Neem Baba: NCERT Class 6 English Lesson (Poorvi)

etmantra3 Nov 20266 min read

What if the tree in your courtyard could talk back? In this lesson, Amber chats with an old neem tree and finds out where it came from, how it got its many names and why people call it a gift of nature. Children learn real facts about a tree they see every day, and begin to look at trees around them with new eyes.

Open now: the CALP Class 6 English course (Poorvi)
Every chapter of Poorvi, NCERT’s new Class 6 book, with notes in English and Hindi, say-it-aloud practice with a score, listening, grammar, speaking and writing with feedback. ₹1,599 for the whole year, and “Start here” and the first chapter’s notes are free to try.
See the free lessons and enrol →

From NCERT’s new English book Poorvi for Class 6, unit “Nurturing Nature”. Unit 3.

What your child learns

Facts about the neem tree: its history, names and uses
Compound words: open (seed powder), closed (childhood) and hyphenated (thought-provoking)
Verbs in the present and past: find–found, tell–told, discover–discovered
Personification: talking about a tree or the wind as if it were a person

What the lesson is about

Amber comes home from school and sits in the shade of the neem tree in her courtyard. She feels the tree is whispering, so she greets it, and the tree asks her to call it Neem Baba. Neem Baba tells her that it is very old, that it began in North India or Myanmar, and that its family now grows in many Asian and African countries and parts of America. It explains its Sanskrit names, such as Arishta, its many Indian names, and that the name 'Neem' came from the Iranians.

Amber then asks about neem's uses. Neem Baba explains that its leaves stop germs from growing, which is why they help a child with measles, and that its leaves, bark, flowers, fruits and roots are used in medicines, but only by trained people. Neem seed powder protects crops from locusts and termites and stops mosquitoes breeding in standing water. Neem oil goes into soap and toothpaste, neem wood is safe from termites, and the tree cleans the air. The lesson is a conversation, adapted from a work by S. I. Farooqi, and it ends with Neem Baba hoping Amber will discover more about it when she grows up.

New words, with Hindi meanings

shade: a cool, dark place out of the sun, under a tree (हिंदी: छाया)
twigs: small thin branches (हिंदी: टहनियाँ)
measles: an illness with fever and red spots on the skin (हिंदी: खसरा)
germs: very tiny living things that can make us ill (हिंदी: कीटाणु)
breed: to grow in number; to make young ones (हिंदी: पनपना)
remedies: things used to cure an illness (हिंदी: इलाज, नुस्खे)
locusts: flying insects that eat and damage crops (हिंदी: टिड्डियाँ)
termites: small insects that eat wood and damage buildings (हिंदी: दीमक)
stagnant: not flowing; standing still (for water) (हिंदी: ठहरा हुआ)
purifies: makes clean by removing harmful things (हिंदी: शुद्ध करता है)

Talk about it

Ask these aloud after reading or watching. Let your child answer in English if they can, or mix in their home language. Both help.

Where did Amber sit when she came home from school, and what did she feel?
Where was the neem tree born, and where is its family found today?
Why did the doctor ask Amber's family to put neem leaves on her brother's bed?
How does neem help farmers?
Is there a tree near your home or school? How is it useful to you?

Answers for parents

She sat in the shade of the neem tree in her courtyard. She felt that the tree was whispering to her.
It was born millions of years ago somewhere in North India or Myanmar. Its family is found in many Asian and African countries and even in some parts of America.
Her brother had measles. Neem leaves destroy germs, give comfort from the itching and do not let germs breed.
Neem seed powder mixed in water and sprayed on plants keeps locusts away. In rice fields it stops mosquitoes and other insects from breeding, saves crops from termites and helps increase the crop.
For example: There is a big peepal tree near my school. We sit in its shade at lunch time, and birds live in its branches.

Grammar corner: Compound words: open, closed and hyphenated

A compound word is made by joining two words to make one new word. Some are written with a space (open: 'school bag'), some are joined with no space (closed: 'sunlight'), and some have a hyphen between them (hyphenated: 'well-known' when it comes before a noun). The lesson has all three kinds.

My grandfather planted a neem tree in our backyard.
We buy neem soap from the market near the bus stop.
Planting trees is an eco-friendly habit.

Practice at home

Join the two words to make a compound word and say if it is open, closed or hyphenated: sun + light, tooth + paste, cost + effective.
Fill in the blank with the past form: Amber ___ (find) many facts about the neem tree.
Make the tree speak: write one sentence where a tree or the wind acts like a person.

Answers: 1. sunlight (closed), toothpaste (closed), cost-effective (hyphenated) · 2. found · 3. Sample answer: The old mango tree smiled at the children playing below.

Try this

Go on a short tree walk around your home, colony or school. Pick up one fallen leaf from three different trees. For each leaf, say the tree's name in Hindi and in English, and one way that tree helps us: shade, fruit, medicine, wood or a home for birds. Then play 'Talking Tree': one person becomes a tree and introduces itself, 'Namaste, I am Mango Dada. I give you sweet fruit.' The others ask the tree questions.

Tip for parents

Ask your child in Hindi first: 'नीम के पेड़ से हमें क्या-क्या मिलता है?' Let them answer in Hindi, then help them say each use in English, like 'Neem twigs clean our teeth.' If your family uses neem at home, for datun or in stored grains, show it and let your child explain it in English, mixing Hindi words when needed, and praise every try.

Questions parents ask

What is the chapter Neem Baba about?

It is a conversation between a girl named Amber and the neem tree in her courtyard, whom she calls Neem Baba. The tree tells her about its long history, its many names and its uses in medicine, farming and daily life.

Which book and unit is Neem Baba in?

Neem Baba is in NCERT's new English book Poorvi for Class 6, in Unit 3, Nurturing Nature. It is adapted from Neem Baba by S. I. Farooqi.

What are the uses of neem given in Neem Baba?

Neem twigs clean teeth, leaves protect clothes and fight germs, and its leaves, bark, flowers, fruits and roots are used in medicines. Neem seed powder protects crops and stored grains from insects, neem oil is used in soaps and toothpaste, neem wood is safe from termites, and the tree purifies the air.

Learn every Class 6 chapter with CALP

Every chapter of Poorvi, NCERT’s new Class 6 book, with notes in English and Hindi, say-it-aloud practice with a score, listening, grammar, speaking and writing with feedback. ₹1,599 for the whole year.

See the free lessons and enrol →