NCERT Solutions for Class 5 EVS Chapter 8 A Treat For Mosquitoes

QUESTIONS FROM TEXTBOOK SOLVED

Find Out
1.Do you know anyone who has had malaria?
Ans. Yes, one of my friends once suffered from malaria.

2.How did they find out that they had malaria?
Ans. It was found by blood test.

3.What problems did they have on having malaria?
Ans. My friend suffered from high fever. The fever came with bouts of shivering. He became very weak.

4.What other diseases can be caused by mosquito bites?
Ans. Following are some other diseases which can be caused by mosquito bites:
(a) Dengue (6) Chikungunya (c) Filaria.

5.In which season is malaria more common? Why do you think this happens?
Ans. Malaria is more common in rainy season. Mosquitoes get suitable environment to breed during the rainy season and hence there are more cases of malaria.

6.What do you do in your house to protect yourself from mosquitoes? Also find out from your friends about what they do?
Ans. We use mosquito repellant in our house.
I asked my friends and found following measures being used by them:
(а) Mosquito repellants (they come in coils, liquids and mats)
(б) Mosquito repellant cream
(c) Mosquito nets
(d) Wire mesh on windows
(e) Keeping the surroundings clean
(f) Removing stagnant water from the surroundings.

7.Look at the report of the blood test given below. Which words in the report help us to know that the person has malaria?
Ans. In the blood test report it is clearly written that malarial parasite was found in the blood.

Tell
1.Look at Aarti’s blood report and find out the minimum required haemoglobin.
Ans. The minimum haemoglobin level required in the blood is 12 gm/dl.

2.How much did Aarti’s haemoglobin go up and how long did it take for that?
Ans. Aarti’s haemoglobin increased by 2.5 gm/dl, i.e. by around 30%. It took about three months.

3.What does the newspaper report say about the problems caused by anaemia?
Ans. The newspaper report says that anaemia affects both physical and mental health of children. Due to anaemia, children do not grow properly and their  energy levels are down. This affects their study as well.

4.Have you or anyone in your family ever needed to get a blood test? When and why?
Ans. Yes, my mother had to go for a blood test about six months back. She was suffering from fever.

5.What was found out by the blood test?
Ans. The blood report said that my mother was suffering from malaria.

6.Have you had a health check up in your school? What did the doctor tell you?
Ans. Yes, there was a health check up camp in my school, about three months ago. The doctor said that I was fit and healthy.

Find Out
1.Ask a doctor or elders about the food items which contain iron.
Ans. I asked my father and he told that green leafy vegetables like spinach, lettuce and cabbage contain iron.

Find Out and Tell
1.Have you seen any poster like this put up anywhere?
Ans. Yes, I have seen such posters near my school.

2.Who do you think puts up such posters, or gives ads in the newspaper?
Ans. I think the government does so.

3.What are some of the important points given in the poster?
Ans. The important points in the poster are as follows:
(a) Beware of mosquitoes as they cause serious diseases like malaria, dengue and chikungunya.
(b) Don’t allow water to stagnate around you.
(c) Clean your surroundings to rule out breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
(d) Fish can be put in ponds to remove mosquito larvae.
(e) Mosquito net should be used to prevent against mosquito bites.
(f) Kerosene oil should be sprayed on water to prevent mosquito eggs to grow.

4.Why do you think pictures of a tank, cooler and pits are shown in the poster?
Ans. These are the places where water can stagnate and could allow mosquitoes a breeding ground.

Think
1.Why do you think it talks about putting fish in the tank? What do you think the fish eat?
Ans. It talks so because the fish eats larvae of mosquito.

2.What will happen when oil is spread on the water?
Ans. The thin film of oil on water prevents oxygen supply to eggs and larvae of mosquitoes and thus they are killed.

Find Out
1.Which diseases are spread by flies and how?
Ans. Following diseases are spread by flies; dysentery, cholera, typhoid, anthrax, etc. When a fly sits on contaminated material, harmful germs stick to its legs. When the same fly sits on food, the germs get transferred to the food. Thus, a fly spreads various diseases.

Mosquito Check
1.Divide your class into two or three groups. Each group will go around to check one area in school or around it. It must carefully note if water has collected anywhere, and mark (right) where it finds stagnant water.

Ans. Pot Yes
Tank Yes
Any open space in school ground No
Gutter Yes
Any other place Yes; near drains

2.Since how many days has water collected there?
Ans. The water has collected there since a week.

3.Has it caused any problem in the area?
Ans. Yes, there are many problems in the area. The area looks quite dirty. Mosquitoes and flies keep swarming around the area.

4.Who is responsible for keeping these places clean?
Ans.Within the school, the school authorities are responsible for the cleanliness and outside the school municipal authority is responsible.

5.Who is supposed to get the gutters and drains repaired?
Ans.The municipality is supposed to get the gutters and drains repaired.

6.Can any larvae be seen in the collected water?
Ans.Yes, we could see many larvae in the collected water.

Make a Poster

1.Find out who is responsible for keeping the area around your school clean. Write a letter from your class, reporting your findings and suggestions. Find out to whom the letter should be written and to which office it should be sent.
Ans. The municipality of my town is responsible for keeping the area around my school clean. The letter should be written to the ward councillor of the ward in which my school comes. The letter should be sent to the municipality office.
LETTER TO THE WARD COUNCILLOR .
To,
The Ward Councillor Ward Number 13 Popatganj
Subject: Request for maintenance of cleanliness around Senior Secondary School, Malla Mohalla Respected Sir, *
This is to request you to maintain the cleanliness in ward number 13. We have made a survey around our school and found lack of cleanliness. We found stagnant water at several places which are perfect breeding grounds for mosquitoes. These ditches have the potential for spreading serious diseases.
You are requested to look into the matter and do theneedful.
For this we shall ever be grateful to you.
Thanking You Yours Sincerely Students of Class V Senior Secondary School Malla Mohalla _ Popatganj

Tell
Is there a pond or river around your house or school? Go and look around and observe these things:
1.Can you see algae in or around the water?
Ans. Yes, I can see algae in or around the water.

2.Where else have you seen algae?
Ans. I have seen algae near hand pumps and on damp walls.

3.Are there plants growing on the side or in water? Find out their names. Draw some of these in your notebook.
Ans. Some of the plants which grow on the side or in the water are; liverworts, mosses, etc.

4.Do you think these were planted by someone or did they grow on their own?
Ans. They grow on their own.

5.What else can you see in water? Make a list.
Ans. I can also see following things in water; fish, crab, prawns, larvae, etc.

What We Have Learnt
1.What can you do so that mosquitoes do not breed in your house, school and neighbourhood?
Ans. You can do following to prevent mosquito breeding in your house, school and neighbourhood:
(a) Do not allow water logging in the area around you.
(b) Clean the cooler and water tank regularly.
(c) Spray DDT and kerosene oil in drains pits, etc.
(d) Cultivate fish in nearby ditches, pits, ponds, etc.

2.How can you find out if someone has malaria?
Ans. If the blood test shows malaria parasite, then malaria is confirmed in that person. .