Nova Social Studies 4

make several other useful items such as Thunse, Nanglo and Mandro out of
bamboo and fibers of jute and cotton. Uncle Bhajuman is a sculptor and he
makes statues out of wood, glass and metal. Statues made by him sell in
local as well as national market. He also exports his statues to India, China
and other East Asian countries. Phulmaya runs a cottage industry of making
paper from her own house. She gets Lokta paper from nearby community
forest and makes paper out of it in her cottage industry operating from her
house. Lokta paper is well known in Nepal for its beauty and strength. It
is used in government offices, courts and for writing special and specific
slogans on several occasions.

Work knows no limit and boundary. Whosoever works hard gets the
reward. Work knows no heredity, no caste, no region or religion. It does
not matter who is the doer of a work. Every doer gets the result for his or

her devotion and commitment towards a work in hand.

Teaching Guideline

Get the students out on a tour to see people on work all around. Let them understand how
each and every work they see has its own dignity and utility in our society. All the works are
interwoven; one will not be performed without the other. Give them the examples of school,
hospital or bank and so non to tell them how work in a different category is interrelated. One
must develop respect for the people who are committed to their work. Let the students find out
the difference between manual and semi-skilled work and further ahead between skilled and
highly skilled work.

Words and terms you would like to know

Intruder: an illegal entrant into a building or property, usually in order to commit a crime
Remedial: acting as a remedy or solution to a problem

Exercise
1. No work is big or small; every work has its dignity. Explain this

statement with examples.

2. How many members are there in your family? What are the works
they do?

3. What difference of works do you find between rural and urban areas
of Nepal?

4. Who does what? Collect all the names from this lesson and mention
their work in a table given below:

145<< Nova Social Studies And Creative Arts Grade-4

Name of individuals from this The work they do
lesson

-------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------

5. Make a list of work primarily dependent upon manual labour,
emotional power, intellectual ability.

HUMANS WORK FOR LIVELIHOOD

Manual work Emotion-based work Intellectual work

.................................... .................................... ....................................
.................................... .................................... ....................................
.................................... .................................... ....................................
.................................... .................................... ....................................
.................................... .................................... ....................................
.................................... .................................... ....................................
.................................... .................................... ....................................
.................................... .................................... ....................................
.................................... .................................... ....................................
.................................... .................................... ....................................

146 Nova Social Studies And Creative Arts Grade-4 >>

Lesson 3 Realizing the Value of Money

How much disciplined you are with your money? Do you insist on buying
expensive items such as clothes, shoes, slippers etc? Do you force your
parents to take debt to fulfill your demands? Do you want your parents to
take you on vacation to expensive places or on foreign tours all the time?
What do you do with your pocket money that you receive from your parents
and other relatives? Do you save part of your pocket money or spend it all?
We must be disciplined with our money. It is not the money; it is what we
do with it that counts. It is not difficult to be financial disciplined. It just
takes a promise or determination to change and develop new habits of
understanding real value of money.

Sarala lives disciplined and simple life Jyotsana loves fanciful and expensive life

Biratnagar is a metropolitan city and is the industrial city of Nepal. Sarala
and Jyotsana live here. Both of them are good friends and study together
in the same school. But, their habits are different. Sarala live simple life
and does not pressure her parents to buy costly things for her as her friend
Jyotsana does. She wears and eats whatever her parents give. She demands
very essential items like books, water-bottle, pen, pencils etc without
which she cannot live. Sarala’s parents give her pocket money every week
to buy essential items and spend it in school. Sarala spends her money
very carefully. She saves money and deposit it with her mother. She never
speaks lies to her parents regarding expenditure of money. She gives all
the accounts regarding her expenditure. She does not buy clothes as a
hobby. She has just three pairs of clothes which she keeps clean. Her clothes

147<< Nova Social Studies And Creative Arts Grade-4

are not fanciful rather they are cheap and best. She keeps her personal
belongings like shoes, socks, toothbrush, soaps, towels, handkerchiefs etc
with great care. She does all the works by herself. She cleans up her own
room, polishes her shoes and washes the clothes she wears regularly. She
lives disciplined life.

Jyotsana copies the life style of actresses and very rich women. Jyotsana’s
parents are middle class professionals. Her father is a school teacher and her
mother is a nurse. She loves to wear very expensive dresses and demands
expensive shoes, scents, and other such things. She is very choosy in her
eating and dressing. She does not eat regular foods like other members of
family. She places demands for market foods like pizza, burger, chicken-
fry and others. Jyotsana’s parents meet those demands to keep her happy.
She stops talking to her parents if expensive dresses are not bought
immediately. She does not want to wait for anything she desires. Certain
times her parents are not able to fulfill all of her demands. They have
limited sources of income and other responsibilities are there to meet with.
Jyotsana does not understand her parents’ problems. At present she has
kept 20 pairs of dresses, 5 pairs of shoes and slippers and a number of toys.
She wants more and more. She starts crying for days if her demands are
not fulfilled. She takes 100 to 500 Rupees daily as pocket money to eat in a
school canteen and buy other things she needs. She spends all the money
and demands more of it from her parents. She does not clean her room; nor
does she polish her shoes. Her clothes are washed by her mother. She is not
careful about her belongings and study.

Sarala wants to become doctor while Jyotsana does not have any clear goal
in her life.

Teaching Guideline

Create more stories like above and share with students in the classroom so that students
develop sense of good and bad habits regarding handling money. There are several such stories
in and around. Let the students share such stories from their own family and neighbourhood.
Develop responsible behaviors amongst the students so that they understand the limitations of
their parents and guardians.

Words and terms you would like to know

Handkerchief: a square of cloth or absorbent paper used mainly to wipe areas of the face,
especially the nose
Expensive: costing a large amount of money

148 Nova Social Studies And Creative Arts Grade-4 >>

Exercise
1. Write down the habits of Sarala and Jyotsana as per the present

lesson.

Sarala’s habits Jyotsana’s habits

Whose habits do you like and why?
2. Fill up the blanks below:

(a) The clothes we wear must be.................................
[Kept with great care, kept dirty and soiled, must be torn]
(b) One must wear the.......................... clothes in the house and in the

school.
[Same, different, dirty]
(c) We must wear ........................ clothes. [Dirty, expensive, clean]
(d) We should develop habits of spending money ...................................
[In accordance with income earned, liberally without limit, only

for clothes]
3. How do you spend your money? What types of demands do you

make on your parents/guardians?
4. Collect the details of spending and buying of at least five classmates

and present it in a table.

149<< Nova Social Studies And Creative Arts Grade-4

5. Make a comparative analysis of monthly income going to houses of
Sarala and Jyotsana.

Monthly Income of Sarala’s Monthly Income of Jyotsana’s
Family Family
Total monthly income: 20,000 Total monthly income: 25,000
Rupees Rupees

Details of expenditure: Details of expenditure:

Clothes: 5000 Rupees Clothes: 75000 Rupees

Foods: 7000 Rupees Foods: 9000 Rupees

Education: 4000 Rupees Education: 4000 Rupees

Transportation: 1000 Rupees Transportation: 2000 Rupees

Communication: 1000 Rupees Communication: 3000 Rupees

Saving per month: 2000 Rupees Saving per month: Nil

Total Deposits: 30000 Rupees Total Deposits: 10000 Rupees

Debt status: Nil Debt status: 20000 Rupees

(a) Analyze the above facts by writing a paragraph.
(b) Present the details of your family’s monthly income.

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

150 Nova Social Studies And Creative Arts Grade-4 >>

Lesson 4 Production and Development
in My District

Ram Nath Shah lives in Birgunj. Birgunj is a metropolitan city and is a major
business centre of Nepal. Birgunj has been a vibrant industrial and commercial
city for more than 60 years. A large number of industries have been set up on
the industrial corridor between Birgunj and Pathlaiya. The industries produce a
significant volume of products such as steel, textiles, cement, plastic, cigarettes,
aluminum, pharmaceuticals, vegetable ghee etc. The manufactured products are
sold throughout the country and abroad. Birgunj is also a big market for foreign
trade (import/export) of different merchandise. Birgunj is a border town in the
southern Nepal in Parsa district. Birgunj connects Nepal with India through
Raxaul. Birgunj is well connected by bus services. There are regular bus services
to all major cities and towns in Nepal from Birgunj. The nearest airport to Birgunj
is located at Simara. India and Nepal have an open border. The movement of
goods and people between India and Nepal take place through Birgunj.

An integrated check-point at Nepal-China border point of Rashuagadhi

Shankar Tamang is the permanent resident of Rasuwa. Dhunche is the
headquarters of Rasuwa. Langtang mountain range stands to the north of
Rasuwa. Rasua is famous for dairy business and cheese production. Rasuwa
is connected by bus from Kathmandu through Pasang Lhamu highway. The
Goshainkunda Lake, also known as "Frozen Lake", is one of the most beautiful
mountain lakes in the Langtang region. Langtang valley attracts many tourists

151<< Nova Social Studies And Creative Arts Grade-4

in this area. Rasuwa is rich in natural resources. Rasuwa is known for dairy
farms and yak cheese is famous throughout the world. Rasuwa is full of pine
forest, grassy field and wild animals. Rasuwa is the main trading point between
Nepal and China.

Bidhan Rai lives in Ilam. Ilam is known as “Queen of Hills”. Ilam is rich in bio-
cultural diversity. Ilam has a beautiful natural landscape. Ilam is famous for
the plantation and production of tea and coffee. Our organic tea farm is located
halfway between the Tarai plains and Ilam Bazaar. Besides tea and coffee, Ilam
also grows cash crops like potato, cardamom, ginger and red round chilly. It is
attractive destination for tourists because of its beautiful natural landscape.

Rajani Bhattarai is the resident of Gorkha district. Gorkha is famous for having
Manakamna temple. Gorkha town is well connected to Kathmandu and Pokhara.
Gorkha also has airplane service. Gorkha is historically famous for being the
kingdom of Shah rulers. King Prithvi Narayan Shah of Gorkha is credited to
expand it into the present day Nepal. Gorkha has thriving trade, agriculture and
industry. Industries manufacturing rubber, bricks, dairy products, Ayurveda
products, agro-based products are found in Nepal. Agriculture is the main
occupation of Nepalese economy. Gorkha is a hilly region and grows maize,
millet, wheat, barley and paddy. Vegetables, fruits and cash crops are also grown
here. Fruits like lichchi, banana and peach are favorites of Gorkha. Potatoes,
coffee and sugarcane are the examples of cash crops. Farmers in Gorkha are
dependent upon monsoons for growing Paddy.

Barun Thakali lives in Pokhara. Pokhara is a metropolis and the largest city of
Nepal in terms of area. Pokhara is called a tourism capital of Nepal. Many tourists
visit Pokhara Valley to see the Himalayan range and natural lakes. Tourists
in Pokhara love to go for boating, trekking, rafting and adventurous sports
like rafting, canoeing and bungee jumping. Pokhara’s economy is dependent
upon manufacturing, tourism, agriculture, trade and business. Pokhara
attracts a large number of tourists every day because of its magnificent
natural landscape. Annapurna mountain range and the reflection of Mount
Macchapucchre (Fishtail) add to the beauty of natural beauty of Pokhara.
Pokhara is also called a lake city. Amongst the lakes in Pokhara, Phewa Lake
is the largest in the city. Tourists enjoy boating and fishing on Phewa Lake.
The two-storied temple of Barahi Bhagwati has been built in the middle of the
lake and looks like an island.

152 Nova Social Studies And Creative Arts Grade-4 >>

Teaching Guideline

Motivate the students to make a profile of their own districts by highlighting the status of area’s
economy. Suggest the students to make a list of agricultural and industrial products of their
own district. Also ask them to make a description of tourist attractions of their own economy.

Words and terms you would like to know

Magnificent: beautiful and impressive
Merchandise: goods bought and sold for profit
Canoe: to paddle a canoe (a lightweight boat), often as a sport or hobby
Tapke: Tapke is a traditional pot used by Nepali people mostly for cooking fried foods. It is
made up of iron.

Exercise
1. Name the district you live in. Make a list of any 10 products

manufactured there in your district.

2. There are districts in Nepal which are famous for a particular
product. Their names are taken together like tea from Ilam, Tapke
from Birgunj, cement from Udaypur, curd from Bhaktapur, apples
from Jumla, Dhaka from Palpa, coffee from Gulmi, Theki from
Bajhang, Khukuri from Bhojpur, mustard from Chitwan, oranges
from Dhankuta and Pokhara and so on.
(a) Find out more specific products for which other different districts
of Nepal are famous for?
(b) Name the province to which the districts mentioned above belong
to.

3. Observe the different kinds of goods used in your house daily. From
which district or part of Nepal these goods have been bought to be
in your house?

4. Which district do you live in at present? Name the products which
are manufactured in the district where you live in currently.

5. Collect the interesting photographs specific to at least 10 districts of
Nepal and make an album. Show this album to your classmates.

153<< Nova Social Studies And Creative Arts Grade-4

Lesson 5 Our Economic Activities

Everywhere we go, we find people are engaged in one or the other work as
an economic activity to support their life and life of their family members.
Just look at your surroundings. What do you see? People are at work. Isn’t
it so? Sharada Chhetri teaches ‘Social Studies’ in a village school. She asks
students to be attentive towards the economic activities being followed
around the school. Hem Chandra Bhandari is a senior citizen and he works
as a ‘head teacher’ in the village school where Miss Sharada is a teacher.
Younger brother of Hem Chandra sir weaves Nanglo, Supo, Dalo and Shukul.
He has three more assistants to help him prepare these locally made items.
He uses bamboo, fibers and straws to prepare these items. He runs his
family of five members from the earnings by selling these handmade items.

Dalo Sukul Nanglo

Packing food products for sale Knitting woolen clothes for sale

Economic development of rural Nepal depends upon cottage and small scale
industries. Rural women in Nepal are engaged in pickle making, tailoring
and weaving sweaters. Mahamaya Kaki makes pickles and packages them
for sale all over the country. Self-help group of women train village women
to weave sweaters, hand gloves, socks, Jhola and tailor clothes on demands.

154 Nova Social Studies And Creative Arts Grade-4 >>

Beekeeping provides employment to a lot of rural people. Ranjan Bhattarai
runs a honey bee farm which produces raw and pure organic honey.
He also offers bee farming training and a practical knowledge to all the
interested farmers. Beekeeping has created positive economic change in
the village. Traders sell honey for personal consumption as well as for
medical purposes. Beeswax is used for making cosmetics, candles and
even furniture polish.

Honey bee farming

Mukti Dai works in a nearby brick kiln in off season. He actually works
on agricultural farm land. Brick making in Nepal is a seasonal but labor
intensive industry. Laborers in brick kiln are hired before the onset of the
harvest season. His wife Kamala Didi works in a poultry farm. In this way,
both of them make enough amount of money in a month to support their
family members. Dinesh Ghale is a friend of Mukti Dai. Dinesh Ghale of
Tipling in Dhading district is engaged in Yak farming. Yak farming is his
family profession. He extracts milk from Yak and produces traditional
‘paneer’ called Chhurpi out of it. His monthly income is enough to send
his children to school and cover other household expenses. Other common
economic activities like tea and coffee plantation, vegetable and fruit
farming, cattle raising and dairy farming are followed in rural Nepal.
Teaching Guideline

Guide the students to prepare a report on the economic activities being pursued in their family,
neighbourhood and in the surroundings of their school where they study. Tell them to be
observant of various activities which continue in a community or a society. This will open
their eyes how people live here and support their family by earning money. Also tell them the
difference between legal and illegal ways of earning money so that they understand what good
and bad work is.

155<< Nova Social Studies And Creative Arts Grade-4

Words and terms you would like to know

Labor intensive: needing a large workforce or a large amount of work in production
Seasonal: dependent on or determined by the time of year
Plantation: an area of land on which trees or crops are planted; a large group of cultivated
plants

Exercise
1. Mention the economic activities of your family members and other

close relatives.

2. Observe the economic activities of your neighbours. Make a list of
five economic activities which they perform with their names and
place to work.

3. Observe the people and their work living in the vicinity of your
school. Make a list of their economic activities and share the same in
your classroom.

4. Give your suggestions how to improve Nepal's economy.

5. Collect various types of pictures and photographs showing a range of
economic activities present in Nepal. Make an album with a caption
for each picture and photograph. Show the album to your classmates
and take their reactions and comments.

6. Make a list of major economic activities which are performed in rural
and urban areas of Nepal.

List of economic activities in Nepal

In rural areas In urban areas

......................................................... .........................................................
......................................................... .........................................................
......................................................... .........................................................
......................................................... .........................................................
......................................................... .........................................................

156 Nova Social Studies And Creative Arts Grade-4 >>

Creative
Arts

157<< Nova Social Studies And Creative Arts Grade-4

UNIT

1

Visual Art

Lesson 1: See, Think and Draw Figures
Lesson 2: Match and Fill the Colours
Lesson 3: Clay Sculptures
Lesson 4: Make Objects by Paper
Lesson 5: Make New Objects by Old Ones
Lesson 6: Make Shapes and Designs by Ropes
Lesson 7: Learn Weaving
158 Nova Social Studies And Creative Arts Grade-4 >>

1 See, Think and Draw Figures

How to draw a good picture? This question crops up in our mind because
we do have a pencil and sketch book in our hand. Are you looking for tips
on drawing a good picture? Here, they are:

• Think carefully what you want to draw.

• Sketch the basic form of the object or shape you intend to draw.

• Choose a good quality drawing pencil and keep the pencil point
sharp. Purchase a variety of pencils.

• Choose the perfect paper, keep your paper clean and keep the eraser.

• Colour your drawing and practise it as many times as possibly to
improve your drawing skills.

• Carry a sketchbook with you everywhere to draw pictures of your
likings. Be attentive about your surroundings to develop an idea
about things and situations for drawing them on your sketch book.

• Take short and long journey to see variety of scenes, objects, persons
and situations of life. Create mental picture of them and draw on a
sketch book.

Learn to draw human figures first by copying a photograph or already
existing pictures.

Draw a picture of ‘Tarkariwali’ and a soldier guarding the border. Choose
different pictures according to your own wish and try your hand out to
draw them.

Tarkariwali Soldier on guard

159<< Nova Social Studies And Creative Arts Grade-4

Do experiment with texture of colour and blend them to fill the sketches of
pictures you have already drawn. Before drawing people, go through an
illustrated book of human anatomy, or sign-up for drawing classes with a
live model. In case you are drawing animals, visit zoo with your sketchbook
or go through purchase an illustrated textbook on animal anatomy. Before
drawing a natural landscape, visit different natural landscape sites in Nepal
to see mountains, hills, lakes, rivers, forest and others.

Monkey Monkey jumping on a branch of tree

Draw the face of lion

Lion Elephant

Teaching Guideline

Guide the students to draw different pictures and help them draw their sketches. Take them
to different places to develop mental pictures of different situations of life, natural scenes,
humans, animals, birds and others.

160 Nova Social Studies And Creative Arts Grade-4 >>

2 Match and Fill the Colours

We are aware of 7 colours in a rainbow. Rainbow appears in seven colours
in sky. These colours are R = Red O = Orange Y = Yellow G = Green B =
Blue I = Indigo V = Violet. Put together, it is conveniently called Roy G. Biv
or Bivgyor in short. Use these seven colours or combine them to suit your
convenience to paint your sketches.

161<< Nova Social Studies And Creative Arts Grade-4

Use the colours intelligently to give original effect to your sketched figures
or drawings. Coloured pencils, as a medium, are a popular choice for many
students. Coloured pencils are widely available and students can easily
carry them and are of course affordable. Coloured pencils when used
correctly add up to the look of drawings and look like a painting. Look at
the drawings below where coloured pencils display the effects.

Strawberries Landscape

Coloured Pencils Water Colours

You have another option of using watercolours to colour your sketches
and drawings. Learn to create colour by mixing water first. Watch how
one colour can change depending on the ratio of water to paint on the
brush. Learn properly how to handle and stoke it on paper or cloth. To
get your hands firm on colouring the drawings, first begin with graphite
and charcoal pencils. After that, choose coloured pencils and wax colours.
Water-soluble (watercolour) pencils and pastel pencils are also the options
with you to pick them up and colour your drawings.

Teaching Guideline

Divide the students into more than two groups and give them assignments to colour the
drawings which they have sketched individually. Demonstrate them live as to how to use
different kinds of colours commonly used by students at this age. Tell them to bring drawings
book or sketchbook to practice colouring the sketches.

162 Nova Social Studies And Creative Arts Grade-4 >>

3 Clay Sculptures

Clay is highly malleable and very easy to work with. Students find it as
the ideal modeling material to sculpt different shapes. Students can use
colours to paint the sculpted clay materials. There are modeling tools to
manipulate the material into the shape desired. These sculpting tools come
in various shapes, sizes and styles and are used to cut, scrape or shape
the modeling material to create a specific effect. These modeling tools are
usually produced from carbon steel, stainless steel, wood, and plastic. Look
at the clay arts produced by modeling tools:

Teaching Guideline

Demonstrate the clay art before the students by using modeling tools to create different shapes
of different sizes. Give them assignment to make clay arts and ceramic sculptors at home and
award them marks for their work.

163<< Nova Social Studies And Creative Arts Grade-4

4 Make Objects by Paper

All of us love to make different forms out of papers. Cutting a paper of
different colours into different sizes and pasting them according to shapes
required. The following things are required for making paper art:

• paper shredder or scissors or a paper cutter
• construction paper (various colours)
• glue
• string
• cardboard
Look at a coloured paper below and cut a shape of leaf or any other shape
of your choice:

Try yourself paper craft and make paper flowers of different shapes and sizes

Practice as many times as possible how to cut construction paper into
thin strips about (1/2" wide). Use a handful of paper and practice how
to make a tight roll to create beautiful shapes. Use glue to paste different
leaves of papers together to make flowers, insects, animals … etc. There are
164 Nova Social Studies And Creative Arts Grade-4 >>

specific styles of folding a square or rectangular shaped paper to create an
appearance of a bird or animal or a boat or an airplane or any other object
of your choice. But, you need to practice it by your own hand. One time
practice is not enough, do it again and again until you get perfected in the
art of paper craft. Just try the following one to make a tulip:
Now, learn how to fold a paper to make a penguin:

165<< Nova Social Studies And Creative Arts Grade-4

Teaching Guideline

Tell the students to bring construction paper in the classroom along with scissors, glue, pins,
clippers and cardboard. Demonstrate the skills of making variety of shapes of different sizes
out of paper. Give time to students to learn the skills of folding the paper and learn to use
scissor to cut the paper for making a variety of objects.

166 Nova Social Studies And Creative Arts Grade-4 >>

5 Make New Objects by Old Ones

“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” Any old and waste objects in
hands of artists get beautiful placements to create arts and artifacts. Artists
way of reuse and recycle the wastes and old objects is different than the
scientists. Artists are specialized in making trash into artistic treasures.
Artists collect wastes and old objects from houses located in village or city,
roadsides or from any other place. After that, they use these materials to
create art based on their imagination. This kind of art is created by using
old objects or trash like canes, bottle and broken plates, thrown out CDs,
discarded tires and so on. Just try on your own to see how your creativity
takes the wings to fly to create different art forms of wastes and old objects.

Toilet paper rolls used in an art to create an impression of jungle (forest)

Using old (waste) tiers for artistic expression

167<< Nova Social Studies And Creative Arts Grade-4

The artistic ability of an artist turns junk into art. How to make good use
of your old greeting cards? Collect all the old greeting cards and glue them
together or use old calendar pages to make wrapping paper for new gifts.
They are colourful and can become attractive material for wrapping. They
can also be used as a wall paper, or can be used to wrap old furniture or
cover the book from outside. Every house has a old fabrics. Our old clothes
can be best used for making scrap bags. Using discarded material (such as
metal, mortar, glass, or wood) for creating three-dimensional art is known
as junk art.

Take cues from the junk art shown above and create your own junk art

Teaching Guideline

Old or discarded objects (materials) are found everywhere. Help the artistic possibility of
students to express it through old or discarded materials. Give them home assignment to create
an art of old or discarded materials.

168 Nova Social Studies And Creative Arts Grade-4 >>

6 Make Shapes and Designs by Ropes

Take the ropes in your hand and create different art forms by playing your
imagination. Look at some of the rope arts below and try your hands to
create them or try the different ones:

Teaching Guideline

Demonstrate how to make arts out of ropes. Ask the students to bring ropes in the classroom
and engage them to play with the ropes to create different art forms.

169<< Nova Social Studies And Creative Arts Grade-4

7 Learn Weaving

Are you ready for learning a new craft? Learn how to weave fabric on a
loom or through a pair of tapestry needles. The tapestry needle can be used
to weave different shapes and colours from threads ( or yarn) of wool or
cotton. The tapestry needles are not similar to a sew needle. The tapestry
needles do not pierce fabric. The tip of the tapestry needle weaves yarn
behind and in front of the warp thread. See here how tapestry needle works
to weave the threads of wool:

Use tapestring needle for weaving wool threads.

Is it your first time of laying your hands on weaving? No problem, you
can use knitting yarns for weaving (in most cases). Go slow and learn how
to work on a simple loom. You can take all the time you need. In this way,
you can start weaving with confidence. Weaving is not just about throwing
the shuttle: the processes of dressing the loom are all part of the pleasure of
creating something by hand. A scarf is one of the most enduringly popular
weaving objects.

Work on loom to adjust your hand on weaving yarn

170 Nova Social Studies And Creative Arts Grade-4 >>

First of all, learn how to load the shuttle and weave your yarn without
stop. Learn the steps carefully. Let each step have your full attention.
Learn to weave with a portable and simple loom. Learn how to use various
techniques to create textures, patterns and colours. Identify what yarn is
appropriate for warp and weft on loom. Bring along scraps of yarn, fabric,
fibers, ribbons, beads, etc. for adjusting them in course of weaving.

Choose your yarn carefully to work on loom or on tapestry needles.

Try your hand on loom. Weaving bamboo slices and ropes is popular in Rural Nepal.

Teaching Guideline

Give live demonstrations before the students in the classroom how to weave yarn and baskets.
Take them on rural visits to see how our farmers (both men and women) weave sweaters,
fabrics, handbags, small towels and bamboo baskets.

171<< Nova Social Studies And Creative Arts Grade-4

UNIT

2

Music, Dance and Acting

Lesson 1: Hone Your Voice and Sing
Lesson 2: Sing a Song
Lesson 3: Learn to Play Dholak
Lesson 4: Learn the steps to Dance
Lesson 5: Pranayam and Yoga Mudra
Lesson 6: Let us play roles in Acting
172 Nova Social Studies And Creative Arts Grade-4 >>

1 Hone Your Voice and Sing

Have you ever thought that you can sing? Who can actually sing? What
are the ways to hone your voice and sing? Everyone who can speak can
learn to sing. But, not everyone can have melodious voice. Some are more
naturally skilled than others in singing. Even a poor voice can be improved
with a little dedication and practice. Before you learn to sing, develop fair
amount of control on your breathing. Take a breath in and then exhale. Sing
one note and hold it as long as possible with your chest raised. Practice
singing regularly. Take the help of a teacher, voice coach, or instructional
videos to improve your voice.

Get down to learning some of the famous classical raagas:

(A.) /fu kl' /of wgf>Lof u'0f Yj sy+ b–' :j/–k= ;j+ fbL :j/–/]
Time of singing (kx| /) : rty' { kx| / (#–^ tf O{n)] .
cf/fx] – gL /] u d] w gL /] ;f . cj/fx] – /] gL w k d] u d] /] u /] .
kSs8M lg – / – u, d – k, w – k, d – u, d – / – u, / –;
(B.) Raag Purvi Sarang, Thaat – Purvi, Jaati – Purvi, Vada Swar (:j/) - k
(P), Samvadi Swar (;j+ fbL :j/) - ;f (S) Time of singing (kx| /) : During Sunset
cf/fx] – ;f /], u d] k w gL ;f+
cj/fx] – ;f+ gL w k d] k d] u /] u ;f .
(C.) lqj]0fL /fu,
cf/fx] – ; /] u k w lg ; cj/fx] – ; lg w k u /] ; kSs8– u /] u, k w lg ;
(D.) Raag Basant, Thaat – Purvi, Vada Swar (:j/) - ;f (S), Samvadi Swar
(;j+ fbL :j/) – d (M), Time of singing (kx| /) :: Last half of the night & in spring
season, Mood and expression conveyed – serious (ue+ L/)
cf/fx] – ;f u d] w gL ;f+ .
cj/fx] – ;f+ lg w k d] u, d] u /] ;f .

kSs8 – d] w /F] lg w k d] u d] w d] u /] ;f .

Teaching Guideline
Arrange a music teacher for students and get them learn basics of music. Get
special trainings for those who are interested in honing their voice and want to
continue with singing.

173<< Nova Social Studies And Creative Arts Grade-4

2 Sing a Song

Title: I am a child

I have my own mind,
And I am a child.

In case I decide to go farther,
I hold the hand of my father.

After someone sets the tone,
I insist to do the things alone.

I take my pets to tether,
And stop them to clutter.

I play on the slide,
I run, jump and hide.

I have my own mind,
And I am a child.

I shout at peak of my voice,
And let my anger to be noise.

I shove my friends in the play,
I throw them flat in the clay.

I love to get wild,
But, I make it mild.

I have my own mind,
And I am a child.

Written by: Binod Kumar Pathak

174 Nova Social Studies And Creative Arts Grade-4 >>

3 Learn to Play Dholak

The dholak is a double-headed hand drum. The dholak is a popular folk
instrument. The smaller surface of the dholak is made of goat skin and
the bigger surface is made of buffalo skin for low pitches. The dholak is
either played on the player's lap or in a standing position. In some styles of
playing, an iron thumb ring is used to produce a specific sound.All fingers
are generally used while playing the dholak. Dholak players can also sing
or simply play it for a dance troupe. A thin (1/4" / 6 mm or less) long (over
14" / 30 cm) stick of bamboo can also be used for playing a large dholak.

Take basic lessons before you play the dholak

Learn to play taals on a dholak

Taal has many types. One of them is described here. For example, play Dha,
dha, dha, tete, dha, dha, dha, tete on the beats of 1,2,3,4,1,2,3,4. Learning
the dholak takes time and demands regular practice. Start with basic beats
and then go for more complicated rhythms. You can play it in group to
break the monotony and develop rhythm with other instruments.
Teaching Guideline

Arrange a teacher to teach Dholak and other musical instruments to our students and generate
interest in them for playing musical instruments.

175<< Nova Social Studies And Creative Arts Grade-4

4 Learn the steps to Dance

Every culture around the world has its own folk dances. Nepal has many
of them because of its multi-ethnic and multi-cultural fabric of Nepalese
society. There are usually specific folk dances in Nepal for big celebrations
like festivals, jatras, weddings, births and so on. For examples, Bajrayogini
dance, Panche Buddha dance, Tamang Selo, Dohori, Dhan Nach, Kaura,
Sorathi etc are popular folk dances in Nepal. A folk dance has a particular
set of patterns and steps or figures that repeat in time to music. There are
usually other partners in folk dancing. All of them dance together working
on their steps in specific ways.

Try your steps and learn the different folk dances of your community

Take lessons from elders, guardians and teachers on how to learn different
folk songs of Nepal. First you sit and watch attentively how people are
enjoying their folk dance. After that, participate in folk dance. Concentrate
on learning the steps first. Folk dance is a great way to socialize by bringing
all the community people together.

Folk dancers add colour to our culture

Teaching Guideline

Arrange a dance teacher for instructing students how to dance. Tell the students to learn their
community’s culture. Folk dance is the important segment of different ethnic communities in
Nepal.

176 Nova Social Studies And Creative Arts Grade-4 >>

5 Pranayam and Yoga Mudra

The Yoga Sūtras (compiled prior to 400 CE by Sage Patanjali) has mentioned
about the Pranayam. Pranayama is the formal practice of controlling the
breath. It is a breath-control technique. The breath is the source of vital life
force popularly known as Prana. The breath has full control over human’s
emotions and physical health. Pranayam is a Sanskrit word: pran means life
and ayama means way. Pranayam helps achieve healthy body and mind.
It is advisable to learn basics of pranayam techniques from the expert or
practicener of naturopathy. Be aware of your breath without discomforting
or stressing yourself. Regular pranayam offers longevity. The main aspects
of pranayama are inhalation, exhalation and retention of breath. Pranayama
always begins with inhalations and exhalations. This strengthens the lungs
and balances the nervous system, preparing the body to hold the breath
(retention).

Sit comfortably and practise Pranayam using your index and middle fingers

There are various types of Pranayam. Some of them are being given here:
(A) Chandrabhedan Pranayama: Sit in a comfortable posture. Keep your

back straight and shoulders relaxed. Close your right nostril with the
right hand thumb. Inhale from the left nostril. Close the left nostril
with the right hand index and middle fingers. Exhale from the right
nostril. This completes one round of Chandrabhedan pranayama. You
can do it 10 times.
Benefits: Chandrabhedan cools the body.
Caution: Practice this Pranayam only during summer. Do not practice
it if you are not comfortable with it.

177<< Nova Social Studies And Creative Arts Grade-4

(B) Suryabhedan Pranayam: Sit comfortably with your back straight.
Close your left nostril with your index and middle finger of the right
hand. Inhale from your right nostril. Close the right nostril with your
right hand thumb. Now, exhale through the left nostril. This completes
one round of Suryabhedan pranayama. You can do it for 10 times.

Benefits: Suryabhedan Pranayam increases body heat and energy
levels. It improves digestion, purifies blood and delays ageing.

Caution: This Pranayam is done only during winter. Do not practice this
meditation if you suffer from acidity, hypertension or heart problems.
It is to be done.

(C) Anulom-Vilom Pranayam: Sit comfortably with your back erect. Close
your eyes. Use the right hand thumb to close your right nostril. Inhale
from the left nostril. Close your left nostril with your right hand's index
and middle fingers.Exhale from the right nostril. Do the reverse: inhale
with the right nostril. Close your right nostril with your right hand
thumb. Exhale with the left nostril. This is one round of anulom-vilom
pranayama. You can do it for 20 times.

Benefits: Anulom-Vilom Pranayam is very helpful for human health.
It balances body temperature; relievs stress and improves blood
circulation.

Caution: Always breathe into your lungs and not into your stomach.
You can do this Pranayam the year round.

(D) Bhastrika: Sit in a comfortable position on the floor. Keep the back
straight and shoulder muscles relaxed. Keep your eyes closed. Close
the right nostril. Inhale and exhale through left nostril. Do it slowly,
then a little faster. Continue for 10 -20 times. Take a long breath now.
This is one round of bhastrika pranayama. Now, repeat this round
by closing your left nostril and breathing through your right nostril.
Continue it for 10 -20 times. Now, take a long breath and relax. This is
called Bhastrika Pranayam.

Next segment is about Mudras. What is Mudra? Mudra means “seal” or
“closure” in Sanskrit. Mudras are gestures formed out of hand and fingers.
These Mudras are used mostly in Pranayam and meditation. There are
various types of Mudras having specific importance (benefits). Mudras

178 Nova Social Studies And Creative Arts Grade-4 >>

trigger hormones and enzymes in the human body because they stimulate
different areas of brain. Some of the Mudras are being given here:

1. Gyana Mudra: Bring the tips of the thumb and index finger together.
Keep the other three fingers together and lightly stretched. The Gyana
mudra increases concentration, creativity and controls negative
emotions. It is a gesture of generating knowledge. Therefore, it is called
Gyana Mudra. Gyan Mudra is used during medition and practicing
Pranayam. Anyone can practice this.

2. Vayu Mudra: Fold your index finger and press it with the base of your
thumb. Keep at the three fingers extended as much as possible. This
mudra releases excess wind from stomach and body. It reduces chest
and muscle pain. Vayu Mudra balances the air element within your
body.

3. Surya Ravi Mudra: Touch the tip of the ring finger with the tip of
the thumb. This is also called Prithvi Mudra. This mudra balances
energy level and improves health in person’s life. This Mudra is also
beneficial glowing skin. Perform this asana when you feel stressed out
and exhausted.

Gyan Mudra Vayu Mudra Surya (Prithvi) Mudra

Prana Mudra Dhyan Mudra Namaste (Anjali) Mudra

3. Prana Mudra: Place the tips of your thumb, ring finger, and little finger
together. This Mudra enhances regulates the flow of energy in the
perso’s body and regulates the vital energy of Prana.

179<< Nova Social Studies And Creative Arts Grade-4

4. Dhyana Mudra: place your left palm under the right palm with the
tips of the thumbs touching each other. Dhyan Mudra is practiced in
sitting posture. It is used in meditation. This Mudra is helpful in deep
contemplation and calming our thoughts to attain peace of mind.

5. Anjali Mudra: Bring the palms together in front of the heart space.
This gesture pays honor and respect toward oneself and toward the
universe. Anjali Mudra is popularly known as Namaste gesture. This
Mudra is the way to express love and gratitude.

Teaching Guideline

Introduce importance of Pranayam, Mudras and Asanas by bringing more information.
Arrange a Yoga teacher for giving them lessons on it. Encourage them to explore on the subject.

Briefly introduce the Pranayam and Mudra that you like to practise the
most.

..................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................

180 Nova Social Studies And Creative Arts Grade-4 >>

6 Let us play roles in Acting

What is acting? Acting is an activity that tells the story or presents the
message by means of its enactment. Those who do acting are called actors.
Acting is displayed or presented to audience by using different platforms
like stage theatre, television, radio and film (cinema). Acting can be
adopted as a full time career or just for fun. A professional actor is paid to
act while an amateur actor does not receive money for acting performances.
Drama is very tool for acting to explore and express human feeling. Drama
develops the child personality. What is drama? Drama is a play in a theatre
or on television or radio. Drama is often combined with music, songs and
dance apart from dialogues. The term "drama" comes from a Greek word
meaning "action” or "I do". Actors perform on a stage before an audience.

Comedy and tragedy masks Superman costume Masks for group acting

Children in ‘roles play’ wearing costumes for animals like penguin, monkey and sheep

Acting involves a series of skills such as imagination, improvisation,
creative self expression, dialogue delivery, mastery in language, correct
pronunciation of words, self confidence, role playing, facial expression,
sense of choosing costumes, etc. Students are given a particular role in a

181<< Nova Social Studies And Creative Arts Grade-4

scripted form for a role play. After rehearsal the play is performed for the
class, school or parents. Children through mime use only facial expressions
and body language to tell a story or give a meassage. Specific masks and
costumes make children less inhibited and they perform better. Children
are given specific parts to play wearing masks and costumes with a formal
script. Reheasal is an important part of acting. Rehearsal is a process of
preparing and practicing a performance in advance. Acting is teamwork.
It requires the ability to collaborate with others to play the roles. Acting
makes the children tolerant of other’s ideas or viewpoints. Children learn
the skills to work in a team and prepare them for future life. Taking part in
acting make children a better communicator.

A stage for acting is ready for you. Come forward to take part in role playing.

It is a fun for children to take part in role play. Children get into character
and act out a role given to them on a stage. At the end of it, they find
it very educative. A teacher can adopt it even in the classroom while
teaching various topics in the classroom. Creating a setting on a stage is
very important in acting. Setting of a play shapes the mood and tone of
story telling through acting. A setting is created on the basis of a story or a
message to be delivered through acting in a play. Learn to create setting in
your own play. Children should discuss amongst themselves what kind of
setting is required for a play they are acting in.
Teaching Guideline

Organize an acting workshop for children and motivate them to participate in one way or the
other. Tell them to pick up stories or important messages for a play to do acting. Acting can also
be set for teaching several lessons from Social Studies or literature language classes.

182 Nova Social Studies And Creative Arts Grade-4 >>