From Tasting to Digesting
Questions with (*) sign are open-ended questions.
Page 23
Discuss and write Jhoolan’s mouth started watering when she heard the word imli. When does your mouth water? List five things you like to eat and describe the taste.
My mouth water as soon as I see my favorite food my mouth starts watering. Five things I like to eat are
| Things | Taste |
| Aamras | Sweet |
| Gulab jamun | Sweet |
| Ice cream | sweet |
| Pav bhaji | Spicy |
| Samosa | Salty and spicy |
(*) Do you like only one kind of taste or different ones? Why?
I like different kinds of tastes. If we eat foods of only one kind of taste then we get bored.
(*) Jhoolan put a few drops of lemon juice in Jhumpa’s mouth. Do you think we can make out the taste with just a few drops?
Yes, we can make the taste with just a few drops.
If someone were to put a few seeds of saunf (aniseed) on your tongue, would you be able to tell with your eyes closed? How?
Yes, we can tell the taste of food by taste. Even we can recognize the taste by smell also.
Page 24
How did Jhumpa make out the fried fish?
Jhumpa made out the fried fish by its smell.
Can you guess the names of certain things only by their smell, without seeing or tasting them? What are these things?
Yes, I can guess the names of certain things only by their smell, without seeing or tasting them. For example, I can guess the taste of fish, chicken curry, vada pav, pav bhaji, samosa, etc.
Has anyone ever told you to hold your nose before taking medicine? Why do you think they tell you to do this?
Yes. We can recognize the taste of food by smell also. In case of some medicines, the smell is not pleasant or liked by us. Therefore, we are told to hold our nose before taking medicine to avoid the smell of the taste.
(*) Collect a few food items having different kinds of tastes. Play a game with your friends as Jhumpa and Jhoolan did. Tell your friends to taste the food and ask-
How did it taste?
Sweet.
What was the food item?
Gulab jamun.
On which part of the tongue could you get the most of taste- in front, at the back, on the left or right side of the tongue?
Infront (for sweets).
Which taste could be made out on which part of the tongue? Mark these parts on the picture given?
One at a time put some things to eat in other parts of your mouth- under the tongue, on the lips, on the roof of the mouth. Did you get any taste there?
No.
Page 25
Use a clean cloth to wipe the front part of your tongue so that it is dry. Put some sugar or jaggery there. Could you taste anything? Why did this happen?
No. We cannot taste as the tongue is dry. We can recognize the taste only when saliva mixes with the food.
Stand in front of a mirror and look closely at your tongue. How does the surface look? Can you see any tiny bumps on the surface?
Yes, the surface of the tongue is rough. I can see tiny bumps on the surface.
Tell
If someone asks you to describe the taste of amla or cucumber, you might find it difficult to explain.
How would you describe the taste of these- tomato, onion, saunf, garlic.
| Things | Taste |
| Tomato | Sweet-sour |
| Onion | Pungent |
| Saunf | Sweet |
| Garlic | Bitter |
When Jhumpa tasted some of the things she said “sssee, sseee, sseee…….”
What do you think she may have eaten?
She may have eaten a spicy thing. May be a chilli.
Page 26
Each of you take a piece of bread or roti or some cooked rice.
Put it in your mouth, chew three to four times and swallow it.
Did the taste change as you chewed it?
It is almost the same.
Now take another piece or some rice and chew it thirty to thirty-two times. Were there any changes in the taste after chewing so many times?
Yes, there is a change in taste. Now it tastes a little bit sweet.
Discuss
Has anyone at home told you to eat slowly and chew well so that the food digests properly? Why do you think they say this?
Yes, my parents always tell me to eat slowly and chew well. It helps in swallowing the food easily and for the digestion of food.
Imagine you are eating something hard like green guava. What kinds of changes take place in it- from the time you bite a piece and put it in your mouth to when you swallow it?
In the beginning, the piece of guava is hard. But after chewing it many times it becomes soft.
Think what does the saliva in our mouth does?
Saliva helps in the digestion of food.
Page 27
Discuss
How do you feel when you are very hungry? How would you describe it?
When I am hungry I cannot concentrate on anything.
How do you come to know that you are hungry?
I feel a strong urge to eat something. I cannot focus on anything. From this, I come to know that I am hungry.
Think what would happen if you do not eat anything for two days?
I will be very weak and cannot able to do any work. I always feel like to be lye on the bed.
Would you be able to manage without drinking water for two days? Where do you think the water that we drink goes?
No. I will not be able to manage without drinking water for even a single day. Water is used by our body for digestion and various other functions of the body. Excess water from the body is removed out in the form of sweat and urine.
Page 28
Talk and discuss
Do you remember that in Class IV you made a solution of sugar and salt?
Yes.
Nitu’s father also made this and gave her. Why do you think this is given to someone who has vomiting and loose motions?
Someone who has vomiting and loose motions may lose water, salt and sugar from their body. This can be dangerous. Therefore, to cover this loss, a sugar solution is given.
Have you ever heard the word ‘glucose’ or seen it written anywhere? Where?
Yes, I have heard the word ‘glucose’. I have seen it on the packets of glucose powder and biscuits. I have seen it in ads in television and in newspapers.
Page 29
Have you ever tasted glucose? How does it taste?
Yes, I have tasted glucose. It is sweet in taste.
Have you or anyone in your family been given a glucose drip? When and why? Tell the class about it.
Once my brother was admitted to the hospital. He was very sick. He was given a glucose drip to recover.
Nitu’s teacher used to tell the girls to have glucose while playing hockey. Why do you think she did this?
Playing games like hockey requires lots of energy. So we may lose energy. To cover up this loss of energy teachers tell us to have glucose while playing hockey.
Look at Nitu’s picture and describe what is happening.
In the picture, Nitu is being given a glucose drip. Glucose is in the bottle.
How is the glucose drip being given?
With the help of a needle and tube glucose is supplied to the body.
Page 31
Think and discuss
Imagine if you had been in place of Dr. Beamount, what experiments would you have done to find out the secrets of our stomach? Write about your experiments.
If I was in the place of Dr. Beamount, then I would have done experiments with the food items like rice, chapati and daal.
Page 33
Discuss
Why do you think Rashmi could eat only one roti in the whole day?
Rashmi is very poor therefore, she could eat only one roti in the whole day.
Do you think Kailash would like games and sports?
No, Kailash would not like games and sports.
What do you understand by ‘proper’ food?
Proper food means it should give us all the nutrients required by our body in the right proportions.
Why do you think that the food of Rashmi and Kailash was not proper?
Rashmi was hardly getting one roti per day. She is not getting the amount of food she needs to eat per day.
Kailash was overeating which is more than the requirement. The food eaten by Kailash is junk food that has more fats and is harmful to the body.
Find out
Talk with your grandparents or elderly people and find out what they ate and what work they did when they were your age. Now think about yourself- your daily activities and your daily diet.
Are these similar or different from what your grandparents did and ate?
The food of my grandparents at their young age was simple. They used to eat rice, dal, chapati, fresh vegetables and fresh fruits. They used to walk miles and play games that involve physical activities.
Now in the modern age, we also eat food items like rice, dal and chapati but along with we eat junk food items. We don’t walk much as there are many means of transport. Most of the day we sit on the sofa and watch TV. We play less on the ground.
Page 34
Think and discuss
Do you know any child who does not get enough to eat in the whole day?
Yes.
What are the reasons for this?
They are very poor.
Have you ever seen a godown where a lot of grain has been stored? Where?
Yes, I have seen godown. It is near the market.
Click here for question answers of EVS other lessons of Std 5
Seeds And Seeds
Every Drop Counts
Experiments With Water
A Treat For Mosquitoes
Up You Go
Walls Tells The Stories
Sunita In Spaces
What If It Finishes?
A Shelter So High
When The Earth Shook
Blow Hot, Blow Cold
Who Will Do This Work?
Across The Wall
No Place For Us
A Seed Tells A Farmer’s Story
Whose Forest?
Like Father, Like Daughter to Prevent Them
On the Move Again.
