Chapter 1 of Class 5 Maths Mela, We the Travellers — I, uses travel scenarios to extend place value beyond thousands, introduce rounding off, and build number-pattern and puzzle-solving skills.
Last Updated: August 30, 2026
NCERT Solutions for Class 5 Maths Chapter 1: We the Travellers — I
What this chapter teaches.
Reading, writing, and comparing large numbers using place value from ones up to ten-thousands; rounding a number to the nearest ten, hundred, or thousand (look at the digit just to the right of the place you’re rounding to: 5 or more rounds up, 4 or less rounds down); expanded form (writing a number as the sum of its place values, e.g. 4,restaurant no — 4,215 = 4000 + 200 + 10 + 5); and logical travel-distance puzzles, such as working out how far a train or cycle travels in a given time.
Activity 1 — Round the Distance.
Given a travel distance (like 4,367 km), children round it to the nearest ten, hundred, and thousand, practising the “look one place to the right” rule each time.
Activity 2 — Expanded Form.
Children write large numbers in expanded form, breaking them into thousands, hundreds, tens, and ones.
Activity 3 — River-Crossing Puzzle.
A classic logic puzzle (getting a lion, a sheep, and grass safely across a river one at a time, without leaving the sheep alone with the lion, or the grass alone with the sheep) builds sequencing and logical reasoning alongside the number work.
Why This Chapter Matters
Rounding and place value with larger numbers are used constantly in real life — estimating costs, distances, and populations — and logic puzzles build the sequencing skills used throughout later problem-solving.
How to Use These Solutions
Practise rounding real numbers you encounter (prices, distances, populations from the news) to the nearest ten, hundred, and thousand. Download the full chapter from our Class 5 Maths NCERT book page, or browse the Class 5 hub.
See also the Extra Questions and Revision Notes for this chapter.
- Chapter 2: Fractions – Free PDF Download
- Chapter 3: Angles as Turns – Free PDF Download
- Chapter 4: We the Travellers — II – Free PDF Download
- Chapter 5: Far and Near – Free PDF Download
- Chapter 6: The Dairy Farm – Free PDF Download
- Chapter 7: Shapes and Patterns – Free PDF Download
- Chapter 8: Weight and Capacity – Free PDF Download
- Chapter 9: Coconut Farm – Free PDF Download
- Chapter 10: Symmetrical Designs – Free PDF Download
- Chapter 11: Grandmother's Quilt – Free PDF Download
- Chapter 12: Racing Seconds – Free PDF Download
- Chapter 13: Animal Jumps – Free PDF Download
- Chapter 14: Maps and Locations – Free PDF Download
- Chapter 15: Data Through Pictures – Free PDF Download
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the rule for rounding to the nearest ten?
Look at the ones digit: if it’s 5 or more, round up; if it’s 4 or less, round down.
What is expanded form?
Writing a number as the sum of its place values, e.g. 3,254 = 3000 + 200 + 50 + 4.

