CBSE Class 8 Annual Assessment

Chapter 4: Environment

Summary

Unit 4 of Poorvi focuses on nature, growth and our relationship with the environment. Its main prose reading is “The Cherry Tree” by Ruskin Bond. Six-year-old Rakesh, who lives with his grandfather on the outskirts of Mussoorie in the Himalayan foothills, plants a cherry seed after eating cherries from the bazaar. The soil is stony and the cold winds harsh, so the tiny sapling struggles. Over the years it is nibbled by a goat, cut by a grass-cutter’s scythe and battered by storms, yet it survives. With patient care and the passing seasons, the small seed slowly grows into a strong, beautiful cherry tree that bursts into pink blossom. Watching it, Rakesh feels the quiet wonder of having helped create something living and lasting. The story gently teaches patience, hope, perseverance and respect for nature. The unit is enriched with poetry and related readings, including Sarojini Naidu’s “Harvest Hymn”, in which farmers thank Surya, the sun, and the rain god for a good harvest, and “Waiting for the Rain”, about a farmer named Velu longing for rain for his crops. Together these texts connect human life with trees, sunlight, water and the cycles of the seasons, encouraging students to value and protect the natural world.

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