Social Science: Themes A & B

• Social Science's focus is on human society
• The discipline of social science includes geography, history, political science, economics, sociology, anthropology, archaeology, psychology and others
• While the text doesn't classify each sub-discipline, it breaks them up into 5 broad themes

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

• This theme covers the basics of the geographical world
• It includes the planet’s main features and how they are shown on a map.
• It explores how geographical features like oceans, rivers, and mountains have shaped civilizations, and India’s natural setting has contributed to its unique identity

Theme B – Tapestry of the Past

• The theme uses scenes from the past, especially India’s, to understand the present
• The past helps us understand our identities and where we come from
• Understanding history is important, especially where people or governments made mistakes in the past

Theme C – Our Cultural Heritage and Knowledge Traditions

• This theme explores India's rich and ancient culture, its characteristics, guiding principles, and manifestations in history
• It also considers how our cultural heritage can help us deal with current issues
• It aims to ensure students understand and value the cultural foundations of civilization

Theme D – Governance and Democracy

• This theme emphasizes the importance of citizens understanding how their political system works, especially in India, the largest democracy
• It explores the characteristics and components of India's elaborate system, how citizens participate in governance; and the rights and duties
• It also explores how different countries interact and different political systems around the world, so students can become responsible citizens

Theme E – Economic Life Around Us

• This theme focuses on the essentials of daily living: food, clothing, shelter, and access to water
• It looks at how economies work, especially in a large country such as India
• It addresses questions such as the nature of money, its origins, and how can we increase it
• Also addressed are what economic activities people can engage in, and how natural and human resources are best managed

Locating Places on Earth

• You can find places you want to visit by asking someone for help, or looking at a map
• A map is like a treasure guide
• Maps show direction, using arrows in each of the four cardinal directions, North, East, South, West
• Maps use scale to show how a large area can fit on paper, using a ratio of size on the map to size in reality

Types of Maps

• Physical maps show natural features like mountains, oceans, and rivers
• Political maps show countries, states, boundaries, and cities
• Thematic maps show specific kinds of details

• Maps also use symbols to indicate the location of real life amenities such as, railway stations, schools, or post offices
• To display a realistic map, the earth is generally considered as round, although it is slightly flattened at the poles
• The round earth is better represented using a globe

Understanding Coordinates

• Coordinates use letters and numbers to mark spots on a map or grid
• You can identify North and South Poles on a globe
• There is an Equator halfway between them
• Equator distances are measured using latitude

Latitude

• Measures distance from the Equator
• You can draw an imaginary long parallel to the Equator, called a parallel of latitude
• Latitude is expressed in degrees, where the Equator at 0°, and the North and South Poles are 90° North and South respectively
• The climate is the hottest around the Equator, then becomes more moderate closer to the poles

Longitude

• Imagine lines that travel from the North Pole to the South Pole
• Travel distance is equal along these lines passing through Europe and Africa
• These lines are called meridians of longitude and are all circles running from one pole to the other
• The meridian passing through Greenwich, U.K. is 0°
• When measuring time, you are also measuring the longitude of a particular place

Time Zones

• It takes 24 hours for the earth to make a full rotation of 360°
• Every 15° of longitude means one hour of local time
• Moving eastward from the Prime Meridian adds one hour for every 15°
• Similarly subtracting one hour every 15° when moving westward

Standard Time in India

• To avoid a confusing number of local times, many countries adopt a standard time based on the meridian that passes through them
• The Indian Standard Time (IST) is 5 hours 30 minutes ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and is the same across the whole country
• Some countries like the USA are too large to have a single time zone, with the USA having six time zones and Russia having eleven

International Date Line

• Almost exactly opposite the Prime Meridian in Greenwich is a line is called the International Date Line at approximately 180° of longitude
• Should you cross the line, the dates must be changed
• The main components of maps are distance, direction and symbols