There is a paragraph in class V EVS textbook based on Al-Biruni’s observation of construction of ponds in India some thousand years ago. What would be the purpose of including this paragraph ?

a. It helps learners to identify sources of history.

b. It helps learners to improve their recording of observations.

c. It helps learners to appreciate technology present in India some 1000 years back.

d. It helps learners to appreciate the role of evidence in history.

The correct answer is a, c, d.

Including historical accounts, such as Al-Biruni’s observation of pond construction in India from a thousand years ago, serves multiple key educational objectives in Environmental Studies (EVS):

1. Identifying Sources of History (Statement a): It introduces young learners to historical literature and travelogues as primary/secondary sources of information about how people lived, constructed infrastructure, and interacted with their environment in the past.

2. Appreciating Traditional Technology and Engineering (Statement c): Al-Biruni detailed the sophisticated rainwater harvesting structures (such as stepwells/baolis and ponds) built by Indian craftspeople. Reading about these innovations helps students appreciate the advanced techniques and environmental knowledge that existed in ancient India.

3. Understanding the Role of Evidence in History (Statement d): It demonstrates to students how historical conclusions and knowledge are constructed based on concrete evidence—in this case, written observations left behind by travelers.

Statement b ("It helps learners to improve their recording of observations") is not a primary objective here, as reading someone else's historical text does not directly train students in conducting and recording their own real-time scientific observations.

Therefore, statements a, c, and d accurately state the purposes of incorporating Al-Biruni's observations into the textbook.