SOCIAL STUDIES
Class VI
Student Book
Department of Curriculum Research and Development
Ministry of Education
Royal Government of Bhutan
Paro
Published by
Department of Curriculum Research and Development
Ministry of Education
Royal Government of Bhutan
Paro, Bhutan
Copyright © 1993 Department of Curriculum Research and
Development (DCRD), the then Curriculum and Professional
Support Division (CAPSD),
Ministry of Education
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in
any form without the permission from the Department of
Curriculum Research and Development (DCRD), Ministry of
Education except for brief quotation.
Provisional Edition 2003.
Reprinted 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011,
2012
Revised Edition 2012
ISBN 99936-0-205-1
ii
FOREWORD
In our continuous efforts to make the contents of learning in our
schools relevant and meaningful to our students, the Ministry of
Education is happy to publish Social Studies textbook for class VI.
This is a logical progression from class IV and V where history and
geography are taught as Social Studies. It is hoped that this will help
reduce the number of subjects for class VI students but at the same
time ensure the learning of important concepts and principles through
better understanding.
Social Studies in fact is an integrated study about human endeavours
and human relations. It includes knowledge drawn from all the social
sciences (anthropology, sociology, geography, political science,
history and economics) and covers skills related to reflective thinking,
valuing, communicating, participating, decision making, appreciating,
interpreting, analysing and problem solving at interpersonal and group
level.
Therefore, this Social Studies text is intended to:
 provide knowledge and understanding of Bhutan’s past and
present socio-cultural, religious, economic, political and
environmental development; people and places of different
parts of the world; and principles, ideas and concepts related to
people, culture, society and environment.
 develop skills of communication, participation, research,
investigation and critical analysis.
 develop attitudes and values of:
- positive feelings towards oneself and others;
- respect and appreciation for one’s own cultural
heritage and that of others;
- respect and care for the environment; and
- love, loyalty and dedication towards family, school,
community and
country.
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What students can do at the end of the year depends partly on the
syllabus and largely on the experiences they have had in their
classrooms.
We wish our teachers and students to derive the maximum knowledge
from the book and develop useful skills and positive values and
attitudes essential for successful living.
Tashi Delek
Thinley Gyamtsho
MINISTER
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
iv
INTRODUCTION
In this book, the chapters are presented in three units: the
Environment, People and Places and Society. This is done so because
there is a systematic sequence in learning. In unit one, students learn
about the natural environment in which human civilization has
evolved. In unit two, they explore how human civilization has
evolved interacting with the environment and in unit three, they learn
about how humans interact with each other and the results of such
interactions.
Each chapter begins with key words followed by objectives. The key
words are the main words students need to know and understand their
meanings. The objectives help to focus learning and determine its
outcomes.
In between the text, there are student activities which help students
gain better understanding of the concepts taught and enrich their
learning. The activities need to be carried out by the students with the
guidance of the teachers. They are not to be left undone as far as
possible.
Certain extra information wherever appropriate and necessary are
given in the box in between the text. They are to be read by students
to gain additional information and to develop their curiosity.
Every chapter is followed by ‘Monitoring your own progress’, which
comprises of ‘Recalling main ideas’ and ‘Building skills and
attitudes’. The questions under ‘Recalling the main ideas” can be
done by the students themselves on their own and they help students
assess the mastery of concepts learned. The activities under ‘Building
skills and attitudes’ are to help students further develop the required
skills and attitudes. The students need to be encouraged and guided
wherever necessary to carry out all the activities.
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Now that Social Studies will be taught as one subject in class VI, we
hope that teachers and students will get adequate time to carry out all
the activities. We request the teachers to make best use of the old
history and geography textbooks of class VI, which are recommended
as reference books.
While using this book in the classroom, you may find areas where
improvements need to be made. Specific comments for improvements
are most welcome and we will incorporate them in the next edition.
We hope that the teachers will find the book most useful to help
provide relevant knowledge and understanding to and develop useful
skills and positive attitudes and values in our children.
Chairperson
Social Studies Committee
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Foreword
CONTENTS
iii
Introduction
v
UNIT ONE: The Environment
1
1. The Earth we live on
3
2. The Moving Earth
14
3. Finding places and time on Earth
20
4. Our Country Bhutan
27
UNIT TWO: People and Places
37
5. How people lived in ancient times
39
6. Where do people live?
51
7. Earning a living
63
8. Moving around and keeping in touch
73
UNIT THREE: Society
85
9. Living together
87
10. Understanding our culture
96
11. People who made a difference
104
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UNIT ONE
THE ENVIRONMENT
This unit provides you with a full
understanding about the physical
environment at a global and local level.
Chapter One takes you around the planet
Earth on a good tour of the Solar System.
You will come to know about the shape,
size and surface features of the Earth.
Chapter Two discusses the movements of
the earth and their effects. You will learn
how days and nights and seasons are
caused.
Chapter Three dwells on the latitude and
longitude. You will find out how you can
locate places with the lines of latitude
and longitude on the globe and maps.
You will also know how important lines
of latitude divide the earth into different
heat zones. You will notice why different
places on the Earth have different times.
You will be able to determine the time of
a place by knowing its longitude.
Chapter Four brings you to Bhutan to
explore its natural environment. You will
find out about the physical features,
climate, vegetation and wildlife in
different parts of the country.
CHAPTER ONE
THE EARTH WE LIVE ON
Words you should know
solar system
planet
satellite
gravitation
oblate spheroid
axis
orbit
lithosphere
hydrosphere
atmosphere
alluvial plain
Objectives
On completion of this chapter, you should
be able to:
1. Describe the Earth as a planet in the
Solar System with the help of a
diagram;
2. Describe the shape of the Earth,
supported by proofs;
3. Describe the various features of the
Earth’s surface with examples of
each;
4. Locate the various features of the
Earth’s surface on a world map or a
globe.
5. Explain what makes life possible on
Earth.
The Earth we live on
Our earth belongs to the sky and is one of
those heavenly bodies which we see on a
cloudless night. All the objects which
belong to the sky are called “celestial
bodies”. Stars, planets, comets, meteors,
meteorites, asteroids are all celestial
bodies. They are of two kinds.
Stars: Stars are very big celestial bodies.
They have their own light. They are huge
balls of fire giving out huge flames and
flashes of heat and light. Stars twinkle at
night. There are millions of stars. The
nearest star to our earth is the sun.
Introduction
Have you ever looked at the sky on a
cloudless, starry night? You might have
seen countless tiny stars. These are called
celestial bodies. When we look at our earth
from outer space, it appears like any other
celestial body.
Planets: Planets are balls of solid crust
and do not have light of their own. They
are opaque bodies and reflect the light of
their nearest stars. They shine because of
the light they reflect from the sun. The
temperature of the planets depends on their
distance from the sun. Our earth is one of
the planets. It receives its heat and light
from the sun and revolves around the sun
in an anti-clock wise direction.
You have studied in Class V that the earth
is a very important planet in the Solar
System. As we live on the Earth, it is very
important that we learn about it. This
chapter will help you understand more
about the earth. You will learn about its
size, shape, and position from the sun. You
will also learn what its surface looks like.
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Unit 1
Chapter 1: The Earth We Live On
Comets and meteors: Comets are made of
gases. They appear as beautiful shiny
bodies in the sky often with a long tail.
Meteors are chunks of rocky material
which are seen as bright strikes of light or
shooting stars.
Solar System: The word solar comes from
the word ‘SOL’ which was the name given
by the ancient Romans to the sun which
they worshiped. The word ‘solar’ is used
for anything that is connected to the sun.
While there are other Solar Systems in the
universe, when we say the Solar System,
we mean the family of heavenly bodies
around our sun. The solar system consists
of Sun at the centre, the eight planets that
move around it, the satellites that move
around the planets, the planetoids or
asteroids and comets and meteors.
The Earth as part of the Solar System
You will remember that there are eight
planets moving around the sun. There are
also satellites, planetoids or asteroids,
meteors, and comets which move around
the planets. All these together form the
Solar System. See Figure 1.1.
Read the story below which tells you how
the Solar system might have formed.
There are several stories explaining the
origin of the Solar System. One tells that a
passing star tore material from the sun and
this material formed the various heavenly
bodies. Another story says that the moving
earth threw out a disc of material.
The third says that the sun formed at the
centre of a huge moving cloud of gas and
dust. Then, the other celestial bodies such as
the planets, satellites, meteors, and asteroids
were formed.
Source: Encyclopedic Atlas of the World,
1988.
Figure: 1.2. The Story of the Solar System
The Sun is the source of heat and light for
the entire Solar System. It has great
gravitational power which keeps the
planets, satellites and objects revolving in
fixed paths or orbits around it.
Satellites: Satellites are small planet like
body rotating on its axis and revolving
around a bigger planet. It follows the
planet on its journey around the Sun. E.g.
the Moon.
Planetoids: Are found between the orbits
of Mars and Jupiter. They are tiny planets
and are called planetoids.
Figure 1.1- The Solar System
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Unit 1
Chapter 1: The Earth We Live On
The Sun is the source of heat and light for
the entire Solar System. It is made up of very
hot gases that give out heat and light. It is
very much like a ball of fire. On its coolest
part, the surface temperature is about
6000ºC. Inside the sun, it goes up as high as
15,000,000ºC. When water starts boiling in
the kitchen it is about 100ºC.
and 1/4 days to complete one orbit around
the Sun.
A planet may have one or more satellites. A
satellite is a celestial body that moves around
a planet. The earth has only one satellite –
the Moon. Mercury and Venus have no
satellites. Jupiter is known to have as many
as sixteen satellites. Saturn has twenty-three.
It is possible that scientists may discover
more in the future.
The Sun has a power that pulls the planets
and keeps them around it. This power is
called gravity. It is the gravitational force of
the Sun that makes the planets move around
it. The planets move around the Sun in fixed
paths called orbits. In your school atlas, the
orbits are sometimes drawn in thin lines
around the Sun.
Activity
1. Fill in the following table giving some
important information about the planets in
the Solar System. The information will be
useful if we want to compare the planets.
Ask your teacher for help or look up some
books in the library, if any.
All planets do not take the same amount of
time to complete one orbit around the Sun.
The further a planet is from the Sun, the
longer is its orbit. The Earth takes about 365
Planet
Distance from
the sun
2. Write about how the Earth is different
from the other planets in the Solar System
using the information in the table below.
Time taken to
complete one
orbit
Known satellites
Size in
order
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
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Unit 1
The Earth’s Position
In ancient times, it was believed that the
Earth was flat with Jerusalem at the centre.
But in the 16th and 17th century, Copernicus
and Galileo proved that the Earth and other
planets moved around the Sun. The earth is
located between Mars and Venus. It is 150
million kilometres from the Sun.
The Earth’s Shape
Nowadays, there is information which proves
that the Earth is round. However, it is not
exactly round like a ball. It is slightly flat at
the top and bottom ends, and has a bulge in
the middle. This shape is called oblate
spheroid.
It is difficult to actually see if the earth is
round because it is very large. We know it is
round from proof given by scientists who
study the Solar System. Let us look at a few
examples.
From the photographs of the earth taken from
space, we know that the Earth is a sphere.
Chapter 1: The Earth We Live On
Sunrise and sunset occur at different times in
different places.
On a flat Earth, the sun would rise and set at
the same time in all the places on Earth.
Figure 1.4 Sunrise for a round and a flat
Earth
Sometimes, the Earth is found to be in
between the sun and the moon. When this
happens, the shadow of the Earth falls on the
moon, which appears circular. Only a round
object can form a circular shadow.
This happens only sometimes and is called a
lunar eclipse (Daw Zadzin).
Figure 1.5 Lunar Eclipse
Activity
1. Study Figure 1.3. Write what the Earth
looks like in the picture.
Figure 1.3 The Earth as seen from space
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2. Find other proofs from your atlas and
library that explain the shape of the
Earth.
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Unit 1
Chapter 1: The Earth We Live On
Surface of the Earth
You have looked at the Earth from outer
space. You will now take a closer look at the
Earth’s surface. You will find that the surface
of the Earth is made up of land and water.
Activity
1. Identify each of the continents on a
world map and note their shapes and
positions in relation to one another.
The Land
The land surface of the Earth is known as
lithosphere. It is rough and uneven. Some
places on the land surface are raised to form
hills and mountains. Other areas form plains,
valleys, and ocean beds. About 29% of the
Earth’s surface is occupied by land. It
supports a majority of the plant and animal
life on Earth.
2. Complete the following table with the
help of your atlas:
Name of
the
continents
in order of
size
In which
hemisphere
are they
found?
Write the
name of 5
countries
in that
continent.
The lithosphere is not one single piece of
land. It is broken up into a few large areas
called continents. There are many small areas
called islands as you have already studied in
the lower classes.
Figure 1.7 Continents and Islands
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Unit 1
Chapter 1: The Earth We Live On
3. Find the following islands in your atlas:
Baffin Islands, Greenland,
Newfoundland, New Zealand,
Madagascar, Sri Lanka
On the continents there are major
landforms such as mountains, valleys,
plateaus, and plains. Here, we will learn
about the four major landforms in a little
more detail.
Mountains and Valleys
Mountains have great heights and sloping
surfaces. You can see that we have many
mountains in our country. Can you name
some?
1.9 Examples of young mountains
Between the mountains there are valleys
which have been formed either by a river
or glaciers. There are many types of valleys
such as deep valleys, narrow and wide
valleys, and low and high valleys. In
Bhutan we have high valleys in Haa, wide
valleys in Bumthang, and narrow valleys in
Mangdey. Can you name some other
valleys in our country and tell what type
they are?
Mountains are of different shapes and
heights. Some mountains such as the
Himalayas are very high and steep. Some
others like the Appalachian Mountains in
North America are lower in height and
their slopes are gentler. In course of time,
rain, wind, and frost wear away the
mountains. That is why mountains like the
Himalayas, which are new, are tall and
steep and mountains like the Appalachians,
which are old, are low with gentle slopes.
In higher classes we shall learn how
mountains are formed.
Activity
Look at the Physical World Map in your
atlas and note the major mountain systems
of the world.
• With the help of your teacher, find the
brown coloured areas in the map.
• Name the continents in which these
colours are found.
• Put a thin paper on the map and draw
thick lines with a pencil over the
brown colours.
• Write down what you think of the
pencil lines – how they link from
country to country, in which direction
they move, and so on.
1.8. Example of old mountains
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Unit 1
Chapter 1: The Earth We Live On
Figure 1.10 Mountains and valleys in Bhutan
Plateaus and Plains
A plateau is also a highland. But it has
steep sides and a more or less flat top. That
is why it is sometimes called tableland.
Some plateaus are surrounded by mountain
ranges. Some lie along the side of a
mountain like a huge shelf. Some plateaus
extend up to thousands of kilometres while
some can be quite small. The largest
plateau is the Plateau of Africa which
occupies almost the whole continent. Tibet
is the highest plateau in the world. So, it is
sometimes called the ‘Roof of the World’.
Figure 1.11 A Plateau
Some plateaus have hard and stony
surfaces.
Such plateaus are usually not suitable for
agriculture. Some plateaus are rich in
minerals and attract people for mining
activities.
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A plain is a low-land. Some plains have an
absolutely flat surface. Some others are
rolling or undulating. Plains are found in
all the continents.
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Unit 1
Chapter 1: The Earth We Live On
Some of them are small and some are very
large. Some lie along the coasts and some
in the valleys. Plains in Bhutan are very
small and are found along valleys and at
the foothills.
3. Make a sand tray for your Geography
class. Make a wooden tray as big as
your teacher’s table. Raise the edges of
the tray.
Most of the plains are formed by the
deposition of silt brought down by the
rivers and their tributaries. While flowing
down the slopes of the mountains, the
rivers carry a lot of material in the form of
stones, sand, and silt. The material is
deposited along their courses and in the
valleys through which they flow. The
deposition of the sand and silt cause the
formation of plains. They are known as
alluvial plains. The Ganges Plains of India
is a good example of an alluvial plain. The
other examples are the plains formed by
the Hwang Ho and the Yangtze in China,
the Irrawaddy in Myanmar, the MurrayDarling in Australia, the Mississippi and
the Missouri in the USA, the Rhine in
Europe, and the Nile in Egypt. Most of
these plains are densely populated. Can
you tell why?
Put plenty of sand or dry soil in the tray.
With the help of your teacher, make
mountains, valleys, plains, and plateaus
with the sand in the tray. You can make
these features again and again.
You can also use clay or soil to make these
features on a piece of cardboard and keep it
for display in the classroom.
The Water
The surface of the Earth is covered by land
and water. The part of the Earth’s surface
which is covered by water is called the
hydrosphere.
The hydrosphere covers 71 percent of the
total surface area of the earth. That is why
some scientists also call our earth a watery
planet. About 97% of the water on the
earth is contained in the ocean and is unfit
for drinking.
Activity
1. Go to a nearby stream or allow some
water to flow continuously for some
time along a muddy surface. Observe
what happens. Discuss it in class.
There are very large areas of water called
oceans and smaller areas called seas. All
other water bodies such as lakes and rivers
are also part of the hydrosphere.
2. Bring out your atlas and turn to the
Physical World map and see if you can
locate the plains mentioned above.
Then look at the physical map of each
country and once again locate the
plains. In this second part of the
activity, you will be able to take note of
the size of the plains in the countries.
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The presence of the hydrosphere makes our
earth different from the other planets. The
hydrosphere and the sun together make the
water cycle work.
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Unit 1
Chapter 1: The Earth We Live On
The Atmosphere
The atmosphere is a blanket of air around
the Earth, above the lithosphere and
hydrosphere. It contains all the gases
needed for life. The main gases are
nitrogen (78%) and oxygen (21%). Carbon
dioxide, helium, ozone, and some others
form the remaining 1%. Thus, the
atmosphere makes the Earth the only
known planet suitable for life.
This gives us rain, snow, and fresh water
for our daily use. The cloud, which is
formed of water vapour, in the sky protects
the Earth from the direct rays of the sun.
Activity
1. Study your atlas.
a) Mark the oceans on an outline map of
the world. Also mark some of the
important seas on the same map.
b) Copy the table given below. Make a list
of lakes and rivers, at least one from
each continent, in the table below.
Name of the lake or Where are
river
they found?
The atmosphere also contains very small
droplets of water and dust particles. The
atmosphere is thick and close to the Earth’s
surface. It gets thinner as we move away. It
extends to about 1600 kilometres from the
earth’s surface. This is where the
atmosphere ends and outer space begins.
2. Imagine the Earth without the
hydrosphere. What do you think would
happen to life on Earth then?
Figure 1.13 Oceans and Seas
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Unit 1
Chapter 1: The Earth We Live On
The atmosphere acts as a blanket for our
Earth. It protects us from the Sun’s direct
heat. Without the atmosphere, the Sun’s
rays would be too hot for us to bear during
the day and too cold during the night. This
is the Earth we live on. It is home to
millions of people and all other living
things.
There is no air in space and this is why
astronauts have to carry their own oxygen
for breathing in space.
Air also has weight. The air above and
around us puts great weight or pressure on
the Earth’s surface. That is why the
atmosphere is thicker near the Earth’s
surface. It decreases as the height above
sea level increases. The pressure of air is
not the same at all places on the surface of
the Earth.
Points to remember
1. All objects that are part of the sky are
called celestial bodies.
2. A star is a huge mass of burning gases.
3. Meteors are shooting stars seen striking
across the night sky.
4. Planetoids are small rocky bodies
found between Mars and Jupiter.
5. The moon is only the satellite of the
earth.
6. The three spheres of the Earth are
lithosphere,
hydrosphere
and
atmosphere.
7. The hydrosphere covers 70% of the
Earth’s surface.
8. Planets do not have heat and light of
their own.
The difference is mainly caused by
temperature. Where temperature is high, air
becomes warm and rises up. But, where
temperature is low air becomes cold and
heavy and then air pressure becomes high.
The differences in air pressure cause the air
to move. Air in motion is called wind. You
have already learnt this in lower classes.
Winds blow from high-pressure areas to
low-pressure areas. They help to distribute
the sun’s heat over the earth.
They transport moisture from the oceans to
the continents.
Figure 1.14 The sun’s rays received by the earth
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Unit 1
Activity
1. Take a carton box. Make a hole in the
ceiling of the box. Make a bigger hole
like a door on one side of the box. Put
a lit candle inside the box. Hold a lit
incense stick at the door of the box.
See which way the smoke of the
incense moves. Write it in your
exercise book with an explanation of
why it moves in that direction.
2.
Chapter 1: The Earth We Live On
Get into groups of four and give
names to the 4 members of each
group. One is heat, the second is
water, the third is air, and the fourth is
land. Consider life without anyone of
the members.
Monitoring your own progress
Recalling the main ideas:
Building skills and attitude:
1) Find out how planets are different from
stars.
1. What is the Solar System made up of?
2. Why does life on Earth depend on the
sun?
2) Draw pie diagrams to show:
a) The percentage of the earth covered
by land and water.
3. What three spheres make up the Earth?
b) The percentage of gases that form
the atmosphere.
4. How are continents different from
islands?
3) Draw diagrams of different mountains,
plains, valleys, and plateaus.
5. Name and describe the four major
landforms.
4) Look up the physical map of the world
to find out what colours are used for
different landforms.
6. Which two continents are spread on both
sides of the equator?
7. Why is Earth called the watery planet?
8. Describe what the atmosphere is made
up of.
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Unit 1
CHAPTER TWO
THE MOVING EARTH
Words you should know
rotation
revolution
equinox
axis
leap year
solstice
circle illumination
northern hemisphere
southern hemisphere
It takes twenty-four hours (one day) to
Objectives
complete one rotation. We do not feel the
On completion of this chapter, you should
movement because everything around us is
be able to:
moving in the same direction.
1. Explain the movements of the Earth;
2. Describe the effects of the Earth’s
The earth rotates on its axis. The axis is an
movements and
imaginary straight line that runs through
3. Draw diagrams to show the
the centre of the Earth joining its northern
hemispheres, inclined axis, circle of
and southern ends. Study Figure 2.1 and
illumination, rotation and revolution of
note that the axis of the Earth is tilted
the Earth.
slightly. It makes an angle of 66½º with the
plane of the Earth’s orbit around the sun. It
Introduction
is always tilted in the same direction. This
Do you know that we are travelling all the
tilt may seem unimportant to us, but it
time and all our lives? The Earth is like the
affects our lives a great deal.
bus that moves with people in it. The Earth
is, however, much larger than the bus. That
is why we do not know that we are moving
all the time even though we are travelling
very fast. It is a gigantic spaceship and
carries people through space.
In this chapter, we will look at how the
Earth travels with two different movements
at the same time. You will see that it spins
and moves forward at the same time.
Rotation
Think of the globe in your classroom as a
model of the planet we live on. Try
spinning it from left to right.
Figure 2.1 Rotation of the Earth
This is the way the Earth spins. It spins
from west to east, which is in anticlockwise direction. This is called rotation.
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Unit 1
Chapter 2: The Moving Earth
Activity
Study Figure 2.1. Draw a diagram of the
earth’s rotation. Show the direction of
rotation and the axis of the earth, as
described in the text.
b) As the Earth rotates from west to east,
the sun appears to rise in the east and
set in the west. It appears that the Sun
reaches its highest point at noon.
How does the earth’s rotation affect us?
The rotation of the earth has a number of
effects:
c) Rotation also helps to fix time and
longitude. This will be studied in more
detail in the next chapter.
a) Rotation causes day and night. You
know that the Sun does not move but
remains fixed in one place. When the
Earth rotates, one part of the Earth
faces the Sun. The other part is turned
away from the Sun. The part facing the
sun has daylight, and the other part is
in darkness (night). At any time,
exactly half the Earth is in darkness
and the other half has daylight. If we
draw a line separating daylight from
darkness, we get a circle called the
circle of illumination. This line is not
tilted like the axis. See Figures 2.1 and
2.2.
Figure 2.3 A simple experiment to show
how day and night are caused
Do this simple experiment to understand
how day and night are caused.
(Things required: A globe and a torchlight).
Procedure:
i. Put the globe where everyone can see it.
ii. Light the torch on one side of the globe.
Note what you observe.
iii. Now, turn the globe from left to right.
Note what change you observe.
Answer the following questions as you
carry out the experiment:
1. Name the hemisphere where the torch
is directly overhead.
2. Name two countries on this
hemisphere.
3. Is the brightness of light the same
everywhere? Explain why.
4. What would happen if the Earth did
not rotate?
Figure 2.2 - Circle of illumination
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Unit 1
Chapter 2: The Moving Earth
Revolution
The Earth rotates on its axis and at the
same time it travels around the Sun at a
speed of about 100,000 km per hour. This
movement around the sun, like rotation, is
in anti-clockwise direction. This movement
is called revolution. During the revolution,
the earth follows an elliptical path as
shown in Figure 2.4.
This extra day in the Leap Year is added to
the month of February. This is why
February has 29 days every fourth year.
Activity
1. Your teacher will show you the
revolution of the Earth with the help of
a globe and torch-light. Observe and
write what you see.
2. If the year 2000 was a Leap Year,
when would the next Leap Year be?
3. If the year 2008 was a leap year which
year would be the next leap year?
Leap Year
The earth takes 365 days and 6 hours to
revolve once round the sun. You will
remember that there are 365 days in a year.
What about the remaining 6 hours? The
remaining six hours are added together
once every four years. The number of days
in the fourth year then becomes 366. Such
a year is called a Leap Year.
How does revolution affect us?
Like rotation, the Earth’s revolution also
affects us in many ways.
a) The revolution of the Earth around the
Sun and the tilt of the Earth’s axis cause
the seasons. They also cause the
differences in the amount of daylight
during the year. Figure 2.5 helps explain
why this is so.
Figure 2.4 Revolution of the Earth
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Unit 1
As shown in Figure 2.5, the Earth’s
position in relation to the Sun changes
gradually throughout the year. About June
21, the northern half of the Earth, called the
northern hemisphere, is inclined towards
the Sun. So, this part gets more sunlight.
The Sun appears high in the sky at noon.
At the same time, the southern half of the
Earth, called the southern hemisphere,
receives the least amount of sunlight. We
say that June 21st is the beginning of
summer in the northern hemisphere. We
call it the summer solstice (Nyinlog). It is
the longest day of the year for countries in
the northern hemisphere. But in the
southern hemisphere, June 21 is the
beginning of winter. It is their shortest day.
Three months later, about September 23,
revolution has carried the Earth through a
quarter of its orbit. At this time, both
hemispheres receive equal sunlight. In this
position, the most direct rays of the Sun
strike at the equator.
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Chapter 2: The Moving Earth
On this day, every place on Earth has 12
hours of sunlight and 12 hours of night. It
is the first day of autumn in the northern
hemisphere and the first day of spring in
the southern hemisphere. This day is called
the autumnal equinox.
After three more months of revolution, on
December, 22 the s o u t h e r n hemisphere
is inclined towards the Sun. The southern
hemisphere now receives the most direct
sunlight while only weak rays reach the
northern hemisphere. It is now summer in
the southern hemisphere and winter in the
northern hemisphere. This day is known as
the winter solstice (Nyinlog).
On March 21, after another quarter
revolution, both hemispheres again receive
the same amount of sunlight as they did on
September 23. This is the first day of
spring for the northern hemisphere and is
called the spring equinox.
Figure 2.5 Revolution and Seasons
17
Unit 1
Chapter 2: The Moving Earth
where it was 365 days ago! The Earth
moves on and the cycle of seasons begins
again.
It is the first day of autumn in the southern
hemisphere. Again on this day, every place
on the Earth has 12 hours of day and 12
hours of night.
Look at Figure 2.6. It shows how the
Earth’s revolution causes seasons in the
continent of Africa.
Finally after three more months, the Earth
returns to its original position. This is
Figure 2.6 Equinoxes and solstices in the Continent of Africa
2. Think what would happen if the axis
were perpendicular and not inclined.
Write it in your exercise book.
3. Draw a diagram to show the equinoxes
and solstices. Label it well.
4. Discuss what the season in Bhutan will
be when Australia experiences the
winter solstice.
5. Read the section of this chapter on the
solstices. Which holiday do we
celebrate in Bhutan when it is the
summer solstice in Australia?
6. In Sri Lanka, it is difficult to say when
it is summer and when it is winter. This
is because the sun’s heat received by
this place is more or less the same
throughout the year. Can you say why?
7. Near the Poles, in Siberia or
Antarctica, it is always cold because of
the low angle of the sun’s rays. Can
you explain the low angle?
Points to remember
1. The Earth’s axis is inclined at an angle
of 661/2 degree.
2. Leap Year has 366 days.
3. The Earth has two movements Rotation
and Revolution.
4. The spinning of the Earth on its axis
from west to east is called Rotation.
5. Movement of the Earth round the Sun
on its orbit is called Revolution.
6. Seasons are caused by unequal
distribution of the Sun’s heat during
the year.
7. Seasons are reversed between the
Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
Activity
1. Draw a diagram to show the Earth with
tilted axis.
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Unit 1
Chapter 2: The Moving Earth
6. What is a Leap Year?
8. In a country like Bhutan, the amount of
heat increases in summer and decreases
in winter. That is why we have warm
summers and cold winters. Can you
explain why?
7. Explain with diagram the effects of
rotation on the Earth?
8. Describe the effects of inclination of
the Earth’s axis?
Monitoring your own progress
Recalling the main ideas:
1. In which direction does the Earth rotate
round its axis and revolve around the
Sun?
Building skills and attitude:
1. Draw a diagram showing the four
positions of the Earth during the
equinoxes and solstices.
a) Name each position.
2. Describe the two movements of the
Earth.
b) Write the date for each position.
3. What is the Circle of Illumination?
c)
4. Equinox is from the Latin word
meaning equal nights. Explain why this
word is used to describe March 21 and
September 23.
d) Draw arrows from the sun to show
where the direct rays fall.
2. Describe the weather conditions during
each season of the year. Is it the same
throughout the year? Explain why.
5. Why do the two hemispheres have
opposite seasons?
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Draw arrows to show the direction
of the revolution.
19
Unit 1
CHAPTER THREE
FINDING PLACES AND TIME ON EARTH
latitudes
Antarctic Circle
Words you should know
Tropic of
Tropic of Cancer
Capricorn
heat zones
longitudes
Prime Meridian
horizontally and the other vertically. The
horizontal lines are called latitudes.
Objectives
On completion of this chapter, you should
be able to:
1. Explain what latitudes and longitudes
are;
2. Draw the important lines of latitude and
longitude on a diagram of the Earth;
3. Describe the heat zones with the help of
a diagram of the Earth;
4. Locate places in the atlas or on the globe
using lines of latitude and longitude;
and
5. Calculate time using longitudes.
Latitudes are imaginary lines and therefore,
you cannot see them on the real Earth.
They are drawn at some angular distance
north or south of the equator. You know
already that the equator divides the Earth
into two equal hemispheres. Each line of
latitude joins all places that have the same
angular distance north or south of the
equator. All lines of latitude are circular
and parallel to each other but they are
different in length. Zero degrees latitude is
called the Equator. The equator is the
longest latitude. As one moves away from
the equator towards the poles, the circles of
latitude become smaller and smaller. At the
North and South Poles, the circles are
almost like points.
Introduction
In the first chapter, we saw what the Earth
looks like from space. In the second
chapter, we looked at how the movements
of the Earth affect our lives. Here, we shall
look at some special features of the Earth
that make it possible for people to go from
one place to another. We shall also learn to
calculate the exact time in different parts of
the world without visiting them. But first
we need to understand the imaginary lines
we draw across the Earth.
Latitudes
If you look at the globe and the atlas, you
will see some lines drawn on the maps.
Mapmakers have drawn these lines to help
us find places and calculate time. You must
have noticed that one set of lines runs
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Arctic Circle
Figure 3.1 Latitudes
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Unit 1
Chapter 3: Finding Places and Time
The latitude 66½ºN is called the Arctic
Circle and 66½ºS is called the Antarctic
Circle. In the regions from these circles to
the poles, summer days and winter nights
are much longer. At the poles, there are six
months of continuous daylight and six
months of continuous darkness.
Latitudes are measured in degrees north
and south of the equator from the centre of
the Earth, as shown in Figure 3.1. The
latitude tells us the position of a place north
or south of the equator.
The latitude ten degrees north of the
equator is written as 10ºN. All places on
this latitude are said to be 10 º N of the
equator. The latitude ten degrees south of
the equator, is shown as 10º S.
Activity
Draw a circle and divide it into two equal
halves by drawing a diameter as shown in
Figure 3.3 below. This line is the equator.
Place a protractor on the equator with its
centre on the centre of the circle. If the
latitude to be drawn is 20°S, draw two 20°
angles to the equator in the lower half of
the circle as shown. The arms of the angles
cut the circle at two points. Join these two
points by a line parallel to the equator. This
line will be 20°S. Now, draw similar
diagrams for 20°N, 30°S and 60°N.
Latitudes are drawn at equal intervals. This
means that the distance between all lines of
latitude is equal. For example, the distance
between 10 º N and 11º N is equal to the
distance between 55º S and 56ºS. You will
notice this on a globe.
Some latitudes have special names. See
Figure 3.2. The 23½ºN latitude is called the
Tropic of Cancer. The 23½ºS latitude is
called the Tropic of Capricorn. They have
been specially fixed at these latitudes
because the Sun appears to move between
these latitudes. The Sun is seen to appear to
move all over the place between 23½ºN
and 23½ºS twice a year, but never beyond
these two points.
Figure 3.3 How to draw a line of Latitude
Figure 3.2 Important lines of Latitude
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Unit 1
•
The Heat Zones
Latitudes help us understand the climatic
conditions of different places. The four
latitudes you have seen earlier divide the
earth into three climatic zones as shown in
Figure 3.4. Sometimes we call them heat
zones. The equator is the hottest part of the
Earth. The temperature decreases as you
move away from the equator towards the
North or South Poles.
Activity
1. Draw a sphere. Mark the following in
the sphere. Give one term for each of
them.
· The parallel of 23½ºN
· The parallel of 66½ºS
· The parallel of 90ºN
· The regions lying between the
tropics
2. In which heat zone does Bhutan lie?
Mark it in the sphere you drew above.
Longitudes
The vertical lines that you noticed on the
globe are called longitudes. They are also
imaginary lines drawn by mapmakers.
They join the North and South Poles. All
longitudes are equal in length but they are
not parallel. Thus, the distances between
the lines of longitude are not the same. The
greatest distance is at the equator (about
111 km) and it becomes less as we move
towards the poles. There are 180 degrees of
longitude to the east and 180 degrees of
longitude to the west. The 180 degree east
and 180 degree west meridian meet and are
one and the same.180 degree of longitude
is called the International Date Line.
Figure 3.4 Heat Zones
•
The Hot or Torrid Zone lies between
the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of
Capricorn. In this region, the sun’s rays
fall vertically throughout the year.
Hence, it is very hot here.
•
The next heat zone is the Temperate
Zone. It lies between the Tropic of
Cancer and the Arctic Circle in the
northern hemisphere. In the southern
hemisphere it lies between the Tropic
of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle.
The climate in this zone is neither too
hot nor too cold. This zone is
comfortable for living.
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Chapter 3: Finding Places and Time
The Frigid Zone is the coldest part of
the earth. It lies between the Arctic
Circle and the North Pole in the
northern hemisphere and between the
Antarctic Circle and the South Pole in
the southern hemisphere. The Sun’s
rays fall slanting on this zone.
Therefore, it is too cold to live here.
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Unit 1
Chapter 3: Finding Places and Time
This is the same as how our watches and
clocks work. We know that one hour has
60 minutes and one minute has 60 seconds.
Longitude tells us whether a place is east or
west of the Prime Meridian.
Activity
1. Take out your atlas and find the places
the 180º Longitude passes through.
Finding places with latitudes and
longitudes
You have seen that with latitudes you can
find out whether a place is north or south
of the equator. With longitudes you can
find out whether a place is east or west of
the prime meridian. But to find out the
exact location of a place on the map you
use both the lines of latitude and longitude.
Figure 3.5 Angles and lines of longitude
Every longitude makes an angle with the
Prime Meridian at the North and South
Poles. See Figure 3.5. The Prime Meridian
is the 0º line of longitude and is also called
the Greenwich Meridian. It runs through a
place called Greenwich near London in
Great Britain.
You might have seen on a map that
latitudes and longitudes cross each other.
They help us give the exact location of a
place. For example, if you know that Cairo
is 32º N and 30º E, you can find its exact
location on the map or globe. It is where
the two lines cross each other.
Longitudes are measured in degrees east
and west of the Prime Meridian. Thus, 1ºE
is the longitude 1º away from the Prime
Meridian and to the east of it. 1ºW is the
longitude 1º away from the Prime Meridian
and to the west of it.
Activity
1. Use your atlas to find the location of
the following places. Take note of the
latitudes and longitudes and write the
exact locations of Thimphu, Delhi,
New York, Sydney, Bangkok, Dhaka
and Tokyo.
If two persons move away from Greenwich
and one goes towards the east and the other
towards the west, they will meet at the
same point halfway round the globe. This
is longitude 180ºW for the person who
goes towards the west and 180ºE for the
person who goes towards the east. It is
simply called the 180ºLongitude.
2. Find out the position of Asia on a globe
or a map of the world using the lines of
longitude and latitude. You will find
that Bhutan lies between latitudes
26º40' and 28º20' North, and between
longitudes 88º45' and 92º10' East.
Each degree longitude is divided into 60
parts called minutes.
Each minute is divided into 60 equal parts
called seconds.
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Unit 1
Chapter 3: Finding Places and Time
3. What is the latitude and longitude
where the Prime Meridian crosses at
the equator?
4. What is the latitude and longitude of
the South Pole?
Finding time
All places on Earth do not have the same
time at the same moment. If you look at
Figure 3.6, you will notice that, when it is
noon at Thimphu, it is only morning in
London but it is already evening in Tokyo.
This is because of the spherical shape of
the earth and its rotation, as you learnt
earlier.
Fig 3.6 longitude and time
We know that one hour has 60 minutes.
Therefore, we can also say that the Earth
takes 1440 (24 x 60) minutes to spin 360º.
To turn through 1º, it would take 4 (1440 ÷
360) minutes. Thus, for each degree of
longitude there will be a time difference of
4 minutes. What would be the time
difference for 15 degrees of longitude?
You also learnt that the Earth spins once in
24 hours. This is why we have 24 hours in
a day. We know that a circle is made up of
360º. Therefore, we can say that the Earth
takes 24 hours to turn through 360º.
From the above it is correct to say that
clocks and watches in the eastern
hemisphere would be ahead of those in the
western hemisphere. The difference in time
between two places will depend on the
degrees of longitude between them. For
example, if place A and place B are15
degrees of longitudes apart, their time
difference will be 60 (15 x 4) minutes or 1
hour. A difference of 360º will mean a time
difference of 24 hours. If place B is to the
east of place A, then the time in place B
will be ahead of the time in place A.
All places along the same line of longitude
have noon at the same time. That is why
they are called meridians. The time before
noon is called am or ante meridian and the
time after noon is called pm or post
meridian.
The time on the prime meridian (zero
degree) which passes through Greenwich is
known as Greenwich Mean Time or GMT.
In order to have a common line of
reference to measure the east and west
distance on the Earth, all the countries of
the world have agreed to choose the line
longitude passing through Greenwich in
England as the zero degree line. This line is
called Prime Meridian which means midday sun.
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We can, therefore, say that as we go
eastwards, we gain time by 4 minutes for
each degree of longitude. But if we go
westwards, we lose 4 minutes for each
degree of longitude.
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Unit 1
Chapter 3: Finding Places and Time
Activity
1. Arrange a globe and a torch to
represent the Earth and the Sun like
you did for rotation (Chapter Two).
2. Rotate the globe from the west to the
east. Notice how each meridian of
longitude comes before the Sun in its
turn. To return before the sun again,
each longitude has to move through
360 º.
To calculate time
The time at any place can be calculated if
its longitude and the GMT are known.
Step one – The Earth rotates through 15
degrees in one minute. When it is 12 noon
at GMT the difference in time at 15 degree
east will be one hour.
Step two – Time to the east of GMT IS (+)
plus because the Sun rises in the east. Time
to the west of GMT is (−) minus because
the sun sets in the west.
3. Solve the following:
a) What will be the time on longitude
30ºW when it is noon at Greenwich?
b) What time is it at 120ºE, if it is 1pm
at 20ºE?
c) What time is it at 70ºW, if it is noon
at 90ºE?
d) Suppose it is 6 am in London, what
time will it be in Thimphu?
e) Calculate the time at 45º E if the
time at GMT is 5 am.
f) A tennis match begins at 10 am at
London, what will be the Bhutan
Standard time at that moment?
g) Find the time at 11ºW if it is 12
might night at GMT.
Example 1
Let us take the example of place A on 30ºE
longitude.
When it is noon at Greenwich (longitude
0º), what time will it be at place A?
The longitude difference = 30 − 0 = 30º
Time taken to pass 1º = 4 minutes
Therefore, time taken to pass 30º will be
30 x 4 = 120 minutes or 2 hours
(as 60 minutes = 1 hour)
Since place A is to the east of Greenwich,
we add 2 hours to the time at Greenwich
(12 noon + 2 hours = 14 hours or 2 pm)
Example 2
If it is 12 noon GMT, what is the time at 75
degree east?
Points to remember
1. Longitude is the angular distance of a
place east or west of the prime
meridian.
2. The longitude passing through London
has been chosen as the Prime Meridian.
3. Latitudes and longitudes are used for
locating place.
4. Latitude is the angular distance of a
place from the equator.
5. Heat zones of the Earth are separated
by the important latitudes.
6. Zero degrees latitude is called the
Equator.
1. Difference in longitude = 75º − 0º = 75º
15 degree is = 1 hour
75 degree is = 5 hours
Time to the east is plus
So the time at 75 degree east
= 17 hours or 5pm
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Unit 1
Chapter 3: Finding Places and Time
7. GMT is Greenwich Mean Time.
9. The short form of ante meridian is am
and the short form of post meridian is
pm.
10. 180º degree of longitude is called the
International Date Line.
8. BST is Bhutan Standard Time.
Monitoring your own progress
Building Skills and attitudes
1. Using your atlas, look for the mystery
places listed below. What country or
continent do you find there?
a. 30ºN and 105ºE
b. 30ºN and 30º E
c. 30ºS and 60ºW
d. 45ºN and 90ºW
e. 75ºN and 45ºW
f. 30ºS and 30º E
Recalling the main ideas:
1. Name the lines which commonly
appear on maps and globes.
2. Name the heat zones. Where do you
find each one of them on the earth?
3. Name the important lines of longitude
and latitude.
4. How far apart in degrees are the
Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of
Capricorn?
2. If it is 7:00 am in Beijing (China),
what time is it in Paris (France)?
5. Why do places around the world have
different times at any given moment?
3. Use your atlas to find the countries in
which the following cities are located:
Sydney, Brasilia, Chicago, Dublin,
Lagos and Kuala Lumpur.
4. Write down the difference between
latitudes and longitudes.
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Unit 1
CHAPTER FOUR
OUR COUNTRY BHUTAN
landlocked
Words you should know
Greater Himalayas
alpine
sub-alpine
Inner-Himalayas
temperate
sub-tropical
Southern Foothills
Objectives
On completion of this chapter, you should
be able to:
1. Explain the location of Bhutan with the
help of a map;
2. Name and mark Bhutan’s physical
zones on a map;
3. Describe the physical features, climate,
vegetation, and wildlife found in the
three physical zones; and
4. Mark mountains, rivers, and passes on
an outline map of Bhutan.
will learn about our country’s location and
natural environment.
Location
You know where to find countries on the
world map. Try to find Bhutan on the map.
Our country lies on the southern slopes of
the Eastern Himalayas. It has an area of
38,394 square kilometers. It is much longer
from the west to the east than from the
north to the south. Our country is
landlocked. This means it is surrounded by
land on all sides (see Figure 4.1.).
Introduction
In our understanding of the environment,
we now move from the Earth to our
country, Bhutan. We have seen that the
Earth’s surface is covered with land and
water. We have also learnt that the land
portion of the Earth is made up of
continents and that continents comprise of
many countries. Our kingdom, as you
know already, is one of the countries in the
continent of Asia. It is known to the world
as Bhutan. We also call it ‘DrukYul’ which
means the ‘Land of the Thunder Dragon’.
In this chapter, we
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To its north, lies the country of China. Our
southern border with India begins near the
foothills. To our east, lies the Indian state
of Arunachal Pradesh. To our west lie the
Indian states of West Bengal and Sikkim.
The Indian states of Assam and Bengal are
found in the south.
From Figure 4.1, you will notice that our
kingdom lies between latitudes 26°40' and
28°20' North and between longitudes
88°45’and 92°10' East.
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Unit 1
Chapter 4: Our Country Bhutan
Figure 4.1 Location of Bhutan
Activity
1. Look at your atlas or a globe for about
5more landlocked countries. List them
in your exercise book. Against each,
write the names of their neighbours.
different states of India and the country of
China surrounding it.
4. On the same diagram above, draw the
latitudes and longitudes to show
Bhutan’s location and extent.
2. On an outline map of the world, shade
or colour the landlocked countries
selected above. Use different colours to
shade the surrounding neighbours.
Our Natural Environment
Although Bhutan is a small country, it has
a very rich natural environment. It is gifted
with many varieties of vegetation and
wildlife. It has hills, valleys, mountains,
and a few flat areas. Bhutan can be divided
into three physical zones:
3. Draw a diagram (not necessarily a map
- anything creative) of your own
showing the location of Bhutan with
respect to its neighbouring countries.
Use different colours to show the
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Unit 1
Chapter 4: Our Country Bhutan
• The Greater Himalayas
• The Inner Himalayas
• The Southern Foothills
We will study the features of each zone.
We will particularly look at the physical
features, climate, vegetation, and wildlife.
The Greater Himalayas
Our northern region is the zone of the
Greater Himalayas. Laya, Lingshi, Lunana,
Mera Sakteng, and Gogona are some of the
places
located
in
this
zone.
Figure 4.2 The Three Physical Zones of Bhutan
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Unit 1
Chapter 4: Our Country Bhutan
Climate
The climate above 4000 metres in this
zone is alpine. This type of climate is
found in areas with high mountains. Tall
trees and shrubs cannot grow here.
Instead, it has alpine grasslands. These
are used as pastures for the yaks and
sheep during the summer months. Short
rhododendrons (balusulu) are also found
at this altitude.
Physical Features
This region is about 30 kilometres wide.
Permanent snow, glaciers, glacial lakes,
and barren rocks are the main features of
this region.
The mountains of this region rise to
altitudes over 7000 m above sea level.
They have snow on the peaks almost
throughout the year. Some of the best
known peaks are Jhomolhari, Gangkar
Puensum, and Jitchu Drakey.
Beyond 4800 m, there is snow on the
ground throughout the year. Therefore,
this part of the zone is not very useful to
us.
In the lower altitudes of the zone,
between 3000 metres and 4000 metres,
the climate is sub-alpine. It has heavy
snow and frost in winter and a very short
summer. The average annual temperature
is less than 8°C. The total annual rainfall
varies from 1000 mm to 1500mm.
This mountainous region has numerous
rivers. They start from the peaks and
flow down to the valleys below. All of
Bhutan’s main rivers- the Amo Chhu,
Wang Chhu, Puna Tsang Chhu, Drangme
Chhu, and Kuri Chhu start from this
zone.
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Unit 1
Chapter 4: Our Country Bhutan
2. On an outline map of Bhutan, mark
the Greater Himalayan Zone. Mark the
rivers and peaks found in the zone.
Remember to use the symbols
mentioned below:
Vegetation
There
are
short
juniper
trees,
rhododendrons, premolars, Himalayan blue
poppy, and many more flowers of all sizes
and shapes. You will also find the Yartsa
Guenbub which appears like grass in
summer and an insect in winter. It can be
used as medicine.
Rivers - Thin blue lines
Mountain Ranges - Thick brown lines
Peaks -Black triangles
Also, draw (or paste pictures of) the
trees, plants, and animals found here.
Wild life
The animals found in this zone are the
takin, musk deer, Himalayan bear, blue
sheep, and snow leopard. Birds like the
Black-Necked crane, ravens and magpies
are also found here.
The Inner Himalayas
Our second physical zone, called the Inner
Himalayas, lies south of the Greater
Himalayan Zone.
Activity
1. Study Figure 4.3 and list the important
features that you see in the photo.
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Physical features
This region rises from the foothills to a
height of about 3000 metres. It is about 70
31
Unit 1
Chapter 4: Our Country Bhutan
these ranges are covered in snow for most
of the year.
kilometres wide. The mountain ranges in
this region rise to great heights with steep
slopes on both sides. The high peaks on
The ranges are separated from one another
by several valleys. The main valleys are
Paro, Wang (Thimphu), Punakha, Shar
(Wangdue), Mangde (Trongsa), Bumthang,
Kheng (Zhemgang), Kurtoe (Lhuntse), and
Trashigang. The Dagala Range lies
between the Wang and Shar valleys. The
Jowo Durshing Range lies between the
Shar and Mangde valleys. Some of these
valleys like Paro, Wang, and Punakha are
broad. Others, such as the Mangde and
Kheng valleys are steep-sided, deep, and
narrow.
There are passes on the mountains of this
zone. They are used for crossing over from
one valley to another. Some of the passes
are:
•
•
•
•
•
The valleys in this zone have been home to
the Bhutanese for ages. The mountain
slopes have been terraced and irrigated to
create fertile land for agriculture. All the
major rivers flow through these valleys.
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Chilela between Paro and Haa,
Dochula between Wang and
Punakha,
Pelela between Shar and Mangde
valley,
Yutola between Trongsa and
Bumthang, and
Thrumsengla between Bumthang and
Mongar.
Climate
The Inner Himalayan Zone has temperate
climate. It is warm in summer and cold in
winter. The average temperature for winter
32
Unit 1
Chapter 4: Our Country Bhutan
trees, plants, and animals found in this
zone.
varies from5°C to 8°C. The average
temperature for summer varies from 10°C
to 22°C. The total annual rainfall varies
between 1500mm and 2000mm.
The Southern Foothills
The Southern Foothills is a narrow zone on
our southern border. It is about 50
kilometres wide.
Vegetation
This zone has rich vegetation. The most
valuable forests of the country are found
here. Some of them are spruce, blue pine,
fir, cypress, juniper, oak and birch.
Physical Features
The altitude in this zone ranges from about
200metres to 2000 metres. All the main
rivers of Bhutan - the Amo Chhu, Wang
Chhu, Dangme Chhu, Puna Tsang Chhu
flow through this zone on their way to the
Brahmaputra river in India. These rivers
bring alluvium from the higher regions.
They create broad, nearly level valleys.
Wild life
The main animals found in this zone are
monkeys, wild boars, and the fearsome
black bears that roam the regions around
Punakha, Wangdue, Northern Tsirang,
Trongsa and Zhemgang. We also find
pheasants here.
The lower part of these foothills is rich in
fertile soils. Higher up in the hills there is
loose soil and gravel.
Activity
On the same outline map of Bhutan, mark
in the river valleys, passes and peaks found
in the Inner Himalayan zone using the
same symbols and colours mentioned
earlier. For the passes, use a black cross
(x). Also, draw (or paste pictures of) the
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Unit 1
Chapter 4: Our Country Bhutan
In the past, these foothills were very
difficult to cross because they were
covered with dense forest. Nowadays,
however, large areas of forest have been
cleared for agriculture and settlements.
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Climate
This zone has sub-tropical type of climate.
It is hot and wet in summer and cool and
dry in winter. The average temperature
during the summer season is about 28ºC.
The average temperature during the winter
34
Unit 1
Chapter 4: Our Country Bhutan
season is about 15ºC. The total annual
rainfall is usually about 2000mm.
5. Inner Himalayas has temperate
climate.
Vegetation
This zone is rich in dense tropical and
sub-tropical vegetation. There are thick
broad leaved trees like sissoo, sal, and
bamboo covering the hill sides. In some
places, there are wild orchids of many
sizes often growing from trees. The
southern part of the zone is covered
mostly with heavy savannah grass and
bamboo jungle. In certain areas, the
savannah grassland has been cleared for
rice cultivation.
6. Southern foothills have
tropical type of climate.
Wild life
The main animals found in this zone
are elephants, tigers, buffaloes, bison,
rhinos, musk and barking deer. The
Golden Langur (monkey) is found
around the Manas area. Butterflies of
every shape and colour are also found
here. Some of them are as large as
small birds. The Southern Foothills is
also known for its malarial mosquitoes.
That is why, when we travel to this
region we need to take medicine to
prevent ourselves from getting malaria.
Points to remember
1. The area of Bhutan is 38,394 square
kilometres.
2. Bhutan is a landlocked country
which means it is surrounded by
land on all sides.
sub-
Activity
1. On the same outline map of Bhutan,
mark the rivers in the Southern
Foothills using the same symbol as
used earlier. Also, draw (or paste
pictures of) the vegetation and wildlife
found in this zone. Then, draw
boundaries to separate the three
physical zones of our country. Colour
or shade each zone differently and
make a key to indicate the zone each
one represents.
Monitoring your own progress
Recalling the main ideas:
1. In which continent does Bhutan lie?
2. What is the area of Bhutan?
3. Why Bhutan is called a landlocked
country?
4. List three landlocked countries.
5. Write the names of three physical
zones into which Bhutan can be
divided.
6. Why does it get colder as you go
from the south to the north of
Bhutan?
three
7. Which of the three zones has the
greatest annual rainfall?
4. Greater Himalayas is known for
Yartsa Guenbub.
8. Which of the three zones is the
most favourable for settlement?
Explain why.
3. Bhutan is divided
physical divisions.
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into
35
Unit 1
Chapter 4: Our Country Bhutan
b) Using the tables and graphs, answer
the following questions:
Building skills and attitude:
1. Draw a table as shown below. Fill it
with information given in the text
about the three physical zones of
our country.
Physical climate vegetation animal
zone
i. Which is the coldest month in
Phuentsholing?
ii. Which is the warmest month in
Gogona?
iii. Is the warmest temperature in
Gogona same as that in
Phuentsholing?
2. Look at the physical wall map of
Asia or the world in your
classroom.
- Find out and write down which
colour is used to show:
mountains, plains, and seas.
-
iv. Which is the wettest month for
Gogona?
v. Which is the driest month for
Mongar?
vi. Work
out
the
average
temperature for each place.
Which colour do you find
covering Bhutan? What does
this tell you?
vii. Work out the average rainfall
for each place.
1. Study the temperature and rainfall
tables
given
below
for
Phuentsholing,
Mongar,
and
Gogona.
a) Draw a graph for each place
showing its temperature and
rainfall.
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
P/Ling
17 19
23
27
26
27
26
27
26
24
22
19
Mongar
11 12
13
19
21
24
26
23
23
20
19
11
6
7
7
12
14
13
12
9
5
2
Gogona
1
2
Temperature data for three selected places in Bhutan
Temperature in degrees Celsius
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Unit 1
UNIT TWO
PEOPLE AND PLACES
In this unit, you will study about how the
living style of people has evolved over the
centuries through interaction with the
physical environment.
Chapter Five gives you a glimpse of the
history of human evolution. You will come
to know how early people gradually made
progress through various discoveries and
inventions and became civilized.
Chapter Six tells you where people settle
and why they choose to live in certain
areas. You will learn about how population
grows and effects of rapid population
growth. You will see how people depend
on the environment and the impact people
have on it. You will realize the need to
protect and care for the environment.
In Chapter Seven, you will explore how
people engage in various activities to fulfill
their needs and satisfy their wants. You
will be able to differentiate their activities
into economic and non-economic activities.
You will be able to group the economic
activities into primary, secondary and
tertiary activities.
Chapter Eight makes you aware of the
movement of people and goods and
exchange
of
information
through
technology in different ages. You will
come to know the various means of
transport and communication used. You
will realize how the progress in technology
has made traveling and communication
much faster and easier.
CHAPTER FIVE
HOW PEOPLE LIVED IN ANCIENT TIMES
history
archaeologist
Old Stone Age
early civilization
discovery
Words you should know
records
origin
New Stone Age
change
invention
Objectives
On completion of this chapter, you should
be able to:
1. Explain how we can learn about the
past;
2. Describe how people lived in the past;
3. Explain changes in different places and
different periods in the past;
4. Collect information and learn about the
past; and
5. Draw timelines of dates and events.
artefacts
homo sapiens
Metal Age
occupation
We are also going to see how people lived
in the past in a local area in our country.
Knowing about the past
First of all, we need to understand how
people know about ancient times. It is said
that stories were written by the people of
the past.
These stories were about themselves and
the ways people lived in their time. Such
stories are known as records. People who
are interested in the past read these records.
Reading, studying, and writing about the
past events of humans is known as history.
The person who writes history is called a
historian.
Introduction
In chapters one to four, we learnt about the
earth on which we humans live. In this
chapter, we are going to learn about how
humans lived in ancient times.
Figure 5.1 Some artefacts found by archaeologists
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Unit 2
Chapter 5: How People Lived in Ancient Times
The earliest people, however, did not know
how to write. They could only draw and
paint pictures. The period before people
knew how to write is called pre-history.
People during the pre-historic period left
behind stone tools, pots, bones, statues,
ornaments, and toys. Most of these things
were buried under the ground. They are
called artifacts.
Java Man was one of the first examples of
homo erectus to be discovered, having
been located first in 1891, in Java
(Indonesia.) They are just like an ape-man
who walked in a stooped position (bent
forward). He has a small brain in his
small skull. He resembled more an ape
than a man and appeared to be like a
chimpanzee or a gorilla of these days.
Archaeologists dig the ground to find
artifacts from ancient periods. We can learn
a lot from the artifacts discovered this way.
Peking Man is another example of homo
erectus which was found in Peking
(China) in a cave which was used as
dwelling (home).This man could stand
more upright than the Java man. This
man could hunt animals with the help of
stone tools and make use of fire.
Activity
1. Write a list of artifacts you would need to
leave behind for archaeologists to learn
about your school. You can do this in
groups.
2. Discuss why you would leave those things
behind.
The Neanderthal man is classified as a
race of modern humans that was found in
the valley of Europe. Neanderthal skull is
thought to have been as large as that of
Homo sapiens. They had brains as large
as modern humans at birth and larger
than modern humans as adults. The males
were about 165–168 cm tall and were
heavily built with strong bone structure.
The Females stood about 152–156 cm tall.
People and their Origin
We shall now try to understand the origin of
the people living around the world today.
That is, how the first people appeared on
Earth. In chapter one, we learnt that the
Earth is made up of land and water. We also
learnt that the Earth is made up of different
landmasses called continents.
Look at the political map of the world. You
will find that each of the continents is
divided into countries. People settled in these
countries at different times and slowly
spread all over the world. Today, we find
people in all parts of the world.
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Cro-Magnon man an early Homo sapiens
that lived about 40,000 years ago. They
lived in many caves of Spain and France.
The Cro-Magnon man had a prominent
chin and forehead. They had longer legs
than the Neanderthal man. They were 180
cm tall and stood upright like man of
today.
Source: Aspect of World History, Book-I
Fig 5.2 The origins of the first humans
40
Unit 2
The First Humans
Many thousands of years ago there were no
humans on earth.
Historians and archaeologists tell us that the
first humans appeared about 500,000 years
ago. They were the earliest people on earth.
Historians call them the Java Man, the
Peking Man, the Neanderthal Man and the
Cro-Magnon Man. This information came
from a study of bones and skeletons found
by archaeologists in the 19th and 20th
centuries.
Chapter 5: How People Lived in Ancient Times
Different Groups of People
In the course of time, the earliest people
went to different parts of the world and
settled. The places where they settled were
different from each other in climate. The
climatic conditions made the people look
different in different places. Later, people
with different colours appeared in different
parts of the world.
There were mainly three such groups of
humans - the Black; the Yellow; and the
White. The Black group came from Africa
and spread to other parts of the world. The
Yellow group first appeared in Central Asia
and spread to Siberia, China, Japan, and
Southeast Asia.
Activity
Read the information about the origins of
people in figure 5.2 above and fill up the
table given below:
The White came from Southeast Europe and
spread to other parts of Europe, Iran, North
Africa, and India.
Origins of Characteristics Countries
people
Over the years, the different groups of
people came together and mixed with each
other. People from one part of the world
moved and settled in another part of the
world.
Fig 5.3 People of the World
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Unit 2
This kind of movement is called migration.
We shall learn more about this in a later
chapter.
Activity
On an outline map of the world, put a cross
on the place where each group of people
came from. Use different colours and
pictures from Figure 5.3. Put arrows to show
where these people migrated.
Early Human Life
Let us now go back in time to thousands of
years ago. What was life like then?
Chapter 5: How People Lived in Ancient Times
Archaeologists think that when people
wanted to hunt an animal, they dug a big hole
or pit in the ground. They covered this hole
with branches, twigs and leaves and then
they hid in the forest and wait waited. When
they saw an animal, they made loud noises to
frighten it. They chased it towards the pit. As
soon as the animal fell into the pit, they
attacked it and killed it with their stone tools.
Source: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow (Devi
Kar & Dayita Datta, Orient Longman,
1998
Fig 5.4 Hunting for food in ancient times
No one really knows how fire was discovered
and how people learnt to eat cooked food.
Perhaps someone discovered fire while
making stone tools. When two stones were
struck against each other, sparks might have
been seen. These sparks may have set some
dry grass nearby on fire.
Or, they might have seen sparks of fire
coming out of rocks when the hoofs of
running deer struck them.
Or perhaps people saw forest fire and it set
them thinking. They probably found many
wild animals burnt in the forest fire. They
may have tasted a piece of the burnt meat and
liked the taste.
Source: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow (Devi
Kar & Dayita Datta, Orient Longman,
1998
Fig 5.5 The discovery of fire
The Earliest Way of Living
The earliest people lived more than 500,000
years ago. They lived almost like animals.
They wore no clothes. They ate roots of
plants, fruits and raw meat. But they were
better than the animals because they could
think. So, they were called Homo Sapiens.
They had two hands, which they used for
working and making things. They did not
crawl on four feet like the animals did. They
stood and walked upright. Their main
occupation was hunting.
because of two main discoveries. (Discover
means finding the use of things around us.
These things have been around but their
use was not known.) The early humans
discovered fire and how to use stone as
tools. This period is known as the Old
Stone Age
Beginning of Changes
From about 50,000 to 10,000 B.C. the early
humans slowly changed their ways of
living. They knew what they wanted and
they learned how to get them. They needed
food, shelter, clothes, and protection from
danger. They were able to fulfill them
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Unit 2
People of the Old Stone Age wandered
from place to place. They did so to search
for food because they had not learnt to
grow their own food. They were, therefore,
known as food gatherers and hunters. They
lived in one place so long as there was
enough food to eat.
Activity
a) Strike two dry stones together and
observe what happens.
b) Think of another way people of the past
might have discovered fire.
c) Make a list of ways we make fire today.
d) Make a list of how we use fire today.
Compare the uses with those of the past.
Chapter 5: How People Lived in Ancient Times
Soon, they also learnt that they could
protect themselves against the cold weather
by living in caves. Using fire, they were
able to light up their caves and keep
themselves warm. They then learnt to
protect themselves against wild animals.
They used fire to frighten them away and
stone weapons to defend themselves from
them.
Gradually, people discovered they could
wear animal skins, barks and leaves of
trees to protect their bodies. Their stone
tools helped them get these into shapes
suited to their bodies.
Activity
a) Study Fig. 5.6 and write how ancient
people used stone tools as weapons.
b) Look for a stone that you think could
be used as a tool. Study it carefully and
think of ways you could use it. (This
would be homework.) You may try
using it actually.
Fig. 5.6 Stone Tools and Weapons
of the Old Stone Age
c) Bring the stone to class the next day.
Explain for what purpose it could be
used and why you think so. (This could
be done in pairs or groups.) You may
show how it could be used.
The Old Stone Age people were able to use
fire to roast meat. So, from raw flesh of
animals they slowly learnt how to eat
roasted meat. This way, they found better
ways of feeding themselves. The stone
tools helped them to hunt better. They
began to cut their meat with stone tools.
With these tools it became easier to dig out
roots, cut leaves, and pluck fruits. Making
tools thus became another occupation for
these people.
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Newer Changes
From about 10,000 B.C. people discovered
new and better ways of living. They
improved their stone tools which helped
them to hunt better. Their life was
changing.
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Unit 2
Beginning of Agriculture
The most important discovery during this
period was agriculture. People learned to
grow their own food. Growing your own
food is also called farming. This became a
new occupation of the people of this time.
Chapter 5: How People Lived in Ancient Times
places where there was plenty of water,
which they needed for agriculture.
They also chose places that were safe to
live. In these places, people began to build
permanent shelter. This was perhaps the
beginning of architecture as an occupation.
Activity
Discuss the following in groups or with
your teacher.
1. The materials used to build the house
in the past.
2. Where did the people in the past
choose to settle? Why?
3. What building materials of those times
are used today?
4. What kinds of places are chosen today
to build houses?
It is not known for certain how early
people started growing their own food. It
is, however, assumed that after people ate
their food they threw away the seeds. They
realised that these seeds gave rise to new
plants. They then got the idea of planting
seeds to grow their own food.
Source: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow (Devi
Kar & Dayita Datta, Orient Longman,
1998
Fig. 5.7 How early farmers might have
learnt to grow food
In course of time, several families came to
live in one place. The group of families
living in one place became a village. Then,
they developed a common language to
communicate with one another. Sometimes
one village fought with another village.
Sometimes there were people who were
engaged in mischief. Rules had to be made
to stop people from such mischief.
Pottery
There was a need for pots and utensils to
store the grains and to cook food. This led
to the invention of earthen pots. Thus,
pottery became an additional occupation
during this period.
We can say that people invented something
when there was a need. Inventing is
making something new using one’s own
ideas. Learning to grow food was a great
invention, but learning to cook food was
still a greater invention.
People needed someone wiser and stronger
to lead them and protect them from
enemies.
The wise and strong person then became a
chief who guided them and protected the
rules. The chief then looked after his
people with the help of rules and laws.
Settling in villages
With the inventions people did not have to
move from place to place in search of food.
It became possible for them to settle down
in a place of their choice. Often, they chose
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Unit 2
Domestication of Animals
People during this period made yet another
discovery. They began to domesticate
animals to:
a) Help the family in the work of
agriculture;
b) Carry loads;
c) Protect the house;
d) Hunt;
e) Provide the family with milk and
meat; and
f) Provide the family with wool for
making clothes to wear.
Chapter 5: How People Lived in Ancient Times
Weaving
Are there people in your family who make
clothes? What materials do they use? From
where do they get the materials? We read
above that people in ancient times made
cloth from wool. Then they made dresses
from the woven cloth. They had also learnt
how to weave, adding yet another
occupation. It is said that their first
weaving was of baskets and mats. What do
you think they might have used these for?
Figure 5.8 Stone tools and weapons of the New Stone Age
Activity
1. Make a list of domestic animals that
you think are used today. In what ways
are these animals used?
The Wheel
Then the wheel was invented. The use of
wheels helped them to improve the art of
pottery. It was also used to roll a wagon or
a cart, and to turn a spindle. It worked as a
pulley.
2. Explain which animals we use today
were not used in ancient time.
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Unit 2
Activity
1. In groups, discuss what the following
might have been used for:
Wagon and cart
Spindle
Pulley
2. In the same groups, discuss the uses of
wheel today.
Improved Use of Stone
People continued to use stone tools and
weapons but they made newer and better
ones. They were polished and of better
shape. They had wooden handles, making
it easier to hold and use. That is why the
period between 12,000to 7,000 B.C was
known as the New Stone Age.
Chapter 5: How People Lived in Ancient Times
Activity
1. Study Fig. 5.6 and Fig.5.8 carefully.
Find differences between the two sets of
tools and weapons.
2. Is there anything today that is made of
stone and used as tools? Find out as
many as you can and describe them.
3. Write what is similar between the stone
sickle of the New Stone Age and the
sickle we use today.
First Use of Metal
Towards the end of this age, people began
to use metal to make tools. The first metal
used was copper. Then they used tin, zinc,
a mixture of copper and tin known as
bronze and iron.
People found that metal tools were better
than stone tools. Therefore, as more metals
were discovered, there was less use of
stones. The later period of the New Stone
Age was sometimes called the Metal Age.
With the beginning of agriculture there was
a need to till the soil and harvest the crops.
For these purposes, they made digging
tools and sickles.
They also made good stone axes and stone
hammers.
Early Civilization
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Unit 2
So far, we saw that discoveries and
inventions were made which changed
peoples’ life styles over periods of time.
The basic needs of people remained the
same but newer needs gave rise to new
discoveries and inventions. People learnt
several forms of art. Their lives became
more comfortable
From around 5,000 B.C. there have been
some changes in the lives of people. We
shall now try to understand the changes.
Chapter 5: How People Lived in Ancient Times
more land, so their farm products
increased. The Egyptians stored extra water
from the River Nile during floods. They
dug canals with which they watered their
land throughout the year. This way of
watering the field was called irrigation.
More Occupations
You learnt earlier on in this chapter that
people settled down and formed villages.
Their main occupations were farming,
hunting, pottery, making tools, weaving,
and building shelters. In the course of time
their population grew and the villages also
expanded. Some villages slowly grew into
towns and some towns grew into cities.
Historians tell us that around this time
people became civilized. They say that
civilization began at different times in
different places of the world. The earliest
civilizations began around 5,000 B.C.in
Egypt, Mesopotamia (Iraq), India, and
China. These places are also called the
‘Cradles of Civilization.’ All of them grew
around river valleys: the Nile Valley in
Egypt, the Tigris and Euphrates in
Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley in India,
and the Hwang-Ho and the Yangtse-Kiang
in China. Can you tell why?
The needs of people changed and so the
ways of living also changed. There were
many different types of occupations. Some
examples are art, architecture, astronomy,
irrigation, medicines, weaving, trade,
manufacturing, government, and rituals.
These in turn gave rise to different classes
of people in the society. Wise and strong
people became rulers, priests and scholars
while others were farmers, merchants,
artisans and craftsmen.
Activity
On an outline map of the world, show the
locations of the early civilizations. Get help
from an atlas or the political map of world.
Architecture
When architecture became an occupation,
they wanted to do better in their works. So,
people began to build better houses to live
in. They now built their houses using
bricks (baked clay).
Improving of Agriculture
There were more improvements in
agriculture. With the help of canals people
were able to cultivate land that was away
from the river. They were able to cultivate
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Unit 2
Beside houses, people built temples and
other structures. Egypt is famous for its
pyramids that were made of stone blocks
piled one on top of the other.
These were built to bury their dead kings.
The Mesopotamians built many temples
called Ziggurats to pray to their gods. They
were built on hills for the whole city to see
them. The priests looked after them. In the
Indus Valley Civilization they had a wellplanned city called Mohenjodaro. There
were small and large buildings in this city.
The best known was the Great Bath. It was
a large pool with many small rooms around
it. The ancient Chinese are famous for their
Great Wall. It is about 4,000kilometres
long. It was built for protection against the
enemies in the north.
Chapter 5: How People Lived in Ancient Times
quantities. Soon, people invented silver
coins and started to use them. They bought
and sold the goods in large quantities using
the coins. Thus, some people became
merchants.
Activity
a) Make a list of occupations we have
today.
b) How different are they from those of
the early civilization?
c) Explain what needs are fulfilled with
these occupations.
d) Make a list of items found in your
village that you would like to trade
with items found in another village.
More Inventions
Do you remember that pre-historic people
did not know how to write? Later, people
also invented how to write during early
civilizations. The Mesopotamians wrote on
wet clay with a sharpened reed. The
Egyptians wrote on paper made from the
papyrus plant with a reed. A mixture of
gum and dyes was used as ink. The
Chinese made ink from a mixture of gum
and soot, and paper from tree barks. Many
of the things we use and enjoy today were
invented during the early civilizations. The
calendar, the use of numbers, and geometry
were invented during this period. Paper,
cups and pots, the printing machine, tea,
and gunpowder were also invented.
Trade and Manufacturing
Before the beginning of civilization people
made for themselves what they needed. In
the course of time, they found out that they
could get what they did not have from the
people of other places. Thus, began trading
of goods. They did not have money as we
do today, but they exchanged goods for
goods.
For
example,
in
ancient
Mesopotamia, grain, dates, woolen cloth,
and metalwork were exchanged for gold,
silver, copper, and precious stones. In the
Indus Valley Civilization, the traders took
grain, cloth, and other goods to different
places and exchanged them for metals.
Activity
1. Try writing on wet clay, either as
homework or in class. First, discuss
what you can use to write on the wet
Trade slowly gave rise to making goods
quicker and in large quantities. This way
they were able to exchange goods in huge
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clay. You can write anything you wish
and ask a friend to try to explain to you
what you have written.
Chapter 5: How People Lived in Ancient Times
Draw a timeline to show the different
periods of time discussed in this chapter.
Monitoring your own progress
Recalling the main ideas
1. What does history mean?
2. Think of one thing you would like to
invent and explain why you want to
invent it.
2. How do we know about the past?
3.
Rulers
Just like the Chief in the New Stone Age,
the kings and priests became the most
powerful people. They were the wealthiest
and the most respected. Kings called
Pharaohs ruled Egypt. Kings also ruled
ancient China. A priest who looked after
the Ziggurat ruled each city in ancient
Mesopotamia.
4. Look at life in the Stone Ages and life
in the Early Civilization. How are they
similar and how are they different?
5. In what ways are we similar to the
ancient people?
6. In what ways are we different from
them?
7. What is meant by the following terms?
Artifact, archaeologist, origin, records,
change, occupation, discovery and
invention.
These rulers made rules and laws to look
after their people. The rules and laws
helped the people to live together
peacefully and happily.
Without rules and laws there would be no
peace. People would feel unsafe.
Building skills & attitude
1. Make a model from clay of the works
that people did during the New Stone
Age.
We can now say that people lived better
lives during the Early Civilization. They
exchanged messages with each other and
transported goods from one place to
another. Over the years their activities
increased as they made more inventions.
There was someone wiser and powerful to
look after them and protect them.
8.
2. Write the story of your grandfather or
grandmother or an old person in
your
village
or
wherever
possible.You can draw a timeline to
show what happened in the life of
the person. 3. Project work:
a) You will have to write about the
past life of the people in a village
or a town of your choice. (This can
be given for the midterm break.)
Activity
1. From what you have read in this
chapter, write what you understand by
‘civilization.’
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How is Old Stone Age different from
New Stone Age? How are they similar?
b)
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Instructions
Unit 2
Chapter 5: How People Lived in Ancient Times
i)
First of all, plan what kind of
information you need to collect.
ii)
Then, discuss how to collect the
information.
iii)
You will need to write down a
number of questions.
iv)
If you wish to collect the
information from talking to
people, you need to decide
whom to talk to.
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v)
You could also request the people to
show you old things that were
commonly used in the past.
4. Write down what you think of the past.
Were the people in the past so different
from how you live today? What has
changed and what has not changed? What
did the people do to improve their life?
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Unit 2
population
urban
waste management
CHAPTER SIX
WHERE DO PEOPLE LIVE?
Words you should know
estimate
census
growth
rural
conservation
Objectives
At the end of the chapter, you should be
able to:
1. Explain why we need to study
population;
2. Describe what makes a population grow;
3. Explain the effects of population growth;
4. Explain why people choose to settle in
some places;
5. Tell the differences between the two
types of settlements;
6. Point out populated and unpopulated
places on a map; and
7. Suggest how we should protect our
natural environment.
places. And then, we will discuss the
impact of population on the natural
environment. We will also discuss ways of
protecting the environment.
What is population? Why do we study
population?
The total number of men, women, and
children living in a country is called the
population of that country. We cannot get
the exact number of population because
new babies are born and people die every
day. So, we can only have an estimate
number. The population of Bhutan is
estimated to be about 634,982 (2005
census). The population of the world is
estimated to be more than six billion.
Introduction
In chapter five, we learnt that people
started settling down from the time of the
New Stone Age. The places people chose
depended on their needs. We also learnt
that human settlements grew more during
the early civilizations. We know that over
the centuries human settlements spread to
all parts of the world.
In this chapter, we will first learn what
population means and why we need to
study population. Then, we will learn about
population growth and the problems of
rapid population growth. We will then look
at why people choose to settle in particular
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settlement
migration
We can get this estimate number from a
census. A census is a study that tells us
how many men and women, children, and
old people are living in a country. Through
a census we also know the work that
people do. Some people work in farms,
some go to offices, and some work as
teachers in schools. A census also tells us
how many people can read and write and
how many cannot. This is called literacy.
It is useful to know the population of a
country. If there are more children, the
government can open more schools.
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Unit 2
Chapter 6 : Where do People Live?
i. As we already saw, a population grows
when there are more children born than the
people who die.
Sometimes there are more people who
cannot read and write. The government can
open non-formal education to help such
people learn to read and write. The
government can plan to give services such
as medical care, education, drinking water,
and roads.
ii. When mothers are healthy, they give
birth to more children.
iii. When mothers are healthy, they give
birth to healthy children and therefore,
fewer children die. The mother also has
better chances of surviving.
Activity
1. Find out the population of your school.
2. Explain how you got the above
information. Did someone tell you or did
you look at some records? Was it easy or
difficult?
3. Discuss how knowing the population of
your school would be helpful to the
Principal of the school.
iv. When men and women marry early, there
are greater chances of more children being
born.
v. When people leave one place to go to
another place, the population changes. The
population of the place they leave is
decreased while the population of the place
they go to increases.
Population growth
When the number of people living in the
country increases, we call it population
growth. In one day, many children are born
but many people die too. If the number of
children born is more than the number of
people who die, there will be population
growth. Let us say, there are 200 people in
a village today. Ten children are born
tomorrow in the village, but five people die
on the same day. The population of the
village will increase by five persons. There
will be 205 people in that village. We
would then say that the population of that
village has grown. But, if the number
ofthose who die is also ten, there will be no
growth in the population. It will remain the
same.
Activity
1. Find out whether the population of your
school has grown from last year. By how
many and why?
2. Think of your own home village or town.
Do you think the population has increased
or decreased? What do you think are the
reasons for the change in population.
Effect of rapid population growth
In some places, the population grows very
rapidly. This rapid population growth
affects us in many ways.
1. The land on which we live cannot
stretch. More people will use the same
piece of land. This means there will not be
sufficient space and food for everybody.
People will then have to buy food from
another place or other countries.
What makes populations grow?
Populations grow for many reasons. Some
of the reasons are listed below:
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2. There will be more children in the
family. It will be difficult to give good
food to all the children. The children will
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Unit 2
Chapter 6 : Where do People Live?
4. When more children grow into adults,
it will be difficult for them to find job.
They have to compete for jobs. The
unemployment rate will rise in the country.
suffer from poor nutrition. This will result
in poor health and growth of the body.They
will not be able to work or study well.
3. When most people are poor and
unhealthy, there will be need for more
medical care. This becomes very expensive
for the government in a country like
Bhutan where health services are free. This
is because more people will visit the health
centres or the hospitals. In a country where
health services are not free, poor people
will find it too expensive to visit the health
centres.
5. When there are more people, they tend
to invade forest to obtain more things for
their daily use which leads to
disappearance of natural resources.
6. More population in the town creates
more waste. If there are no proper garbage
pits to throw the waste, it invites more
diseases and pests.
Let us now read the story of a village in
Figure 6.1 below.
Figure 6.1 The story of a village
In a small village there were about 100 people.
Everyone had enough land to grow their food and to graze their animals. Out of 100 people,
there were more than 60 children. Each family had nearly five to seven children. The
government was giving them good medical care and so, all the children were very healthy and
happy. Older people also lived longer because of the health care they received.
After some time, these children grew up and got married. After marriage, many of them
separated from their families. They also took away part of the land from their families. This
went on and on. Some years later, the population of the village was three hundred. The
population of the village grew but they could not increase the land. So the size of the farmland
became smaller because land was divided among many children. Soon, there was very little
land for each family to cultivate.
The number of domestic animals also increased many times because each family wanted some
cows, sheep, and horses. There were more animals in the pastures and the grasses did not last
long. They had also cut down many trees to build houses for the new families. They had also
cut down the forest to cultivate more food grains. The rain in summer washed away more
topsoil because there was no forest to protect it.
Figure 6.1 The story of a village
Many families could not send their children to school because they had no money to buy
dresses and shoes. The food was not enough.
So, the children stayed home to work and ate food without enough nutrition. Their health care
was also not enough for all the sick people. So there were more people dying in the village.
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Unit 2
Chapter 6 : Where do People Live?
In most part of the country houses are built
in cluster or very close to each other. It is
known as clustered settlement. On the
other hand, houses are scattered or built far
away from each other. It is known as
scattered settlement. Both settlements are
located in valleys where there is fertile
land, gentle slopes and a good source of
water.
Activity
1. In an earlier activity, you found out
whether your school population
increased or decreased. Now, write
down what you think might have
happened as a result of the population
change in your school.
2. Read the story in Figure 6.1. What was
wrong in the village? What should
have happened?
Some urban centres grow out of rural areas
where farming gives way to industries and
shops. Darla and Gedu are good examples.
Some other urban centres are established in
new locations where there were no
settlements before.
Settlements
We learnt from chapter five that in ancient
times, people gathered their food from the
forests. They did not have houses. They
wandered from place to place in search of
food. In ancient Bhutan, people lived in the
valleys in winter. They did this to protect
themselves from the wind and the cold.
They did not have any houses either.
Activity
Study Figures 6.2 and 6.3. Write down the
differences you observe in the two pictures.
We also learnt that food, clothes, and
shelter are the basic needs in life. We need
shelter to protect ourselves from the cold,
heat, enemies, and wild animals. We feel
safe in a shelter. A place where people
have built houses to live permanently is
called a settlement.
How do people choose to settle in a place?
We learnt from chapter five that people in
ancient times chose to live near rivers. At
that time, agriculture was people’s main
source of earning. They needed good soil
and plenty of water. We can, therefore, say
that in rural areas people look for fertile
soil and sufficient water for farming. In the
olden days, people avoided hot and humid
places because of heat and mosquitoes.
However, due to inventions in science and
technology, nowadays we can keep our
houses cool in hot places and warm in cold
places.
In the earliest settlements on Earth, people
had houses, farms, and domestic animals.
In many countries of the world, there are
still some such settlements. In Bhutan, our
villages are such type of settlement. There
are two types of settlements – a clustered
settlement and a scattered settlement.
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Unit 2
Chapter 6 : Where do People Live?
Figure 6.2 Thimphu in 1984
Figure 6.3 Thimphu in 2010
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Unit 2
Some people choose to live in urban
centres. In urban areas, there are different
types of jobs people can do to earn their
living. People think that urban life is more
satisfactory, easier and more comfortable
than village life.
Nowadays more people move from rural
areas to urban centres because there are
better opportunities for earning a living.
Such a movement is called migration.
The problem with migration is that there is
the danger of population growing too
rapidly in the urban centres. There will not
be enough jobs for all. Life will become
more difficult and expensive for the people
who are less-skilled. There will be
problems of wastes, sewages, exhaust
fumes and noises. Such problems will
hamper the health of people, animals and
plants.
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Chapter 6 : Where do People Live?
Besides, the rural areas which are more
natural, often much healthier and more
peaceful will be left with a few people.
There will not be enough people to work
on the farms. So, here again we have the
problem of rapid population change.
Remember, we looked at some other
problems in an earlier section of this
chapter
Activity:
1. Write down the differences between
rural settlements and urban settlements
in Bhutan.
2. Think of the place you come from.
Write a short essay on the settlement
there.
3. Look at the population map of Bhutan
in Figure 6.4. Choose a populated place
and an unpopulated place on the map.
Discuss the reasons why one is
populated and the other is not
populated.
Fig 6.4 Population Map of Bhutan
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Unit 2
Chapter 6 : Where do People Live?
Over the centuries, people’s activities have
changed the environment. The rapid
growth of population has brought about
faster changes in the environment. The
world is now worried about the changes.
They say that the natural environment is
disappearing. This is dangerous for people
as we depend on the environment for many
things in our life. We get fresh water, food
and oxygen from the natural environment.
We, in turn, give off waste products that
are good for the natural environment. Can
you imagine the state of the world if the
changes continue to take place?
Impact on the Environment
Wherever people chose to settle, they have
been known to change their environment.
They have cut down trees to use the wood
as fuel and for building their houses. They
have built roads for transport. They have
cleared forests to make space for
cultivation or for setting up industries.
They have domesticated animals and
needed grazing grounds for them. They use
packet food wrapped in plastics which
degrades the environment. Plastics choke
the soil and animals. It also pollutes air
when it is burnt.
Figure 6.5 The Cycle of People and the Environment
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Unit 2
Chapter 6 : Where do People Live?
each animal so they hang freely and can
move within each other. Hang them from
the ceiling for the best effect.
Activity
1. Produce a Food Chain model for
yourself.
The instructions are given below:
You need:
·
a fairly stiff card
·
string and scissors
·
crayons and paints
You need to make an owl or a hawk.
Decide what size it should be. Draw the
outline on the stiff card and then cut it out.
Cut out the circle in the owl’s body.
You also need to make some other animals
and birds. Remember, the rat has a hollow
body. Draw and colour in the features. Do
not forget to do both sides of the animals
and birds. You will see both sides when
they are hung up.
2. Draw a table, as shown below, and fill it
in with information given in the text. The
first one has been done for you.(See Figure
6.5 for help.)
People’s impact on the Environment
People’s
Impact on
Impact in
activities environment/ Bhutan
people
Buying
more cars
Air pollution;
people’s health
Air
pollution
in big
towns
The important thing is to get the balance
when you attach the string to
Figure 6.6 Impact of People on the Environment
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Unit 2
Chapter 6 : Where do People Live?
2. Soil Protection
Planting trees and grass can reduce the loss
of loose and dry soil from being blown
away by wind.
Protecting the environment
In the ancient times, people lived in
harmony with the environment. They did
not do things that were harmful to the
natural environment. Therefore, the
environment was protected. Now, people
have to be told to take care of the
environment. People need to be taught
about environmental problems and how to
protect the environment.
3. Reduce Speed of Rain water
Planting trees on slopes and on
uncultivated lands help to reduce the speed
of rain water flowing downhill. When the
speed of the flow of water is reduced, the
water is able to sink into the soil. The roots
of the trees hold the soil in place and
landslides are prevented.
All of us have to make an effort to protect
and save the environment. The protection
of the environment is called conservation.
Conservation also means using the
environment carefully as well as keeping it
going for a long time.
4. Cleaning Campaign
Mass Cleaning campaign is carried out to
observe important Environmental Days and
make people aware of environment
protection.
Ways to protect our environment
1. Methods of Farming
Contour plough and terrace farming
help to reduce soil erosion. We see such
practices where the slope is gentle.
Figure 6.7 Protecting environment
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Unit 2
Chapter 6 : Where do People Live?
Sources of waste
Waste is generated from a number of
sources. The waste is produced from
school, agriculture, industries, home, health
and municipality. Some of the waste can be
recycled where as others are toxic.
Waste Management
We use many things in life. But all the
things are not required by people. Different
kinds of things or commodities that are no
longer needed by people are waste. We
drink juice and throw the plastic bottle or
its cover. We eat biscuits and throw their
wrappers. The plastic bottles and wrappers
are waste because we cannot use them. All
activities of man produce solid, liquid and
gaseous waste. We usually call this
garbage.
Recycle waste
Many wastes can be made again to use
again. They include plastics, paper, glass,
metal, cans, aluminium foils etc.
Toxic Waste
The wastes which are very harmful to us
are toxic waste. They include chemicals,
fertilizer, paints, old medicines, bulbs,
spray cans, batteries, shoe polish, and
pesticide containers. Toxic waste must be
disposed of with the utmost care.
Human beings produce more waste than
any others. Most of the waste is generated
from household activities, factories, offices
and agriculture. Urban areas produce more
waste than villages. Some of the waste
needs to be managed properly since it is
very harmful. While some wastes rot easily
and quickly, some wastes take many years
to decay and rot.
Agriculture Waste
In developing countries, where agriculture
is predominant, there is pressure on
agricultural land. It is for this reason that
there is ever increase in agricultural waste.
With a high demand for food production,
farmers use fertilizers for more production
of crops. They use a variety of chemicals to
protect crops from animals and insects. The
use of fertilizers produces fluoride waste
and soluble nitrates which are very harmful
to the people and the land. The use of
chemical fertilizers also reduces the
fertility of the soils.
Degradable Waste
Degradable waste is the organic waste.
They can easily decay and rot. They
include kitchen waste, vegetables, fruits,
leaves and paper. These wastes should be
put in a compost pit and the compost could
be used as manure.
Non-degradable Waste
Waste which take many years to decay and
rot and the waste which do not decay or rot
at all are called non-degradable waste.
They include plastics, glass, metal,
batteries, bulbs, paints, cans, containers,
shoe polish, aluminium foils etc.
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Chemicals such as pesticides and
insecticides are used to kill insects that
destroy crops. Sometimes, the chemicals
get mixed up with ground water or wells
and ultimately affect both animals and
humans.
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Unit 2
Chapter 6 : Where do People Live?
Industrial Waste
The major sources of wastes are the
industries. Their waste is not only large
but very dangerous.
with homemade paper or paint on them and
use them as pencil stands or small vases.
4. Recycle – Recycle means making new
things from the things that have already
been used. Use shopping bags made of
cloth. Pet bottles and papers can be sent to
recycling plants.
Wastes should be separated into
biodegradable and non- biodegradable
before it is dumped. One should keep bins
for different types of wastes - Toxic waste,
wet waste (which consists of leftover
foodstuff, vegetable peels, etc.), Dry waste
(which consists of cans, aluminium foils,
plastics, metal, glass, and paper)
Activity
1. In groups, discuss the important points
and list the activities that you would like
to carry out in your school to protect the
environment.
We can manage wastes by following 4Rs Refusing,
Reducing,
Reusing
and
Recycling. The 4Rs help to save resources,
energy and reduce pollution.
1. Refuse – Refuse means to encourage
yourself to buy less and what is really
necessary. It also means to say ‘NO’ or to
turn down the things which are not useful.
Instead of buying new containers from the
market, use the ones that are in the house.
Refuse to buy new items though you may
think they are prettier than the ones you
already have.
2. Reduce – Reduce means to cut the
amount of things you need or buy
unnecessarily. Reduce the generation of
unnecessary waste, e.g. carry your own
shopping bag when you go to the market
and put all your purchases directly into it.
3. Reuse – Reuse means to use things
again and again in different ways for
different purposes. Do not throw away the
soft drink cans or the bottles; cover them
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Unit 2
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Monitoring your own progress
Recalling the main ideas
1. Write the definition of population.
2. Why are there only estimates of
population and not the exact numbers?
Building skills and attitude
1. Study a population map of a country,
continent, or world. Observe the
populated places and think of the
reasons as to why there are settlements
in those places. Write them down in
your exercise book.
3. How can we get the population of a
country?
4. Write why we study about population.
5. List the factors that make a population
grow.
2. Study some pictures of rural and urban
settlements. Write down what you
observe.
6. What is meant by a settlement? Give
two examples.
7. Why do people choose some places to
live in? Explain with the help of
examples.
8. Explain how rural settlements are
different from urban settlements.
3. Where would you like to settle?
Explain why?
4. Visit a nearby locality. Different
groups can go to different localities.
Observe people’s activities. Note
which are good and which are bad for
the environment.
9. List some activities (people’s) that
harm the environment.
5. Take an active part in your SUPW
work and cleaning campaign and see
the difference around your local
environment.
10. List down ways of conserving the
environment.
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Unit 2
CHAPTER SEVEN
EARNING A LIVING
Needs
primary activity
raw materials
services
Words you should know
wants
secondary activity
industry
consumption
Objectives
On completion of this chapter, you should
be able to:
1. Identify basic needs and wants from a
list of items given;
2. List examples of economic activities;
3. Give examples to describe primary,
secondary, and tertiary economic
activities;
4. Explain important economic activities
in our country;
5. Identify some manufactured goods in a
local area; and
6. Name the major industries in our
country and plot them on an outline
map of Bhutan.
people’s activities and their importance in
our lives.
Needs and Wants
Every day, we see all types of activities
taking place around us. It will be
interesting to know why people carry out
different activities. We all need and want
certain things in our lives. The most basic
things that we need are food, clothes, and
shelter. These are needed for our survival.
It would be difficult to live if we did not
have these basic things. These are,
therefore, known as basic needs.
There are other things that people need too.
For example, we need utensils, furniture,
and food items in our house. Students need
textbooks for studying, and exercise books
and pens for writing. They also need a
classroom with desks and chairs for
learning. Farmers and carpenters need tools
to do their farming and carpentry works.
Sweepers need a broom to sweep with. Can
you think of some more examples?There
are also things that we want such as
television, car, washing machine, electric
rice cooker, and water boiler. But we can
live if we do not have these things. They
Introduction
In chapter five, we learnt how people
started settling down in the past and how
they fulfilled their needs. We also saw that
the needs changed with time. More needs
means people have to carry out more
activities. In chapter six, we learnt why
people choose to settle in some places. We
saw how they changed the natural
environment to best suit their needs. In this
chapter, we are going to learn about
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economic activity
tertiary activity
goods
trade
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Unit 2
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We will have to save time in travelling to
office to work for longer periods.
Similarly, with changing situations, many
of our wants today will slowly become our
needs.
just make our life more comfortable. Such
things are known as wants. We want them
for comfort, but not for survival.
Our needs change when our living styles
change. For example, in the olden days
people did not need a pair of shoes. It was
not a necessity. But now it has become
necessary for everyone. We now know that
shoes protect our feet.
Activity
1. Think about “Needs” and “Wants”.
Relate to things you have used every
day. List them in your exercise book as
given below.
Some people’s wants are other people’s
needs. For example, a car is a necessity for
a doctor. Can you see why? The doctor has
to be on time to see sick persons
everywhere. There will come a time when
cars will be a necessity for everyone.
My needs
My wants
Figure 7.1 Some needs and wants
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Unit 2
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5. Look at the activities in figure 7.2 and
classify them as needs and wants.
2. Share your list in a group of four and
make one list to show 5 needs and 5 wants
of the group.
6. Do you think your needs and wants will
remain the same throughout your life?
Explain in your exercise book and discuss
with the person sitting next to you.
3. Discuss why some things are needs and
why other things are wants.
4. As a whole class, make a list of 10 needs
and 10 wants. Write them on a chart paper
and display in the classroom.
Children playing football
A farmer working in a field
An officer working on a computer
A driver driving a truck
A couple taking a walk
Students working in a school garden
Cooking during a picnic
Figure 7.2 People engaged in different activities
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occupations were added as people felt more
needs.
Meeting our needs and wants
People do different works and make
different things to meet their needs. We
learnt in chapter five that people in the
ancient past made stone tools. They needed
the tools to dig and cut. We also learnt that
people started farming. They started it
because they needed to produce food for
survival. People started building shelter
because they needed protection from the
changing weather.
There are some other activities we carry
out that do not earn us money. They are
usually carried out for fun, for health, and
for happiness. Playing basketball is an
activity but it is not an economic activity.
We shall learn more about this in higher
classes.
Activity
a. Think about the economy activities and
non-economy activities which happen
around you. Then copy table in your
note book and fill it up.
You will notice that everyone does not do
the same thing. Some people sell their
services to earn money. For example, a
driver drives the car to earn a living; an
electrician puts and repairs electricity to
earn money. What other things do people
do to earn money?
Economy
activities
b. Look at the pictures of different
activities given in Figure 7.2. Which of
these activities are economic activities?
c. Think of your parents’ occupations.
How do the occupations help your
family?
d. On your own, make a list of about 5-6
activities you carry out daily. Explain
how they are useful to your life.
This way of meeting our needs and wants
is known as earning a living. In ancient
times, people did not use money like we do
now.
People themselves produced the things
they needed. When they needed some
things they did not make, they exchanged
goods. For example, the potters made pots
which they exchanged with crops that
farmers produced.
Groups of Economic Activities
All the economic activities that people
carry out can be grouped into three main
types as follows:
 Primary activities
 Secondary activities
 Tertiary activities
In the modern world, many of the activities
we carry out daily earn us money to be able
to buy the things we need or want. The
activities we carry out in order to earn
money are called economic activities. Such
activities are called work or occupation.
We know from chapter five that people had
occupations in the past. Many new
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Non-economy
activities
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Primary activities
crops and vegetables for their own use.
This type of farming is known as
subsistence farming.
When we work directly with nature it is
called primary activity. In these activities
we collect raw materials from nature.
Growing crops on farms, raising livestock,
collecting timber from forest, fishing, and
mining are primary activities.
Now, our people use better varieties of
seeds and modern methods of farming.
They can now produce more crops and
vegetables.
People working in the different areas of
primary activities earn a living for
themselves. They are able to produce the
things they need. They also sell the things
they produce to buy some other things they
cannot produce.
Some are for self-consumption and some
for sale in the market.
The main crops and vegetables we produce
are maize, rice, barley, millet, buckwheat,
wheat, apple, orange, ginger, and potato.
Agriculture
Through agriculture, farmers produce crops
and vegetables. Farmers produce crops for
their own use and for sale in the market to
earn money. In Bhutan, agriculture is a
very important primary economic activity.
In the olden days, agricultural activities in
our country were very simple. They
cultivated crops by clearing forestland.
They used the land for a few years and then
shifted to another place. This allowed the
land to gain fertility. The farmers then
returned to the same land after a few years.
This type of cultivation was known as
shifting cultivation. Nowadays, we see
very little shifting cultivation in our
country.
Livestock farming
Livestock farming means raising domestic
animals such as cattle, yaks, horses, sheep,
goats, pigs, and poultry. Among these
animals, cattle are the most common in our
country. Livestock farming is carried out to
produce cheese, butter, milk, meat, wool
and eggs. These are either used at home or
sold in the market.
Forestry
Forestry includes planting and harvesting
of trees. We cut down trees to use as fuel in
cooking food and to keep our houses warm.
The use of firewood for cooking is
common in the villages of our country. But
the use of firewood to keep us warm is
quite common in both rural and urban
areas.
People gradually learnt to use manure to
help regain the fertility of the soil. So, they
were able to grow crops on the same land
every year. They also started to use cattle
to plough their fields. Both men and
women worked in the fields to produce
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We also cut down trees for timber to make
houses, bridges, furniture, boxes, and tools.
If we only cut down trees and do not plant
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Fishing is not popular in Bhutan.
Therefore, fishing is not an important
primary activity in our country. But some
of our farmers have started to raise fish in
small ponds. Raising fish in ponds is
known as aquaculture. Aquaculture is
doing very well in Gelephu.
any, there will be no forests left in the
future. Therefore, planting trees is also part
of our forestry activities. There has been an
increase in the number of Community
Forests. Community Forests were primarily
promoted to ensure forest protection. It is
now increasingly viewed as a means to
improve rural livelihoods and contribute to
poverty reduction.
Figure 7.3 Fishing
The objectives of Community Forest are:
 Transfer the primary responsibility to
local groups for managing forest
resources of nearby villages.

Strengthen the institutional and
technical capacity of Community
Forest Management Groups (CFMGs)
to manage their Community Forest
sustainably
and
share
benefits
equitably.

Assist CFMGs in the development of
appropriate forest based home and
cottage industries and provide them
with marketing assistance.

Reduce pressure on the Government.

Promote forest resources in private,
common lands and in the surrounding
area of human settlement.
Mining
Mining means taking out minerals from the
ground. In olden days, people in Bhutan
mined iron to make bridges and tools.
There is a village called Barshong in
Trashigang where people mine iron from
the rocks to make knives. The great saint
Thangthong Gyalpo is popularly known as
‘Iron Builder’ because he built many iron
bridges.
Fishing
Fishing is possible in those places where
there are seas and lakes. In many countries,
fish is one of the main foods and a good
way of earning money. Therefore, fishing
would be an important activity for the
people of those countries. Can you name a
few?
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Nowadays, we mine coal, dolomite,
limestone, and gypsum. These are used as
raw materials in the secondary activities.
People work in the mines to earn their
living.
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Activity
1. Write one or two primary activities in
your village or town. How have these
been useful in your life?
2. List the crops and vegetables grown in
your village. Which of them are sold in
the market? Which of them are not
sold? You may also explain why.
3. With the help of your teacher find out
what crops we buy from other
countries. Discuss why.
people work in industries and a very few
work on farms. Such countries are
industrialized.
Secondary activities
In the secondary activities we make things
using the raw materials collected through
primary activities. Here the raw materials
are changed into things that we use for
different purposes. For example, a log
taken from the forest is turned into chairs
and table for your school. The place where
raw materials are turned into goods is
called an industry. People work in the
industries to earn money for their living. In
some countries like the United States of
America, Japan and Germany, most of the
Our country also has a number of
industries, some small and some large. But
most of our people work on farms, so our
country is not an industrialized country.
Industries help us earn more money, which
we use for making roads, bridges, schools,
and hospitals. We can buy medicines for
our people and give education to our
children. So industries help us improve our
lives.
Industry
Location
Produce
Bhutan Ferro Alloys Ltd.
Pasakha
Ferrosilicon & Micro Silica
Penden Cement Authority
Gomtu
Cement
Bhutan Carbide and Chemicals Ltd.
Pasakha
Calcium Carbide
Bhutan Fruits Products Ltd.
Samtse
Canned fruits, juice and jam
Army Welfare Projects
Gelephu
Liquors
Bhutan Boards Products Ltd.
Darla
Particle boards and furniture
Lhaki Cement Pvt. Ltd
Gomtu
Cement
Lhaki Wood Industry
Gelephu
Plywood and particle board
Druk carpets
Phuentsholing
Carpets
Bhutan Dairy Ltd.
Phuentsholing
Milk and allied products
Fig 7.4 Important industries of our country
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grains and chili. Small industries involve
manual work and only a small number of
products can be made.
One of the most important industries in our
country is agro-industries. The farm
products are used to manufacture canned
food such as pickle, juice, jam and fruit.
The biggest industries of our country are
the cement industry at Gomtu, Samtse; the
Particle Board Industry at Darla and the
Carbide and Chemical Industry at Pasakha.
These industries help our country to earn
more money. Some other examples of our
large industries are given in Figure 7.4.
Activity
1. Plot the industries listed in Figure 7.4
on an outline map of Bhutan.
2. Shade the different locations with
different colours.
3. Read the information given in Figure
7.5 and answer the following
questions:
a. Like Sonam, does your family
produce anything?
b. Make a list of the
items they
produce.
c. What do they use as raw materials?
From where do they get them?
d. How does the production of these
items help your family?
4. What is community forest? How is
community forest related to primary
activities?
There are also small industries that have
developed from the time of our forefathers.
There is a good practice of weaving, and
crafts work such as wood, bamboo, metal,
and pottery. They are known as cottage
industries. They produce items that are
used at home. Sometimes, a few items may
be sold for money or bartered for other
goods to be used by the family. For
example, clothes may be bartered for
Sonam is a housewife. Besides household work, she weaves cloth to make clothes. She
weaves enough cloth for her family. She sometimes even sells some for money.
Like Sonam, there are many others who produce goods at home. They keep some for
themselves and sell some to earn money. This type of manufacturing is also called
traditional industry because it has existed in the country for a very long time.
Sonam’s husband works in a nearby wood factory that produces furniture. He earns
money from working in the factory. A wood factory, therefore, provides jobs for people.
Some of the furniture is sold within the country and some outside the country. It is a
modern industry because it is set up recently. It uses machines that did not exist in the
olden days.
Figure 7.5 A case of a wife and her husband working in two different types of industries
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Company, airline, and Transport Company.
These are also called service industries
because they sell services to people in
exchange for money. Can you think of
some more examples?
Tertiary activities
Tertiary activities are those that deal with
the distribution of the manufactured goods
to people. Trading is one of the main
tertiary activities. Trade means sale or
exchange of goods. People trade because
they cannot produce all the goods that they
need or want.
They sell things to others and buy what
they do not have. For example, Bhutan
sells apples, oranges and cement to
Bangladesh and buys clothes, carpets, and
kitchen items from Bangladesh. Within the
country, goods are bought and sold in the
market through the shops.
Activity
a. List down about 5 items that are
exchanged or traded in your locality.
b. Think of about 3 items that you need and
would like to get them in exchange for
some things that you have. Find the
person who has those items and wants to
exchange them with what you have.
(This could be role-play.)
c. Think of 5 things that you have with you
in school or at home. Explain to a friend
how you got those things. How difficult
was it to get them?
d. From your own daily experience, try to
list 5 services that people sell.
In the olden days, exchange of goods and
services was different and difficult. People
used to exchange food for goods. For
example, if Mr Tshering wanted to sell salt
in exchange for a bag of rice, he had to
carry the salt from house to house. This
type of exchange is known as barter
system. It is now no more in practice
except in some remote villages.
Trading today has become easy and simple
with the use of paper money. We buy
goods from shops in exchange for money
that we pay the shopkeeper. We can also
buy vegetables, fruits, and other edible
products in exchange for money at
vegetable markets. We can buy anything
we need with the help of the paper money.
There are some other tertiary activities
which are carried out at places like the
hospitals, schools, banks, insurance, Tour
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Monitoring your own progress
Building skills and attitude
1. Visit your teachers’ quarters, if
nearby, or some other houses in a
nearby locality.(This can be done in
groups - each group to a house.) Ask
the head of the family, if available or
an elder member of the family about
the types of activities the family carries
out to earn their living. Note down the
responses.
Recalling the main ideas
1. Give three examples of need and three
examples of want. Explain why you
consider them as needs and wants.
2. Give five examples of economic
activities and five examples of noneconomic activities. Explain why you
consider them economic and noneconomic activities.
3. Explain the difference between primary
economic
activities,
secondary
economic activities, and tertiary
economic activities with the help of
examples.
2. Discuss what you have written down.
How many needs? How many wants?
How are they met? Prepare a report on
your findings and present it to the
class.
4. What are the major industries in our
country? Where are they located?
3.
In groups of four, interview a few old
people in a nearby village to find out
the following:
a. Changes in farming from the olden
days to the present.
b. How the changes have affected
their lives.
4. Visit an industry (small or large) if any
in your locality and find out the
following:
a. Where is it located?
b. Why is it located there?
c. What are its raw materials?
d. What are its products?
e. What are its benefits to the people
of that area?
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CHAPTER EIGHT
MOVING AROUND AND KEEPING IN TOUCH
Words you should know
transportation
traffic
communication
facsimile
television
electric mail
radio
Objectives
On completion of this chapter, you
should be able to:
1. Tell why people travel;
2. Describe the modes of transport
people use to travel;
3. Explain how our transport system has
changed over time;
4. Describe the different means of
communication; and
5. Identify changes in the means of
communication from ancient times.
In ancient times our means of
transportation were humans. Nowadays,
there
are
different
means
of
transportation. This depends on where
people live. It also depends on where
they wish to go.
Activity
In groups, discuss the following
questions:
1. How do you come to school every
day?
2. Why do you come the way you do?
3. Is it the only mode of transport you
can use? Or, is it a better choice from
some other modes that can also be
used? Why is it a better choice?
Introduction
In class five, you learnt a little about how
people move around or travel from place
to place. We will learn more about
travelling this year. We will also look at
how people can pass information without
moving around.
Types of Transport
There are three main types of transport:
land transport, water transport, and air
transport.
Moving and Transporting
People have been moving around all the
time and for different reasons. Wherever
people moved they needed to carry
goods. The system of carrying goods
from one place to another is called
transportation.
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People travel and transport their goods
either by land, by water, or by air. In
Bhutan we cannot use water transport as
we shall see below.
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Chapter 8: Moving Around and Keeping in Touch
Land Transport
The earliest form of land transport was
walking. They carried their own loads
wherever they went. It must have been
very tiring for them to walk long
distances. And, they would have taken a
long time to go from one place to the
other.
After the invention of the wheel, people
were able to use new forms of transport.
There were carriages, carts and wagons
pulled by horses. People were now more
comfortable as they could sit inside the
carriage protected from sun, wind and
rain. A carriage could carry several people
at a time. Carts and wagons made it
possible to transport more goods. The poor
horse would have still been tired from
pulling carriages, carts and wagons filled
with people and goods. The paths were
wider and travelling was faster.
Later, people learnt to use domesticated
animals for transport. They rode on the
animals and had the animals carry their
loads. So, riding on animals became
another form of land transport. It would
have surely made it easier for people to
travel. They would not have been tired but
the animals would have been so.
Activity
1. Which animals do we use for
transport?
2. Have you used any yourself?
3. Have you seen others using them?
Discuss in small groups.
After the discovery of the engine, motor
vehicles replaced animals, carriages, carts,
and wagons. A human driver sat at the
steering wheel to keep the vehicle on the
road. The engine made it possible for the
vehicle to move. Travelling was now
much faster and even more comfortable.
Roads became much wider and stronger.
They were also smoother for the wheels to
move easily.
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Today, there are so many vehicles and the
Many small roads from the highway go to
roads are busy all day. There are main
smaller towns, villages, and schools. You
roads called highways.
may have small paths leading to your
house from the main path.
In Bhutan, we call them Zhunglam. The
highway connects the most important
towns and cities of a country.
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In the village or town, there are streets
leading to different points and houses.
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Unit 2
The movement of vehicles on the roads is
called traffic. Just as we have rules in our
classrooms, there are traffic rules on the
road. Traffic rules are necessary for the
safety of the drivers, passengers and
pedestrians who walk along the road.
Chapter 8: Moving Around and Keeping in Touch
The train was fast and a very popular form
of transport. In some parts of the world,
electric trains also came into use. These
were much faster than the trains with steam
engines.
It is, however, difficult to construct
railways in a mountainous country like
Bhutan. That is why we do not have rail
transport in our country. It is possible to
construct railways across mountains, but it
will be much too expensive and difficult. In
future, there is a possibility to construct
railways
through
Gelephu
and
Phuntsholing connecting West Bengal
(India) for trade and transport.
In crowded roads, it is very difficult to
drive and to walk. If everyone follows
traffic rules, then our roads will become
very safe. Without traffic rules, there will
be many accidents on the road. Think of
some accidents you have heard of, or seen,
or read about in the newspaper. What
caused them?
Activity
1. Have you ever travelled by a motor
vehicle? Tell your friend the type of
vehicle you used. Where were you
going? Did you have any problems on
the way?
2. Do you know of any road accidents?
Tell your friend where it happened.
Why did it happen? What did you feel
after that?
3. In groups, try to make a list of the
types of vehicles you have seen
moving on the roads in Bhutan.
For many years people used animals, carts,
wagons, and then motor vehicles. We must
know that before the invention of motor
vehicles the railway train was invented.
This was in the early part of the 19th
century. The train had a chain of carriages
pulled by a steam engine. The train used a
special road called railway tracks. It carried
more people and more loads.
One engine is said to be able to pull as
many as fifty carriages!
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The oars were used to paddle the boat. The
Water Transport
In countries that are surrounded by sea or
sails helped the boats move with the wind.
ocean, water transport is used more than
land transport. Can you tell why?
Then there came the use of steam-powered
boats that could carry more people and
goods.
Today, there are bigger boats called ships
which can carry many more people and
goods. The use of large ships made it
possible to travel to far off places by water.
For instance, people could travel from the
United Kingdom to Japan. Travelling by
water takes a long time, and sometimes
storms in the ocean can be dangerous.
In Bhutan, we have swift-flowing rivers.
They flow through narrow and deep valleys
and much too rapidly. Therefore, water
transport is not suitable for our country.
Sometime in the past, however, rivers
carried huge logs of wood from the forests
to the villages.
A boat
In ancient times, people used rafts and
canoes made from barks of trees, tree
trunks, and animal skin. They pushed them
with poles. In later years, boats were
invented. These could be moved with the
help of oars and sails.
A raft
A ship
Figure 8.4 Types of water transports
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The establishment of domestic airports at
Air Transport
Bumthang, Yonphula and Gelephu has
You heard about aeroplanes in the lower
made the transportation easy and faster
classes. Remember? Two brothers known
within the country.
as the Wright Brothers invented this mode
of transport in the early 20th century.
Activity
1. a) Have you travelled to a place
Air transport made travelling much faster
outside Bhutan?
and more comfortable. Today, we can
b) Where did you go? How did you
travel around the world in a few hours. We
travel?
can even send goods in much less time. For
example, it takes about 5 hours by air from
2. a) Think of a place you would like to
London to New York. It would have taken
go to.
almost five days by ship. We can fly from
b) Find this place on the map in your
Paro to Delhi in India in about 2½ hours,
school atlas.
while it would take about five days by bus.
c) Find out how you can reach this
place.
In the olden days, people travelled on foot
d) How long would it take?
between Bhutan and India for many
e) How much would it cost?
months and days. They trekked over the
mountains and through passes. Before the
f) Share the above with a group.
beginning of air transport in Bhutan,
people in the modern times travelled
between Bhutan and India by road. But not
everyone can travel by air because it is
very expensive. Nowadays most people
travel to countries by air.
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Figure 8.5 Air transport
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Why do people travel?
Activity
People have been travelling since ancient
1. Some reasons for traveling are given in
times. But the way they travelled has
the text. Write down what type of
changed over the years. It will be
transport people could use to come to
interesting to know why people travel.
Bhutan?
2. In your school atlas, find Singapore.
Imagine that you are going to study
there. How will you travel? Give
reasons for your choice.
In chapter five, we saw trade as one of the
occupations. People travel to different
places to trade. They need to exchange
goods and meet with people they trade
with.
3. Collect pictures of different means of
transport, and paste them in your
notebook.
Some people travel just to visit other
countries. They are interested to see the
landscape, the people and the culture of the
country they visit. These people are called
tourists. In Bhutan also, we get tourists
every year. They come to see our beautiful
mountains and valleys, the tshechus and
other festivals.
Communication
We said that one of the reasons people
travel around the world is to exchange
information. The exchange of information
is also possible in other ways. We can send
letters to each other. Sometimes, we can
talk to people without having to meet them.
Do you remember how that is possible?
Sometimes, we can get information without
the help of other people. We can get it from
newspapers, magazines and books. We
receive information from others and send
them information. This way of exchanging
information and messages is called
communication.
Some people travel from place to place on
a pilgrimage. They want to visit holy
places, especially to pray. For instance,
Bhutanese pilgrims go to India, Nepal and
Tibet. They also travel within Bhutan to
visit sacred places.
Then, there are people who need to travel
to another place to exchange information or
to learn more about their work. They travel
both within the country and to other
countries. There are also students who
study in different places away from their
homes. Many students from our country
travel to India and other countries to study.
Means of Communication
It is possible that the earliest people used
sign languages to communicate. Some of
them were smoke signals, flag signals, and
drumming.
Later, people invented language and
exchanged messages by word. Even the
customs and traditions of those times were
passed down by word of mouth. They did
not have a writing system like we have
today.
Learned people travel around the world to
share their teachings with other people.
Their mission is to bring peace among the
people of the world. Some of them travel
within the country.
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Why do people travel?
Activity
People have been travelling since ancient
4. Some reasons for traveling are given in
times. But the way they travelled has
the text. Write down what type of
changed over the years. It will be
transport people could use to come to
interesting to know why people travel.
Bhutan?
5. In your school atlas, find Singapore.
Imagine that you are going to study
there. How will you travel? Give
reasons for your choice.
In chapter five, we saw trade as one of the
occupations. People travel to different
places to trade. They need to exchange
goods and meet with people they trade
with.
6. Collect pictures of different means of
transport, and paste them in your
notebook.
Some people travel just to visit other
countries. They are interested to see the
landscape, the people and the culture of the
country they visit. These people are called
tourists. In Bhutan also, we get tourists
every year. They come to see our beautiful
mountains and valleys, and the tshechus
and other festivals.
Communication
We said that one of the reasons people
travel around the world is to exchange
information. The exchange of information
is also possible in other ways. We can send
letters to each other. Sometimes, we can
talk to people without having to meet them.
Do you remember how that is possible?
Sometimes, we can get information without
the help of other people. We can get it from
newspapers, magazines and books. We
receive information from others and send
them information. This way of exchanging
information and messages is called
communication.
Some people travel from place to place on
a pilgrimage. They want to visit holy
places, especially to pray. For instance,
Bhutanese pilgrims go to India, Nepal and
Tibet. They also travel within Bhutan to
visit sacred places.
Then, there are people who need to travel
to another place to exchange information or
to learn more about their work. They travel
both within the country and to other
countries. There are also students who
study in different places away from their
homes. Many students from our country
travel to India and other countries to study.
Means of Communication
It is possible that the earliest people used
sign languages to communicate. Some of
them were smoke signals, flag signals, and
drumming.
Later, people invented language and
exchanged messages by word. Even the
customs and traditions of those times were
passed down by word of mouth. They did
not have a writing system like we have
today.
Learned people travel around the world to
share their teachings with other people.
Their mission is to bring peace among the
people of the world. Some of them travel
within the country.
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After the invention of writing, people sent
written messages. But sending written
messages had to depend on transport. They
were first carried by hand and animals.
Then, they were sent by boat, by rail, or by
motor vehicle. Thus, the changes in the
transportation system brought about
changes in the ways of communication. It
became easier and faster.
Chapter 8: Moving Around and Keeping in Touch
We can also use a computer to send
messages to other parts of the world. Such
a means of communication is called
electronic mail or e-mail.
Activity
Copy the table given below and write down
how you communicate in different
locations.
Locations
In the
village
Activity
1. Stand in a row of ten students each. Let
the first student whisper a short
message in the second student’s ear.
Let this message go to the third and so
on till the last. Listen to the message
heard by the last student and the first
student. Is there any difference? What
has happened?
In the town
Somewhere
in India
Somewhere
in Japan
2. Think of the ways of sending messages
today in our country. Discuss in a
group.
Nowadays, people can also send messages
to others over the radio and television.
Over the radio, people can only hear but
not see the person. On television, we can
hear as well as see the person.
When
electricity
was
invented,
communication did not have to depend
entirely on transport. People could speak to
each other by wireless, by telephone and
now by mobiles. These inventions in the
19th century changed the communication
system.
Man-made Communication Satellites,
called the Artificial Satellites help us to
send and receive messages and pictures to
and from all parts of the world. Can say
how many satellite our earth has?
Satellites help us to communicate on
mobiles, internet, telegraph, radio,
telephone and television programmes to all
the countries.
We can now send written messages to far
off places with the help of a small machine.
It is called facsimile but in short we call it
fax. It can send messages to anywhere in
the world within a few seconds.
Some latest technologies are used by
doctors to conduct surgery by watching
television. This is called Tele-Surgery.
Sometimes media (for example Bhutan
Broadcasting Service) holds video
confidences where people get chance to
communicate on social and health issues.
You may have heard of the computer. This
has been supplied to some schools in the
country. We can use a computer to type
letters and to store information.
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How you communicate
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Chapter 8: Moving Around and Keeping in Touch
Using telephone
Using Computer
Using fax machine
Using wireless
Figure 8.6 Some means of communication
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Chapter 8: Moving Around and Keeping in Touch
Traders today advertise their goods on
radio and television (BBS) so that people
will know about them. Today, Bhutan is
connected with different radio facilities.
However, all the radio stations cannot be
tuned in every Dzongkhags. The most
popular radio stations in Thimphu are
Radio Valley and Hi Fi, Kuzoo FM and
BBS.
Figure 8.8 Reading Kuensel
radio and television can be good for those
who cannot read and write.
In some countries, newspapers are sent
out every day. Bhutan also sends out
different types of newspapers.
Figure 8.7 Radio
What items have you seen on the radio or
television? We also get news from all
over the world by radio and television.
So, we know what is happening in other
parts of the world.
Activity
1. Have you ever listened to the radio or
watched the television? What
important messages did you get from
the radio or television? Share them
with the class.
2. Which is your favourite programme
on the radio and the television? Why?
3. Bring a newspaper to class. Sit in
groups and carefully study them.
Look for the types of information
given.
4. In the same group, find out what
items are advertised in the
newspaper?
Figure 8.9 Newspapers
There is another form of communication,
the Newspaper. They are useful for
people who can read and write, while
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Chapter 8: Moving Around and Keeping in Touch
Monitoring your own progress
Recalling the main ideas
Building skills and attitude
1.
What is transportation?
2.
Name some modes of transport.
3.
How have the modes of transport
changed from the past?
1. In your class, find out how each of you
come to school every day. Write the
number of those who walk every day or
drive by car and prepare a bar graph.
4.
What does traffic mean?
5.
Give some reasons why people travel.
6.
What is communication?
7.
Name some means communication.
8.
In what ways do the modern means of
communication help us?
2. Find out from your teachers or parent
how they communicate with their
families at home. Ask them why they
use those particular means of
communication.
3. Visit a nearby village in small groups
of three. Find out the elders how they
travelled when they were young. Write
the stories of their travel for your
school wall magazine.
4. Talk to your parents about their travels
to places (whether within or outside the
country) and their communication with
people. Ask them what they have
gained from travelling to those places
and from communicating with people.
Share your findings with the class.
5. Do you enjoy listening to the radio or
watching television? Why? What do
you learn from it? Which station or
channel do you find the most
interesting? Why?
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Unit 2
UNIT THREE
SOCIETY
This unit focuses on the people living
together in a society and the various
social codes that help people interact and
live together in peace and harmony.
Chapter nine opens with how people live
together as members of the family and
the community. You will come to know
the roles and responsibilities that
members of society need to fulfill to live
in harmony. You will realize the role and
responsibilities you have towards your
parents, brothers and sisters, school,
neighbours, community and country.
Chapter ten is about the knowledge and
culture that is created as a result of
people interacting with one another. You
will know what forms culture and how
these various aspects of culture are being
transmitted from one generation to the
other and how they bind people together
as one society. You will be aware of the
need for preserving and promoting your
culture and appreciate your cultural
heritage.
Chapter eleven provides you with some
stories about great people whose life and
teachings have made a lot of difference to
the people in the world in their lifetime
and even to this day. You will come to
know how to live in peace within
yourself and with others. You will realize
what brings true happiness.
CHAPTER NINE
LIVING TOGETHER
nuclear family
rules
unity
extended family
regulations
respect
community
administration
love
Objectives:
On completion of this chapter, you should
be able to:
1. Describe what make up a nuclear
family and an extended family;
2. Give examples of roles and
responsibilities;
3. Say
what
your
roles
and
responsibilities are in the family and in
the community;
4. Discuss the importance of rules and
regulations.
5. Identify the attributes that allow people
to live together;
6. Suggest ways of living together
peacefully with others in different
situations;
7. Conduct studies related to families and
communities; and
8. Draw family trees based on
descriptions of families.
responsibilities
cooperation
Within each village, town and city there are
families. Members of different families
come together for many reasons. Children
come together as friends and schoolmates.
Some adults come together at work places
while some others come together to do
business. This way, we are living together
every day of our lives. Generally, human
beings cannot live without the company of
other members. It is, therefore, important
that we learn to live together peacefully. In
this chapter, we shall try to understand
what living together means.
Living together as a family
We will discuss what family means and the
roles and responsibilities of each member
of a family. We will also discuss what
binds a family together.
What is a family?
Let us first do a small activity to help us
understand what a family means.
Introduction
We learnt in chapter five that as time went
by, people began to settle down. First, they
started to live as families. Several families
lived together as a village. Sometimes
villages changed into towns and cities
where people of different occupations
interacted with each other.
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roles
laws
gratitude
Activity
a) Think of your own family and the family
tree you made in class V. You can make
one again.
b) Study your own family tree carefully.
c) Describe what a family consists of.
d) Share your description with 3-4 other
members of your class.
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What did you find out? Who are the
members of the family? Did you note down
just a father, a mother, and their children?
Or, did you also include grandfathers,
grandmothers, uncles, aunties, and
cousins? If you are living with your father,
mother, and your brothers and sisters, it
is a nuclear family. But when your
grandparent, uncles, aunties, and cousins
all live together in a house, it is an
extended family. Some of your neighbours
may be nuclear families and some may be
extended families.
Actvity
1. Study Fig. 9.1. What will happen when
Choeki Dema, NidupTshering, and
Pema Wangmo get married? Draw a
family tree to show what you think will
happen.
2. What will happen when Choeki Dema
decides to get married and settle in
another place? Draw a family tree and
compare it with figure 9.1
Roles and Responsibilities of Parents
The important thing about a family is their
need to live together. The father or the
mother is usually the head of the family.
Each member has his or her own roles and
responsibilities to the family. If each one
does the duties, the family is a happy one
because everything goes well. They live
together happily and peacefully.
The most important step towards making a
family is marriage between a man and a
woman. The children grow up and get
married to someone else from another
family. The family is thus extended (see
Fig. 9.1). Most of the families living in the
villages of our country are extended
families. Nuclear families are found more
in towns and cities.
Sithup Dorji= PemaYangki
Dorji Drakpa=Dema Chenzom
Choki Dema
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TsheringTobgye=Sherab Lhamo
NidupTshering
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PemaWangmo
Unit 3
Chapter 9: Living Together
The father and mother have several roles as
members of the family. They also have
responsibilities towards their children and
to each other. We will now discuss the
most important ones.
Providing the family needs
The first responsibility of the parents is to
work hard to be able to keep the family
together. You learnt in class IV about
different occupations people choose. Do
you remember them?
Every parent has an occupation to earn a
living. To earn one’s living means
providing the basic things needed for living
happily.
From chapter five, we know this was true
even in ancient times. Earning one’s own
living is one of the main responsibilities a
parent must fulfill. The most important role
of parents is to provide food, clothes, and
shelter for children.
Activity
1. Think of your own father or mother’s
occupation. How does it help your
family?
2. What are your parent’s expectations
from you? How do you help them?
Looking after the family
Parents have the greater responsibility of
looking after their children. They make
sure that their children get enough food to
eat and enough clothes to wear. In our
country, parents carry their babies on their
backs. They also sleep together with the
children at night. This is how parents in our
country show their love and affection
towards their children. This makes our
children feel safe.
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Fig.9.2 A mother carrying her baby on
her back
Parents also look after their children’s
health to help them grow into healthy
adults. They fulfill this by making sure
their children eat well. They take their
children to the hospital to make sure they
are healthy. Parents in the villages of our
country go to the BHU (Basic Health Unit)
to check their children’s health and to get
inoculations. When children get sick it is
the parents who take care of them.
Parents look after and support each other as
well, especially when they get sick. They
help each other in household works. Their
role here is that of a supporter and helper
for each other.
Activity
1. In groups of 4-5, discuss the ways your
parents look after you.
2. Make a list on a big piece of paper.
3. Display it in the classroom.
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Chapter 9: Living Together
Teaching and Educating
Parents teach their children about right
living. You learnt about Buddha’s right
living in class V. Do you remember?
Buddha’s teachings tell us to avoid bad
habits and practice good habits. Practising
good habits is right living.
One must:
1. Obey one’s parents and elders.
2. Show respect to one’s parents, elders,
and others.
3. Be honest and kind to all.
4. Try to help others.
5. Be grateful to others for their kindness.
6. Not cheat.
7. Speak politely.
8. Not be greedy.
9. Not be jealous.
10. Not hurt or kill.
Parents teach their children right living by
explaining and by practising it themselves.
So, parents in this sense are also educators
for their children.
Fig 9.3 Ten ways of right living
Fig.9.4 Parents and children working together
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In Bhutan, children listen to their parents
and elders and do as advised. They also
respect their parents and elders.
Parents also teach their children skills to
earn their living. Parents in our country
make children help them with household
works. Children should learn the skills of
keeping the house in order. Can you think
of some more skills?
This is our way of showing love to our
parents. Children show their gratefulness to
parents for all the care they have taken.
This is showing Tha Damtshi.
Children learn about right living and the
skills. Children learn about living and the
skills to earn even in schools. The parents’
responsibility is to make sure that their
children can go to school. We can thus say
that children’s learning takes place at home
and in school. Learning is called
education.
Activity
1. Think of the ways you help your
parents. How does it make you feel?
2. List down three ways you will help
your parents during the coming winter
vacation.
3. Compare your list with the activities
shown in Fig.9.4
4. Find out what Tha Damtshi means
from your parents or any other elderly
person.
Activity
1. Think of three things your parents told
you not to do. Why did they tell you
so?
2. Think of three things your parents
allowed you to do. Why did they allow
you to do them?
3. Read the lines in Fig.9.3 and discuss
each in groups. Compare them with
what your parents have been teaching
you.
4. In groups, discuss some skills you feel
you have learnt to earn a living. How
do you think you learnt them?
Preparing for Adulthood
Children have to learn to prepare for
adulthood. Preparing for adulthood means
learning to live like an adult life. As an
adult, one has to cope with the challenges
of life. One of the basic challenges is to be
able to earn one’s own living.
This challenge is not so difficult if one has
the required knowledge and skills. In the
modern age, education in school is one of
the most important ways of developing
knowledge and skills.
Roles and Responsibilities of Children
Children also have roles as members of the
family. They have responsibilities towards
the family. We will now discuss some of
the important ones.
Therefore,
the
children’s
main
responsibility here is to educate
themselves. We said earlier that parents
help their children to get educated. But, it
is the children themselves who need to take
education seriously. Otherwise, parents’
support would only go to waste.
Helping, Obeying, Respecting and Being
Grateful
Children’s responsibility is to help their
parents with household works. Good
children help their parents particularly
during times of sickness and old age.
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In educating yourself, you also learn to
adopt right living. This has been explained
earlier. If you adopt right living, you can
live with others peacefully. We can say that
living an adult life also means living with
others peacefully. This is important for
every citizen of the country. Remember
that every child is a future citizen of the
country.
breakfast for the family. Chencho has an
early breakfast and then goes off to
school. He takes the City Bus. While
Namgay and Chencho are busy
attending classes during the day, Am
Lhamo and Ap Kinga take care of the
household chores. Ap Kinga takes their
cattle to fresh meadows after milking the
cows. Am Lhamo packs some lunch for
him. Am Lhamo then goes visiting
neighbours where there is some work to
help with.
Activity
1. Think of the ways you feel you have
been preparing yourself for adulthood.
Discuss it with a friend or a group in
the class.
2. Make a list of things you feel you need
to learn for adulthood.
3. Read the information in Fig. 9.5.
a. List the roles and responsibilities of
each member in the family.
b. List some responsibilities you carry
out every day as a member of your
family.
Case Study: A Family and their Roles
and Responsibilities
When Ap Kinga gets back in the
evening, Chencho is already back from
school.
Chencho has no time to rest. He changes
his clothes and then he is out in the
garden, watering the plants. He helps Ap
Kinga lead their cattle to the shed.
Sometimes, Am Lhamo sends Chencho
to a nearby shop to buy some salt or oil.
Before dinner, Chencho finds some time
to do his homework. He also revises
what his teachers have taught during the
day.
Ap Kinga and Am Lhamo live in the
village of Joong zhina in Thimphu. They
have a big house situated in the middle
of the village. They have a son, Namgay,
who has studied up to class ten. He is
now undergoing training at the National
Resource Training Institute in Lobesa.
He is a boarder at the institute. Am
Lhamo has a nephew, Chencho, who
stays with them. He is studying in class
ten at Motithang Middle Secondary
School in Thimphu.
Soon, it is time for Am Lhamo to visit the
kitchen to prepare dinner. Ap Kinga
rests while Am Lhamo is busy cooking.
Sometimes, Ap Kinga has to visit
another house nearby to help in the
rituals. After dinner, it is time for the
family to go to bed. Chencho stays up
late some nights when he has a lot to
study.
Ap Kinga and Am Lhamo get up very
early every morning. They do some
gardening and then Am Lhamo prepares
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Fig. 9.5 Ap Kinga and his Family
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Unit 3
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affairs of a village community. We also
have the Gup as the head of a Gewog
(several villages put together). He or she
ensures that all families in the villages live
together in peace and harmony. The
Tshogpas assist the Gup in organizing
Gewog meetings and looking after the
Gewog. Another important person in a
Gewog is the Magmi who helps the Gup in
all matters of the Gewog. He also officiates
the Gup in his absence.
We now know the roles and responsibilities
of family members. Above all these, it is
love and unity that keep a family together.
We all know that parents love their
children. We also know that children love
their parents. Brothers and sisters love each
other. Parents love each other. It is this
love that unites the family together. Unity
in the family is necessary if a family must
live together. This unity comes from love.
Activity
Think of when there was a quarrel between
your father and mother or between you and
your brother or sister. How did you feel?
How did it affect your family?
Living together in the community means
being together. People work together to
improve the welfare of their community. It
also means following certain rules and
regulations, known as laws. The laws in
Bhutan are based on Lhachoe Gyewa Chu
(ten ways of right living).
We have seen that living together as a
family means loving, caring, respecting,
obeying and supporting. We shall now see
how we live in a community.
The Gup and the people of the village
community have clear responsibilities.
Here we shall discuss some of the more
important ones.
Living together in a community
Families living as close neighbours in an
area form a community. All members of
these families are considered members of
the community. It may be a rural
community or an urban community.
Individual members in a community cannot
work only for themselves. They have to
depend on each other for many things in
life. That is why it is very important that
members should be responsible for
whatever they do. Let us see how this is
possible. Here, we will focus on rural
community. We will learn about urban
community in higher classes.
Roles and Responsibilities of the Gup
The Gup:
1. Is like a parent to the people of his
villages just as His Majesty the King is
like a parent to the people of the
country.
2. Represents the King in the villages. He
listens to their problems and helps
them out.
3. Protects the laws by making sure the
people of the village follow them. He
advises them when they do not follow
the law.
4. Settles disputes among the people of
his villages by acting as a judge. If two
people cannot agree on something, they
can go to the Gup for help.
It is necessary for neighbours to have a
good relationship with each other. Just as
there is the head of a family, there is the
head of a community. In our country, we
have the Tshogpa that looks after the
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Roles and Responsibilities of the Village
People
5. Looks after the development activities
in the village such as improving
farming, construction of roads and
schools, and other facilities.
The people of the village:
1. Obey the laws just as children obey
their parents.
2. Cooperate with others in activities for
the development of the village such as
farming, constructions, and rituals.
3. Look after public property such as the
community school, the source of
drinking water, BHU, roads.
4. Attend meetings and discuss with
others matters related to the
development of the village.
5. Try to live peacefully with each other
by being good.
6. Contribute to the building of roads,
temples, schools, hoisting of prayer
flags, and organizing of local festivals.
6. Holds village meetings to discuss
matters related to the development of
the village community. He or she
makes plans for development and
submits them to the Dzongkhag
authorities.
Activity
1. Read the roles and responsibilities
listed above.
2. Discuss each of them with examples.
We can say that common goals, love, law,
and common resources such as land and
water keep people in a community
together.
Activity
1. In small groups, talk about your own
village.
2. How do the people there live together?
3. What happens when two or more
people have a dispute in the village?
What does the Gup do?
4. Compare your discussions with the
roles and responsibilities listed above.
Are there any you would like to add to
the list?
5. From the information given in the text,
explain what you understand by ‘roles
and responsibilities’.
6. Study Fig.9.6. Discuss what you can
learn from it.
Figure 9.6 : A village community
hoisting prayer flags for the well being
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Unit 3
Monitoring your own progress
4.
Recalling the main ideas
1. With the help of diagrams, explain
what ‘nuclear family’ and ‘extended
family’ mean.
2. List your roles and responsibilities as
members of a family, a village
community, and school in the form of a
table.
3. Describe about five roles and
responsibilities you would have if you
were to live together with your friends.
4. What does ‘community’ mean?
5. Why do we need rules and regulations
or laws?
6. Describe a set of things that allow your
family to live together.
This is where you spend a great part of
your time. This is where you live with
others every day for years.
The school has a head, a set of teachers and
students. There are rules and regulations
that everyone in school must follow.
Living together in school means working
together by obeying the school rules and
regulations, respecting each other, playing
fairly, being punctual, sharing, and
studying hard.
In groups, find out what it means to live
together in school. Use the following
guidelines.
a) The structure of the school:
Who is the head?
Who are the teachers? How many
are there?
How many students?
Who are the other staff members?
b) Roles and Responsibilities:
What does the head do?
What do the teachers do?
What do the other staff members
do?
What do the students do?
c)
Rules and Regulations:
Who sets them?
What are they?
What happens when a member of
the school violates the school rules
and regulations?
d) Write a report based on the above
collected information. This could make
a good document for people to refer.
Building skills and attitude
1. Imagine that you have a job. What are
some things you would have to practice
in order to do your job peacefully with
others?
2. Visit a friend’s family. Discuss with
your friend. Find out who the members
of the family are and what each one
does.
3. Project work: Nuclear and extended
families. This project can be done in
groups.
i. Find out the types of families the
children in the class come from.
ii. How many are from nuclear families
and how many from extended families?
iii. Where do the families live – in rural
areas or urban areas?
iv. Put the above information in the form
of a graph.
v. Display the graph in the classroom OR
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Chapter 9: Living Together
Project work: Living together in
school. It is important that you discuss
living together in school.
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Unit 3
CHAPTER TEN
UNDERSTANDING OUR CULTURE
Words you should know
culture
custom
values
ritual
institution
Objectives
will tell the children in the future about our
way of life today.
On completion of this chapter, you should
be able to:
1. Define culture, using examples;
2. Explain the importance of culture in
our lives;
3. Describe different aspects of culture;
4. Explain how we can preserve our
culture; and
5. Explain how culture changes over time.
Choose from the following:
 Our dress
 The food we eat
 The languages we speak
 The way we pass our time
 The work we do
 The things we believe in
 Our transport system
 Our communication system
 What we worship
Introduction
In this chapter, you will learn about culture
and its importance in our lives. Let us
begin the chapter with an exercise.
Suppose your class has been asked to put
something in a new cave and seal it. This
cave will be opened and studied by
children in future - say about a hundred
years from now. So, you have to put things
that will tell those future children a lot
about our way of life today. What would
you consider best putting in the cave?
e) You may prepare an inventory of the
items you have chosen. An example of
an inventory is given below:
An inventory
Activity
1. a) Get into small groups (your teacher
will help you in this).
b) Choose one member of your group to
report to the class later.
c) Choose another member to write down.
d) List down ten items that you think
should go into the cave. These items
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heritage
96
Items
Represents way
of life
1. Gho and Kira
Dress that men
and women wear
2. Bangchung and
phob
Special
containers used
for eating rice
and curry
3. A statue, script
Things we
worship and the
books we read
while praying
Unit 3
Chapter 10: Understanding our Culture
2. Look at Figure 10.1. What do these pictures tell us about life in Bhutan?
Mask dancers
Folk dancers
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Chapter 10: Understanding our Culture
Office worker
Picnickers
Transporters
Field workers
Figure 10.1 Scenes from the way we live
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Unit 3
Chapter 10: Understanding our Culture
Values and Culture
As you have seen in the previous chapter,
laws tell us what is right and what is
wrong. This helps people to live together
and be happy.
What is culture?
The pictures in Figure 10.1 tell us how we
act and live as a part of the earth. The
beliefs, the food we eat, the way we dress,
the language we speak, the religion we
follow all these form the culture. But the
culture is not same everywhere. However,
we as human beings have a common
culture. We all need food, shelter and
clothing for survival. These ways of living
have been there for a long time. So, we
also share our culture with our ancestors.
Our great grandchildren in the future will
also share the same culture. We will
understand more as we read further.
We believe that some actions such as
stealing and telling lies are wrong. In our
culture, we do not respect people who steal
and tell lies and harm other people. We
also believe that respecting other people
and telling the truth are right. They are the
values we have accepted as part of our
living.
Those actions and behaviour that everyone
follows and respects in a society are
common values. They are important
because every person understands what to
do and what to avoid. This brings
happiness in a society. We all want to live
happily and do not want to say bad things
to others nor think bad of others.
Customs and Culture
There are several things we do almost
everyday. For example, we speak with
respect to our parents and other people who
are older than us. We offer our food to the
deities and the lamas before we eat. We
always respect our parents in all we say
and do. We play archery, doegor, khuru,
football and basketball on holidays and
when we have free time. We offer water
and incense (sang) on the altar every
morning. We pray and take refuge in the
Lamas and Gurus in the morning and
before we go to bed. These are our
customs. Customs are practices that have
been followed for a long time. We learn to
do them through practice. They are a very
important part of our culture.
There are also values that different people
hold. For example, some like to play
archery while some like to play football.
There are some people who like to eat meat
and there are also those who do not want to
have meat in their meals. You may like a
blue dress more while your friend likes
green. These are personal values.
Whether they are values that some
individuals hold or everyone follows, they
bind all of us together as Bhutanese. These
are also our cultural values. We feel sad
when some Bhutanese people act against
these values. They try to destroy our
culture to gain some comfort in their life.
Activity
Divide the class into small groups. Discuss
what you do at home and at school. Let one
member report to the class about your
discussion. Put it up on the wall magazine
with the title “Our Customs”.
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3. Find out how many different languages
your friends speak in your class.
Prepare a graph of the number with
your teacher.
Activity
Make a list of the things we say or do that
will hurt other people. Make another list of
the things we say or do that will make
other people happy.
Festivals and Culture
In Bhutan, there are many festivals. Every
valley has a festival. In Paro and Haa there
is the Lomba festival. In Thimphu and
Punakha there is a Nyinlo.In Mangde
valley there is the Lhaboe festival. In Shar,
there is Locho festival. Besides these, the
Tshechus are common in all valleys. In the
south, there are Dashain and Diwali
festivals. These festivals show how we
express our customs of worship, belief, and
our gratitude. During such times, friends
and relatives get together and share happy
moments. We eat the most delicious food;
wear the most beautiful dresses and we
sing and dance.
Language and Culture
Imagine your life without a language. If
you have no language, how can you
communicate with others? Communication,
as you know, is an important part of our
life.
If you have an idea you can use the
language to tell your friends what that idea
is. You can express your feelings and
thoughts and exchange information through
language.
Language is also useful in passing the
cultural heritage from one family to the
other. Our parents speak to us about our
culture and customs. We hear about them
from our teachers, too. If we do not have a
language, how can these be possible? How
can we understand our way of living?
Activity
1. What is the name of the festival in your
village?
2. Describe what happens during the
festival.
The languages we use talk a lot about
culture. As time passes, some cultural
practices are added and some are dropped.
For example, our ancestors did not say
good morning and our language did not
have this word.
Rituals and Culture
Ritual is a kind of worship performed
regularly. There are many types of rituals.
But it is mainly done to protect us from
evil and bad luck. Sometimes rituals are
performed to bring good luck to the
families, but sometimes they are performed
to cure sick people. Some rituals are
performed by Lamas and monks and some
rituals are performed by ordinary people.
The rituals are performed differently in
different villages.
Nowadays, we say Kuzu Zangpo for good
morning, but it actually means ‘good
health’. We use this phrase for many things
such as hello, good morning, good evening,
and so on. This custom is added.
Activity
1. What is language?
2. Why do we need language?
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together and pass our culture from older
people to younger people.
Activity
1. Write how a ritual is performed in your
house.
2. Why does your family perform such a
ritual?
This happens even among birds and
animals .Have you seen how the birds look
after each other? The mother and father
birds bring worms and feed their chickens.
When the chickens grow older, the parents
teach them how to fly and look for worms
and insects. Have you ever seen a mother
cow walk away from her calf? She does
this so that the calf will follow and learn
how to walk.
How do we keep our culture alive?
We must remember that culture did not
develop in one or two days. Our dresses,
our ways of eating, our way of farming, our
language, our houses and buildings, and
our beliefs have developed over many
years. We have inherited these from our
parents and they had inherited from their
parents. Our children will inherit from us.
Because of this system, many things we do
are similar to what our great grandparents
did many years ago. For example, the
wearing of our ghos and kiras has been
passed down to us through many
generations of families. Our ghos and kiras
are different from the dresses of people in
other countries. They are unique. The way
we worship in our temples and in our
homes is also different from other people.
The style of our houses is also different.
These are our cultural heritage. There are
ways to preserve it. Let us see how.
A family is also known as a social
institution because it is a place where
people live together, learn from each other,
and help each other. You have learnt about
this in chapter nine. Families teach the
children how to eat and drink; how to
speak; what to wear; how to respect; what
to value; how to act and so on. This is how
culture is kept alive.
Activity
Pair up with a friend sitting next to you:
1. Make a list of what each member of
your family does at home.
2. Discuss why different people do
different things in the family.
3. Write down all that your mother and
father and some elder people in the
family told you in the last two days.
4. Think and discuss with your friend
why they tell you all these things. Ask
your teacher if you need help. Display
your work in the class and share with
your friends.
Culture and Family
We can learn about our culture from many
different sources: our friends, our teachers,
and our parents. Many things that our
parents tell us are part of the culture they
have learnt from their parents. Our families
continue to practise the culture. Each
member has different things to do. What
does each member in your family do? This
way of working helps to keep the family
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Remember that the way we eat our food
today is not exactly the way our ancestors
ate their food. Our ancestors carried toray
and phobin their pockets all the time. They
used to eat their meals in the toray and
phob. So, carrying the two items was most
important for them. Nowadays, we do not
carry any of these items with us. There are
enough plates and cups wherever we go.
But the way we cook and eat our rice and
curry has not changed very much. So, some
of our ways of living remain same while
some change. In our grandfathers’ time
there was an officer called Dasho
Nyerchhen in the Dzong. At that time
people paid tax in kind. But nowadays our
people pay tax in cash.
Culture and School
Like the family, school is also a social
institution. It is a place where children
learn Language, History, Geography,
Science and Mathematics. Children also
learn how to read and write, how to talk,
how to live and work with others. In
school, your teachers and the older students
are your sources of learning. There are also
different types of books in the library from
where you can learn a lot about culture.
This is another way culture is kept alive.
Activity:
1. Write down what you have learnt
in school in the last week.
2. Discuss with your teacher why
these are important.
3. With the help of your teacher,
make a list of ‘cultural heritage’ in
and around your school and village.
Discuss why these are important.
Activity:
Copy the table given below and complete it
with the information asked.
Culture over time
Events
Some events take place in our life that
affects some part of our culture. For
example, many years ago our Kings and
Queens used to travel from Trongsa to
Thimphu on horseback. Many of our
people also went to India and Tibet on foot.
They transported their goods on horseback.
But nowadays, we use different forms of
transport. The system of transportation in
our culture has changed. In the olden days,
horses and mules were more useful. Now,
cars and trucks are more useful to us.
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Trade on
horseback
GrandFather’s
time
Father’s
time
In my
life
time
Television
Internet
Power
tiller
Tseri
cultivation
Travel by
air
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Monitoring your own progress
Recalling the main ideas
Building skills and attitude
1. What is culture? What makes up a
culture?
1.
Find out the customs and traditions of
the people in a nearby village or
town. Ask them how these customs
and traditions are similar to and
different from what they had in the
past. Write a report on your findings.
(This can be done in groups.)
2.
Suggest some ways of preserving our
culture. Share them with the class.
3.
What changes do you imagine in our
culture 20 years from now? Why?
Write it in essay form in your
exercise book. Share it with the class.
2. Describe the different aspects of
culture. How are they important to us?
3. How do people learn about their
culture?
4. How does culture change over time?
Explain with examples.
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CHAPTER ELEVEN
PEOPLE WHO MADE A DIFFERENCE
Buddha
Four Noble Truths
Drukpa Kagyud
Buddhism
Sangha
prophecy
vision
Eightfold Path
Triple Gem
Dharma
Tertoen
Objectives
On completion of this chapter, you should
be able to:
1. Write about some great people;
2. Describe what these people contributed
to the society;
3. Draw a timeline to show when they
lived;
4. Mark the location of the countries
where these people lived on an outline
map of the world; and
5. Write about becoming a great person.
Figure 11.1 The Buddha
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Figure 11.2 Birth of Prince Siddhartha
Introduction
In the history of human civilization, many
people lived their own lives unknown to
others. Some people in different societies
have made a difference to the lives of many
people. Scientists have invented the
technology that we use nowadays to make
our life comfortable. There were people
who came with great ideas and taught
others about these ideas. They were able to
make a difference in the lives of people.
Gautama Buddha
Gautama was a prince who gave up his
princely life in search of answers to the
problems he saw. After he found the
answers, he became a Buddha, which
means the Enlightened One. From then on
he spent his life teaching what he had
found out. His teachings came to be known
as Buddhism. It brought about great
changes in the lives of people.
In this chapter, you will study about some
great people and about how their ideas and
teachings made a difference in our lives.
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son was born to them and he was named
Rahula.
Gautama’s Life as a Prince
Gautama was born to King Suddhodana
and Queen Maha Maya in Lumbini near
Kapilavastu around 6th century B.C.
Kapilavastu is in Southern Nepal and lies
close to the border with India. The prince
was named Siddhartha Gautama. This
means wish-fulfilling.
Prince Siddhartha was always kept away
from the sufferings of the world. But one
day, while going around the city, he saw a
sick man. When he asked his chariot
driver, the driver replied, “Oh we all
become sick somehow”. Another day, he
saw an old man; and still another day, he
saw a dead body. When he asked his
chariot driver, the driver replied,
“Everyone has to become old and die.
From this no one can escape”. On the last
day he saw a holy man wandering about in
a simple dress. The chariot driver told him,
“Oh, he is an ascetic, one who does not
want wealth but looks for happiness of
mind”.
Great saints of the time predicted that
Prince Siddhartha would become a great
teacher.This was against the wishes of his
father who wanted him to rule the kingdom
after him.
Thus, every care was taken to bring up the
prince in great comfort and luxury. He
lived in grand palaces. He wore beautiful
clothes of silk and always ate plenty of
good food. When he was sixteen, he
married a beautiful princess, Yashodara. A
Figure 11.3 The Four Great Sights
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Saddened by the sufferings of sickness, old
age, and death, Prince Siddhartha decided
that his life was not for the palace. Many
questions came to his mind.He wanted the
answers to these questions. One night he
left his palace, and his wife and son in
search of the answers to his many
questions.
message of his Dharma, Gautama Buddha
passed away at a place called Kushinagar
in eastern Uttar Pradesh in 487 BC. He was
80 years old.
How Prince Siddhartha became a Buddha
You know that Prince Siddhartha wanted to
find out why people suffered and why they
became sick, old and then died. To find the
answers, he decided to leave his home. So
one night, when his wife and son were fast
asleep, he left his home. He was twentynine years of age when he gave up his life
of comfort. He then began to live like a
wanderer. He wandered from place to place
begging for food. All the time, he was
trying to find answers to the questions that
troubled him.
Activity
1. Buddha was troubled when he saw a
sick person, an old man and a dead
body. Write a few sentences describing
how you feel when you see such
persons.
2. Read “The Light of My Life” about
Gautama’s life in the palace. What
would you do if you were Gautama?
3. How do you feel when you see a holy
person?
Finally, Siddhartha arrived at a place called
Gaya in present day Bihar. He spent many
hours meditating. He tried very hard to find
answers to the questions that troubled him.
4. Why do you think Prince Siddhartha
was affected by the holy person he
saw?
Siddhartha Gautama finally found the
answers while meditating under a peepal
tree at Gaya. He became wise and
enlightened after many years of meditation.
He became a Buddha, the Enlightened One.
After he became a Buddha, he was known
as Gautama Buddha.
Activity
1. Draw a timeline showing the important
years in Buddha’s life. What important
events took place during those years?
2. Draw the map of India during
Buddha’s time given in your textbook.
Mark the places where the Buddha
spent his life using different colours.
Below the map, write down the names
of the places marked with colours.
Write the event that occurred in each
place.
He travelled from place to place talking to
people about the answers he had found. He
spoke in very simple language. Soon, his
teachings Dharma (teachings) spread far
and wide and many people came to know
about it. They came to listen to his
teachings. Some became monks like him
and joined him in spreading his teachings.
They formed the Sangha (followers). After
many years of teaching and spreading the
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3. Would you like to be a Buddha? What
would you like to do if you became a
Buddha?
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Figure 11.4 Map of India showing important places during Buddha’s life
Buddha’s Teachings
steal. He asked people to live with each
other in peace. He said that happiness was
achieved not through comfort and luxury,
but by wanting less. He taught that people
should ask for things they need and not the
things they want. This is called the middle
path. The Buddha gave many types of
teachings, which he himself practised. We
discussed a little about Buddha’s teachings
in chapter eight in relation to right living.
Remember?
Buddha taught people to lead simple lives.
He said that people want many things, but
they cannot get all they want. As a result,
they have to suffer from sadness, anger,
jealousy, and greed. He taught people not
to take the life of any living being. He
taught them to speak the truth and not to
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By following the noble eightfold path, one
can remove suffering and gain happiness.
To understand more about it, read “The
Light of My Life”.
The Buddha first taught the people at
Sarnath in present day Banaras. In
Bhutanese, it is called Varanasi. The first
teaching of the Buddha was about the Four
Noble Truths.
The Buddha, the Sangha, and the Dharma
are also called the Triple Gem. We also
call them Koenchhog Sum. In our prayer
we say Sangey la Chapbsum Chhio; Chhoe
la Chabsum Chhio; Geyduen la Chapbsum
Chhio. This means, “I take refuge in the
Buddha; I take refuge in his Dharma; I take
refuge in the Sangha.”
The first truth is that the world is full of
suffering. Birth is painful. Sickness, death,
and old age are also painful. Sorrow, pain,
grief, and despair in the body and mind are
sufferings. Separation from the pleasant,
disappointment, or being in contact with
the un-pleasant are also sufferings. In other
words, our life is filled with sufferings.
Activity:
1.
What are the causes of all sufferings?
2.
Think for a moment silently. What do
you want to wear for the next
festival? Or for your next birthday?
Do you think you have enough
money to buy it? What is likely to
happen if you do not have the dress
you would like to wear?
3.
Read the Eightfold Path. List the
ones you practise. Compare your list
with your friends.
Make some rules based on the
4.
Eightfold Path for your class to
practise.
The second truth is that our desire is the
cause of our suffering. We long to have all
the things we desire and to become what
we desire to be. We do not desire what we
are. If you desire what you do not have,
then this causes suffering.
The third truth is that suffering can be
removed from our lives. We can remove
the suffering by not having desires. If you
are happy with what you have you will not
suffer.
The fourth truth is that there is a way to
remove suffering. The way is to follow the
Eightfold Noble Path. We also call them
Lam Gyed. They are:
Ashoka the Great
Ashoka became a very powerful emperor
in India in 268 BC. He spread the message
of the Buddha throughout his kingdom. He
made rules according to the eightfold path.
Although he lived more than two thousand
years ago, he is still respected as a great
king. Here, you will study how he became
a Buddhist and a great king.
· Right Understanding
· Right Intention
· Right Speech
· Right Action
· Right Livelihood
. Right Effort
· Right Mindfulness
· Right Concentration
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Ashoka as Warrior
King Ashoka’s Grandfather Chandragupta
Maurya was a great warrior. He had built a
large empire by conquering other
kingdoms.
After he became king, Ashoka wanted to
make his empire even larger. So, he
invaded the kingdom of Kalinga. He
conquered Kalinga after a long battle.
Figure 11.6 Map of India showing Ashoka’s empire
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Thousands of soldiers were killed in the
battle. Many were wounded and taken
prisoner. Ashoka was affected by the
sufferings caused by the war. He saw that
the wives and children of the soldiers were
crying. He also saw many dead bodies
lying in the field. All these made him very
unhappy and so, he decided to give up war.
Thereafter, no wars were fought in his
kingdom for as long as he was the emperor.
Ashoka as King
Thinking about the death and destruction
after the Kalinga War, Ashoka became a
Buddhist. He wanted to teach his people to
live good lives. He wanted them to live in
peace, following the paths of truth and
justice. He made rules about how people
must lead a pure life. He said people
should have good thoughts and be kind and
generous. They should be truthful and
helpful to others. They should not kill any
living being, either animal or human. He
felt that a king should think of his people
as his children and look after them well.
Therefore, good roads were built for the
people to travel comfortably.
Activity
1. Have you ever quarrelled with your
friend? Describe what happened in the
quarrel. What did you feel about the
quarrel afterwards?
2. Why did Ashoka give up war?
3. Why do you think people have wars?
4. Write a paragraph about why wars
must be stopped.
Figure 11.7
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Trees were planted along the roads to give
shade to the travellers. Wells were dug near
Sanchi Stupa built by Ashoka
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the roads to provide travellers with clean
and fresh water. Rest houses were built for
travellers to stay in at night. Hospitals were
built for the sick people.
Ashoka tried to spread the teachings of
Buddha to other lands. He sent his son
Mahendra and his daughter Sanghamitra to
Sri Lanka to spread Buddhism. Most
people in Sri Lanka are still Buddhists.
Ashoka himself led a simple life. He did
not eat meat. He tried to follow the rules of
Buddhism. He visited all the holy places
where Buddha had lived and taught. He
built many stupas in these places. He also
carved messages on rocks and pillars to
spread the teachings of Buddhism. He
ruled for forty years. Although his empire
broke up after he died, he was one ruler
who had ruled in peace.
Activity
Which of the things that Ashoka did would
you like to do yourself? Why?
Figure 11.8 Painting of Guru Rinpochhe
Many years later, a beautiful boy was born
in a lotus in the middle of a lake in the
country of Ugyen. He was called Padma
Sambhava or Pema Jungney, which means
“Born from the Lotus”.
Guru Rinpochhe
When Gautama Buddha was teaching, his
Dharma had not reached our country. It
was
Guru Padmasambhava who brought the
Buddha’s teachings to our kingdom nearly
twelve hundred years after the Buddha
Indrabuti, the King of Ugyen at the time,
had no children of his own. So, he took
Padma Sambhava as his son. But when
Padma Sambhava grew up, he left the
kingdom as he had no interest to be a king.
Instead, he went to many great teachers of
his time to receive Buddha’s teachings. He
mastered all the highest Buddhist
teachings. He also became learned in all
the arts and sciences being practised at that
time. He meditated in various places and
started spreading the message of the
Dharma.
Early Life
When the Buddha was about to die, he
prophesied:
“After my nirvana I will be reborn in the
country of Ugyen as Pema Jungney”. The
country of Ugyen presently called Swat
valley, lies in Pakistan.
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While meditating in the cave to subdue the
local deity, he left his body print. Thus, the
place came to be called Kuje. Later, a
temple was built on the site and it has
become a very sacred place for Buddhists.
Padma Sambhava soon became a great
teacher. People in far off places soon learnt
about his supernatural powers and his great
knowledge and devotion to the Dharma. To
his followers in Bhutan, he came to be
known as Guru Rinpochhe (the Precious
Teacher).
Guru Rinpoche gave teachings to the king
and his people. Sendha Gyab and another
King, Nauche, were also at war at that
time. He made peace between the two
kings.
Activity
After reading about Guru Rinpoche’s early
life, list all the things that made him
extraordinary.
During his second visit, Guru Rinpoche
came from Tibet through Singye Dzong in
Lhuentse. From there, he went to Paro
Taktshang in the form of Dorji Drolo
riding a Tigress. He meditated there for
three months and subdued the demons. In
the seventeenth century, Tenzin Rabgye
built a temple in the place where Guru
Rinpochhe meditated. This temple, known
as Paro Taktshang, has become a very
important sacred place for Bhutanese.
Visit to Bhutan
Guru Rinpoche visited Bhutan twice. His
first visit was in 746 AD. The local deities
of Bumthang made Sendha Gyab very sick
and nothing could cure him. So, the king
invited Guru Rinpochhe who was in Nepal
at that time. He cured the king of his
sickness and made the local deities, the
protectors of the Dharma.
Figure 11.9 Kuje Lhakhang
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Activity
1.
Take a copy of A History of Bhutan:
Introductory Course book for Class
VI. Read through pages 5-7 and find
out how Guru helped to cure the king
of Bumthang. Write down what you
have found out.
2.
Read through pages 13-17 of the same
book. Write a brief description about
the forms of Guru Rinpochhe in your
own words (do not copy the pictures).
Use the following table to help you
write.
Name of
Expression
the Gurus
Guru
Dorji
Drolo
Ferocious
Main
features
you see in
picture
On tigress,
Dorji in
right hand
What did Guru Rinpochhe give us?
Guru Rinpoche is one of the greatest
teachers of Buddha’s dharma. He helped
spread the teachings in the Himalayan
countries such as Bhutan, Nepal, and Tibet.
He had visited many places and subdued
demons that were harmful to humans. He
made them the protectors of the Dharma.
These places became sacred for the
Buddhist people.
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Guru Rinpoche hid many treasures (ter)
including religious books in the places he
Figure 11.10 Taktshang Monastery
visited. Many years later, his incarnates
such as Pema Lingpa, Dorje Lingpa, and
many others discovered these treasures. So,
they were known as Tertoens. In this way,
the Guru had helped to continue the spread
of Buddha’s Dharma.
Guru Rinpochhe was a great master. His
followers were later known as Nyingmapas
(the old school). Guru Rinpoche is also
known as the “Second Buddha” in Bhutan
because he was the reincarnation of
Gautama Buddha.
We celebrate the Guru’s birthday on the
tenth day of the fifth lunar month every
year and call it Tshechu meaning, the
Tenth Day. The tenth day of every other
month in the year is also considered to be
Guru’s day. Accordingly, all the annual
Tshechus are usually celebrated around the
tenth day of a Bhutanese lunar month.
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thought it was the right time, Sangay
Oenrey told Phajo about Tsangpa Gyarey’s
prophecy. Phajo was very happy and set
off for Bhutan in the year 1222.
Activity
1. Read the map of Paro and Bumthang
valleys and list the important places
visited by Guru Rinpoche.
2. There may be places visited and
blessed by Guru in your local areas.
Find out and make a list of them.
3. Write a paragraph describing Guru’s
greatness.
Activity
1. Find out more about Tshangpa Gyarey
and why he named his school of
Buddhism Drukpa Kagyud.
2. Find out and make a list of other
schools of Buddhism.
3. Phajo had a mission to come to
Bhutan. Discuss in groups and decide
one thing that you want to achieve as
a group in the year.
Phajo Drugom Zhigpo
Phajo Drugom Zhigpo came to Bhutan a
few hundred years after Guru Rinpochhe
had travelled here. He came from Ralung,
in Tibet. By 13th century, the Dharma of
the Buddha separated into several schools
divided by different methods of beliefs and
practices in Tibet. Drukpa Kagyud was one
of the schools. Phajo Drugom Zhigpo
brought the tradition of the Drukpa Kagyud
practices to Bhutan.
Arrival in Bhutan
When he first came to Bhutan, Phajo
stayed in Lingzhi. From there, he
proceeded to Paro Taktshang and
meditated there for a month.
In his visions, Guru Rinpoche told him to
travel round the country and meditate at
twelve places. He also told him that he
would find his wife in Wang valley. So,
Phajo left for Wang.
Phajo Drugom Zhigpo was born in Kham
in eastern Tibet in 1184. From a very early
age he had a great interest in Buddhist
teachings.
When he heard of Tsangpa Gyarey, the
founder of the Drukpa School, Phajo
decided to travel to Ralung to meet the
great man. But Tsangpa Gyarey died
before Phajo arrived in Ralung.
On the way, he met Acho who stayed with
him and bore him a son. He was named
Dampa. When he arrived at Wang, he met
his destined wife, Sonam Peldon who was
the younger sister of Acho. They went to
Dodeyna in the upper Thimphu valley and
settled down.
Before Tsangpa Gyarey passed away in
1211, he told his nephew, Sangye Oenrey,
that a man from eastern Tibet would arrive
after his death. Tsangpa Gyarey instructed
Sangye Oenrey to pass on all his teachings
to this man. This man was destined to
spread the teachings of the Drukpa School
to the people of Bhutan.
Phajo arrived at Ralung as prophesied by
Tsangpa Gyarey. Sangay Oenrey took
Phajo as his disciple and passed on to him
all the Drukpa’s teachings. When he
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One day, when Phajo was meditating
above Dodeyna, he heard a horse neighing
and had a vision of Tamdrin (the deity with
a horseneck). So, the place came to be
called Tango (horse-head). In the vision,
Tamdrin instructed Phajo to continue his
lineage through his children to spread the
teachings of Drukpa Kagyud. Soon after,
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Chapter 11: People Who Made a Difference
nobility of Paro descended from Dampa.
Notable among them was the famous
Drung Drung who built the Hungrel
Dzong. This Dzong later became the Paro
Rinpung Dzong.
Sonam Peldon gave birth to a daughter.
Later, she gave birth to seven sons, but
only four sons lived to continue the
lineage.
Activity
On an outline map of Bhutan, show the
likely route followed by Phajo from
Lingzhi to Dodeyna.
As soon as his other sons were old enough
he sent them off to different regions.
Gartoen went to Shar valley where he
established the temple of Shar Khothang
and Wachen Dzong. His descendants
became the Zhelgno (nobility) of Wachen.
Nyima settled in the Thimphu Valley and
his descendants became the Changangkha
Zhelgno. His other son, Wangchuck, went
to Punakha and to Goen in the Gasa region.
His youngest son, Lam, stayed in the upper
Thimphu valley and inherited the Dodeyna
temple.
The spread of the Drukpa Kagyud
Before the arrival of Phajo, the Lhapas
were already the authority in a large part of
western Bhutan (mainly Paro). The Lhapas
were the followers of Lhapa Kagyud
School brought by Gyalwang Lhanangpa
from Tibet. When they heard about Phajo’s
sons, the Lhapas were angry as they felt
their power and authority in the area was
not safe. They wrote to Phajo and asked
him to be a subject of the Lhapas or he
would be killed.
By the time of his death in 1251, Phajo had
firmly established the Drukpa Kagyud as
the major religious practice in western
Bhutan. Its political power increased as
Phajo’s descendants and heirs gave rise to
religious nobility called Zhelgno or
Chhoeje. This means that the families held
a special rank and position in the society.
They had come to this position through the
deeds and actions of their ancestor, Phajo.
These families carried out secular as well
as spiritual duties. They became the most
important and the most powerful people in
western Bhutan.
Phajo ignored their letters. The Lhapas
used a number of tricks to trap Phajo and
defeat him but all their efforts to crush him
failed. Common people slowly began to
lose faith in the Lhapa’s power and
authority. Soon, the local chieftains of
western Bhutan turned to Phajo and his
teachings.
As the people’s faith in Phajo increased, he
began to spread the teachings of the
Drukpa Kagyud. He built a temple in
Dodeyna and a monastery at Tango.
After Phajo’s death, his descendants,
particularly those of his sons, Dampa and
Nyima, maintained good relations with the
Gya clan. The Gya clan was the ruling
family of the Drukpa at Ralung in Tibet.
During the next two hundred years, they
invited learned lamas of the Drukpa School
to Bhutan. These lamas taught the doctrine
and established monasteries.
When his eldest son, Dampa, was fifteen
years of age he passed on to him all the
Drukpa teachings. Dampa inherited Tango
Monastery and he built a small temple at
Dechenphug. He later went to Paro and
built Namkhey Lhakhang. The Drukpa
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Unit 3
Chapter 11: People Who Made a Difference
Activity
1. On an outline map of Bhutan, shade or
colour the regions where the Drukpa
Kagyu was spread. On each of these
regions, paste or write the name of
Phajo’s son who was responsible for
the spread.
2. Look at the Family Tree of Phajo
Drugom Zhigpo. In your notebook,
write the description of Phajo’s family
relationships and establishment of the
Zhelgno nobility.
Figure 11.11 Family Tree of Phajo Drugom Zhigpo
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Unit 3
Chapter 11: People Who Made a Difference
His services in Bhutan
Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal
After his arrival from Tibet,
Zhabdrung had unified most parts
We already learnt about Zhabdrung
of Bhutan and had subdued the
in lower classes. We will learn
other religious schools, thus
more about him because he had
making Drukpa Kagyud as the
also made a great difference in our
main religious school in Bhutan.
life.
He bravely fought against the
repeated Tibetan invasions and safe
Visit to Bhutan
guarded
the
country’s
While in Tibet, Zhabdrung had to
independence.
face a lot of challenges for the
He also built many dzongs and
identification of Kuenkhen Pema
monasteries in different valleys of
Karpo’s true reincarnation who, in
the country, thus, establishing
turn, was the reincarnation of
strong political and religious
Tsangpa Garay Yeshi Dorji, the
founder of the teachings of Drukpa
control over the region. The first
Dzong built by Zhabdrung was
Kagyud in Tibet. Zhabdrung was
Semtokha Dzong in 1629.The
identified as the true reincarnate
dzongs built by Zhabdrung still
but he was challenged by another
exist today and are a unique feature
person named Pagsam Wangpo.
Pagsam Wangpo was the son of a
of our country. The Zhabdrung also
gave the country a unique national
powerful ruler of Tibet and
identity in form of social and
Zhabdrung’s life in Tibet became
cultural life, such as dress,
very difficult. So, he came to
language, rituals, etcetra. These
Bhutan in 1616 AD supported by
many other reasons.
unique national identities greatly
contributed towards protection of
Bhutan's sovereignty over the
centuries. He made the first set of
laws in our country.
An outstanding and brave saint,
soldier, a statesman with foresight,
a great scholar and a great builder,
Zhabdrung is rightly regarded as
the architect of a unified nation
state of Bhutan. For all his good
deeds done in Bhutan, the statue of
Zhabdrung is given figure in most
of our dzongs and monasteries.
People also perform special prayers
in his honour.
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Unit 3
Chapter 11: People Who Made a Difference
Activity:
1. Imagine what would have
happened if Zhabdrung had
not visited Bhutan. Write a
short paragraph describing the
situation of the country.
Monitoring your own progress
Recalling the main ideas
1. Why did Prince Siddhartha
leave his palace?
2. What does a Buddha mean?
3. How did Prince Siddhartha
become a Buddha?
4. What are the four noble truths
taught by Buddha?
5. Why did Ashoka stop waging
wars after the battle of
Kalinga?
6. List some of the things Ashoka
did for the welfare of his
people.
7. Why did Guru Rinpoche visit
Bumthang? What did he do
there?
8. Why is Guru Rinpoche an
important figure for the
Bhutanese?
9. List the reasons that made
Phajo come to Bhutan.
10. Write a story of what Phajo did
in Bhutan to spread the
teachings of Drukpa Kagyud.
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11. Write the names of Dzongs
built by Zhabdrung.
12. Why is Zhabdrung important in
our history?
Building Skills and attitude
1. Think of a great person who
has made a difference in your
life. Describe the person and
explain why you think of
him/her as a great person.
2. Describe what great things you
would like to do for the benefit
of all.
3. a) Draw a timeline to show all
the major events during the
time of the
great people
discussed in this chapter.
b) Draw a family lineage of
any person of your choice. The
person
could be your best
friend, a teacher in your school,
or someone in
your village
or anyone else.
4. Read the chapter carefully.
Write what you think ‘vision’
and ‘prophecy’ mean. Give
some examples of both.
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Unit 3