NCERT Solutions for Class 4 EVS Chapter 10 Our Sky

Question. Draw a picture of the sky as it appears in the morning, afternoon and at night, in the spaces given below.
Answer: Students should create three sketches showing the sky at different times. In the morning, draw an orange or pink sky with the Sun rising in the East and some birds flying. In the afternoon, draw a bright blue sky with a yellow Sun high in the sky. At night, draw a dark blue or black sky with the Moon and stars visible.
In simple words: Make three pictures - one for morning with an orange sky and Sun coming up, one for afternoon with a bright blue sky and Sun high up, and one for night with a dark sky and Moon and stars.

Exam Tip: Show the Sun in different positions (East for morning, overhead for afternoon, West for evening) and use correct colors for each time of day.

Question. Write down what you observe in the sky during the morning, afternoon and at night, in the table given below. A few boxes are filled for you. You may expand your table by adding new points.
Answer:

In simple words: The morning sky is orange with a soft glow, the afternoon is bright blue and very hot, and the night is dark with stars and the Moon shining.

Exam Tip: List observations for all three columns - color, sunlight, Sun/Moon/stars, animals, and air quality make good additions to the basic table.

Question. Share your observations with your classmates and compare them.
Answer: Do it yourself.

Exam Tip: This is a group activity designed to let you talk about what you saw in the sky and learn from your friends' observations too.

Question. Have you observed any change in the activities, and the behaviour of animals and plants at different times of a day? Discuss these changes with your friends and make a list.
Answer: Do it yourself.

Exam Tip: Think about how birds sing more in the morning, how insects come out at different times, and how flowers open during the day and close at night.

Question. How does the sky look when the Sun rises?
Answer: The sky takes on an orange hue. As the Sun continues to rise from the East, the sky gradually becomes brighter and lighter in color.
In simple words: At sunrise, the sky turns orange and slowly gets brighter as the Sun comes up.

Exam Tip: Always mention the direction (East) and describe the color change from darker to brighter when answering about sunrise.

Question. What do the birds and animals do when the Sun rises?
Answer: Birds begin to chirp and fly around in search of food. Many animals wake up from their sleep and start to move, hunt, or search for food to start their day.
In simple words: When the Sun comes up, birds start singing and flying, and animals wake up and look for food.

Exam Tip: Mention both birds and animals separately, and describe their specific activities like chirping, flying, waking up, and searching for food.

Question. What changes do we find at home when the Sun rises?
Answer: The home becomes filled with natural sunlight, making it brighter. People wake up from sleep, open the windows and doors to let fresh air in, and begin their morning activities such as cleaning the house, getting ready for school or office, and having breakfast.
In simple words: When the Sun rises, homes get bright with light, people wake up and open windows, and everyone starts getting ready for the day.

Exam Tip: Connect the physical changes (light, brightness) to human activities (waking, cleaning, preparing) in your answer.

Question. How does the sky look when the Sun sets?
Answer: The sky takes on shades of orange and reddish tones as the Sun sets in the West. The colors grow deeper and more intense as the Sun moves toward the horizon.
In simple words: At sunset, the sky turns orange and red as the Sun goes down in the West.

Exam Tip: Remember to mention the direction (West) and describe the changing colors from orange to red as the Sun sets.

Question. What do the birds and animals do when the Sun sets?
Answer: Birds return to their nests and settle down for the night. Many animals head back to their homes, burrows, or safe places and prepare to rest until the next day comes.
In simple words: When the Sun sets, birds go back to their nests and animals go home to rest.

Exam Tip: Focus on the idea that animals are preparing for sleep and settling into safe places as darkness approaches.

Question. What changes do we find at home when the Sun sets?
Answer: Lights in the rooms are switched on because natural sunlight is no longer available. People return from work, school, or other places and settle down at home for the evening and night.
In simple words: When the Sun sets, we turn on lights in our homes and people come back from work.

Exam Tip: Mention both the physical changes (lights on) and human behavior (people returning home) when answering.

Question. Your shadow changes with the changes in the direction of the Sun or with the time of the day such as morning, afternoon or evening. When you change the shape of your body, what happens to the shape of your shadow?
Answer: When you change the position or shape of your body, the shape of your shadow also changes in the same way. The shadow mimics or copies whatever shape your body takes.
In simple words: If you change how your body looks, your shadow changes in the same way too.

Exam Tip: Understand that shadows are formed by the outline of objects - any change in the object's shape creates a change in the shadow's shape.

Question. Do only objects that let light pass through them form shadows? Or do other objects form shadows too?
Answer: Only objects that block light and do not let it pass through them completely form shadows. As the object moves, the shadow also moves with it in response to the light source position.
In simple words: Only things that stop light from passing through make shadows. When the object moves, the shadow moves too.

Exam Tip: Remember that transparent or see-through materials do not form clear shadows because light passes through them.

Question. Why do shadows change in direction and size during different times of the day?
Answer: These changes take place because the position of the Sun shifts throughout the day. As the Sun moves from East to West, it alters both the direction where the shadow falls and how long or short the shadow becomes.
In simple words: The Sun moves across the sky during the day, and this makes shadows point in different directions and change their length.

Exam Tip: Always connect shadow changes to the Sun's changing position - this is the key reason behind all shadow behavior.

Question. Can shadows only be formed by sunlight, or can other sources of light form shadows too?
Answer: Shadows can be created by many different light sources, not just the Sun. A torch, a lamp, a candle, or any other light source can form a shadow, as long as the object blocks the light from that source.
In simple words: Shadows form whenever light is blocked - they can come from the Sun, a torch, a lamp, or any light.

Exam Tip: The key principle is that any light source can create a shadow if an opaque object stands between the light and a surface.

Question. If we change the distance of the source of light from the stick (an object), how will the shadow change?
Answer: When the light source is moved closer to the object, the shadow becomes larger. When the light source is moved farther away from the object, the shadow becomes smaller.
In simple words: If you bring the light closer, the shadow gets bigger. If you move the light away, the shadow gets smaller.

Exam Tip: This relationship between distance and shadow size is important - closer light means bigger shadow, farther light means smaller shadow.

Question. If we change the direction of the torch (source of light), how will the shadow change?
Answer: When you change the direction of the torch, the shadow also shifts its direction. The shadow moves to the opposite side from where the light is pointing.
In simple words: When you turn the torch in a different direction, the shadow moves to the other side.

Exam Tip: Remember that the shadow always appears on the side away from the light source - it is always opposite to the direction of the light.

Question. Draw the position of the Sun and corresponding shadows in the images given below.
Answer: Students should draw diagrams showing three different scenarios:
1. Morning - Sun is in the East, shadow is long and points toward the West.
2. Noon - Sun is directly overhead, shadow is very short beneath the object.
3. Evening - Sun is in the West, shadow is long and points toward the East.
In simple words: Draw the Sun in different places in the sky and show where the shadow falls - shadows point away from the Sun and change length depending on where the Sun is.

Exam Tip: Make sure the shadow direction is always opposite to the Sun's position, and show shadows as longer in morning and evening but shortest at noon.

Question. After sunset, the sky dazzles with thousands of twinkling stars. We observe various patterns of stars in the night sky. Draw any pattern you have observed, in the box below.
Answer: Students should draw a constellation or star pattern they have noticed. Common examples include the Big Dipper, the Little Dipper, Orion, or Cassiopeia. The drawing should show stars connected by lines to form a recognizable shape or picture.
In simple words: Draw a picture made by connecting the stars you see at night - like a spoon, a hunter, or another shape you notice.

Exam Tip: Look for real star patterns and draw them - use dots for stars and connect them with lines to show the shape or constellation clearly.

Question. Share the drawing with your friends and discuss the common patterns of stars.
Answer: Do it yourself.

Exam Tip: This group discussion helps you learn about constellations and how different people may see different patterns in the same stars.

Question. Observe the Moon in the sky and draw the shapes of the Moon you have observed on different nights.
Answer: Students should create a series of drawings showing different Moon phases - from a thin crescent, to a half Moon, to a full round Moon, and back to a crescent. The drawings should show the changing appearance of the Moon as seen from Earth over several nights.
In simple words: Draw what the Moon looks like on different nights - sometimes it is a thin curve, sometimes half-full, and sometimes completely round.

Exam Tip: Show at least 4-6 different Moon shapes to demonstrate the changing phases throughout a month.

Question. Is there a pattern to the way the shape of the Moon changes?
Answer: Yes, the Moon follows a predictable and repeating pattern in how its shape changes. It begins as a thin crescent Moon, then grows larger and rounder until it becomes a full Moon, after which it shrinks back to a crescent and finally becomes invisible as a new Moon. This entire cycle then repeats again continuously month after month.
In simple words: The Moon changes shape in a pattern that repeats every month - it gets bigger, then smaller, then disappears, then starts over.

Exam Tip: Learn the names of Moon phases - new Moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full Moon, waning gibbous, last quarter, and waning crescent.

Question. Are there days when the Moon is not visible in the sky?
Answer: Yes, there are specific nights when the Moon cannot be seen in the sky at all. This happens during what is known as Amavasya or the New Moon night, when the Moon is positioned between the Earth and the Sun.
In simple words: On some nights, the Moon is not in the sky - this is called New Moon or Amavasya night.

Exam Tip: New Moon (Amavasya) occurs when the Moon is between Earth and Sun, so the sunlit side faces away from us.

Question. Do you celebrate any festivals in your family or community related to the Sun or the Moon? What do you call them in your language?
Answer: Do it yourself.

Exam Tip: Think about festivals like Holi (spring festival), Diwali (festival of lights), Eid, or harvest festivals that relate to the seasons and celestial bodies.

Question 1. Give two differences between day and night.
Answer: Day: The Sun is visible in the sky, making the sky bright and filled with light. Night: The Moon and stars become visible, and the sky turns dark or black.
In simple words: During the day, we see the Sun and everything is bright. At night, we see the Moon and stars and everything is dark.

Exam Tip: Focus on the two key observations - what is visible (Sun vs. Moon/stars) and the brightness level (bright vs. dark).

Question 2. Give two differences between the sky in the morning and in the evening.
Answer: Morning: The sky appears orange or golden with the Sun rising from the East, and the light is mild and soft. Evening: The sky appears reddish-orange as the Sun sets in the West, and the light gradually fades away.
In simple words: In the morning, the sky is orange and the Sun is coming up in the East. In the evening, the sky is red-orange and the Sun is going down in the West.

Exam Tip: Mention the direction (East for morning, West for evening) and describe the color change in the sky for each time.

Question 3. Give two differences between our activities during the day and at night.
Answer: Day: We engage in activities such as going to school, playing games, studying, and working in offices. Night: We perform activities like having dinner, completing homework, relaxing, and sleeping to rest for the next day.
In simple words: During the day, we do active things like school and play. At night, we eat dinner, do homework, and sleep.

Exam Tip: Think about productive activities during the day and restful activities at night when answering this question.

Question 4. Give two differences between the activities of animals during the day and at night.
Answer: Day: Many animals including cows, dogs, birds, squirrels, and butterflies are active and alert. They search for food, move around in the sunlight, and go about their daily routines. Night: Some animals like owls and bats become active and hunt or search for food in darkness, while other animals rest, sleep, or hide in safe places.
In simple words: During the day, birds and squirrels play and look for food in the Sun. At night, owls and bats wake up and hunt, while other animals sleep.

Exam Tip: Mention specific animals for both day and night - use examples like birds, squirrels, owls, and bats to show the contrast between diurnal and nocturnal animals.

Question. A teacher said that the Sun appears to move from East to West during the day. Meera is curious about this statement and has some questions for her teacher. List at least two questions that she can ask.
Answer: Meera can ask the following questions:
(i) Why does the Sun appear to move across the sky from East to West?
(ii) Does the Sun really move from East to West, or is it actually the Earth that is moving?
In simple words: Meera might ask why the Sun seems to move, and whether it is really the Sun moving or if it is the Earth spinning.

Exam Tip: Generate thoughtful, scientific questions that show curiosity about the observed phenomenon and its actual cause.

Question. Suppose you stand at the same spot during the morning and the afternoon. In the morning, your shadow points in one direction, while in the afternoon it points in another. Why? Would the length of your shadow be the same at both times?
Answer: No, the length and direction of the shadow will not be the same at both times. The reason is that the Sun's position changes throughout the day.
In the morning, the Sun is positioned in the East, so your shadow is long and extends toward the West.
At noon, the Sun is directly above your head, and your shadow is at its shortest.
In the afternoon, the Sun is in the West, so your shadow is long again but points in the opposite direction - toward the East.
In simple words: The shadow changes because the Sun moves. In the morning, the shadow is long and points West. At noon, it is very short. In the afternoon, it is long again but points East.

Exam Tip: Explain both direction and length changes, and connect them to the Sun's position in the sky at each time of day.

Question. Write your own poem inspired by the beauty of the sky.
Answer: Sky so wide, full of light, / Blue by day and dark at night. / Sunrise orange, sunset red, / Moon and stars above my head!
In simple words: A short poem about how the sky looks different at different times - blue and bright during the day, with colors at sunrise and sunset, and dark with stars at night.

Exam Tip: Create a poem that captures the changing colors and beauty of the sky using simple words and rhyming lines.

Question. Complete the riddle below and answer it - Only one colour, but not one size / Appears with light, looks very nice / What is it?
Answer: Only one colour, but not one size / Appears with light, looks very nice / It follows you when you are in light, / It disappears when it is night. / What is it? Shadow.
In simple words: A shadow is always one dark color, but it changes size depending on where the light comes from - it follows you when light hits you and goes away when there is no light.

Exam Tip: When completing a riddle, add clues that describe the object's key features - for shadows, mention they appear with light, change size, and move with the object.