CLASS 6 SOCIAL SCIENCE · CHAPTER 1 · STUDY NOTES
Why SST matters & locating places on Earth
The indexed source combines the SST introduction and Locating Places on the Earth. Learn the connected themes, then read maps, coordinates and time.
01 / EXPLORE & UNDERSTAND
SST helps us understand our shared world
Where we live, how people live and what happened before are connected.
One road. Five ways to understand it.
- Land and people
- Where does the road go?
- The past
- When was it built, and why?
- Culture
- Which community places does it connect?
- Governance
- Who decides how it is maintained?
- Economic life
- What work and trade does it support?
1. Start with one familiar place
Think about a road near your home. Where does it go? When was it built? Who decides how it is maintained? One place can raise questions about geography, history and government.
2. Connect the five themes
The book connects land and people, the past, cultural heritage, governance and economic life. A road may connect workplaces, places of worship and homes. These connections help us understand society, rather than learn isolated facts.
A little deeper: Why one answer may not fit every society
SST uses evidence, but people and circumstances differ. Compare sources and viewpoints before explaining a social problem.
Your turn
Question
Give two different questions you could ask about a village well.
Sign in to see the answer
Write your own answer and compare it with ours. It’s free.
Sign inNew here? Sign up freeNCERT · Chapter source PDF, pages 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 · Original Learnijoy explanations and practice.
02 / EXPLORE & UNDERSTAND
A map shows a place from above
A map helps you locate landmarks and choose a route.
Picture from the NCERT book
Sign in free to see it.
1. Find recognisable places first
A map represents a place from above. In this imaginary city, find the labelled school, hospital and museum. Roads and water are drawn differently so that you can tell them apart.
2. Read direction before describing a route
Use the north arrow on the map. Then trace the roads between landmarks. A route follows the road, so it may be longer than a straight line between two buildings. An atlas is a collection of maps.
Your turn
Question
Why can two routes to the same place both be correct?
Sign in to see the answer
Write your own answer and compare it with ours. It’s free.
Sign inNew here? Sign up freeNCERT · Chapter source PDF, pages 7, 8, 9 · Original Learnijoy explanations and practice.
03 / EXPLORE & UNDERSTAND
Choose a map for your question
Different maps highlight different information.
The same imaginary region, three kinds of map
1. Match the map to your question
To find mountains and rivers, use a physical map. To find a state boundary, use a political map. To compare rainfall, use a thematic map about rainfall.
2. Read the key, even when a colour looks familiar
A colour or symbol means what the map’s key says it means. Blue might show water on one map, but a rainfall category on another. No single map can show every detail clearly.
Your turn
Question
Which kind of map would help you compare where mountains are?
Sign in to see the answer
Write your own answer and compare it with ours. It’s free.
Sign inNew here? Sign up freeNCERT · Chapter source PDF, pages 9 · Original Learnijoy explanations and practice.
04 / EXPLORE & UNDERSTAND
Scale turns map distance into real distance
Always read the scale before measuring a distance.
Build the distance one unit at a time
1 cm → 200 m
3 × 200 m = 600 m
1. Read what one unit represents
In our example, 1 cm on the printed map represents 200 m on the ground. The scale links a small drawing to a much larger real place.
2. Multiply by the number of units
A route measuring 3 cm represents 3 × 200 m = 600 m. Keep the distance unit in your answer. This screen drawing is a model: resizing it changes its centimetres, so do not measure it with a ruler.
- Read the scale: 1 cm = 200 m.
- Use the given map length: 3 cm.
- Multiply 3 × 200 to get 600 m.
Your turn
Question
At 1 cm = 200 m, what does 4 cm represent?
Sign in to see the answer
Write your own answer and compare it with ours. It’s free.
Sign inNew here? Sign up freeNCERT · Chapter source PDF, pages 10 · Original Learnijoy explanations and practice.
05 / EXPLORE & UNDERSTAND
Directions and symbols make maps readable
Find north. Then use the key to understand the marks on the map.
Read the compass
1. Use north as your starting reference
Once you know north, find south opposite it, east to the right and west to the left on this compass. Northeast is between north and east. The other intermediate directions work the same way.
2. Let the map’s key explain its symbols
A small symbol can stand for a large feature, such as a hospital or railway station. Read the key instead of guessing. Direction, distance and symbols together make a map useful.
Your turn
Question
North is upwards in this compass. Which direction is down and right?
Sign in to see the answer
Write your own answer and compare it with ours. It’s free.
Sign inNew here? Sign up freeNCERT · Chapter source PDF, pages 10, 11, 12 · Original Learnijoy explanations and practice.
06 / EXPLORE & UNDERSTAND
A globe and a map do different jobs
Earth is nearly spherical. A flat map cannot show that shape perfectly.
A globe keeps Earth’s rounded shape
Picture from the NCERT book
Sign in free to see it.
1. A globe keeps Earth’s round shape
A globe is a small model of Earth. Turn it to see how continents and oceans lie around the planet. You cannot see the whole round surface from one viewpoint.
2. A flat map is convenient, but changes the shape
A map is easy to carry and can show a small area in detail. But a curved surface cannot be flattened perfectly. Like flattening an orange peel, some shapes, sizes or distances must change.
Your turn
Question
Why is a globe useful when learning about the whole Earth?
Sign in to see the answer
Write your own answer and compare it with ours. It’s free.
Sign inNew here? Sign up freeNCERT · Chapter source PDF, pages 12, 13, 15 · Original Learnijoy explanations and practice.
07 / EXPLORE & UNDERSTAND
Two coordinates locate one place
One number often leaves many possible locations. A pair narrows it down.
Find the meeting point
C + 2 → C2
1. One clue leaves many possible places
Saying “column C” does not tell us which square in that column. Add “row 2” and we can find C2, where the column and row meet.
2. Earth uses a pair too
Latitude tells north or south of the Equator. Longitude tells east or west of the Prime Meridian. Delhi is roughly 29°N, 77°E in the book’s rounded example. Do not swap the two.
Your turn
Question
Why does “row 2” not identify one square in this grid?
Sign in to see the answer
Write your own answer and compare it with ours. It’s free.
Sign inNew here? Sign up freeNCERT · Chapter source PDF, pages 13, 14, 16, 17 · Original Learnijoy explanations and practice.
08 / EXPLORE & UNDERSTAND
Latitude tells north or south of the Equator
The Equator is 0°. The poles are 90°N and 90°S.
Start at the red Equator
Picture from the NCERT book
Sign in free to see it.
1. Begin at the Equator: 0°
Latitude is an angle telling how far north or south a place is from the Equator. The North Pole is 90°N and the South Pole is 90°S. These are degrees, not kilometres.
2. Notice the circles getting smaller
Parallels run east–west. The Equator is the largest circle; parallels become smaller towards the poles. Places farther from the Equator are generally cooler, but height and other factors also affect climate.
Your turn
Question
Does 20°S lie north or south of the Equator?
Sign in to see the answer
Write your own answer and compare it with ours. It’s free.
Sign inNew here? Sign up freeNCERT · Chapter source PDF, pages 14, 15 · Original Learnijoy explanations and practice.
09 / EXPLORE & UNDERSTAND
Longitude tells east or west of Greenwich
Meridians run from the North Pole to the South Pole.
Follow a line from pole to pole
Picture from the NCERT book
Sign in free to see it.
1. Start at a chosen reference line
The Prime Meridian through Greenwich is 0° longitude. Measure east or west up to 180°. The 180°E and 180°W meridians are the same line on the other side of Earth.
2. Follow a meridian from pole to pole
A meridian is a half-circle joining the poles. These are imaginary reference lines, not markings on the ground. Earlier Indian astronomers used a reference meridian through Ujjain.
Your turn
Question
What does the E in 77°E tell you?
Sign in to see the answer
Write your own answer and compare it with ours. It’s free.
Sign inNew here? Sign up freeNCERT · Chapter source PDF, pages 15, 16, 17, 18 · Original Learnijoy explanations and practice.
10 / EXPLORE & UNDERSTAND
Read both hemisphere letters
The Equator divides north/south. The 0° and 180° meridians divide east/west.
Two different ways to divide Earth
Picture from the NCERT book
Sign in free to see it.
1. Use both letters
N or S tells which side of the Equator. E or W tells which side of the Prime Meridian, measured up to 180°. So one place can be both northern and eastern.
2. Try the mainland India example
The chapter gives about 8°N–37°N and 68°E–97°E for mainland India. Both latitude limits are north and both longitude limits are east. These rounded figures do not include the southernmost Indian islands.
Your turn
Question
Which hemispheres describe 10°N, 20°W?
Sign in to see the answer
Write your own answer and compare it with ours. It’s free.
Sign inNew here? Sign up freeNCERT · Chapter source PDF, pages 17, 19 · Original Learnijoy explanations and practice.
11 / EXPLORE & UNDERSTAND
Further east: later local time
Earth turns west to east. One full turn is about 24 hours.
Move east or west. Watch local time change.
Same instant · Greenwich is at noon
30° ÷ 15° = 2 hour(s) · ahead
1. Find how much Earth turns in an hour
Earth makes one turn of 360° in about 24 hours. Divide: 360 ÷ 24 = 15° per hour. This links a longitude difference with a local solar-time difference.
2. East is ahead; west is behind
If it is noon at Greenwich, local solar time at 30°E is 30 ÷ 15 = 2 hours ahead: 2 pm. At 15°W it is one hour behind: 11 am. Places on the same longitude share local solar time even at different latitudes.
- Divide the longitude difference by 15° per hour.
- Add for east; subtract for west.
Your turn
Question
In this model, Greenwich is noon. What is the local time at 15°W?
Sign in to see the answer
Write your own answer and compare it with ours. It’s free.
Sign inNew here? Sign up freeNCERT · Chapter source PDF, pages 20, 21 · Original Learnijoy explanations and practice.
12 / EXPLORE & UNDERSTAND
Standard time keeps clocks together
Countries choose common clock times for practical use.
Different places can share one official time
An example instant—not live clocks
Same clock time ≠ same sunrise time
1. Shared clocks make planning easier
If every town used its own local solar time, train timetables and meetings would be confusing. A standard time gives a region one shared clock time. India uses IST; some large countries use several time zones.
2. Work out the Indian offset
IST uses the reference meridian 82.5°E. Calculate 82.5 ÷ 15 = 5.5 hours, or 5 hours 30 minutes ahead of GMT/UTC. So 10:00 am becomes 3:30 pm IST. Assam and Gujarat follow the same IST although daylight differs.
Your turn
Question
Does one shared standard time mean sunrise happens together everywhere?
Sign in to see the answer
Write your own answer and compare it with ours. It’s free.
Sign inNew here? Sign up freeNCERT · Chapter source PDF, pages 21, 22, 23 · Original Learnijoy explanations and practice.
13 / EXPLORE & UNDERSTAND
Crossing the Date Line changes the date
The International Date Line lies near 180° longitude, with bends around some countries.
One crossing changes the calendar date
Date Line
Tuesday → Wednesday: add one day.
1. Crossing the line changes the calendar day
Cross westward and add one day. Cross eastward and subtract one day. The two examples show only this date correction; they do not include the hours spent travelling.
2. The line bends for a reason
The Date Line is near 180° longitude, opposite the Prime Meridian. It bends to avoid splitting some countries into two calendar dates. Do not confuse this date rule with the 15°-per-hour local-time calculation.
Your turn
Question
In a simplified Date Line example, you cross westward while your date is Tuesday. Which date do you adopt?
Sign in to see the answer
Write your own answer and compare it with ours. It’s free.
Sign inNew here? Sign up freeCHAPTER RECAP
Take these ideas with you
- Read a map’s scale, directions and key before using it.
- Latitude and longitude work together to locate a place.
- Local solar time, standard time and a Date Line crossing are different ideas.
Use your understanding in a new situation
Question
On a printed map, 1 cm stands for 300 m. A route is 2 cm long. How long is the real route?
Sign in to see the answer
Write your own answer and compare it with ours. It’s free.
Sign inNew here? Sign up freeQuestion
Two places are on 20°N, but one is at 10°E and the other at 25°E. Are they the same place? What is their local solar-time difference?
Sign in to see the answer
Write your own answer and compare it with ours. It’s free.
Sign inNew here? Sign up freeNCERT · Chapter source PDF, pages 22, 23, 24 · Original Learnijoy explanations and practice.