuta traveled "from India to different countries." This is incorrect.
• Al-Biruni was a Persian scholar who traveled to India from the Islamic world to study Indian culture and science.
• Ibn Batuta, a Moroccan traveler, also visited India during his travels, but he did not start his travels from India. Instead, he traveled to India from other regions.
• Reason (R) is True:
• The reason states that "traveling led to the sharing of ideas between people," which is true.
• Travel facilitated the exchange of culture, knowledge, and ideas between different regions and civilizations, which is evident in the works of travelers like Al-Biruni and Ibn Batuta.

Questions refer to a problem or difficulty that needs to be solved by thinking and recalling the concept. There are different types of questions and the 'divergent question' is one of them.

Key Points

• Divergent questions encourage multiple possible answers and creative thinking, exploring various possibilities and perspectives.
• Divergent question does not inspire a brief or single-worded response. These are difficult to answer and more difficult to analyze.
• The question about imagining the consequences if all birds were killed at once is a divergent question because it prompts students to think creatively and explore a range of potential outcomes.

Hint

• Convergent Question: A question that seeks a single, correct answer or a specific piece of information.
• Hypothetical Question: A question that explores imagined scenarios or speculative situations to consider possible outcomes.
• Philosophical Question: A question that delves into fundamental concepts, values, or abstract ideas, often without a clear or definitive answer.

Hence, the correct answer is 'divergent question'.

EVS (Environmental Studies) teaching involves educating students about the environment through an interdisciplinary approach. The goal of EVS teaching is to help students develop an understanding of the natural world, human-environment interactions, and the importance of sustainability.

Key PointsThe chapter on Suryamani in the NCERT textbook of class V addresses the following key aspects relevant for students:

• (b) Close relationship between forest dwellers (communities) and forests: The chapter highlights how tribal communities, including Suryamani's, depend on and interact closely with their forest environment.
• (c) Girls education how it changes their life: It explores how education, particularly for girls, can significantly impact their lives and communities.
• (d) The forest products used by tribes: It covers the various forest products that tribes use and their importance to their daily lives and economy.

Hint

• (a) Popular perceptions and biases about the tribal communities is not the main focus of the chapter; instead, it emphasizes direct aspects of tribal life and the impact of education.

Hence, the correct answer is (b), (c) and (d).

The correct answer is 'Mt. Kilimanjaro and Fujiyama'

Key Points

• Volcanic Mountains:
• Volcanic mountains are formed by volcanic activity, typically through the accumulation of lava and ash.
• These mountains are often characterized by their conical shapes and are found in regions with active or extinct volcanoes.
• Mt. Kilimanjaro:
• Mt. Kilimanjaro, located in Tanzania, is a dormant stratovolcano and is the highest peak in Africa.
• It comprises three volcanic cones: Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira.
• Fujiyama (Mount Fuji):
• Mount Fuji, or Fujiyama, is an active stratovolcano located in Japan.
• It is the highest mountain in Japan and is a symbol of cultural and spiritual significance.
• The Alps:
• The Alps are a major mountain range system located in Europe, spanning across eight countries including France, Switzerland, and Austria.
• They are primarily formed by tectonic forces and are not volcanic in origin.

Additional Information

• Non-volcanic mountains:
• Non-volcanic mountains, such as the Alps, are typically formed through tectonic processes like the collision of lithospheric plates.
• These mountains are often characterized by their complex geological structures and extensive ranges.
• Other notable volcanic mountains:
• Mount Vesuvius in Italy and Mount St. Helens in the United States are other examples of volcanic mountains.
• These mountains have had significant historical eruptions that have shaped their surrounding landscapes.

The correct answer is '(A) and (B) both are wrong.'

Key Points

• Statement (A): Crows build nests on very low branches on a tree:
• This statement is incorrect. Crows typically build their nests high up in trees, not on very low branches. They prefer tall trees to ensure safety from predators and to have a good vantage point.
• Statement (B): Weaver bird stitches two leaves to make its nest:
• This statement is also incorrect. Weaver birds are known for their intricate nest-building skills, but they weave grass and other plant fibers to create their nests. They do not stitch two leaves together. The nests are usually woven into a ball or flask shape and are suspended from tree branches.

The correct answer is 'Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) explains (A)'.

Key Points

• Assertion (A): People can easily float on the surface of water of Dead Sea even if they do not know to swim.
• The Dead Sea is known for its high buoyancy, allowing people to float effortlessly.
• This phenomenon occurs because of the high salt concentration in the water, which increases its density.
• Reason (R) : Dead Sea has 300 gm of salt in one litre of water making it, the sea having highest salt concentration.
• The Dead Sea contains about 300 grams of salt per liter, making its water much denser than regular seawater.
• This high density is the reason why objects, including humans, can float more easily in the Dead Sea.

An EVS (Environmental Studies) activity is an instructional task designed to engage students in exploring and understanding environmental concepts.

• These activities are intended to make learning interactive and hands-on, helping students connect theoretical knowledge with practical experiences.

Key Points

• The activity encourages students to consult their family members about different cooking methods, which helps in improving Social Interaction.
• By engaging with their family members, students enhance their communication skills and strengthen family bonds.
• The activity also fosters discussions about traditional cooking methods and diverse culinary practices.

Hint

• While the activity might also involve elements of experimentation, working in groups, and homework, the primary purpose is to facilitate interaction between students and their families, enriching their understanding of various cooking methods through social engagement.

Hence, the correct answer is improve social interaction.

Experiential strategies in teaching Environmental Studies (EVS) focus on engaging students through direct, hands-on experiences that allow them to explore and interact with environmental concepts in meaningful ways.

• These strategies aim to make learning more engaging, relevant, and effective by involving students actively in the learning process.

Key Points

Reflect experiential strategies in teaching EVS at primary level include:

• (a) Discussion: Engaging in discussions helps students share their observations, ideas, and experiences. It encourages active participation and reflection, making learning more experiential as students connect concepts to their personal experiences.
• (c) Field Trips: Field trips provide real-world experiences outside the classroom. They allow students to observe and interact with their environment directly, making learning more tangible and experiential as they see concepts in action.
• (d) Art Integrated Learning: Incorporating art into learning activities enables students to explore concepts creatively. Art-based projects help students express their understanding and relate to concepts in a personal and experiential way.

Hint

• (b) Demonstration, while useful, is more of a direct instruction method rather than an experiential strategy, as it typically involves showing rather than engaging students in hands-on learning.

Hence, the correct answer is (a), (c) and (d).

Environmental Studies (EVS) is an interdisciplinary field focused on studying the environment and the interactions between humans and the natural world. EVS encompasses various aspects, including natural ecosystems, environmental issues, conservation, and sustainable practices.

Key Points

Statement I - True:

• The EVS curriculum is often framed within a social constructivist perspective, which emphasizes that learning is a social process and that understanding is constructed through interactions with others and the environment.

Statement II - False:

• Piaget's ideas are associated with cognitive constructivism rather than social constructivism.
• Piaget focused on individual cognitive development and how children construct knowledge through their interactions with the world, but he did not emphasize the social aspects of learning as much as Vygotsky, who is more closely associated with social constructivism.
• Vygotsky’s work highlights the importance of social interaction and cultural context in learning.

Hence, Statement I is true but Statement II is false.

The correct answer is 'in London'

Key Points

• Time Zone Differences:
• India Standard Time (IST) is UTC+5:30, meaning it is 5 hours and 30 minutes ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
• Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), used in London, is UTC+0:00, meaning there is a 5 hour and 30 minute difference between IST and GMT.
• When it is 7:30 P.M. in India, it is 2 P.M. in London of the same day due to this time difference.

Additional Information

• Japan:
• Japan Standard Time (JST) is UTC+9:00, making it 3 hours and 30 minutes ahead of IST.
• When it is 7:30 P.M. in India, it is 11 P.M. in Japan of the same day.
• Dhaka:
• Bangladesh Standard Time (BST) is UTC+6:00, making it 30 minutes ahead of IST.
• When it is 7:30 P.M. in India, it is 8 P.M. in Dhaka of the same day.
• Karachi:
• Pakistan Standard Time (PKT) is UTC+5:00, making it 30 minutes behind IST.
• When it is 7:30 P.M. in India, it is 7 P.M. in Karachi of the same day.

In the context of Environmental Studies (EVS), the theme "Travel" focuses on understanding how movement, whether through transportation, migration, or exploration, affects both people and the environment. 

Key Points

• Inquiry-based learning involves encouraging students to explore, ask questions, and investigate topics deeply.
• Asking students to narrate their own or their neighbors' travel experiences promotes inquiry by encouraging them to explore personal or observed experiences, ask questions about different modes of travel, and understand various aspects of travel through storytelling and reflection.

Hint

• Collecting pictures focuses more on gathering information rather than inquiry.
• Making a digital presentation on vintage cars is more about creating and presenting content, which may not fully promote inquiry into the theme of travel.
• Showing pictures of places of interest provides information but doesn’t inherently encourage the investigative process involved in inquiry-based learning.

Hence, the correct answer is asking students to narrate their or their neighbors' experiences of travelling.

Peer group learning is an educational approach where students work together in small groups to learn, share knowledge, and solve problems. This method emphasizes the active participation of students as they collaborate, discuss, and support each other’s learning processes.

Key Points

Peer group learning strategies involve:

• Think-Pair-Share: Students think about a question individually, discuss their thoughts with a partner, and then share their findings with the larger group.
• Reciprocal Peer Tutoring: Students take turns teaching and learning from each other, enhancing their understanding through peer interaction.
• Jigsaw Strategy: Students are divided into groups, each responsible for learning and then teaching a specific part of a topic to their peers.
• Peer Review: Students evaluate and provide feedback on each other's work, fostering collaborative learning and critical thinking.

Hence, peer group learning is the correct answer.

Hint

• Constructivist Approach: An educational theory where learners build their understanding and knowledge through experiences and reflection, often involving active, hands-on learning and problem-solving.
• Didactic Approach: A teaching method focused on direct instruction and transmission of knowledge from teacher to student, often involving lectures and structured content delivery.
• Inductive Approach: A teaching strategy where students observe specific examples or data and then derive general principles or rules, often involving exploration and discovery before formal explanations.

Note: The board has considered both option 1 & 2 as correct answer.