Our Sky – Class 4 The World Around Us Chapter 10 Notes & NCERT PDF

Chapter 10: Our Sky

Introduction

Have you ever looked up at the sky? It looks different in the morning, afternoon and night. The Sun seems to change colour, and the Moon seems to change shape. Animals, birds, plants and people also do different things at different times of day. This last chapter of Our Wondrous World helps children observe the Sun, shadows, stars and the Moon, and see how they connect to our festivals and calendars.

What's in this Chapter

Pictures of the Sky – Children draw and describe the morning, afternoon and night sky. The morning sky may be orange with an orange Sun; in the afternoon the sunlight is strong; at night we see the Moon and stars.

The Sun – The Sun is the brightest object in the sky. It is so bright that other stars cannot be seen when it is out. It gives us light and heat. The Sun appears to rise in the morning, move up until it is overhead, then move down on the other side of the sky until it disappears. Children observe how the sky, birds, animals and home life change at sunrise and sunset.

The Shadows – Our shadow moves with us and changes shape with our poses. Morning shadows are long, noon shadows are short, and evening shadows are long again, but in the opposite direction to morning shadows.

Torch and stick activity – In a dark room, shine a torch on a stick:

The Sun appears to move from the East to overhead at noon and then towards the West, so shadows change direction during the day.

Telling time with shadows – Ancient people used shadows to make a sundial. Raja Jai Singh of Jaipur built Jantar Mantar in Jaipur, Ujjain, Delhi, Varanasi and Mathura. Its sundial, the Samrat Yantra, tells time accurately from the shadow. Children can also make shadow shapes and puppets; shadow puppetry has long been practised in India.

Night Sky – After sunset the sky is full of twinkling stars. Children draw star patterns they see. (The teacher's note says their patterns need not match known ones like Saptarshi; the aim is to enjoy sky-watching.)

The Moon – The Moon appears to be the biggest object in the night sky. Its shape changes: sometimes a full circle, called Poornima (full Moon); sometimes like the letter 'C'; sometimes cut down the middle; and on some nights it cannot be seen at all, called Amavasya (new Moon). Ancient people used the Moon's shape to count days, which gave the earliest calendars.

Festivals and the Moon – Diwali is on a night with no Moon. Raksha Bandhan, Guru Poornima and Buddha Poornima are on full-Moon days. Eid is celebrated when the Moon is seen on the first night after a new Moon.

Chandrayaan – On 23 August 2023, India's Vikram Lander successfully landed on the Moon and collected data about its surface.

Key Ideas

Activities from the Book

Words to Learn

Tips for Parents & Teachers

Common Mistakes