Class 5 · The World Around Us · New NCERT
Chapter 1: Water — The Essence of Life
"Water - The Essence of Life" opens Our Wondrous World for Grade 5 and the unit Life Around Us. Water is basic to every living thing, and the chapter, about eighteen pages long, probably covers where water comes from, how plants, animals and people use it, its forms and why it must be saved and kept clean. The book promotes observation, experiments and surveys, so activities such as testing which materials absorb water or surveying water use at home fit well. It connects with the water lessons in the English book and with the next chapter on a river.
This is chapter 1 of 10 in Our Wondrous World, the Class 5 The World Around Us textbook, in Unit 1, Life Around Us, and begins on page 3 of the printed 2026-27 book. It is the opening chapter and is followed by "Journey of a River".
This chapter draws on science, social science and environmental education together. In "Water — The Essence of Life", children are encouraged to make observations, record them in pictures or words and talk about what they found. Open-ended questions invite more than one answer, and the language is kept simple with a few new words to stretch children gently. Teachers are free to add local examples and activities that connect children with their own environment.
Families can connect "Water — The Essence of Life" to daily life by involving children in everyday tasks and conversations related to the chapter. Visiting a market, garden, water source or community event gives real experience that no book can replace.
This overview is written from the 2026-27 textbook's Contents page, its preface and the chapter title, to help families and teachers prepare. Please read the chapter itself for exact content, activities and exercises.