Master Chapter 2 Class 6 - Diversity in the living world (Curiosity) with comprehensive NCERT Solutions, Practice Questions, MCQs, Sample Papers, Case Based Questions, and Video lessons.
Start Learning NowWelcome to the second chapter of our scientific journey. In the first chapter, we learned what science is—a way of thinking, observing, and asking questions. Now, we are going to apply that thinking to the most fascinating subject of all: life itself.
This chapter begins not in a classroom, but with a story. Imagine going on a nature walk on a pleasant morning. You are not alone; you are with your teacher, a scientist named Dr. Raghu, and a community elder named Maniram chacha, who is an expert at identifying plants and even mimicking bird calls.
As you walk, you are asked to do two simple things: observe and listen. You listen and hear the chirping of birds. Maniram chacha points out that each bird has its own unique chirp. You look around and see tiny grasses, medium-sized bushes, and large, towering trees. You spot butterflies moving from flower to flower and monkeys jumping between branches.
Everywhere you look, from the park to a forest, you see an incredible variety of living things. No two types of birds are exactly the same. No two types of plants look identical. This amazing variety of life—in all its different forms, shapes, and sizes—is what we call Diversity.
This chapter is all about this "variety." We will start by being explorers, just like the students on the nature walk, and then become organizers, like scientists, to make sense of it all.
Our exploration will be a massive one, and it is easy to get lost in the details. That is why having a clear guide is so important. Think of Teachoo as your personal guide on this nature walk. Our entire approach is built on this very idea: starting with a simple observation, asking the right questions, and then organizing the answers in a way that makes every connection clear. We are dedicated to making this exploration of diversity the most logical and understandable journey you will have, helping you see the beautiful patterns hidden within the living world.
Here is the path we will take together:
First, we will learn how to be good scientists by observing and recording. We will look at the world around us and start noting down the features of different plants and animals.
For plants, we will look at their stems (are they hard or soft?), their leaves (what shape are they?), and their flowers.
For animals, we will ask: Where do they live? What do they eat? How do they move?
This act of observing the variety of plants and animals within a specific region leads us to a new, important term: Biodiversity. We will also discover that all these different plants and animals are dependent on each other for survival.
Once we have all these observations, we will have lists of hundreds of different living things. This is where a scientist's next job begins: grouping, or classification. Just like you would group your books by subject to organize your school bag, scientists group living things to better understand them.
We will learn that there is not just one "right" way to group things. We can group plants by their height, or by whether they have flowers. But we will focus on the most useful and scientific ways to group plants, starting from the outside and working our way in:
Based on Stems and Height: This is the most common grouping you already know.
Herbs: Small plants with soft, green, and tender stems (like tomato or grass).
Shrubs: Medium-sized plants with hard, woody stems that are not very thick. Their branches start near the ground (like a rose plant).
Trees: Tall plants with very thick, hard, and woody stems. Their branches are usually higher up, away from the ground (like a mango tree).
Based on Leaves (Venation): We will look closer at a single leaf. Those thin lines you see are called veins. The pattern of these veins is called venation.
Reticulate Venation: A net-like pattern on both sides of the main vein (like in a hibiscus or mango leaf).
Parallel Venation: The veins run parallel to each other (like in a banana leaf or grass).
Based on Roots: Now we go underground. We will find two main types of root systems.
Taproot System: The plant has one main, thick root (the taproot) with smaller side roots growing from it (like in a mustard or hibiscus plant).
Fibrous Root System: The plant has a bunch of thin, similar-sized roots all growing from the base of the stem (like in grass or wheat).
Based on Seeds (Cotyledons): Finally, we will look at the very beginning of a plant's life: its seed.
Dicotyledons (Dicots): Plants whose seeds have two seed leaves, or cotyledons. You can easily split them in two (like a chickpea or kidney bean).
Monocotyledons (Monocots): Plants whose seeds have only a single cotyledon (like maize or wheat).
And here is the most exciting part: we will discover that these features are all connected. We will learn that, generally, plants with taproots also have reticulate venation in their leaves and come from dicot seeds. And, plants with fibrous roots also have parallel venation in their leaves and come from monocot seeds!
Just like with plants, we will find that animals can be grouped in many different ways based on their features. In this chapter, we will focus on two major ways:
How they move: Do they fly (using wings), walk (using legs), swim (using fins), or crawl?
Where they live: This brings us to our next big concept.
Why are there so many different kinds of plants and animals? And why do certain animals or plants only live in certain places? The answer is all about survival.
Habitat: We will learn that the place where a plant or animal naturally lives is called its habitat. A habitat provides everything it needs: food, water, air, and shelter. We will explore:
Terrestrial Habitats: Places on land, like deserts, mountains, and forests.
Aquatic Habitats: Places in water, like oceans, rivers, and ponds.
Amphibians: Animals like frogs that can live both on land and in water.
Adaptation: This is the most important idea of all. An adaptation is a special feature that a plant or animal has which helps it survive in its particular habitat.
We will see amazing examples of this:
A cactus in a hot desert has a thick, fleshy stem to store water.
A deodar tree in the mountains has a conical shape and sloping branches to let snow slide off easily.
A fish has a streamlined body and fins to swim efficiently in water.
We will even compare two types of camels: the one in the hot desert (with one hump and wide hooves for sand) and the one in the cold desert (with two humps and long hair for warmth).
Finally, we will discuss why this diversity is so important and why it is in danger. When habitats are damaged by human activities, we lose this biodiversity. We will learn about conservation efforts in India, such as Project Tiger and the community-protected sacred groves, which are helping to save the wonderful variety of life on our planet.
This chapter will change the way you look at the world. By the end, you will not just see a tree, a bird, or a fish; you will see a story of survival, connection, and adaptation.
To get started on this adventure, click on any topic link to begin your exploration.