How Things are Made Class 4 The World Around Us Chapter 8 CBSE Notes 2025-26

Everything around us is made from different materials and often goes through several steps before reaching us. In this chapter, we learn how everyday things like paper are made, used, and recycled. The story of Pihu and her mother helps us understand the journey of paper, starting from trees in the forest to books and gifts we use at home and school.

How Paper Is Made

Paper comes mainly from trees. Trees are cut and turned into wood pulp, and then processed into paper. Many things you use, like notebooks, newspapers, and napkins, are made from paper that was once a part of a tree. In some cases, recycled paper is also used to make new paper items. Recycling paper saves trees and reduces waste.

Making Recycled Paper at Home

You can recycle paper at home using old newspapers, water, and fenugreek seeds (as a binder). The process involves tearing paper into pieces, soaking it in water with the seeds, blending or mashing it into a pulp, then rolling the paste into sheets and letting them dry. The dried sheets become recycled paper, which may feel rougher but is useful for crafts and creativity.

1. Collect old newspapers, fenugreek seeds, and water.
2. Soak torn newspaper pieces and seeds overnight.
3. Mash or blend into a thick pulp.
4. Spread the pulp and roll into thin sheets.
5. Dry to finish your recycled paper.

Adding Colour with Natural Dyes

Recycled paper can be coloured using natural ingredients such as turmeric, spinach, beetroot, and henna. These dyes are safe, eco-friendly, and add unique shades. Children can experiment with natural colours, compare results, and write observations about the colours and brightness.

Creating and Gifting with Paper

Paper is useful in art and craft. Colouring, designing, and painting on recycled paper is fun, as natural and artificial dyes can be used. Students can make greeting cards, masks, and many creative items as gifts using the paper they make themselves. Making your own crafts teaches the value of reusing and gives special meaning to your gifts.

How Paper Is Produced from Wood

Most paper used in books is made from wood pulp in big factories called paper mills. The process is similar to home recycling but on a much larger scale. Unfortunately, many trees are cut down, and manufacturing requires lots of water and energy. This is why it’s important not to waste paper and use it carefully.

Thinking About Paper Use and Waste

• We often waste paper in school and at home by using only one side of a sheet or throwing away unused pages.
• Reducing paper waste saves trees, water, and energy.
• We can avoid waste by reusing, recycling, and using paper only when we need it.

Types of Paper and Their Everyday Uses

There are many different types of paper in our daily life. Each type has a special use:

• Writing paper: For notebooks and letter writing.
• Newspaper: For printing daily news.
• Art paper: For drawing and painting activities.
• Cardboard: Strong and thick, used for making boxes and packaging.
• Tissue paper: Thin and soft, useful for cleaning and wiping.

Fun Fact: Braille Paper

The Braille system is a special way for visually challenged people to read and write. They use their fingers to feel raised dots (bumps) on thick Braille paper. Each pattern represents a letter, number, or sign.

Looking Back: Writing Before Paper

• In ancient times, people used cloth, leaves, and wooden boards to write.
• Palm leaves (talapatra) were used in India as paper was not common earlier.
• Nowadays, banana fibre is used to make eco-friendly paper.

The 5Rs of Waste Management

We can protect the environment by following the 5Rs plan to reduce waste:

1. Refuse: Say “no” to things that create waste (for example, don’t use single-use paper cups).
2. Reduce: Use items carefully and only as much as you really need, such as writing on both sides of paper.
3. Reuse: Use things again, such as gift bags and empty jars.
4. Repurpose: Find a new use for old things, such as making toys or decorations from old newspapers or bottles.
5. Recycle: Turn old or used items into something new, like recycling paper or making envelopes from old newspapers.

Here is a table showing different situations and which of the 5Rs they match:

Get Creative with Paper

Used paper can make many things like toys, decorations, and even simple storage boxes. Activities using paper pulp and old newspapers teach children that “waste” can become something useful and beautiful. By discussing ideas for the 5Rs, students learn simple steps to make responsible choices and care for their surroundings.

CBSE Class 4 The World Around Us Chapter 8 Notes – How Things are Made

Explore CBSE Class 4 EVS Chapter 8 notes for “The World Around Us: How Things are Made”. These easy revision notes highlight essential steps in making and recycling paper, helping students understand the process in a simple way.

Use these concise summary points to quickly revise important facts about materials, the journey of paper, and the 5Rs of waste management. With clear examples and relevant tables, these notes support strong exam preparation for Grade 4 Science and EVS chapters.