NCERT Solutions for class 6 Social Studies History Chapter 2 From Hunting, Gathering to Growing Food

NCERT Solutions for class 6 Social Studies History Chapter 2 From Hunting, Gathering to Growing Food

Let’s recall

Question 1. Complete the sentences:

(a) Hunter-gatherers chose to live in caves and rock shelters because ————————.

(b) Grasslands developed around ———————— years ago.

Answer:- (a) they provided them protection from the rain, heat and wind.

(b) 12000

Question 2. Why do people who grow crops have to stay in the same place for a long time?

Answer:- When people grow crops they have to have to stay in the same place for a long time to take care of the crop, to water it, to protect it from weeds, to drive away animals and birds, and to harvest and store it.

Question 3. Why do archaeologists think that many people who lived in Mehrgarh were hunters to start with and that herding became more important later?

Answer:- Archaeologists found the bones of different animals including deer in the earlier levels. Hence, they could conclude that they were hunters to start with. Herding became important for them because they found bones of sheep and goat in the later levels.

Let’s discuss

Question 4. Why did the hunter-gatherers travel from place to place? In what ways are these similar to/different from the reasons for which we travel today?

Answer:- Hunter-gatherers travelled from place to place for the following reasons:

They moved in search of food, water, and other natural resources.
Migration allowed them to follow the seasonal patterns of plant growth and animal migration, optimizing their chances of survival.
To avoid harsh weather conditions, natural disasters, or resource depletion.
Travel facilitated interaction with other groups, enabling the exchange of knowledge, goods, and potential mates.

Similarities is even today we travel in search of food and water and other natural resources but the difference is in the mode of transportation and various other modern reasons to travel like job and education.

Question 5. List three ways in which hunter-gatherers used fire (see page15). Would you use fire for any of these purposes today?

Answer:- It was primarily used for 3 purposes.

Cooking
Clearing forest area for shelter
To protect themselves from wild animals

Nowadays, we use fire:

To keep ourselves warm
For cooking

Question 6. List three ways in which the lives of farmers and herders would have been different from that of hunter- gatherers.

Answer:-1. While farmers and herders would stay in one place, hunter-gatherers would have to move around to follow the animals.

Hunter-gatherers would live in caves, whereas farmers and herders would live in huts or houses.
While hunters would rely on wild animals as a source of food, farmers and herders would eat crops and tamed animals like sheep and goat.

Let’s do

Question 7. List two tasks that are performed by both men and women at present. List another two that are performed only by women, and two that are performed only by men. Compare your list with that of any two of your classmates. Do you notice any similarities/differences in your lists?

Answer:- The tasks performed by the both men and women are

Constructing buildings.
Cooking food.

There is no task that only any one of the men or women can only do. Nowadays they both are involved in every task and being competitive to each other.

Question 8. List the cereals that you eat. Do you grow the cereals you eat. If yes, draw a chart to show the stages in growing them. If not, draw a chart to show how these cereals reach you from the farmers who grow them.

Answer:- The farmers grow the cereals. The various steps consist of:

(i) Turning the soil over and applying manure.

(ii) Planting seeds, caring for delicate plants, and protecting them from pests.

(iii) Field irrigation.

(iv) Collecting the crop and putting it in the sheds for storage. The following graph illustrates how producers supply cereals to consumers:

Step 1	Step 2	Step 3
Harvest and process grains on the farm.	Transport cereals to distribution centers.	Clean, mill, package, and distribute to retail stores for consumers to purchase.