it is c.b.s.e 6

1. Preface
The National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2005 proposes that the teaching of social sciences should adopt
not just interdisciplinary approach but also facilitate inquiry beyond the textbook. The Teacher’s Manual
accompanying the critically-acclaimed series, Time, Space & People, for classes 6, 7 and 8 aims to assist the teacher
to achieve this,and there by also converge with the broad objectives of the series itself.
The Teacher’s Manual has been especially written to meet the requirements of the new NCERT syllabus and
the guidelines of the NCF. Innovatively designed, each manual comprises sections on history ,geography, and
social and political life.
Using the Manual
This manual provides a suggested lesson plan and a gist of the teaching points of each lesson. In addition , the
manual also contains the following features:
(a) Pre-teaching and motivational activities
(b) Recapitulation of teaching points of each lesson
(c) Key to the textbook exercises
(d) Pointers for the Things to do section
(e) Sections on vocabulary and definitions of key words
(f) Links to websites for supplementary reference material,pictures and information
(g) Hints to in-text questions and discussion topics
(h) Stories for role-play and dramatization
(i) Intergration of art and craft in lesson plans through making of charts, posters and audio-visual aids
(j) Group activities to promote cooperative learning
(k) Fun with History! and Fun with Geography! provide additional activities to the lesson
Some Tips on Planning and Teaching
• The teacher must read the chapter in the textbook in conjunction with the manual while planning the
lesson.
• A brief overview of the previous class will facilitate recall of the main points and establish continuity with
current lesson. The teacher must emphasize that social sciences is a process with elements of continuity
and change.
• Extracts,first-hand accounts and descriptions should be read aloud in class using the techniques of
dramatization and role-play.
• Display maps and atlases should be used extensively while teaching history and geography. This gives
students a better perspective of the region and location of the event.
• The activities suggested in the Things to do section must be undertaken when the relevant topic is being
discussed. This will provide students with an immediate reinforcement of what is being taught, enable them
to explore additional dimensions of the theme,and also bring in various modes of stimulus variation.
• Students should be encouraged to display their charts, posters and other tactile material prepared during
the course of the lesson.
• Teachers can also conduct mini-exhibitions periodically. This can be planned at the beginning of the
year to coincide with important dates of the calender and on the completion of significant periods
or key concepts. For example, in history,an exhibition can be conducted on the Mughal Period with
charts,displays,models etc. Students should be encouraged to explore aspects of Mughal life such as

2. textiles,jewellery, music,art,dressing styles,etc,and form a link with contemporary trends.
• Group activities and discussions should be conducted through presentations and overviews done by the
students themselves.
• Students can maintain an activity book/scrapbook with a collection of their cuttings ,activity pages, etc.
It can also contain comments under the following headings: ÂWhat I didÊ; ÂWhat I LearntÊ; and ÂHow this
helped meÊ.
The Central Board of Secondary Eduction has recently introduced the scheme of Continuous and Comprehensive
Evaluation (CCE)as a part of its Examination Reforms Programme. Under this new scheme the learner is to be
evaluated in both scholastic and co-scholastic areas, on a continuous basis throughout the year, covering all
aspects of students’ development.
In order to improve the teaching -learning process and to have a balanced assessment system, the CCE stresses
on Formative and Summative assessment.
Formative assessment is a tool used by the teacher to monitor a student’s progress continuously in a supportive
environment. It involves regular feedback and a chance for the student to reflect on the performance,take advice
and improve upon it. The assessment is based on a seven-point grading system followed by the descriptive
remarks of the teacher about the positive and significant achievements of the student.It thus provides the
platform for the active involvement of the students in their own learning and enables teachers to adjust teaching
to take account of the results of the assessment.
Summative assessment is given periodically at the end of the course of learning. It measures how much a
student has learnt from the course. It is usually a graded test,and marked according to a set of grades.
The series Time,Space &People and the Teacher’s Manual adhere to the CCE scheme as they aim at
assessing a learner’s development in areas of learning such as knowledge,understanding/comprehension,
applying,analyzing,evaluating and creating through ample exercises,extract questions,case studies,in-text and
higher order thinking skill questions,activities,things to do and project work,thus covering both Formative
and Summative assessment.
Tools and Techniques of Assessment under CCE
FORMAT DESCRIPTION STAGE
Oral Testing Short answer questions,extract questions,case study,in text and higher FORMATIVE3
order thinking skill questions that tend to evaluate the student’s
communication and understanding of the concept
Assignements/ Exercises,additional exercises,vocabulary,definitions and case studies
Worksheets help to assess the learning of the syllabus
Activities Individual or group activities which require students to create or take FORMATIVE
an action related to a particular concept or issue
Written Test Periodical tests which assess the students acquisition of knowledge SUMMATIVE
Project Work Students can either individually,in pairs or groups can work on a FORMATIVE
project which may also require the application of cocept or skill
Portfolio A collection of student’s work over a period of time reflecting the FORMATIVE
learner’s growth and progress
Checklist Supervising and recording a student’s progress based on certain criteria FORMATIVE
such as self-awareness,creative and critical thinking, decisionmaking,
interpersonal relationships,effective communication, dealing with
stress,etc. Can be a list as well as narrative based on observation

3. The teachers can use the sections on vocabulary,definitions,additional exercises, extract questions, case studies,
in-text and higher order thinking skill questions,activities, things to do, projects and fun with history and
geography as a part of the Formative assessment. These are quite useful in evaluating the students’ thinking
and communication skills, and understanding of the concept and also reflect the learner’s growth and progress.
For the Summative assessment, the teachers will find the exercise at the end of every chapter,quite useful as
these will help the teachers in assessing the students’ acquisition of knowledge.
Reporting Students’ Achievement
The assessment under CCE is based on a nine point grading system and the nine points and their equivalent
performance scale in raw scores (in percentage) as follows:
A1 - 91 – 100
A2 - 81 – 90
B1 - 71 – 80
B2 - 61 – 70
C1 - 51 – 60
C2 - 41 – 50
D- 33 – 40
E1 - 21 – 32
E2 - 00 – 20
Overall, the manual’s approach is guided by a ‘learning-by-doing’ philosophy. Needless to say, the role of
the teacher as an initiator and facilitator of this process cannot be overstated. It is thus hoped that through
this endeavour, the teaching of social sciences will be revitalized and generate greater enthusiasm among
students.

4. Contents
Preface 3 15. Rotation and Revolution 107
Coontent 6 16. Reading Maps 111
HISTORY 17. The Realms of the Earth 116
1. History—When, Where and How? 7 18. Continents and Oceans 121
2. The Age of Stone Tools and
19. Major Relief Features of the World 125
Cave Homes 17
20. India—Physical Features 129
3. The Age of the First Farmers 24
21. India’s Climate 134
4. The First Cities 30
22. Natural Vegetation and Wildlife 138
5. Devotional Lore and Sacred Fires 36
6. Early Kingdoms and Ganasanghas 43 SOCIAL AND POLITICAL LIFE
7. Emergence of New Ideas and 23. Understanding Diversity 142
Religions 50
24. Diversity and Discrimination 149
8. The First Empire and Ashoka 58
25. What is Government? 154
9. From Villages to Towns 67
26. Basic Features of a Democratic
10. Flowering of Religion and Commerce 75 Government 160
11. India from the 4th Century to the 27. Panchayati Raj 167
7th Century 82
28. Rural Administration 173
12. Stories in Stone, Stories on Paper 88
29. Urban Administration 177
GEOGRAPHY
30. Livelihoods 181
13. Planet Earth and the Solar System 93
31. Urban Livelihoods –
14. The Globe - Latitudes and
A Study In Contrast 186
Longitudes 101

5. History—When,
1 Where and How?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOME
• Familiarize the learner with the major developments to be studied
• Develop an understanding of the significance of the geographical terms
used during the time frame
• Illustrate the sources used to reconstruct history
Textbook: Refer to pages mentioned Monument An important building or
Time required: 4 periods sculpture
Intermingle to mix together
VOCABULARY Bounded Confined
Conqueror Victorious
Banks land next to a river, lake, or channel
Denoted Signified
River Large natural stream of water
Reconstruction Create again
Decided Made up their mind
Preferred favorite
Further comparative of far
Passes (Mountain passes), low places in
Probably Most likely
mountains
Generations All the offspring
Suited Fit
Native Produced in a certain place DEFINITIONS
Oral Spoken Subcontinent – A large landmass, such as India,
Orally By word of mouth that is part of a continent but is considered either
Nevertheless in-spite geographically or politically as an independent
Tradition Custom entity
Excavate to dig out Burial sites – burial area ,a place where many graves
Excavations Dug are found
Vault Compartment Archaeological finds – material evidence, such as
Vaulted Covered with an arch graves, buildings, tools, and pottery found by
Chamber A room in a house archaeologists
Cemetery Graveyard. Mesopotamia – (meso: in the middle of) (potamia:
Lapis lazuli A blue, violet-blue, or greenish-blue rivers) an ancient region of southwest Asia between
semiprecious gemstone the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in modern-day Iraq.
Choker A tight-fitting necklace. Probably settled before 5000 B.C., the area was the
Crescent The figure of the moon as it appears home of numerous early civilizations, including
in its first or last quarter Sumer, Akkad, Babylonia, and Assyria. It declined

6. 8 TEACHER’S MANUAL
in importance after Mongol invaders destroyed its • People who study history are known as historians.
extensive irrigation system in A.D. 1258. Historians make use of items from the past, such
Bharatnatyam – is a classical dance form originating as books, coins, monuments or inscriptions as
from Tamil Nadu given in our activities.
Archaeology – the scientific study of material remains • Every family has a history made up of events
(as fossil relics, artifacts, and monuments) of past from the past, such as the day our parents got
human life and activities married; the day we moved into a new house, a
Prehistoric – History of humankind in the period family vacation that we remember etc.
before recorded history. • Just like families, countries too have a history
Biography – An account of a person’s life written, made up of events from the past.
composed, or produced by another: (b) Make students read the introductory section of the
Manuscript – A book, document, or other composition chapter. (Page 11)
written by hand.
Assessment – 1
Secular literature – literature not specifically relating
Purpose – Formative, Group Test; Type – Individual
to religion or to a religious body:
Assessment; Tool – Group Discussion
Tablets – A slab or plaque, such as one of stone or
ivory, with a surface that is intended for or bears In-text Questions (Page 11)
an inscription. Close your eyes and think of an event that happened a
week or ten days ago.
TEACHING POINTS (Possible responses: ‘I had a test at school’; ‘We went
out for an ice-cream’; ‘I had a fight with my brother/
sister’; ‘I got a new dress’ etc.)
Learning about the past
What is the earliest thing that you can remember?
(a) Ask students to bring photographs of their (Possible responses: ‘My first day at school’; ‘The
grandparents. Divide students into pairs and let day I got my favourite toy’, ‘The day my younger
them exchange the photographs. Ask students brother/sister was born’ etc.)
to record information on different aspects (such When you say Ê50 years agoÊ, what does it mean to you?
as dress, culture, location etc) based on their (Possible responses: ‘It is very long time ago, ‘We
observations from the photographs. were not born as yet’; ‘A time when our grandparents
(b) Ask students what they can conclude from this were at school’ etc.)
activity. Can you imagine what your city might have looked like
1,000 years ago? Draw a picture and share it with the
Hints
class.
We made some guesses about how our grandparents
Teachers can refer to the following websites to guide
lived and dressed many years ago.
students in this activity:
We got our information from a source (the www.kamat.com – an excellent source for timelines
photograph) and tried to deduce as much as we and material on Ancient, Medieval and British
could. We looked at it from various points of view India
and our guesses were based on our own experiences www.webindia123.com – contains material on the
of life so far. history of Indian states as well as sources of Indian
history
Understanding what is history Discussion Points at the conclusion of the above activities
(a) Ask students the question: ‘What is History?’ • Events of the past become a part of our
Summarize the main ideas on the blackboard. memory.
• History is a journey into the past and looks at
Main Ideas
events and people that have had an impact on our
• History is a study of the past. lives. This could be as recent as yesterday, a week
• History tells us about how people lived, dressed ago, a month ago, a year ago, fifty or hundred
and behaved many years ago. years ago or even thousands of years ago!

7. 9 TEACHER’S MANUAL
Why do we study history? some important people and how our lives have
(a) Have a mind mapping activity with the class on become better as a result – for example, the
the reasons for studying history. (A mind map is invention of the electric bulb by Thomas Edison
a diagram used to represent various ideas around or how Gandhiji fought for our freedom.
a central theme.)
Assessment – 4
Assessment – 2 Purpose – Formative; Type – Individual Test;
Purpose – Formative; Type – Group Test; Tool – Tool – Project
Diagram Fun with History!
On the conclusion of this exercise, students can draw Students create their own historical record
this diagram on a chart for the class display board. (Distribute the printable worksheet to each student.)
History makes us Worksheet 1A.
think, question and
express our views
History tells us How do we study history?
We are all a part about how people
of history; who we lived and behaved (a) Revisit the ‘why History is Important’ Activity
are is because of our
history
Why do we in the past with students. Explain to students that the source
study history?
used in this activity was a photograph.
History makes a We learn about (b) Discuss the different types of sources available
connection between our customs and
the past and traditions (heritage) for the historians to reconstruct the history of a
the present
period.
(b) Make students read the section ‘Why study history’ SOURCES OF HISTORY
(Page 12). Have a fifteen minute debate on the
topic: ‘Is History Useful?
ARCHAEOLOGICAL
LITERARY
Assessment – 3 (objects dug from
Purpose – Formative; Type – Individual/Group (written records)
the earth)
Assessment; Tool – Debate
Hints Examples: Examples:
No, history is not useful because: tombs, monuments, manuscripts,
• We live in the present and we plan for the future, inscriptions, coins, religious books,
so we need not learn about the past. pillars, vessels, stories, accounts of
• We need to learn a lot of unnecessary facts and pots etc. foreign travelers etc.
remember many dates. Archaeological Sources
• It is not interesting – why do we need to learn
(a) Explain how historians use archaeological evidence
about dead people?
to understand the life of people.
Yes, history is useful because:
• Artefacts or materials found in the earth reveal
• Who we are and how we live is directly linked to
our past (for example, we learn and study English how people lived in the past.
because we were ruled by the British for nearly • For example, if a lot of expensive items were
200 years) – hence, we learn more about ourselves found such as silver vessels, gold coins, precious
by studying history. stones etc., it tells us that the people of that area
• It is a journey into the past. We understand were prosperous.
changes and developments that have taken place (b) Make students read the section on archaeological
in society over time. For this, it is necessary to evidence in the textbook. (Page 13)
remember some important dates of the past.
(c) Discuss the different types of archaeological
• We can learn about the contributions made by
sources.

8. 10 TEACHER’S MANUAL
Assessment – 5 • They provide information on the names of kings,
Purpose – Formative, Group Test; Type – Individual/ the period of their reign, their activities etc.
Group Assessment; Tool – Oral Assessment • The Ashokan pillars in Delhi, Vaishali and
i. Burial Sites Sarnath are good examples of how inscriptions
throw light on a king’s activities. (Refer to www.
• Burial sites help archaeologists to learn a lot about
wikipedia.org for additional information on the
a civilization because they contain a lot of daily pillars.)
life objects.
• For example, the ancient Egyptians used to bury (e) Make students read the section on inscriptions.
the the dead with the objects used in daily life, (Page 14)
such as clothes, vessels, jewellery etc. iv. Other objects
In text Questions; Queen PuabiÊs Tomb (Page 13) • Include toys, vessels, beads, pots, textiles etc.
Describe the pictures. • These objects reveal the lifestyle of the people and
(Hints: Shows the head of a woman decorated with throws light on the level of economic and social
a beautiful headdress with ribbons and leaves; she development.
also has large earrings.) • (Teachers can use the example of the Indus Valley
What does the headdress tell you about this queen and the Civilization to illustrate how historians have used
crafts persons who made them? the archaeological evidence to reconstruct history
(Hints: Tells us that the queen was an important as the script has not been deciphered.)
individual; she was rich and powerful. The elaborate (f) Make students read the section on other objects.
nature of the headdress indicates that the craftsmen (Page 14-15)
were well equipped and highly skilled.)
Assessment – 6
How would you know that the body belonged to a rich
Purpose – Formative; Type – Group/Individual
person?
Assessment; Tool – Discussion
(Hint: The use of precious metals and discovery of
large amount of jewellery indicates a rich person.) Activity 1: Play the Archaeologist
• When archaeologists undertake excavations, they
(d) Make students read the section on Queen Puabi’s
have very little background information with
tomb. (Page 13)
them. Using the objects found, they make various
ii. Monuments conclusions.
• Monuments refer to buildings, forts, palaces, • The objects found are like clues that help an
tombs, places of religious worship etc. archaeologist to piece together the past.
• They tell us about the cultural and religious life • In the activity, the layer that was laid down the
of people. first was the last to come out - this is an important
• They also reveal the level of scientific development rule of archaeology, wherein, the age of materials
and artistic skill of the time. found are determined by the layer in which it was
In text Question (Page 14) found. Hence, older materials are often buried
deep into the earth.
Can you tell at least one thing about the Taj Mahal just
by looking at it? Assessment – 7
(Hints: ‘It is made of marble’; ‘It is surrounded by Purpose – Formative; Type – Individual Assessment;
beautiful gardens’; ‘The main building is surrounded Tool – Source Based Question
by four pillars’; ‘It is a huge structure’. Activity 2 – Students read an inscription of an
(d) Make students read the section on monuments. Ashokan pillar and write down what it reveals of
(Page 14) his interests
iii. Inscriptions • Ashoka loved nature and cared for animals.
• He took good care of his subjects. He was a
• Written records engraved on rocks, pillars, walls
good ruler who worked for the welfare of his
or coins are called inscriptions. kingdom.

9. 11 TEACHER’S MANUAL
Assessment – 8 Religious Literature
Purpose – Formative; Type – Group/Individual • Examples: Vedas, Puranas, Jataka Tales etc.
Assessment; Tool – Role • They give us a glimpse of the religious beliefs
PlayActivity 3 – Reconstruct ancient times from of the people and how they worshipped their
archaeological finds gods.
• Epics like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata
• The city was well planned – evidence of high walls,
are also valued for their information on social
probably to protect the city from outsiders. practices and traditions.
• Remains of beads and jewellery suggest that the • Religious books are often written in the ancient
people were prosperous. scripts of Pali, Prakrit and Sanskrit.
• High level of artistic skill as painted pots, statues In Text Questions
and engraved tablets have been excavated. The Brahmi Script: Can you recognize any letter?
• They probably followed some kind of religion (Hints: certain letters resemble ‘t, l, E, h, C, O, I,
– remains of what resembles a temple has been inverted Y, D, and inverted T of the English
found. alphabet)
Pushpaka Viman painted by Pandit Pant Pratinidhi in
Assessment – 9
1916. Describe the scene. What is happening?
Purpose – Formative; Type– Individual Assessment;
(Hints: people are watching a chariot descending
Tool – Project from the sky; they all seem to be in great wonder
Activity 4 – Look for some inscriptions in your at this event)
school premises. What do they tell you? What kind of dresses are the men wearing?
• They have the school emblem and motto – tells (Hints: the soldiers are attired in a dhoti, shirt and
us what the school believes in. a headdress; the others who seem to be important
• They carry the dates when the buildings were people are in a dhoti and upper garment.)
erected – reveals how old the school is. Describe their expressions.
• Sometimes, they may have the names of certain (Hints: amazement, wonder, surprise)
important people who founded the school or
Assessment – 11
made significant contributions.
Purpose – Formative; Type – Individual
B Literary or Written Records Assessment; Tool – Story Telling
(a) Recall the ‘Fun with History’ activity. Explain how Fun with History!
history can be studied with the help of written Teachers can refer to the website www.jatakkatha.
records. com for a collection of stories on the Jataka Tales.
Each student can read a different story and narrate
Assessment – 10 it to the rest of the class.
Purpose – Formative; Type – Group Assessment; (d) Make students read the section on religious
Tool – Oral Assessment literature.
Discussion Points
Secular Literature
• Written records are relatively younger than
• Examples: Arthashastra, Shakuntala,
archaeological sources as humans learned to write
Silappadikaram, Manimekalai
only about 5000 years ago. • These texts are not religious in nature. They are
• Existence of different types of written records plays, stories, essays and treatises.
– religious literature, secular (non-religious) • They tell us how common people lived, the food
literature, accounts of travellers etc. they ate, their clothes and the rules of society.
(b) Make students read the section on literary records. i. Biographies
(Page 15) • Examples: Harshacharita (written by Banabhatta
(c) Explain the key features of each type. about King Harshavardhana), Vikramankeva-

10. 12 TEACHER’S MANUAL
Charita (written by Billana about King Understanding how we give dates
Vikramaditya) and Prithviraja-Charita (written (a) Explain the former dating system used by
by Chand-Bardai about King Prithiviraj) historians.
• Biographies throw light on the rule of a king, the
• Earlier, historians used the birth of Jesus Christ
extent of his kingdom, the laws of the land etc.
as the starting point of a new era.
In Text Question • BC denoted ‘Before Christ’ – all events that
Court historians generally wrote all praise for the king. occurred before the birth of Christ
Why do you think they did so? • AD denoted ‘Anno Domini’ or ‘In the Year of our
(Hints: They were employed and paid by the king Lord’ meaning all events that have occurred after
and so they had to write in favour of him. Kings the birth of Jesus Christ.
could often be cruel and punish a writer if he did • The modern system uses the term BCE or ‘Before
not write good things about him.) Common Era’ (in place of BC) and CE or ‘Common
Era (in place of AD).
ii. Accounts of foreign travellers
• Examples: Indika by Megasthenes, writings of Assessment – 12
Fahien and Hieun Tsang Purpose – Formative; Type – Group Assessment;
• These books give us an outsiders’ view of India. Tool – Games
• Useful for historians to compare with biographies Fun with History!
and can determine to what extent biographies
Play the “Timeline Game”. Select 7 students and
are true.
hand over the flash cards with the dates and details
In Text Question
of the following events:
Do you think we can rely completely on the accounts left
2500 BCE Birth of the Harappan Civilization
by foreigners? Why?
1288 CE Marco Polo comes to India
(Hints: Though unbiased and an outsider’s view,
they cannot be relied upon completely because 563 BCE Gautama Buddha is born
of the cultural differences and the inaccuracy of 1857 CE India’s First War of Independence
interpretation and reporting.) 326 BCE Alexander the Great invades India
(e) Make students read the section on religious 1942 CE Gandhiji launches the Quit India
literature. Movement
1950 CE India becomes a Republic
Geographical location
In a given amount of time (say 2-3 minutes),
(a) Explain how history and geography are closely
students must arrange themselves in a line (linking
connected with the help of the following example.
themselves by placing their hand on the shoulder
Tell students that most people who live in the
of the person in front) in the correct chronological
desert are often nomads as they go in search of
order of events.
food and water.
Teachers can source additional dates and events
In Text Question
from the following link:
Why did people live near rivers and forests?
http://www.kamat.com/kalranga/timeline
• Regular water supply for daily needs and
/timeline.pdf
cooking.
• People who lived near forests could hunt wild Recapitulation and Summary
animals for food and pick fruits from trees. • The definition of history and its importance
• Eventually, all civilizations and settlements came • Why history is an important subject
up near rivers. • Sources of history – archaeological and literary
(b) Make students read the section on geographical • The inter-connection between history and
location (Page 17). Use a physical map of India to geography
explain the location of various relief features. • The dating system used in history

11. 13 TEACHER’S MANUAL
c. What are the two main sources of history?
ANSWER KEY TO THE TEXTBOOK EXERCISES
The two main sources of history are archaeological
Summative Assessment evidences and literary (or written) records.
1. Fill in the blanks:
d. What are inscriptions?
a. jigsaw b. 5,000
Written records that are engraved on pillars, walls
c. Kalidasa d. monuments of temples, caves, forts, palaces and on clay or
e. Fahien and Hiuen Tsang copper tablets are known as inscriptions.
2. Answer in a few words: e. Why are accounts written by foreign travelers
a. In which lanugage are Budhist texts written? important?
Most Buddhist texts are written in Pali. The accounts of foreign travellers are important
b. What are the two great epics of North India and because they give us an outsider’s view of our
South India? country. Sometimes, we cannot rely entirely on
Ramayana and Mahabharata are the two great biographies or works written by scribes because
epics of North and South India they may not be completely true or accurate.
c. What kind of books are Arthachastras and Scribes were writers were employed and paid by
Dharmashastras? the king himself, so their writings would praise
the king and his work. Their writings also would
The Arthashastra and the Dharmashastras are
not include the negative aspects of a king’s rule.
examples of secular literature.
Accounts of foreign travellers would help to
d. Who wrote Harshacharita?
confirm what biographies said were true.
The Harshacharitha was written by Banabhatta.
e. Which book did Megasthenes write?
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Megasthenes wrote the Indika.
Summative Assessment
3. Answer the questions on one or two sentences:
1. Why should we study history?
a. What is history? What do we learn in history?
We should study history for the joy and excitement
History is the study of the people who lived in the
of discovery.
past. History teaches us a variety of things such
as how people lived, the food they ate, the clothes 2. How do historians reconstruct the past?
they wore etc. We also learn about how people Historians reconstruct the past with the help of
behaved with one another. many things, which they put together.
b. Give any two reasons why we should study 3. Why is history like a mystery?
history. History is like a mystery because we still do not
Any two of the following reasons: know the details of many things.
We are all an important part of history, as 4. Why is history like time travel?
history is not only made by great people or those History is like time travel because; we travel way
who lived thousands of years ago but also by each back and discover things.
one of us.
5. Where is the Qutab Minar?
We learn about our rich heritage and appreciate
The Qutab Minar is in Delhi.
the hard work that has gone into making it.
(www.sights-and-culture.com)
History helps us see the connection between the
6. Where is the Basilica of Bom Jesus?
past and the present.
By studying history, we learn to think, ask The Basilica of Bom Jesus is in Goa.
questions and express our views. (the-never-ending- road.blogspot.com )

12. 14 TEACHER’S MANUAL
7. Is history only about remembering people? Tools and weapons
No, history is much more than that. It helps us Made
to see the connections between the past and the Sculptures out of clay or wood or stone
present. It also helps us to think, ask questions 14. When did the people of the prehistoric period
and express our views. take shelter in caves? How did they spend their
8. State the two periods into which history has been time there?
divided. Define the two periods. The people of the prehistoric period took shelter in
Historians have divided history into two periods: caves when the days became shorter. They spent
a. prehistory b. history their time painting the walls inside.
Prehistory is that period of human development 15. What is archaeology?
when human beings did not know how to read Archaeology is the science of exploring and
and write and so there are no written records excavating old ruins and studying them.
available. 16. Who are archaeologists?
History is that period of human development for
Archaeologists are people who try to reconstruct
which written records are available. It is the period
the past life of the people by studying the evidence
after writing was invented.
from excavations.
9. Define sources.
17. Why are archaeological finds-a very important
The places from where we get the material source even for the historic period?
required to study history are called sources.
Archaeological finds are a very important source
10. Name the two sources on which we depend to even for the historic period because archaeologists
find out about the past. are able to study material remains from them.
The two sources on which we depend to find out (www.hmns.org)
about the past are: 18. Describe Queen Puabi’s headdress.
a. Written material / literary material The Queen Puabi’s headdress is made of:-
b. Archaeological finds (material dug out from gold leaves
the past ) gold ribbons
11. Name some people who help us to discover the strands of lapiz lazuli
mysteries of the past. carnelian beads
Historians Archaeologists a tall comb of gold
Geologists Physicists chokers
12. Why do we have to depend totally on objects pair of crescent shaped earrings
and materials to know about the prehistoric 19. Where is Ur?
period?
Ur was in Mesopotamia. It is modern Tell
We have to depend totally on objects and el-Mukayyar, Iraq
materials to know about the prehistoric period,
20. What does the word Mesopotamia mean?
because, humans did not know how to write in
the prehistoric period and thus no written records meso = middle and potamia = river, literally
are available. means ‘between two rivers’
13. Name some of the objects that people of the 21. Which are the two rivers?
prehistoric period used and made. Tigris and Euphrates
Used 22. Name the archaeologist who discovered the royal
Pots and pans tombs at the Ur site.
Jewellery and clothes Leonord Woolley

13. 15 TEACHER’S MANUAL
23. How many burials were found at Ur? 32. What do monuments tell us?
1800 Monuments tell us about the religious, social
24. How were they classified? and cultural life of the times in which they were
built.
Common and Royal.
33. What are inscriptions?
25. How many royal burials are there?
Written records engraved on pillars,walls of
16
temples,caves,forts,palaces and on clay or copper
26. Why were the burials classified as royal? tablets, are called inscriptions.
They were classified as royal based on their 34. What do inscriptions tell us?
distinctive form,their wealth and the fact that they
Inscriptions tell us many things
contained the burials of servants and other high
ranking persons alongwith the main person. i. names of kings
ii. the size of their empire
27. Who was Tutankhamun?
iii. the wars they fought
The most famous Egyptian pharaoh was iv. the peace messages they gave
Tutankhamun. He died in his late teens and v. they tell us about names of people who built
remained at rest in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings. temples
28. Why was the tomb of Queen Puabi an vi. the men who died fighting in the first World
extraordinary find? Describe it. War (as in India Gate,in New Delhi)
vii. stories
a. The tomb of Queen Puabi was an extraordinary
viii. musical notes
find because
35. Write a note on the Karthikeya temple found at
i. it was intact
ii. it had escaped looting through centuries Mamallapuram.
b. i. it featured a vaulted chamber, set at the i. the remains of an ancient brick temple, possibly
bottom of a ‘deep death pit’ 2000 years old have been discovered on the
ii. the queen was found lying in a wooden box beach near the Tiger Cave in Mamallapuram,
iii. she was identified by a cylindrical seal bearing 50 km from Chennai.
her name that was found on her body ii. the temple dedicated to Muruga also known
iv. the seal carved in cuneiform and written in as Karthikeya, is almost 2000 years old.
Sumerian,the world’s first written language. 36. What objects can be found during excavations?
29. How was the upper body of Queen Puabi Coins, cooking vessels, pottery, jewellery, toys,
covered? grains can be found during excavations.
Queen Puabi’s upper body was covered with 37. Why are coins particularly useful?
strings of beads made of precious metals and semi
Coins are particularly useful, because
precious stones stretching from her shoulders to
her belt, while rings decorated all her fingers. i. by looking at them we can tell the year in which
they were made
30. What are monuments?
ii. the religion of the ruler
Any building that is of historical significance is
iii. the interests of the ruler, for example
called a monument.
Samudragupta’s coins tell us that he was fond
31. Name some monuments. of hunting (www.answers.com)
i. Red Fort in Delhi (www.planetware.com) 38. What did people write on, in the beginning?
ii. Shore Temple in Chennai
In the beginning people wrote on
(www.indiapicks.com)
iii. Taj Mahal in Agra (www.nomadicmatt. i. stone walls ii. palm leaves
com) iii. barks of certain trees

14. 16 TEACHER’S MANUAL
39. What are manuscripts? 50. Name some foreigners who wrote about ancient
Manuscripts are very useful sources of India.
information about the past. They are written Megasthenes Fa hein Hiuen Tsang
on pieces of paper. They are found in many 51. Write a note on Megasthenes.
different languages and in different scripts. Some
Megasthenes lived in India for some time as the
are preserved in libraries and museums.
Greek Ambassador at the court of Chandargupta
40. Write a note on the Vedas. Maurya.He wrote Indika.
The Vedas are very old religious texts in Sanskrit. 52. Write a note on Fa hein and Hiuen Tsang.
They contain prayers, stories and rituals.
They both came to India to study Buddhism and
41. In which languages are the religious books of wrote about their experiences here.
the Jains and the Buddhists written?
54. What do you know about Periplus of the
Jains: Prakrit Buddhists: Pali Erythrean Sea?
42. Name the two Indian epics. The Periplus of the Erythrean Sea is an account by
Ramayana, Mahabharata a Greek traveller, who describes the various parts
43. What do we learn from the Ramayana and the of India as he journeyed from the Mediterranean
Mahabharata? sea to the Western coast of India.
The Ramayana and the Mahabharata tell us 55. Why are accounts written by foreign travellers
important?
i. about the position of women in society at the
time when they were written The uccounts written by foreign travellers are
ii. about right and wrong actions important because they give us another view ...an
iii. about one’s duties and responsibilities. outside view of our country.
44. What are the Jataka tales? 56. Why is it exciting to study about the lives of
the people from the pre historic times to the 8th
The Jataka tales are interesting, folk stories about
century CE?
the Buddha.
It is exciting to study about the lives of the people
45. Name some secular works of ancient Indian
from the pre historic times to the 8th century CE
literature.
because we see the continuous intermingling
i. Dharmashastras contain rules which govern society of people and the exchange of ideas. This
ii. Arthashastra contains guidelines on how to run exchange contributed to the foundation of
the government national cultures.
46. What do you know about Kalidasa? 57. Why is India called a subcontinent?
Kalidasa lived in the Gupta period. He wrote India is called a subcontinent because it is almost
many plays in Sanskrit. His most famous play is as large as a continent.
“Abhigyan Shakuntalam”...the story of Dushyant 58. ‘India is bounded by sea on three sides.’ Name
and Shakuntala. the seas.
47. Which language was used in South India in the i. Arabian Sea to the West
ancient times? ii. Indian Ocean to the South
Tamil iii. Bay of Bengal to the East
48. Name some Tamil epics. 59. do the Himalayas protect us?
Silappadikaram and Manimekalai The Himalayas prevent the cold wind of Siberia
49. Write a note on the Harshacharita. from entering India.
Harshacharita is the biography of the famous ruler 60. Name the two kinds of rivers found in India.
Harshavardhan and is written by Banabhatta. i.snow fed ii. monsoon fed

15. The Age of Stone Tools
2 and Cave Homes
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOME
• Appreciate the skills and knowledge of hunter gatherers
• Identify stone artefacts as archaeological evidence, making deductions
from them
Textbook : Refer to pages Bonfire Large open-air fire as celebration
Time required: 5 periods Engraving An art of carving a design on a hard
surface
VOCABULARY
Nomadic Having a life of a nomad, Wandering
DEFINITION
Palaeolithic Relating to early phase of stone age Sentinelese – Tribal people who live in the island of
Sentinel, south of the Andaman islands
Manuscript Handwritten document
History – Record of the past
Evolved Progressed and advanced Historian – A person who studies and tells about
Migrate Move about the past from old manuscripts, books and other
records
Perennial Continuing
Ice Age – The period of lower Palaeolithic age during
Beast A large and dangerous animal which many parts of the earth were covered with
Scrape Scratch ice and the climate was severely cold
Technique Method Geologist – Scientist who studies the earth including
the origin and the history of the rocks and soil of
Flake Chip which the earth is made
Core Central part Microliths – Small, sharp, pointed stone tools of the
Shaft Narrow long part forming the handle of Mesolithic Age
a tool Stone Age Factory – A site where prehistoric humans
manufactured tools
Bark The rough outer covering of tree trunk
or branches
TEACHING POINTS
Expedition Journey taken by a group of people for
a particular purpose Introduction
(a) To create a feel of how life may have been in
Altar A table on which religious offerings are
prehistoric times, you can build a cave in the
made

16. 18 TEACHER’S MANUAL
corner of the classroom. Upturn some desks and conveniences like getting food and vegetables from
cover it with crumpled brown paper. You can use the supermarket; or eating junk food; having gadgets
a torch to generate some dim, but flickering light. like the telephone, computer etc.)
You can have this for the entire period of time that
You can extend this discussion by asking students
this chapter is being taught for. At the end of the
lesson, you can also exhibit all the materials that to name three things in their modern life that they
students have made. cannot do without and why they think so.
(b) Ask a few students to sit inside the ‘cave’ and Life in Prehistoric Times
pretend that it is their home. Can they imagine
living in such a home today? (Most students should (a) Introduce the concept of prehistory by explaining
answer in the negative!) the difference between the prehistoric and historic
period.
(c) Explain to students that in fact, there are small
pockets of people, who live nomadic tribal • Prehistory refers to the period when human
lifestyles in India. The link http://andamandt. beings did not know how to read or write.
nic in/people.htm has more information and • The historic period refers to the period where
photographs that you can use, if time permits. there are written records of man’s activities
(d) Read the introduction of the lesson to the rest of the
(b) The website www.becominghuman.org has
class (Page 19) and discuss the questions posed.
an excellent interactive documentary on the
Assessment – 1 hominids,their origins and culture. This can be
Purpose – Formative; Type – Group Assessment/ shown to students before a discussion on the
Individual Assessment; Tool – Oral Testing hominids and their life.
In Text Questions (Page 19) Who were the Hominids?
How would you react if you came across such • Hominids were similar to human beings. Scientists
people? think that humans evolved from hominids.
(Possible Responses: It would be strange; we would • Hominids learned to adapt to their environment
find them very different from us in their clothes, way and early human beings used the discoveries of
of living, food habits etc.) the hominids.
• Why do you think these people do not welcome Life of the Early Humans
strangers? • Early humans had to roam from place to place in
(Possible Responses: Just like we do not understand search of food.
their lifestyle, probably, they do not relate to ours • They hunted animals for food and gathered fruits,
and would like to protect themselves; they do not nuts etc. from the forests. Hence, they were known
want others to interfere in their life) as hunter-gatherers.
• Do you think they are missing out on life? • Early humans led a nomadic life as they had to
The most obvious answer to this will be ‘yes’, as search far and wide for their food and water.
students will point out that there are no cinemas, In Text Activity (Page 20)
malls, restaurants etc. But you can guide students to Can you make out what the people in this picture
develop an alternative line of thinking, by pointing are doing?
out that tribal groups are very close-knit, almost like
Hints
a family, and have their own forms of recreation,
games, and way of living. Just because others are • They are trying to light a fire.
‘different’ does not make them inferior. • The picture also depicts the nomadic lifestyle of
the early humans
Would you be able to live like them? Why?
Most students would reply in the negative. (Possible Discuss (Page 20)
reasons can include: it would be difficult to adjust Besides books and records, are there other sources from
to their kind of life; we are too used to certain which we can learn about the lifestyle of our ancestors ?

17. 19 TEACHER’S MANUAL
Discussion Points Spear Point Group
• Fossils and bones • A spear point could be made using cardboard,
• Pottery wood or even soft flat chalk. Stick the spear point
• Stone artefacts and tools like spears, axes, flakes, to the shaft to make the spear.
flints etc Display the spears in the exhibition.
• Cave Paintings In Text Question (Page 22)
(c) Explain the extensive use of stones by humans in What is the difference between the tool and a weapon?
the Prehistoric era. Use pictures from the website Hints
www.wikipedia.org as a teaching aid. A tool is an instrument or a device that is used as
an implement in our tasks. Example, an axe is a tool
Use of Stones
that is used to cut trees.
Main Ideas A weapon is used to harm another creature or to
• Use of stone tools to make spears, knives and defend oneself from harm.
arrows to hunt animals Is there any tool that can be used as a weapon?
• Stones used to scrape off the skins of animals and Yes, knives, axes etc. can be used as a tool and a
cut meat weapon.
• Stones used to cut trees for firewood
The Various Phases of Stone Age
(d) Explain the two distinct techniques of making
(a) Before commencing this section, make a timeline
stone tools.
to show the phases of the Stone Age.
Stone on Stone Technique
• The use of one stone as the hammer on another
piece of stone (core piece) that was shaped
into the required size.
Pressure Flaking Technique (b) Prepare a slide show on the life of hunter-gatherers
• The core stone was placed on the ground and the during the stone ages. The link
hammer stone placed on a bone which was on the core www.ulstermuseum.org.uk/.../stone-age/ is a
stone. The hammer stone then shaped the core stone very good source of pictures and information.
into the desired size. If you do not have access to computer facilities
(e) Demonstrate how spears were made with the help at school to show this slide show, use overhead
of the following activity. transparencies.
(c) Explain the meaning of the word Palaeolithic –
Making of a spear Palaeo meaning ‘old’ and lithic meaning ‘stone’.
Assessment – 2 (d) The main features of the Lower, Middle and Upper
Purpose – Formative; Type – Group Assessment; Palaeolithic Age can be highlighted with the help
Tool – Project of a table. Use the pictures of the textbook to show
the different tools and the map of India to locate
Fun with History!
the places
Divide the class into two groups – one group to
make the shaft of the spear and the other to make Features Lower Palaeolithic Middle Palaeolithic Upper Palaeolithic
the spear point. (If your class size is big, you could Tools Choppers, Hand axes Scrapers, Borers Blades, Burins
divide the class into more groups; however, ensure Location Valley of River Soan (Punjab) Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) Chota
Banks of Narmada (Madhya Nagpur Plateau (Jharkhand)
that the groups are paired to make the shaft and Pradesh)
spear points.)
Shaft Group The discovery of fire
• Use a long stick, a thin long pipe to make the shaft (e) The discovery of fire can be demonstrated with
of the spear. the help of a role-play activity. Read the relevant

18. 20 TEACHER’S MANUAL
section on the discovery of fire and dramatize (b) Discuss the main features of Bhimbetka art using
the story of the Iranian legend found in the the images from the links above.
Shahnama. Main Features
The Legend of Prometheus • The paintings feature various animals such as
According to Greek mythology, Prometheus stole deer, tigers, panthers, leopards, rhinos etc.
• In some pictures, the animals are chasing men
fire from Zeus, the king of the Gods and gave it to
and vice versa
mortals (humans). As a punishment, Zeus ordered
• Men are depicted as matchstick figures carrying
that Prometheus be chained to a rock, where his liver
spears, arrows and slings
(which would be renewed daily) would be eaten daily
by an eagle. (c) Visit the following links for examples of prehistoric
cave art in Europe.
The Mesolithic Age • http://www.culture.gouv.fr/culture/arcnat/
(f) Explain the main features of the Middle Stone lascaux/en/
Age or the Mesolithic Age. Use the pictures from • http://www.culture.gouv.fr/culture/arcnat/
the textbook to show the difference between chauvet/en/index.html
Palaeolithic and Mesolithic tools.
Case Studies – Ratnagiri and Hungsi Valley
Mesolithic Age - Climate become warm and dry.
(a) Locate Ratnagiri and Hungsi on a map of India.
Heavy and crude tools of the Palaeolithic period
(Refer to the map on Page 24 of the textbook)
were replaced by small pointed tools called
microliths. (b) Explain the reasons why the two sites are extremely
significant to historians.
In Text Question (Page 23)
Ratnagiri
Carefully observe the differences in the size and shape of
these (microlith) tools. What do you think the tools were Discovery of a cave shelter with 54 Stone Age tools
used for ? Another cave in the area has cattle bones with
Hints chopping marks on them.
• The tools seem to be much sharper and smaller Hungsi
• They were probably fitted into small spears or Discovery of a factory site in Isampur with 150,000
used as knives for hunting Stone Age tools dated 500,000 to 200,000 years ago.
Summary and Recapitulation
Assessment – 3 • Life in the prehistoric times
Purpose – Formative; Type– Individual Assessment; • Use of stone tools
Tool – Project • Phases of the Stone Age – Old, Middle and New
Fun with History! Stone Age
Visit this link: • Art during the Stone Age
http://rockart.ncl.ac.uk/interactive/ Summative Assessment 1
learningjourneys/interactive_learningjourneys_
game.htm KEY TO THE TEXTBOOK EXERCISES (PAGE 23)
Students can create their own rock panel by chiseling 1. Answer the following quiz:
away on the rock surface!
a. I discovered a palaeolithic tool at Pallavaram in
Art of the Prehistoric Humans Tamil Nadu in 1863. Who am I?
(a) V i s i t t h e f o l l o w i n g l i n k s f o r i m a g e s o f Robert Bruce Foote
Bhimbetka art. b. I am a Stone Age human using small, sharp,
• http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_whs_rockart_ pointed stone tools called microliths. To which
bhimbetka_images.asp phase of the Stone Age do I belong?
• www.bradshawfoundation.com Mesolithic Age

19. 21 TEACHER’S MANUAL
c. I am one of the most spectacular Stone Age a. Why did the prehistoric humans move from
paintings sites in India. Where am I? place to place?
Bhimbetka Prehistoric humans wandered from place to place
2. Answer the following questions in two to three for the following reasons:
sentences each: 1. They had not learnt how to grow fruits and
a. What is prehistory? vegetables. Hence, they had to roam from place
to place to hunt animals.
Prehistory refers to that period of history when no
written records of man’s life existed. Prehistory 2. Since plants and animals were available in limited
dates back to about 500,000 years ago beginning supply, they had to move to places where they
with the hominids from whom human beings are could gather fruits, nuts etc.
thought to have evolved. We rely on stone tools, 3. Prehistoric humans also had to move from place to
fossils and cave paintings for information on the place in search of water. Sometimes, the lakes and
prehistoric period. rivers were seasonal and would dry up. Hence,
b. Why is the life of a palaeolithic human they had to go to other places.
considered difficult and unsafe? 4. They also had to move to different places in
The life of the Palaeolithic human was regarded search of good quality stones as they were entirely
difficult and unsafe for the following reasons: dependent on stone tools in their day to day life.
1. They had to wander from place to place in search b. How was fire useful to the early humans?
of food and water – hence they needed to protect Fire was very useful to prehistoric humans.
themselves from the danger of wild animals. It helped to keep them warm during the cold
winter nights and frighten away wild animals. It
2. They had to adapt to the changing seasons and
provided them with light in the harsh darkness
environment – this meant that they needed to
of outdoor life. Moreover, they also learnt to use
make changes in their diet and lifestyle.
fire to cook the flesh of animals. Fire became so
3. They had to rely on their own intelligence to cope important that many legends and stories grew
with the life of being hunter- gatherers. around the use of fire.
c. Why did the prehistoric humans move to places c. Why were caves good shelters?
where good quality stone was available? Caves provided natural shelters from wind, heat,
Stones were used extensively by prehistoric rain and wild animals. Caves were also useful
humans to make knives, spears, axes etc. These because they were located in thick forests where
weapons were essential for them to hunt animals wild animals and plants were available. This
and protect them from harm. Since they were gave prehistoric humans an opportunity to find
entirely dependent on stones for their living, they food easily. In many areas, there were streams
moved to places where good quality stone was flowing from cliff tops. Finally, the rocks of the
available. cave shelters could be used to make stone tools.
d. What is the difference between a factory site and d. Describe the food that early humans ate.
a habitation site? Early humans did not know how to grow fruits,
A factory site is a site where stone tools in various grains and vegetables. Therefore, they depended
stages of production were manufactured. On on the wild animals that they hunted. These
the other hand, a habitation site was one where included deer, bison, rhinos, fish, panthers etc.
prehistoric humans may have lived for a particular In addition, they also gathered wild roots, fruits,
period of time. However, a site could have berries, honey etc. from forests. Though historians
believe that they used to eat raw flesh, it is likely
functioned as a factory site and a habitation site.
that with the discovery of fire, the early humans
3. Answer the following questions in five to six gradually learnt to cook the flesh of the animals
sentences each. they hunted.

20. 22 TEACHER’S MANUAL
e. Why do you think early humans painted? What
Front Page
did their paintings show and why?
If we look at the early cave paintings, they depict
a variety of scenes, such as men chasing animals,
animals chasing men, children playing, people
dancing etc. There are also paintings of people
• On the inner pages (3), write about the famous
gathering fruits, honey, preparing food etc. Hence,
pre historic sites like Bhimketka, Ratnagiri,
it is likely that early humans wanted to depict their
Hungsi etc.
lifestyle and express their emotions through them.
It is also possible that this was a form of leisure
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
from their tiring work of hunting. Some historians
also feel that early humans were afraid of animals,
and by depicting them being hunted, it showed
their success over animals.
• Don’t forget to include prices for the various tour
POINTERS FOR THE THINGS TO DO SECTION packages along with the name and contact details
(PAGE 27) of the tour guide. Do this on the outer pages of
the brochure.
Purpose – Formative; Type– Individual Assessment;
Tool – Diary
Page 4
Page 6
1. Diary Entry
• Had to travel far and wide to hunt for food
• Climbed sharp rocks and crossed streams
• Made yourself warm on the way by lighting
a fire Purpose – Formative; Type– Group Assessment;
• Spotted the boar and used your spear and blade Tool – Debate
• Was thrilled as you could go home with this 4. Organize a Debate:
surprise Prehistoric humans led a carefree and fun-filled
Purpose – Formative; Type– Individual Assessment; life.
Yes, because
Tool – Map Work
• They had no responsibilities like we have
2. Map Work
in the present day like getting a job, saving
• Refer to the map on Page 24 of the text book to
for the future etc.
complete this activity
• They were not limited to one place and could
Purpose – Formative; Type– Individual/Group roam around at will.
Assessment; Tool – Tourist Brochure • They could do as they pleased as there was no
law to limit their actions.
3. Tourist Brochure on Prehistoric sites
• Take an A4 size paper and fold it into three parts No, because
like this: • They lived a very uncertain and dangerous life
and in harsh conditions.
• They always had to defend themselves from wild
Fold 1
Fold 2
animals and the fury of nature.
• They did not have the facilities and conveniences
that we have today that helps make our life
easier.
• Draw a picture similar to cave art on the front 5. Role of Women
page along with a slogan to attract the attention • Women probably looked after children and
of the reader. hunted small animals.

21. 23 TEACHER’S MANUAL
• They may have also looked for fruits, nuts and anymore but scientists think that human beings
berries to eat. evolved or developed from them.
6. Prepare a Skit Q4. Which Age was called the Stone Age? Why?
• The short story given on Page 23 of the
Ans. We know that early humans used the stones
textbook can be used as the basis for the enactment
available for defending themselves against
of the skit.
wild beasts and also to kill them, they attached
handles of wood to stones and made spears and
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
arrows and used them to hunt animals for food.
Name the following: The stones were also used to scrape the skins of
1. The characteristic tools of the Lower Palaeolithic animals, cut meat and bones, for chopping trees
Age were – blades and burins. and to clear forests. Since the early humans were
2. The Humans learned to light a fire in the - entirely dependent on stones for their living, the
Palaeolithic Age. Prehistoric Age was called the Stone Age.
3. The Mesolithic Age was followed by Neolithic Q5. Name and explain the techniques used to
Age. produce stone tools.
4. India’s oldest stone tools were found in – Hunsgi Ans. The stone tools were produced by two
and Baichbal valleys. techniques -
5. The first evidence of a cave shelter of human 1. Stone on stone technique – In this technique one
ancestors in India was found at– Ratnagiri in hand of the tool-maker firmly held the pebble or
Maharashtra. core from the tool which was to be crafted, and
6. The three sub-periods of Stone Age are - the other hand held a stone which was used as
Palaeolithic Period, Mesolithic Period and hammer. This hammer stone was used to strike
Neolithic Period. off flakes from the core stone till the required
Q1. Where is sentinel? Write in brief about the shape and size was obtained.
people living there. 2. Pressure flaking technique – In this technique
Ans. Sentinel is an island, south of the Andaman the core stone was placed on a firm surface or
Island. The people living here are tribes who live ground. The hammer stone was placed on a bone
the most ancient, nomadic lifestyles known to resting on the core stone, to remove flakes from
man. Many still produce fire by rubbing stones, the core stone. These flakes were shaped into
they fish and hunt with bow and arrow and live tools.
in leaf and straw community huts and don’t like
people to come near them. Match the columns:
Q2. Why are there no books or any recorded history Middle Stone Age Mesolithic Period
of the prehistoric people? Ice Age Lower Paleolithic Age
Ans. As we know that prehistory refers to the Firdausi Shahnama
earliest period in the history of humans, when Ochre pigment Red hematite
they did not know how to read or write. Hence, White pigment Lime
there are no books or manuscripts, recorded
Hunsgi Valley Isampur quarry
about that time.
Q3. Were hominids humans? What do scientists
think about them?
Ans. Hominids were not human beings, but they were
very similar to human beings. They do not exist

22. The Age of the First
3 Farmers
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOME
• Appreciate the diversity of early domestication
• Identify the material culture generated by people in relatively stable
settlements
• Understand strategies for analyzing these
Textbook: Refer to pages Trenches – Long deep holes dug in the ground are
Time required: 5 periods trenches.
Agate – A hard stone with coloured bands on it is
Agate.
VOCABULARY Hearth – Floor at the bottom of a fireplace is hearth.
Obscure difficult to understand
Pit hole in the ground TEACHING POINTS
Sapling Seedling
Certified qualified Introduction
Inscription writing (a) Read the introductory section of the chapter and
Flourished increased, prospered discuss the questions that follow.
Abandoned deserted Assessment – 1
Trench channel dug in the ground Purpose – Formative; Type– Group Assessment;
Grind crush Tool – Group Discussion
Mortar heavy tool with rounded end used In Text Questions (Page 28)
for grinding
If you were to find such stones, how would you react?
Pestle grinder
Intervening overruling, dominating (Possible Responses)
Plastered applied coat of plaster • I would also be surprised and puzzled as to
Antlers pair of branched horns of an adult its use.
male dear • I would show it to various people to find out more
about it.
Hearth fire place
• I would try to find out more about the script
inscribed on the stone.
DEFINITIONS
What is Neolithic Age? Who made these celts?
Celts – Prehistoric stone or bronze tools were called Recall that prehistory is divided into various phases
Celts. – known as the Old Stone Age (Palaeolithic), Middle

23. 25 TEACHER’S MANUAL
Stone Age (Mesolithic) and the New Stone Age • The potter’s wheel also helped early humans
(Neolithic). The Neolithic Age began in about 10,000 make their own pots
BCE and ended around 3000 BCE. In some places • Later, the spinner’s wheel was used to make
it continued until 1000 BCE. The Neolithic Age is thread
known for the beginning of farming, where humans
learnt to cultivate their own food. Domestication of Animals
Celts are prehistoric bronze and stone tools. Celts • The first animal to be tamed was the ancestor of
were probably made by humans of the Neolithic era. the dog
You can find pictures of celts using the link http:// • Sheep and goats were also domesticated
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celt_(tool) • Domestication helped Neolithic humans to have
a steady supply of meat and milk
What did they use them for?
Celts were designed in such a way that they could Assessment – 2
be fitted on to a wooden shaft and used to fell trees Purpose – Formative; Type– Group Assessment;
and shape wood. They were probably used to clear Tool – Project
patches of land. Fun with History!
Life in the Neolithic Age Look up some pictures of Neolithic pottery using
(a) Visit the website http://www.sitesandphotos. the following links:
com/catalog/parent-88427.html for photographs www.historyforkids.org
of Neolithic settlements. This would be a good www.oubliette.org.uk/Sixc.html (This has sketches
starting point to make students to understand of Neolithic pottery designs)
the dramatic difference in the lives of people www.commons.wikipedia.org (You will need to
of this era. type in the key words “Neolithic Pottery” in the
search section of the website)
Beginning of farming
Divide the class into groups. Give each group a small
(b) Explain to students why the Neolithic Age is also
clay pot and using the designs, let each group design
known as the Neolithic Revolution.
their own Neolithic pottery. Remember the colours
• Transition from hunting-gathering to self to be used are brown, black, yellow and red.
sufficiency in food production
• This led to the rise of settlements and eventually Case Study – The Abhuj Maria Tribe
towns and cities (a) Ask students to locate Bastar in Chhatisgarh in
• Discovery of wheat grains at Mehrgarh, Gufkral, their atlas.
Burzahom and Chirand (Locate these places on (b) Discuss the main features of the Abhuj Maria
the map on Page 24 of the textbook) tribe.
(c) Discuss the new changes in the life of the people: Main Features
pottery, invention of the wheel and domestication • Live in complete isolation in an area of 1500 square
of animals. feet
Pottery • Lead very simple lives in diet and dress
• Used to store food grains, milk and water • Men and women wear only a simple piece of cloth
• Some of the remains of pottery found show that around their waist and grow bananas, coarse
they are beautifully painted and crafted grains and rice
• They practice shifting cultivation and depend
Invention of the Wheel heavily on hunting and gathering.
• A remarkable discovery as it enabled people to • The tribe believes in the collective ownership of
move from one place to another land.