Chapter 1 — We the Travellers — I

Chapter 1 of the Class 5 Mathematics NCERT textbook (Maths Mela), "We the Travellers — I", introduces large number reading and writing up to five digits, rounding to nearest tens, hundreds, and thousands, and comparing and ordering numbers — download the PDF and read a summary of activities on place value, number patterns, transport distances, and logic puzzles set in a travel context.

• Reading and Writing Large Numbers (up to 5 digits) — The chapter builds the Indian place value system from ones up to the Ten Thousands (TTh) place, showing how 10 thousands make 10,000. Students learn to write numbers like 45,867 (Forty-five thousand eight hundred sixty-seven) and use commas to make large numbers easier to read.
• Rounding to Nearest Tens, Hundreds, and Thousands — Using a rabbit-and-food number-line activity, the chapter teaches rounding. For example, 2,346 rounded to the nearest ten is 2,350, to the nearest hundred is 2,300, and to the nearest thousand is 2,000.
• Comparing and Ordering Numbers — Students compare multi-digit numbers using a place value chart and a number line, then arrange sets of numbers such as 40,347; 34,407; 73,404 in increasing or decreasing order. The chapter warns against digit-by-digit comparison (a student incorrectly claims 9,990 is greater than 49,014 because 9 > 4).
• Travel Speeds and Word Problems — The chapter lists typical distances covered per hour by different modes — 3-5 km on foot, 12-20 km by cycle, 40-160 km by train, 750-920 km by aircraft, and at least 28,000 km by spacecraft — and uses these to build arithmetic word problems about distance and vehicle capacity.
• Logic and Number Puzzles — A 'Pastime Mathematics' section presents the classic river-crossing puzzle (lion, sheep, grass) and a digit-subtraction puzzle where Mira shows that repeatedly subtracting the smaller two-digit arrangement from the larger always ends in 9, encouraging students to find and explain the pattern.

1. 01The TTh (Ten Thousands) place is introduced as the fifth place in the Indian place value system; 10 thousands = 10,000.
2. 02Numbers up to 5 digits (e.g., 45,867 and 81,200) are named and written using commas for readability.
3. 03Rounding: find the nearest ten, hundred, or thousand by seeing which boundary a number is closer to on the number line.
4. 04A number's total value depends on the position of its digits, not the digit alone — 9,990 is smaller than 49,014 despite starting with 9.
5. 05Transport speeds from the chapter: on foot 3-5 km/h, by cycle 12-20 km/h, by train 40-160 km/h, by aircraft 750-920 km/h, by spacecraft at least 28,000 km/h.
6. 06Expanded form exercise: 10,304 = 10,000 + 300 + 4; students also practice non-standard expansions (e.g., 983 = 90 Tens + 83 Ones).
7. 07The digit-swap puzzle shows that rearranging any two digits of a number changes its value significantly — used to practise place value understanding.