Nature's Treasures: Air and Wind

Nature's Treasures

• Bhoomi and Surya visit their grandmother, Ajji, in a village near a forest in the Western Ghats during school vacations.
• The village air is fresher and cooler than the city, with hills, streams, plants, animals, and birds.

Natural Treasures

• Nature provides treasures that enrich lives, including fresh air, fertile soil, and sunlight.
• Trees offer food and shelter to animals, birds, and insects.

Importance of Air

• Ajji emphasizes the importance of air for survival.
• Air contains oxygen, which the body needs to function
• Most living beings need oxygen to survive.
• The air contains nitrogen (78%), oxygen (21%), argon, CO2 and other gases in small quantities (1%).

Wind

• Moving air is called wind, which can be a breeze or a storm.
• Windmills work similarly to a firki (paper pinwheel), using wind to rotate wings.
• Windmills are utilized to run flour mills, pump water, and generate electricity.
• Major windmill farms in India include Muppandal Wind Farm in Tamil Nadu, Jaisalmer Wind Park in Rajasthan, and Brahmanvel Wind Farm in Maharashtra.

Importance of Water

• Water which is essential and precious.
• Water covers about two-thirds of the Earth's surface.
• Freshwater sources include ice sheets, snow, rivers, lakes, and underground water.
• Stepwells in Rajasthan (Bawadi) and Gujarat (Vav) are built for harvesting water and store rainwater and seepage water.
• Water harvesting is a method of conserving water by collecting and storing rainwater for later use
• Conserving water prevents it from being polluted and ensures its availability for all living beings.
• Polluted water is not safe for consumption.
• Conserving Water: turning off taps when not in use, fixing water leakages, recycling water and water harvesting.

Energy from the Sun

• The sun dries food and is the main source of energy on Earth.
• Water is offered to the Sun as gratitude.
• Solar panels capture solar energy to produce electricity
• Sunlight helps plants produce food and provides heat and light to all living beings,.

Forests

• Forests are large areas with dense growth of various plants and are natural homes for wild animals, birds, and insects.
• Van Mahotsav is celebrated in July to plant trees.
• The Chipko movement started in the 1970s in Uttarakhand, where women hugged trees to prevent cutting.

Soil

• Plant roots hold the soil, while decaying leaves enrich it with nutrients.
• Earthworms helps loosen the soil.
• Collect soil samples from different areas to perform activity
• Soil is formed by the disintegration of rocks and contains sand, insects, worms and microorganisms.

Rocks and Minerals

• Some rocks, such as slate, are used for roofing, while laterite is used as a building material.
• Rocks such as Granite, sandstone and marble are used for building.
• Granite, sandstone and marble are important type of rocks
• Rocks are made up of minerals like aluminium, gold, copper and iron are extracted.

Fossil Fuels

• Important fuels are: petrol, diesel, kerosene which all are obtained from petroleum.
• Fossil fuels include petroleum, natural gas, and coal, formed from the remains of microorganisms and plants which takes millions of years to form.
• Natural gas is used for cooking and generating electricity.
• Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is a cleaner fuel used in vehicles, while coal is used for electricity production.
• Alternate sources of energy should be explored.

Natural Resources

• Natural resources sustain life on Earth and include energy from the Sun, water, and food.
• Things made from natural resources are called human-made resources.
• Renewable resources are renewed naturally over time, such as air, water, and forests.
• Non-renewable resources such as minerals, soil, rocks, coal, petroleum and natural gas are available in limited quantities and cannot be replenished quickly.
• It's important to use natural resources carefully to ensure they are available in the future