Our Sky — NCERT Solutions

Given: Many festivals in India are connected to the Sun and the Moon.

Answer (sample — students should write about their own festivals):

Festivals related to the Sun:

• Makar Sankranti — celebrated when the Sun moves into a new position; people fly kites and eat til-gur (sesame and jaggery).
• Pongal — a harvest festival in Tamil Nadu that thanks the Sun for good crops.
• Chhath Puja — a festival in Bihar and UP where people offer prayers to the Sun.

Festivals related to the Moon:

• Eid — begins when the new crescent Moon is sighted.
• Karva Chauth — women fast and break their fast after seeing the Moon.
• Raksha Bandhan and Diwali — celebrated on specific Moon phases.
• Poornima — many communities celebrate the full Moon day with prayers.

In my language: (Students should write the name of the festival in their own regional language, e.g., in Hindi — Poornima, Amavasya; in Tamil — Pongal, Karthigai Deepam, etc.)

Note: Every region of India has its own festivals linked to the Sun and Moon. Discuss with your family and write the ones you celebrate.

Given: We need to compare day and night.

Concept: Day occurs when the Sun is visible and night occurs after sunset.

Two differences between Day and Night:

Additional differences (for reference):

• During the day, temperature is higher; at night, it is cooler.
• During the day, most animals and humans are active; at night, most rest (though some animals like owls are active at night).

Given: We need to compare the morning sky and the evening sky.

Two differences between Morning Sky and Evening Sky:

Additional differences:

• In the morning, birds start chirping and flying out; in the evening, birds return to their nests.
• The morning sky gradually gets brighter; the evening sky gradually gets darker.

Given: We need to compare human activities during the day and at night.

Two differences between our activities during the Day and at Night:

Additional differences:

• During the day, we eat breakfast and lunch; at night, we have dinner.
• During the day, we are active and energetic; at night, we feel sleepy and tired.

Given: We need to compare animal behaviour during the day and at night.

Concept: Animals that are active during the day are called diurnal animals. Animals that are active at night are called nocturnal animals.

Two differences between animal activities during the Day and at Night:

Additional differences:

• Cows, goats, and dogs are active during the day; they rest at night.
• Frogs and crickets make sounds at night but are quiet during the day.

Given: The teacher says the Sun appears to move from East to West during the day. Meera is curious and wants to ask questions.

Concept: Asking good questions is an important part of learning science. A curious student thinks deeply about what they hear.

At least two questions Meera can ask:

1. "Does the Sun actually move, or does it only appear to move? If it only appears to move, then what is really moving?"

(This is a great question because it is actually the Earth that rotates, making the Sun appear to move.)

2. "Why does the Sun always rise in the East and set in the West? Does this happen everywhere on Earth?"

3. (Bonus question) "Why is the Sun overhead at noon and not in the morning or evening?"

Note to students: Always be curious like Meera! Asking questions helps us understand the world better.

Given:

• A person stands at the same spot in the morning and in the afternoon.
• The shadow points in different directions at the two times.

Concept: The direction and length of a shadow depend on the position of the Sun in the sky.

Why does the shadow point in different directions?

The shadow always falls on the side opposite to the Sun.

• In the morning, the Sun is in the East, so the shadow falls towards the West.
• In the afternoon, the Sun has moved towards the West, so the shadow falls towards the East.

Since the Sun's position changes during the day (it appears to move from East to West), the direction of the shadow also changes.

Would the length of the shadow be the same at both times?

No, the length of the shadow would not be the same.

• In the morning, the Sun is low in the sky, so the shadow is long.
• In the afternoon (especially near noon), the Sun is higher in the sky, so the shadow is shorter.
• The shadow is shortest when the Sun is directly overhead at noon.

Conclusion: Both the direction and the length of the shadow change because the position of the Sun in the sky changes throughout the day.

Given: We need to write a short poem about the beauty of the sky.

Concept: A poem uses creative words and feelings to describe something beautiful.

Sample Poem:

The sky above is wide and blue,
With fluffy clouds of every hue,
The golden Sun shines bright and high,
A glowing ball in the morning sky.

When evening comes with colours bright,
Orange and red — a beautiful sight,
Then stars appear one by one,
Twinkling softly when day is done.

The Moon glows soft in silver light,
A gentle friend through the dark night,
Oh, what a wonder, what a view,
The sky above — forever new!

Note: Students are encouraged to write their own poem using their imagination and personal observations of the sky.

Given: An incomplete riddle about something in the sky.

Riddle (Completed):

Only one colour, but not one size,
Appears with light, looks very nice,
I follow you wherever you go,
Longer in morning, shorter at noon — don't you know!
What am I?

Answer: A Shadow

Justification:

• A shadow is always dark/black (only one colour).
• But it is not one size — it changes size depending on the position of the Sun (long in morning/evening, short at noon).
• It appears with light — without a source of light, there is no shadow.
• It looks very nice — shadows are beautiful and are even used in shadow puppetry!

Final Answer: Shadow ($\text{Chhaya}$ in Hindi)