Class 6 English Poorvi Unit 3 Nurturing Nature Solutions

NCERT's Class 6 English textbook Poorvi places three texts under Unit 3, "Nurturing Nature": the dialogue "Neem Baba", the poem "What a Bird Thought" and the letter "Spices that Heal Us". This article gives a summary, a deep analysis and complete answers to every exercise of the unit, including the "Let us listen" fact sheets and the grammar tasks, based on the NCERT Poorvi Grade 6 textbook (reprint 2026-27). The answers follow the textbook order so that students can match each answer with its question.

Unit 3 Nurturing Nature: overview of the three texts

Unit 3 of Class 6 English Poorvi shows how nature looks after people, through the neem tree, a bird's growing view of the world and the healing spices of the kitchen. Each text uses a different form: a conversation between a girl and a tree, a short poem, and a grandmother's letter.

What is Unit 3 of Class 6 English Poorvi about?

Unit 3, titled Nurturing Nature, is about the ways in which nature supports human life and how people can learn from it. The neem tree, a young bird's discoveries and the healing spices of the kitchen show that nature provides food, medicine and shelter, and deserves care in return.

Students who have completed the earlier units can read the Class 6 English Poorvi Unit 1 solutions for comparison, and all subject solutions for the class are listed on the Class 6 NCERT solutions page of Aapbiti. The original unit can be read on the NCERT website, and the contents and preface of the book are in the Poorvi textbook front pages.

1. Neem Baba: summary and deep analysis

"Neem Baba" is a conversation in which a girl called Amber sits under the neem tree in her courtyard and learns about the tree's history, its many names and its many uses from the tree itself, whom she calls Neem Baba.

Summary

Part I. Amber returns from school, sits in the shade of the neem tree in her courtyard and feels that the tree is whispering. She greets the tree and asks to talk. The tree says that she played in his shade in her childhood and that she may call him Neem Baba. He says that he is very old, that he was born millions of years ago somewhere in North India or Myanmar, and that his family later spread outside India. Neem trees are now found in many Asian and African countries and even in parts of America. The tree explains the story of his name. In India he was given Sanskrit names such as Arishta (the one who cures diseases), Nimba and Nimbaca, and the Iranians gave the name Neem. In Hindi he is called Nimb, and in India he has other names such as Nim, Leemba, Nimori, Nimbamond, Nimbe and Nimo. Scientists call neem the "bitter grace of God", "nature's gift to man" and the "cleanliness-parting tree", and some call it the "magic tree" and the "tree of the twentieth century".

Part II. Amber says that people clean their teeth with neem twigs and protect clothes with its leaves, and asks why her brother was told to lie on neem leaves when he had measles. Neem Baba explains that neem leaves have chemical properties that destroy germs, give comfort from itching and do not allow germs to breed. Leaves, bark, flowers, fruits and even roots can be used to make medicines. Amber adds that her grandmother cured her cough with a medicine made from neem bark and her father's itching eyes with a kajal made from neem flowers. Neem Baba warns that these remedies must be used only by well-trained and experienced people. He then describes the use of neem for farmers: neem seed powder mixed in water and sprayed on plants keeps locusts away, stops mosquitoes from breeding in standing water in rice fields, helps to increase the crop yield and saves crops from termites. In daily life, neem seed powder protects stored grain, neem oil is used in soaps and toothpaste, furniture made of neem wood is not eaten by termites, and the tree purifies the air. He hopes that Amber will discover more qualities when she grows up.

Characters

Deep analysis

1. Personification. The tree speaks, remembers Amber's childhood and blesses her. The textbook itself explains in "Let us learn" that speaking to a tree as to a person is personification. The device makes factual information feel like a friendly talk.
2. The dialogue is a question-and-answer lesson. Amber's questions lead the reader from the tree's origin to its names, its medicinal use, its use in farming and its daily use. The order moves from the general to the practical.
3. Names show cultural history. The tree has Sanskrit, Persian and regional names. The "Let us explore" task adds that people from Persia called it Azad Darakhte Hind, which gave the Latin name Azadirachta indica. A tree with so many names has been known and valued across regions.
4. "We become well known for what we do." Neem Baba says that people know the neem tree because they find it useful. The line gives the text a value lesson: usefulness earns respect.
5. Science and tradition meet. Amber's family remedies come from her grandmother, while Neem Baba explains the reason, which is the chemical property of neem leaves that destroys germs. The two ideas support each other.
6. A safety message. Neem Baba warns that these remedies are to be used only by people who are well trained and experienced. The text therefore encourages respect for traditional knowledge but also care in using it.
7. Eco-friendly farming. Neem seed powder protects crops without any need for stronger chemicals, and Amber calls it a cost-effective method. The text thus links nature, health and farming.
8. The ending looks ahead. The tree says that many qualities are yet to be discovered and asks Amber whether she will discover them. This turns a lesson into a challenge for the young reader.

Theme: the usefulness of trees. Moral: nature gives us health, food and protection, so we should learn about it and protect it.

Word meanings from the margin

2. Neem Baba: solutions

Every exercise of the lesson is answered below in the order of the textbook. Answers marked as sample are open-ended, and students should write their own version.

Let us do these activities before we read (p. 75)

I. Uses of trees (sample). Some parts of trees are used in preparing medicines (given). Trees give us shade on a hot day. Trees give us fruits, wood and paper. Trees give us oxygen and give shelter to birds.

II. What do you know and what do you want to know (sample).

Let us discuss: fact sheet (pp. 77-78)

Let us discuss (p. 80)

1. Neem is useful to farmers in many ways. Neem seed powder mixed in water and sprayed on plants and trees keeps locusts away. In rice fields, where water stands, it stops mosquito breeding and helps to increase the crop yield. It saves the crop from termites that eat the roots, and it stops breeding of other insects that eat crops.
2. Uses of the neem tree: its twigs are used to clean teeth; its leaves protect clothes and are placed on the bed of a measles patient; its leaves, bark, flowers, fruits and roots are used to make medicines; neem seed powder protects stored grain; neem oil is used to make soaps and toothpaste; neem wood furniture is not eaten by termites; and the tree purifies the air.

Let us think and reflect (p. 81)

I. Two surprising facts (sample). (a) The neem tree is millions of years old. (b) A simple powder of neem seeds can stop mosquitoes from breeding in standing water.

II. Complete the sentences

1. Amber played in the shade of the neem tree (Neem Baba).
2. Neem seed powder protects crops from locusts and termites (and other insects that eat crops).
3. Neem seed powder is a cost-effective method to stop mosquitoes from breeding in stagnant water.
4. One reason why doctors advise us to use neem leaves for someone suffering from measles is that neem leaves destroy germs and do not allow them to breed (they also give comfort from itching).

III. The leaves, bark, flowers, fruits and roots of the neem tree are used to make medicines.

IV. The story of the neem tree is thought-provoking, that is, interesting, because one tree has many Sanskrit, Persian and regional names, has lived for millions of years and helps people in so many ways. It makes us think about how much we owe to trees and how many more qualities may still be discovered.

Let us learn (pp. 81-82)

I. Compound words

II. Present and past verbs

III. Personification. Speaking to a non-living thing, a plant or an animal as if it were a person is called personification. In the lesson, Amber speaks to the neem tree, and the tree answers like a person. In the examples "The leaves whispered in the wind" and "The flowers danced merrily in the breeze", leaves and flowers are given human actions. A further example is "The sun smiled at us".

Let us listen (p. 83)

Select the correct statements (transcript on p. 101). Statements 1 and 3 are correct. The mother is surprised that Peepal Baba planted so many trees all over the country as a child, and she keeps asking questions because she wants to know more about him. Statement 2 is wrong, as she says he is doing great work. Statement 5 is wrong, as the boy is not worried about what the teacher said. Statement 4 is not stated directly in the transcript, since the boy only says that we must tell others to do the same, so check with your teacher whether it is accepted.

Let us speak (p. 83)

Leaf card (sample). Collect dry leaves of four trees, such as neem, mango, peepal and banyan. On the top of the card, draw the shape of the leaf and colour it. Inside, write: "Neem: its leaves are used to make medicines."

Speaking about the card (sample). "I collected four dry leaves from the park. I drew the neem leaf on the card and coloured it green. Inside the card, I wrote its name and one use. Can you guess which tree this leaf is from? It is the neem tree, and its leaves help to destroy germs."

Let us write (p. 84)

Paragraph on a tree you like (sample)

The Gulmohar Near My Home. There is a tall gulmohar tree in the park near my house. It has a thick brown trunk and wide branches with small green leaves. In summer, it is full of bright red flowers. I like it because its shade is cool and many birds make their nests in it. I sit under it with my friends in the evening. It is beautiful, and it also gives us fresh air.

Let us explore (p. 84)

The textbook explains that people from Persia, who saw a common tree of their country growing freely in India, called it Azad Darakhte Hind, and that is how the Latin name Azadirachta indica came about.

Neem is also called Vembu in Tamil, Vepa in Telugu, Bevu in Kannada and Limdo in Gujarati. These names are given for extra information, and students should confirm them with their teacher.

3. What a Bird Thought: meaning and deep analysis

"What a Bird Thought" is an anonymous poem of four stanzas in which a bird describes how its idea of the world changes from the egg to the nest to the open sky.

Stanza-wise meaning

Deep analysis

1. A growing world. The bird's world grows from an egg to a nest and then to a tree and the sky. Each stage corrects the earlier one, so the poem shows that learning means seeing more.
2. "Blind" shows limited sight, not a fault. The bird calls itself blind because it could not see beyond the leaves from inside the nest. The word is a lesson that we judge the world by what we have seen so far.
3. Humility at the end. The final stanza says that the bird does not know how the world is made and that its neighbours do not either. The more the bird sees, the more it realises how much it has yet to learn.
4. Comfort in the nest. The word "nestled" tells us that the baby bird felt warm and safe with its mother. The poem treats the nest as a place of love as well as shelter.
5. Form. The poem has four stanzas of four lines. The second and fourth lines of each stanza rhyme (well-shell, other-mother, find-blind, labours-neighbours). The simple rhyme and short lines suit the simple viewpoint of a young bird.
6. Tone. The tone is innocent, gentle and a little humorous. The bird speaks in the first person and sounds sure of itself at every stage, which makes the repeated correction gently funny.
7. A link with Nurturing Nature. The poem shows nature as a school: the egg, the nest and the tree each teach the bird something. This is why the unit places it with Neem Baba and the kitchen spices.

Theme: exploring and learning. Message: our understanding of the world grows when we step out and explore, and we should stay humble about what we do not know.

Word meanings

4. What a Bird Thought: solutions

Let us do these activities before we read (p. 85)

I. Discussion (sample). The picture shows a tree with a nest of chicks and a bird flying near it. When I worked hard for my science project, I collected leaves, pasted them and wrote notes. It helped me to learn about plants, and I felt proud and happy.

II. Where do we see birds? On trees, wires, rooftops, ponds and balconies. They fly, sing, eat grains, build nests and feed their chicks.

III. Do you want to fly like a bird? (sample). Yes, because I could see the whole world from above and could go anywhere freely.

IV. A baby bird thinks that its world is only its shell and its nest, as it has seen nothing else.

V. Replace the underlined words

Let us discuss (p. 87)

I. Main idea of each stanza

II. Pictures and lines

1. Picture 1 (egg): the lines of stanza 1, in which the bird thinks the world is "small and round" and made of a pale blue shell.
2. Picture 2 (nest with chicks): the lines of stanza 2, in which the bird thinks the world is "made of straw".
3. Picture 3 (bird on a branch with leaves): the lines of stanza 3, in which the bird says the world is "made of leaves".
4. Picture 4 (bird flying): the line of stanza 4 that begins "At length I flew beyond the tree".

III. Answer with a word from the poem

1. The shape of the bird's first house: round ( O _ _ ).
2. The second nest was made of: straw ( _ R _ ).
3. What the bird saw when it came out of its nest: leaves (L _ _ _ E _).
4. What the bird did at the end: flew (_ _ _ W).

IV. Recite the poem aloud with your teacher and classmates.

Let us think and reflect (pp. 88-89)

I. True or False

1. The bird changed its house two times: True. It lived first in the shell and then in the nest, and it finally left the nest for the open world.
2. The neighbours tell the bird about the world: False. The bird says that it does not know how the world is made and that its neighbours do not either.

II. 1.

• (i) The bird's mother lived in the nest along with the baby bird.
• (ii) The bird thought the world was made of straw because B. its nest was made of straw.
• (iii) The word that tells us that the baby bird was warm and comfortable is nestled.

II. 2.

• (i) The bird thought the world was made of leaves because when it fluttered out of its nest it saw only leaves around it.
• (ii) 'I said' means C. spoke.
• (iii) The bird felt that it had been very blind because it could not see the leaves from inside the nest.

III. The baby bird lived inside an egg, and the egg's shell is small, round and pale blue. It had seen nothing else, so it thought that its whole world was small, round and blue.

IV. When the bird fluttered from its straw nest, it went out among the leaves of the tree, and it saw only leaves.

V. When it flew away, the bird said that it was fit for grown-up labours, that is, strong enough for grown-up work.

VI. Neighbours (sample). The neighbours were probably other birds living on the same and nearby trees, because they too do not know how the world is made. They share the same limited view as the bird.

Let us learn (pp. 89-90)

I. Rhyming words

New stanza. I fly high and I fly low, But one thing I surely know, Whenever I wish to rest, My little nest is the best.

II. Describing words (six sentences about the birdhouse picture, sample)

1. A small wooden birdhouse is hanging from a branch.
2. The branch is thin, and green leaves grow on it.
3. The roof of the house is pointed.
4. The entrance is a round hole.
5. A brown bird is sitting near the hole.
6. The hanging house looks like a cosy home.

Let us listen (p. 90)

Fill in the missing words (transcript on p. 102). I'm a parrot, my name is Paro, My feathers are bright and they glow. In the morning, I spread my wings, Fly around and see wonderful things. Come with me through the skies so blue, To places old and places new. Among the trees, where the breeze is light, Many new stories, oh, what a sight!

Let us speak (pp. 90-91)

If I were a bird (sample). I am a sparrow. I am brown in colour. I am a small bird, and I have a short beak and light wings. I live in a nest on a tree near a school. It is in the garden. During the day, I look for grains and fly from tree to tree. I also sing in the morning and play with other sparrows. I want to tell the humans to plant more trees and to keep water for birds in summer.

Let us write (p. 91)

I. The bird saw its world as small, round and light blue at first, then warm and comfortable and made of straw, then full of leaves, and in the end big, with the sky and the earth as parts of it.

II. and III. Five sentences each (sample).

A baby: My world is small and warm. It is my mother's lap. I see her smiling face and hear her voice. I feel safe, and I sleep and drink milk all day. As I grow, my world becomes bigger with my home, my toys and my family.

A fish: My world is the water. It is cool and wet. I see plants, stones and other fish. I swim from one side to the other all day long. If I reach the sea, my world will become very big.

Let us explore (pp. 91-92)

I. Home and house (sample answers)

• Materials of a home: bricks, cement, sand, steel, wood, glass, tiles and paint.
• Homes are not made of straw because straw cannot protect us from heavy rain, strong wind and fire, and it does not last long.
• Dream home: a house with a garden, large windows and walls of brick and wood, with solar panels on the roof.
• A house is a building made of materials. A home is a place where a family lives together with love and feels that it belongs.

Workers who build houses

II. Nests of birds. The pictures show a cup-shaped nest with eggs on a branch, hanging woven nests (made by birds such as the weaver bird), a nest in the hollow of a tree trunk (used by birds such as owls) and a nest made by stitching leaves together (made by birds such as the tailorbird). Birds use grass, twigs, leaves, mud and feathers, and each kind of nest suits the bird's size and safety.

5. Spices that Heal Us: summary and deep analysis

"Spices that Heal Us" is a letter from a grandmother (Daadi) to her grandchildren Vikram and Vaibhavi in which she explains how common kitchen spices help with digestion, pain, cough and cold, and other everyday problems.

Summary

Daadi is happy that the natural cures she shared earlier helped Vikram and Vaibhavi recover and asks them to remember these and share them with their friends. She learnt these cures from her own grandmother, who found home remedies for weather-related common illnesses in the kitchen. She then describes the benefits of kitchen spices: haldi (turmeric) improves energy and digestion and reduces body pain; methi (fenugreek) helps her keep her sugar level and body weight in control when the seeds are soaked overnight and the water is drunk in the morning; jeera (cumin) improves digestion and helps with sleeplessness; heeng (asafoetida) water relieved gas in the children's tummies when they were babies and can help control cough and cold; dalchini (cinnamon) and laung (clove) give relief in toothache until a dentist can be consulted; adrak (ginger) helps with cough, cold and pain and has been used in cooking for more than 4000 years; kali mirch (black pepper) helps digestion and body pain; saunf (fennel seeds) and ajwain (carom seeds) are served after meals to help digest food; and elaichi (cardamom) helps with digestion and respiratory troubles and cures bad breath. She ends by asking the children to identify these spices in the kitchen and to consult an elder before using them.

Deep analysis

1. A letter that teaches. The letter format makes information personal. Daadi's affectionate greeting and ending ("My love and aashirwaad") make the lesson warm.
2. Knowledge passes from one generation to the next. Daadi learnt the cures from her grandmother and now teaches her grandchildren, and she asks them to share the knowledge with friends. The letter shows how traditional knowledge survives.
3. The kitchen is a source of health. The text points out that ordinary things, such as the spices used every day, have healing power. This links to the unit title, as nature nurtures us even at home.
4. Caution is part of the lesson. Daadi tells the children to consult an elder before using any spice as a cure. As in Neem Baba's warning, natural cures should be used carefully, and serious illness needs a doctor.
5. Use of local names. The letter uses Hindi names (haldi, methi, jeera, heeng) along with English names. This helps readers connect the language of their home with English.
6. Modal verbs in context. The letter has sentences such as "You may share", "You should try", "It can help", "You must consult" and "I need to soak". These are used in the grammar task in "Let us learn".
7. Link with Unit 3. Neem and spices are both plants that heal. The neem tree and the spice plants show that nature heals us, and the unit asks us to learn about them and care for them.

Theme: healing power of kitchen spices. Message: natural remedies have been passed on for generations, and we should learn them and use them with the guidance of elders.

Spices and their uses from the letter

6. Spices that Heal Us: solutions

Let us do these activities before we read (p. 93)

I. Three spices (sample). 1. Turmeric. 2. Cumin seeds. 3. Black pepper.

II. Names in your language (Hindi).

Students may write the names in their own language.

III. This part asks students to read the letter, so no written answer is needed.

Let us think and reflect (p. 95)

I. 1. Her grandmother found the cures in the kitchen.

I. 2. One example of a weather-related common illness is cough and cold.

I. 3. The speaker had a loving, caring and close relationship with her grandmother, from whom she learnt home remedies.

II. Daadi soaked methi seeds overnight and drank the water in the morning to manage her sugar level and body weight.

III. The spice that is not useful for body pain according to Daadi's letter is 2. Fennel seeds (which she mentions only for digestion). Turmeric, ginger and black pepper are all mentioned for body pain.

IV. Daadi asked Vikram and Vaibhavi to share the natural cures with their friends so that their friends could also benefit from them and the knowledge could be passed on.

V. Daadi's final advice was to go into the kitchen and try to identify the herbs and spices, and to consult an elder before using them.

VI. Daadi learnt the cures from her grandmother and is now teaching them to her grandchildren, and she asks them to share them with friends. This shows that natural cures are passed from one generation to another.

VII. (sample). We should know the healing properties of spices because they are easily available at home, they are natural and cheap, and they help to manage small problems such as cough, toothache or indigestion. We should also remember to consult an elder or a doctor before use.

Let us learn (pp. 96-97)

I. Spice table (sample answers; they may vary with teacher's guidance)

II. 1. Helping verbs (modals) and their functions

II. 2. Dialogue. Ajay: Anand had fever last week. He (i) should take good rest. Suman: Yes, he (ii) must (take rest) or he will fall ill again. Ajay: He (iii) may take grandmother's natural cures. Suman: Yes, we (iv) need to remember how effective they are.

Let us listen (p. 98)

The wonder herb (transcript on p. 102)

Let us speak (pp. 98-99)

Introduce yourself as a spice (sample). "Namaste! My name is clove, or laung in Hindi. I am the flower bud of a tree. I am dark brown in colour and rough to touch, and my taste is spicy. I give relief from toothache until you can see a dentist. I am also used in many dishes."

Spicy headband. Cut strips of paper 2 inches wide, join the two ends to make a band that fits your head, make a small card with a coloured picture of the spice and attach the card to the band. Wear it while you speak.

Let us write (pp. 99-100)

I. Natural cures for cough. The phrases that are not needed are some leaves of basil and for high fever.

1. To prepare this home remedy, you just need ginger and honey. First, take a piece of fresh ginger, grate it and take the juice from it. Take about two teaspoons of this juice and add about two and half teaspoons of honey to it. Mix it properly. Warm the mixture slightly on very low heat for a minute. Then you can have it about three to four times a day to get relief from cough. Have patience to see the effect as natural cures for cough with ginger and honey might take some time.
2. To prepare the second home remedy for cough, take about 10 grams of each: long pepper, dried ginger and basil leaves. Add four to six small cardamoms and grind to get a fine powder. If you take this powder with an equal amount of honey, it will give you relief from cough.

II. Paragraph on Tulsi (sample). Tulsi is a shrub in the basil family. It was first found in north central India and now grows everywhere in the country. It is known as the Queen of herbs. It helps to decrease glucose and cholesterol levels and is used to treat disorders of breathing and digestion. It is also used to make mouth wash and toothpaste. We can eat its leaves raw or add them to tea. Tulsi is truly a wonder herb.

Let us explore (p. 100)

I. Riddles

1. When your tummy felt funny, I was used by your granny: asafoetida (heeng). The letter says that Daadi put heeng water on the children's tummies for relief.
2. I come from under the ground, thousands of years I've been around: ginger (adrak). It grows under the ground, has been used in cooking for more than 4000 years and helps in cough and cold.

II. Complete the riddle. Brownish-yellow in colour, and bitter to taste, I help everyone, to control their weight. Who am I? Ans: Fenugreek (methi).

Your own riddle (sample). I am golden yellow and I grow under the ground. I colour your curry and ease your pain. I also help your digestion. Who am I? Ans: Turmeric (haldi).

III. Close your eyes and learn about spices by smelling and feeling them when your teacher provides them.

7. Comparing the three texts and preparing for exams

All three texts of Unit 3 show nature as a teacher and a healer: the neem tree teaches Amber, the nest and tree teach the bird, and the kitchen spices teach Vikram and Vaibhavi. This pattern gives a ready answer for most comparison questions.

Likely exam questions with model answers

1. How is neem useful to farmers? Neem seed powder mixed in water keeps locusts away, stops mosquitoes from breeding in rice fields, saves crops from termites and increases the crop yield.
2. Why were neem leaves put on the bed of a child with measles? Neem leaves have chemical properties that destroy germs, do not allow germs to breed and give comfort from itching.
3. What does the name Arishta mean? Arishta is a Sanskrit name for neem, meaning the one who cures diseases.
4. Why did the baby bird call itself blind? It saw only leaves when it left the nest, so it thought that the world was made of leaves and realised that it could not see more.
5. What does the poem teach us? The poem teaches that our knowledge of the world grows when we explore, and that we should accept that we do not know everything.
6. Why did Daadi ask the children to consult an elder? Natural cures must be used correctly, and an elder has experience and can guide them.
7. Which spices help digestion according to the letter? Turmeric, cumin, fennel seeds, carom seeds, black pepper and cardamom help digestion.
8. Short notes: personification (giving human qualities to a non-living thing or a plant), compound words (open, closed and hyphenated), and modal verbs such as may, should, can, must, need to and used to.

Study tips

1. Read each text once for the story or poem and once for the analysis.
2. Learn the word meanings and use each word in a sentence of your own.
3. Write the open-ended answers (Let us speak, Let us write) in your own words, as the samples only show the format.
4. Practise the grammar exercises (compound words, verbs, modals) again without looking at the answers.

Frequently asked questions

Who wrote "Neem Baba"?

The textbook credits the lesson as adapted from Neem Baba by S. I. Farooqi.

What is personification in Class 6 English Poorvi Unit 3?

Personification is a figure of speech in which a non-living thing, a plant or an animal is spoken of as a person. In Neem Baba, Amber talks to the neem tree and the tree answers her.

Which spice is not useful for body pain according to Daadi's letter?

According to the letter in "Spices that Heal Us", fennel seeds are mentioned only for digestion, so they are the spice not useful for body pain among the four options in the exercise.