Exploring Science series for key stage 2 is developed by a

joint effort of both Cambridge University Press and National

Exploring
Institute of Education. This intends to achieve the vision of
New National Curriculum “Every child is prepared for life”.

The series enables to accomplish the vision by adopting

the pedagogical and assessment approaches highlighted
Science 6
in the National Curriculum where students are required to
become self-directed learners.

Exploring Science 6
It requires the collaboration of parents, teachers and the
whole community to work hand in hand in building the society
with young people who are responsible and productive with
a firm belief in Islam and strong sense of self and National
Identity.

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Exploring Science
6
A joint publication of National Institute of Education, Maldives
and Cambridge University Press, India

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 Preface
Exploring Science Series for Key Stage 2 is written to meet the requirements
of new National Curriculum. This intends to cover the contents of the Science
Syllabus. The series consists of three books for grades 4, 5 and 6.

The series enables students to acquire knowledge, skills and attitude so as to

develop an informed and critical understanding of environment, science and
technological issues.

The series aims to cultivate humane and responsible attitude and an

appreciation of the world in accordance with Islamic principles and values.

It is envisaged that teachers use this series as an aid to teach science

adopting inquiry approach where students are encouraged to be actively
involved in the learning process.

We extend our sincere thanks to Cambridge University Press for partnering

with us in this endeavour. We are thankful to IUCN for the assistance
rendered in providing feedback for the initial manuscripts. We are indebted to
the members of the NIE Curriculum Team for the support rendered.

Aminath Ismail
Education Development Officer Coordinator

Gulfishan Shafeeu
Education Development Officer

Aminath Mohamed
Education Development Officer

© Cambridge University Press

 Contents
1. Living World and Classification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Unit 1.1: Living Things . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Unit 1.2: Classification of Living Things . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Unit 1.3: Five Kingdoms of Living Things . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
2. Cell Specialisation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Unit 2.1: Basic Unit of Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Unit 2.2: Specialisation in Animals and Plants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Unit 2.3: Photosynthesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Unit 2.4: Microorganisms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
3. Adaptation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
Unit 3.1: Adaptation in Plants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
Unit 3.2: Adaptation in Animals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
4. Habitat and Interactions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Unit 4.1: Plants and Animals Respond to Their Environment . . . . . . . . .46
Unit 4.2: Food Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
Unit 4.3: Human Impact on Habitats. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
5. Growth and Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
Unit 5.1: Healthy Food Choices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
Unit 5.2: Reproduction and Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
6. Our Earth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66
Unit 6.1: Major Landforms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Unit 6.2: Reefs and Lagoons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
Unit 6.3: Weathering and Erosion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72
Unit 6.4: Fossil Formation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
7. Weather and Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80
Unit 7.1: Weather and Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82
Unit 7.2: Effects of Climate Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84

© Cambridge University Press

8. Human Impact on Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92
Unit 8.1: Human-made Disasters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94
Unit 8.2: Human Impact on the Enviornment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96
9. Eclipses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100
Unit 9.1: Rotation and Revolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102
Unit 9.2: Solar and Lunar Eclipse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106
10. Soil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
Unit 10.1: Soil Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
Unit 10.2: Soil Formation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118
Unit 10.3: Enriching Soil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120
11. Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124
Unit 11.1: Water Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126
Unit 11.2: Properties of Water. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130
12. Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136
Unit 12.1: Potential and Kinetic Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .138
Unit 12.2: Light Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .140
Unit 12.3: Energy Transformation and Conservation . . . . . . . . . . . . . .142
13. Invisible Forces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150
Unit 13.1: Magnets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .152
Unit 13.2: Gravity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154
14. Simple Machines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160
Unit 14.1: Types of Machines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162
Unit 14.2: Uses of Levers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .164
15. Matter and Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .170
Unit 15.1: Matter and States of Matter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .172
Unit 15.2: Changes in Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .174
16. Elements, Compounds & Mixtures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .182
Unit 16.1: Mixtures and Separating Mixtures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .184
Unit 16.2: Distillation and Chromatography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .186
Unit 16.3: Elements and Compounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .188

© Cambridge University Press

 1
Living World and
Classification
Overview

We see many things around us which can be

living or non-living. Living things share common
characteristics such as nutrition, growth, movement,
sensitivity, respiration, excretion and reproduction.
Non-living things do not show these characteristics.
Living things also have basic needs such as air,
water, food and habitat, which are required for their
survival. Since there are a wide variety of living
things, they can be studied by using classification
systems.

© Cambridge University Press

 Units

1.1: Living Things

1.2: Classification of Living Things
1.3: Five Kingdoms of Living Things

© Cambridge University Press

 1.1: Living Things

Characteristics of living things

You will learn
All living things share characteristics of life, which include
Characteristics of movement, respiration, sensitivity, growth and development,
living things reproduction, excretion and nutrition.

Nutrition: Living things need food for their growth and

development. Food consumed by organisms provide
Sensitivity: Living things
nutrients and energy for different functions such as
have the ability to sense
movement, respiration, digestion etc.
and respond to changes
in their environment.
Plants respond to light,
water and gravity as they look out
grow.

Movement: All living things show movement. Living things move to obtain food, air, water
and for self-protection.

Plants show limited movement. The leaves (shoot) of the plants bend towards sunlight.

© Cambridge University Press

 Excretion: All living things eliminate waste
products from their body.

Reproduction:
It is the process
by which new
individual
organisms are
produced from
their ‘parents’.
Respiration: All living things use
oxygen in the air to get energy
from food.

Grow: All living things grow

and change as they develop.
Living things use some of the
energy for growth and repair.

© Cambridge University Press

 Microorganisms – Living or non-living?
Did You Know ? Microorganisms are very minute living things. Though
The oldest living things on their life processes are not visible to us, they share
Earth are believed to be
all the characteristics of life as other living organisms.
single-cell prokaryotes,
Microorganisms are all around us, in the air, in our bodies and
more commonly known as
bacteria. Scientists have
in water. Some microorganisms are harmful and some are
discovered fossils of such useful for us. Examples of micro-organisms include algae,
prokaryotes that existed protozoa and bacteria.
roughly 3.5 billion years
ago.

flagella

The bacterium uses its long, whiplike flagella to move Some microorganisms obtain nutrients by
itself through the water layer absorption or ingestion through special
structures
Bacterial Cell membrane
chromosome

Cell wall

Continued growth of
the cell

Division into two cells

Reproduction in bacteria by dividing into Microorganisms show sensitivity to variation in temperature.

two young ones Some survive in high temperature while others need
medium and low temperature

10

© Cambridge University Press

Basic needs of living things

Nutrients and energy

Food provides energy to do different kinds of work. Both
plants and animals need food to grow and develop. If living
things do not get food, they will die.

Water
All living things need water. Water is essential for chemical Water helps to maintain body
reactions to occur in living things. Drinking lots of water helps temperature
to remove poisonous substances from the body and stay
healthy. Explore
Wood comes from trees. A
Air
tree is a living thing. But a
The air in the atmosphere contains many gases including table made from wood is a
oxygen and carbon dioxide. Living organisms require non-living object. Why?
oxygen to obtain energy from their food. Plants and some
microorganisms use carbon dioxide to produce food.

Suitable temperature
A suitable temperature is required for
healthy growth and development. Suitable
temperature may vary for different
organisms from very low to high.

Habitat
All organisms require a place (habitat) to live
which provides food and other resources for
survival.

All organisms require a habitat to survive

Thinking critically and creatively

Generate questions and experiments with ideas.

11

© Cambridge University Press

 1.2: Classification of Living Things

Classification – Forming groups

You will learn
There are a wide variety of living things in this world.
Classification of living Classification helps to study living things. Without proper
things classification, it would be impossible to study millions of
Use of dichotomous organisms that exist on Earth. Classification involves grouping
key living organisms into different groups based on their physical
features, habitat or mode of nutrition.

Why do we need classification?

• It makes the study of such a variety of organisms easy.

• It helps to organise information about organisms and their

needs.

• It serves as a basis for the development of other

biological sciences such as various fields of applied
biology, agriculture, public health and environmental
biology.

Simple classification of living things

Living things can broadly be classified into plants and
animals. Scientists have created classification systems
that put organisms into groups. When scientists classify
organisms, they put them into groups based on shared
Did You Know ? similarities and differences.
Some plants eat animals.
These are called Sorting helps us to understand the world we live in better.
carnivorous plants, for One of the ways in which scientists classify things is by using
example, Venus Flytrap a dichotomous key.
plant eats insects.

12

© Cambridge University Press

A dichotomous key is a tool used by scientists in grouping Do Activity 1.1
animals or plants based on features present in them. The
key focuses on one feature of a living thing at a time. Usually
scientists will observe and note the presence or absence of a
feature or may highlight opposites. The specimens are divided
in two groups until all organisms are classified.

yes

yes

no

yes

no

no

Classification of plants
Plants that produce flowers are known as flowering plants, for Explore
example, hibiscus, sunflower, marigold etc.
Find out some more
Plants that do not bear flowers are called non-flowering plants, omnivorous animals other
for example, mosses, lichens, ferns and conifers. than humans.

13

© Cambridge University Press

 1.3: Five Kingdoms of Living Things

Classification
You will learn
Scientists have developed a system of classification
Classification of wherein all organisms are classified based on their
living things into five characteristics. In this system, all living things are divided
kingdoms into five kingdoms.

Living Things

Monera Fungi Protist Animal Plant

kingdom kingdom kingdom kingdom kingdom
E.g., bacteria E.g., mushrooms, E.g., amoeba E.g., animal life E.g., plant life
mold and yeast and euglena

The animal kingdom can further be classified into two

broad groups: vertebrates and invertebrates. Similarly the
plant kingdom can be classified into flowering and non-
flowering plants. Do Activity 1.2

Characteristic features of five kingdoms

Bacteria Kingdom Monera

All the organisms of this kingdom are single-celled. They
absorb nutrients through their body surface. Examples include
bacteria and blue-green algae.

Kingdom Protista
Protists are unicellular organisms that live in water and moist
soils. They can either be photosynthetic or depend on other
organisms for food. Examples include amoeba and euglena.

Amoeba

14

© Cambridge University Press

Kingdom Fungi
They have several filamentous structures in their body. They
absorb nutrients from decaying matter. Examples include
bread mould and mushrooms.

Kingdom Plantae
They are multicellular organisms. They can make their Mushrooms
own food. They cannot move from one place to another.
Examples include sunflower and ferns.

Kingdom Animalia
They are multicellular organisms with well-developed
organs. They cannot make their own food. They show
movement from one place to another. Examples include
frogs and humans.
Plants

Do Activity 1.3

Did You Know ?

More than 95% of all
known species are
invertebrates.

Explore
Observe different animals
in your surrounding and
find out in which kingdom
of classification do they
belong to.

Animals
15

© Cambridge University Press

 Science and Islam

Getting organised: Classification

There are over one million different kinds of plants and animals in this planet. We call this,
wide range of organisms as diversity of organisms. These living organisms share basic
characteristics of life, yet they are all very different from one another.

Have you ever wondered how these living things are identified, named and studied? How do
scientists organise this variety into categories?

Why do you think it is important to have a wealth of biological diversity?

Biological diversity represents the number and variety of organisms in our world. Scientists
have been working to identify these organisms and study their behaviour, their mode of
nutrition and the interconnectedness of these organisms to our environment.

It is stated in the holy Quran,

‘There is not an animal that lives on neither Earth, nor a being that flies with its wings,
but nations like you. Nothing have we omitted from the Book, and they all shall be
gathered to their Lord in the end’ [Surah Al-’An`ām: 38].

Scientific studies show that there are more than 1.75 million different species that exists on
Earth. In addition to this, paleontologists have discovered more than a quarter of a million
extinct species. Scientists study organisms by using classification systems. This helps them to
classify organisms by dividing into groups. Each group forms a community of its own.

16

© Cambridge University Press

Self-check
 The world is made up of living and non-living things.
 Living things grow and develop, require nutrition, excrete, reproduce, respire, show
movement and are sensitive to stimuli.

 All living organisms are divided into five kingdoms.

 Living things can be classified based on their characteristics. Dichotomous key is a tool
used to classify living things.

Activity

Unit 1.2: Classification of living things

Activity 1.1: Identifying living things

The following show a variety of living things. Use a key to classify the organisms into groups.

Horse Fish Frog Bird Turtle

Unit 1.3: Five kingdoms of living things

Activity 1.2: Using keys

The following images show some extinct animals.

• Which main groups do the extinct organisms in the drawings belong to?

• Make a key for identifying these extinct organisms.

Snail Fern Dodo Macrauchenia Tyrannosaurus Rex

Activity 1.3: Classify plants

Observe different plants/trees in your surroundings. Make a note of the features that makes one plant
different from another. For example, presence/absence of flowers, broad/narrow leaves, thick/weak
stem etc. Group the plants based on the features that you have observed. Discuss and reasons
17
out the way you have grouped.

© Cambridge University Press

 2
Cell Specialisation

Overview

All organisms are composed of cells. They may

be unicellular or multicellular. They carry out all
the processes of life. There are different kinds of
cells that are different from each other in shape,
structure and performance. Animals and plants
both have specialised cells that carry out different
life processes.

18

© Cambridge University Press

 Units

2.1: Basic Unit of Life

2.2: Specialisation in Animals and Plants
2.3: Photosynthesis
2.4: Microorganisms

19

© Cambridge University Press

 2.1: Basic Unit of Life

Cell – The basic unit of life

You will learn
Cells are the basic building blocks of all living organisms.
Structure of plant and A single cell carries out all the vital functions to sustain
animal cell life. Complex organisms such as plants and animals are
Similarities and composed of many types of cells, each with a different
differences between function.
plant and animal cells All cells have the following features in common:

Cell membrane: It is a membrane that surrounds the

cytoplasm. It controls the movement of substances in and out
of the cell as required.

Cytoplasm: It is a jelly-like matrix inside the cell.

Nucleus: It is a spherical structure that directs all the

activities of the cell and contains the genetic material.

Plant and animal cells

All animals and plants are made of cells. Animal cells and
plant cells have features in common such as a nucleus,
cytoplasm and cell membrane.

Cell membrane

Cytoplasm

Nucleus

Animal cell

20

© Cambridge University Press

In contrast to animal cells, plant cells also have a cell wall,
and often have chloroplasts, animals and plants cells become
specialised to carry out particular functions.
Did You Know ?
The word ‘cell’ comes from
the Latin word ‘cellula’, which
means small compartment.

Chloroplast

Nucleus

Cell wall

Cell membrane

Cytoplasm

Plant cell

21

© Cambridge University Press

 Cell specialisation
Organisms that are made up of many cells, (multicellular
organisms) are more complex than unicellular ones. They
have cells performing specialised functions.

Red blood cells Root hair cells

Cell membrane Cell wall

Vacuole

Root hair
Cytoplasm
Nucleus
Specialised to carry oxygen in the
blood, contains a red substance called Found in the roots of plants, are long
haemoglobin to absorb oxygen. and thin to absorb water from the soil.

Skeletal muscle cells Photosynthetic cells in plants

Cell wall

Cell membrane
Nucleus
Cytoplasm

Chloroplast

Skeletal muscles are long and Found in the leaves of plants,

cylindrical shape. They can shorten to contains lots of chloroplasts for
move bones. absorption of light.

22

© Cambridge University Press

Magnification of cell specimens Eyepiece

using a microscope
A microscope is an instrument that is used to Arm
Objective Power Lens
observe very minute organisms that cannot be Stage Clips
seen with the naked eye. The cellular organelles Stage
and the shape of the cell can be observed under Diaphragm Fine
Adjustment
different magnifications of the microscope. Light Source Coarse
Adjustment
The microscope has an objective lens and Power Cord
Base
an eyepiece lens. The magnifications of the
objective lens available are 4X, 10X and 40X. Microscope
The magnification of the eyepiece is 10X. The
total magnification of an image is the magnification of the
objective lens multiplied by the magnification of the eyepiece
lens.

Magnification = magnification of objective lens x magnification of eyepiece lens

If the objective lens is 10X,

Magnification of eye piece is 10X = 10X x 10X

Magnification = 100X

This means that an object is magnified 100 times.

Do Activity 2.1

Explore
Discuss and explain how
the maximum useful
magnification of a microscope
depends on its resolving
power.
Onion cells under microscope

23

© Cambridge University Press

 Cell to organisms
In unicellular organisms, a single cell
performs all life functions. Multicellular
organisms have various levels of
organisation within them. They are
more complex than unicellular ones.
They have tissues and organs made of
specialised cells that perform various
functions.

Multicellular organisms have five levels

of organisation ranging from simplest to
most complex:
Multicellular organism

Cells
Unicellular organism They are the basic unit of structure and function in living
things. They may serve a specific function within the
organism. Examples: blood cells, nerve cells, bone cells etc.

Tissues
They are made up of cells that are similar in structure and
function. They work together to perform a specific function.
Examples: blood, nervous, bone etc.

Cells

Tissues

Organs
They are made up of tissues that work together to perform a
specific activity. Examples: heart, brain, skin etc.

24

© Cambridge University Press

Organ systems
These are groups of two or more organs that work together
to perform a specific function. Examples: circulatory system,
nervous system, skeletal system etc.

Organisms
They are made up of different organ systems working
together to perform all vital functions. Example: humans,
birds etc.

The levels of organisation in multicellular organisms:

Cells tissues organs organ systems organisms

Living a healthy life

Identify factors that affect their safety.

25

© Cambridge University Press

 2.2: Specialisation in Animals and Plants

Organs and their functions

You will learn
Multicellular organisms have body organs that perform
Organs and their specific functions. Examples include:
functions in plants
and animals

Lungs Heart
Lungs help in respiration. The heart helps in pumping
A pair of lungs is located blood throughout the body.
on either side of the chest. It is a muscular organ and is
Their function is to bring divided into four chambers.
oxygen inside the body and The heart receives
to remove carbon dioxide deoxygenated blood from
from the body. Respiratory the body and brain. In turn,
system is made up of nose, windpipe and it supplies oxygenated blood to all the cells.
lungs. There are many types of respiratory If the heart or blood vessels stop functioning
disorders such as asthma and bronchitis and properly, a person may have severe chest pain,
lungs are prone to wide range of infections. which can lead to a heart attack.

Brain Kidneys
The brain is the Kidneys are two
most complex bean-shaped
organ of the body. organs that
It is the seat helps in removal
of intelligence, of waste from
senses, body blood. Sometimes
movement and kidneys do not work properly or may stop
behaviour. The brain controls many activities working completely. In such a case, patients
such as heart rate, physical movement, need to go on a special machine that acts like
emotions and speech expression. a kidney.

Do Activity 2.2
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Organs in plants Explore
Plants also have different organs and organ systems which
Doctors usually check the
help in performing various functions. Examples include: pulse during a physical
examination or in an
emergency. Discuss how you
could check your own pulse.

Roots Stem or trunk

The roots Stem provides
absorb water support to
and minerals the plants. It
from the soil. bears leaves,
They also hold flowers and
the plant in one fruits along the
place, providing branches. The
stability to the stem transports
plant. water, minerals
and food to
different parts
Leaves of the plant.

The leaves make food

by a process called
photosynthesis.

Did You Know ?

Some plants are 300 feet
tall. Water absorbed from
Flowers soil is transported to the tip
Flowers are the of the plants against gravity.
reproductive organs.
They have different
colours, shapes and
smell.

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 2.3: Photosynthesis

You will learn The process of photosynthesis

Photosynthesis and
factors necessary for
photosynthesis
Carbon
dioxide

Explore
Some plants have leaves
that are not green in colour.
Suggest if these plants can Photosynthesis
make their own food or not.

What does the plant need for

photosynthesis?

Plants need carbon dioxide,

water, chlorophyll and
sunlight.

Photosynthesis is the process by which plants make their food

in the presence of light. Plants use chlorophyll, sunlight, water
and carbon dioxide to make food. Oxygen is released as a
waste product of photosynthesis. During photosynthesis, light
energy from the Sun is converted to chemical energy as food.

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Factors necessary for photosynthesis
The factors required for photosynthesis are: Do Activity 2.3

Sunlight: Plants use energy

from the Sun to make sugar from
water and carbon dioxide.

Chlorophyll: Chlorophyll is the

green pigment that plants use
to capture light energy from the
Sun.

Carbon dioxide: Plants absorb

or take in carbon dioxide from
the air.

Green-coloured pigment in leaves help to absorb

sunlight energy

Water: The roots of a plant absorb water and minerals from

the soil.

Disorders in plants may occur either due to lack of minerals

such as nitrates and phosphates or due to infections from
microorganisms.

Did You Know ?

Evergreen trees are
shaped like pyramids.
Their pyramidal shape
allows all their branches
to receive more sunlight,
the upper branches do
not shade the bottom
branches.

Roots take up water

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 2.4: Microorganisms

You will learn Microorganisms

Microorganisms are very tiny living things. They are so small
Microorganisms that they can be seen only using a microscope.
around us
Microorganisms are all around us, in the air, in our bodies and
Ways to avoid
in water. Some microorganisms are useful to us, while others
spreading of germs
are harmful. There are three types of microorganisms. They
are viruses, bacteria and fungi.

Virus
Viruses are the smallest of the microbes and are generally harmful to
humans. Viruses cannot survive by themselves. They need a ‘host’ cell
(e.g., humans) to survive and reproduce. Some examples of diseases
caused by viruses are chicken pox, measles, mumps etc.

Fungi
Fungi can be single-celled or multicellular. It can be both beneficial and
harmful to humans. Some examples of diseases caused by fungi are
athletes foot, candidiasis (thrush) etc.

Bacteria
Bacteria are single-celled organisms. Some produce
substances (toxins) that are extremely harmful to
humans and cause diseases while others are harmless.
Some examples of diseases caused by bacteria are
tuberculosis, whooping cough etc.

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Spreading of germs
Microorganisms that cause diseases are often called germs.
Did You Know ?
Germs can be passed from person to person either by direct Germs affecting the lungs
contact or by indirect contact. Some germs rely on other are airborne, while those
affecting the digestive
animals such as mosquitoes and fleas to get transmitted.
system are transmitted
These carriers are known as vectors. Germs can also get
through food and water.
transferred through food and water.

Ways to prevent spreading of germs

Spreading harmful microorganisms can be avoided by:

• Washing your hands before eating, after preparing food

and after using the toilet.

• Covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze.

• Keeping away from other people if you have an illness that

Washing your hands prevent spread
can spread easily. of germs
• Avoiding food that is not fresh or has not been cooked
properly.

• Keeping uncooked meat separate from other food in the Explore

fridge.
We take in medicines when
our body systems do not work
properly. How do you think
the medicines help? Have a
discussion with classmates.

Living a healthy life

Maintains a healthy
life style and personal
hygiene.

Cover your mouth when you cough

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 Science and Islam

The lego of life

We find living things of different sizes. Some animals and plants are very big while others are small. Can you think
of a very small animal or a plant and a very big animal or a plant?

We have studied that there are living things that consist of only a single cell, yet they demonstrate all the
characteristics of life.

Did you know that approximately 50 to 70 billion cells in our body die each day? Those that die in the largest
numbers are skin cells and blood cells.

Scientists have found that cells are the smallest part of the organism that retains characteristics of life. For
example, a cell can take in nutrients, convert it to energy, eliminate wastes and reproduce just like any other
organism.

Living things undergo stages of development starting from a single cell. Cells divide to form tissues, tissues form
organs and organs form systems. In Quran, it is stated,

‘Created man from a clinging substance’ [Surah Al- Alaq:2].

Human development starts from two cells joining together forming a clot of blood, cells form the tissues and the
organs. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) highlighted this knowledge at a time when there were no technological
advancements such as microscopes or any other instruments which could have been used to study the
development of embryo.

Scientists have identified that cell specialisation occurs in multicellular organisms, which is a process of
development of a complex single cell to trillions of specialised cells.

Scientists agree that the stage-by-stage progress of a single cell into highly specialised cells was more likely to
be stalled or reversed if the journey had lacked a pre-designed map. As scientists study cells more and more,
they have come to know that there is a delicate order in the cells. It shows that the existence of a single cell is
only possible through the power of Allah (SWT). He has created all the creatures that we see around us in perfect
design.

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Self-check
Living things are composed of cells, which make up tissues and organs.

The microscope is a useful device to study microorganisms.

The organs and systems of plants include roots, stem, leaves and flowers.

The green plants use sunlight, water and carbon dioxide to make their own food through
a process called photosynthesis.

Bacteria, virus and fungi that cause diseases are called germs.

Transmission of germs should be prevented to avoid diseases.

Activity

Unit 2.1: Basic unit of life

Activity 2.1: Observing cells

Materials required:

Prepared slides of onion cells and cheek cells.

Procedure:

• Observe each cell under different magnifications.

• Make a sketch of your observations of both cells.

Magnification of objective Plant cell observation Animal cell observation

4X

10X

40X

• Discuss your observations.

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 Unit 2.2: Specialisation in animals and plants

Activity 2.2: Measuring the pulse rate

Procedure:

(For demonstrations only)

• In pairs, students find their resting heart rate by locating their pulse and counting the number of
beats for 1 minute (take the pulse for 3 times). Record the resting heart rate.

• Predict how their heart rate will change after physical activity and record predicted exercise heart
rate.

• Carry out a physical activity for 1 minute. Record the pulse just after the physical activity.

• Rest for 1 minute and repeat the physical activity and record the pulse (repeat this once more).
Create a simple bar graph to communicate the results and write a conclusion.

What happens to the pulse rate after physical activity?

Did you observe any changes in the breathing rate?

Why do you think breathing rate changes?

How did your body temperature change?

Why might your heart rate and body temperature change? Explain differences between the heart rates
of you and your partner?

Unit 2.3: Photosynthesis

Activity 2.3: Light is necessary for photosynthesis

Materials required:

• Healthy potted plant

• Petri dish

• Beaker containing water

• Forceps

• Water bath

• Piece of wire gauze

• Tripod

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• Burner

• Box of matches

• Alcohol

• Strip of black paper

• Iodine solution and clips

Procedure (For demonstrations only):

• Keep the potted plant in a dark place for 2-3 days so that starch is removed from the leaves.

• Cover a part of one of its leaves with a strip of black paper. Make sure that you cover both sides of
the leaf.

• Place this plant with the covered leaf in sunlight for 3-4 hours.

• Pluck the selected covered leaf and remove the black paper covering it.

• Place this leaf in the beaker containing water and boil it for about 10 minutes.

• Take out the leaf and now boil it in alcohol, using a water bath, for few minutes. This removes the
chlorophyll.

• Take out the leaf and wash it under running water.

• Place this leaf in the petri dish and put a few drops of iodine solution on it. Now observe the change
in colour.
Starch-free
leaf Black paper Alcohol
Does not turn
blue-black

Water
Blue-black

Burner

lodine solution

What happens to the entire leaf when it is treated with iodine solution?

Did the covered portion of the leaf show anything strange? Why did it happen?

What can you conclude from this experiment?

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 3
Adaptation

Overview

Living things grow and thrive in different

environments. In order to survive in particular
environments, species of plants and animals have
to adapt to the conditions of the environment in
which they live. ‘Adaptation’ is a term used to
describe the ways in which organisms change over
time in response to the changing demands of their
environment. Plants and animals develop both
behavioural and structural adaptations to survive in
the environments in which they live.

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 Units

3.1: Adaptation in Plants

3.2: Adaptation in Animals

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 3.1: Adaptation in Plants

Adaptations in plants
You will learn
Adaptations are special features in plants and animals which
Structural and help them to survive in the habitats they live in.
behavioural Plants in a specific environment develop special features
adaptations in plants which help them to live and grow in that particular habitat.
Adaptations of plant
Plants that grow in the coastal areas have thick shiny leaves
roots
to protect themselves from water loss, exposure to sunlight
and salt spray. Plants near the shores have hairs on leaves
to avoid heat stress. They have stiff stems, which enable the
plants to tolerate abrasion by salt and strong winds.

Coastal plants have fibrous roots that tangle together and

prevent beach erosion.

Mangroves
Mangroves are found in the subtropical and tropical parts of
the world, especially in muddy areas which are protected from
the waves.

Mangrove areas have a high temperature and a high salt

concentration in the soil and water. They are subjected to
periodical flooding from tides. Mangrove plants have glands
on their leaves to shed off salts.

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They have aerial roots that help in absorbing oxygen from
the atmosphere. Some trees have prop roots and they take
in air through holes in their bark, while other mangroves have
Did You Know ?
Some plants have woolly
pneumatophores (snorkel or peg type root-like structures) that
seed covers to protect
stick up out of the soil to absorb oxygen. them from wind.

Deserts
The desert is characterised by a very hot and dry weather,
with a scarcity of water. Desert plants
either do not have leaves or have very
small ones to reduce water loss from
the leaf surface. Their stems and leaves
have waxy coating and spines to keep
away animals from eating them. These
plants have very long tap roots which
goes deep inside the soil to search for
water sources. For example, cacti have
succulent roots that store water.

Rainforests
Rainforests have plenty of rainfall and a thick vegetation
cover. The trees growing here are very tall. Some plants like
mosses and lichens grow on these tall plants to receive
sunlight. The roots of rainforest plants are shallow so
that they can obtain nutrients from topsoil.

They also have massive buttress roots to give

tall trees extra stability in the shallow soils.

Leaves are often arranged at different

angles so that a plant avoids shading its
own leaves: important in rainforests where
competition for light is intense.
Do Activity 3.1

Explore
Using technology and the media
Explore different seasonal
Use appropriate tools and technology resources to
adaptations in plants.
complete tasks and solve problems.

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 3.2: Adaptation in Animals

Adaptations in animals
You will learn
Animals living in different places have special features which
Adaptation in animals help them to survive in these kinds of places. These special
features in animals that help them to survive in their habitats
are called adaptations. An adaptation can either be structural
or behavioural.

Structural adaptations in animals

Dolphins have a blowhole on the top surface of its head which helps
them to breathe. They have blubber to keep them warm beneath their
skin. Their body is streamlined to allow it to move more efficiently
through water.

Most aquatic animals such as fish have gills.

Other aquatic animals like crabs have gill
chambers to breathe.

Camouflage is an adaptation in which an animal blends with

some aspect of the environment. This helps the animals to hide
from their predators and increase their chances of survival.
Stone flounder, stick insect and soft shell crab can camouflage.

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Behavioural adaptation in animals
Migration is the process of travelling a distance to find food, a
more favourable living and breeding conditions. For example,
many lesser noddies are seen in our islands during the
northeast monsoon season. Other migratory animals include:

• Atlantic salmons migrate downstream into the ocean and

travel back upstream to the river to lay eggs.
Lasser Noddies are found in our
• Many female crabs move to shallow waters to mate and islands during northeast monsoon
lay eggs and then move again to the deeper oceans.

• Some sea turtles return to the same sandy beaches year

after year to lay eggs.
Did You Know ?
The Irrawady dolphin is
Hibernation adapted to human influence.
Hibernation is a state of These dolphins drive schools
of fish to the fishermen’s net
inactivity or dormancy in
and pick up their own fishes
animals. For example, the
for food on the way.
queen bumblebee hibernates A sea turtle laying eggs

underground throughout the winter and builds a new nest for

the upcoming summer.
Explore
Taiga is often covered by
snow with long winters. Find
out how living beings are
adapted to survive in this
particular environment.

Do Activity 3.2

A hibernating queen bumble bee

Aestivation
Aestivation occurs in a place of high temperatures and arid
conditions, especially during the summer season. Both
Turtles aestivate during hot, dry
terrestrial and aquatic animals undergo aestivation. season

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 Science and Islam

Well suited: Adaptations

Animals live in a variety of unique environments. To survive in many of these environments, animals have adapted
both physically and behaviourally.

When we look at an animal, we usually see some of the adaptations like the type of food it would be able to eat,
how it moves or how it protects itself from danger. Can you think of examples of animal adaptations relating to the
aspects of feeding, movement and protection?

Different animals have different ways of surviving; their adaptations are matched with their way of surviving as it is
revealed in the Quran,

‘Our Lord is He who gave each thing its form and then guided [it]’ [ Surah Ţāhā:50].

Allah (SWT) has designed all animals to fit perfectly in their environment for sustenance of their species. Animals
have been provided with special physiological features and skills for survival in their abode on land, in water or
in air.

Some animals are adapted to obtain speed. Animals like rabbits, deer and cheetah are built to run at a very fast
speed while others are adapted to blend in with the environment. Camouflage or protective body colouring is
a phenomenon where the colour of the animal blends in with its surroundings. Camouflaged animals match so
much with their environment that it is very hard to detect them. Example, uroplatus geckos, owls, stick insect etc.

Many aquatic animals have webbed feet as swimming is a must for them. As for fishes, they have streamlined
body and have developed modified limbs and swim bladders.

When we look into animals that can fly, they have adaptations specialised for flight like wings, flight muscled,
streamlined body and hollow bones for light weight. Migratory birds like ducks and herons have pointed wings
which is adapted for flying long distance.

When we think and reflect on the way we have been created we can see the perfection of Allah’s (SWT)
creations.

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Self-check
Plants and animals have adaptations to live and survive in their habitat.

Adaptations can be structural or behavioural.

Activity

Unit 3.1: Adaptation in plants

Activity 3.1: Study plant adaptations

Select a mangrove or a beach area. Observe and identify the structural adaptations of the plants found
in the area.

Unit 3.2: Adaptation in animals

Activity 3.2: Study animal adaptations

Research on animals from a selected habitat such as aquatic, desert and aerial. Identify the structural
and behavioural adaptations they show.

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 4
Habitat and Interactions

Overview

Living things interact with each other and the

environment in an ecosystem. Living things depend
on other living things and their environment for
survival. They depend on other living things for food,
shelter and protection. There are many habitats within
each ecosystem. A habitat is a place where plants
and animals normally live. Each habitat has a different
mixture of species living there. All of the plant and
animal populations living in a habitat interact and form
a community. Human activities can cause changes in
the interactions within an ecosystem and it can have
various effects on ecosystems and habitats.

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 Units

4.1: Plants and Animals Respond to Their Environment

4.2: Food Chains
4.3: Human Impact on Habitats

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 4.1: Plants and Animals Respond to Their
Environment

Living things respond to their environment

You will learn
Plants respond to environmental and climatic factors such as
Plants and animals light intensity, day length, gravity and temperature.
respond to their
Plants are able to detect and respond to light, changes in
environment
temperature, chemicals and even touch. Light influences how
Interactions within a
shoots grow. They bend towards it so that leaves will have the
habitat
maximum amount of light.
Predator-prey
relationship For example, sunflowers gradually turn towards the Sun. In
the morning, the flower heads all face east and by evening
they face west.

Shoots of plants are sensitive to light

Roots push down through

soil to obtain water. The
roots of the plants move
towards water.

Some plants respond to

touch. For example, ‘Ladhu
gas’ leaves fold inward and
droop when touched. Mimosa pudica (Ladhu gas)
shows sensitivity to touch
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Animals respond to environment
Explore
Animals respond to the environment to keep themselves in
Animals may or may not
favourable conditions. For example, animals move to a place
sense their predators.
with suitable temperature, move towards food and move away Discuss with your peers.
from danger for protection.

Many animals including birds migrate during winter to

warmer areas in search of food. For example, swallows and
blackbirds.

Some fish release their eggs and sperms during every new
moon period. For example, groupers.

Grouper Dragonfly Swallow

Dragonflies and Cattle

Egret migrate to
Maldives during non-
breeding season.

Corals spawn during

March/April and
Did You Know ?
Plants have specific
October/November in regulators called plant
the Maldives. Coral spawning hormones which help them
in environmental sensing.

Thinking critically and creatively

Critically analyse the observations made and make informed decision.

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 Interaction between plants and animals
Did You Know ? Animals and plants interact with each other, which make them
The predators limit the interdependent for various survival needs such as nutrition,
prey population, food and respiration, reproduction or other aspects of survival. Some
other things for living by
such examples include:
reducing the competitions
between the same
Animals help to disperse seeds
populations.
Animals consume a wide variety of fruits, and in doing so
disperse the seeds in their droppings.

Animals help in reproduction of plants

Some animals such as bees and other insects help in carrying
pollen grains.

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Animals feed on plants
Explore
Animals such as aphids, caterpillars, rabbits, deer and bison
What will happen if the
are some of the animals that directly feed on plants.
predators are reduced in
numbers or are available in
very few numbers?

Do Activity 4.1

Caterpillars are herbivores, which feed on only plant materials

Predator and prey

Predators are animals that capture and feed on other animals.
The animals that are captured by the predator are called prey,
for example, frogs feed on grasshoppers. Frog is the predator
and grasshopper is the prey.

Frog feeds on crickets

Large fish like sharks feed on small fishes Lizard feeds on ants

Using sustainable practices

Appreciate the interconnectedness of people and nature.

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 4.2: Food Chains

Sun – The primary source of energy

You will learn
Plants manufacture their own food. The process of making
Food chains food by the plants in the presence of sunlight is called
Feeding patterns of photosynthesis. Animals including human beings depend on
animals plants for food. Thus, the primary source of energy is the Sun.

Food chain
Food chain consists of a series of organisms that are
dependent on each other as a source of food. It is the series
of energy transfer from one organism to another. The energy
is used and converted to other forms.

Examples of food chains include:

Herbivores feeding on plants

Land ecosystems
Producer Primary consumer Secondary consumer

The primary consumers which feed on plants, secondary consumers feed on primary consumers

Aquatic ecosystems

Quaternary
Secondary Tertiary consumer consumer
Energy from Sun Producer Primary consumer
consumer

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Animals eat different
things
Animals are grouped according Did You Know ?
to their feeding habits. Several food chains
connected together is
Animals that feed only on
known as a food web. If
plants and plant materials are
we remove a key animal
called herbivores. Examples of that controls the food web,
herbivores include cow, goat, it affects the food chain.
rabbit, giraffe, insects etc.

Animals that feed only on other

animals are called carnivores.
Examples of carnivores include
frogs, snakes, cats, vultures,
tigers etc. Giraffe
The animals that eat both plant material and animals are
called omnivores, for example, humans.

Explore
Top predators in a food chain
are not eaten by any other
animal. What happens when
the top predators of a food
chain die.

Do Activity 4.2

Tiger is a carnivore Humans are omnivores

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 4.3: Human Impact on Habitats

Impact on habitats
You will learn
Human activities contribute to habitat loss and loss of
Human impact on species. Activities such as land reclamation, dredging,
natural habitats deforestation, conversion of landscape, pollution, overgrazing
Conservation of natural and industrialisation are some of the human activities leading
habitats to destruction of habitats.

Did You Know ?

Mining corals reduces
coastline protection
against normal tide and
wave-induced erosion. Dredging

Deforestation
Deforestation involves cutting down of trees at a rate that
cannot be made equal with the trees being grown. Removal of
forest cover results in the forest animals to lose their habitats.
These animals get their food and shelter from forests. Cutting
of trees makes these animals more prone to attack and death.

Deforestation

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Pollution
Pollution of the air due to discharge of harmful gases from
vehicles and factories have caused death of many birds since
the toxic substances in the air cause choking of the birds.

Dumping rubbish on the reefs and into sea can harm marine
organisms. Turtles, fish, birds, dolphins, seals and other Pollution
marine populations are affected due to such activities.

Land reclamation and dredging

Land reclamation leads to destruction of habitats of many
important species of plants and animals. Construction of
breakwater walls and harbours pose threats to several marine
and coastal organisms.

Conservation of population and habitats

Reef pollution
Many plants and animals have become extinct or threatened
because their habitats have been destroyed or changed.
Some of the ways to protect habitats and the organisms living
in them are:

• plant more trees and reduce deforestation,

• use biodegradable (organic) fertilisers and pesticides,

Breakwater wall
• adopt proper waste management practices,

• reduce damage from land reclamation and dredging.

Do Activity 4.3

Explore
Find out some of the
endangered species in
Maldives and identify the
reasons why they are
threatened.
Leatherback turtle is an endangered Blue whales are threatened due to
species the loss of habitats

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 Science and Islam

The place to be:

Have you ever wondered why different animals move in different ways? Some walk on two legs, others on four
while some slithers. Animals like rabbits, kangaroos and frogs hop and jump, ducks waddle, birds use their wings
to fly in the air and fish swim in water using their fins.

Movement is vital for survival of living things. They move in search of food, water and shelter.

When we look into how different animals move, we can see how these animals are adapted. One of the unique
example of movement is seen in desert-dwelling snakes.

A desert-dwelling snake can move swiftly on the sand by contracting its chest muscles by degrees, it moves its
body in an ‘s’ form. At the beginning of the movement, it twists its body, lifts its head and keeps it poised in the
air. As the contraction, which drives the movement, proceeds to the tail, the head moves forward and touches the
Earth. Throughout this movement, only two parts of the snake touch the sand. With this form of movement, the
snake’s body is protected from being scorched by making minimum contact with the extremely hot burning sand.
In Quran, it is stated,

‘Allah has created every [living] creature from water. And of them are those that move on their bellies and
of them are those that walk on two legs, and of them are those that walk on four. Allah creates what He
wills. Indeed, Allah is over all things competent’ [Surah An-Nūr:45].

When we study the animals and their habitats we are able to see how most of the animals are adapted to its
environment.

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Self-check
Plants respond to stimuli like temperature, light and water.

Food chain is an interrelationship amongst organisms where one depends upon the other
for food. Animals that feed on plants are called herbivores. Animals that feed on animals
are called carnivores. Animals that feed on both plants and animals are called omnivores.

Human activities like cutting down trees and building roads and infrastructure have
resulted in habitat loss and death of many plants and animals.

Organisms that do not exist any more are called extinct and ones which are seriously
near extinction are called endangered species.

Activity

Unit 4.1: Plants and animals respond to their environment

Activity 4.1: Measuring populations

Select an area to study different organisms (animals and plants) found in your surroundings. Use a
quadrat to measure animal and plant populations. Record your observations in a table. Draw a pie chart
using the data.

Unit 4.2: Food chain

Activity 4.2: Identify food chains from different habitats

Identify food chains from different habitats. Draw at least five food chains.

Unit 4.3: Human impact on habitats

Activity 4.3: Study protected organisms

Identify at least 10 organisms protected in the Maldives (both from the marine and terrestrial
environment) and make a poster describing and explaining why these organisms are protected and
how to take care of them.

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 5
Growth and
Development

Overview

The food we consume has nutritional value. Every portion

of any food item has a specific energy value. While buying
foodstuff from market, we should check the nutrition labels
so that we know what we are eating. We should emphasise
on having more of freshly obtained food materials rather
than processed and packaged food items. Proper nutrition is
essential for growth and development of our body. Several
body changes occur during puberty where the body shows a
good rate of growth.

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 Units

5.1: Healthy Food Choices

5.2: Reproduction and Change

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 5.1: Healthy Food Choices

Food choices
You will learn
Food is a basic requirement of life. It is important to consume
Healthy food choices food in the right proportion from major food groups.
Reading and Portion is the amount of carbohydrates, proteins and other
understanding food nutrients served for one person based on the age and stage
labels of development.
Advantages and
Understanding the serving size of food in relation to age and
disadvantages of
developmental stage is called portion control. It also tells
processed food/
us how much energy a serving contains. Portion control is
beverage
important for managing body weight.

In addition to having a proper diet, we need to be active,

take enough rest, sleep well and drink plenty of water to stay
healthy.
Do Activity 5.1

Did You Know ?

A chicken and cheese
sandwich can provide a
four year old with more
than one and a half times
the amount of salt he/she
needs daily.

A food pyramid can be used as a guide for a balanced diet

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Food labels Explore
Food labels inform consumers about the nutritional value of
Find out how you could use
foods. This helps them make healthier food choices while the information on food labels
buying food items. A typical food label has some information to campaign for healthy food
such as serving size, servings per container, amount of choices.
calories, vitamins and minerals. Do Activity 5.2

Processed food
Processed foods are those which are packaged in boxes,
cans or bags. Examples of processed food include canned
fish, frozen chicken, sausages, flavoured nuts etc.

Processed foods

Are processed foods good or bad?

Processed foods are good and bad at

the same time.

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 Advantages of processed foods

Reduces spoilage of foodstuff

They are preserved
in cans, bottles and
jars that are airtight.
Thus, bacteria present
in the environment
cannot reach the food
and hence reduce the
chance of spoilage. Processed food in cans and jars

Easily available
Processed foods are easy to get since they are available
throughout the year in any season. Due to their packaging,
they can be transported to long distances in good condition.

Natural foods and their importance

The right food choices benefit overall health. Natural foods
retain maximum nutrients, vitamins and minerals.
Did You Know ? Fruits have high water and fibre content. Eating fruits on a
Exercising regularly is one daily basis helps in adding more water to our diet, prevents
of the easiest and most
effective way to improve
concentration, motivation,
memory and mood.
Physical activity also helps
to focus and increase
attention span.

Natural food
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abdominal cramps or constipation, reduces cholesterol levels
and stimulates memory.
Explore
Discuss and find out
the advantages and
disadvantages of processed
foods.

Fruits

Vegetables are naturally low in fats and calories. They have

all the essential vitamins and minerals. Vegetables help
to maintain a healthy blood pressure, reduce risk of heart
diseases, keep teeth, eyes and skin healthy and protects from
infections.

Fresh vegetables

Eating whole grains reduce the risk of heart diseases,

diabetes and obesity. They make us feel lighter and healthier
and give us lots of energy.

Living a healthy life

Identify factors that affect our health and ways to

maintain a healthy life style.

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 5.2: Reproduction and Change

You will learn Reproduction and change

Reproduction is the process by which new organisms are
Body changes during produced. A living organism reproduce to contribute to the
puberty continuity of their species, and to ensure that they are not
Factors affecting extinct. Reproduction also ensures that the characteristics
growth and of the parents are passed on to future generations, ensuring
development continuity.

Growth and development takes place in an orderly sequence

Development refers to change or growth that occurs in a child

from birth to adolescence. This change occurs in an orderly
sequence. These changes take place in predictable pattern.
However, the rate or timing of the changes vary from person
to person.

Puberty and body changes

Puberty is a sequence of events in which physical changes
occur, resulting in adult physical characteristics and capacity
to reproduce. Some of the changes that take place during
puberty are:

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 Did You Know ?
Puberty occurs between
the ages of about 10 and
14 in girls and between 12
and 15 in boys.

Many changes occur during puberty

• Increase in body weight in girls and boys.

• Body hair grows in both males and females.
Do Activity 5.3
• Acne and pimples occur in both males and females.
• Hips and thighs become wider in girls.
• Shoulder of boys get wider and muscles become stronger.
• The voice of males get cracked and deepens.
• Menstruation occurs in females.
• Facial hair growth occurs in males.

Factors affecting growth

Growth and development largely depend upon proper
nutrition. A sufficient supply of all the essential nutrients
including carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and
minerals are required for proper growth at different stages of
development.

Regular exercise is necessary to build up stronger muscles

and bones. Similarly, a safe and secure environment is
required for a healthy growth.

Why don’t all the 10-year-old

boys have the same height?
Explore
At the same age, everyone does not
grow equally. Identify some of the proper
hygiene practices that are
practised during puberty.

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 Science and Islam

We grow and change

We notice many changes as we grow. We are able to do a variety of activities that we are not able to do as a
child. Think of how we age and change over time.

We are born as infants. We grow and reach young age and then we gradually grow and become old. If we think
about the development in ourselves, we can see that it all takes place in stages.

When we look into the life cycle of other living things, we can see the same pattern being followed, which includes
being born, developing into an adult, reproducing and eventually dying.

Human life (growth and development) has been categorised in the Qur’an into two broad phases: The prenatal
(before birth) and the postnatal (after birth). These phases have been further divided into stages, within the life
span of a person. It is stated in Quran,

‘You shall surely travel from stage to stage’ [Surah Al-’Inshiqāq:19].

This verse has been interpreted to mean that human shall grow from one condition to the other such that s/he
becomes a toddler after being an infant and old after being young and strong. The verse tells us in general terms
that human’s growth and development definitely follow certain stages.

The findings of scientific research over the years have found that development of the organism is essentially
under the control of biological systems (body systems) and the environment plays a supportive role in the process
of maturation. In simple words, it means that a child progresses through a series of stages that recount the
developmental sequence that is seen in all the living things.

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Self-check
Balanced diet and and regular exercise are vital for healthy growth and development.

Natural foods are healthier compared to processed foods.

Food labels give an idea about the nutrient value of a food item.

Puberty is the time when a lot of changes occur in both males and females.

Sufficient supply of all the essential nutrients, regular exercise, rest and a safe and
secure environment is required for healthy growth and development of a child.

Everyone does not grow at the same rate.

Activity

Unit 5.1: Healthy food choices

Activity 5.1: Research activity on food servings

Carry out a research on the food portions (different food groups) needed for a teenage girl/boy.

Activity 5.2: Compare food labels

Collect food labels of processed food products. Study the food labels and identify the

• main food groups present,

• amount of calories present,

• vitamins and minerals present.

Unit 5.2: Reproduction and change

Activity 5.3: Measuring height

• Make groups of 10 and measure the height of all the students in the group.

• Record it in a data table.

• Represent the data in a line graph

Write a conclusion on the rate of the growth of students in the group.

Can you identify some of the factors that might have affected the height of students in your group.

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 6
Our Earth

Overview

The surface of the Earth is made up of water and

land. About 70 percent of Earth’s surface is covered
with water, which gives the planet the deep blue
appearance. Oceans, lakes, rivers and other water
bodies make up a part of the Earth called the
hydrosphere. About 30 percent of the Earth’s surface
is land, including continents and islands. The part
that makes up the land is called the lithosphere, the
Earth’s crust.
The different physical features on the Earth’s crust
makes up the landforms. The landforms came
into existence due to natural processes such as
weathering and erosion. Natural events and disasters
such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions also lead
to the formation of various shapes of the land. Some
landforms like islands have also been created by the
action of tiny organisms called polyps.
The surface of the Earth is constantly changing as a
result of these natural processes.

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 Units

6.1: Major Landforms

6.2: Reefs and Lagoons
6.3: Weathering and Erosion
6.4: Fossil Formation

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 6.1: Major Landforms

Landforms of the Earth

You will learn
A landform is a feature on the Earth’s surface that is part of
Earth’s major plates the terrain. Mountains, hills, plateaus and plains are the four
Creations of landforms major types of landforms.

Earth’s major plates

The crust of the Earth and the upper mantle is called the
lithosphere. It is not a solid shell. The lithosphere can also be
broken up into many pieces just like a jigsaw puzzle.

These giant pieces are called plates.The seven major plates

are African plate, Antarctic plate, Eurasian plate, Indo-
Did You Know ? Australian plate, North American plate, Pacific plate and
South American plate.
Scientists believe that the
Earth is about 4.5 billion Plates are of different shapes and sizes. The point where two
years old! plates meet is called a plate boundary.

Do Activities 6.1 & 6.2

Eurasia
North
Plate
America
Plate
Africa
Plate
South
America Australia
Pacific Plate
Plate Plate

Antarctic Plate

Major tectonic plates

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Movement of plates Explore
The Earth’s plates are not stagnant but move in different
Find out how Earth’s surface
directions.The plates can collide, pull apart or scrape against has changed as a result of
each other. Movement of these plates and the activity inside plate tectonics.
the Earth is called plate tectonics.

The different plates push towards each other or collide

vigorously. Such vigorous collision often leads to earthquakes.
This pushing or colliding of different plates also give rise to
various landforms. For example, when two plates collide, they
form hills or mountains such as the Himalayas.

This process happens over a long period of time, sometimes

it takes millions of years.

Plate movements

Thinking critically and creatively

Understands the importance of being cautious when taking certain actions.

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 6.2: Reefs and Lagoons

You will learn Coral islands

Coral islands are sometimes formed as a result of coral
Basic features of action. Coral reefs are made up of tiny animals called ‘polyps’
reefs and lagoons that live in the sea. They protect their soft bodies by building
Importance of coral hard external skeletons of calcium carbonate. This material,
reefs and threats to also known as limestone, is similar to the shells of sea
coral reefs creatures like clams and mussels.
Do you know what are islands?

An island is a body of land completely

surrounded by water.

Corals filter seawater for its food and leaves behind limestone
shell when it dies.

As these coral colonies grow, they form reefs. The sand from
the sea and land accumulates on the reef and form an island.
Such islands are called coral islands. These are low islands
Polyps that make coral reefs formed in warm, clear waters.

Features of reefs and corals

Most reef scientists generally recognise three major types of
coral reefs. They are fringing reefs, barrier reefs and atolls.

Coral Islands

Fringing reefs along shorelines of continents and islands. There is no

lagoon between the reef and shore. Commonly found in Hawaii Islands

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Barrier reefs grow parallel to shoreline but further Atoll is a roughly circular or oval oceanic reef system
offshore than fringing reefs. They are usually surrounding a large and often deep central lagoon.
separated from the land by a deep lagoon. They occur They begin as fringe reefs surrounding a volcanic
most often in tropical Atlantic and Pacific Oceans island. As the volcano slowly sinks into the sea, the
reef continues to grow. Finally, only the reef remains.
It surrounds a large and often deep central lagoon. It
is frequently found in Pacific and Indian Oceans
Importance of coral reefs
Coral reefs are some of the most diverse ecosystems in the
world. They are home to about 25% of all marine life. When
you look around the islands, you will notice a wide variety of
coral reefs.

They are important for a number of reasons. They

• protect sea shores from storms by absorbing wave energy.
• act as habitats for a large variety of organisms.
• provide food (fish) for many people living along coastlines.
Coral reef
• are a good sign of ocean water quality. Healthy reefs
means healthy water.
Explore
• are favourite tourist destinations, which boost our country’s
economy through tourism. Find out the types of threats
to coral reefs.
Threats to coral reefs
Despite their importance, coral reefs are facing numerous
local and global threats due to human activity such as
pollution (caused by dumping of waste) and climate change. Did You Know ?
It is the shared responsibility of all the nations to take steps The word ‘Atoll’ comes
towards prevention of climate change that is putting so many from the Dhivehi word
atholhu, meaning an
island nations at risk. Each of us as a citizen of Maldives
administrative subdivision.
should do our best to keep our islands clean and fulfil our
responsibility to protect it from pollution.

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 6.3: Weathering and Erosion

Weathering and erosion

You will learn

Weathering and Do you know how

erosion sand is formed?
Ways to reduce erosion
Yes, sands are formed as a result of
weathering and erosion of rocks.

Weathering is a process by which the rocks are broken down

mechanically or chemically. Erosion transports the fragments
away.

Erosion does not involve the settling and accumulation of

particles in a new location. The process by which particles
accumulate in a new location is called deposition.

Weathered rock and sediments

Weathering agents
The following are the various weathering agents:

• Water

• Chemicals

• Temperature

Explore • Wind

Beach erosion is a common • Plants

problem in Maldives. Visit a There are many different processes that cause weathering.
beach area that has changed Weathering can be classified into two main types.
recently as a result of
erosion and try to find ways
Mechanical or physical weathering
how beach erosion can be
controlled. Mechanical weathering causes rocks to disintegrate. This
means that the rocks are broken down into smaller pieces,
but the chemical composition of the rocks remains the same.

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 Mechanical weathering

The small pieces are exactly the same as the original rock.

Physical weathering is caused by physical changes such as Did You Know ?

changes in temperature, freezing and thawing and the effects Humans can increase
of wind, rain and waves. erosion through poor
farming practices or bringing
changes to landscapes.
Chemical weathering
Chemical weathering causes rocks to decompose. This
means the composition of the rocks is changed because
of chemical reactions that have occurred. New chemical
compounds are formed in this process. Chemical weathering Do Activity 6.3
usually needs water from rainfall and warm temperatures.

Chemical weathering
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 6.4: Fossil Formation

Fossils
You will learn
Fossils are the remains of living things that are transformed
Fossils and types of into stone-like formation under different layers of rocks over
fossils millions of years. Fossils play an important role in helping to
Fossil formation reconstruct the history of life on Earth.

Process of fossil formation

Most fossils are found in sedimentary rocks. The fossils are
formed when living things die and get buried by sediments
before the hard parts of the animal have a chance to decay.
As sediments accumulate, pressure causes the sediments
to harden into rock. Sand sediments become sandstone,
clay sediments become shale and shell sediments become
limestone.

There are two major requirements for an organism to be

Fossil of dinosaur
preserved as a fossil.

It must possess hard parts: Hard parts, such as shells,

bones, teeth and stems or tree trunks, decompose slowly, so
they are more likely to be preserved as fossil evidence. An
organism, such as a jellyfish or mushroom, that has no hard
parts rarely leaves fossil evidence behind.

Stem of a tree Jellyfish

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It must undergo rapid burial in a protective medium: The
organism or trace of the organism must be preserved before it
decomposes or disappears.
Did You Know ?
In the movie Jurassic
Park, scientists used
Different types of fossils dinosaur DNA from the
stomachs of mosquitoes
There are lots of different types of fossils to be found. When
trapped in amber.
most people think of fossils they think of dinosaur skeletons
and large bones, but there are many different types of fossils.
Palaeontologists, people who study fossils, divide them into
two major types: body fossils and trace fossils.

The first type, body fossils, is the fossilised remains, such as

bones, shells and leaves, of an animal or plant. These fossils
can be found as mould and cast.

Body fossils show us what a plant or animal looked like

The second type of fossil records the activity of an animal and

is known as trace fossils. These include footprints, track ways,
and coprolites (fossil poo).

Footprints and coprolites are trace fossils. They show us how

an animal lived.

Explore
Discuss and find out about
‘petrified fossils’.

Trace fossils

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 Science and Islam

Plate tectonics – A process, essential for life on Earth!

Have you ever thought about plate tectonics in a different way? What would Earth be like without plate tectonics?

Plate tectonics explains nearly all of the Earth’s major surface features and activities. These include faults and
earthquakes, volcanoes and volcanism.

We know that the Earth’s past internal movements of the tectonic plates under our feet make our planet one of a
kind and the trapped carbon dioxide makes our planet habitable. Some such examples include:

• Plate tectonics appears to act as a global thermostat by exposing more carbonates at the sea’s edge and
contributing carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.

• Continents provide the greatest diversity of life, it can be argued that the role of plate tectonics in building
continents is a favourable one for life on the Earth.

In Quran it is stated,

‘You see the mountains you reckoned to be solid going past like clouds’ [Surah An-Naml 27:88].

It refers to the motion of mountains, which is caused by the movement of the Earth’s crust that they are located
on. The Earth’s crust ‘floats’ over the mantle layer, which is denser. It was at the beginning of the 20th century
when, for the first time in history, a German scientist by the name of Alfred Wegener proposed that the continents
of the Earth had been attached together when it first formed, but then drifted in different directions, and thus
separated as they moved away from each other.

According to the theory of plate tectonics that became widely accepted only in the 1960s, the Earth’s surface is
composed of tectonic plates that move slowly in three different ways, either in opposite parallel, approaching each
other (converge) or moving away from each other (diverge).

How do we back up these ideas? Scientists have travelled all over the Earth and found evidence that supports the
ideas of plate tectonics.

Scientists also looked at the fossils (long-dead animal bones and plants) on the different continents. They found
that fossils found in Australia were similar to the ones in Southern Asia. They are too similar to be a coincidence.

As we are trying to untangle the mysteries of nature, we also realise the Quranic miracles and how marvelous it
is. Isn’t it?

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Self-check

Landforms are the different physical features on the surface of the Earth.

Lithosphere can be broken up into many pieces. These giant pieces are called plates.

Earth’s plates move in different directions.This results in volcanic eruptions, earthquakes

and also in the formation of new landforms.

Coral reefs are made of tiny animals called polyps.

There are three main types of coral reefs – fringing reef, barrier reef and atolls.

Weathering and erosion are slow processes that can change the surface of the Earth.

Weathering is the process by which rocks are broken into sediments, whereas erosion
is the process that moves those pieces of rock or soil to a new location.
Fossils are the remains of living things that have got transformed into stones over
millions of years.

Activity

Unit 6.1: Major landforms

Activity 6.1: Layers of the Earth

Materials required:

Four different colours of clay, toothpicks, small sticky labels and knife

Procedure:

• Select different colour clay for each layer of the Earth.

• Make a small clay ball to represent the inner core.

• Cover the clay core in another colour of clay to represent the outer core.

• Continue the process to make the rest of the layers of the Earth.

• Use sharp knife to cut the model into half.

• Make small labels with toothpick and stick labels on different layers to label them.

• Compare and contrast and list some major differences between the model and the layers of the
Earth.

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 Activity 6.2: Plate puzzle

A map of the Earth is turned into puzzle pieces to investigate tectonic plates.

Europe-Asia

India
North
America
Africa
Australia

South
America Antarctica

Materials required:

Cardboard pieces of the puzzle, scissor and glue.

Procedure:

• Take the cut outs of different pieces and stick them on a cardboard sheet.

• Cut the cardboard sheet exactly like the piece.

• Draw a circle in the blank sheet provided to represent the globe. Now try and arrange the cardboard
pieces as they appear on the world map in that circle.

Note down your conclusion from this activity.

Eurasian
Plate
North America
San Francisco
Los Angeles
Plate Pacific
Arabian Plate
Plate Indian Philippine
Pacific
Caribbean Plate
Cocos
plate African Plate Plate
Plate Plate
Nazca South
Plate American Australian
Plate Plate

Scotia Plate

Antarctic Plate

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Unit 6.3: Weathering and Erosion

Activity 6.3: Investigating weathering

Materials required per group:

Three clear plastic cups, vinegar, water, 3 equal size pieces of chalk, masking tape, marker or pen,
magnifying glass, paper towels, observation sheet, paper (e.g., newsprint) to cover desktops, safety
goggles.

Procedure:

• Use your masking tape and pen to label the three cups: Chalk + Vinegar, Chalk + Water, Chalk +
Small stones.

• Put a chalk piece into cup with small pieces of stones and shake it for two minutes.

• Pour about 2 tablespoons of vinegar into the Vinegar cup.

• Pour 2 tablespoons of water in the water cup.

• Add the pieces of chalks to the cups and keep them for two minutes.

• Slowly pour out vinegar and water from the cups.

What did you observe? Record your observations in the following format.

Observations

Observations

Chalk in water

Chalk after shaking for 2 minutes

with stones

Chalk in vinegar

Chalk after removing from vinegar

Which cup or cups represented physical weathering? Which cup or cups represented chemical
weathering?

Was weathering more evident in one cup than the other? Compare and contrast the chalk in the cups.

What are the steps taken to make it a fair experiment?

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 7
Weather and Climate

Overview

Weather and climate affects our lives in different

ways. Knowledge of how weather forms,
understanding weather forecasts and an awareness
of how to prepare for severe weather are essential
to sustain life. Weather is the current atmospheric
condition, including temperature, rainfall, wind and
humidity at any given place. Climate is the sum
of all statistical weather information that helps
describe the climate of a place or region. Changes
in climate may result in loss of habitat, loss of native
plants, change in migration patterns, shifts in food
availability for humans and wildlife. Climate change
may even lead to extinction of certain organisms.

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 Units

7.1: Weather and Climate

7.2: Effects of Climate Change

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 7.1: Weather and Climate

Weather
You will learn
Weather is a specific event or condition that happens over
Difference between a period of hours or days at a particular place and time.
weather and climate It is a result of the complex interaction amongst different
atmospheric conditions including:

• temperature

• rainfall

• wind

• cloud cover

• humidity

• air pressure

Weather is what is happening right now or likely to happen

tomorrow or in the very near future. Do Activity 7.1

Storm clouds form from combinations of changes in pressure,

temperature, wind and moisture

Changes in weather are observed in the atmosphere. Sun is

responsible for all the changes in the weather because it is
the primary source of energy.

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The weather at any place is determined by the following:
Explore
• the energy absorbed and reflected by the Earth’s surface,
Talk to elders in the
• the oceans, community and find out the
• the atmosphere, changes that are taking place
over the years with regard to
• gases like carbon dioxide, methane and water vapour. weather and climate of our
islands.
Climate
Climate refers to the average weather conditions in a place
over many years (usually at least 30 years, to account for the
range of natural variations from one year to the next).

The climate of an area, like Male’, is called a regional climate.

The average climate around the world is called global climate.
When scientists talk about global climate change, they are
talking about a pattern of changes happening around the
world over many years.

Meteorologists record the weather every day. The records

of the weather are preserved for several decades. These
records are helpful in determining the pattern of weather at a
place.

Sunlight

Precipitation

Evaporation
Did You Know ?
There is more carbon
Photosynthesis
dioxide in the atmosphere
today than at any point in
the last 800,000 years.
Ocean

Natural factors affecting climate of a place

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 7.2: Effects of Climate Change

You will learn Climate change

Scientists have studied weather data from historical records
Causes and effects of and have reached the conclusion that the Earth’s climate is
climate change getting warmer. It is mainly due to human influences.This is
one of the most serious issues that the world is facing today.
The human-made causes of climate change include:

Carbon dioxide emissions from burning Industry also produces and emits fluorinated
fossil fuels in industries and by vehicles gases such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
which are very strong greenhouse gases
much more powerful than CO2

Deforestation increases the amount of CO2 Increase in usage of chemical fertilisers in

in the air, as there are less trees to absorb croplands
it through photosynthesis

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Effects of climate change
Effects of climate change due to global
warming include:

• Rising sea level and coastal erosion.

• Decrease in snow and melting of ice. Loss of sea ice Frequent natural disasters
around the world
• Longer and more intense heat waves.
• Changes in rain and snowfall (i.e.,
precipitation) patterns.
• Increase in severity of storms such as
hurricanes and cyclones.
• Massive crop failure and spread of
desertification. Coral bleaching Coastal erosion

• Widespread extinction of species.

• Increasing acidity in the ocean, resulting in bleaching
as well as disappearance of coral reefs and damage to
oceanic wildlife. Do Activity 7.2

Global warming
Global warming is the increase of Earth’s average surface
temperature due to effect of greenhouse gases, such as
carbon dioxide, which trap heat that would otherwise escape
from Earth. The greenhouse effect is increasing due to
emission of greenhouse gases to the Earth’s atmosphere by
Industrial emissions contain
human activities. greenhouse gases such as nitrous
oxide, which can trap more heat and
hence can cause more harm

Increase in usage of fossil fuels When garbage is burned it releases

add more greenhouse gases to the greenhouse gases into atmosphere
atmosphere
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 We have unintentionally contributed to global warming, mainly
Did You Know ? due to our ignorance. It is urgent to take necessary steps
to reduce global warming. The steps that need to be taken
Since 1870, global sea
levels have risen by about
include:
8 inches. • minimise pollution,
• reduce the emission of green house gases,
• use energy-efficient devices and renewable energy such as
solar and wind energy.

Ozone layer depletion

Ozone layer is a layer of a natural gas called ozone. Ozone
layer is present in the Earth’s atmospheric layer called the
stratosphere. The ozone layer protects the Earth from the
Sun’s UV rays. If the ozone layer is depleted, the effects on
the planet could be catastrophic. Ozone layer depletion is
simply the wearing out (reduction) of the amount of ozone in
Planting trees is a very good start the stratosphere.
that can help reduce the carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere During the last several decades, human activities have
resulted in considerable reduction in the ozone layer of
the atmosphere. The main human-made cause for the
depletion of ozone is determined as excessive release of
chlorine and bromine from human-made compounds such
as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Chlorofluorocarbons are
released into the atmosphere by:

• cleaning agents (solvents, soaps),

• coolants in refrigerators,

• packing material, air conditioning and aerosol spray cans.

The ozone layer protects our planet from harmful ultraviolet

(UV) radiations that come from the Sun. They can produce
long-term devastating effects on human beings as well as
plants and animals. This layer can be protected by:

• reducing the amount of vehicle emissions,

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• using eco-friendly and natural cleaning products for
household chores.

Some sunlight
Carbon dioxide and other
that hits the Earth
gases in the atmosphere
is reflected. Some
trap heat, keeping the
becomes heat.
Earth warm.

Burning of fossil fuel

and use of pesticides
increase the
greenhouse gases in
the atmosphere.

Explore
Discuss and find out how you
could reduce the release of
greenhouse gases.

Avoiding pesticide use as they are harmful for the ozone layer,
so natural remedies should be tried

Using sustainable practices

Recognise that our actions may have implications for current

and future generations.
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 Science and Islam

What’s the weather?

Have you heard of people talking about weather changes and changing the weather patterns, more hurricanes,
heavy rains and floods.

Have you heard of the incidence of heat wave that took place in India in May 2015, which caused the death of
more than 1400 people?

Do you think frequent droughts in other areas of the world would have an effect on our life?

When we think about the events that have occurred in the past, in the era of prophet Yusuf (PBUH), whilst in
prison, prophet Yusuf (PBUH) was inquired of the interpretation of a dream. He explained that there would be
seven years of prosperity followed by seven years of famine. He then advised that the surplus food production
during prosperity be saved to make up for the deficit during famine. Prophet Yusuf (PBUH) was advising people
to not to focus on short-term fulfillment but also to think about the future and balance of activities that affects our
lives.

If we think of the changes taking place due to climate change, it is and it will affect our everyday life. For example,
the changing weather patterns affect the livelihoods in terms of water shortage and food availability.

As we come to understand how climate change affects our lives, we see the reason why we need to take prompt
action.

Our country is made up of tiny low-lying coral islands scattered in the Indian Ocean and have a fragile
environment. The changing weather pattern with other factors contributes to sea level rise and further warming of
the Earth. Every year, there are changes in the coral reefs, and more and more beaches are being engulfed by
the sea. The changes in the world’s environment will affect our country more immensely than other countries.

The imbalances in the world’s environment are the result of our actions. We are required to take immediate
actions to address global warming or these consequences will continue to intensify, grow ever more costly and
increasingly affect the entire planet.

As prophet Yusuf (PBUH) has advised us to take action now so that we would be able to maintain the balance in
the world’s environment.

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Self-check
Weather is a specific event or condition that happens over a period of hours or days at a
particular place and time.

Weather is the result of short-term variations in temperature, precipitation, wind,

humidity, cloudiness and atmospheric pressure.

Weather forecasting predicts the state of the atmosphere for a given location.

Meteorologists collect weather data using many different techniques.

Accurate weather predictions are important for planning our day-to-day activities.

Climate refers to the average weather conditions in a place over many years.

The Earth’s climate is changing and warming due to human influences.

Concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide is increasing leading to global warming.

Climate change has adverse effect on the living world.

Depletion of ozone layer can have negative impacts such as global warming.

Activity

Unit 7.1 Weather and climate

Activity 7.1: Build your own anemometer

Materials required:

• 5 papers or plastic cups (1 of the cups to be painted red)

• A skewer (or something similar to poke holes)

• 2 long straight plastic drinking straws

• A pair of scissors

• A stapler

• A sharp pencil with eraser on the end

Procedure:

• Take four of the cups and punch a small hole into each about 2 cm below the rim.

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 • Take one of the four white cups and push the drinking straw through the hole. Fold the end of the
straw and staple it onto the inside of the cup to secure. Take another cup and straw and repeat this
procedure.

• Take the fifth cup and punch 4 equally spaced holes about halfway down the cup.

• Take one of the cup/straw combinations and slide the other end of the straw through two holes of the
fifth (central) cup.

• Push the red-coloured cup onto the end of the straw. Ensure that this cup faces the opposite
direction. Fold the end of the straw inside the cup and staple as before.

• Repeat this process with the remaining cup/straw combinations. Push the pin through the middle of
the centre cup and into the end of the pencil rubber/eraser as far as it will go.

• Your anemometer is ready to use!

How to use your Anemometer:

Your anemometer rotates in the wind. To determine how fast it is, watch the coloured cup and
count how many times it rotates in one minute (RPM – revolutions per minute). Next, calculate the
circumference of the circle made by the rotating cups (in metres).

Multiply the number of rotations per minute (RPM) by the circumference to give metres per minute.

Get students to collect data using this and make predictions. Compare that with data collected from a
real anemometer.

Unit 7.2: Effect of climate change

Activity 7.2: Test the effect of a greenhouse on temperature

Materials required:

2 equal size plastic bottles, nail, 2 thermometers, notebook, pencil.

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Procedure:

• Make a hole near the top of the plastic bottle with the nail.

• Cut one bottle from the middle as shown in the illustration.

• Insert a thermometer into the hole of the bottle.

• Place the other thermometer in the bottle which was cut into half.

• Make sure that the same amount of sunlight reaches both thermometers.

• After 10 minutes, note temperature values from both thermometers.

• Record the data in the notebook.

• Take the temperature records again after another 10 minutes.

• Repeat a few times.

• Do both thermometers record the same temperature?

• If no, which one is higher?

• Can you explain why these two temperature records are not the same?

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 8
Human Impact on
Environment
Overview

The developments that have taken place in the world

over last 200 years have contributed to alter the Earth’s
environment. Some of the activities that have contributed
to the changes in our environment include the increase
in population, the types of houses we build, the ways we
prefer to travel and changes in the food we consume and
most importantly the way we dispose our garbage.
Human activities have led to environmental
consequences such as water and air pollution, depletion
of natural resources, loss of biodiversity and global
climate change.
The widespread changes in climate draw our attention
to evaluate the events happening around the world.
We have to adapt sustainable ways to minimise the
consequences of these environmental issues.

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 Unit

8.1: Human-made Disasters

8.2: Human Impact on the Environment

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 8.1: Human-made Disasters

Disasters
You will learn
The human-made disasters means intentional and
Human made unintentional threats resulting in huge loss of life and property
disasters caused due to:
Preventive measures • human error or carelessness,

• a failure of a human-made system.

Some of the human-made disasters include nuclear disasters,

fires, water shortage and road and sea accidents.

Fire Road accidents

Similar to natural disasters, human-made disasters affect us

in many ways. Amongst this include loss of lives, destruction
of livelihoods and damge to properties.

Prevention of disasters
Many of the human-made disasters can be prevented. Some
of the ways to prevent this are by raising awareness, following
a systemic approach to identify, assess and reduce the risk,

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regular inspection and adopting precautionary measures
including emergency preparedness. Did You Know ?
‘A Safe Island’ is a development project that focuses on On 26th December
involving local citizens in defining, measuring and increasing 2004, The Indian Ocean
community safety, with the overall objective of improving Tsunami wreaked havoc in
the prevention strategy. The government initially raised the Southern Asia killing over
concept of the Safer Islands Programme (SIP) following the 230,273 people mainly
along the coastlines of the
2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami in the Maldives. The aim of the
region. Approximately, 108
programme was to:
people were killed in our
• protect the islands from natural and other hazards, country as well.

• rebuild and improve existing infrastructure and economic

facilities, Explore
• develop capacity to plan and implement measures to
Select a human-made
reduce natural hazards, risks and build the community
disaster that you are aware
resilience to disasters. of and find out the causes
Environmental protection is therefore a key ingredient in risk and impact of this. In your
opinion, what would be the
reduction initiatives within Maldives.
precaution measures that
could be taken to prevent
such a disaster?

Relating to
people

Be aware of how your

actions affect others.
Disasters result in huge loss of life and property

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 8.2: Human Impact on the Enviornment

Human impacts
You will learn
Our environment comprises a delicate and complex series
The impact of of ecosystems. Its degradation is the result of the rapid
human activities on socioeconomic development and fast-growing population in
environment the country.
Ways to take care of
the environment

Beach erosion is a widespread problem in the Reclaiming mangroves: Mangroves are threatened
country in this region and need to be protected. These are
cleared to make room for agricultural land, human
settlements and infrastructure

Increased erosion of land as a result of mining or Dumping untreated waste results in marine pollution
agricultural activities problems that adversely affect coral growth

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Environmental issues
Human activities are the major reasons for the loss of natural
Did You Know ?
resources. These natural resources serve our needs well, Plastic bags and other
but we take these for granted, resulting in environmental plastic garbage thrown into
the ocean kill as many as
consequences that affect all life forms on this planet.
1,000,000 sea organisms
every year.

Do Activity 8.1

Dredging can result in direct elimination of habitats and species

found in the dredged area

Continuous increase in population, inappropriate waste

management, dwindling freshwater supply and inadequate
sewage treatment are some environmental issues that we Rainwater can be collected
face today in our country. Everyone, from government to and stored to use later through
rainwater harvesting
individuals of all ages and abilities, can play an important role
as stewards of the environment. Explore
Sustainable use of natural resources is the process by which
Find out and discuss some of
economic, industrial and social needs are met, whereby the environmental issues that
resources are managed in such a way that there is a balance arise from human activities.
in the ecosystem. The step towards sustenance has to be
adopted by everyone. Each one of us is required to work
together to minimise the use of natural resources. The key
criteria to remember before using any of the natural resources
are to:

• use only what is required,

• minimise waste,
• replenish some of the natural resources by planting trees,
rainwater harvesting and so on,
• use the least amount of non-renewable resources
(petroleum, coals and minerals),
• reduce the formation of waste material and use of energy
at production level in industries.
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 Science and Islam

Balance in nature

We see many slogans and posters saying not to throw rubbish on our beaches, walk or ride bikes whenever
possible ‘pick up litter’ or ‘Let’s Stop Pollution’. Do we actually know why it is important to keep our environment
clean?

Nowadays, people are concerned about the environment and we hear scientists talk about the importance of
environmental balance and its affect on the life of all creatures. However, our actions disrupt the balance in nature
causing harm to the enviornment.

It is important to maintain the balance of nature. Allah (SWT) stated in the holy Quran,

‘And the earth we have spread out, and have placed therein firm mountains, and caused to grow
therein all kinds of things in due proportion’ [Surah Al-Ĥijr :19].

Glory to Allah (SWT), the Quran mentions us about such environmental balance in a time when no one knew
anything about the environment or its balance.

If we think about the preciseness of the words of the Quran as Allah (SWT) have revealed to us, all kinds of things
are in due proportion. For example, we see a balance in our atmosphere. The oxygen in the air is 21%. If it is
more than that, the Earth may burn from the first spark and if it is less than that all creatures will suffocate. Also
the carbon dioxide gas is less than 1% of air and if it is more than that, humans will die and if it is less than 1% all
plants will die and life will stop.

It is the time for us to think about our actions, as we have a responsibility to take care of our Earth.

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Self-check
Human-made disasters occur mainly due to improper planning, negligence or error.

Regular inspection and updating of precautionary measures can reduce the intensity of
damage.

Human activities are the major reasons for depletion of natural resources.

There is a need to reduce ecological footprint to maintain balance in the ecosystem.

Activity

Unit 8.2: Human impact on environment

Activity 8.1: Environmental issues

The following list provides a few environmental issues that our country is facing. Choose an issue of
your interest and work in groups.

• Changing landscape for development for example, building jetties, harbours and land reclamation
etc.

• Pollution due to inappropriate waste disposal, increase in number of vehicles etc.

• Use of chemical fertilisers in excess in agricultural islands.

• Develop an essential question based on the environment issue that you have selected. For example,
How do greenhouse gases affect human health?

• Prepare a presentation based on your findings and present it to your class.

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 9
Eclipses

Overview

A ‘lunar eclipse’ and a ‘solar eclipse’ refer to events

involving three celestial bodies: the Sun, the Moon
and the Earth. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon
gets between Earth and the Sun, and the Moon
casts a shadow over Earth. A lunar eclipse occurs
when the Earth passes between the Moon and the
Sun, and the Earth’s shadow obscures the Moon or
a portion of it.

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 Units

9.1: Rotation and Revolution

9.2: Solar and Lunar Eclipse

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 9.1: Rotation and Revolution

Movement of the Earth

You will learn
Have you ever wondered what causes day and night? Now
Rotation and that we have understood that it is not the Sun that moves
revolution of Earth rather it is the Earth that moves, so how does it cause a
and Moon change in the timings?

The Earth has an axis, which is tilted to a small angle of about

23½
°
23.5° about which it rotates.

This axis is an imaginary line that passes through the north

axis and the south pole of the Earth. The Earth rotates from west
to east on this axis. It completes one rotation in about 24
hours. The rotational motion is responsible for the formation
of day and night.

The regions of the Earth that face the Sun have daytime,
while those that are away from the Sun have night. This is
the reason why different countries have different timings.
The timings of Maldives are different from that of the other
Earth’s tilt
countries. When it is daytime in Maldives, it is night in North
America. As the Earth rotates from west to east, the Sun
appears to rise from the east and sets in the west. Hence, it is
Do Activity 9.1 not the Sun that is moving,
Sun but it is the rotation of the
Earth
Earth that causes the shift
in the position of the Sun
throughout the day.
Light rays Day Night

The formation of day and night

Do Activity 9.2

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Revolution of the Earth
The Earth and the other planets move in a circle (an ellipse
Did You Know ?
to be precise) around the Sun. Each planet has a different Every 4th subsequent year
is called a Leap year and it
path with an increasing distance in which they move. These
has 366 days.
well-defined paths are known as orbits. The movement of the
Earth around the Sun in its orbit is called the revolution. The
time that Earth takes to complete one revolution around the
Sun is 365.25 days, which is our 1 year.
Explore
Since the orbit of the Earth around the Sun is not circular
but an ellipse, the distance of the Earth from the Sun keeps Discuss why the countries
changing throughout the year. The revolution of the Earth lying near the equator
experience hot weather
around the Sun is responsible for the change in the seasons.
throughout the year?

March Equinox

Direction of Earth
Axial Rotation

Summer Solstice
Southern Hemisphere
Winter Solstice
Northern Hemisphere

Winter Solstice
Summer Solstice

September Equinox

Winter and summer solstice Do Activity 9.3

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 The Moon and its movements
Most of the planets have bodies that revolve around them.
These are called natural satellites. Such bodies are not
planets as they do not revolve around the Sun. The natural
satellite of the Earth is known as the Moon. It is about 1/4th
times the size of the Earth. It is mainly made up of rocks. Like
the Earth, the Moon also shows both types of motion, rotation
about its own axis and revolution around the Earth. The Moon
revolves around the Earth in a well-defined orbit. It takes
roughly 27.3 days to complete one revolution around the
Earth. The Moon takes almost the same time to rotate about
its own axis, which is about 28 days. That is why we always
end up seeing the same side of the Moon. The darker side
cannot be seen from the Earth.
The Sun, Earth and the Moon

it
Earth’s orb

Sun Moon

Earth

Moon and its orbit around the Earth

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The phases of the Moon Explore
The shape of the Moon keeps changing every day. This is due
Find out about the phases of
to the variation of the relative positioning of the Sun, the Earth the Moon and its importance
and the Moon. The planets and their Moons have no light of during Ramazan. What is the
their own, they only shine when the light from the Sun falls on phase of the Moon on Fithr
them. These variations in the shape of the Moon are called Eid and Al’ha Eid?
the phases of the Moon. The variation repeats itself after
every cycle. Hence, it is periodic in nature.

The phases of the Moon changes from the full moon to Do Activity 9.4
crescent moon to new moon. The Moon revolves around the
Earth; each phase repeats itself after 29.53 days. The part of
the Moon that is lit up by the light from the Sun is visible to us.
The darker portion is the shadow of the Earth on the Moon.

First Quarter

Full Earth New

Third Quarter

Phases of Moon

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 9.2: Solar and Lunar Eclipse

You will learn Do you know that light travels in straight line?

So this means that the light will not be

The occurrence able to pass through me.
of solar and lunar
The objects through which the light
eclipse cannot pass through cast a shadow. See
your shadow behind you.

Eclipses
During the course of revolution, solar eclipses occur when the
Moon moves between Sun and Earth, blocking the Sun’s rays
and casting a shadow on Earth. A solar eclipse occurs on a
new moon day.

Do Activity 9.5

Did You Know ? Occurrence of solar eclipse

The solar eclipse should
The eclipses do not occur frequently, because the orbit of
not be seen through naked
the Moon is tilted away from the orbit of the Earth. So, the
eye as it can damage the
retina. Use sunglasses or Sun, the Earth and the Moon are rarely in a straight line for
tinted glass. an eclipse to occur. Also, as the Moon is revolving around
the Earth, the solar eclipses do not last long. A solar eclipse
lasts only for a few minutes, till the Moon is displaced from its
position.
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 Total solar eclipse Annular solar eclipse Partial solar eclipse

The lunar eclipse Earth’s orbit

Umbra

The Moon orbits around the Earth

and takes less than a month to do so.
At the same time, the Earth is also Moon
orbiting around the Sun. At diffrent
Earth
times, the Sun, the Earth and the Moon
are in different positions. When at a Sun
Moon’s orbit
particular time, the Sun, the Earth and Penumbra

the Moon are all lined up and the Earth Occurrence of lunar eclipse

blocks all the light coming from the Sun

from falling on the Moon, a lunar eclipse occurs. During a
lunar eclipse, the shadow of the Earth falls on the Moon.
Explore
A lunar eclipse occurs on a full moon day, when the Moon is
on opposite side of the Earth and the Sun. Not everyone on Find out information about
the Earth can see the lunar eclipse. Only the part of the Earth the lunar or solar eclipse
that faces the Moon can see the eclipse, generally that side is that is likely to occur in
the night time. Maldives.

A lunar eclipse occurs, roughly about twice a year. Unlike Do Activity 9.6
solar eclipse, a lunar eclipse can last for a few hours.

Have you ever seen a Red Moon?

Yes, this happens during a lunar eclipse.

Thinking critically and creatively

Understand relationships and patterns.

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 Science and Islam

The Moon – Bold and beautiful

The Moon has an unusual influence on everything, be it the mythology, language or art. There are many unusual
Moon facts that we can ever think of.

No wonder that the Moon is a symbol of such influence amongst the Muslim ummah. The Moon has a lot of
significance for Muslims. Some such examples are:

• Beautiful and radiant things are associated with the Moon. Abu Ishaq narrated that Al-Baraa’ was asked,
‘Was the face of the Prophet (as bright) as a sword?’ He said, ‘No, but (as bright) as a moon’ narrated by
(Bukhari).

• ‘The first group (of people) to enter Jannah will be shining like the moon on a full-moon night’ Prophet (PBUH)
said, narrated by (Bukhari).

• The Moon determines the Islamic calendar, which runs side by side with the solar calendar and so gives
rhythm to the lives of Muslims.

As many miracles of the holy Quran, Moon’s orbit is a miracle too. The Moon revolves around the Sun together
with the Earth, it follows a path through space that resembles the letter ‘S’. The appearance of this orbit
resembles the twisted shape of a dry date branch, as is revealed in the Qur’an,

‘And We have decreed set phases for the moon, until it ends up looking like an old date branch. It is not
for the sun to overtake the moon nor for the night to outstrip the day; each one is swimming in a sphere’
[Surah Yasin: 39-40].

This looks more impressive when we learn that the Moon had been directly mentioned and referenced 28 times in
the holy Quran. And also the Moon completes one orbit around the Earth about every 28 days.

The world with all that is created within it is so amazing and complex, imagine how great and magnificent the
Creator is!

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Self-check
The Earth has an axis, which is tilted to a small angle of about 23.5° about which it
rotates.

The rotation of the Earth around the Sun is responsible for the occurrence of day and
night.

Earth and the other planets move in a circle (an ellipse to be precise) around the Sun.

The well-defined paths are known as orbits.

The movement of the Earth around the Sun in its orbit is called the revolution.

The time that the Earth takes to complete one revolution around the Sun is 365.25 days,
which is 1 year.

Moon revolves around the Earth in 27.3 days in an elliptical orbit.

The Moon has different phases, which are the variation in the shape of the Moon
throughout the month.

Eclipse can be defined as blocking of the Sun either by the Earth or the Moon.

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon comes in between the Earth and the Sun.

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth comes in between the Sun and the Moon.

Activity

Unit 9.1: Rotation and revolution

Activity 9.1: Day and night

Use your head as a model to study the occurrence of day and night on the Earth.

Materials required:
Yourself and a lamp in a dark room.

Procedure:
• Place a lamp on a table in a dark room.

• Sit in front of the lamp with only one side of your face towards the lamp.

• Here, the lamp represents the Sun and your face is the Earth and the dark room the universe.

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 • You can turn around slowly to see how the light from the lamp moves across your face.

• Remember that the Earth spins from west to east.

• Can you tell in which direction the light from the lamp moves as you turn around?

• What does the illuminated portion of your face represent?

• What will happen if you stop spinning on the chair?

Activity 9.2: Rotation of the Earth

Materials required:
A globe with a stand, lamp and a mirror.

Procedure:
• Place the globe on a table in a dark room.

• Now focus the light from the lamp onto a part of the globe.
• Spin the globe slowly in the direction of rotation of the Earth.

• Observe the changes in the day and night of different countries.

• How many hours do the Earth takes to complete one rotation?

• Locate Maldives on the globe. If it is daytime in Maldives, what would it be in North America?

• Find out what would happen if the Earth stops spinning?

Activity 9.3: Revolution of the Earth

One year

Materials required:
A lamp, lamp holder, connecting wires and a One day

socket, small globe with a stand for spinning and a

piece of chalk. Earth

Procedure:
• Place the lamp in its holder and complete the
connections. Light up the lamp.

• Now, on a table around the lamp make an

ellipse, representing the orbit of the Earth
around the Sun (lamp).

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• Place a globe of appropriate size on the marked ellipse and move it along the line around the lamp.
This depicts the revolution of the Earth around the Sun.

• What is the period of revolution of the Earth?

Activity 9.4: Revolution of the Moon

Materials required:
A powerful lamp, lamp holder, connecting wires and a socket, a table, small globe with a stand for
spinning, a ping pong ball, a string and a chalk

Procedure:
• Place the lamp in its holder and complete the connections. Light up the lamp.
• Now, on a table around the lamp make an ellipse, representing the orbit of the Earth around the Sun
(lamp).

• Fix a point on the ellipse where you can place the globe.

• Now, draw a smaller circle (approximate) centred at that point. This marks the path of revolution of
the Moon.

• Tie a string around the ping pong ball, which represents the Moon.

• Place a globe of appropriate size on the marked ellipse.

• Move the ping pong ball along the circle around the globe.

• Identify the hemispheres of the Earth.

• Will the observed phase of the Moon be the same in both the hemispheres?

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 Unit 9.2: Solar and lunar eclipse

Activity 9.5: Solar eclipse

Materials required:
A bulb with a holder and battery connections, a ping pong ball or a tennis ball, a globe with a stand,
strings holding the ball and a stand.

Procedure:
• Fix a bulb to the socket and light it up. This represents the Sun.

• Tie a string around a ping pong ball. This represents the Moon. Hang it to an appropriate length to
the stand.

• Place it at an appropriate distance from the bulb.

• Now take a globe of right size and place it on a table at an appropriate distance from the bulb.

• Your model of Sun, Earth and Moon is ready.

• Place the Moon in between the Sun and the Earth such that all three are in line.

• Study different types of solar eclipses with this.

• Fix Maldives on the globe facing the Sun. Now if total solar eclipse is seen in Africa, will it be seen
in Maldives as well? Find out using the arrangement.

Discuss

• Describe how does a solar eclipse occur.

• Why is it called solar eclipse?

Activity 9.6: Lunar eclipse

Materials required:

A bulb with a holder and battery

connections, a small-sized ball (ping
pong ball or tennis ball), a globe with a
stand, strings holding the ball and stand.

Procedure:

• Fix a bulb to the socket and light it up.

This represents the Sun

• Tie a string around a ping pong ball.

This represents the Moon. Hang it to
an appropriate length to a stand.

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• Place it at an appropriate distance from the bulb.

• Now take a globe of right size and place it on a table at an appropriate distance from the bulb.

• Your model of Sun, Earth and Moon is ready.

• Place the Moon behind the Earth such that all three are in line.

• Observe what happens.

Discuss

• How does a lunar eclipse occur?

• Why is it called lunar eclipse?

• What is the phase of the Moon on lunar eclipse?

• Why does solar eclipse last for few minutes and lunar eclipse for few hours?

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 10
Soil

Overview

Soil is a mixture of rocks, minerals and organic matter. Soil

covers the Earth in a thin layer and it is very important for living
things. Soil varies in its composition and the structure of its
particles. It is important for the sustainability of an ecosystem
because it serves as the natural medium for the growth of
vegetation and thus supports the lives on Earth.

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 Units

10.1: Soil Profile

10.2: Soil Formation
10.3: Enriching Soil

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 10.1: Soil Profile

Soil
You will learn
Soil can be defined as a thin layer of loose mixture of organic
Soil profile and and inorganic materials on the uppermost surface of the
horizons Earth’s crust. It consists of sand, remains of living things,
minerals, some amount of water and air in it.

Soil
Do Activity 10.1

Soil profile
The soil profile is like the soil’s fingerprint, it differs from
sample to sample. This is due to various factors such
as colour, texture, structure and thickness, as well as its
chemical composition. Each layer of the soil profile is also
known as soil horizon. These horizons are identified by
letters. Horizon A is the upper layer, closest to the surface.
You can think of this horizon as the topsoil. As you move
deeper into the layers of the soil profile, you have horizons B
and C, giving us the three main horizons. Each horizon layer
is different from the other based on their physical features,
mainly colour and texture. Such differentiation of the soil

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horizons is due to the result of various influences, such as
air, water, solar radiation and plant material, originating at the
Explore
soil-atmosphere interface. Dig a hole (about 1/2 metre).
Obseve the soil profile and
discuss the observations.

A horizon B horizon

• Topmost horizon and often referred to Commonly referred to as the ‘subsoil’,

as the ‘topsoil’. found just below the A horizon. This layer
is rich in minerals which gives this layer a
• It contains enough partially
distinct colour, usually brownish or reddish.
decomposed organic matter called
This layer has less humus.
‘humus’ mixed with mineral particles.

C horizon

This layer is also called regolith. It consists

of rocks and big particles. This layer is
poor in organic matter and plant roots do
not penetrate into this layer.
A

R horizon

This layer forms partially weathered

B bedrock at the base of the soil profile with
large masses of hard rocks.

C Did You Know ?

Soil scientists often dig
a large hole, called a
soil pit (usually several
R metres deep and about a
metre wide) to expose soil
horizons for the study.

Soil profile

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 10.2: Soil Formation

Soil formation
You will learn
Soil formation is a very slow process. It begins with the
Soil formation weathering of rocks into small fragments. The rocks are
Factors affecting soil worn away by the agents of erosion like water, wind, sea
formation and glacier. The sediments and tiny rock particles are then
deposited by the agents of erosion. The accumulation of such
sediments over the ages form soil. Eventually, the plants that
grow on the soil shed their leaves, which decay to form the
topmost layer of soil called ‘humus’.

Factors involved in soil formation

Topography (shape of the landscape): It describes the
relative steepness of a slope or the flatness of a plane.

Steep slopes are more prone to soil erosion. Here runoff is

more rapid and water penetration is lesser than on gentle
slopes. As a result, the soil will be thinner at steep slopes.

Flat areas are poorly drained and so accumulates thick layer

of soil. Here the products of weathering tend to remain in
place. It is harmful when soil erosion takes place quickly.

Climate: Climatic conditions, like rainfall and temperature,

determine the rate of weathering and the formation of soil.

• Rainfall greatly influences the soil

Have you wondered how formation. For example, a moist and
soil is formed?
wet environment tend to be highly
weathered.
Yes, soil formation happens in many
ways. One way is by decaying of dead • Temperature also has a great effect
organisms. Dead animals and plants
on weathering. Warm temperatures
decay and break down over time, thus
make up a part of the soil. and high moisture together increase
the weathering processes.

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Parent material: The type of soil under your feet is
dependent on the parent material of the bedrock deep below
the surface. The parent rock from which the soil is formed
Did You Know ?
The soil formation process
influences its colour, texture, chemical properties, mineral
is termed ‘pedogenesis’.
content and permeability.

Time: Chronological factors play an important part in the

process of soil formation. The soil undergoes many changes Explore
with time. The thickness of the soil profile is affected by the
time taken for the soil to form. Soil is made up of humus,
gravel, sand, clay and silt.
Biological factors or biota: Biota is the vegetation that The amount of each of these
covers the soil, the animals that live upon the soil and the soil will vary in different countries.
microorganisms that inhabit the soil. Microorganisms, such as Find out why the composition
bacteria and fungi, are instrumental in forming soil through the differs in different countries.
decomposition of organic matter into humus.

Climate

Parent material Topography

SOIL

Plants & animals Time

Soil formation factors

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 10.3: Enriching Soil

You will learn Soils of Maldives

The soils of our islands are geologically young and consist
Soil formation in of substantial quantities of the unweathered parent material,
Maldives coral rock and sand.
Enriching soil
In most of the places, soils are coarse in texture and shallow
in depth with a thin top layer of brown soil with humus content
(only where there is vegetation). This layer is then followed by
a transition zone on top of the underlying parent material of
coral reef limestone.

In some low-lying areas and areas subjected to significant

mechanical breakdown due to human activity, fine deep soils
are found with accumulated deposits of clay.

In lagoons of our islands, the depth of the clay may be

substantial due to the accumulation of material from marine
and biological sources over a long period of time.

Did You Know ?

Worms enrich topsoil
by feeding on organic
material in the soil and
converting it into nutrients
for plants. As they move
through the soil it becomes Soils of Maldives
more absorbent and better
aerated. Sand is formed from the skeletons of sea animals, sea plants
and coralline algae. Soil mainly consists of calcium.

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Plants rely on proper soil conditions to give them nutrients
and minerals, and sometimes the soil does not have enough
Explore
of these elements. There are several ways to enrich the soil Organic matter in
with these vital elements. mountainous areas accounts
for only 1% to 6% of the
Composting soil composition, while in
wet lowland regions it may
Composting is the natural break down of complex materials constitute as much as 90%
into simpler ones so that plants can make use of them. of soil content. Why do you
Compost is a source of minerals for plants. It helps to improve think so?
the texture and fertility of the soil. It consists of organic and
inorganic materials that are essential for plant growth.

The basic compost pile is made up of layers of organic matter

mixed with a little soil and fertiliser. This is kept moist and
turned several times to keep it well aerated throughout the
process. The composting process can be speeded by making
the size of the organic matter smaller and by turning the pile
frequently.

A garden compost bin

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 Science and Islam

Splendid soil

Soil contributes to sustain life on Earth by providing habitats for many organisms, it being a growing medium for
microorganisms and plants. Soil plays a major role in our lives whether it is obtaining food or producing the best
plates in China. If we think of the following questions, we would be amazed to know how soil helps us in different
ways.

• Did you know that there are more living individual organisms in a tablespoon of soil than there are people on
the Earth?

• Did you know that almost all of the antibiotics we take to help us fight infections were obtained from soil
microorganisms?

• Did you know that putting clay on your face in the form of a ‘mud mask’ is done to cleanse the pores in the
skin?

The most important function of soil is that soil support the growth of agricultural crops. Soil is the key element of
agriculture. Food crops require fertile soil to grow well.

Soil is a non-renewable gift of Allah (SWT), upon which so many forms of life depend. Our activities that lead to
destruction or degradation of soil leads to the destruction and degradation of life on Earth. In this regard, Allah
(SWT) has stated in Quran,

‘It is He Who has made the Earth manageable for you, so traverse ye through its tracts and enjoy of the
sustenance which He furnishes, but unto Him is the resurrection’ [Surah Al-Mulk:15].

Allah (SWT) created the Earth in such a way that it is a suitable place to build our homes and home for all
terrestrial beings. Soil supports plant and animal life and it is the origin of the main food resources for both human
and animals.

Scientists have identified the importance of increasing the performance of soil. There are two main aspects: ability
of the soil to manage, hold and drain water, increase the nutrient content and to manage, organic matter in the
soil. This will increase the fertility of the soil and will help crops to grow more effectively.

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Self-check
Soil is a thin layer of loose mixture of organic and inorganic materials on the uppermost
surface of the Earth’s crust with some amount of water and air in it.

Soil profile is based on factors like its colour, texture, structure and thickness, as well as
its chemical composition.

Each layer of a soil profile is referred to as a soil horizon.

Soil formation process begins with weathering followed by erosion.

The decayed plant material forming the topmost layer of the soil is called ‘humus’.

Topography, climate, parent material, time and biological factors are the factors involved
in soil formation.

The soils of Maldives are geologically young and is formed from coral parent material and
sand.

Soil can be enriched by composting.

Composting is the natural break down of complex materials into simpler ones so that
plants can make use of them.

Activity

Unit 10.1: Soil profile

Activity 10.1: Water retention in soil

Pretend that you are a civil engineer. As a civil engineer, you have been asked to determine whether
sand or silt can hold more water. Engineers and scientists usually write a set of directions, called a
Procedure, to organise the steps of an experiment.

• Write down your hypothesis for this experiment.

• Write down the materials required and the procedure you will follow. Get it approved by your teacher.

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 11
Water

Overview

Water covers more than two-thirds of Earth’s surface. It is

a very important resource for people and the environment.
Plants, animals and humans all depend on this invaluable
natural resource for survival. As Earth’s population continues
to grow, the consumption of water also continue to increase,
leading to scarcity of clean water. Poor water quality means
water is contaminated. Human activities are largely to be
blamed for contamination of water resources.

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 Units

11.1: Water Quality

11.2: Properties of Water

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 11.1: Water Quality

Availability of fresh water

You will learn
Have you ever wondered how much water is there on Earth?
Availability of fresh
The Earth is known as the blue planet, yet the available
water
freshwater is very limited.
Activities that affect
water quality The chart shows that the available fresh water on Earth is
Maintaining water only 2.5%.
quality Earth’s surface is covered by over 70% of water, of which
97.5% of all water on Earth is saltwater and the remaining
2.5% is fresh water. Nearly 70% of that fresh water is frozen
in the ice caps of Antarctica and Greenland. A part of the
remainder is present as soil moisture
Salt Water or lies in deep underground aquifers as
97.5% groundwater not accessible to human
use. This leaves only 1% of the world’s
Available Fresh fresh water for direct human use which
Water 2.5%
is found in lakes, rivers, reservoirs
and few underground sources that are
shallow enough to be tapped by humans.
Comparing Earth’s fresh- and saltwater content Do Activity 11.1

Water crisis
As only 1% of the total available water is fit for human use,
fresh water has become a critical limiting resource in many
parts of the world. Main reasons for this crisis are:

• Growing demand: The global population is growing rapidly,

putting more pressure on our water supply.

• Diminishing supply: We will always have the same amount

of water because the Earth is a closed system. Moreover,
the amount of usable water is reducing at an alarming rate
due to contamination, leading to water shortage.

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The Maldives had declared a state of crisis after a fire in
December 2015, which damaged the water treatment plant in
the country’s capital, Male’, leaving more than 100,000 people
Did You Know ?
Every day 2 million tonnes
without access to safe drinking water. of sewage, industrial and
agricultural waste are
discharged into the world’s
water, the equivalent of
the weight of the entire
human population of 6.8
billion people.

Maldives received water supplies from various nations to deal

with drinking water shortage

Human activities impact the quality of water. Some of the

activities that affects water quality are:

Use of fertilizers and pesticides

When pesticides (such as DDT) or fertilizers are applied to
crops, the excess materials either run off the land or seep into
the groundwater, ultimately mixing with water bodies such as
lakes or stream. Water gets contaminated in this way.

Sewage discharge Spraying pesticides in farms

Untreated or inadequately treated household waste becomes

a major source of water pollution. These are dumped in
the lagoons, rivers and oceans. Sewage carries microbial
pathogens, which are the primary cause of the spread of
diseases. On many islands across the Maldives, sewage is
kept in septic tanks buried underground. When these tanks
are full or contents leak into the ground and mix with the
ground water, water gets contaminated. Sewage disposal

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 Improper disposal of waste
Open water bodies like rivers and streams can get polluted
by rubbish such as plastic bags, bottles, paper and tin cans
which are thrown by people. Chemicals from industries
are also at times discharged into rivers/streams which
contaminates water.

Landfill
Water enters a landfill
from a number of sources
such as precipitation,
groundwater and the
disposal of liquids. Water
plays two major functions
Landfill
in landfills:

• acts as a medium essential for bacterial activity in organic

waste and for chemical breakdown,

• acts as a medium for movement of contaminants.

As water seeps through, it leaches material from the

waste. As water percolates through the landfill, it generally
deteriorates in quality, resulting in a polluted liquid. Its
polluting ability may be much higher than that of raw sewage.

Acidification
Acidification
Acidification of surface water, mainly lakes and reservoirs,
happens due to air pollution. Sulphur dioxide from power
Explore
plants, waste materials from heavy industrial plants such as
Find out about the biggest steel and emissions from motor vehicles react with water to
landfill of our country acidify it.
and with the help of your Sometimes sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide of polluted air
teacher discuss in the mix with water particles in the air and form a toxic substance.
class the ways to cut down This comes down as acid rain to the ground and water bodies
on waste. get contaminated.

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Maintaining water quality
In many of our islands almost all the households rely on
rain water harvesting for potable supplies. We rely on the
groundwater obtained through wells for other purposes.

Due to poor rainfall and other factors, residents of many

islands depend upon the supply of potable water provided by
water supply. They use desalination plants to supply water to
its residents because the groundwater there has long become
Rainwater harvesting in Maldives
brackish.

Water is a universal solvent, so it dissolves almost everything,

including some impurities. Such water cannot be consumed
as it may have harmful effects on the human body. Water
could be purified by boiling or chlorinating before being used.

Boiling
Boiling is an effective method of purification and very simple
method to carry out. Boiling water for 10 to 20 minutes is
enough to remove all biological contaminants and becomes
safe for consumption.
Boiliing water
Chemical treatment
Water becomes clean on the dissolution of chlorine tablets.
In water treatment plants, chlorine gas is introduced through
many pipes into a tank with water stored after physical and
biological treatment to kill germs. Chlorination can also
be used to treat rainwater if contamination is suspected.
Chlorination is done with stabilised bleaching powder, which
is a mixture of chlorine and lime. Chlorination can kill all types
of bacteria and make water safe for drinking purposes.
Water treatment plant

Using sustainable practices

Make decisions that reflect social responsibility.

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 11.2: Properties of Water

Properties of water
You will learn
Water is a unique substance. Water is a tasteless and
Properties of water colourless liquid. In addition to this, the properties that make
Changes in state of water an essential component of the Earth system are:
water
Factors that affect
evaporation

Water is known as a universal solvent. Water has high boiling point and
melting point.
Allows many substances to be easily
dissolved. Allows water to exist in liquid state
in most places of our planet.
Keep both the boxes the same size and
move them down a bit

Water has high surface tension – the water Water expands on freezing.
particles attract very strongly to one another.
Helps marine life to survive in cold
Allows water to form droplets. regions as ice can float on water.

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Changes in state of water Explore
The three states of water are liquid, solid and gas. All three
Scientists often call water the
states exist on Earth. ‘universal solvent’ because
water can dissolve more
substances than any other
Solid (ice) becomes liquid (water)
liquid. Identify how this
through melting. property of water helps living
things?

Liquid water becomes the invisible

gas (water vapour) through
evaporation.
Do Activity 11.2

Water vapour becomes liquid water

through condensation.

Liquid water becomes solid (ice)

through freezing.

Factors that affect evaporation

Change of liquid into its vapour at any temperature below its
boiling point is called evaporation.

• Evaporation takes place from the surface of the liquid,

Did You Know ?
so the greater the surface area, the faster is the rate of Water in the form of ice
evaporation. is found in the polar ice
caps of the planet Mars;
• Speed of wind affects evaporation. some scientists have also
• Temperature and humidity affects evaporation. suggested the possibility
of liquid water on the red
• The rate of evaporation depends on the kind of liquid, for planet.
example, spirit and petrol evaporates faster than water.

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 Science and Islam

Water for life

Did you know that water is even more important than food to our body?

Everyone has heard the advice, ‘drink eight glasses of water a day’. That is about 1.9 litres. Why do you think our
bodies need so much of water?

Water is essential to sustain life. It is the basis of life and we require water for our body systems to function. For
example our blood that transports nutrients is almost 90% of water and our brain which controls all of our activities
is 76% water.

Cells are the basic units of life and cell cytoplasm is the jelly-like material consisting of water and dissolved
substances. The constitution of protoplasm in cells is about 80-85% water. Without water, life is not possible. The
importance of water for life has been stated in Quran,

‘We made every living thing from water? Will they not believe?’ [Surah Al-Anbiya:30].

In this verse water is pointed out as the origin of all life. All living things are made of cells. We now know that cells
are mostly made up of water. For example, 80% of the cytoplasm (basic cell material) of a standard animal cell is
composed of water.

The fact that living things consist mostly of water was discovered only after the invention of the microscope. In the
deserts of Arabia, the last thing someone would have guessed is that all life came from water.

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Self-check
Water is a very important resource for people and the environment.

Over 70% of our Earth’s surface is covered by water.

Only 1% of the world’s fresh water is accessible for direct human use.

There is a crisis of consumable water in our planet due to increase in demand and
decrease in supply.

The blooming population and impact of human activities affect the quality of water.

Human activities such as excessive use of fertilisers and pesticides, sewage discharge,
improper disposal of waste and inappropriate use of landfills are some of the major
causes leading to water shortage.

Boiling and chlorination are some ways to purify water for human use.

There are distinctive properties of water that make it an essential component of the
Earth system.

Water is a universal solvent.

Water has high boiling and melting point.

Water exists in nature in all three states of solid, liquid and gaseous.

Water changes its state mainly due to change in the temperature by melting,
evaporation, condensation and freezing.

Activity

Unit 11.1: Water quality

Activity 11.1: Water Quality

Materials required:

• 4 cups of dirt or sand

• a dozen stones

• 2 quarts of water

• a large glass bowl with tall sides (mixing bowl)

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 • a short glass

• clear plastic wrap

Procedure:

• Mix the dirt (or sand) and water in a large bowl.

• Stand a clean and empty short glass in the centre of the bowl.

• Place the bowl outside in the Sun.

• Cover the bowl with the plastic wrap and weigh down the edges with the remaining rocks. Place one
rock on the plastic wrap directly over the cup.

• Allow the bowl to remain in the Sun for several hours.

• Look in the cup (it should contain some relatively clean water free of mud). Look in the bowl (it
should contain the dried dirt).

Discuss:

• What is the plastic wrap used for?

• Where do we see in the setup, the condensed water?

• What would happen if the plastic wrap was dirty?

• What are the two processes responsible for purifying the water?

• Where else do you see condensation?

• How does this process work on Earth?

Unit 11.2: Properties of water

Activity 11.2: Make fog in a jar!

Materials required:

• Black paper

• Gallon jar

• Coloured warm water

• Matches

• Bag of ice

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Procedure:

• Tape the black paper on the back of the jar, so you can not see through the jar.

• Fill one-third of the jar with coloured warm water.

• Light the match and hold it over the jar opening.

• After a few seconds, drop the match into the jar and cover the top of the jar with the bag of ice.

• Record your observations.

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 12
Energy

Overview

Energy is anything that enables us to do work.

Energy can cause changes in temperature,
speed, position, shape or direction of an object.
When we use energy, it often changes from one
form to another. Whenever there is a change in
energy, it is called energy transformation. For
example, chemical energy stored in fireworks
change into light, sound and heat energy when
they go up in the air.

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 Units

12.1: Potential and Kinetic Energy

12.2: Light Energy
12.3: Energy Transformation and Conservation

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 12.1: Potential and Kinetic Energy

Kinetic energy
You will learn
A moving car or a moving ball has kinetic energy. Kinetic
Kinetic and potential energy can be defined as the energy possessed by a body
energy when it is in motion. If a body is at rest then it will not have
kinetic energy.

Kinetic energy possessed by different bodies

When you kick a football, it starts to move. Thus, we can

Did You Know ? say that the football gained some kinetic energy. All moving
bodies have kinetic energy, whether a heavy truck or even the
The word kinetic comes
from the Greek word smallest of all atoms. For example, massive planets also have
kinesis which means kinetic energy as they are in motion. Do Activity 12.1
motion. The kinetic energy of a body depends on the following two
factors:

• Mass of the body; a body with more mass has more kinetic
energy.

• Speed of the body; faster moving bodies have more kinetic

energy.

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Potential energy
Potential energy is the energy present in stationary bodies.
Potential energy occurs in objects due to its position or height
from the ground.

Potential energy can be further divided into two types:

• Elastic potential energy

• Gravitational potential energy.

Elastic objects can store elastic potential A compressed spring has elastic potential energy until
energy when they are stretched the coils return to their original alignment

Water allowed to flow and fall through a dam,

transforming gravitational potential energy to
electrical energy

Do Activity 12.2

Explore
Look around yourself and
suggest some examples of
objects possessing elastic
and gravitational potential
A ball high up in a building has gravitational potential energy energy.

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 12.2: Light Energy

Light energy
You will learn
Light is a form of energy. It is very important for sustaining life.
Light is a form of We are able to see things around ourselves only when light
energy and travels in falls on it.
straight lines Any object that gives off light is regarded as a source of light.
Light bends when it The Sun is the ultimate source of light and energy on Earth.
travels to a different
medium
Light travels in straight line
Prisms split white
light to give a range of Have you ever seen sunlight entering your room through a
colours window? It can clearly be seen that light travels in a straight
line. If you put the curtains of your window down, the light
gets blocked by the curtain, which comes in its way. This is
because light does not take zig-zag path.
A B C Light travels in straight lines, which are called light rays. Many
rays travelling together form a beam of light. However, when
passing through transparent materials, like water or glass,
light bends or turns. This is because light behaves differently
in different materials or mediums. Also when light comes into
Light travels in straight line
contact with smooth and shiny surfaces such as mirrors, the
light rays bounce back from the surface.
Reflected
light Do Activity 12.3

Light through lenses

Incorning Lenses are special type of transparent material usually made
light
from glass and are used to bend light rays. They are used in
number of applications like spectacles, magnifying glasses,
Mirror camera lenses, binoculars, microscopes and telescopes.
Mirrors reflect light

Do Activity 12.4

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Lenses are of two types: Convex lens and concave lens. Focal point

Convex lenses: They are curved on both sides. This means

the light rays coming out of them come together at a point,
they converge.
‘Convex lens’ and the straight lines
Concave lens: They are thinner at the middle. Rays of light as ‘light rays’
that pass through the lens are spread out, they diverge.
Focal point
Our eye also has a lens and the eye muscles constantly
change the size of the lens to help us see properly.

 Do Activity 12.5

Prism and colours

‘Concave lens’ and the lines as
Sunlight is what we call white light, which is made up of all ‘light rays’

different colours mixed together. If a beam of white light is

shone through a prism, the direction of the beam is changed
by the prism and it splits the light into a series of colours.
The spread of colour is called a spectrum and the colours
are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.
 Do Activity 12.6 Prism

Have you ever seen a rainbow?

How many different colours are
seen in a rainbow?
Did You Know ?
Sunlight can reach a depth
of around 80 metres (262
Yes, it is usually seen just after rain. Most
feet) in the ocean.
of the time seven colours are seen.

Explore
Find out how lenses are used
in everyday life, for example,
Thinking critically and creatively in telescopes, spectacles etc.
Experiment with ideas.
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 12.3: Energy Transformation and Conservation

Energy transfer
You will learn
Energy exists in various forms. Energy can neither be created
Energy gets nor destroyed. It simply gets transferred from one form to
transferred from one another. Some examples of energy transfers are:
form to another • When a pan is heated on the stove, there is a transfer of
Importance of chemical energy of the burning flame to heat energy of the
conserving energy pan. This heat energy is further transmitted to the water.
As a result, water boils.

Gas Stove flame Hot pan

Chemical energy Heat energy Heat from pan, boils
water

• The electricity that flows through the wires of our home.

The electrical energy is transferred whenever we plug in
any of the electrical appliances. When we switch on the

Did You Know ?

If a person yelled for 8
years, 7 months and 6 days,
he or she would produce
enough energy to heat one
cup of coffee.

Inter conversions of kinetic and potential energy

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 lamps, electrical energy is converted to light and heat .
Explore
• When a ball is thrown upwards, the ball gains kinetic
energy. As the height of the ball from the ground increases, Visit a powerhouse in your
island and find out how
its kinetic energy gets transformed into potential energy.
electricity is generated
When the ball starts falling towards the ground, the speed
specifically focussing on
increases and thus some potential energy is converted into energy transfer.
kinetic energy.

Our energy needs and ways to conserve

energy
Our major energy needs in
everyday life are fulfilled by fossil
fuels. We need fossil fuels for
running our vehicles, for cooking
our food and for electricity. Our
energy needs are rising day by day.
With the increasing population and
the expanding technologies, the
sources of energy are being used
up at a very rapid rate. Moreover,
the use of fossil fuels creates many
health hazards, as harmful gases
are released on burning of fossil
fuels resulting in pollution.

The use of energy resource in a Cycling reduces the use of fossil fuel
wise and economic manner is called
conservation of energy. We should make an effort to switch
from non-renewable energy sources to renewable energy
sources. The renewable energy sources like solar power and
hydro power are environment friendly.

Using sustainable practices

Reduce personal use of energy.

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 Science and Islam

Light for the sight

Have you seen flies that emit light while they fly (fireflies)? Have you wondered how these fireflies produce those
mesmerising light flashes?

Have you seen the shining water near our beaches that looks like a mirror that reflects the sparkling stars above?

Fireflies produce a chemical reaction inside their bodies that allows them to light up. This type of light production is
called bioluminescence. Bioluminescence is the production and emission of light by a living organism as a result of
a chemical reaction during which chemical energy is converted to light energy.

The secret behind the shining water near our beaches is the presence of phytoplankton; the marine microbes that
are able to emit light and glow are bioluminescent.

Bioluminescence in fireflies is nearly 100% efficient, and a very less amount of energy is wasted during the
production of light. By contrast, an incandescent light bulb is only 10% efficient – 90% of the energy is lost as heat.
This production of light by fireflies has inspired scientists to produce brighter LEDs that are more efficient.

Sunlight cannot penetrate the deep sea. The deepest ocean waters below 1,000 metres are as black as night. But
there is some light. This light comes from the bioluminescent living organisms; this light aids the animals that reside
in deep sea. They are able to absorb light for their use. Allah (SWT) has mentioned in the Quran,

‘Or [they are] like darknesses within an unfathomable sea which is covered by waves, upon which are waves,
over which are clouds - darknesses, some of them upon others. When one puts out his hand [therein], he
can hardly see it. And he to whom Allah has not granted light - for him there is no light’ [Surah An-Nūr:40].

The advancement of science and technology has allowed us now to study the general structure of the sea and the
characteristics of the living things in it. Submarines and special equipment, developed with modern technology,
enable scientists to obtain this information.

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Self-check
The energy possessed by a moving body has kinetic energy.
The energy of a body due to its position or height is called the potential energy.
Energy can be transferred from one form to another.
Light is a form of energy and travels in straight line.
Light has the ability to bend when it enters a different medium.
When a beam of light is shone through a prism, a spectrum of colour is seen.

Activity

Unit 12.1: Potential and kinetic energy

Activity 12.1: Effect of mass on kinetic energy

Materials required:

• 2 thick books

• Flat board

• Masking tape

• 250 mL beaker

• Plastic bottle that holds about 500-600 mL, with a screw cap
• Plastic cup or margarine container

• Paper towel

• Meter stick

Procedure:

• Stack the two thick books. Place one end of the board on the stack of books to form a ramp. Tape
the ramp in place so it cannot move.

• Mark 15 cm from the bottom of the tape using a masking tape. This will be the point from which the
bottle will be released.

• Measure 100 mL of water and pour it into the bottle. Close the bottle tightly. Measure the mass and
record the value.

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 • Mark 20 cm from the base of the ramp using masking tape. Place the cup at the 20 cm mark.

• Hold the water bottle at the starting point and allow it to roll down the ramp and collide with the cup.
Measure the distance the cup moves. Record the value.

• Repeat the procedure for the same mass for four times. Calculate the average.

• Repeat the above procedure for 200 mL, 300 mL and 400 mL of water. Record the values in a data
table as shown below.

Data table

Volume of water

100 mL 200 mL 300 mL 400 mL

Mass of bottle and water (g)

-----g -------g -------g --------g

Distance moved by the cup (cm)

Trial 1

Trial 2

Trial 3

Trial 4

Average distance (cm)

Plot a line graph for the above data. The x-axis can be the distance cup moves (cm) and the y-axis can
be the mass of bottle and water (g).

What can you conclude from the above experiment?

Activity 12.2: Gravitational potential energy

Materials required:

• 8 thick books

• Flat board

• Masking tape

• Toy car

• Measuring tape

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Procedure

• Stack four thick books. Place one end of the board on the stack of books to form a ramp. Tape the
ramp in place so it cannot move. Measure the height of the ramp and record the value.

• Hold the toy car at the starting point and allow it to move down the ramp and measure the distance
the car moves. Record the value.

• Repeat the procedure for the same height for three times. Calculate the average and record it.

• Repeat the above procedure using 6 thick books and 8 thick books. Record the values in a data
table as shown below.

Data table

Height of the ramp

Distance traveled by the car 4 books ……. cm 6 books ……..cm 8 books ……….cm

Trial 1

Trial 2

Trial 3

Average distance (cm)

What can you conclude from the observation?

Unit 12.2: Light energy

Activity 12.3: Light

Materials required:

A candle, three equal-sized cardboards with holes punched

in the centre and three stands to hold the cardboards. (if
stands are not available, you can use plasticine or clay)

Procedure:

• Take three cardboards and arrange them parallel to each other on a table such that the holes of all
three are aligned in a straight line.

• Place a light candle at one of the ends of the cardboard arrangement in line with the holes.

• Try to view the candle from the other side of the three cardboards. You will be able to see the candle.

• Now displace one of the cardboard, the middle one to a side a little bit so that the holes are not
aligned.

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 • What do you see now?

• What happens when you displace one of the cardboards?

• Which property of light is proved here?

Activity 12.4: Refraction of light

Materials required:

A glass, some water and a pencil.

Procedure:

• Take a glass with water and place it on a levelled surface.

• Now place a pencil into the water.

What can you see? Why do you think this is possible?

Activity 12.5: Making a telescope

Materials required:

Two cardboard tubes of different diameter so that one can slide over the other, 2 convex lens of
different focal lengths and tape.

Procedure:

• Place one of the lens (with small focal length) to cover one of the faces of the thin cardboard
cylinder. Use the tape to fix the position.

• Fix the other convex lens onto the other cardboard in a similar manner.
• Slide the thin cardboard inside the thick cardboard such that both the lenses form the opposite faces
of the telescope.

• Look through the telescope and view distant objects by sliding the inner cardboard.

How is it different from a microscope?

Activity 12.6: Prism

Materials required:

A plane paper, a prism and a flashlight.

Procedure:

• Take a plane paper and place a prism on it.

• Now shine a flashlight on one of its surfaces.

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• The light passes through the prism.

Observe the light coming out from the other end.

What did you observe on the other end of the prism?

How many colours of light can be seen?

What is the order of the colours?

Will the order of the colour be the same in all the prisms?

What is the order of colours in a rainbow?

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 13
Invisible Forces

Overview

Force is something that causes an object to change its state of

motion. It can move a body at rest, stop a moving body, change
the direction of motion or change the speed of a body. A force
usually means either a push or a pull. We cannot see forces,
but we can feel their effect. We have seen that all the objects
fall down to the Earth. This is because there is a force that pulls
all the objects towards Earth. This force is gravity.

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 Units

13.1: Magnets
13.2: Gravity

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 13.1: Magnets

Properties of magnets
You will learn
A magnet is a material that has a property of attracting
Magnetic field magnetic materials towards itself. The interesting thing is that
Earth as a magnet all the magnets have two poles, namely the North Pole and
the South Pole. Even if we break a magnet into smaller parts,
we will always end up having two poles.

Irrespective of their shapes and sizes, a freely suspended

magnet will always align itself in the North-South direction.
The North Pole of the magnet got its name as it aligns itself
towards the geographical north pole of the Earth and the
same is with the South Pole. This directional property of
magnets is used for making the magnetic compass.

Moreover, the like poles of a magnet exert a force of repulsion

towards each other, whereas the unlike poles of magnets
attract each other.
F F

A magnet attracts magnetic

material

F F

Explore
Stroke an iron bar with F F
the South Pole of the bar
magnet instead of the
North Pole. Find out the
difference.
F F

Like poles attract and unlike poles

repel each other

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Magnetic field
The area around any magnet where its force of attraction
or repulsion can be felt is known as the magnetic field. This
force of attraction or repulsion exerted by a magnet on other
substances lying close is known as magnetic force. The
magnetic field around a magnet has a particular pattern and a
direction. Do Activity 13.1 The magnetic field around a bar
magnet

The Earth’s magnetic field

The directional alignment of a bar magnet in a North-South Do Activities 13.1 & 13.2
direction is only possible because the Earth is itself a giant
magnet. The magnetic force of the Earth aligns a bar magnet
in a particular direction.

The core of the Earth is made up of solid iron and is

surrounded by liquid iron. As the Earth spins about its axis,
the liquid inside the Earth also moves. This is said that due
to the motion of this molten iron inside the Earth, a magnetic
field is generated. This is how Earth acts as a giant bar
magnet.

North
Do Activities 13.3
Magnetic Geographic
Pole North Pole
11.5°

Did You Know ?

The Sun has its own
Geographic South magnetic field just like the
South Pole Magnetic
Pole Earth.

Earth’s magnetic field

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 13.2: Gravity

You will learn Why do all the things fall onto the
ground but not go up?

Force of gravity
This is because the Earth pulls
Difference between everything towards it by an invisible
mass and weight force. This invisible force is called
gravity.

Force of gravity
You must have noticed that all the things fall down to the
ground, the apples from a tree, a ball or a stone thrown
upwards. If you jump, you will come down to the ground. This
is because the Earth attracts everything towards itself by a
force called gravity. The huge force of gravity exerted by the
Earth on everything is due to the fact that the mass of the
Earth is very large in comparison to everything else on it.

Did You Know ?

English scientist and
physicist Sir Isaac Newton
discovered gravity when
he observed an apple
falling from the tree.
He pondered about the Everything is attracted towards Earth
forces behind the apple
The weight of an object will depend on the force of gravity
that made it fall onto the
ground? The unit of force acting upon it. For example, the larger the mass of a body,
is named after him. the greater the gravitational pull on it. All the planets in this
universe have their own force of gravity, which varies in
accordance to their masses.

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The force of gravity is measured in Newton (N). The value of
the force of gravity on 1 kilogram of mass on Earth is 9.8N.
Explore
The force of gravity is measured by a spring balance. How would one be able to
Do Activity 13.4 walk on the Moon as the
force of gravity is less on the
Moon?
Mass and weight
Mass and weight are two different physical quantities. Mass
is the amount of matter contained in an object. Weight of
a person is known to be the measure of the pull of gravity
acting on the person. The mass of a person is measured in
kilograms (kg), whereas the weight of a person is measured
in Newton (N), since it is a force exerted by the Earth towards
itself.

The mass of a person at rest remains the same everywhere in

this universe, but the weight of the person keeps changing as
per the force of gravity exerted.

Instruments used to measure mass

The gravity on Moon 68N 11.3N

The mass of the Moon is less in comparison to the

Earth. This means that the force of gravity on the
Moon is weaker than that on Earth. In fact, the force
of gravity of the Moon is 1/6th of that on the Earth.
This means that a person will weigh only 1/6th of his
weight on Earth when on Moon. It is the gravitational
force between the Earth and the Moon that keeps
the Moon in its orbit revolving around the Earth.

Earth Moon

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 Science and Islam

Magnets and magnetic field – Another endless blessing!

You surely know a lot about magnets and its properties. Don’t you? Our lives are heavily dependent on magnets.
Many devices that we use in daily life have magnets in them. Some such examples are:

• Information technology industry use magnets in a wide variety of equipment such as computers and
electronics.
• Transport industries use magnets widely such as in cranes and trains etc.
• Health and medical field, magnets are commonly used in medical equipment such as X-rays and MRI
machines and many more.
Apart from this, the most striking thing is that the Earth behaves as if there is a giant bar magnet running through
its middle from pole to pole. The Earth behaving like a magnet and the existence of Earth’s magnetic field plays a
huge role in protecting us from grave danger. The Earth’s magnetic field extends thousands of kilometres (miles)
outward into space. The field forms a gigantic magnetic ‘bubble’ in space around the Earth. This magnetic bubble
is called the magnetosphere.

This traps electrically charged particles and so protects the Earth from the solar wind – the deadly stream of
charged particles hurtling from the Sun.

Allah (SWT) has provided the Earth’s cover with such astounding ability to repel the deadly solar attack. Scientists
say if it was not for the presence of this field in this area, life would have disappeared on Earth! This magnetic
field, which we do not feel, is a great blessing. Allah (SWT) has informed us about it even before scientists came
to know about it.

In Quran it is mentioned,

‘And We made the sky a protected ceiling, but they, from its signs, are turning away’ [Surah Al Anbiya
21:32].

As you would already know that the atmosphere surrounding the Earth consists of seven layers. Each layer
serves an important purpose for the benefit of life on Earth. The magnetosphere acts as a shield that protects us
from solar storms.

Researchers and Scientists are continuously studying wonders of Allah (SWT) creations. NASA has very recently
(12 March 2015) launched four new spacecrafts to study a phenomenon known as the magnetic reconnection.
The spacecrafts are called the Magnetosphere Multi Scale (MMS). The mission will provide the researchers with
the first 3D views of reconnection occurring in the Earth’s magnetosphere.

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Self-check
 A magnet is a material that has a property of attracting magnetic materials towards itself.

 A freely suspended magnet always comes to rest in a North-South direction.

 The Earth is itself a giant magnet.

 The Earth attracts everything towards itself by a force called gravity.

 Weight is the force of gravity on a person by the Earth. It is measured in Newton.

 The force of gravity of the Moon is 1/6th of that on the Earth.

Activity

Unit 13.1: Magnets

Activity 13.1: Testing magnetic fields of different magnets

Materials required:

A strong bar magnet, a horse shoe magnet, a round magnet, a white sheet of paper and some iron
filings.

Procedure:

• Take a white sheet of paper and place the bar magnet over it.

• Trace down the position of the bar magnet.

• Now sprinkle some iron filings on the paper and wait for some time and observe. Make a sketch of
what you see.

• Now replace the bar magnet with some other magnet and repeat the steps.

Why do the iron filings gather near the poles?

Which pole is stronger: North or South?

Place one more bar magnet in line with the previous one at some distance. What will happen to iron
filings when the South Pole of the first magnet faces the North Pole of the second magnet?

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 Activity 13.2: Finding the direction of magnetic field

Materials required:

A strong bar magnet, a white sheet of paper, a magnetic compass and a pencil.

Procedure:

• Take a white sheet of paper and place the bar magnet over.
• Draw the outline of the magnet and mark the North and the South Poles.

• Keep a compass near the North Pole of the bar magnet. What do you observe?

• Note down the direction towards which the north of the compass point. Mark the position with a
pencil.

• Next place the compass on the position marked.

• Again, the North pole of the compass points towards some direction. Trace it down.

• Repeat the above steps, till you reach the South Pole of the bar magnet.

Join all the dots and draw a smooth line

In which direction does the smooth line points?

Does the line have any discontinuity?

• Do the same for a horseshoe magnet. Draw the trace.

Activity 13.3: Magnetising an iron bar

Materials required:

A strong bar magnet and an iron bar.

Procedure:

• Take a bar magnet and a piece of flat iron bar, say AB.

• Now choose any pole of the bar magnet, say the North Pole.

• Strike the North Pole of the bar magnet along the length AB of the iron bar moving from A to B
always.

• Repeat this 10 to 12 times.

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Test the magnetic properties of the iron bar using some iron fillings.

magnet

A B

Iron bar

• Can you test which end of the iron bar will represent North Pole and which one is the South Pole?
Find out using a compass.

Unit 13.2: Gravity

Activity 13.4: The mass effect

Materials required:

A small piece of paper, a ball and a timer.

Procedure:

• Take a piece of paper in one hand and the ball in the other.

• Tell your friend to start the stopwatch or timer and note down the total time taken by both the items to
reach the ground.

• Drop both the items and observe.

Which item reaches the ground first?

Why is it so?

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 14
Simple Machines

Overview

Simple machines are tools that make work easier.

Machines use energy to make our work easy by
letting us use less mechanical effort to move an
object. Simple machines make work easier for us by
allowing us to push or pull over increased distances.
Simple machines give us an advantage by allowing
us to change the amount, speed or direction of
forces. They allow us to use a smaller force to
overcome a larger force.

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 Units

14.1: Types of Machines

14.2: Uses of Levers

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 14.1: Types of Machines

Simple machines
You will learn
A machine is a device that makes our work much easier,
Simple machines and faster and more efficient. A simple machine is a device that
its use we use in our day-to-day life to make our work easy. A simple
machine helps either by reducing the effort or by changing the
direction of the applied force.

There are six different types of simple machines:

• levers • pulley • inclined planes

• screw • wheel and axle • wedge

Levers
Levers are the most basic of all the simple machines. Like
all the machines, levers are used to reduce the effort and
magnify the force applied. Examples of levers that are used in
Levers used in our everyday life our daily life are scissors, brooms, see-saws, tongs, trolleys,
pliers, bottle openers etc. Do Activity 14.1

Inclined plane

Did You Know ? An inclined plane is a slanting surface or a slope that

connects a lower level surface to a higher level surface. It is
The wheel is the greatest
very useful in moving heavy objects to a higher level.
invention of all times.

Some uses of inclined plane

Do Activity 14.2
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Pulley
A pulley is a simple machine that comprises of a rope moving
around a wheel. Pulleys make work easier by changing the
direction of the force applied.

Wheel and axle

It is a simple machine that
comprises of a wheel free
to rotate on an axle. An axle
is a small rod with a circular
cross section. So, it is an
arrangement where a larger
wheel rotates about a smaller
Wheel and axle in use
wheel at its centre. A smaller
input force multiplies the output force. Some of the common
examples of wheel and axle are steering wheel of vehicles,
screwdrivers, pencil sharpeners, door knobs etc.

Screw
A screw is formed by wrapping an
inclined plane onto a plane rod.
Thus, it is a piece of iron rod with
spiral turns on it. These spiral
windings on a screw are called the
threads. It is generally used to hold
Pulleys in use
things together. Different types of screw

Do Activity 14.3
Wedge
A wedge is a simple machine that is formed by one inclined
plane or by joining two inclined planes back to back. The Explore
sharp edge of the wedge is used to cut materials. A wedge List and categorise the simple
is used to amplify the force and change the direction machines used at home and
of the force. Some of the examples of wedges are axe, school.
doorstoppers, razors and kinves etc.

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 14.2: Uses of Levers

Uses of levers
You will learn
The use of levers minimise one’s effort. For example, if a
Parts of the levers person has to move a massive rock, it will be very difficult to
First and second lift it up and move it. The other way is by using a thick wooden
class levers rod and keeping a support below the rod, just as shown in the
figure. Here, the small stone gives support to move a heavy
rock with less force.

Principle of the lever

The three main components of a lever are:

• Effort (E): It is the force that a user applies on the lever.

Use of a simple lever
• Load (L): It is the weight of the body on which the work is to
be done.
m
rt ar
Effo tance)
rt dis • Fulcrum (F): It is the fixed point about which the lever
(effo
arm
Load tance)
d dis
moves freely to do the required work.
( lo a

There are three components, the load, the fulcrum and the
Effort effort, as shown in the figure. The distance of the load from
Load Fulcrum the fulcrum is called the load arm or the load distance. The
Components of a lever distance of the effort from the fulcrum is the effort arm.

The longer the rod, the easier it is to move the object. By

placing the fulcrum near the load, the effort applied gets
reduced.

Depending on the relative positioning of E, L and F, the levers

are categorised as Class I levers and Class II levers.

Class I lever
Class I lever, the fulcrum is placed between the load and the
effort. Here, the load and the effort are on the extreme ends
of the rod or the lever. Some of the examples of Class I levers
are see-saw, scissors, pliers, beam balances etc.
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The mechanical advantage can be changed by moving the
fulcrum near the load. In this type of lever, the direction in
Explore
which the effort is applied is opposite to the direction in which Explain why nail clipper is
the load moves. Thus, it changes the direction of the force. considered as a lever.

Effort

Load

Fulcrum of
Pivot Point

Did You Know ?

Orangutan monkeys make
use of sticks as levers to
extract food from wood
cracks.

Class I levers

Class II lever
Class II lever, the load is placed between the fulcrum and the
effort. Here, the fulcrum and the effort are on the extreme Do Activity 14.4
ends of the rod or the lever. Some of the examples of Class II
levers are wheelbarrows, bottle openers, staplers, nutcrackers
etc. Unlike the first class lever, here the effort and the load
both go in the same direction.
Thinking critically
and creatively
Load
Show curiosity
Fulcrum of towards new ideas and
Pivot Point Effort creation.
Class II levers

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 Science and Islam

Machines in nature

Moving huge steel beams, digging up land for various purposes, building 100-story skyscrapers are examples of
incredible things that we are able to do. What makes these things possible?

The answer to each of these questions is ‘using simple machines’. Every day we use machines without even
thinking about it. Machines allow us to do incredible things making our work easier.

Many parts of human and animal bodies function on the principle of levers. For example, the ways our arms legs,
jaws and elbows work represent perfect machines in action.

Some of the examples of nature’s machines include

• The kingfisher’s wedge-shaped beak and head enters the water without a splash, increasing the chances of a
successful hunt.

• Planthopper’s small gears in their hind legs have wheel and axle. It allows the planthopper to propel itself
faster and further and in a straighter path to escape danger.

It is important to ponder and reflect on the creation of our body and that of other animals to see the greatness,
power, wisdom of Allah (SWT) as we are perfect creations of Allah (SWT).

‘And on the earth are signs for the certain [in faith]. And in yourselves. Then will you not see?’ [Surah
Adh-Dhariyat: 20-21].

Engineers are now studying the simple machines and complex systems for new ideas as they have found
inspiration in nature’s designs.

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Self-check
A simple machine is a device that we use in our day-to-day life to make our work easy.
There are six different types of simple machines; levers, inclined planes, wheel and
axles, pulleys, screws and wedges.
A pulley is a simple machine that comprises of a rope moving around a wheel.
A screw is formed by wrapping an inclined plane onto a plane rod.
A wedge is a simple machine that is formed by one inclined plane or by joining two
inclined planes back to back.
A lever is a rigid rod or a plank that can move freely on a fixed support called the fulcrum.
A lever has three components, the load, fulcrum and the effort.
Class I lever: the fulcrum is placed between the load and the effort.
Class II lever: the load and the effort are on the same side of the fulcrum, with the load
nearer the fulcrum.

Activity

Unit 14:1 Types of machines

Activity 14.1: Levers

Materials required:
• Wooden ruler

• Objects to lift

• Tape

• Can or toilet paper roll

Procedure:

• Make a lever out of the given materials.

• Try lifting objects.

Explore the relationship of the fulcrum to the load. Hint: change the position of the fulcrum, closer and
away from the load.

What can you conclude from this?

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 Activity 14.2: Inclined plane

Materials required:

Two boards of varying lengths, string, rubber bands, ruler and heavy books.

Procedure:

Make inclined planes with boards varying the slope of the board. Put the rubber bands around the
book. Tie the string to the rubber bands and pull the book up the different inclined planes.

Which slope took more work to move the book? Explain.

Activity 14.3: Pulleys

Materials required:
• Sewing spool
• String

• Pencil

• Object to lift

Procedure:

Make a pulley with a sewing spool, string and a pencil. Try lifting an object. Compare the lifting of the
object with the pulley and without the pulley.

Which one was easier to lift? Explain.

Unit 14.2: Uses of Levers

Activity 14.4: Levers at work

Investigate how the length of the load and the effort arm has an effect on the working of a lever.

Materials required:

30 cm ruler, a pencil (as fulcrum), 2 paper cups, a marker and few coins.

Procedure:

• Keep the pencil on the table as shown in the figure and paste it with a tape.

• Take two paper cups and label it as load and effort.

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• Take a 30 cm ruler and attach two paper cups at each ends with a tape.

• Now keep the 15 cm mark (midway) of the ruler over it.

• Now balance the cups by putting some coins in each.

• Note your observations in the table provided.

load
Mechanical advantage = ______
effort

Effort arm Load arm Number of coins in Number of coins in

the load cup the effort cup

15 cm 15 cm 1

..... ......

..... .......

..... .......

In which of the cases the effort applied was the least?

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 15
Matter and Materials

Overview

Our world is made up of many different things and

there are number of changes taking place around us.
There are a variety of materials that are useful to us in
our day-to-day life, such as water, ice, air, metals and
non-metals. All these are matter. Matter is anything
that has mass and occupies space.
The particles in substances are arranged in different
manner. In solids particles are arranged tightly while
in liquids, they are far apart. The state can change in
certain conditions.

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 Units

15.1: Matter and States of Matter

15.2: Changes in Materials

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 15.1: Matter and States of Matter

Matter
You will learn
Matter is defined as anything that has mass and takes up
States of matter space. Matter is found in three major states: solid, liquid and
Properties of solids, gas.
liquids and gases All matter is made up of atoms. Atoms are the smallest
particle of matter. They are so small that you cannot see them
with your eyes or even with a standard microscope.

Solids
Matter that is composed of atoms packed tightly together are
known as solids. The atoms of solids are closely packed and
arranged in a regular geometry. Due to this, solids have a
fixed shape, size and volume.
Solids have a definite shape
Liquids
Most abundant liquid present on Earth is water. Apart from
it, substances like mercury, oil, milk etc. are liquids at room
temperature. The separation between the particles of a liquid
is more than that in solids. The particles of a liquid are loosely
packed. This is the reason liquids do not have a fixed shape,
but they have a fixed volume. They can take up the shape
Liquids take up the shape of the
of any container in which they are poured. This gives liquids
container
mobility, meaning that they can flow easily.
Do Activity 15.1
Gases
Gases do not have any shape, size or even fixed volume.
They completely fill the container in which they are stored. In
gases the inter atomic distance between the particles is very
large and hence the force of attraction between the particles
Gases fill their containers and they
is small.
occupy far more space than solids
or liquids
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Based on the arrangement of particles in matter, differences
amongst the three states of matter are explained below. Did You Know ?
SOLIDS LIQUIDS GASES Solid carbon dioxide is
known as ‘dry ice’ and can
Particles are very Particles are change from solid to a gas
Particles are far
close to each close to each at room temperature.
apart
other other

Move in any
Particles can
Move around random directions
vibrate about their
each other away from each
position
other

Do Activity 15.2

Matter occupies space and has some

mass
All kinds of matter whether solids, liquids or gases occupy
space and have some mass. We know the tables, chairs,
boxes etc. all are solids and occupy a definite space.

Explore
Pretend that you are
particles. Discuss and do
a role play to show the
arrangement of particles in
solids, liquids and gases.

States of matter

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 15.2: Changes in Materials

Properties of materials
You will learn
Different substances, solids, liquids and gases have different
Properties of properties that decide their applications. Appearance,
materials such as hardness, flexibility and strength are some of the properties.
biodegradability and
solubility Biodegradable and non-biodegradable
Physical and chemical substances
changes of materials
All the things around us, the living and non-living, can be
grouped into two categories, namely biodegradable and non-
biodegradable items.

Biodegradable substances are those that can be easily

decayed by bacteria and other microorganisms present in
nature, for example plants, animals, cotton etc. On the other
hand, non-biodegradable substances are those which cannot
Biodegradable substances
be decomposed into organic waste by microorganisms, for
example glass, plastic and steel.

Non-biodegradable substances

Explore Biodegradable waste is mainly organic and therefore they are

used to make compost
Sugar is soluble in water.
Find out whether sugar is Solubility
soluble in other substances
such as oil.
A substance is soluble if it dissolves in a fluid. The fluid
(present in excess) is called the solvent and the substance
dissolved in it is called the solute which together form a
solution.
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Changes in materials
All materials change when subject to various conditions.
These changes can be categorised into physical and chemical
changes.

Physical changes
The shape of the iron bar changes
as it is heated and hit by the
The appearance of the object, the size, shape, colour or
hammer
physical state may change. This means no new substance
is created in a physical change. The basic composition of
the substance remains the same. This change is generally
reversible in nature.

Some of the examples of physical change are:

• Freezing of water: When we freeze water, the basic

When glass breaks, no new
composition of it remains the same only the physical state substance is formed
changes from liquid to solid.

• Breaking of glass: The size of the glass changes as it

breaks into pieces. No new substance is created.

• Boiling of water: The state of water changes from liquid to

a gas (water vapour).

Melting ice is a physical change

Did You Know ?

Tungsten, which melts
at 6,129°F (3,387°C),
is the material with the
highest known melting
temperature.

Evaporation

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 Chemical changes
Any change in matter that results in the formation of a new
substance is known a chemical change. The new substance
thus formed in the process has properties different from the
parent substance. The chemical composition of the substance
is altered. Chemical changes are generally irreversible in
nature. Some of the chemical changes are not visible to us,
like photosynthesis that takes place in plants.

Some of the chemical changes are:

Rusting of iron, is a chemical change
•  usting of iron: When iron comes in contact with the
R
air, it forms an oxide of iron, which is a flaky reddish
brown coating.

•  urning of wood: When the wood burns, it leaves

B
behind ashes.

Frying an egg changes the property of egg and this is

a chemical change

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• Formation of cheese: When the milk is processed to Do Activity 15.3
get cheese, the milk cannot be recovered back.

The change from raw cookie dough to baked cookie is an example of chemical change

Cooking of food changes the property of the food substance Exploding of fireworks is a
and it is a chemical change chemical change

Thinking critically and creatively

Do Activity 15.4
Apply a range of questions in order to use acquired
knowledge in a novel situation.

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 Science and Islam

Gecko’s foot – breath-taking technology

You might have heard or watched the movie, Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol. What was the most striking
thing that you have noticed in the movie? In that movie, Tom Cruise climbs the exterior of the world’s tallest
building, Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, using nothing more than a pair of gloves. Do you think it is possible to do that?
Interestingly, some animals have the ability to do so.

The remarkable ability of geckos to resist gravity by scaling walls and ceilings effortlessly has fascinated scientists
for over a hundred years. Some of the amazing features of this animal include:

• The special technology in its feet that allows it to climb up any surface including smooth walls and cling to the
ceilings with ease.

• The adhesive property of the gecko’s feet is able to bear 50 times of its own weight.

The gecko is just one of the hundreds of millions of life forms in the world. Allah (SWT) asks believers to reflect on
Allah’s creations:

‘..... those who remember Allah, standing, sitting and lying on their sides, and reflect on the creation
of the heavens and the earth: ‘Our Lord, You have not created this for nothing. Glory be to You! So
safeguard us from the punishment of the Fire’ [Surah Aal-e-Imran: 191].

The gecko is one of the glorious life forms brought into being by Allah (SWT) for us to reflect upon His creation.

For years, science has been researching this ‘sticky’ technology that the gecko has been flawlessly using and
every new study reveals new details and marvels.

U.S. Department of Defense has developed a set of sticky handheld paddles that could help soldiers to climb up
walls. The paddles are inspired by gecko feet, and during a climbing demonstration, they supported a 99 kg man
carrying a 23 kg pack while he scaled a 25-foot-high (7.6 metres) glass wall.

These creatures could be dismissed as being no more than a nuisance, but reflecting on their unique features
does have an amazing effect on one’s Iman! Isn’t it?

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Self-check
 Biodegradable substances are those that can be easily decayed by bacteria and other
microorganisms present in nature.

 Non-biodegradable substances are those that cannot be decomposed into organic

waste by microorganisms.

 Matter can change and these changes can be categorised into physical and chemical
changes.

 A physical change in a substance doe not change the chemical substance.

 Chemical change is any change that results in the formation of new substances.
 In solids, particles are tightly packed, in liquids particles are loosely arranged and in
gases, thery are free to move.

Activity

Unit: 15.1: Matter and states of matter

Activity 15.1: Measuring volume

Materials required:

250 mL measuring cylinder, pack of plasticine and string.

Procedure:

• Take 100 mL of water in the measuring cylinder and record the volume.
• Tie a piece of plasticine onto string and lower it down to the measuring cylinder. Record the volume
of water, volume of water and plasticine and volume of plasticine in a table.

• Remove the plasticine from the cylinder (without spilling the water) remold it into a different shape.

• Lower the plasticine into the measuring cylinder again and measure the volume and record it.
Record the volume of water, volume of water and plasticine and volume of remolded plasticine in a
table.

Write down your observation.

What can you conclude from this?

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 Activity 15.2: Volume of liquids

Materials required:

Syringe, 10 mL of water.

syringe

finger

finger

5 mL plunger
of water

Procedure:
• Take 5 mL of water using the syringe.

• Place a finger at the end of the nozzle to cover its opening.

• Try to push the plunger in.

What did you observe? Explain.

Observe and explain:

What do you think will happen if the water in the syringe is being replaced by another liquid such as oil?

Unit 15.2: Changes in Materials

Activity 15.3: Measuring temperature

Materials required:

A beaker water, a wire gauze, tripod stand, sugar, weighing scale, burner, stirrer, gloves and goggles.

Wear gloves and goggles whenever using the burner in the lab.

Procedure:

• Place a beaker and fill it with 250 mL of water.

• Try dissolving two table spoons of sugar in it. Write down

your observation.

• Now try dissolving two more tablespoons of sugar in the

same solution. Write down your observation.

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• Now warm the beaker using a burner.

• Try dissolving more sugar.

• Record the observations.

Temperature of water
Amount of sugar
Room temp 35°C 50°C

2 tsp

4 tsp

6 tsp

What happens when you increase the temperature of water?

Activity 15.4: Solubility

Materials required:

• M&M or any sort of coloured smarties

• Plate

• Water

Procedure:

• Pour water into a white plastic or foam plate so that it covers the bottom of the entire plate. Once the
water has settled, place one M&M in the centre of the plate. Be careful to keep the water and M&M
as still as possible. Observe for a minute. Record your observations.

• Design your own investigation, discuss with your teacher and carry it out.

• In designing your investigation, you may think about one of the following aspects:

• colour of M&Ms,

• number of M&Ms that can dissolve in the plate,

• effect of temperature of the water on solubility,

• type of liquid used.

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 16
Elements, Compounds
& Mixtures

Overview

All materials are made up of matter. One way that

scientists classify matter is by its composition. All
matter can be classified as mixtures, elements
and compounds. Elements are made up of atoms,
the smallest particle that has the properties of
the element. Two or more different elements join
together chemically to form compounds. When two
or more substances are mixed physically a mixture is
formed.

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 Unit

16.1: Mixtures and Separating Mixtures

16.2: Distillation and Chromatography
16.3: Elements and Compounds

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 16.1: Mixtures and Separating Mixtures

Mixtures
You will learn
When two or more materials combine, a mixture is formed.
Mixtures and There are two categories of mixtures: homogeneous mixtures
separating mixtures and heterogeneous mixtures.

A homogeneous mixture is a mixture where the components

that make up the mixture are uniformly distributed throughout
the mixture. The composition of the mixture is the same
throughout.

Homogeneous mixture

A heterogeneous mixture is a mixture where the components

of the mixture are not uniform or have localised regions with
different properties. Different samples from the mixture are
not identical to each other.

Different components of a heterogeneous mixture

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Separating mixtures
All substances contain some undesirable substances in them,
Did You Know ?
which have to be removed by purification. Purification is to Winnowing was used
separate the desired material in its pure form from unwanted in ancient cultures to
separate the grain from
material or impurities.
the chaff. The mixture was
The separation of the various constituents of different thrown into the air and the
mixtures depend on the properties of the constituents, like wind would blow away the
size, density, magnetic nature of particles, solubility and lighter chaff, leaving the
miscibility. In mixtures the different substances can be easily heavier grain.

separated. The method used depends upon the type of

mixture you have. Some of the separating techniques include
filtration, evaporation, distillation and chromatography.

Explore
Find and discuss how sugar
is extracted from sugar cane.

Decanting tea leaves from tea

Thinking critically
and creatively

Hypothesise and
experiment with ideas to
find answers to questions.

Small stones present in rice are removed by

winnowing
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 16.2: Distillation and Chromatography

Simple distillation
You will learn
Simple distillation is a method used for separating the solvent
Simple distillation and from a solution. For example, water can be separated from
chromatography salt solution by simple distillation. This method works because
water has a lower boiling point than salt.

When the solution is heated, the water evaporates. The water

vapour is then cooled and condensed. It is then collected into
a separate container. The salt does not evaporate and so it
stays behind.

Thermometer

Water out
Condenser

Did You Know ?

Kidneys filter our blood
Seawater Water in
and help to get rid of
waste products from our
body.
Heat Pure water

The vapour produced passes into the condenser where it is cooled and
condensed to a liquid. The pure liquid (distillate) is collected in a beaker

Distillation process involves:

• heating a liquid to its boiling point,

• formation of vapour,

• transferring the vapour into the condenser,

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• condensing the vapour by cooling it,
Explore
• collecting the condensed liquid in a container.
Find whether black ink is
Simple distillation is used for water purification and in the made of only black colour?
production of perfume and extraction of essential oils from
flowers and herbs.

Chromatography
In chromatography, substances are separated as they travel
in a mobile phase which passes through a stationary phase.
Different substances travel at different speeds, so some move
further than others in a given time. The stationary phase is
paper. The mobile phase may either be a water-based liquid
or an organic solvent.

Mixtures that are suitable

for separation by paper
chromatography include inks,
dyes and colouring agents in
food. Solvent front

Chromatography is used by

• Pharmaceutical Separated
dyes
companies to determine 10
the amount of each
chemical found in a new
product, Filter paper 4

• Hospitals to detect blood

Ink spots
sugar or alcohol levels in
blood,
Solvent
• Law enforcement to
compare a sample found
at a crime scene to
samples from suspects,
Do Activity 16.1
• Environment agencies to determine the level of pollutants,

• Manufacturing plants to purify a chemical needed to make

a product.

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 16.3: Elements and Compounds

Elements
You will learn
An element is a substance that is made up of only one kind
Elements and of atoms. There are over 100 different elements. Each has its
compounds own kind of atoms. Around 90 elements have been found in
nature. Some examples of elements include:

Carbon
Coal, charcoal and even the ‘lead’ in pencils are all made
from the element carbon.

Sulphur
Coal Yellow crystals of sulphur are often found in rocks around
volcanoes. It is used in making rubber hard and making
medicines.

Copper
Copper is usually found in
nature in association with
sulphur. Copper is a good
Volcanic rock conductor of heat and
electricity. Copper wire

Gold
Explore Gold is a highly valued
element. It is sometimes found
Find out and discuss
free in nature, but it is usually
the different compounds
present in various toiletries / found in conjunction with
cosmetics that you use. other materials such as silver,
quartz, lead, zinc and copper.
Gold

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Materials can be divided into pure substances and mixed
substances. A pure substance is a sample of matter that
can be either a single compound or an element that has
Did You Know ?
Both diamond and
definite chemical and physical properties. Examples of pure
graphite are made of
substances include tin, sulfur, diamond, water, pure sugar only carbon atoms. But
(sucrose), table salt (sodium chloride) and baking soda diamond is very hard and
(sodium bicarbonate). transparent while graphite
is black and soft.

Salt

Pure substances can be divided into elements and

compounds.

Compounds
Compounds are formed when different elements join together
chemically. For example, hydrogen and oxygen are elements.
They react together to form water, which is a compound. Some
examples of compounds include salt, sugar, vinegar etc.

The properties of compounds are usually very different from Do Activities 16.2 & 16.3
the properties of the elements they contain. For example,
hydrogen and oxygen are both gases at room temperature,
but water is a liquid.

Iron + Sulfur Iron Sulfide

Iron and sulphur (iron and sulphur are the elements) react to form iron sulphide (compound)

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 Science and Islam

Iron – Sent down from Heaven!

Have you ever heard that in the early days iron was 5 times more expensive than gold and was first used
as ornaments? However, iron is now one of the cheapest and one of the most abundant of all metals. Iron is
considered one of the most important metals in human history. Some areas where it is used are:

• The construction industry: Buildings, bridges, skyscrapers, and other types of construction would not be
complete if it does not include iron in its framework.

• The transport system: The Automobiles, aircrafts, ships, heavy carriers and heavy machineries need iron for its
completion.

In addition to this, iron helps to keep plants and animals alive. Iron plays a vital role in the creation of chlorophyll
in plants and is an essential part of haemoglobin, the substance that carries oxygen within red blood cells in
humans.

Iron continues to be an extremely important material in the modern era. In Quran it is mentioned that,

‘And We also sent down iron in which there lies great force and which has many uses for mankind’
[Surah al-Hadid: 25].

Just sit back for a while, close your eyes and think about this verse. What comes to your mind? How do you feel?
Certainly, we are blessed to be Muslims and follow the religion of Allah (SWT). The Quran teaches the signs and
proofs of Allah’s (SWT) wisdom, power and existence.

Scientists today tell us that iron is an extra-terrestrial metal, which is confirmed in the verse if you take it literally,
that iron has been sent down from the Heaven.

In a study published in 2013 in the Journal of Archeological Science, researchers examined ancient Egyptian iron
beads that date back to around 3200 bc and found that they were made from iron meteorites.

Intellectual knowledge, practical guidance and spiritual wisdom come from Islam. Isn’t it?

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Self-check
Pure substances can either be a single compound or an element that has definite
chemical and physical properties.
Pure substances can be divided into elements and compounds.
Elements contain only one kind of atoms.
Compounds can be divided into its original components only through chemical reactions
and not by any physical means.
Mixtures contain two or more substances physically mixed together.
Distillation is a method for separating the solvent from a solution.
Chromatography is a separation technique used to separate and identify the
components of a mixture.

Activity

Unit 16.2: Distillation and chromatopraghy

Activity 16.1: Smartie chromatography

Materials required:

Sweets (Smarties, M&Ms or Skittles), filter paper (serviette), some salty water, scissors, beaker, pencil
and paint brush.

Procedure:

• Cut the filter paper into a rectangle.

• Draw a line using a pencil about 1 cm above the

bottom of the filter paper.

• Add water and salt in a beaker and dissolve. Ruler

• Wet the sweet using the paintbrush and transfer the

dye to the line you drew on the paper. Repeat until
the sweet goes white.

• Attach the paper on a ruler and dip the paper into Barely
Touching
the beaker (do not dip above your line) of salty water
and observe.

• Repeat using different coloured sweets.

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 Write down your observation.

Try using markers or different food colourings in exactly the same way, to explore more. Which colours
contain the most dyes?

Unit 16.3: Elements and compounds

Activity 16.2: Sorting elements, compounds and mixtures

Materials required:

Tea, water, soft drink, laundry detergent, salt, milk, sand, aluminium foil, stainless steel spoon, glass,
glucose, cologne, iron nails and copper wire.

Procedure:

• Observe the materials provided.

• Classify the materials into elements, compounds and mixtures.

• Give reasons for your choice.

Activity 16.3: Elements, compounds and mixtures

Materials required:

Aluminium foil, rice grains with iron filings in it, orange juice with pulp, sand in water, vinegar, black ink,
salt water and sand.

Procedure:

Identify the category of matter,

• Is it a pure substance? If so, then is it an element or is it a compound?

• Is it a mixture? If so, then is it a heterogeneous mixture or homogeneous mixture?

• Write down the criteria used for the categorisation schemes.

Devise a separation strategy for any one mixture from the list.

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