**EARTH: OUR SHARED HOME**
**Key Ideas:**
Earth looks like one blue planet from space with no visible borders. Nature has no boundaries — animals, plants, air, and water move freely across countries. People are connected through trade, travel, ideas, food, music, and care for our planet.
**Important Stories:**
• **Rosy Starlings** — Pink and black birds travel from Russia/Mongolia to India yearly, eating harmful pests
• **Chillies** — Came from South America to India 400-500 years ago via Portuguese traders; now essential in Indian cooking
• **Yoga** — Practiced in India for 3,000+ years; now in almost every country; UN declared 21 June as International Day of Yoga (2014)
• **Sugar** — India discovered how to make jaggery and sugar from sugarcane; knowledge spread worldwide through trade
**Famous Indians in Space:**
Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma (first Indian in space) said 'Saare Jahaan Se Achcha'. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla (first Indian at ISS) said Earth is our one shared home.
**What Travels:**
Rice, mangoes, bananas, peanuts, potatoes, tomatoes, cashews — all travelled from India or to India, showing global connection.
**Diagrams to Remember:** Journey of rosy starlings (Russia/Mongolia → India); Chilli route (South America → India)
**Don't Confuse:** Chillies came TO India FROM America (not the other way). Before chillies, black pepper was used. Rosy starlings are BIRDS, not insects.
Q1. Who was the first Indian astronaut to see Earth from space?
Answer: A — The chapter states that Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma was the first Indian to see Earth from space and replied 'Saare Jahaan Se Achcha'.
Q2. From which countries do rosy starlings travel to India every winter?
Answer: B — The chapter clearly states that rosy starlings fly from the southern part of Russia, Mongolia and nearby countries to India every winter.
Q3. What do rosy starlings eat when they visit India?
Answer: C — The chapter explains that rosy starlings feed on locusts and grasshoppers, which are pests that damage crops.
Q4. Where did chillies originally come from before arriving in India?
Answer: C — The chapter states that chilli plants were originally found only in South America and were brought to India by Portuguese travellers 400-500 years ago.
Q5. What spice did Indians use to make their food tasty before chillies arrived?
Answer: B — The chapter mentions that before the arrival of chilli, Indians used black pepper to spice up their food.
Q6. For how long has yoga been practiced in India?
Answer: C — The chapter clearly states that yoga has been practiced in India for more than 3,000 years.
Q7. When did the United Nations declare International Day of Yoga?
Answer: C — The chapter states that the United Nations declared 21 June as the International Day of Yoga in 2014.
Q8. Which of the following foods originally came from South America and is now very common in Indian cooking? (Fill in the blank) The __________ plant was brought to India from South America by Portuguese traders.
Answer: B — The chapter's Story 3 focuses on how chilli plants from South America were brought to India and became an essential part of Indian cuisine.
Q9. Why do you think Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla said 'Earth is our one home' after seeing it from space?
Answer: B — The chapter shows that from space, no borders are visible, and everything looks like one planet where all people are connected.
Q10. How did yoga spread from India to almost every country in the world?
Answer: B — The chapter states that travellers, scholars and teachers from India shared yoga with the world, and slowly people in other countries began to learn and practise it.
Who was the first Indian to see Earth from space?
Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma was the first Indian to see Earth from space.
What did Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla say about Earth from the International Space Station?
He said Earth looks completely one with no borders visible, and we are all part of humanity with Earth as our shared home.
What are rosy starlings and where do they come from?
Rosy starlings are pink and black birds that fly from Russia and Mongolia to India every winter to enjoy warm weather and feed on pests.
How do rosy starlings help Indian farmers?
They eat locusts and grasshoppers which are pests that damage crops, thus helping protect the harvest.
Where did chillies come from originally?
Chillies originally came from South America and were brought to India by Portuguese travellers 400 to 500 years ago.
What did Indians use to spice their food before chillies arrived?
Indians used black pepper to spice up their food before the arrival of chillies from South America.
How long has yoga been practiced in India?
Yoga has been practiced in India for more than 3,000 years as a way to keep bodies healthy and minds peaceful.
When was International Day of Yoga declared and by whom?
The United Nations declared 21 June as International Day of Yoga in 2014, with millions around the world doing yoga together.
How did the knowledge of making sugar spread from India to other parts of the world?
The method of making jaggery and sugar from sugarcane was first discovered in India and spread to other countries through trade and travel.
What does it mean when we say 'nature has no boundaries'?
It means air, water, clouds, seeds and animals move freely across the world without being stopped by country borders.
What did Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma say about India when he saw it from space? [1 mark]
He gave a famous reply in Hindi. Look for the exact quote in the chapter under 'Do you know?'
Name two countries from which rosy starlings travel to India in winter. What is the main reason they come to India? [2 marks]
The chapter names Russia and Mongolia. Rosy starlings come for warm weather and food (pests to eat).
Chillies came to India from South America 400-500 years ago. Explain with an example how this journey of chilli shows that Earth is a shared home where things and ideas travel freely. [3 marks]
Mention that chillies crossed countries without borders, found new climate, became part of Indian culture, and now we cannot imagine food without them — this shows global connection.
Yoga was developed in India over 3,000 years ago. Write in detail how yoga spread from India to the rest of the world. What does this tell us about how people and ideas are connected globally? (Draw and label a map showing yoga's journey from India to other countries.) [5 marks]
Explain that travellers, scholars and teachers shared yoga; it went from India to other countries through travel and trade; UN declared 21 June as International Day of Yoga (2014); this shows that good practices and knowledge travel and connect people worldwide.
True or False: Before chillies arrived in India, Indians used honey to make their food tasty. Reason: __________ [2 marks]
This is FALSE. The chapter says Indians used black pepper before chillies arrived, not honey. Honey was used as a sweetener worldwide, not as a spice.
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