Chapter 4 — Our School — A Happy Place

Chapter 4 of the Class 5 The World Around Us NCERT textbook (Our Wondrous World), "Our School — A Happy Place", guides students to observe and improve their school environment through waste management, water conservation, energy saving, greenery, traffic safety, fire safety, and respectful behaviour — download the PDF to read the full activities, discussion prompts, and reflection exercises.

• Green School — A green school manages its waste, saves water, uses electricity carefully, and increases greenery by planting and caring for trees. Students Aasha and Mohit inspire their class to assess their own school and plan improvements toward this goal.
• Waste Management and Segregation — The chapter explains reducing waste by using only what is needed and reusing items, then separating remaining waste into wet (food peels, leftovers) and dry categories. Students learn about the role of traditional recyclers and sanitation workers who collect and process different materials.
• Saving Water and Staying Cool — Even a dripping tap can waste a surprising amount of water over a day. The chapter also explores how trees, windows for cross-breeze, and white-painted roofs keep buildings cooler because white surfaces reflect the sun's heat while black surfaces absorb it.
• Safety at School — Traffic and Fire — The chapter covers road safety near school gates, including the importance of following traffic rules and designing clear signboards for drivers. It also teaches a fire drill procedure: move calmly to the exit, crawl low under smoke, do not hide, and gather at the assembly point.
• Respectful Behaviour and Community — How students behave at school, at home, and in public places determines whether those spaces feel welcoming or unpleasant. The chapter uses real-life situations — queue-skipping, littering, teasing — to prompt discussion about kindness, respect, and shared responsibility.

1. 01A green school manages waste, saves water, uses electricity carefully, and grows more trees and plants on campus.
2. 02Students can form 'School Explorer Teams' — Water Watchers, Electricity Savers, Waste Warriors, Green Guardians, and Traffic Trackers — to survey their school and report findings.
3. 03Swachh Bharat Swachh Vidyalaya (Clean India Clean Schools), part of the Swachh Bharat Mission, promotes clean toilets, safe drinking water, waste management, and hygiene education in schools.
4. 04Waste should be separated into wet waste, dry waste, and items for recyclers; old newspapers and similar items are traditionally set aside for recyclers rather than placed in bins.
5. 05A white-painted roof reflects the sun's heat and keeps a building cooler, while a black surface absorbs heat — students can verify this by comparing black and white tiles left in sunlight.
6. 06The Jal Shakti Abhiyan campaign encourages planting trees, harvesting rainwater, and using water wisely; schools can teach students to fix leaks and collect rainwater.
7. 07During a fire drill, students should move calmly to the nearest exit without running, crawl low under smoke, never hide in closed rooms, and report to the assembly point.