──────────────────────────────────────────────────────── IN-TEXT QUESTIONS ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Question:
“Do we find patterns among the stars just for fun or is there some use of these patterns?”
Answer:
• Long ago, people used star patterns (constellations) to help find directions when traveling.
• Sailors and travelers could recognize these patterns in the night sky and use them to navigate.
Question:
“What is the Pole Star? Why is it useful?”
Answer:
• The Pole Star (also called Polaris or Dhruva तारा) appears almost fixed in the sky in the North direction.
• People use it to figure out where North is, especially when there are no other ways to find direction.
Question:
“What can we do when there is light pollution, so we cannot see many stars in the sky?”
Answer:
• We can go to a darker place away from city lights.
• We can switch off or dim extra lights.
• This helps reduce light pollution so we can see more stars.
Question:
“Which star is closest to us? Why does it look bigger than other stars?”
Answer:
• The Sun is the closest star to us.
• It looks bigger because it is much nearer than the other stars.
Question:
“Which objects form the Solar System?”
Answer:
• The Sun, the eight planets, their moons, and many smaller objects like asteroids and comets together form our Solar System.
Question:
“What are asteroids? Where are most of them found?”
Answer:
• Asteroids are small, rocky objects that orbit the Sun.
• Most lie between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, in the asteroid belt.
Question:
“What are comets?”
Answer:
• Comets are objects made of dust, rocks, and ice that orbit the Sun.
• When a comet comes near the Sun, parts of it evaporate, creating a long tail.
Question:
“What is the Milky Way Galaxy (Ākāśha Gangā)?”
Answer:
• It is our home galaxy, a huge collection of billions of stars.
• Our Sun is one of these stars.
Question:
“What is the universe?”
Answer:
• The universe includes everything – all galaxies, stars, planets, and all of space.
• Scientists are still exploring whether life exists on any other planet besides Earth.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────── ACTIVITY QUESTIONS ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Activity 12.1 (Let us draw)
Question:
“Look at the stars shown in Fig. 12.2. Draw your own pattern by connecting some stars. What object or animal does it remind you of? Give it a name.”
Answer:
• Each person might see a different shape or figure in the same stars.
• For example, you might connect stars to form a shape like a “kite” or a “fish.”
• Everyone can tell their own story for their pattern.
Activity 12.2 (Let us try to locate)
Question:
“Try to find the Big Dipper and the Pole Star in the northern part of the sky around 9 pm in summers. How do you do it?”
Answer:
• Look for the Big Dipper (Saptaṛiṣhi) – a pattern of 7 bright stars.
• Draw an imaginary line through the two stars on the “cup” side of the Big Dipper.
• Extend that line about 5 times the distance. You will see a star (not very bright) – that is the Pole Star.
Activity 12.3 (Let us try to identify)
Question:
“In India, Orion can be seen in December to April after sunset. How do you find Orion and then locate Sirius?”
Answer:
• Look for three bright stars in a row (the belt of the hunter). That group of three stars helps you find Orion.
• Draw an imaginary line through these three stars toward the east.
• The very bright star you see along that line is Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky.
Activity 12.4 (Let us try to identify a planet)
Question:
“How can you identify Venus without mixing it up with a star?”
Answer:
• Venus is very bright (next to the Sun and Moon, it’s the brightest).
• Look near the eastern horizon before sunrise or the western horizon after sunset.
• Unlike stars, planets do not twinkle as much.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────── EXERCISE QUESTIONS (“Let us enhance our learning”) ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Question:
“Match the columns:
Column I Column II
(i) Satellite of Earth (a) Orion
(ii) Red Planet (b) Venus
(iii) Constellation (c) Mars
(iv) Planet commonly called Evening Star (d) Moon”
Answer:
• (i) Satellite of Earth → (d) Moon
• (ii) Red Planet → (c) Mars
• (iii) Constellation → (a) Orion
• (iv) Planet called Evening Star → (b) Venus
Question (i):
“Solve the riddle:
My first alphabet is in MAN but not in CAN
My second alphabet is in ACE and also in FAN
My third alphabet is in RAT but not in CAT
My fourth alphabet is in SUN but not in FUN
I am a planet that moves around the Sun.”
Answer (sample):
• First letter: M (in MAN, not in CAN)
• Second letter: A (in ACE, also in FAN)
• Third letter: R (in RAT, not in CAT)
• Fourth letter: S (in SUN, not in FUN)
• So the planet is MARS.
Question (ii):
“Make two similar riddles by yourself.”
Answer (sample riddles):
• Students can create their own – for instance with letters for “VENUS” or “EARTH.”
Question:
“Which of the following is not a member of our Solar System?
(i) Sirius, (ii) Comets, (iii) Asteroids, (iv) Pluto.”
Answer:
• (i) Sirius is not in our Solar System (it is a separate star).
• Comets, asteroids, and Pluto are part of our Solar System (though Pluto is a dwarf planet).
Question:
“Which of the following is not a planet of the Sun?
(i) Jupiter, (ii) Pluto, (iii) Neptune, (iv) Saturn.”
Answer:
• (ii) Pluto is not considered a planet now – it is a dwarf planet.
Question:
“Which is the brighter star, the Pole Star or Sirius?”
Answer:
• Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky. It is brighter than the Pole Star (Polaris).
Question:
“Look at Fig. 12.12 (an artist’s representation of the Solar System). Is the order of planets correct? If not, rewrite the correct order of planets from the Sun.”
Answer:
• The correct order of planets from nearest to farthest from the Sun is: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune.
Question:
“In Fig. 12.13, identify the Big Dipper and Little Dipper. Draw lines to show them and label the Pole Star.”
Answer:
• Draw 7 bright stars in a ladle shape for Big Dipper.
• Near it, a smaller ladle shape for Little Dipper.
• Mark the farthest star in the Little Dipper’s handle as the Pole Star (Polaris).
Question:
“In Fig. 12.14, identify Orion and label Sirius.”
Answer:
• Draw the belt of Orion (3 stars in a row) and connect the other stars for the hunter shape.
• Extend a line from the belt toward the east to mark Sirius.
Question:
“Why do stars fade away at dawn and appear at dusk? Why are they not visible during the day?”
Answer:
• During the day, the sunlight is too bright, so we cannot see other stars in the sky.
• At dawn, the sunlight grows, making stars look fainter. At dusk, when the sunlight fades, stars become visible again.
Question:
“Observe the Big Dipper several times at intervals of 2 or 3 hours. Does it appear to move? Draw a rough sketch to show the changes.”
Answer:
• Yes, it appears to move slowly around the Pole Star because the Earth is rotating on its axis.
• Over a few hours, the Big Dipper seems to change position in the sky.
Question:
“Think about the night sky and write a poem or story on it.”
Answer:
• Students can write creatively on how they see stars, the Moon, or how the sky changes at night.