Anita and the Honeybees Class 4 EVS Chapter 5 CBSE Notes - 2025-26
FAQs on Anita and the Honeybees Class 4 EVS Chapter 5 CBSE Notes - 2025-26
1. What is a quick summary of the chapter 'Anita and the Honeybees'?
This chapter tells the inspiring story of Anita Kushwaha, a girl from Bochaha village in Bihar, who dreams of getting an education. Despite her parents' initial reluctance, she starts attending school and later pays for her higher education by teaching younger children. She then takes a government course on beekeeping, starts her own business of rearing honeybees, and eventually becomes a wholesaler, showing how education and determination can lead to independence.
2. What key lessons does Anita's story teach students in Chapter 5?
Anita's story teaches several important lessons. The primary lesson is the importance of education for everyone, as highlighted by the Right to Education (RTE) Act which provides free education up to Class 8. It also teaches the values of determination, hard work, and becoming self-reliant. Anita’s journey shows that with courage, one can overcome challenges and achieve their dreams.
3. Why was it difficult for Anita to go to school, and how did she overcome this challenge?
It was difficult for Anita to go to school because her parents did not believe in sending girls to study. She overcame this challenge with the help of a teacher from her village school. The teacher explained to her parents the importance of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, which states that education is free and compulsory for children up to the age of 14. This convinced her parents to let her attend school.
4. What is beekeeping, and what key things did Anita learn about it?
Beekeeping, also known as apiculture, is the practice of raising and caring for honeybees to collect honey and other products. From her government course, Anita learned that the best time to start beekeeping is from October to December, as this is when the queen bees lay their eggs. She also learned that litchi trees, which bloom in February, are excellent for collecting nectar.
5. How do the different types of honeybees in a colony work together?
A honeybee colony functions because each type of bee has a specific role. This teamwork ensures the survival of the hive:
The queen bee is the only bee that lays eggs, ensuring the colony's population grows.
The worker bees are the most active; they build the hive, protect it, care for the young, and fly out to collect nectar from flowers to make honey.
The male bees, or drones, have a very limited role and do not collect nectar or help with hive maintenance.
6. What equipment did Anita need to start her beekeeping business?
To start her beekeeping business, Anita first needed the knowledge from the training course. After completing her course, she saved money to buy the essential equipment. She started with two wooden boxes for keeping bees, and she also had to purchase sugar to make the syrup (chasni) to feed the honeybees, especially when there are not enough flowers.
7. Besides making honey, what other important role do honeybees play in the environment as suggested in the chapter?
Besides producing honey, honeybees play a crucial role in pollination. As they travel from flower to flower to collect nectar, they transfer pollen, which helps plants, including food crops and litchi trees mentioned in the chapter, to reproduce and bear fruit. This makes bees vital for a healthy environment and agriculture.
8. What is the main job of worker bees inside a beehive?
The main job of worker bees is to keep the colony running. They are responsible for collecting nectar from flowers and converting it into honey. They also build and maintain the honeycomb, clean the hive, feed the queen bee and the larvae (baby bees), and defend the hive from any threats. Most bees in a hive are worker bees.
9. How does Anita's journey connect the ideas of education and entrepreneurship?
Anita's journey beautifully connects education and entrepreneurship. Her initial education gave her the confidence and basic skills to earn money by teaching. This money enabled her to pursue further, specialised training in beekeeping. By applying her new knowledge, she started her own business, becoming an entrepreneur. Her story shows that education is the first step that opens doors to practical skills and financial independence.
