Looking for authentic, 100% textbook-grounded DAV Class 6 Social Science Chapter 2 Solutions: Representation of the Earth? Based strictly on the prescribed DAV CMC textbook We and Our World, this detailed guide provides fully explained solutions for Section A (Tick the correct option with reasons), Section B (Fill in the blanks), Section C (Match the following), Section D (Short Answer Questions), Section E (Detailed Long Answer Questions), Value-Based Questions (VBQ), HOTS, structured multi-column comparison tables (Globe vs Map, Sketch vs Plan vs Map), and authentic DAV Board Examination Previous Years’ Questions (2018-2024) with step-by-step marking schemes.
Section A: Tick (✓) the Correct Option
1. A three-dimensional spherical model representing the true shape of the Earth is called a:
(a) Map
(b) Globe
(c) Sketch
(d) Plan
Answer: (b) Globe
Detailed Justification: A globe is a miniature, true three-dimensional spherical model of the Earth. It accurately portrays the spherical shape (geoid), lines of latitude and longitude, relative sizes, and spatial orientation of continents and oceans without spherical surface distortion.
2. Maps showing natural physical features of the Earth like mountains, plateaus, plains, and rivers are called:
(a) Political Maps
(b) Thematic Maps
(c) Physical or Relief Maps
(d) Cadastral Maps
Answer: (c) Physical or Relief Maps
Detailed Justification: Physical (or relief) maps illustrate the natural topographic landscape of the Earth, utilizing standardized international colour tints (such as brown for alpine ranges, green for fertile lowlands, and blue for aquatic bodies).
3. Which component of a map shows the ratio between the actual distance on the ground and the distance represented on paper?
(a) Cardinal Direction
(b) Conventional Symbol
(c) Scale
(d) Legend
Answer: (c) Scale
Detailed Justification: Scale is defined mathematically as the ratio between a specified linear distance on the map and the corresponding actual horizontal distance measured upon the Earth’s surface (e.g., 1 cm = 100 km).
4. In cartography, the standard colour traditionally used to depict mountains and highlands is:
(a) Green
(b) Yellow
(c) Brown
(d) Red
Answer: (c) Brown
Detailed Justification: Universal cartographic conventions assign distinct hues: brown shades designate elevated hills and towering mountains, yellow designates plateaus and arid tablelands, green represents plains and agricultural lowlands, and blue represents aquatic water bodies.
5. A rough freehand drawing of an area drawn without any mathematical scale or instrumental survey is called a:
(a) Plan
(b) Sketch
(c) Globe
(d) Atlas
Answer: (b) Sketch
Detailed Justification: A sketch is an unmeasured, non-instrumental mental diagram drawn from immediate memory or observation to provide visual directions to a specific landmark without maintaining mathematical scale proportions.
Section B: Fill in the Blanks
- The scientific art, technique, and practice of making and designing maps is termed Cartography.
- A specialized specialist or geographer who compiles and drafts geographical maps is called a Cartographer.
- A bound compendium or curated collection of varied geographical maps in book form is known as an Atlas.
- The arrow marked with the letter ‘N’ printed at the upper right-hand corner of a map indicates the North Direction (True North).
- A highly detailed, large-scale technical drawing showing the layout, dimensions, and rooms of a small property or architectural building is called a Plan.
Section C: Match the Following
| Column A (Map Element / Symbol) | Column B (Standard Cartographic Representation) |
|---|---|
| 1. Blue Colour | Water bodies (Oceans, Seas, Lakes, Rivers) |
| 2. Green Colour | Plains, Lowland valleys, and Vegetative forests |
| 3. Yellow Colour | Plateaus, Deserts, and Arid tablelands |
| 4. Brown Colour | Mountains, Hill ranges, and High plateaus |
| 5. International Boundary | Alternating thick black dashes and dots |
Section D: Short Answer Questions
Question 1: What is a Globe? Mention two major limitations of a globe.
Answer: A globe is a true three-dimensional spherical scale model representing the Earth. While it accurately portrays the spherical geoid shape and relative positions of continents and oceans, it suffers from two major practical limitations:
1. Inconvenient to Transport & Store: Globes are bulky, heavy, and awkward to carry during fieldwork compared to foldable paper maps.
2. Inability to Show Detailed Local Information: Because a globe represents the entire Earth on a tiny curved surface, it cannot display intricate local geographic details like village roads, street layouts, municipal boundaries, or individual town landmarks.
Question 2: Define a Map. What are the three essential components of a map?
Answer: A Map is a flat, two-dimensional geometric representation of the Earth’s surface (or a portion of it) drawn to a predetermined mathematical scale. The three indispensable components of any map are:
1. Distance (Scale): The exact mathematical ratio between map distance and real ground distance.
2. Direction (Orientation): The cardinal and intermediate directions typically marked by a North Arrow (‘N’).
3. Conventional Symbols (Signs & Colours): Universally accepted standardized signs, alphabetic codes, and colour fills that represent real-world physical and cultural features without cluttering the paper.
Question 3: Distinguish clearly between Large-Scale Maps and Small-Scale Maps with examples.
Answer: Below is a structured comparison:
| Feature | Large-Scale Maps | Small-Scale Maps |
|---|---|---|
| Geographic Area Covered | Depict a very small geographical area (e.g., a single village, school campus, or city sector). | Depict very large geographical territories (e.g., an entire continent, ocean, or country). |
| Level of Detail | Offer exceptionally rich and minute details (individual buildings, farm plots, residential streets). | Show only prominent broad physical landmarks and major urban centres without minor details. |
| Scale Ratio Example | 1 cm = 50 metres or 1:5,000 (large ratio). | 1 cm = 500 kilometres or 1:50,000,000 (small ratio). |
| Practical Usage | Cadastral land revenue surveys, town planning, and architectural site maps. | Wall maps used in classrooms and world atlas books. |
Question 4: What are Cardinal and Intermediate Directions? Name them.
Answer:
• Cardinal Directions: The four primary reference directions positioned at 90° right angles to one another: North (N), South (S), East (E), and West (W).
• Intermediate Directions: The four secondary directions lying midway (at 45°) between each adjacent pair of cardinal points, providing greater directional precision: North-East (NE), North-West (NW), South-East (SE), and South-West (SW).
Question 5: Why are Conventional Symbols necessary in map-making?
Answer: It is impossible to draw real physical structures (such as railway stations, bridges, police stations, temples, dam walls, and dense forests) in their actual size and geometric shape on a small map sheet. Therefore, cartographers utilize universally recognized letters, shades, colours, pictures, and lines known as Conventional Symbols. These symbols conserve paper space, prevent visual chaos, and enable people of any language to interpret the map easily.
Section E: Long Answer Questions
Question 1: Compare and contrast a Globe, a Map, a Sketch, and a Plan. Present a comprehensive comparative table highlighting their distinct characteristics.
Answer: Geographers utilize four primary visual tools to represent terrestrial space:
| Feature | Globe | Map | Sketch | Plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dimension | 3-Dimensional (Spherical). | 2-Dimensional (Flat surface). | 2-Dimensional (Flat surface). | 2-Dimensional (Flat surface). |
| Mathematical Scale | Drawn strictly to spherical scale. | Drawn strictly to mathematical flat scale. | No scale (rough freehand drawing). | Drawn to an exceptionally large scale. |
| Portability | Bulky and difficult to carry. | Extremely portable; can be folded, rolled, or printed. | Drawn instantly on scrap paper. | Easy to roll and consult on construction sites. |
| Scope & Coverage | Represents the entire planet Earth as a whole. | Can show the entire world, a nation, state, or city. | Shows a route or local landmark. | Shows a single room, school hall, or house. |
| Degree of Detail | Low detail (broad continents/oceans only). | Moderate to high detail depending on scale. | Very basic visual landmarks only. | Minute detail (room length, width, doors, windows). |
Question 2: Describe the history and evolution of map-making (Cartography) from ancient clay tablets to modern digital maps.
Answer: The evolution of cartography spans over four millennia:
1. Ancient Mesopotamian Clay Tablets (c. 2300 BCE): The oldest surviving maps were incised by ancient Sumerians and Babylonians onto baked clay tablets. These crude diagrams depicted city boundaries, agricultural canals, and mountain valleys to resolve property disputes and taxation boundaries.
2. Egyptian and Greek Cartography: Ancient Egyptians mapped agricultural plots along the River Nile following annual floods. The Greeks laid the mathematical foundations of cartography; Eratosthenes calculated the Earth’s circumference with astonishing precision, and Claudius Ptolemy of Alexandria (2nd century CE) published his monumental 8-volume work Geographia, introducing coordinates of latitude and longitude.
3. Medieval Islamic Contributions: In the 12th century, Arab cartographer Al-Idrisi created the world map Tabula Rogeriana for King Roger II of Sicily, documenting Mediterranean coastlines and trade routes with unmatched accuracy.
4. Age of Exploration & Mercator’s Projection (16th Century): European maritime explorers like Columbus and Vasco da Gama necessitated nautical sea charts. In 1569, Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator invented the Mercator cylindrical projection, enabling navigators to plot straight courses of constant compass bearing across oceans.
5. Modern Digital & Satellite Cartography: Today, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), high-resolution satellite imagery, GPS navigation, and digital aerial photography allow computerized maps to be updated in real time with millimeter-level geometric precision.
Value-Based Question (VBQ) with Ethical Evaluation
Contextual Scenario:
While visiting a historic national park, a group of tourists got lost on a forested mountain trail. Ananya noticed that instead of wandering randomly, her grandfather calmly unfolded a physical topographic map, aligned it with a magnetic compass, and located the nearest forest ranger station using standard conventional symbols.
Questions for Ethical Reflection:
1. Why is map-reading considered an essential life-saving literacy skill rather than just an academic subject?
Answer: Map reading provides spatial orientation, situational awareness, and navigational confidence. In remote areas where mobile phone signals, battery power, and digital GPS fail, the ability to read a physical map and compass allows individuals to avoid hazardous cliffs, identify water sources, and find safe evacuation routes during emergencies.
2. What personal virtues were demonstrated by Ananya’s grandfather during the crisis?
Answer: Her grandfather demonstrated calm leadership under pressure, reliance on proven geographical knowledge, and foresight by carrying essential navigation equipment into unfamiliar terrain.
Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) Questions
HOTS 1: Can a flat map ever represent the curved surface of the Earth without any mathematical distortion? Explain why or why not.
Answer: No, a flat two-dimensional map can never portray the curved surface of a three-dimensional sphere completely without distortion. This is a fundamental mathematical property known in geometry as Gauss’s Theorema Egregium. When peeling an orange, the peel cannot be flattened onto a table without tearing, stretching, or wrinkling. Similarly, every map projection must sacrifice either true shape, true area, true distance, or true direction (e.g., Mercator maps distort the size of polar landmasses like Greenland enormously).
HOTS 2: If a cartographer designs a school campus map where 1 centimetre represents 10 metres, what kind of map is it, and what are its practical advantages?
Answer: This is a Large-Scale Plan (representative fraction 1:1,000). Its primary advantage is that it provides minute spatial detail: it can clearly depict individual classroom doorways, fire exits, laboratory benches, school playground boundaries, water fountains, and assembly stage layouts, which are impossible to locate on a district or city map.
Authentic DAV Board Examination PYQs (2018-2024)
Q: Write one-word substitute: “A person who is an expert or skilled in map-making.”
Official Answer: Cartographer. [1 Mark]
Q: Draw and label the eight cardinal and intermediate directions on a neat compass rose diagram.
Official Marking Scheme:
• Cardinal Points (1.5 Marks): North (top, 0°), East (right, 90°), South (bottom, 180°), West (left, 270°).
• Intermediate Points (1.5 Marks): North-East (45°), South-East (135°), South-West (225°), North-West (315°).
Q: Explain the three principal types of maps based on function and content with suitable examples.
Official 5-Point Answer:
1. Physical / Relief Maps: Depict natural geographic features such as mountain chains, rivers, plateau plateaus, plains, and valleys (e.g., Physical Map of India showing Himalayas and Deccan Plateau).
2. Political Maps: Demarcate human-made administrative frontiers, including international boundaries, individual state territories, national capitals, and major commercial cities (e.g., Political Map of India showing 28 States and 8 Union Territories).
3. Thematic Maps: Focus on a specific singular geographic theme or statistical dataset, such as average annual rainfall, population density, distribution of national highway networks, or coal and iron ore mining deposits.
4. Components Required: Each type utilizes standardized titles, scale bars, north orientation arrows, and distinct legends.
5. Educational Value: Together, these maps allow geologists, urban administrators, military strategists, and school students to analyze spatial relationships across landscapes. [5 Marks]
Frequently Asked Questions (DAV Class 6 SST Ch 2 FAQs)
Q1. What is an Atlas?
An Atlas is a bound collection or book of various geographical maps containing physical, political, climatic, and thematic maps of countries and continents across the world.
Q2. What is a magnetic compass and how does it work?
A magnetic compass is a navigational instrument with a magnetized needle pivoted on a dial. Because of Earth’s magnetic field, the needle always settles pointing towards Earth’s magnetic North-South direction.
Q3. Why is North direction always placed at the top of maps?
Placing North at the top is an internationally agreed cartographic convention that ensures consistency across navigation charts, atlases, and GPS systems worldwide.