Class 6 Social Science Chapter 4, “Timeline and Sources of History,” teaches students how we study the past and understand historical events in order. History is not just about kings and wars; it is about people, culture, and changes over time. This chapter builds a strong foundation for understanding history. By learning about timelines and sources, students can connect past events in order and understand how our present has been shaped by the past.
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Questions, Activities, and Projects(Class 6 SST Chapter 4 Question With Answer)
Q1. As a project, write the history of your family (or village if you live in one), using sources of history at your disposal. Ask your teacher to guide you.
Answer (Sample):
My family lives in Bihar. My grandparents were farmers and lived in a village. They worked hard in the fields and raised their children with simple values.
My father was born in the same village. He studied in the local school and later moved to the town for work. My mother was born in a nearby village and studied till high school.
Today, our family lives together and values education and hard work. We have photographs, old documents, and stories from our elders which tell us about our family history.
Q2. Can we compare historians to detectives? Give reasons for your answers.
Answer:
Yes, historians can be compared to detectives.
Like detectives, historians collect clues to find out the truth. They study different sources such as coins, tools, inscriptions, books, and buildings.
They examine these sources carefully and try to understand what happened in the past.
Therefore, historians are like detectives who solve the mystery of history.
Q3. A few exercises with dates:
(a) Place these dates chronologically on the timeline: 323 CE,
323 BCE, 100 CE, 100 BCE, 1900 BCE, 1090 CE, 2024 CE.
Answer (earliest to latest):
- 1900 BCE
- 323 BCE
- 100 BCE
- 100 CE
- 323 CE
- 1090 CE
- 2024 CE
(b) If King Chandragupta was born in 320 CE, which century did he belong to? And how many years was that after the Buddha’s birth?
Which century did he belong to?
320 CE lies between 301–400 CE.
So, he belonged to the 4th century CE.
How many years after the Buddha’s birth?
Buddha’s birth ≈ 560 BCE
Calculation:
560 + 320 – 1 = 879 years
Answer:
He belonged to the 4th century CE and was born about 879 years after the Buddha.
(c) Rani of Jhansi was born in 1828. Which century did she belong to? How many years was that before India’s Independence?
Which century?
1828 lies between 1801–1900.
So, it is the 19th century.
How many years before India’s Independence (1947)?
1947 – 1828 = 119 years
Answer:
She belonged to the 19th century and was born 119 years before India’s Independence.
(d) Turn ‘12,000 years ago’ into a date
Assume present year = 2024 CE
Calculation:
12,000 – 2024 = 9,976
So, the date is approximately 9,976 BCE.
Answer:
12,000 years ago is approximately 9,976 BCE.
Q4. Plan a visit to a nearby museum: the visit should be prepared with some prior research on the kind of exhibits the museum holds. Keep notes during the visit. Write a brief report afterwards, highlighting what was unexpected/interesting/
fun about the visit and the exhibits.
Answer (Sample Report):
Last week, our class visited the district museum. Before the visit, we read about the types of objects kept in museums.
In the museum, we saw old coins, statues, tools, and pottery. Some of the coins were more than 1,000 years old. We also saw traditional clothes and weapons.
The most interesting part was a stone sculpture of an ancient king. It was surprising to see how people lived in the past.
The visit was fun and educational. It helped us understand history better.
Q5. Invite to your school an archaeologist or a historian and ask them to speak on the history of your region and why it’s important to know it.
Answer:
This is an activity-based question.
Students should invite a historian or archaeologist to the school and listen to their talk.
After the session, they should write what they learned about the history of their region and why it is important.