Kids Learning Social Science

3rd Standard Social Science Term - I

  I. Panchayat  

Dandora Announcement!

"A special Gram Sabha meeting will be held on Independence day.  All the villagers are requested to participate".

 After hearing the announcement, Iniyan rushed towards his home.  

Iniyan : Dad... what did the dandora announcer say?

Dad : He announced that a special Gram Sabha meeting would be held on Independence Day.

Iniyan : What is Gram Sabha meeting? What will they do in the meeting?

Dad : People of our village assemble together and discuss the roles of the Panchayat board.

Iniyan : Oh, I see! What is meant by Panchayat board Dad?

Dad : I'm so glad about your questioning.  Let me tell you about the Panchayat.  Our country is a vast country.  It has towns and villages.  Therefore many Panchayat must exist.  Village Panchayat is the root of Panchayat System.  It provides the basic facilities to the village people.  The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act came into force in April 1993.  The salient feature of 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act is the three tier system of Panchayat Raj.  Panchayat have been setup in every village with 500 people and above.

Iniyan : Dad... Who are all there in a Village Panchayat?

Dad : There is a President (head of the Panchayat) and a Vice President along with ward members (6-15).

Iniyan : How do the Panchayat members are selected?

Dad : Village people select the President and members through the election.  The tenure of the members of Panchayat is five years.  The Vice President is elected by the ward members.

Kudavolai is a traditional method of election

Village people gathered and wrote the names of preferred candidates in palm leaves and kept them in a mud pot called Kudam.  A child was called to pick up palm leaves one by one.  The persons, whose names in palm leaves were declared elected.

Iniyan : Dad... What are the duties of these members?

Dad : Their duty is to provide basic needs of the villagers. 

The obligatory functions of the Panchayat are :

1. Providing electricity and maintaining the street lights.

2. Drilling and maintaining of village wells.

3. Providing drinking water.

4. Constructing of roads and maintaining them.

5. Setting up sewage channels.

6. Constructing small bridges.

7. Repairing Primary School buildings.

8. Providing sanitation facilities.

Iniyan : Oh! They are doing so many works.  But, to do the works, they need a lot of money.  What will they do for the money? 

Dad : Our Central and State Government provide money to the Panchayat.  We pay taxes to Panchayat.  Panchayat use this money for the development of the village.

Collecting tax is an obligatory function of Panchayat.

They do some discretionary functions too... Such as,

1. Planting trees in either sides of the roads.

2. Setting up and maintenance of public markets.

3. Setting up of gardens. 

4. Establishing passenger lodgings.

5. Setting up and maintenance of play grounds.

6. Constructing library.

7. Establishing centres for informal and adult education.

8. Organising festivals in the village.

9. Maintaining the cleanliness of the village.

Awards are given to the best performing Panchayats

  An Admiring village  

850 houses were built at free of cost for the people of Odanthurai Panchayat in Coimbatore.  Their Panchayat attained the level of self-sufficiency to provide basic facilities.  This village got the following awards:

1. Nirmal Purashkar Award

2. Bharat Ratna Rajiv Gandhi Environment Award.

Iniyan : Dad... Will you go to the Gram Sabha meeting which will be held tomorrow?

Dad : Sure, I will go.  It is important to participate in the Gram sabha meeting to discuss the village developmental plans and to take remedial measures.

Duties of Gram Sabha

1. Planning and executing village developmental programmes.

2. Verifying income and expenditure of village funds.

3. Planning to rectify the grievances of the people.

  Town Panchayat  

Town Panchayat as same as village Panchayat.  Here the population ranges between 5000 to 30,000.  The members of the Town Panchayat are elected in the same way as village Panchayat.  Their tenure is five years.  They fulfill the basic requirements of the people of the town.

  Recap  

• Village Panchayat provides the basic facilities for the village people.
• Panchayat Raj is the three tier system.
• Collecting tax is an obligatory function of Panchayat.
• Gram Sabha meeting must be held at least four times a year.
• The members of the town Panchayat are elected in the same way as village Panchayat.

II. Safety

  Our life is very precious and important.  Accidents may occur at home, school, on the road and at other places.  We have to be cautious to protect ourselves from dangers.  We can be safe by knowing the safety measures and following them.  

  Reasons for the danger or accident  

In our lives, there are accidents caused by fire, water, electricity, vehicles, toxic organisms, sharp weapons and glassware, pesticides and so on.

  Fire Safety  

'Fire is the man's marvelous creation'

★ Fire can create and destroy the things.

★ Fire is used in many ways in our everyday life.  We should handle it carefully.

  Reasons for fire accidents  

Fire accidents can occur in the following ways :

How does the forest fire occur?

Precautions to avoid fire accidents :

1. We should handle the highly inflammable things carefully.
2. The person who cooks can wear cotton clothes.  Some types of clothes can easily catch fire.
3. We should close the cylinder valve after cooking.  If we detect leakage in gas cylinders we will open the doors and windows to ventilate our house.
4. Don't play with fire.
5. We should be cautious and careful while firing crackers and elders should be with us when we fire crackers.

  What to do during a fire accident?  

1. Use fire extinguisher.

2. Execute fire warning system in buildings.

3. Cover your mouth and nose with wet cloth when the smoke spreads.

4. Use a sack to put off the fire when it spreads over the body of someone.  Bring the person to any airy place.

When your clothes get fire,

★ Your shouldn't run.

★ If you run, the fire will spread rapidly.

★ Drop down and roll on the ground.

  What should not do?   

If there is a burn in our skin,

★ Your shouldn't apply pen ink or coffee powder on it.  (If you apply, it will infect the burn)

★ Don't prick it with sharp things like needles.  (If you prick it, it will infect the burn)

  Water Safety  

Water is the elixir of life

Water is very important in our daily life.

If we violate the safety rules while bathing in lake, river, waterfalls and sea, accidents will occur.

Precautions :

1. We should not go alone to bath in water bodies.

2. Do not step into the stagnant pond.

3. Do not go beyond the danger zone.

4. Do not peep into the well.  It may be deep and dangerous.

5. We have to wear life jacket when we travel in water.

  Electrical Safety  

Electricity has become a necessity for our lives.  Times have changed these days that things don't function without electricity.  It is used in houses, factories and other work places.   Accidents occur when we use it carelessly.

Precautions :

1. Do not touch switches, plugs or electrical wires with wet hand.

2. Do not touch the iron box and other electrical appliances when they are switched on.

3. Do not play near electrical towers or transformers.

4. Do not climb on electrical posts.

5. Do not insert stick or any other objects into the switch boxes.

6. Do not go near the wires or electrical posts during rains.

  Read Safety  

We must be very careful while travelling on any road.  The number of vehicles going on the road is increasing.  Most of the accidents are caused by carelessness.

  Traffic signals for vehicles  

To avoid accidents

🌑 Follow traffic rules.

🌑 We must obey the traffic signals.

🌑 Do not rush on the road.

🌑 We should wear seat belt when we travel in a car.

🌑 We should wear helmet while riding a two wheeler.

On the road

🌑 Always walk on the pavement.

🌑 Do not play on the road.

🌑 We should look at the colours of the signal while crossing the road.

  Traffic signs for the pedestrians  

  Zebra Crossing  

Pedestrians should cross the road only at the zebra crossing. 

The black and white lines of zebra crossing resembles the skin of a zebra.

  Traffic Park  

We can learn road rules in the Traffic Park.  One of the intentions of this park is to improve awareness of traffic safety among school children.  There we can learn traffic rules easily.

There is a Traffic park near Anna Square in Chennai.

  Be safe from Toxic Organisms  

Pesticides are used to kill insects in our home.  We shouldn't touch these Pesticides.  They are very dangerous.

Dangers caused by toxic organisms

Symptoms :

🌑 Causes skin redness and itching.

🌑 Causes inflammation of skin.  (Inflammation occurs in places like eye lid, Ears and lips.)

🌑 Causes headache, vomiting and giddiness.

We can give first did and then go to the hospital.

Precautions :

🌑 Do not go near bushes.  

🌑 Keep the house and surroundings clean.

  Glasswares and Sharp weapons  

🌑 Handle the glasswares and sharp weapons carefully.

🌑 They may cause injuries.