Value of Work Class 6 Soial science Chapter 13 CBSE Notes 2025-26

Every day, people around us perform a wide range of activities, each adding value to their families, communities, and society. From professionals like pilots and engineers, to homemakers and volunteers, everyone contributes in different ways. Some activities involve earning money, while others come from love, care, and a sense of responsibility.

The chapter introduces students to the big questions: What types of work exist in our society, and how do they affect our daily lives? Through the example of Anu and Kabir’s neighbourhood, we see pilots, retired army personnel, shopkeepers, engineers, and volunteers—all performing important roles.

All human activities can be divided into economic and non-economic activities. Economic activities are those performed in exchange for money or valuable resources. For example, a businessperson selling goods, a teacher earning a salary, or a farmer selling produce in the market are all engaged in economic activities. These jobs are essential as they generate income and support livelihoods.

Non-economic activities, on the other hand, are not done for money, but out of love, compassion, or duty. Examples include parents cooking for children, helping elders, volunteering to teach for free, or caring for sick family members. While these do not earn money, they greatly enhance the quality of life and build strong bonds in society.

Let’s look at some roles from the chapter and see how they are classified:

Economic activities usually involve the exchange of goods and services for money or something of value. These are critical because they help people earn a living. Examples from the chapter include pilots, engineers, shopkeepers, and paid teachers. Payment can come in the form of salaries (monthly), wages (daily), or even payments in kind—for example, a farm worker may receive both cash and a share of the crops, like mangoes.

Economic activities often take place in a market, where goods and services are bought and sold. People may also receive a fee for their skills or services, as in the case of lawyers or doctors.

An important concept is value addition. This means that people often add value to things through their work. For instance, a carpenter who buys wood and makes it into chairs creates additional value through skill and effort. If the carpenter spends ₹600 on wood and sells the finished chair for ₹1,000, the extra ₹400 represents the value created through their work.

On the way to school or around the neighbourhood, students might see many examples of economic activities:

• Shopkeepers selling food or stationery
• Bus drivers and conductors
• Farmers selling vegetables in markets
• Doctors treating patients for a fee
• Teachers working in schools

Each of these activities helps produce goods, provide services or deliver skills, and people involved are rewarded either with money or something else of value.

The notes present some everyday activities and whether they create monetary value:

• A baker who sells bread (✔ Money earned)
• A tailor stitching clothes (✔ Paid for the work)
• A doctor charging a fee (✔ Monetary value)
• A scientist receiving a salary (✔ Paid employment)
• A person caring for grandparents (✗ Non-economic: work done out of care, not for money)
• A shopkeeper selling goods (✔ Earns a profit)
• Parents cooking for the family (✗ No monetary reward)

Non-economic activities are valuable for the happiness, health, and support they provide, even if they do not involve money. Acts like caring for family, volunteering, and helping in community efforts build trust and cooperation among people.

The idea of selfless service, or ‘sevā’, is an important value highlighted in the chapter. We see examples in temples distributing free food (prasād), or in langars at gurudwaras. These services provide for those in need and strengthen community harmony, even though no one is paid.

Large public movements like Swachh Bharat Abhiyan show the collective power of non-economic activities. When everyone helps clean their streets or participate in events like Van Mahotsav (forest festival and tree planting), society benefits as a whole.

• Festival celebrations that bring people together without any payment
• Community clean-up drives
• Tree plantation programmes in schools and neighbourhoods

• Economic activities involve earning money or exchange of resources of value.
• Non-economic activities are done for satisfaction, love or social duty, and not for earning.
• Value addition occurs when something is improved or changed, increasing its worth.
• Both economic and non-economic activities are essential for a balanced society.
• Examples from daily life and community highlight these differences and the importance of both types of activities.

1. Explain the difference between economic and non-economic activities with examples.
2. List some economic activities people do in your locality.
3. Describe the value of community service in building a strong society.
4. Give examples of different ways people are rewarded for economic work.

This chapter helps students respect all kinds of work and recognise that even activities without monetary reward are vital for family, community, and nation. The lesson encourages everyone to appreciate both earning and selfless service, making society prosperous and caring.

Class 6 Social Science Chapter 13 Notes – The Value of Work (Economic and Non-Economic Activities)

These concise revision notes for Class 6 Social Science Chapter 13 – The Value of Work help students clearly differentiate between economic activities and non-economic activities. Every important example and concept from the chapter is summarized in a simple, memorable format for quick learning at exam time.

Students can use these notes to quickly revise key differences, definitions, and real-life cases that appear in exams. The content is structured to boost understanding, provide relatable examples, and make every type of work and value addition easier to identify in everyday contexts.