Oceans and Continents Class 6 – Simple Answers
The Big Questions (Page 27)
Question 1:
What are oceans and continents? What are their names and where are they found?
Answer:
- Oceans are huge bodies of salty water that cover about 71% of the Earth’s surface. The names and locations of the five oceans are:
- Pacific Ocean – The largest and deepest ocean, between Asia, Australia, and the Americas.
- Atlantic Ocean – The second-largest, between the Americas (west) and Europe & Africa (east).
- Indian Ocean – Between Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Indian subcontinent.
- Arctic Ocean – The smallest and shallowest, around the Arctic region (north of Europe, Asia, and North America).
- Southern Ocean – Surrounds Antarctica and is the smallest of all oceans.
- Continents are large land areas on Earth, made up of countries and cities. The continents are:
- Asia – The largest continent, in the eastern part of the world.
- Africa – The second-largest, located south of Europe.
- North America – Located to the north of the Equator, including countries like the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
- South America – Located south of North America, including countries like Brazil and Argentina.
- Antarctica – The coldest, around the South Pole, mostly covered by ice.
- Europe – West of Asia, including countries like France, Germany, and Italy.
- Australia – The smallest continent, located in the Southern Hemisphere, including the country of Australia and nearby islands.
Question 2:
How do oceans and continents affect life on Earth, including human life?
Answer:
- Oceans help control the climate by spreading heat around the Earth, making coastal areas warmer in winter and cooler in summer.
- Oceans provide homes for sea creatures like fish and whales and help produce oxygen through tiny plants called phytoplankton.
- Oceans are important for food (fish, seafood) and for shipping goods between countries, which helps businesses trade.
- Continents provide land where people live and build cities. They have important resources like minerals and fertile land for growing crops.
- Each continent has its own animals and plants, which add to Earth’s biodiversity.
- The different landscapes and climates of continents shape the way people live and work.
Let’s Explore (Page 29)
Question 1:
What are the circular lines on the map called? What are the lines that come out of the poles called?
Answer:
- The circular lines are called lines of latitude. They run parallel to the Equator and show how far a place is north or south of the Equator.
- The lines coming out of the poles are called lines of longitude. These lines run from the North Pole to the South Pole and show how far a place is east or west of the Prime Meridian.
Question 2:
Which hemisphere has more water?
Answer:
The Southern Hemisphere has more water because it has a lot of ocean areas, including the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. The Northern Hemisphere has more landmasses and continents, so it has less water.
Question 3:
What do you think is the proportion of water to land in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres?
Answer:
This is something you can discuss with your classmates. Generally, the Southern Hemisphere has more water than the Northern Hemisphere.
Question 4:
Are all the oceans connected or are they separate from each other?
Answer:
All the oceans are connected. Even though we call them different names like the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean, they are all part of one big body of water known as the World Ocean.
- The Pacific Ocean connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the Southern Ocean near Antarctica.
- The Atlantic Ocean connects to the Indian Ocean through the Southern Ocean and around Africa.
- The Indian Ocean connects to the Pacific Ocean around Australia.
- The Arctic Ocean connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the North Sea and the Bering Strait.
Question 5:
Where are the five oceans located in terms of hemispheres?
Answer:
- Pacific Ocean – Both Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
- Atlantic Ocean – Both Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
- Indian Ocean – Mainly in the Southern Hemisphere.
- Arctic Ocean – In the Northern Hemisphere.
- Southern Ocean – In the Southern Hemisphere.
Question 6:
Which is the largest continent and which is the smallest?
Answer:
- The largest continent is Asia.
- The smallest continent is Australia.
Question 7:
Which is larger – North America or South America? Which is larger – Africa or North America? Which is larger – Antarctica or Australia?
Answer:
- South America is larger than North America.
- Africa is larger than North America.
- Antarctica is larger than Australia.
Question 8:
What happens if you color Europe and Asia as one large landmass and call it ‘Eurasia’? How does its size compare to South America?
Answer:
- If you combine Europe and Asia, it becomes a huge landmass called Eurasia, which is much larger than South America.
Question 9:
Write down the list of continents from the smallest to the largest.
Answer:
Here’s the list of continents from the smallest to the largest:
- Australia
- Antarctica
- South America
- North America
- Europe
- Africa
- Asia
Think About It (Page 31)
Question 1:
Why do we talk about ‘water scarcity’ if there is so much water on Earth?
Answer:
Even though there is a lot of water on Earth, most of it is saltwater, which humans cannot drink. Only a small part is freshwater, and much of it is frozen in glaciers or deep underground. This makes the freshwater we can use very limited.
In addition, water is not always evenly distributed. Some places have too little, while others have plenty. Pollution and climate change also make water hard to find in some areas, even though the Earth has plenty of water overall.
Question 2:
What are some ways to save water? Have you seen any of these methods at home, school, or in your community?
Answer:
Here are some ways to save water:
- Fixing leaky taps and pipes.
- Using water-saving devices like efficient taps and showerheads.
- Taking shorter showers and turning off the tap when brushing teeth.
- Collecting rainwater for later use.
- Using water for plants during the early morning or evening to prevent evaporation.
At Home: People fix leaks and use efficient appliances.
At School: There might be water-saving features in the washrooms and awareness programs.
In the Community: Rainwater harvesting and campaigns to save water are common.
Class 6 SST – Oceans and Continents (Exercise)
Question 1:
Explain these terms:
- Continent: A continent is a large area of land, such as Africa, Asia, or North America. There are seven continents on Earth.
- Ocean: An ocean is a huge body of salty water that covers most of the Earth’s surface. There are five oceans.
- Island: An island is a piece of land completely surrounded by water. It can be large or small.
Activities
1. Draw the continents:
Try drawing the continents freehand on a piece of paper and coloring them. Then compare your drawing with the map in the chapter.
2. Label the continents and oceans on a map:
Label the continents and oceans on a blank map of the world. You can do this activity yourself.
3. Crossword puzzle:
Across:
- Oxygen
- Continent
- Asia
- Pollution
- Antarctica
Down:
2. Greenland
4. Tsunami
5. Australia
7. Pacific
9. Island
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