GovernmentSummary1.Government is an institution which maintains law and
order.2.A monarchy is a form of government with a monarch,
i.e. a king or queen at the head.3.A dictatorship is a government that is ruled by a
person without the collective approval of the people.4.Democracy is the most popular form of government
today. In a democracy, people choose their representatives through elections.5.Freedom and equality are the most important elements
of a democracy.6.There are three levels at which the government in
India functions: the central government, the state government, and the local
government.7.In India, the law-making organ of the government is
called the Legislature; the organ that executes various functions is called the
Executive; and the organ that ensures that we obey these laws is called the
Judiciary.8.The government builds the infrastructure of the
country, looks after the welfare of the people, protects the state, upholds law
and order, and maintains good relations with other countries.GovernmentWhat happens when a teacher is not
present in the classroom? Students tend to get indisciplined. Right? One
student may get up from the seat and start playing with paper planes; another
may pull out the lunch box and start eating from it; a student sitting behind
may demand for a bite and a fight may ensue. There is total confusion and chaos
in the classroom. Then, the teacher arrives and there is pin-drop silence. You
must have experienced this. So the teacher appoints a monitor to maintain order
in class in her absence. The monitor is one amongst you. The other students
need to obey the monitor, or else get punished.What is one thing that is common
in everyday newspaper headlines? It is the term 'government', written as Govt
in short form. You have heard this word many times from the mouth of elders,
over the radio and on television. You have also read it in the newspapers and
magazines. What is a government? What does it do? Why do we need a government?
Why does our country have a government? Who makes up the government? We will more...
Discrimination-Inequality,
Stereotypes and PrejudiceSummary 1.Discrimination means treating a group of people less
favourable than others because of factors like skin colour, gender,
nationality, religion , culture, status and disability. 2.Forming rigid ideas about a certain group and being
judgemental about them results in stereotypes. 3.Prejudice means to ?pre-judge? someone.4.Stereotypes and prejudices lead to discrimination.5.We should respect one another and accept our
differences. Tolerance helps us to learn about different cultures, new ideas,
etc.6.The Constitution of India guarantees equality on the
grounds of religion, caste, creed, etc.IntroductionWhen you look around and you see
people different from you, what do you think about the differences? Why are
some people so different from you? Do you treat them differently? In the previous chapter, we viewed
the positive aspect of diversity. However, diversity has a dark side too. In
this chapter, we will find out how diversity impacts us negatively. Not all
appreciate diversity. When a person thinks that only one particular way is the
best and the right way to do a thing, he ends up not respecting people who may
prefer to do things differently. Such people may rarely associate with the
members of certain groups. Now assess the situation in the picture. Discuss ? Why do you think the child is
not allowed to play with the rest?? What do you think about this
kind of behaviour?? Can you recollect any such
incident where someone was treated this way?WHAT IS DISCRIMINATION?Diversity exists naturally while
discrimination is man-made. Discrimination refers to treating a group of people
less favourably than others. This may be because of their skin colour, gender,
nationality, religion, culture, status, disability, age and many more aspects.
In most cases, people who are discriminated against are judged as 'inferior'.
Some are called hurtful names, some are not allowed to participate in events,
some are excluded from jobs and clubs, some are attacked and beaten; some are
not given promotions or unfairly paid less for doing the same work; and some
homes or places of worship are more...
DiversitySummary1.Diversity is the state of being different. It adds
variety and enjoyment to our life.2.We differ from one another in physical appearance,
food habits, religious beliefs, ideologies, dresses, etc.3.Diversity exists in physical appearance, gender,
economic status, and social and cultural life.4.Diversity encourages us to adapt to new people,
places and surroundings, and become more tolerant and broad-minded towards our
differences.5.India exhibits diversity in terms of geographical
features, religion, language, dress and food.6.There is unity in India in spite of diversity.IntroductionThe great German indologist Max
Muller said? If I were to look over the whole world to find out the country
most richly endowed with all the wealth, power and beauty that nature can
bestow ? in some parts a very paradise on earth- I should point to India.? This statement shows that India is
a land of diversity which enhances the beauty of this country.WHAT IS 'DIVERSITY'?As you sit in your classroom, look
around and observe each student. You will find that each student looks
different from the other. Some are dark-skinned while some are fair; some have
curly hair, and some have straight hair; some are tall, others are short; some
are fat while some are thin. You also differ in your habits and interests. Your
friend might like to play basketball, but you would go for cricket. Your
religious beliefs might differ as well. You might go to a temple to pray, but
your friend would visit a church on the weekend.At home also, you might find many
differences between you and your\[sibling{{s}^{1}}\]. Your sister likes to wear
jeans but you like a pair of shorts. She loves rice, you like chapatti; she is
good at painting while you are a good dancer. Again in your building or street,
there might be people from various places with their varied ways of dressing
and food habits. Even the plants and animals around you show a wide variety;
they are of different shapes, colours, sizes and show different behaviour. This
is diversity. Diversity can thus be defined as the state or fact of being
different and unique. Diversity can be in terms of gender? more...
India-Climate,
Natural Vegetation and WildlifeSummary1.India?s climate is influenced by the Himalayas in the
north and the seas surrounding its peninsula in the south.2.India hosts four major climatic types, ranging from
the desert in the west, to the alpines with frozen peaks and glaciers in the
northern mountains; from temperate sub-tropical type in the northern plains to
the humid tropical regions supporting rain forests in the south-west and the
island territories.3.The landmass has four seasons: winter (January and
February), summer (March to May), monsoon (rainy) season (June to September),
and retreating monsoon (October to December).4.India receives \[60%\] of its rainfall from the
south-west monsoons.5.The north-east monsoons bring rain to the east coast
of India; and tropical cyclones in September- October over the Bay of Bengal
causing rain, storm and destruction along the eastern deltaic areas.6.In winter the north-west part of India receives
rainfall from the westerly cyclones.7.The distribution of rainfall is not the same due to
the various climatic factors.8.Our crops depend quite a lot on the monsoon rains.9.A great variation in the relief features and in the
amount of rainfall have created a variety of vegetation and forests in India.10.The Deciduous and Temperate Forests are commercially
important. Tropical Evergreen Forests are found in areas where rainfall is
recorded as 300 centimetres and temperatures vary between \[25{}^\circ C\] and \[30{}^\circ
C\]. Evergreen Forests have a close canopy, intermingled species and very
little undergrowth.11.Deciduous Forests are found in areas where rainfall
is from 100 to 200 centimetres. Deciduous trees shed their leaves in March and
April and thus, conserve moisture.12.The Thorny Desert Vegetation grows in areas with
rainfall less than 50 centimetres a year. The Desert Forests have trees with
long taproots, small leaves and thorny branches.13.Tidal Forests grow in river deltas near the sea
shore. Trees of Tidal Forests have stilt-like supporting roots that keep them
still even during the high more...
Our
Country India-Location and Physical FeaturesSummary1.India is located in the Northern and the Eastern
Hemisphere.2.India shares common boundaries with seven countries;
Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar.3.India has 29 states and 7 union territories,
including the National Capital Territory of Delhi.4.For administrative purposes the states are further
divided into districts and tehsils.5.To fix the standard time of India, the \[82.5{}^\circ
E\] longitude has been taken as the standard meridian.6.India is a part of a subcontinent and can be divided
into six distinct physical divisions - The Northern Mountain Wall, the Northern
Plains, the Great Indian Desert, the Indian Plateau, the Coastal Plains and Islands.7.The Northern Mountain Wall mostly consists of the
Himalayas with an arc-shaped chain of three parallel ranges - the Himadri,
Himachal and Shiwalik.8.Towards the south of the Himalayas are the Northern
Plains and to the west is the Great Indian Desert which extends into Pakistan.9.The plateaus of peninsular India are flanked by the
mountain ranges of the Western and Eastern Ghats, and surrounded by the Coastal
Plains.10.The Lakshadweep in the Arabian Sea and the Andaman
and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal are also parts of India.India is a country of vast
geographical expanse in South Asia. It is set apart from the rest of Asia by
the lofty wall of the Himalayas in its north. The southern part is surrounded
by water and this makes it a peninsula. Three large bodies of water that
surround the Indian peninsula are the Arabian Sea in the West, the Bay of
Bengal in the East and the Indian Ocean in the South, making it distinctly
recognisable on the globe. India is the seventh largest country in the world
after Russia, Canada, China, USA, Brazil and Australia. It is the second most
populous country in the world 1.28 billion in 2015 after China with a
population of 1.37 billon in 2015.INDIA?LOCATION, EXTENT AND
NEIGHBOURSIndia is located in the Northern
and Eastern Hemisphere. The Tropic of more...
Major
Landforms of the EarthSummary1.The major landforms of the Earth are mountains,
plateaus and plains.2.Erosion and deposition by water, wind and ice can
create and destroy landforms.3.Motion along tectonic plate boundaries creates tall
mountain belts, volcanic chains and valleys.4.Mountains are natural elevations of the Earth?s
surface rising more or less abruptly from the surrounding land.5.Plains are broad/nearly level stretches of land that
have no great changes in elevation.6.Plateaus are elevated, comparatively level expanses
of land. They are rich in minerals.Have you noticed that the Earthy
surface is not the same everywhere? It is uneven and irregular. Sometimes you
may find it even but there are high mountains and valleys as well. These are
natural physical features of the Earth?s surface or the lithosphere, and are
called landforms. In this chapter we shall study about how the Earth is being
shaped by various forces into landforms.
The Earth has an infinite variety
of landforms. The three major types of landforms classified on the basis of
their elevation (height above sea level), relief and slope are: ? mountains, ?
plateaus and ? plains. Large, flat and mainly grassy areas are the plains.
Hills are elevated land masses that are less than 300 metres above the sea
level. Land with elevations more than 600 metres are called mountains. Plateaus
are extensive, relatively flat uplands. Other landforms include valleys\[^{1}\],
islands\[^{2}\] and canyons\[^{3}\].Large and small parts of our Earth
are continuously changing and different landforms are being formed. There are
two types of forces acting on the earth that bring about these changes?internal
forces and external forces.The ground that you are standing
on is slowly moving. Within the earth a continuous movement is taking place.
The Earth's crust is made up of huge slabs called tectonic plates, which fit
together like a jigsaw puzzle. Internal movements below the earth's surface
cause collision of these plates against each other. Landforms like mountains,
faults, valleys and volcanoes are formed this way. Earthquakes also occur
'due to these movements. You will read about them later in the chapter.
External forces include running H water, moving air, waves and tides at sea,
and movement of H|B frozen ice more...
The Four
Great Realms of Our Planet EarthSummary1.The earth is unique because of the three realms in it
which sustain life - Lithosphere, Hydrosphere and Atmosphere.2.The lithosphere includes all landmasses - the
continents and the ocean floors.3.There are seven continents into which the land
surface is broadly divided. They are: Asia, Africa, North America, South
America, Europe, Australasia and Antarctica.4.Three-fourths of the earth is water or hydrosphere
which comprises of oceans, seas, rivers and ponds, and also includes
groundwater, glaciers, ice caps and water vapour.5.The planet contains five oceans namely the Arctic,
Atlantic, Indian, Pacific and Southern Oceans. Oceans and seas comprise 97 per
cent of earth?s total water.6.The atmosphere is the envelope of gases that
surrounds the earth and is divided into many concentric layers.7.The troposphere is the nearest to the surface and
contains half of the earth?s atmosphere. Weather occurs in this layer.8.The next layer is the stratosphere where jet aircraft
fly. The ozone layer here absorbs the harmful rays emitted from the Sun.9.Meteors or rock fragments bum up in the mesosphere.10.The thermosphere is a hot layer where the space
shuttles orbit.11.The exosphere is the upper limit of our atmosphere.
The atmosphere merges into space above this layer.12.The biosphere is the zone of living organisms penetrating
the lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere.13.Human activities have disturbed the natural balance
between the various elements of the biosphere leading to global warming, ozone
depletion, more...
MapsSummary 1.Maps are a
representation of the whole or part of the earth on a flat surface. A
cartographer uses different signs and symbols for showing different features on
the map. Maps are drawn to scale.2.Directions
on a map can be shown by using the points of a compass.3.Distances
on a map can be measured using the Line Scale which gives the real distance
between places on ground.4.Conventional
symbols are simple drawings that show things (features) on maps. All maps have
keys to explain the symbols used on them.5.On the
basis of the scale of map-drawing, maps can be categorised as: (i) Small Scale
Maps, or (ii) Large Scale Maps.6.On the
basis of the function of a map or the features drawn on it, a map can be either
a (i) Political Map, (ii) Physical Map, or a (iii) Thematic Map.7.Sketch
Maps and Plans are different from a geographical map. A Sketch Map is a map
which shows outlines of an area without providing enough details or using a scale.
A Plan, however, is a representation of a small area with reduced measurement
(scale) and much details.Veneeta who studies is class VI in
Delhi, was over enjoyed when her father told her about the trip they would be
taking to Mumbai by train to meet her cousins. Then she ran to her globe to try
and figure out all the places they would be passing through. But the globe did
not show train routes. She then asked her father about it. He took her to his
study room where he rolled out a thick canvas like paper. This is a map' he
said. "Look at it carefully, you will find the answers to what you are
looking for here. I shall also tell you about more features of maps." Her
father started to explain...What is a map? Perhaps, most
people would not be able to give an appropriate answer. One of the reasons
could be that there are many different types of maps used for different
purposes. MAPSAll accurate maps have two things
in common. They present 'a bird's eye view' of an area and they are all drawn
to scale. Maps are a true graphical representation of more...
Where
in the World are We? Latitudes and LongitudesSummary1.Lines of latitude are the horizontal lines that go
around the globe. The equator runs through the middle and is the most important
line of latitude. It makes an angle of \[0{}^\circ \] with the plane crossing
through the middle of the earth. The equator is the main line of reference.2.Lines of longitude are the vertical lines on the
globe. These lines join the North and South Poles. The Prime Meridian or \[0{}^\circ
\] longitude is the main line of reference on the globe.3.While locating places on the globe or on maps, the
latitude is always read first and then the longitude. 4.Latitudes and longitudes are measured in degrees\[\,({}^\circ
)\]. Each degree is divided into 60 smaller parts called minutes (?).5.Lines of latitude are parallel to each other. They
decrease in length towards the poles. Longitudes, on the other hand, are of
the same length. The distance between the two longitudes reduces when they move
towards the poles. At poles, they join one another.6.The important latitudes help us divide the earth into
different Heat Zones or Climate Zones as different places on the earth receive
different amounts of sunlight as per their latitudinal location.7.There is a direct relationship between the longitude
of a place and the time of the place. There is a difference of time between the
two consecutive longitudes, i.e. four (4) minutes. All places on a given meridian
or longitude have the same local time.8.The local time of a place is bound to differ as per
their territorial expanse over different longitudes. To avoid confusion of
time, countries have a Standard (Central) Meridian. A country having much wider
expanse can have more than one Standard Time or Time zones like U.S.A.9.The International Date Line is the \[180{}^\circ \]
meridian. The day and date change on this line. This line is curved at several
points to avoid confusion of days and dates in the same territory.Piyush was standing on the Marina
Beach, Chennai. Before him is a vast endless sea. Looking out at the horizon he
began to wonder which lands lie more...
Motions
of the EarthSummary 1.Rotation of the Earth is the spinning of the Earth on
its axis from west to east, resulting in the occurrence of day and night on the
Earth.2.Revolution is the movement of the Earth around the
Sun in a fixed elliptical orbit over a period of one year.3.The axis of the Earth is inclined at an angle of \[23.5{}^\circ
\] from the vertical line and 66.5° from its orbital plane.4.The Earth?s revolution and the tilt of the earth?s
axis, cause seasons on the Earth.5.The summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere occurs
on June 21, when the Sun is directly over the6.Tropic of Cancer. It results in longest day.7.The winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere occurs
on December 22, when the Sun is directly over the Tropic of Capricorn. It
results in longest night8.Equinox occurs on March 21 and September 23, when the
Sun is directly over the Equator and length of days and nights are equal in
both the hemispheres.The idea of moving around in space
and viewing the wonders of the universe may excite you. But do you know,
actually we all are space travellers. Our spaceship is the Planet Earth. It is
constantly in motion spinning like a top on its axis. That is why we see the
Sun rise and set, and day change into night. While rotating on its axis the
Earth is also revolving around the Sun in a fixed path called orbit. Hence, we
have change of seasons and different climates in different regions.Earth has two types of
motions?rotation and revolution.ROTATIONThe spinning of the Earth on its
axis from west to east is termed as the Earth's rotation. An axis is an
imaginary line running through the middle of an object. The Earth's axis is not
exactly vertical, but inclined at an angle of 23.5° from the vertical. It thus
makes an angle of 66.5° with its orbital plane. The plane formed by the orbit
is known as orbital plane. One rotation of the earth takes exactly 24 hours and
is called more...