NCERT Textbook: The Wonderful World of Science | Science Class 6 PDF Download

 Page 1


The Wonderful World of Science
1
Chapter
As human beings, we have always been curious about our 
surroundings. We start exploring our surroundings and 
asking questions right from our childhood. Did you enjoy 
discovering and exploring the world around you in the 
Preparatory Stage of school? As you enter the Middle Stage, 
we will continue this fascinating journey, trying to explore 
and understand the beautiful world we live in. And for that, 
we have a new subject, Science. Welcome to the 
wonderful world of Science! 
Science is a way of thinking, observing and 
doing things to understand the world we live in 
and to uncover the secrets of the universe. Think 
of it as a big adventure—we ask questions, 
explore the world and try to understand how 
things work. For this, the most important thing is to have 
‘Curiosity’, which is where the title of this book comes 
from.
Whether it is studying tiny grains of sand or massive 
mountains, a leaf of grass or a vast forest, there is always 
something new and exciting to discover. Have you ever 
looked up at the night sky 
and wondered why the stars 
shine? Or watched a flower 
bloom and wondered how 
it knows when to open? 
These are just a few of 
the many mysteries that 
science helps us unravel. 
The most wonderful thing 
about science is that it 
is everywhere. From the 
depths of the ocean to the 
What is 
Science?
?
A mountainous region
Chapter 1.indd   1 09-07-2024   10:19:44
Page 2


The Wonderful World of Science
1
Chapter
As human beings, we have always been curious about our 
surroundings. We start exploring our surroundings and 
asking questions right from our childhood. Did you enjoy 
discovering and exploring the world around you in the 
Preparatory Stage of school? As you enter the Middle Stage, 
we will continue this fascinating journey, trying to explore 
and understand the beautiful world we live in. And for that, 
we have a new subject, Science. Welcome to the 
wonderful world of Science! 
Science is a way of thinking, observing and 
doing things to understand the world we live in 
and to uncover the secrets of the universe. Think 
of it as a big adventure—we ask questions, 
explore the world and try to understand how 
things work. For this, the most important thing is to have 
‘Curiosity’, which is where the title of this book comes 
from.
Whether it is studying tiny grains of sand or massive 
mountains, a leaf of grass or a vast forest, there is always 
something new and exciting to discover. Have you ever 
looked up at the night sky 
and wondered why the stars 
shine? Or watched a flower 
bloom and wondered how 
it knows when to open? 
These are just a few of 
the many mysteries that 
science helps us unravel. 
The most wonderful thing 
about science is that it 
is everywhere. From the 
depths of the ocean to the 
What is 
Science?
?
A mountainous region
Chapter 1.indd   1 09-07-2024   10:19:44
Curiosity | Textbook of Science | Grade 6
2
Science is like a giant and unending jigsaw puzzle. Every 
new discovery we make adds another piece to that puzzle. 
And you know the best thing about this puzzle? There is 
no limit to what we can discover, since every new piece 
of knowledge leads to more questions and more things to 
find out. Sometimes, we find that a piece of this puzzle has 
been put  in the wrong place and needs to be moved. New 
discoveries often change our understanding of the world. 
As you go through this book, you will encounter 
interesting ideas, do some thought-provoking experiments, 
and see how some of what we will find out is useful in our 
vastness of outer space, from what is cooking in the kitchen 
to what is happening on the playground, some of the 
most groundbreaking discoveries have often come from 
unexpected places. 
A Desert A Coast
An underwater view of an Ocean A Galaxy
Chapter 1.indd   2 08-07-2024   05:23:26 PM
Page 3


The Wonderful World of Science
1
Chapter
As human beings, we have always been curious about our 
surroundings. We start exploring our surroundings and 
asking questions right from our childhood. Did you enjoy 
discovering and exploring the world around you in the 
Preparatory Stage of school? As you enter the Middle Stage, 
we will continue this fascinating journey, trying to explore 
and understand the beautiful world we live in. And for that, 
we have a new subject, Science. Welcome to the 
wonderful world of Science! 
Science is a way of thinking, observing and 
doing things to understand the world we live in 
and to uncover the secrets of the universe. Think 
of it as a big adventure—we ask questions, 
explore the world and try to understand how 
things work. For this, the most important thing is to have 
‘Curiosity’, which is where the title of this book comes 
from.
Whether it is studying tiny grains of sand or massive 
mountains, a leaf of grass or a vast forest, there is always 
something new and exciting to discover. Have you ever 
looked up at the night sky 
and wondered why the stars 
shine? Or watched a flower 
bloom and wondered how 
it knows when to open? 
These are just a few of 
the many mysteries that 
science helps us unravel. 
The most wonderful thing 
about science is that it 
is everywhere. From the 
depths of the ocean to the 
What is 
Science?
?
A mountainous region
Chapter 1.indd   1 09-07-2024   10:19:44
Curiosity | Textbook of Science | Grade 6
2
Science is like a giant and unending jigsaw puzzle. Every 
new discovery we make adds another piece to that puzzle. 
And you know the best thing about this puzzle? There is 
no limit to what we can discover, since every new piece 
of knowledge leads to more questions and more things to 
find out. Sometimes, we find that a piece of this puzzle has 
been put  in the wrong place and needs to be moved. New 
discoveries often change our understanding of the world. 
As you go through this book, you will encounter 
interesting ideas, do some thought-provoking experiments, 
and see how some of what we will find out is useful in our 
vastness of outer space, from what is cooking in the kitchen 
to what is happening on the playground, some of the 
most groundbreaking discoveries have often come from 
unexpected places. 
A Desert A Coast
An underwater view of an Ocean A Galaxy
Chapter 1.indd   2 08-07-2024   05:23:26 PM
The Wonderful World of Science
3
daily lives. And guess what happens as we 
discover more and more? We start realising 
that these ideas are all connected.
We will start off by looking at our 
home, planet Earth. It is the only planet 
we know that supports life, and it has an 
environment that we must protect. There 
is an amazing variety of life on Earth—plants 
and animals that have managed to survive and thrive in 
different regions on this planet. You might have seen a seed 
grow into a plant, a caterpillar transform into a beautiful 
butterfly and many more such observations. How do these 
plants and animals grow?
What will we 
explore with 
the help of this 
book?
?
Of course, to grow, we need food to eat, and especially in 
a large and diverse country like India, food is so fascinating. 
Across the country , we have different cuisines with their many 
tasty dishes. What are they made of? How do we find out? 
Chapter 1.indd   3 08-07-2024   05:23:39 PM
Page 4


The Wonderful World of Science
1
Chapter
As human beings, we have always been curious about our 
surroundings. We start exploring our surroundings and 
asking questions right from our childhood. Did you enjoy 
discovering and exploring the world around you in the 
Preparatory Stage of school? As you enter the Middle Stage, 
we will continue this fascinating journey, trying to explore 
and understand the beautiful world we live in. And for that, 
we have a new subject, Science. Welcome to the 
wonderful world of Science! 
Science is a way of thinking, observing and 
doing things to understand the world we live in 
and to uncover the secrets of the universe. Think 
of it as a big adventure—we ask questions, 
explore the world and try to understand how 
things work. For this, the most important thing is to have 
‘Curiosity’, which is where the title of this book comes 
from.
Whether it is studying tiny grains of sand or massive 
mountains, a leaf of grass or a vast forest, there is always 
something new and exciting to discover. Have you ever 
looked up at the night sky 
and wondered why the stars 
shine? Or watched a flower 
bloom and wondered how 
it knows when to open? 
These are just a few of 
the many mysteries that 
science helps us unravel. 
The most wonderful thing 
about science is that it 
is everywhere. From the 
depths of the ocean to the 
What is 
Science?
?
A mountainous region
Chapter 1.indd   1 09-07-2024   10:19:44
Curiosity | Textbook of Science | Grade 6
2
Science is like a giant and unending jigsaw puzzle. Every 
new discovery we make adds another piece to that puzzle. 
And you know the best thing about this puzzle? There is 
no limit to what we can discover, since every new piece 
of knowledge leads to more questions and more things to 
find out. Sometimes, we find that a piece of this puzzle has 
been put  in the wrong place and needs to be moved. New 
discoveries often change our understanding of the world. 
As you go through this book, you will encounter 
interesting ideas, do some thought-provoking experiments, 
and see how some of what we will find out is useful in our 
vastness of outer space, from what is cooking in the kitchen 
to what is happening on the playground, some of the 
most groundbreaking discoveries have often come from 
unexpected places. 
A Desert A Coast
An underwater view of an Ocean A Galaxy
Chapter 1.indd   2 08-07-2024   05:23:26 PM
The Wonderful World of Science
3
daily lives. And guess what happens as we 
discover more and more? We start realising 
that these ideas are all connected.
We will start off by looking at our 
home, planet Earth. It is the only planet 
we know that supports life, and it has an 
environment that we must protect. There 
is an amazing variety of life on Earth—plants 
and animals that have managed to survive and thrive in 
different regions on this planet. You might have seen a seed 
grow into a plant, a caterpillar transform into a beautiful 
butterfly and many more such observations. How do these 
plants and animals grow?
What will we 
explore with 
the help of this 
book?
?
Of course, to grow, we need food to eat, and especially in 
a large and diverse country like India, food is so fascinating. 
Across the country , we have different cuisines with their many 
tasty dishes. What are they made of? How do we find out? 
Chapter 1.indd   3 08-07-2024   05:23:39 PM
Curiosity | Textbook of Science | Grade 6
4
Then again, there are so many different things around 
us—the paper we write on, the metal key, the plastic ruler 
and the rubber eraser in our box, the magnet that keeps the 
box closed, the clothes we wear, the cup we drink milk in 
and so many other things. What are they made of? Are they 
made of different materials? How do we separate different 
materials from one another?
Along with food, we need water to survive. Water is such 
a delightful substance. Have you ever run and jumped in a 
puddle when it rained? Do you ever wonder why and how it 
rains?
Have you noticed that water freezes and becomes ice 
when we cool it and boils and becomes steam when we 
heat it? Do you enjoy drinking cool water in the summer 
or showering with warm water in the winter? How do we 
understand hot and cold? Whether it is water, or our own 
body when we have fever, finding out how hot something is 
can be important!
Chapter 1.indd   4 08-07-2024   05:23:48 PM
Page 5


The Wonderful World of Science
1
Chapter
As human beings, we have always been curious about our 
surroundings. We start exploring our surroundings and 
asking questions right from our childhood. Did you enjoy 
discovering and exploring the world around you in the 
Preparatory Stage of school? As you enter the Middle Stage, 
we will continue this fascinating journey, trying to explore 
and understand the beautiful world we live in. And for that, 
we have a new subject, Science. Welcome to the 
wonderful world of Science! 
Science is a way of thinking, observing and 
doing things to understand the world we live in 
and to uncover the secrets of the universe. Think 
of it as a big adventure—we ask questions, 
explore the world and try to understand how 
things work. For this, the most important thing is to have 
‘Curiosity’, which is where the title of this book comes 
from.
Whether it is studying tiny grains of sand or massive 
mountains, a leaf of grass or a vast forest, there is always 
something new and exciting to discover. Have you ever 
looked up at the night sky 
and wondered why the stars 
shine? Or watched a flower 
bloom and wondered how 
it knows when to open? 
These are just a few of 
the many mysteries that 
science helps us unravel. 
The most wonderful thing 
about science is that it 
is everywhere. From the 
depths of the ocean to the 
What is 
Science?
?
A mountainous region
Chapter 1.indd   1 09-07-2024   10:19:44
Curiosity | Textbook of Science | Grade 6
2
Science is like a giant and unending jigsaw puzzle. Every 
new discovery we make adds another piece to that puzzle. 
And you know the best thing about this puzzle? There is 
no limit to what we can discover, since every new piece 
of knowledge leads to more questions and more things to 
find out. Sometimes, we find that a piece of this puzzle has 
been put  in the wrong place and needs to be moved. New 
discoveries often change our understanding of the world. 
As you go through this book, you will encounter 
interesting ideas, do some thought-provoking experiments, 
and see how some of what we will find out is useful in our 
vastness of outer space, from what is cooking in the kitchen 
to what is happening on the playground, some of the 
most groundbreaking discoveries have often come from 
unexpected places. 
A Desert A Coast
An underwater view of an Ocean A Galaxy
Chapter 1.indd   2 08-07-2024   05:23:26 PM
The Wonderful World of Science
3
daily lives. And guess what happens as we 
discover more and more? We start realising 
that these ideas are all connected.
We will start off by looking at our 
home, planet Earth. It is the only planet 
we know that supports life, and it has an 
environment that we must protect. There 
is an amazing variety of life on Earth—plants 
and animals that have managed to survive and thrive in 
different regions on this planet. You might have seen a seed 
grow into a plant, a caterpillar transform into a beautiful 
butterfly and many more such observations. How do these 
plants and animals grow?
What will we 
explore with 
the help of this 
book?
?
Of course, to grow, we need food to eat, and especially in 
a large and diverse country like India, food is so fascinating. 
Across the country , we have different cuisines with their many 
tasty dishes. What are they made of? How do we find out? 
Chapter 1.indd   3 08-07-2024   05:23:39 PM
Curiosity | Textbook of Science | Grade 6
4
Then again, there are so many different things around 
us—the paper we write on, the metal key, the plastic ruler 
and the rubber eraser in our box, the magnet that keeps the 
box closed, the clothes we wear, the cup we drink milk in 
and so many other things. What are they made of? Are they 
made of different materials? How do we separate different 
materials from one another?
Along with food, we need water to survive. Water is such 
a delightful substance. Have you ever run and jumped in a 
puddle when it rained? Do you ever wonder why and how it 
rains?
Have you noticed that water freezes and becomes ice 
when we cool it and boils and becomes steam when we 
heat it? Do you enjoy drinking cool water in the summer 
or showering with warm water in the winter? How do we 
understand hot and cold? Whether it is water, or our own 
body when we have fever, finding out how hot something is 
can be important!
Chapter 1.indd   4 08-07-2024   05:23:48 PM
The Wonderful World of Science
5
We will have an almost unending list of questions about 
everything on Earth as we further explore this book. But 
why limit our questions to the Earth alone? We can ask 
questions on things beyond—the Sun, the Moon, and the 
millions of stars that shine in the sky!
Whether you are learning about the 
structure of a leaf, discovering how things 
move, or separating the skin of a peanut seed, 
we hope each chapter of this book will ignite 
your spirit of inquiry. And hopefully you will 
have lots of questions in your mind!
Even though you may not realise it, you 
have already been finding answers to many 
of your questions. Suppose your pen stops 
writing. What would you do? You would ask yourself the 
question, “Why did my pen stop writing?”. You might guess 
that the ink finished. 
You would then test this guess by opening 
the pen and checking the ink refill. If it is 
empty, you would know that your guess 
was correct. But suppose you find that 
the ink was not finished. Now what 
would you do? You would make another 
guess—perhaps the ink might have 
dried up. To test if this guess is correct 
or not, you will try something else. 
This is exactly how Science 
works! The way you tried to find 
out why your pen stopped writing 
is an example of the scientific 
method. 
Activity 1: Let us think and write
 ? Write about a similar problem that you tried to solve. 
 ? What steps did you take?
Science is not just about memorising facts and figures or 
doing experiments. It is about following a step-by-step 
process that helps us find answers to our questions. So what 
are the steps that we can follow?
How can we try 
to find answers 
to our questions 
on our own?
?
Chapter 1.indd   5 08-07-2024   05:23:50 PM