Class 6 Social Science Chapter 1, Locating Places on the Earth (preceded by the textbook introduction Why Social Science? across Themes A–E), teaches how maps, scale, cardinal directions, symbols, latitudes, longitudes, the Prime Meridian (Greenwich and Ujjain’s madhyarekha), and time zones locate any place on Earth.
What Class 6 Social Science Chapter 1 Covers
A Map and Its Components explains physical, political and thematic maps, the concept of map scale, cardinal and intermediate directions (N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW), and standard map symbols established by the Survey of India.
Mapping the Earth: Latitudes & Longitudes models the Earth as a globe with a grid of coordinates: parallels of latitude (Equator 0° to 90°N/90°S and torrid, temperate and frigid climate zones) and meridians of longitude (Prime Meridian 0° at Greenwich, plus ancient India’s Ujjain meridian at 75.8°E).
Understanding Time Zones, IST & IDL shows how Earth’s 360° rotation in 24 hours equals 15° per hour (4 minutes per degree), defines Indian Standard Time (IST) at 82°30’E (5 hours 30 minutes ahead of GMT), and explains the International Date Line at 180°.
Exercises in Chapter 1
- Before we move on … chapter summary points and Questions, activities and projects.
- LET’S EXPLORE and THINK ABOUT IT classroom inquiry tasks.
Read Class 6 Social Science Chapter 1 Online
More Chapters
- Next: Chapter 2: Oceans and Continents
- Hindi medium: Class 6 Social Science Chapter 1 PDF in Hindi (Samaj ka Adhyayan)
- All Social Science chapters and the other Class 6 books: Class 6 NCERT books 2026-27
- All Class 1 to 12 NCERT Textbooks: NCERT Books PDF (Class 1–12)
FAQ
What are the three main components of a map?
Distance (scale), direction (cardinal and intermediate directions), and symbols (conventional signs for landmarks and features).
What is the longitude of Indian Standard Time (IST) and how far ahead of GMT is it?
Indian Standard Time (IST) is based on the 82°30’E (82.5°E) meridian, making IST 5 hours and 30 minutes ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).