CBSE Important Questions Class 6 Social Science Chapter 9 – Family and Community

Class 6 Social Science Chapter 9 Family and Community is part of the new NCERT textbook Exploring Society: India and Beyond. It teaches students about the family as the first place where we learn values such as sharing, responsibility and service, and about the community, the larger group of people who live together and help one another. Through the stories of Shalini in Kerala and Tenzing in Sikkim, and real events such as the Chennai floods and the Bhil halma tradition, students see how families and communities support each other.

These CBSE important questions for Class 6 Social Science Chapter 9 cover how children learn values at home, why families and communities must work together, the role of the community in emergencies, joint and nuclear families, the meaning of community, and multiple-choice questions on the stories in the chapter. Every question has a clear step-by-step answer in simple English, so students can practise on their own, parents can check the answers, and teachers can use them for class tests.

Q1. How do children learn values like responsibility, service and sharing from their families?

Answer: Children learn values by watching and living with their family members every day.
In Shalini's story, she learns sharing and sacrifice when her parents decide to buy clothes for her uncle's family instead of an expensive dress for her. She accepts this happily because she understands how important it is to support family.
In Tenzing's home, he sees his father sharing the household chores and his grandfather helping neighbours and the community. These actions show seva (service) and tyaga (sacrifice).
By seeing such behaviour, children understand their own roles and duties. The family is like a school of values, where learning happens through example and practice.

Q2. Why is it important for families and communities to work together? Explain with examples.

Answer: Families and communities working together make a caring and strong society.
Inside a family, members support each other in good and bad times. Shalini's parents gave up their own wishes to help a relative who had lost his job. Tenzing's family shares work and teaches responsibilities, which prepares children to take part in the wider society.
At the community level, people act for the common good. During the Chennai floods, groups of people cooked and gave out food. In Jhabua, the Bhil community came together to solve a water crisis.
These examples show that working together, both in families and in communities, builds strong bonds, teaches care for others and helps everyone survive hard times.

Q3. Write a short note on the role of community during emergencies, using the Chennai floods or the Bhil story as reference.

Answer: In an emergency, a community comes together to help those in need.
During the Chennai floods of 2015, people could not travel and shops were closed. Many spiritual and religious groups cooked and distributed food to those who were stranded, without expecting anything in return.
In Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh, the Bhil community used their old tradition called halma, which is a collective effort in a time of crisis. Facing a long water shortage, they planted thousands of trees and dug trenches to hold rainwater.
Both examples show that when a community acts together with a sense of duty and shared values, it can solve big problems and give relief and strength to its people.

Q4. Describe how family members help each other in daily life, using examples from the chapter.

Answer: Family members help one another by sharing responsibilities and giving emotional support.
In Shalini's family, when her uncle lost his job, the whole family cut down its expenses so that everyone, including the uncle's family, could get new clothes for Onam. This shows support in a time of money trouble.
In Tenzing's family, the parents divide the housework. His mother works in a handicraft cooperative, while his father helps with gardening, cleaning and looking after the house. The grandparents help too: Tenzing's grandmother shares wisdom through stories, and his grandfather helps with homework and community work.
These stories show that cooperation and depending on one another are a normal part of daily family life.

Q5. Explain the differences between joint and nuclear families with examples.

Answer: A joint family has several generations living under one roof: grandparents, parents, uncles, aunts and cousins. In Shalini's family in Kerala, her parents, younger brother, grandmother (Acchamma), paternal uncle (Chittappa), aunt (Chitti) and cousin (Chinni) all live together. Such a family shares responsibilities and gives strong support in times of need.
A nuclear family has only the parents and their children, and sometimes just one parent with the children. It is more common in cities today because people move for work and want privacy.
A nuclear family may give more independence, while a joint family gives a deeper feeling of connection and support.

Q6. Why did the Bhil community plant trees in Jhabua?
(a) To make money from wood
(b) To build new houses
(c) To solve water shortage and help the environment
(d) To get awards

Answer: (c) To solve water shortage and help the environment
Following their halma tradition, the Bhils planted trees and dug trenches so that rainwater would be held in the ground, which helped solve the water crisis and improved the environment.

Q7. Who is Chittappa in Shalini's family?
(a) Mother's brother
(b) Father's brother
(c) Uncle's wife
(d) Cousin

Answer: (b) Father's brother
In Tamil and Malayalam, 'Chittappa' is the word for one's paternal uncle, that is, the father's younger brother.

Q8. What does the story of Shalini illustrate?
(a) Children should always get what they want
(b) Wearing silk dresses is important
(c) Families often share and support each other
(d) Onam is a festival of gifts

Answer: (c) Families often share and support each other
Even though money was short, Shalini's family bought clothes for the uncle's family, and Shalini happily gave up her silk dress. This shows the spirit of sharing and support within a family.

Q9. In most Indian languages, why is there no separate word for 'cousin'?
(a) Cousins are not part of the family
(b) They are considered as friends
(c) Cousins are treated as brothers and sisters
(d) Cousins live far away

Answer: (c) Cousins are treated as brothers and sisters
In Indian families, cousins are called and treated as brothers and sisters, so most Indian languages do not need a separate word for 'cousin'. This shows how close family bonds are in India.

Q10. Which of the following is an example of a nuclear family?
(a) Grandparents, parents, children and cousins living together
(b) A couple and their children
(c) Several generations living in one house
(d) Parents, children, uncles and aunts together

Answer: (b) A couple and their children
A nuclear family has only the parents and their children living together. All the other options describe a joint family with many relatives or generations in one house.

Q11. Compare and contrast joint families and nuclear families.

Answer:

Joint family Nuclear family
Several generations live together, such as grandparents, parents and children. Two parents and their children live together.
Usually larger, with many family members. Usually smaller, with few family members.
Decisions are often taken together by the whole family. Decisions are usually taken by the parents.
Responsibilities are shared among many members. Responsibilities fall mainly on the parents.

Q12. What do you understand by the term "community"? Give examples.

Answer: A community is a group of people who live together or who share common interests, values or goals in a particular place. A community can be big or small, and it can be based on place, culture or shared interests.
Examples:
• A neighbourhood community is made up of people living in the same area who know and help each other.
• A school community has students, teachers and staff working together.
• A village community has farmers, shopkeepers and other villagers who depend on one another.

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