“Santiniketan” is a lesson from the Textbook “Butterfly” approved by the West Bengal Board of Primary Education for Students of Class 4. Here all the Activity Questions are done by teachers.
On your mark
1. Given below are the names of a few festivals celebrated in India. Study the names and fill in the chart appropriately:
Poush Mela, Bihu, Onam, Basanta Utsab
| Celebrated in West Bengal | Celebrated outside West Bengal |
| (a) | (i) |
| (b) | (ii) |
Answer:
| Celebrated in West Bengal | Celebrated outside West Bengal |
| Poush Mela | (i) Bihu |
| Basanta Utsab | (ii) Onam |
2. You have mention two festivals celebrated in West Bengal ? Where in West Bengal are they celebrated? Discuss with your friends.
Answer: These festivals are celebrated at Shantiniketan in West Bengal.
Activity 1
Write ‘T’ for true and ‘F’ for false statements in the boxes provided:
(a) A storm was blowing. [ ]
Answer: A storm was blowing. [ F ]
(b) Santiniketan is reminded of old days. [ ]
Answer: Santiniketan is reminded of old days. [ T ]
(c) The house Punoscho stands by a copse of Banyan trees. [ ]
Answer: The house Punoscho stands by a copse of Banyan trees. [ F ]
(d) Earlier there was only empty land around Santiniketan. [ ]
Answer: Earlier there was only empty land around Santiniketan. [ T ]
Activity 2
“But they can talk to one another like human beings”. Discuss with your partner how two houses can speak with each other.
Answer: “But they can talk to one another like human beings” is likely metaphorical. It doesn’t imply that the houses have a literal ability to speak. Instead, it means that the houses, as symbolic representations of the history and heritage of Santiniketan, have a way of communicating or connecting with each other in a meaningful and historical sense. This could be through the stories they hold, the memories they represent, or the shared history of the place they are a part of.
Activity 3
Complete the following sentences with words from the text:
(a) Deholi is now ____________________ .
Answer: Deholi is now a children’s school.
(b) Prayer house is made of ____________________ .
Answer: Prayer house is made of coloured glass.
(c) Amrokunja is a _______________________ .
Answer: Amrokunja is a mango orchard .
(d) Prayer house had lost _____________________ .
Answer: Prayer house had lost five towers in a strom.
Activity 4
Fill in the following table:
| Said by whom? | Statement |
| (a) | (i) I came up in 1863. |
| (b) | (ii) There were no electricity or motor cars then. |
| (c) | (iii) Rabindranath sat among my trees and wrote poems. |
| (d) | (iv) There are beautifully carved figures on my walls. |
Answer:
| Said by whom? | Statement |
| Shantiniketan | (i) I came up in 1863. |
| Prayer House | (ii) There were no electricity or motor cars then. |
| (c) Amrakunjo | (iii) Rabindranath sat among my trees and wrote poems. |
| (d) Shyamoli | (iv) There are beautifully carved figures on my walls. |
Activity 5
Arrange the following sentences in their proper order. Put the number in the boxes given:
(a) There is a song and poetry-reading evening at Amrakunja. [ ]
Answer: There is a song and poetry-reading evening at Amrakunja. [ 3 ]
(b) Santiniketan will remain the same. [ ]
Answer: Santiniketan will remain the same. [ 5 ]
(c) Santiniketan is a great centre of education. [ ]
Answer: Santiniketan is a great centre of education. [ 4 ]
(d) A rehearsal for drama takes place at night. [ ]
Answer: A rehearsal for drama takes place at night. [ 2 ]
(e) The bell rings at Singhasadan. [ ]
Answer: The bell rings at Singhasadan. [ 1 ]
Activity 6
Answer the following questions:
(a) Why are the students sitting in the open air?
Answer: The earth is the classroom of the students, that was the system of Santiniketan which was made by Rabindranath.
(b) What will ring for the future generations?
Answer: The bell will ring for the future generations.
(c) How is the courtyard of Punascho used?
Answer: The courtyard of the Punascho was used for the rehearsal of the drama.
(d) What is Santiniketan also famous for?
Answer: Santiniketan is also famous for fun and friendship.
Activity 7(a)
Fill in the blanks with suitable Adverbs given in the Help Box:
(a) Soldiers fight _________ for their country.
Answer: Soldiers fight bravely for their country.
(b) I go to school ____________ .
Answer: I go to school daily .
(c) We should get up __________ in the morning.
Answer: We should get up early in the morning.
(d) The sun shines _________.
Answer: The sun shines brightly.
| Help Box: daily, early, brightly, bravely |
Activity 7(b)
Read the following passage. Pick out the Regular and Irregular Verbs and fill in the given table accordingly:
Rakhi got up early in the morning and washed her face. She took her breakfast at 8 a.m. and went to school at 10 a.m. At school she studied hard. During her lunch break, she played with her friends. She came back home at 4 p.m.
| Regular Verbs | Irregular Verbs |
| (a) | |
| (b) | |
| (c) | |
| (d) |
Answer:
| Regular Verbs | Irregular Verbs |
| Washed | Got |
| (b) Played | Took |
| (c) Studied | Went |
| (d) | Came |
Activity 7(c)
Fill in the blanks with the Present Continuous Tense of the verbs given in the brackets:
(i) Ravi ________ (read) a book in his room.
Answer: Ravi is reading a book in his room.
(ii) I _________ (learn) to speak English well.
Answer: I am learning to speak English well.
(iii) The boys _______ (have) their lunch.
Answer: The boys are having their lunch.
(iv) The children _______ (listen) to a story.
Answer: The children are listening to a story.
Activity-8(a)
Fill in the blanks with words from the Help box:
(a) I clearly __________ my first day in school.
Answer: I clearly remember my first day in school.
(b) ___________ pots keep the water cool.
Answer: Earthen pots keep the water cool.
(c) There is an ____________ land in front of my house.
Answer: There is an empty land in front of my house.
(d) Children love to play with ___________ balls.
Answer: Children love to play with soft balls.
| Help Box: earthen, soft, empty, remember |
Activity-8(b)
Make sentences of your own using the following words:
conversation: ____________________________
electricity: _____________________________
rehearsal: _______________________________
sunlight: _______________________________
Answer:
conversation: Ram would like to join this conversation.
electricity: There are no electricity in many villages of our India.
rehearsal: Our rehearsal for a drama will start tomorrow.
sunlight: Today the sunlight is very soft.
Activity-9(a)
Suppose you went to Santiniketan last weekend with your parents. You saw an open-air classroom there for the first time. Write five sentences about your experience. Use the following hints:
- students sitting under the trees
- closeness to nature
- difference with the classroom you are used to
Answer:
1. In Santiniketan I saw the students sitting under the trees.
2. They are studying hard there.
3. Students are benefitted by the classroom because they are close to nature.
4. This classroom is in open air, under the sky and sunlight, but our classroom is not open and also restricted by the rule.
5. I feel that the system of Santiniketan is great.
Activity-9(b)
Who is your best friend? Describe her/him in a paragraph of five sentences.
Use the following hints:
- name of your best friend
- where you met him/her first
- why she/he is your best friend
Answer:
My best friend’s name is Nayan Barman. He has been my classmate since class one.I met him on the very first day of school. He is loving and helpful. We share almost everything and love each other very much.