Important Questions Class 6 Social Science Our Past Chapter 1

Class 6 Social Science Chapter 1 Locating Places on the Earth is the opening chapter of the new NCERT textbook Exploring Society: India and Beyond. It explains how we find any place on the Earth using maps and globes. Students learn about the Equator and the Prime Meridian, lines of latitude and longitude, the hemispheres, time zones and standard time, and the symbols, directions and scale that make a map easy to read.

These CBSE important questions for Class 6 Social Science Chapter 1 cover why the Prime Meridian is the starting point for longitude, how longitudes are used to work out time, how latitudes help us understand climate zones, why maps use standard symbols, and how cardinal and intermediate directions help in navigation. Assertion-reason questions on scale, the International Date Line and latitude lines are also included. Every question has a clear answer in simple English for practice, revision and class tests.

CBSE Important Questions Class 6 Social Science Chapter 1 – Locating Places on the Earth

Q1. Read the source given below and answer the questions that follow.
The Prime Meridian is the starting point for measuring longitude, set at 0°. It divides Earth into the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. For example, the longitude of Delhi is 77°E, placing it in the Eastern Hemisphere.
1. Why is the Prime Meridian important for measuring longitude?
2. How does the Prime Meridian help divide the Earth into hemispheres?
3. Name a country in the Western Hemisphere and describe its position relative to the Prime Meridian.

Answer: 1. The Prime Meridian is the starting point for measuring longitude. It is marked as 0°, and all other longitudes are measured as east or west of it. This helps us locate places on the Earth accurately.
2. The Prime Meridian divides the Earth into two equal halves: the Eastern Hemisphere and the Western Hemisphere. All places to the east of it are in the Eastern Hemisphere, and all places to the west are in the Western Hemisphere.
3. The United States is in the Western Hemisphere. It lies to the west of the Prime Meridian, with longitudes ranging from about 67°W to 125°W.

Q2. Read the source given below and answer the questions that follow.
Longitudes run from the North Pole to the South Pole and determine time zones. Earth is divided into 24 time zones, each 15° apart. For example, the time at 30°E is two hours ahead of the Prime Meridian at 0°.
1. How are longitudes used to calculate time differences?
2. Why do countries adopt standard time instead of local time?
3. If it is 12 PM at 0° longitude, what is the time at 45°E?

Every 15 degrees of longitude east of the Prime Meridian adds one hour, so 45 degrees East is 3 PM when it is 12 PM at 0 degrees

Answer: 1. Longitudes divide the Earth into 24 time zones, each 15° apart, and each time zone represents a one-hour difference. Moving east from the Prime Meridian, the time becomes one hour later for every 15°. Moving west, it becomes one hour earlier for every 15°.
2. If every city or town kept its own local time based on its longitude, it would be very confusing. Standard time gives one time for the whole country or region, so people can plan their day, travel and communicate easily.
3. 45° ÷ 15° = 3 hours. Since 45°E is east of 0°, we add 3 hours: 12 PM + 3 hours = 3 PM.

Q3. Read the source given below and answer the questions that follow.
Latitude lines run parallel to the Equator and measure distance in degrees. They also indicate climate zones. Areas near the Equator are hotter, while regions closer to the poles are colder. For example, tropical zones lie between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn.
1. How do latitudes help in understanding climate zones?
2. Why is it hotter near the Equator compared to the poles?
3. Identify a country in the temperate zone and describe its climate.

Answer: 1. Latitudes divide the Earth into climate zones. Places near the Equator (0° latitude) lie in the tropical zone and are very hot. Areas farther away, in the temperate and polar zones, have cooler climates. This explains why different parts of the world have different weather and temperatures.
2. Near the Equator the Sun's rays fall directly, so the heat is concentrated on a small area. Near the poles the rays fall at a slant, so the same heat spreads over a larger area and these regions stay much cooler.
3. The United Kingdom lies in the temperate zone. Its climate is neither too hot nor too cold, with mild summers, cool winters and rainfall throughout the year.

Q4. Read the source given below and answer the questions that follow.
Maps use symbols to represent features like buildings, roads, and natural elements. These symbols save space and make maps easier to read. For example, a small house symbol might indicate a school or post office. Symbols are standardised for universal understanding.
1. What is the purpose of using symbols on a map?
2. How do standardised symbols benefit users in different countries?
3. Give an example of a symbol and explain what it represents.

Answer: 1. Symbols show features such as buildings, roads and rivers in a small and simple way. They save space and keep the map neat and easy to read. For example, a tree symbol can represent a forest.
2. Standardised symbols look the same everywhere, so people from different countries can understand them even if they speak different languages. For example, the symbol for a railway station is the same on maps in India, the USA or any other country.
3. A small aeroplane symbol represents an airport. It helps people quickly find where an airport is located without reading any extra details.

Q5. Read the source given below and answer the questions that follow.
Maps help us navigate unfamiliar places by providing clear directions. For example, cardinal directions like North, South, East, and West are used along with intermediate directions such as Northeast and Southwest. Maps often use an arrow marked “N” to show the North direction.
1. Why are cardinal directions important when reading a map?
2. Explain how intermediate directions make navigation easier.
3. If your home is west of your school, describe the steps to locate it on a map.

Answer: 1. Cardinal directions (North, South, East and West) help us work out where places are on a map in relation to each other. For example, if a park is shown to the south of a school, we can find it using these directions.
2. Intermediate directions (Northeast, Northwest, Southeast and Southwest) give more exact directions. If a friend's house is northeast of the school, this tells us the correct path more quickly, especially where there are many roads or landmarks.
3. Steps:
• Find your school on the map and mark it.
• Look at the arrow marked “N” to find North, and then work out West.
• Move your finger or pencil westward from the school.
• Look for landmarks or streets that you know near your home, and mark your home when you find it.

Q6. Why is scale important on a map?
Assertion (A): Scale helps show real distances on a map.
Reason (R): Different maps use different scales based on the area shown.
(a) Both A and R are correct, and R explains A.
(b) Both A and R are correct, but R does not explain A.
(c) A is correct, but R is wrong.
(d) A is wrong, but R is correct.

Answer: (b) Both A and R are correct, but R does not explain A.
A map's scale lets us work out real distances. Maps do use different scales, but the choice depends on the purpose of the map, so R does not explain A.

Q7. What happens when you cross the International Date Line (IDL)?
Assertion (A): Crossing the IDL changes the day to the next or previous one.
Reason (R): The IDL is at 180 degrees, opposite the Prime Meridian.
(a) Both A and R are correct, and R explains A.
(b) Both A and R are correct, but R does not explain A.
(c) A is correct, but R is wrong.
(d) A is wrong, but R is correct.

Answer: (b) Both A and R are correct, but R does not explain A.
The day changes because of the way time zones are arranged around the Earth, not simply because the IDL lies at 180°. Both statements are true, but R does not explain A.

Q8. How does longitude help with time?
Assertion (A): Longitude tells the time for a place.
Reason (R): Earth spins 360 degrees in 24 hours, dividing it into time zones of 15 degrees each.
(a) Both A and R are correct, and R explains A.
(b) Both A and R are correct, but R does not explain A.
(c) A is correct, but R is wrong.
(d) A is wrong, but R is correct.

Answer: (a) Both A and R are correct, and R explains A.
As the Earth rotates 360° in 24 hours, every 15° of longitude equals one hour. This is why longitude decides the time of a place.

Q9. Why are latitude lines not of the same length?
Assertion (A): Latitude lines get shorter as they move toward the poles.
Reason (R): The Earth is round, so lines closer to the poles are smaller.
(a) Both A and R are correct, and R explains A.
(b) Both A and R are correct, but R does not explain A.
(c) A is correct, but R is wrong.
(d) A is wrong, but R is correct.

Answer: (a) Both A and R are correct, and R explains A.
Because the Earth is a sphere, the circles of latitude become smaller as they get closer to the poles.

Q10. How do the Equator and the Prime Meridian help us understand Earth's shape?
Assertion (A): The Equator divides Earth into the Northern and Southern halves.
Reason (R): The Prime Meridian splits Earth into the Eastern and Western halves.
(a) Both A and R are correct, and R explains A.
(b) Both A and R are correct, but R does not explain A.
(c) A is correct, but R is wrong.
(d) A is wrong, but R is correct.

Answer: (b) Both A and R are correct, but R does not explain A.
Both lines divide the Earth, but in different ways. One does not explain the other.

Related Study Material on Extramarks

Q.1 Two statements are given in the question below as Assertion (A) and Reasoning (R). Read the statements and choose the appropriate option.
Assertion (A): Some people perhaps traveled driven by a spirit of adventure, wanting to discover new and exciting places.
Reason (R): The manuscripts were written about a thousand years ago. The palm leaves were cut into pages and tied together to make books.

Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.

Both A and R are true, and R is not the correct explanation of A.

A is true but R is false.

A is false but R is true.

Marks:1

Ans

Some people may have travelled with an adventurous spirit, desiring to see new and fascinating areas, in the past. Ancient manuscripts date back over a thousand years. To make them, palm leaves were sliced into pages and tied together.

Q.2 Consider the following statements about people travelling from one place to another and select the correct answer using the codes given below:
I. Merchants travelled with caravans or ships, carrying valuable goods from place to place.
II. Religious teachers walked from village to village, town to town, stopping to offer instruction and advice on the way.
III. Some people never wanted to travel and discover new places.
IV. All these led to the sharing of ideas between people.

Only III

II, III, and IV

III and IV

I, II, and IV

Marks:1

Ans

Traders travelled by caravans or ships, transporting important items from one location to another. Religious teachers went from village to village, town to town, pausing along the way to give instructions and guidance. Finally, some people may have travelled with an adventurous attitude, desiring to see new and intriguing areas. All of this resulted in people exchanging ideas.

Q.3 Explain the meaning as well as the limitation of manuscripts. (3+2)

Marks:5

Ans

There are various methods for learning about the past. One option is to look for and read works from the past. Manuscripts are so-called since they were written by hand; the name comes from the Latin word ‘manu,’ which refers to hand. These were usually inscribed on palm leaves or the specially prepared bark of a Himalayan tree known as birch. Many of the manuscripts were written in Sanskrit, Prakrit (a language used by common individuals) and Tamil. The manuscripts include information about religious practices and beliefs and also about the lives of the king and medicines. Most of the manuscripts were written on perishable material.

Q.4 Throughout, people travelled from one part of the subcontinent to another.
Q.1 How did merchants and religious teachers travel? (3 marks)
Q.2 What led to sharing of ideas between people? (2 marks)

Marks:5

Ans

1. Moreover, traders travelled by caravans or ships, transporting important items from one location to another. Religious teachers also went from village to village, town to town, pausing along the way to give instruction and guidance.
2. Finally, some people may have travelled with an adventurous attitude, desiring to see new and intriguing areas. All of this resulted in people exchanging ideas.

Q.5 Historians and archaeologists are like detectives. Elucidate.

Marks:1

Ans

Archaeologists and historians both use the information that we receive from sources like manuscripts, archaeology, and inscriptions as clues to find out more about our past. Archaeologists study the remains of paintings, buildings, and sculptures, along with exploring and excavating to find ornaments, tools, weapons, pots, coins, and so on. After studying these objects, archaeologists gather a lot of information which is used further by historians to recover our pasts. Similarly, historians and archaeologists also work like detectives to investigate our past. Hence, archaeologists and historians are similar to detectives who use information as clues to investigate cases.

Q.6 Why do we have less information about the lives of ordinary people as compared to those of kings?

Marks:1

Ans

We have a great deal of information about the lives of kings, whereas we do not have as much information about the lives of ordinary people. This is because kings usually kept records of their lives, battles, and victories, while ordinary people did not write or keep records about their lives.

Q.7 How did the movement of people affect the culture of India?

Marks:1

Ans

The movement of the people helped enrich and strengthen the cultural traditions of the country by introducing various new methods of music composition, stone carving, cooking, etc.

Q.8 Highlight the role of the Indus River in naming the land.

Marks:1

Ans

The word “India” is derived from the word Indus. In ancient times, the Greeks and Iranians referred to the land to the east of Indus as India and called the Indus River the Indos or Hindos.

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FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

History for Grade 6 begins with a chapter devoted to historical sources and historical research techniques. The whole Class 6 syllabus focuses on how the early inhabitants of ancient India lived. It provides students with knowledge about everything from the great historical kingdoms to the development of religions to society as a whole. It includes a range of subjects and educates students about historical practises, traditions, and culture. To gather more information on the same, students can refer to Extramarks Important Questions Class 6 Social Science Our Pasts Chapter 1. 

Numerous themes from ancient history are covered in class 6 history. The first chapter discusses the historical sources and how archaeologists get reliable data and conduct their research. The Harappan Civilization and the Indus Valley Civilization have the first discovered archaeological sites in India. These unearthed civilisations proved to be excellent historical sites and gave us a lot of knowledge about the prehistoric way of life. These civilisation’s inhabitants were intelligent and led well-organised lives.

People who study and analyse ancient texts and unearthed artefacts are called archaeologists. These artefacts, which help archaeologists reconstruct ancient culture and way of life, include weapons, writings, inscriptions, medals, decorations, coins, pots, utensils, carvings on walls and stones, and the remnants of old structures and buildings. They try to determine the approximate year of the occurrence of a historic event by the unearthed artefact and use a chronology to date the events in chronological order. To know more about this, students can refer to Extramarks Important Questions Class 6 Social Science Our Pasts Chapter 1.