Touch and Tell

NCERT anchor: NCERT Looking Around Class 1 — Theme: Weather and Seasons (feeling hot and cold things)

• Some things feel hot; some things feel cold — we know by touching carefully.
• Never touch things that are too hot — ask a grown-up first.
• Sort everyday things into a hot group and a cold group.

1. Hot things

Level 1 (Verbal): Tea, sunlight at noon, and a cooked chapati feel warm or hot.

Level 2 (Symbolic): Hot = gives a warm feeling when you touch it (from far, with care).

Visual: A steaming cup with wavy lines rising from it.

2. Cold things

Verbal: Ice, cold water, and a fridge shelf feel cold.

Symbolic: Cold = gives a cool, chilly feeling when touched.

Visual: An ice cube with small blue droplets around it.

3. Touch safely

Some hot things (stove, hot pan, hot tea) can hurt us. Never touch them — look, don't touch, and ask a grown-up.

Sorting the lunch tray

Step 1 — Touch the steel glass of water from the fridge → feels cold.
Step 2 — Look at the hot dal in the bowl, steam rising → do not touch, it is hot.
Step 3 — Touch the cool spoon lying on the table → feels cold.
Step 4 — Group: cold = glass, spoon; hot = dal (look only, don't touch).
Answer: cold things and hot things can be told apart by touch and by watching for steam.

• Name one hot thing and one cold thing from your kitchen.
• Should you touch a hot pan straight away?
• Which feels colder — ice or warm milk?
• Stretch: Why do we see steam rising from hot tea but not from cold water?

Revision tip: Before touching something new, ask yourself: 'Does it look like it could be hot?'

Open the Practice tab for graded questions on Touch and Tell.