Why?: NCERT Class 4 English Poem (Marigold Unit 4)

etmantra20 Jul 20209 min read

Every child goes through a stage of asking 'why?' about everything. This poem celebrates that curiosity. It is a wonderful starting point for talking about science, nature and the questions children love to ask.

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From the NCERT English book Marigold for Class 4, unit 4. NCERT’s newer Class 4 book is Santoor, but many schools still teach Marigold.

Watch: Why?

Play the video three or four times. The first time, just listen. Then point at the pictures, and from the third time, say the lines along with the video. Short, repeated listening is how CALP builds a child’s English.

What your child learns

Asking 'Why' questions and answering with 'because'
Nature words: clouds, wind, sun, hills
Opposites: float and sink
Being curious and wondering about the world

What the poem is about

The poem is about a curious little boy who is always asking why. He asks why wood floats on water while lead and marbles sink. He wants to know why the sun shines, why the wind blows and why we eat and drink.

He also wonders what makes the clouds, why they move across the sky, why the sun goes down behind the hills and why flowers die. The poem ends by saying that some of these questions are not too hard to answer if you try. But some are questions no one has ever found the reason for. The message is that asking questions is a good thing, and there is always more to learn.

New words, with Hindi meanings

curious: wanting to know or learn about things (हिंदी: जिज्ञासु)
swim: here, to float on water (हिंदी: तैरना)
lead: a heavy grey metal (हिंदी: सीसा)
marble: a small glass ball used in games (हिंदी: कंचा)
sink: go down under water (हिंदी: डूबना)
shine: give out bright light (हिंदी: चमकना)
cross: move from one side to the other (हिंदी: पार करना)
reason: why something happens (हिंदी: कारण)

Sing and dance

Once your child knows the poem, sing it together with actions. Children who can’t sing yet can still do the moves.

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.

What kind of boy is the poem about?
Name three things the boy wants to know about.
What does the poem say about the answers to his questions?
What is one 'why' question you would like to ask?

Answers for parents

A curious little boy who is always asking why.
Any three: why wood floats, why lead and marbles sink, why the sun shines, why the wind blows, why we eat and drink, what makes the clouds, why flowers die.
Some are not too hard to answer if you try, but for others no one has yet found the reason.
For example: Why does the moon change its shape?

Grammar corner: Asking with 'Why' and answering with 'because'

We ask 'Why' when we want to know the reason for something. The answer often starts with 'because'. The boy in the poem asks 'why' again and again.

Why does the boy ask so many questions? Because he is curious.
Why do we eat? Because food gives us strength.
Why did the marble sink? Because it is heavy for its size.

Practice at home

Fill in the blank: Wood floats, but a marble ___.
Choose the right word: The (curious / sleepy) boy asks why all day.
Ask a 'Why' question about the sky and give a 'because' answer.

Answers: 1. sinks · 2. curious · 3. Sample: Why is the sky dark at night? Because the sun has gone down.

Try this

Try a simple float-or-sink test at home with a bowl of water, a small piece of wood, a coin and a spoon. Before each one, ask your child to guess. Then let them write down three 'why' questions of their own and talk about which ones are easy to answer.

Tip for parents

Let your child ask their 'why' questions in Hindi first, "सूरज क्यों डूबता है?", and enjoy them together. Then help turn one into English: "Why does the sun go down?" Even if you don't know the answer, say so happily; that is just what the poem says.

Questions parents ask

What is the poem Why? about?

It is about a curious little boy who always asks why: about floating and sinking, the sun, the wind, clouds and flowers.

What is the message of the poem Why?

Asking questions is good. Some questions are easy to answer if you try, and some have no answer yet, so there is always more to learn.

Which NCERT book has the poem Why?

It is Unit 4 of NCERT's older Marigold book for Class 4. The newer NCERT English books are Mridang for Class 1–2 and Santoor for Class 3–5.

Learn every Class 4 chapter with CALP

Every chapter of Santoor, NCERT’s new book, with notes in English and Hindi, say-it-aloud practice with a score, grammar, speaking and writing practice. ₹1,299 for the whole year.

See the free lessons and enrol →