Class 6 Social Science Notes Chapter 1 Exploring Society India and Beyond

Locating Places on the Earth

Introduction: Why Social Science?

Purpose of Social Science:

• Helps in understanding the complex and diverse nature of human societies.
• Aims to address fundamental questions about humanity, peace, harmony, and environmental sustainability.

Challenges in the 21st Century:

• Rapid technological progress and its impact on society.
• Growing conflicts, social tensions, and environmental stress.

Importance of Studying Social Science:

• Understanding our world and societies to find solutions for global challenges.
• Although not a ‘science’ like physics or chemistry, it uses scientific methods where possible.

Subdisciplines of Social Science:

• Includes geography, history, political science, economics, sociology, anthropology, archaeology, psychology, etc.
• In the Middle Stage, the focus is on five broad themes rather than these subdisciplines.

Themes in Social Science

1. Theme A – India and the World: Land and the People

• Focuses on geographical features and their influence on civilizations.
• Explores how natural settings contribute to the identity of civilizations, especially in India.

2. Theme B – Tapestry of the Past

• Explores history, understanding its connection to the present.
• Discusses the importance of learning from the past to avoid repeating mistakes.

3. Theme C – Our Cultural Heritage and Knowledge Traditions

• Examines India’s rich and ancient culture, its principles, and its manifestation in history.
• Aims to help students understand and appreciate cultural foundations.

4. Theme D – Governance and Democracy

• Focuses on understanding political systems, especially India’s democracy.
• Explores the functioning of government organs and the role of citizens in governance.

5. Theme E – Economic Life Around Us

• Discusses how economies work, focusing on India’s economy.
• Covers concepts like money, resources, and economic activities.

Locating Places on the Earth

A Map and Its Components

1. Definition of a Map:

• A map is a representation or drawing of an area, viewed from the top.
• It can represent:

• Small areas (e.g., a village or town).
• Bigger areas (e.g., a district or state).
• Large areas (e.g., an entire country or the world).

• Atlas: A collection of maps compiled into a book.

2. Types of Maps:

Physical Maps:

• Show natural features like mountains, rivers, and oceans.
• Example: A physical map of India showing its major rivers and mountain ranges.

Political Maps:

• Highlight boundaries of countries, states, and cities.
• Example: A political map of India showing all States, Union Territories, and their capitals.

Thematic Maps:

• Provide specific information on a particular theme or topic.
• Example: Maps showing population density or climate zones.

3. Important Components of Maps:

Distance (Scale):

• The scale helps to fit a large area onto a small piece of paper.
• Example: In a city map, 1 cm on the map might represent 500 meters on the ground.
• Map Scale Example: A map of India may use a scale where 2.5 cm on the map equals 500 kilometers on the ground.

Direction (Cardinal Points):

• Cardinal Directions: North (N), East (E), South (S), West (W).
• Intermediate Directions: Northeast (NE), Southeast (SE), Southwest (SW), Northwest (NW).
• Example: The map may show the market north of the hospital, the museum southeast of the bank, etc.
• Most maps include an arrow marked ‘N’ to indicate the north direction.

Symbols:

• Used to represent various features on the map due to space constraints.
• Symbols can denote:

• Buildings (e.g., a railway station, school, post office).
• Roads and Railway lines.
• Natural Elements (e.g., rivers, ponds, forests).

• Standard Symbols: The Survey of India provides a fixed set of symbols for Indian maps.

Mapping the Earth

1. Challenges in Mapping the Earth:

Shape of the Earth:

• Earth is nearly a sphere, but it is slightly flattened at the poles.
• Representing a spherical object accurately on a flat surface (like a map) is challenging.
• Example: Trying to flatten the peel of an orange without tearing it illustrates the difficulty in flattening a sphere.

Globe vs. Map:

• A globe is a spherical representation of the Earth or other celestial bodies (e.g., the Moon, Mars).
• A globe better represents Earth’s geography because it shares the same spherical shape.

2. Understanding Coordinates:

System of Coordinates:

• Used to determine the precise location of a place on Earth.
• Example 1: In a market, giving directions based on rows and shop numbers (e.g., “7th shop in the 5th row”).
• Example 2: Chessboard squares are identified by a combination of letters and numbers (e.g., d2 to d4).

3. Latitudes:

Definition: Latitudes are imaginary lines that run parallel to the Equator, measuring the distance north or south of it.

Key Features:

• The Equator is at 0° latitude.
• The North Pole is at 90° North latitude (90°N).
• The South Pole is at 90° South latitude (90°S).

Connection to Climate:

• Equator (Torrid Zone): Generally hot climate.
• Temperate Zones: Climate becomes moderate as you move away from the Equator.
• Frigid Zones: Closer to the poles, the climate grows colder.

4. Longitudes:

Definition: Longitudes are imaginary lines running from the North Pole to the South Pole, known as meridians.

Prime Meridian:

• The Prime Meridian (0° longitude) is the reference line for measuring longitudes.
• Also called the Greenwich Meridian because it passes through Greenwich, London, and was internationally adopted in 1884.

Measurement:

• Longitudes are measured in degrees, increasing westward or eastward from the Prime Meridian (0° to 180°).
• Example: New York is at 74°W, Delhi at 77°E, and Tokyo at 140°E.

Connection to Time:

• The Earth’s rotation causes different longitudes to experience different times (e.g., morning in one place, evening in another).
• Longitude can be used to measure the time of a place.

5. Latitude and Longitude Grid:

Grid System:

• Parallels of latitude and meridians of longitude together form a grid on the globe.
• This grid helps in locating any place on Earth using its coordinates.
• Example: Delhi is located at approximately 29°N latitude and 77°E longitude.

Understanding Time Zones

1. Earth’s Rotation and Time Calculation:

• Rotation: The Earth rotates from west to east, completing a full turn every 24 hours.
• Degrees per Hour: A full rotation is 360°, so the Earth rotates 15° per hour (360° ÷ 24 hours).

Longitude and Local Time:

• Moving eastward from the Prime Meridian (0°):

• 0° (Prime Meridian): 12 pm (noon)
• 15°E: 1 pm
• 30°E: 2 pm, and so on.

• Moving westward from the Prime Meridian:

• 15°W: 11 am
• 30°W: 10 am, and so on.

2. Standard Time:

Need for Standard Time:

• Using different local times within a country would be impractical.
• Most countries adopt a standard time based on a meridian passing through the country.

Indian Standard Time (IST):

• IST is 5 hours 30 minutes (5.5 hours) ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

3. Time Zones:

• Definition: Time zones are regions of the Earth that have the same standard time.
• 15° Zones: Standard times are organized in zones that broadly follow 15° longitude increments.

World Map Considerations:

• The boundaries of time zones are not straight lines; they adjust to follow international borders.
• Positive and Negative Offsets: The numbers inside countries indicate the hours to be added to (positive) or subtracted from (negative) GMT to get their standard time.

4. The International Date Line:

• Location: Located approximately at 180° longitude, opposite the Prime Meridian.
• Function: Crossing the International Date Line changes the date by one day:

• Eastward Crossing: Subtract a day (e.g., Monday becomes Sunday).
• Westward Crossing: Add a day (e.g., Sunday becomes Monday).

• Deviation: The line deviates in places to avoid splitting countries into two different days.

5. Summary Points:

• Maps are essential tools to represent different areas of the Earth, using distance, direction, and symbols.
• Grid System: Every place on Earth can be precisely located using a grid of latitudes and longitudes.
• Longitude: Besides marking location, longitude also determines local time and defines time zones.
• International Date Line: Crossing this line results in a change of date by one day.