Neem Baba – Class 6 English NCERT Solutions

Explore the solutions for “Neem Baba,” Class 6 English NCERT. This chapter teaches children about the importance of trees, particularly the neem tree, in our lives. Through a conversation between a young girl Amber and Neem Baba (the personified neem tree), students learn about the medicinal properties, environmental benefits, and various uses of the neem tree. The story encourages children to respect nature and understand the value of traditional knowledge.

Story Summary in English

The story “Neem Baba” is a conversation between a young girl named Amber and a neem tree she calls Neem Baba. As Amber returns from school, she sits under the neem tree in her courtyard and feels it whispering to her. The tree introduces itself as Neem Baba and shares its rich history, origin, and various uses. Through their dialogue, we learn about the tree’s origin in North India or Myanmar, its spread to other countries, its different names, and its numerous medicinal and agricultural benefits. The tree explains how its various parts – leaves, bark, flowers, fruits, and roots – are used in medicine, farming, and daily life. The story ends with Neem Baba encouraging Amber to discover more about trees when she grows up.

कहानी का सारांश हिंदी में

“नीम बाबा” कहानी एक छोटी लड़की अंबर और एक नीम के पेड़ के बीच की बातचीत है। जब अंबर स्कूल से लौटती है, तो वह अपने आंगन में नीम के पेड़ के नीचे बैठती है और महसूस करती है कि पेड़ उससे फुसफुसा रहा है। पेड़ खुद को नीम बाबा के रूप में पेश करता है और अपने समृद्ध इतिहास, उत्पत्ति और विभिन्न उपयोगों के बारे में बताता है। उनकी बातचीत से हमें पेड़ की उत्तर भारत या म्यांमार में उत्पत्ति, अन्य देशों में इसके प्रसार, इसके विभिन्न नामों और इसके कई औषधीय और कृषि लाभों के बारे में पता चलता है। पेड़ बताता है कि कैसे इसके विभिन्न भाग – पत्तियां, छाल, फूल, फल और जड़ें – दवा, खेती और दैनिक जीवन में उपयोग की जाती हैं। कहानी नीम बाबा के साथ समाप्त होती है जो अंबर को बड़े होने पर पेड़ों के बारे में और जानने के लिए प्रोत्साहित करता है।

Word Meanings

Exercise Solutions

Let us do these activities before we read

1. A tree is useful to us in many ways. Mention some of these uses.

Here are some important uses of trees:

• Trees provide fresh oxygen and clean the air we breathe
• They give us fruits, flowers, and wood
• Trees provide shade and shelter
• Their parts are used in making medicines
• Trees prevent soil erosion
• They provide food and home to birds and animals

2. Fill Columns A and B with what you know about the neem tree and what you want to know.

Column A (What I know):

• Neem leaves are used in medicines
• Its twigs are used for cleaning teeth
• Neem oil is used in soaps
• It has medicinal properties

Column B (What I want to know):

• Where did neem trees originate?
• How long can a neem tree live?
• What are its different uses in medicine?
• How does it help farmers?

Let us discuss

1. Fill up the fact sheet based on what Neem Baba told her (LET US KNOW OUR NEEM)

2. How is neem useful to farmers?

Neem is useful to farmers in several ways:

• Neem seed powder mixed with water can be sprayed on plants to protect them from locusts
• When used in rice fields, it prevents mosquito breeding
• It helps increase crop yield
• Protects crops from termites that eat plant roots
• Prevents breeding of crop-eating insects
• Farmers can add neem seed powder to stored grains to protect them from insects

3. Mention some of the uses of the neem tree.

The neem tree has many uses:

• Medicinal Uses: Its leaves, bark, flowers, fruits, and roots are used to make medicines
• Dental Care: Twigs are used for cleaning teeth
• Protection: Leaves are used to protect clothes from insects
• Personal Care: Neem oil is used in soaps and toothpaste
• Furniture: Neem wood is used to make termite-resistant furniture
• Agriculture: Used as natural pesticide and insecticide
• Air Purification: The tree helps purify the air

Let us think and reflect

1. Write any two facts that surprised you the most about the Neem tree.

As a student, I would write:

• I was surprised to learn that neem trees were born millions of years ago in North India or Myanmar and have now spread to many countries including parts of America.
• It was fascinating to discover that neem trees have so many different names in various languages and are called the ‘magic tree’ and ‘the tree of the twentieth century’ by scientists.

2. Complete the following sentences:

(a) The old man asked Amber to call him Neem Baba because he had known her since her childhood when she played in his shade.

(b) Neem seed powder protects crops from locusts, termites, and other crop-eating insects.

(c) Adding neem seed powder to stagnant water is a cost-effective method to stop mosquitoes from breeding in stagnant water.

(d) One reason why doctors advise us to use neem leaves for someone suffering from measles is that neem leaves have chemical properties that destroy germs and provide comfort from itching.

3. Why can Neem Baba not remember the year when he was born?

Neem Baba cannot remember the year when he was born because he was born millions of years ago, somewhere in North India or Myanmar. Such a long time has passed that it’s impossible to pinpoint the exact year of origin.

4. Which parts of the neem tree are used to make medicines?

All parts of the neem tree are used to make medicines:

• Leaves
• Bark
• Flowers
• Fruits
• Roots

Let us learn

1. Study compound words and put them in their trees:

Open compound words:

• well known
• well trained
• neem oil
• seed powder

Closed compound words:

• something
• childhood
• grandmother

Hyphenated compound words:

• thought-provoking
• cleanliness-parting

2. Match the verbs and make sentences:

Let us listen

Select the correct statements about the boy speaking to his mother:

Based on the conversation:

• ✓ The mother was surprised to know that Peepal Baba had planted trees all over the country.
• ✗ The mother disliked the work being done by Peepal Baba.
• ✓ The mother wanted to know more about Peepal Baba.
• ✓ The boy decided to take care of trees by listening to Peepal Baba’s journey.
• ✗ The boy was worried about what his teacher had told him.

Let us speak

1. Make one card with dry leaves

As a student, I would:

• Collect four different dry leaves from my surroundings
• Draw the shape of each leaf at the top of a card
• Color it to match the actual leaf
• Write the tree/plant name inside the card
• Add one important use of that tree/plant

2. Speak about the process of making the card

As a student, I would explain:

• First, I carefully collected dry leaves from different trees
• Then, I selected a nice piece of paper to make my card
• I traced the outline of each leaf on the top of the card
• Next, I colored the leaf drawing to match the real leaf
• Finally, I wrote information about the tree inside the card

3. Ask classmates to identify the leaf and tell its uses

I would:

• Show my card to the class with the leaf drawing visible
• Ask them to guess which tree the leaf comes from
• Have them suggest possible uses of the tree
• Open the card and share the correct information
• Compare their answers with the information in my card

Let us write

Write a paragraph about any tree you like

My Favorite Banyan Tree

In our local park, there stands a magnificent old banyan tree. It is about fifty feet tall with a thick, sturdy trunk and widespread branches. The most fascinating thing about this tree is its aerial roots that hang down like curtains and create small hideouts for children to play in. The tree provides cool shade throughout the year, and many birds have made their homes in its branches. I like this tree because it not only makes our park beautiful but also provides shelter to various birds and small animals. During summer, its thick canopy of leaves gives relief to tired visitors who rest under its shade.

Let us explore

Find out which Indian languages the given neem names belong to