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Means of transport and communication

Sort transport into land, water and air, learn how Indian railways and roads connect the country, and see how messages travel from letters to the internet.

Get the whole book: General knowledge for classes 3 to 5 (7 lessons, free to print)

Let us begin

The big idea

How do you get to school? How does a mango from Maharashtra reach a shop in Delhi? How does a message reach your cousin in another city in a second? In this lesson you will learn about the means of transport and communication.

Transport means carrying people and goods from one place to another. Land transport includes walking, bicycles, bullock carts, scooters, cars, buses, trucks and trains. Water transport includes boats, ferries and ships. Air transport includes aeroplanes and helicopters, the fastest of all.

Long ago people walked or used animals such as bullocks, horses and camels. The invention of the wheel made carts possible. Later came the steam engine, the motor car and the aeroplane. The first passenger train in India ran in 1853 from Bombay (now Mumbai) to Thane, a distance of about 34 kilometres.

Indian Railways is one of the largest railway networks in the world and carries millions of people every day. Many big cities now have metro trains. National highways join the big cities by road. Ships carry heavy goods such as oil and grain across the sea from ports like Mumbai, Chennai and Kochi.

Communication means sending and receiving messages. Old ways were letters, telegrams and drums. Today we use the telephone, mobile phones, radio, television, newspapers, e-mail and the internet. A letter needs the correct address and a six-digit PIN code, which tells the post office which area it should go to.

Choose transport wisely. Walking and cycling cost nothing and keep the air clean. Buses and trains carry many people at once, so they cause less pollution per person than cars. Always wear a helmet on a two-wheeler and a seat belt in a car.

Means of transport: land, water and airThree rows. The top row, labelled air, shows a simple aeroplane shape. The middle row, labelled land, shows a bus with wheels and a bicycle. The bottom row, labelled water, shows a boat on waves. Each row lists examples beside it.Means of transport Air aeroplane, helicopter fastest, most costly Land bus, train, car, cycle bullock cart, metro carries most people Water boat, ferry, ship carries heavy goods slow but cheap
Transport on land, on water and in the air.

Worked examples

See how it works

  1. Land, water or air?

    Sort these: bus, ship, helicopter, bullock cart, ferry, metro train, aeroplane. Land: bus, bullock cart, metro train. Water: ship, ferry. Air: helicopter, aeroplane.

  2. Choosing the right transport

    A family in Kolkata wants to visit Mumbai, about 2,000 kilometres away. A train takes about a day and a half; a plane takes under three hours but costs more. For a short trip to the market two kilometres away, a cycle or a walk is best.

  3. Posting a letter

    Write the name, house number, street, city and state, and end with the six-digit PIN code. Stick a stamp and drop it in a red post box. The post office sorts it by the PIN code and a postal worker delivers it to the door.

Try it at home

Transport survey from your window

You will need

  • Paper and a pencil
  • A clock or watch
  • A window or balcony facing a road

What to do

  1. Make a table with these headings: walking, cycle, two-wheeler, car, auto, bus, truck.
  2. For fifteen minutes, make a tally mark each time you see one go by.
  3. Count the totals. Which was most common? Which carried the most people?
  4. Then write a letter to a family member, with the full address and PIN code, and ask an adult to help you post it.

Ask a grown-up: Stay inside the balcony railing, and go to the post box only with an adult.

Practice sheet

Check what you learned

Write your answers in a notebook, or print this sheet and write on it. When you finish, mark your work with the answer key.

Practice sheet: Means of transport and communication (Classes 3-5, General knowledge)

  1. What is transport?
  2. Name three means of land transport.
  3. Name two means of water transport.
  4. Which means of transport is the fastest?
  5. Between which two places did the first passenger train in India run, and in which year?
  6. What is communication?
  7. Name three modern means of communication.
  8. How many digits does a PIN code have, and what is it for?
  9. Why do buses and trains cause less pollution per person than cars?
  10. What should you wear on a two-wheeler?

Answer key

Answers: Means of transport and communication

Do the practice sheet first, then check here. If an answer is different from yours, read the lesson again and try once more.

  1. Carrying people and goods from one place to another.
  2. Any three: bicycle, bullock cart, car, bus, truck, train, scooter.
  3. Any two: boat, ferry, ship.
  4. Air transport (aeroplanes).
  5. From Bombay (Mumbai) to Thane, in 1853.
  6. Sending and receiving messages.
  7. Any three: telephone, mobile phone, radio, television, e-mail, internet, newspaper.
  8. Six digits; it tells the post office which area the letter should go to.
  9. They carry many people at once, so the pollution is shared among more people.
  10. A helmet.

What next

Keep learning

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General knowledge for classes 3 to 5

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