NCERT Revision Notes for Class 5 EVS Chapter 10: Earth — Our Shared Home – Free PDF Download

Chapter 10 of Class 5 EVS (Our Wondrous World), Earth — Our Shared Home, looks at our planet as a shared home for all living things – its land and water, its layers, the resources it provides, and the responsibility everyone shares in protecting it.

Key Concepts

Earth’s Surface: Land and Water

Earth’s surface is made up of land and water, with water covering roughly 71 percent of the surface and land making up about 29 percent – which is why Earth is sometimes called the “blue planet” when seen from space. The major landmasses are divided into seven continents (Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia), and the water bodies are divided into five major oceans (Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern, and Arctic).

Layers of the Earth

Earth is made up of several layers: the crust (the thin, outermost solid layer we live on), the mantle (a thick layer of hot, semi-solid rock beneath the crust), the outer core (made of liquid metal, mainly iron and nickel), and the inner core (a solid metal ball at the very centre, under extreme pressure and heat).

Natural Resources

Earth provides many natural resources that support life: air to breathe, water for drinking and farming, soil for growing crops, forests for timber and biodiversity, and minerals and fuels found underground. Some resources, like sunlight and air, are renewable and constantly available, while others, like minerals and fossil fuels, are limited and non-renewable, taking a very long time to form.

Biodiversity

Biodiversity refers to the enormous variety of living things – plants, animals, and microorganisms – found on Earth, across different habitats like forests, deserts, oceans, and mountains. This variety keeps ecosystems balanced and resilient, and losing biodiversity, such as when a species becomes extinct, can disrupt entire food chains and ecosystems.

Human Impact on Earth

Human activities such as deforestation, pollution (of air, water, and soil), overuse of natural resources, and improper waste disposal can seriously damage Earth’s environment. These impacts affect not just wildlife and ecosystems but also human health, water and food supplies, and long-term availability of resources for future generations.

Conserving Our Shared Home

Protecting Earth’s resources requires collective effort: planting trees, reducing waste and pollution, conserving water, using renewable energy where possible, and protecting wildlife habitats through sanctuaries and responsible behaviour. Since Earth is the only known home for all living things, its resources and ecosystems need to be used responsibly so they remain available for the future.

Quick Recap

• Water covers about 71 percent of Earth’s surface, with the rest made up of land divided into seven continents.
• Earth has four main layers: the crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core.
• Natural resources include renewable ones like air, sunlight, and water, and non-renewable ones like minerals and fossil fuels.
• Biodiversity refers to the vast variety of living things on Earth, and it keeps ecosystems balanced and resilient.
• Human activities like deforestation and pollution can seriously damage Earth’s environment, making conservation efforts essential.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Thinking land covers more of Earth’s surface than water – water actually covers roughly 71 percent, more than double the area covered by land.
• Confusing the mantle (thick, semi-solid rock layer) with the core (mostly metal, at the very centre) – they are different layers with different compositions.
• Assuming all natural resources are unlimited – while air and sunlight are constantly renewed, minerals and fossil fuels are non-renewable and take an extremely long time to form.
• Believing biodiversity loss only affects the specific species involved – losing one species can disrupt an entire food chain or ecosystem that depends on it.
• Overlooking those human activities (like deforestation or pollution) as major, avoidable causes of environmental damage, rather than unavoidable side-effects of daily life.

Home Practice Tips

• Look at a globe or world map and identify the seven continents and five oceans.
• Draw a simple cross-section of Earth labelling the crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core.
• List five natural resources used at home and note whether each is renewable or non-renewable.
• Discuss with family one local example of environmental damage (like litter, water pollution, or cutting trees) and one way it could be reduced.
• Start a small habit this week, such as saving water while brushing teeth or segregating waste, and note its impact over a few days.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. How much of Earth’s surface is covered by water?
Water covers roughly 71 percent of Earth’s surface, while land makes up the remaining 29 percent, which is why Earth is sometimes described as the “blue planet.”

Q2. What are the four main layers of the Earth?
They are the crust (the thin outer solid layer), the mantle (a thick layer of hot, semi-solid rock), the outer core (liquid metal), and the inner core (a solid metal ball at the centre).

Q3. What is the difference between renewable and non-renewable natural resources?
Renewable resources, like air, sunlight, and water, are naturally replenished and remain constantly available, while non-renewable resources, like minerals and fossil fuels, are limited in supply and take an extremely long time to form.

Q4. Why is biodiversity important for Earth’s ecosystems?
Biodiversity keeps ecosystems balanced and resilient by supporting complex food chains and relationships between species; losing even one species can disrupt the wider ecosystem it was part of.

Q5. What can ordinary people do to help conserve Earth’s environment?
Simple actions like planting trees, reducing waste and pollution, conserving water, and protecting wildlife habitats all contribute to conserving Earth’s resources and ecosystems for future generations.

Full walkthrough: Chapter 10 Solutions · Extra Questions.

Written by Satish

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