This World of Things — Class 3 EVS (CBSE)
From the current NCERT Our Wondrous World Grade 3 book, Unit 4: Things Around Us, Chapter 10. Everything we use is made of some material — let us explore the world of things.
1. Why this chapter matters
We are surrounded by things — utensils, furniture, tools, and toys. Knowing what they are made of, whether they are natural or man-made, and their properties helps children observe and understand the material world.
2. Key ideas
- The objects we use every day — utensils, furniture, tools — are made of different materials.
- Common materials include wood, metal, plastic, glass, clay, paper, and cloth.
- Materials are of two kinds:
- Natural — come from nature (wood, stone, cotton, clay).
- Man-made (artificial) — made by people (plastic, glass, many metals products).
- Materials have properties — some are transparent (we can see through, like glass) and some are opaque (we cannot see through, like wood).
- Things can be solids, liquids, or gases — a stone is a solid, water is a liquid, and air is a gas.
3. Let's understand
Look around your home. The spoon may be metal, the chair wood, the bottle plastic, and the window glass. Each thing is chosen for its material and use — we use metal for strong utensils and glass where we want to see through.
Some materials are natural, coming straight from nature, like wood, cotton, and clay. Others are man-made, created by people, like plastic.
Materials also have properties. Glass is transparent — we can see through it; wood is opaque — we cannot. And everything in the world is in one of three states: a solid keeps its shape (a stone), a liquid flows and takes the shape of its container (water), and a gas spreads everywhere (air).
4. New words
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| material | what a thing is made of |
| natural | found in nature, not made by people |
| man-made | made by people |
| transparent | able to be seen through |
| opaque | not able to be seen through |
5. Activity corner
Pick five things in your home. For each, write:
- What it is made of (its material)
- Whether the material is natural or man-made
- Whether it is transparent or opaque
6. Common mistakes
- Mistake: Thinking all materials are man-made. Fix: Many materials are natural — wood, cotton, clay, and stone.
- Mistake: Mixing up transparent and opaque. Fix: Transparent means see-through (glass); opaque means not see-through (wood).
- Mistake: Thinking air is "nothing". Fix: Air is a gas — a real state of matter, even though we cannot see it.
7. Let Us Think
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Name three materials things are made of. Wood, metal, and plastic (also glass, clay, paper, cloth).
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What is the difference between natural and man-made materials? Natural materials come from nature (wood, cotton); man-made materials are made by people (plastic).
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Give one transparent and one opaque thing. Transparent: a glass window; opaque: a wooden door.
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Name the three states of things. Solid, liquid, and gas.
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Give an example of a solid, a liquid, and a gas. Solid: stone; liquid: water; gas: air.
8. Answer key
- Wood, metal, plastic.
- Natural comes from nature; man-made is made by people.
- Transparent: glass; opaque: wood.
- Solid, liquid, gas.
- Stone, water, air.
9. Quick revision
- Things are made of materials: wood, metal, plastic, glass, clay, paper, cloth.
- Materials are natural (from nature) or man-made (made by people).
- Transparent means see-through; opaque means not see-through.
- The three states are solid, liquid, and gas.
- Examples: stone (solid), water (liquid), air (gas).
Unit 4: Things Around Us
This chapter is part of Unit 4: Things Around Us. The three chapters in this unit are:
- Chapter 10: This World of Things
- Chapter 11: Making Things
- Chapter 12: Taking Charge of Waste
