The Surajkund Fair – Class 3 Maths Chapter 14 Notes & NCERT PDF

Class 3MathematicsChapter 14NCERT book: Maths Mela - Class 3

Notes and a simple summary of Chapter 14 of the NCERT Class 3 Mathematics book, with the official chapter PDF, flashcards, an MCQ quiz and an AI tutor for your doubts.

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Chapter 14: The Surajkund Fair

Introduction

The Surajkund Fair takes children to a famous fair in Surajkund, in the Faridabad district of Haryana, with Soni, Avi and their grandparents. Through malas, rangolis, masks, tiles and a map of the fair, the chapter explores symmetry, tiling (fitting shapes with no gaps or overlaps) and reading maps and directions.

What's in this Chapter

  • The fair picture: spotting things that look the same from the left and the right, and patterns in the tiles and shapes.
  • Make Malas: at a bead stall, children make malas with 8 beads, 4 of one colour and 4 of another. Soni says, "The two halves of my mala are exactly the same. My mala is symmetrical." Children tick symmetrical malas and then make symmetrical malas with 6 beads of one colour and 2 of another.
  • Rangolis all around: at the Tamil Nadu stall, Amma makes a kolam. Children check which rangolis are symmetrical by drawing a line or folding tracing paper so one half lies exactly on the other. They complete half-drawn rangolis, including Pookalam from Kerala and Aipan from Uttarakhand, using dot grids.
  • Make Masks: fold paper, draw half a cat face, cut and open it. Soni's mask is symmetrical and she can see clearly; Avi's is not, and he can see with only one eye.
  • Tit for Tat: a painter paints only half of Soni's face, saying "put a mirror to get the complete picture" and asks for Rs 200. Soni pays half the money and says the same thing! Children find things the painter cannot trick her with: things that are not symmetrical.
  • The Mirror Game: Avi places counters so they are the mirror image of Soni's side; a mirror on the line checks it. Other puzzles: odd one out, filling 4 red and 3 blue boxes as mirror images, and making Micy's side match Catty's by moving three balls.
  • Tiling the paths: Dada ji's foot gets stuck in a gap between tiles. Children fill shapes with rangometry shapes with no gaps and no overlaps, then design their own tiles to make paths.
  • Giant Wheel: following clues ("near a kulfi cart", "second stall from there") to find a stall.
  • Search for Dada and Dadi: reading the fair map with symbols for exit, parking, ATM, restaurant, pond, play area and chaupal; following directions like "Turn right on the green lane" to reach the chaupal; and solving a maze to exit the fair.

    • Key Ideas

  • A shape or object is symmetrical when a line divides it into two halves that match exactly when folded.
  • A mirror image is the same as the original but flipped across a line.
  • Tiling covers a surface with shapes leaving no gaps and no overlaps.
  • Maps use pictures and symbols; directions use words like left, right, forward and near.

    • Activities from the Book

  • Make symmetrical malas with beads of two colours.
  • Complete rangolis and draw your own on dot grids.
  • Make a symmetrical cat mask.
  • Play the mirror game and create tile paths.
  • Follow a route on the fair map and solve the maze.

    • Words to Learn

  • Symmetrical (सममित) - two halves exactly the same
  • Mirror image (दर्पण प्रतिबिंब)
  • Fold (मोड़ना)
  • Rangoli / kolam (रंगोली / कोलम)
  • Tile (टाइल)
  • Gap (खाली जगह) and overlap (एक के ऊपर एक)
  • Map (नक्शा)
  • Left / right (बाएँ / दाएँ)
  • Fair (मेला)

    • Tips for Parents & Teachers

  • Hunt for symmetrical things at home: leaves, butterflies, windows, rangolis.
  • Fold paper and cut shapes to see symmetry appear.
  • Give directions to a hidden object: "Take 2 steps to your right, one step forward."

    • Common Mistakes

  • Thinking any object with two parts is symmetrical; the halves must match exactly when folded.
  • Placing mirror-image counters in the same position instead of flipped across the line.
  • Leaving gaps or overlapping shapes while tiling.
  • Confusing left and right when reading a map facing a different direction.

    • 💡 Key Learning Points

    • ✓An object is symmetrical when a line divides it into two exactly matching halves.
    • ✓Symmetry can be checked by folding or by placing a mirror on the line.
    • ✓Mirror images are flipped copies across a line, as in the mirror game.
    • ✓Tiling means covering a surface with shapes with no gaps and no overlaps.
    • ✓Maps use symbols and pictures; directions use words like left, right and near.

    👨‍🏫 Teaching Tips

    • →Talk about local melas children have visited before starting the chapter, as the teacher's note suggests.
    • →Give each child 8 beads of two colours from a ginladi to make and record malas.
    • →Use tracing paper and folding to test whether rangolis are symmetrical.
    • →Ask children to collect rangoli patterns from different states and display them.
    • →Discuss why Avi could see with only one eye through his mask.
    • →Let children create tessellations with rangometry shapes and display their work.
    • →Play direction games in the playground using left, right, forward and back.

    📋 Assessment Questions

    1. Can the child tell whether a mala, rangoli or mask is symmetrical and explain why?
    2. Can the child draw the missing half of a symmetrical rangoli?
    3. Can the child place counters as a mirror image across a line?
    4. Can the child fill a shape with tiles without gaps or overlaps?
    5. Can the child follow and give directions on the fair map?

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    All chapters in Maths Mela - Class 3

    1. 1. What's in a Name?
    2. 2. Toy Joy
    3. 3. Double Century
    4. 4. Vacation with My Nani Maa
    5. 5. Fun with Shapes
    6. 6. House of Hundreds - I
    7. 7. Raksha Bandhan
    8. 8. Fair Share
    9. 9. House of Hundreds - II
    10. 10. Fun at Class Party!
    11. 11. Filling and Lifting
    12. 12. Give and Take
    13. 13. Time Goes On
    14. 14. The Surajkund Fair