KANAVU AASIRIYAR Primary School and Middle School syllabus and sample question

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Primary School Mix

Syllabus

Literary Analysis
Reading Comprehension – Different Reading Strategies, Parts of a Story, Picture Comprehension,
Factual questions from passage, Visualisation, Making Connections, Making Inferences, Making
Predictions, Mood and Theme/Moral of a story/poem, Main Idea
Literary Devices – Imagery, Simile, Metaphor, Hyperbole, Personification, Alliteration, Idioms.
Narrative Traits and Structure – Characters, Physical and Character traits of people
and objects, Character feeling, Setting, Character Motives, Plot, Sequencing events,
Conflict and Resolution, Rhyme Schemes
Grammar
Punctuation – Using capital letters, full stops, comma, apostrophe, colons, question
marks and exclamation marks.
Parts of Speech – Noun and noun forms, Verb and verb forms, Adjective and
degrees of adjectives, Adverb and adverb forms, Convert from one form to another,
Pronoun, Articles, Determiners, Singular-Plural forms, Preposition, Conjunction,
Contractions, Tenses - simple tenses, Subject-Predicate.
Sentences – Types of sentences - Based on sentence type: Declarative,
Interrogative, Imperative and Exclamatory, Based on sentence structure type:
Simple, Compound and Complex.
Writing
Vocabulary – Synonyms, Antonyms, Homonyms, Homophones, Homographs,
Rhyming words, Simple and Compound words, Prefix-Suffix, Collocation.
Writing Styles - Paragraph Writing, Letter Writing, Report Writing.
Listening And Speaking Skills
Phonics – Vowels and Consonants, Phonetic principles, Phonemic and Phonological
awareness, Phonemes, Graphemes, Sight words, Blending and Segmenting.
Syllables - Monosyllabic and Multisyllabic words, Decoding words
Number Systems
Numbers - Natural Numbers, Whole Numbers, Place Value System, Number Sense (Estimation
of numbers), Comparing Numbers, Predecessor, and successor, Ascending and Descending
Order, Create numbers using the given digits, Even and odd numbers, Counting, Counting using
multiples, Skip / Jump counting, Grouping of numbers
Arithmetic Operations - Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, and Division, Properties of
Arithmetic operations, BODMAS, Multiplication tables, Factor tree, Methods of Division
(Repeated subtraction, Jump counting, Long Division, Chunking)
Factors and Multiples - Properties of Factors and Multiples, Finding Factors and Multiples of a
number, Factor Tree, Prime and composite numbers, Co-primes, Finding Common Factors and
Multiples of given numbers, Highest common factor (HCF), Lowest Common Multiple (LCM),
Prime factorization of a number
Fractions and Decimals - Characteristics of fractions, Equivalent fractions, Like and Unlike
Fractions, Different models of teaching fractions, Fractions to decimals and vice-versa,
Comparing fractions and decimals, Operations on fractions and decimals, Word problems on
fractions and decimals
Sequence and Series - Identifying Number and Pictorial Patterns, Completing a given sequence of
patterns, Coded messages, Partitions a number in different ways, Patterns in division and
multiplication, Square numbers, Triangular numbers, Special numbers and words like reads the
same from both sides
Geometry
Two-Dimensional Geometry - Line, Line Segment, Curved Line, Digital numbers and letters
made with lines, Circles, Radius and Diameter of a circle, Angle and its parts — Vertex, arm,
interior and exterior, Types of angles (acute, obtuse, right, reflex, complementary,
supplementary, linear pair of angles, vertically opposite angles), Angles formed in a clock,
Angles formed in shapes or objects, Measurement of angles, Tangram
Three-Dimensional Geometry - Different 3-D shapes, Faces, edges and vertices of different 3D
shapes, Perspective drawing - 2D representation of a 3D object, Nets for 3D shapes, Viewing
different sections of a solid – Top view, Front view and Side view, Drawing shapes on dot grid
Practical Geometry - Using a Compass, Constructing a circle, Finding the centre of a circle,
Measuring radius, Objects that can be used to trace a circle, Using a Divider
Symmetry - Reflection and Symmetry, Line of Symmetry, Figures with multiple lines of
symmetry, Completing a diagram to make it symmetric, Rotational symmetry, Symmetry in
shape and colour
Maps - Finding distance, route, and data about a place by reading a map, Scaling of maps,
Change in the area while scaling, Directions, Abstract maps, Floor / Layout Maps
Mensuration
Length - Comparing lengths, heights, widths, and distance, Longer-shorter, Taller-shorter,
Thicker-thinner, Estimating length and distance, Abstract measurement (using hand length, foot
length, etc.), Abstract to concrete measurements, Measuring using a ruler, Units of
measurement (millimeters, centimeters, meters, kilometers), Conversion of units
Weight - Estimating weights, Comparing weights (Heavier or lighter), Balancing scale,
conservation of weight, Health chart - age, height, weight, Units of measurement (grams,
kilograms), Conversion of units
Area and Perimeter (Two-dimensional Shapes) - Characteristics of area and perimeter, Area
and perimeter of triangle, circle, square, rectangle, Perimeter and area of Combinations of
Plane Figures, Conversion of Units, Change in perimeter when a piece is cut from a regular
shape, Comparison of area, Using square grids to find the area
Volume - Volume vs Capacity, Comparing capacity, Amount of water displaced by the object,
Estimation of volume of different objects, Find volume using measuring bottle, Number of small
shapes that can occupy a larger shape (Comparison of volume), Unit of measurements for
volume (cm3, m3, etc) and volume (liter, milliliter, etc), Conversion of units, Arithmetic operations
on volume and capacity
Time - Distinguish between events occurring in time - earlier and later, Activities done in the
morning, evening, day, night, etc., Estimating time to be taken to finish an activity, Sequencing
activities, Time tables, Minutes, Hours, Seconds, Dates, Number of total days in a month,
Sundays (or any other day) in a month, Number of days and weeks in a year, Days of the week,
Months of the year, Seasons during different months depending on regions, Age Line,
Sequences the events chronologically, Reading calendar, Calculate information from a birth
certificate, Complete a calendar, Patterns in a calendar, Reading time, 24-hour clock, Hands of
the clock, Draw hands of the clock according to the time given, Expresses time, using the terms
‘a.m.’ and ‘p.m.’
Sample questions
Subject expertise
Which is the smallest 3 digit number that leaves a remainder 2 when
divided by either 3 or 7? 3
100 1
104 2
107 3 RA
110 4
Explanation: 107 divided by 3 leaves a remainder of 2 and 107 divided by 7 also leaves a remainder of 2.
Subject pedagogy
A common feature of teaching English is the use of "authentic texts".
Which of the following is NOT an example of an authentic text for a 4th grade class? 4
English language newspapers 1
A novel written by a British author 2
An English poem written by a Nigerian author 3
A Tamil story translated into English 4 RA
Explanation: Besides option 4, all the others have been originally written in English and can be considered
as authentic texts.
Middle School English
Syllabus
Literary Analysis
Reading Comprehension – Different Reading Strategies, Factual questions from passage,
Visualisation, Making Connections, Making Inferences, Making Predictions, Drawing Conclusions,
Compare and Contrast characters, Main Idea, Forming opinions, Mood, Theme, Tone, Author’s
purpose and viewpoint.
Literary Devices – Figures of Speech*, Imagery, Symbolism, Idioms, Diction
*List of Figures of Speech - Simile, Metaphor, Personification, Pathetic Fallacy, Hyperbole,
Alliteration, Irony and Sarcasm.
Narrative Traits and Structure – Characters, Physical and Character traits of people and objects,
Character feeling, Setting, Character Motives, Plot, Sequencing events, Conflict and Resolution,
Cause and Effect, Summarising, Point of view, Rhyme Scheme, Parable, Ballads.
Grammar
Punctuation – Using capital letters, full stops, comma, apostrophe, colons, semi-colons, question
marks and exclamation marks.
Parts of Speech – Noun and noun forms, Verb and verb forms (including transitive and
intransitive verbs), Adjective and degrees of adjectives, Adverb and adverb forms, Gerunds,
Phrasal verbs, Convert from one form to another, Pronoun, Articles, Determiners, Singular Plural
forms, Preposition, Conjunction, Contractions, Tenses - simple, continuous and perfect tenses,
Participles, Modals, Subject-verb agreement, Modifiers.
Sentences – Based on type of sentence structure: Simple, Compound and Complex, Main and
subordinate clauses, Conditionals, Parallelism, Active and Passive Voice, Direct and Reported
speech.
Writing
Vocabulary – Synonyms, Antonyms, Homonyms, Homophones, Homographs, Rhyming words,
Simple, Compound and Complex words, Prefix-Suffix, Collocation.
Writing Styles - Different Types of Writing Styles, Elements of Writing, Paragraph Writing, Letter
Writing, Report Writing, Cloze Passages, Paraphrasing, Dialogue Writing, Debate Writing, Diary
Entry, Notice Writing.
Listening And Speaking Skills
Syllables - Monosyllabic and Multisyllabic words, Stressed Syllables, Decoding words.
Speech - Types of Conversation, Tongue Twisters, Prosody.
Sample questions
Subject expertise
“How is bread made?’
‘I know that!’ Alice cried eagerly. ‘You take some flour─’
‘where do you pick the flower?’ the white Queen asked. ‘in the garden or in the
hedges?’
‘Well, it isn’t picked at all’ Alice explained; it’s ground─’
‘How many acres of ground?’ said the White Queen.”
Excerpt from Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
What is the most prominent literary feature in the given passage? 4
Analogy 1
Argument 2
Innuendo 3
Homonyms 4 RA
Explanation: The words ‘flour’ and ‘flower’ are homonyms. The confusion caused due to their similar
sounds is prominent in the passage.
Subject pedagogy
Parallelism is usually supposed to improve the quality of writing. How will you rewrite
the sentence below using parallelism? Choose the CLOSEST option.
The detective deftly and with style outlined how the crime had been committed. 4
The detective had deft and he outlined with style how the crime had been committed. 1
The detective was deft and had style because of which he could outline how the crime
had been committed. 2
How the crime had been committed was outlined deftly and with style by the
detective. 3
With deftness and style, the detective outlined how the crime had been committed. 4 RA
Explanation: Parallelism refers to using similar words, clauses, phrases, sentence structure, or other
grammatical elements to emphasise similar ideas in a sentence. Here ‘with deftness and style’ is used in
this manner to describe the detective’s explanation.
Middle School Mathematics
Syllabus
Number System
Whole Numbers - Natural Numbers, Whole numbers, Properties of whole numbers, Operations
on numbers and their properties, BODMAS, Comparing numbers, Predecessor and successor,
Ascending and Descending Order, Place Value System, Number Sense (Estimation of numbers),
Roman Numerals, Shifting digits of a number, Even and Odd numbers, Number line, Identifying
patterns, Create numbers using the given digits, Base System, Word problems on real-life issues
like time, distance and speed, Profit and Loss
Integers - Characteristics of positive and negative Integers, Representation of integers on Number
Line, Operations on Integers, Comparing integers
Rational Numbers - Properties of Rational Numbers, Comparison of Rational numbers, Equivalent
rational numbers, Positive and Negative Rational Numbers, Rational numbers between two
Rational numbers, Rational Numbers in standard form, Representation of Rational Numbers on
Number Line, Operations on Rational Numbers
Fractions and Decimals - Characteristics of fractions, Equivalent fractions, Like and Unlike
Fractions, Proper fractions, Improper and mixed fractions, Simplest form of a fraction, Reciprocal
of a fraction, Fractions to decimals and vice-versa, Representation of fractions and decimals on
Number Line, Comparing fractions and decimals, Operations on fractions and decimals, Word
problems on fractions and decimals
Factors and Multiples - Properties of properties Factors and Multiples, Prime and composite
numbers, Co-primes, Highest common factor (HCF), Lowest Common Multiple (LCM), Properties
of HCF and LCM, Prime factorisation of a number, Word Problems on HCF & LCM, Rules of
divisibility
Squares and Square Roots - Properties of Square Numbers, Finding square of a number,
Estimating square roots, Finding Square roots of a number using factor method and division
method, Patterns in square numbers, Pythagorean triplets, Square Roots of Decimals
Cube and Cube Roots - Estimating cube roots, Finding Cubes and cubes roots using prime
factorisation method
Exponents and power - Laws of exponents, Expanding exponents, Use of Exponents to Express
Small Numbers, Comparing very large or very small numbers
Algebra
Algebraic Expressions - Forming expressions with variables, Identifying constants, coefficient, Like
and Unlike terms, Degree of expressions, Types of polynomials based on number of terms, Factors
of algebraic expressions, Operations on algebraic expressions, Application of algebraic expressions
in geometry and mensuration
Linear Equations - Forming linear equation, Reducing Equations to Simpler Form, Solution of a
Linear Equation, Solving linear equations in one variable, Algebraic Identities
Ratio and proportion
Concept of Ratio and Proportion, Equivalent ratio, Comparison of ratios, Unitary method,
Percentage, Converting fractions and decimals into percentage and vice-versa, Increase or
Decrease as percent, Estimation in percentages, Direct and Inverse proportion, Application to
real-life problems like profit and loss, discount, simple interest, compound interest, Rate
Compounded Annually or Half Yearly
Geometry
Line and Angles - Line, Line Segment, Ray, Intersecting lines, Parallel lines, Perpendicular lines,
Point, Angle and its parts — Vertex, arm, interior and exterior, Measurement of angles, Types of
angles (acute, obtuse, right, reflex, complementary, supplementary, linear pair of angles, vertically
opposite angles), Angles formed in a clock, Turn by right and straight angles, Bisector of an angle,
Congruence of Angles, Angles made by a Transversal, Complementary Angles, Angles formed in a
shape or object
Polygon - Open and Closed figures, Interior and exterior of closed figures, Curvilinear and linear
boundaries, Properties of polygons, Sides, Vertices, Diagonals, Congruence of Plane Figures,
Convex and concave polygons, Regular and irregular polygons, Angle sum property of a polygon
Triangle - Types of triangles, Altitudes and Medians of a triangle, Properties of Triangle, Rules of
congruency of triangles - Congruence (SAS, ASA, SSS, RHS), Angle sum property, Exterior angle
property, Pythagoras Theorem
Quadrilateral - Properties of sides and angles of quadrilaterals, Types of quadrilaterals, Properties
of a parallelogram, Properties of a rectangle, Properties of a square, Properties of a Rhombus
Circle - Centre, Radius, Diameter, Chord, Arc, Sector, Segment, Interior and Exterior of the circle,
Circumference, Semi-circle, Revolution
Practical Geometry - Measuring line segments, Comparison of length of line segments by
Construction of a line segment, Measuring angles using a protractor, Construction of
Perpendicular to a line, Construction of an angle bisector, Constructing specific angles (30°, 60°,
45°, 90°, and 120°), Constructing a copy of a given line segment or angle, Construction of a circle
of a known radius, Construction of simple triangles and quadrilaterals, Construction of a line
parallel to a given line from a point outside it
Symmetry - Reflection and Symmetry, Line of Symmetry, Figures with multiple lines of symmetry,
Completing a diagram to make it symmetric, Rotational symmetry, Symmetry in shapes and
colours
Three-dimensional Geometry - Different 3-D shapes, Faces, edges and vertices of different 3D
shapes, Perspective drawing - 2D representation of a 3D object, Nets for 3D shapes, viewing
different sections of a solid – Top view, Front view and Side view, Convex and Regular
polyhedrons, Euler’s formula
Mensuration
Area and Perimeter (Two-dimensional Shapes) - Characteristics of area and perimeter, Area and
perimeter of triangle, circle, parallelogram, square, rectangle, trapezium, rhombus, Area of a
General Quadrilateral, Area of a Polygon, Perimeter and area of Combinations of Plane Figures,
Conversion of Units
Surface Area and Volume (Solid Objects) - Surface Area of Cube, Cuboid and Cylinder, Volume vs
Capacity
Statistics and Probability
Statistics - Definition of data, Collection of data, Organisation of data in a table, Grouping data,
Tally marks, Lower class limit, Upper-class limit, width of the class interval, Graphical
representation of data, Types of graphs - bar graph, pie chart, line graph, histogram, Pictograph,
Reading Graphs, Measures of Central Tendency (Mean, Median and Mode) of ungrouped data
Probability - Definition of Chance and Probability, Equally likely outcomes, Outcomes as events
Sample questions
Subject expertise
ABB and DCD are three-digit numbers and A, B, C, D are positive integers.
If ABB + DCD = AAAA, then what is the value of C? 3
1 1
7 2
8 3 RA
9 4
Explanation: Since 2 3-digit numbers are being added to give a 4-digit number with all the 4 digits the
same, the final number must be 1111. This means that A = 1. Working backwards, we get C to be 8.
Subject pedagogy
Here’s a short transcript of an exchange between a teacher (T) and her
class.
T: Aman, what are we trying to calculate?
Aman: Area of a rectangle.
T: Rajesh, what are the variables we need to calculate the area of a
rectangle?
Rajesh: Length and breadth.
T: Why are they variables, Irfan?
Irfan: Because their values are not fixed.
What would be the MOST appropriate follow-up question for the teacher to
ask to quickly check if the whole class has understood the concept of
variables? 2
How many of you agree with Irfan? Show me a thumbs-up. 1
Write down one example and one non-example of variables in your
notebook and hold it up. 2 RA
Irfan, name the terms which are not variables and give an example. 3
Work in pairs to find the area of the rectangle and shout out the answer. 4
Explanation: By asking the class to show both an example and a non-example, the teacher can quickly
gauge if they have grasped the key ideas.
Middle School Science
Syllabus
Biology
Body Movements - Gait Of Animals, Movement Of Earthworm, Snail, Cockroach, Birds, Fish,
Snakes, Human Body Movements: Human Body And Its Movements, Joints, Ball And Socket Joints,
Pivotal, Joint, Hinge Joints, Fixed Joints, Skeleton, X-Ray, The Rib Cage, Backbone, Shoulder Bones,
Pelvic Bones, Skull, Cartilage, Muscle
Plant Anatomy - Herbs, Shrubs And Trees, Stem, Leaf, Part Of A Leaf, Leaf Venation, Transpiration,
Root, Flower, Observations On Flowers, Parts Of The Open Flower
Animal Organ Systems - Digestive System: Digestion, Different Ways Of Taking Food, Various
Modes Of Feeding, Starfish; Circulatory System: Blood, Cells Of Various Kinds, Blood Vessels,
Types Of Blood Vessels, Capillaries, Heart, Atria, Ventricles, Heartbeat, Respiratory System:
Breathing In Other Animals, Cockroach, Tracheae, Earthworm; Breathing Underwater; Excretory
System: Excretion In Animals, Reproductive System: Modes Of Reproduction, Sexual
Reproduction, Male Reproductive Organs, Sperms, Female Reproductive Organs, Ova (Eggs),
Fertilization, Zygote, Internal Fertilization, In Vitro Fertilization, External Fertilization,
Development Of Embryo, Foetus, Viviparous And Oviparous Animals, Metamorphosis
Human Excretory System - Excretory System In Humans an introduction, Kidneys, Bladder,
Ureters, Urethra, Sweat, Dialysis
Digestion In Humans - Alimentary Canal (Digestive Tract), Glands Such As Salivary, Glands, The
Liver And The Pancreas, Digestive System, The Mouth And Buccal Cavity, Ingestion, Type Of Teeth,
Saliva, Breaks Down The Starch Into Sugars, Tongue, Taste Buds, Tooth Decay, The Food
Pipe/Oesophagus, Movement Of The Walls Of The Food Pipe, The Stomach, Hydrochloric Acid
And Digestive Juices, The Small Intestine, Liver, Pancreas, Pancreatic Juice, Absorption In The
Small Intestine, Villi, Assimilation, Large Intestine
Human Respiratory System - Breathing in Humans, Lungs, Nasal Cavity, Diaphragm, Expiration
Human Endocrine System - Hormones Other Than Sex Hormones, Thyroid Gland, Thyroxine,
Insulin, Adrenalin, Growth Hormone, Role of Hormones
Human Reproductive System - Reproductive Health, Nutritional Needs Of The Adolescents,
Adolescence And Puberty, Changes At Puberty, Development Of Sex Organs, Reaching Mental,
Secondary Sexual Characters, Hormones, Endocrine Glands, Male Hormone Or Testosterone,
Female Hormone Or Estrogen, Mammary Glands, Pituitary Gland, Role Of Hormones In Initiating
Reproductive Function, Target Site, Reproductive Phase Of Life in Humans, Menstruation,
Menarche, Menopause, Sex Determination Of The Baby, Sex Chromosomes
Plant Nutrition System - Mode Of Nutrition In Plants, Autotrophs, Heterotrophs, Photosynthesis
— Food Making Process In Plants, Stomata, Chlorophyll, Carbohydrates, Synthesis Of Plant Food
Other Than Carbohydrates, Nitrogen Fixation in Plants, Other Modes Of Nutrition In Plants,
Heterotrophic Plants, Host And Parasite, Insectivorous Plants, Saprotrophs, Symbiotic
Relationship, Nutrient Cycles that replenish Soil, Rhizobium, Nutrients From The Soil, Fertilisers
Plant Reproductive System - Modes Of Reproduction, Vegetative Parts, Reproductive Parts,
Asexual, Reproduction, Vegetative Propagation, Budding, Fragmentation, Spore Formation, Sexual
Reproduction, Stamens, Pistil, Unisexual Flowers, Bisexual Flowers, Male Gametes, Female
Gamete, Pollination, Fertilisation, Fruits And Seed Formation, Seed Dispersal, Plant Respiration,
Role of roots in respiration
Plant Transportation System - Transport Of Substances In Plants, Transport Of Water And
Minerals, Vascular Tissue, Xylem, Phloem, Transpiration
Plant Life Processes: Growth, Respiration, Different Mechanisms For The Exchange Of Gases,
Excretion, Reproduction, Sexual and Asexual Reproduction in plants, Budding, Binary Fission
Nutrition - Food Variety (Ingredients), Food Materials And Sources, Plant Parts And Animal
Products As Food, Animal Diet, Herbivores, Carnivores, Omnivores, Nutrients and Digestion, Tests
For Presence Of Carbohydrates, Proteins And Fats, What Do Various Nutrients Do For Our Body,
Balanced Diet, Deficiency Diseases, Digestion In Grass-Eating Animals, Rumen, Rumination,
Cellulose, Feeding And Digestion In Amoeba, Pseudopodia, Food Vacuole
Respiration - Purpose of Respiration, Cellular Respiration, Aerobic Respiration, Anaerobic
Respiration, Breathing, Inhalation, Exhalation
Crop Production and Management - Agricultural Practices, Kharif Crops, Basic Practices Of Crop
Production, Agricultural Practices, Preparation Of Soil, Loosening Of Soil, Tilling Or Ploughing,
Plough, Agricultural Implements, Plough, Hoe And Cultivator Sowing, Selection Of Seeds,
Traditional Tool, Seed Drill, Adding Manure And Fertilisers, Manure And Fertilisers, Examples Of
Fertilisers, Organic Manure, Crop Rotation, Advantages Of Manure, Irrigation, Sources Of
Irrigation, Traditional Methods Of Irrigation, Modern Methods Of Irrigation, Sprinkler System, Drip
System, Protection From Weeds, Weeding, Weedicides, Harvesting, Threshing, Combined
Harvester, Winnowing, Storage, Silos And Granaries, Food From Animals, Animal Husbandry
Microorganisms - Microorganisms, Bacteria, Fungi, Protozoa And Algae, Viruses, Where Do
Microorganisms Live, Friendly Microorganisms, Making Of Curd (Yogurt) And Bread, Commercial
Use Of Microorganisms, Fermentation, Medicinal Use Of Microorganisms, Antibiotics, Vaccine,
Antibodies, Increasing Soil Fertility, Harmful Microorganisms, Pathogens, Disease Causing
Microorganisms In Humans, Communicable Disease Carriers, Disease Causing Microorganisms In
Animals, Disease Causing Microorganisms In Plants, Food Poisoning, Nitrogen Fixation, Nitrogen
Cycle
Food preservation - Food Preservation, Chemical Method, Preservatives, Preservation By
Common Salt, Preservation By Sugar, Preservation By Oil And Vinegar, Heat And Cold Treatments,
Pasteurization, Storage And Packing
Habitat - Habitat And Adaptation, Animals and Plants Found In Different Surroundings,
Adaptation, Habitat, Types Of Habitats, Acclimatisation, Biotic And Abiotic Components,
Germination, Terrestrial Habitats, Deserts, Mountain Regions, Grasslands, Prey and Predator,
Aquatic Habitats, Oceans, Ponds And Lakes
Conservation of Plants and Animals - Deforestation And Its Causes Consequences Of
Deforestation, Droughts, Desertification, Conservation Of Forest And Wildlife, Biosphere Reserve,
Flora And Fauna, Endemic Species, Species, Wildlife Sanctuary, Project Tiger, Endangered Animals,
Ecosystem, National Park, Migration, Recycling Of Paper, Reforestation
Characteristics and Functions of Cell Organelles - Discovery Of The Cell, Organisms Show Variety
In Cell Number, Shape And Size, Number Of Cells, Shape Of Cells, Pseudopodia, Size Of Cells, Cell
Structure And Function, Tissues, Parts Of The Cell, Cell Membrane, Nucleus, Cytoplasm, Cell Wall,
Organelles, Nucleolus, Chromosomes, Genes, Prokaryotic Cells, Eukaryotic Cells, Vacuole, Plastids,
Comparison of Plant and Animal Cells
Chemistry
Thermochemistry - Hot And Cold, Sense Of Touch, Temperature, Thermometer- Clinical and
Laboratory, Measuring Temperature, Heat Flows, Conduction, Conductors, Insulators, Convection,
Sea Breeze, Land Breeze, Radiation
Physical and Chemical Changes - Reversible and Irreversible changes, Physical Changes, Chemical
Reaction, Burning as a Chemical Change, Rusting, Galvanisation, Crystallisation
Combustion - Fuel, Forest Fire, Ignition Temperature, Inflammable Substances, Controlling Fire,
Fire Extinguisher, Types Of Combustion, Rapid Combustion, Spontaneous Combustion, Explosion,
Flame, Structure Of A Flame, Different Zones Of Candle Flame, Fuel, Ideal Fuel, Fuel Efficiency,
Calorific Value
Acids, Bases and Salts - Natural Indicators, Litmus: A Natural Dye, Turmeric as Natural Indicator,
China Rose As Indicator, Phenolphthalein, Neutralization reaction, Indigestion in humans,
Treatment of Ant Sting, Soil Treatment, Factory Wastes
Metals and Non Metals - Physical Properties Of Metals And Non-Metals, Malleability, Electrical
Conductivity Of Materials, Ductility, Sonorous, Chemical Properties Of Metals and Non-Metals -
Reaction With Oxygen, Reaction With Water, Reactions With Acids, Reactions With Bases,
Displacement Reactions, Uses Of Metals And Nonmetals
Characteristics and Uses of Natural Resources - Water: Uses Of Water, Sources Of Water,
Evaporation, Transpiration, Formation Of Clouds, Condensation, Consequence of Heavy and No
Rains, Conservation Of Water, Rainwater Harvesting, Techniques Of Rainwater Harvesting; Air:
Composition Of Air, Oxygen, Replacing Oxygen In The Atmosphere; Soil: Soil Profile, Humus,
Weathering, B-Horizon, C-Horizon, Bedrock; Soil Types, Properties Of Soil, Percolation Rate Of
Water In Soil, Moisture In Soil, Absorption Of Water By Soil, Soil And Crops, Soil Erosion, Different
Types Of Soils for Different Types Of Crops, Inexhaustible Natural Resources, Exhaustible Natural
Resources, Coal, Products Such As Coke, Coal Tar And Coal Gas, Petroleum, Refining Of Petroleum,
Petroleum Refinery, Natural Gas
Pollution and its Control - Dealing With Garbage, Landfill, Composting, Burning Of Waste,
Vermicomposting, Recycling, Recycling Of Paper and Plastic, Air Pollution And Pollutants, Carbon
Monoxide, Smog, Sulphur Dioxide And Nitrogen Dioxide, Chlorofluorocarbons (Cfcs), Acid Rain,
Greenhouse gases, Greenhouse Effect, Global Warming, Water Pollutants, Industrial Waste,
Agricultural runoffs and their effect on aquatic ecosystems, Potable Water And Water Purification
Fibre to Fabric - Properties and Uses of Materials: Fibre, Natural Fibres, Artificial Fibres, Cotton,
Jute, Spinning Cotton, Yarn, Yarn To Fabric, Weaving, Knitting, Wool, Processing Fibres Into Wool,
Silk, Sericulture, Life History Of Silk Moth, Rearing Silkworms, Processing Silk, Objects And The
Materials They Are Made Of, Appearance, Hardness, Solubility, Floating and Sinking, Transparency
Separation of Materials - Hand Picking, Threshing, Winnowing, Sieving, Sedimentation,
Decantation And Filtration, Evaporation, Use Of More Than One Method Of Separation,
Saturation
Synthetic fibers and Plastics - Synthetic Fibres, Polymer, Types Of Synthetic Fibres, Rayon, Nylon,
Use Of Nylon Fibres, Polyester And Acrylic, Petrochemicals, Characteristics Of Synthetic Fibres,
Plastics, Polythene, Thermoplastics, Thermosetting, Plastics As Materials Of Choice, Non-Reactive
nature of Plastic, Properties Of Plastic, Plastics And The Environment, Non-Biodegradable, 3R
Principle- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle And Recover
Physics
Properties of Light - Transparent, Translucent And Opaque Objects Shadows, Pinhole Camera,
Upside Down Images, Light Travels along a straight line, Visibility, Incident Ray, Reflected Ray,
Normal To The Reflecting Surface, Angle Of Incidence And Angle Of Reflection, Law Of Reflection,
Colour Of Sunlight
Optical Devices - Plane Mirrors, Reflection In Mirrors, Simple Periscope Using Mirrors, Light
Travels Along A Straight Line, Reflection Of Light, Right Or Left, Playing With Spherical Mirrors,
Concave Mirrors, Convex Mirror, Real Images, Virtual Image, Character Of The Image, Images
Formed By Lenses, Convex Mirror, Concave Mirror, Splitting Of Sunlight Using Prism, Newton’s
Disc, Image Formation In A Plane Mirror, Lateral Inversion, Regular And Diffused Reflection,
Multiple Reflections, Multiple Images, Kaleidoscope
Space - The Moon, Phases Of The Moon, The Moon’s Surface, The Stars, Light Year, The Pole Star,
Constellations, Ursa Major, Orion, Cassiopeia, The Solar System, The Sun, The Planets, Orbit,
Satellite, Tilted Axis, Asteroids, Comets, Meteors And Meteorites, Artificial Satellites
Earth’s Interior - Earthquakes, Causes Of An Earthquake, Tectonic Plates, Movements Of Earth’s
Plates, Seismic Or Fault Zones, Richter Scale, Seismograph, Protection Against Earthquakes
Measurement - Measuring Length Unit, Standard Units Of Measurement, Correct Measurement
Of Length, Metric System, International System Of Units (SI Units), Measurement Of Height, Errors
In Taking Observations, Measuring the length of a curved line with a thread
Types and Characteristics of Motion - Types of Motions, Rectilinear Motion, Circular Motion,
Periodic and Non-periodic Motion, Combinations of Different Types of Motion
Motion and Time - Speed, Non-Uniform Motion, Uniform Motion, Measurement Of Time, Simple
Pendulum, Periodic and Oscillatory Motion, Units Of Time And Speed, Measuring Speed,
Speedometer, Distance-Time Graphs
Types and Properties of Force - Interactions giving rise to Forces, Forces acting in the same
direction, Forces acting in the opposite directions, Magnitude Of Force, Ability of Force to change
the state of Motion, State Of Motion, Ability of Force to change the shape of an object, Contact
Forces, Non-Contact Forces, Magnetic Force, Electrostatic Force, Gravitational Force, Pressure,
Pressure Exerted By Liquids And Gases, Pressure On The Walls Of The Container, Atmospheric
Pressure
Friction - Force Of Friction, Factors Affecting Friction, Spring Balance, Surface Irregularities,
Friction: A Necessary Evil, Friction producing Heat, Increasing And Reducing Friction, Lubricants,
Wheels, Reduce Friction, Rolling Friction, Sliding Friction, Fluid Friction, Drag
Characteristics of Mechanical Waves - Sound Produced By A Vibrating Body, Vibration, Musical
Instruments, Sound Needs A Medium For Propagation, Amplitude, Time Period And Frequency Of
A Vibration, Oscillatory Motion, Hertz, Amplitude, Loudness And Pitch, Noise And Music, Noise
Pollution, Measures To Limit Noise Pollution
Properties of Electric Charge - Lightning, Electric Charges, Charging By Rubbing, Charged Objects,
Types Of Charges And Their Interaction, Convention Of Positive And Negative Charge, Transfer Of
Charge, Electroscope, Earthing, Lightning Safety
Electric Components - Electric Cell, Torch Bulb, Positive And Negative Terminals, Bulb,Connected
to an Electric Cell, Electric Circuit, Current Flow, Direction Of Current Flow, Electric Switch,
Conductors And Insulators, Symbols of Electric Components, Electric circuit components, Battery,
Circuit Diagram, Heating Effect of Electric Current, Heating Element, Electric Fuses, Magnetic
Effects Of Electric Current, Electromagnet, Electric Bell
Chemical Effects of Electric Current - Liquids conducting Electricity, Chemical Effects Of Electric
Current, Electrodes, Electroplating, Chromium Plating, Corrosion Protection
Properties of Magnetic Materials - Magnetic And Non-Magnetic Materials, Magnetic Objects,
Poles of a Magnet, Iron Filings Sticking to a Bar Magnet, Compass, Making a Magnet, Attraction
And Repulsion Of Magnets, Loss of Magnetic Properties
Eye - Cornea, Iris, Pupil, Optic Nerve, Blind Spot, Care Of Eyes, Visual impairment, Braille System
Voice and Ears - Sound Produced By Humans, Voice Box Or The Larynx, Vocal Cords, Sound
perceived by the Ears , Eardrum, Audible And Inaudible Sounds, Hearing Impairment
Sample questions
Subject expertise
Choose the correct statement about tall woody trees in a rainforest. 1
Photosynthesis happens during the day.
Respiration happens during day and night.
Transpiration happens during day and night. 1 RA
Photosynthesis happens during the day.
Respiration happens during day and night.
Transpiration happens during the day. 2
Photosynthesis happens during the day.
Respiration happens during night.
Transpiration happens during day and night. 3
Photosynthesis happens during the day.
Respiration happens during the day.
Transpiration happens during the night. 4
Explanation: Apart from photosynthesis which only occurs during the day because of its dependence on
sunlight, both respiration and transpiration occur during the day and night.
Subject pedagogy
A student in Mr. Mitra's class says: "Heat always flows upwards."
Mr. Mitra asks the class for their opinion and four students say the following:
(i) It is true because we see that in convection currents.
(ii) It is true because hotter things become lighter.
(iii) It is true only when the hotter substance is below the colder one.
(iv) Heat flow does depend on directions.
Arrange these responses in increasing order of conceptual clarity, from LEAST to MOST. 4
iii, i, iv, ii 1
ii, iv, i, iii 2
i, iv, ii, iii 3
i, ii, iv, iii 4 RA
Explanation: The first response shows the least conceptual clarity while the third response shows the most
conceptual clarity. It is not true that hotter things become lighter. Heat flow does depend on direction but
(iv) is not as comprehensive as (iii) in terms of conceptual clarity.
Middle School Social Science
Syllabus
Historical Method
Artefacts and Sources - Archaeologists, Sources of historical information and their
characteristics (Manuscripts, Inscriptions, Seals, Books, Travellers’ accounts, Sculptures, Coins,
Rock paintings, Cave paintings, Burial sites, Tools) Decipherment, Tools Of Stone, Wood And
Bone, The Vedas, How Historians Study The Rigveda, Skeletal Studies, Prashastis and what they
tell us, Preservation of books, Changes in terminologies over the year and its impact on
historians, Hagiographies, Sources of information about Colonial period (Administrative records,
Surveys), Drawbacks of Official records
Periodisation - Concept of Dates, Eras, Importance of Dates, Selection of Important dates,
Archaeological time periods, Periodisation of Indian history done by the British (Hindu, Muslim,
British), Periodisation of Indian History into Ancient, Medieval and Modern, Characteristics of
Colonial Period
Archaeology - Family of languages, Finding about social differences, Finding about occupation,
Burial at Inamgaon, Occupations at Inamgaon, Life in Arikamedu (between 2200 and 1900 years
ago), Harshavardhana and the Harshacharita, Genealogy Of Harsha, Aryabhata and his major
contributions, Kalidas and his major contributions, major changes between 700 AD and 1750 AD
Ancient Indian History (Prehistoric to 700 AD)
India in Ancient times - Hunter-gatherers and their way of life, Stone tools and their use,
Beginning of farming and herding, Domestication, Huts And Houses, Use Of Pots, Iron Tools and
Agriculture, Irrigation system during the ancient time period, Hierarchy of people living In
villages, Role of cities, Crafts and Craftsmen during the ancient period, Characteristics of
Shrenis, Trade between kingdoms, The History of the Silk Route
Harappan Civilisation (2700 BC - 1900 BC) - Characteristics of Harappan Civilisation, Town
planning, Buildings and architecture, Citadel, Bricks, Drainage system, Life In The City, Tools,
Weapons, Ornaments and, Vessels, Scribes, Craftsmen, Source of Raw materials, Food, City of
Dholavira, the City of Lothal, End of Harappan Civilisation
Early Kingdoms (1500 BC - 700 AD) - Ways of becoming of a ruler (through an election, sacrifice,
etc), Characteristics of Janapadas and Mahajanapadas, Taxation system in Mahajanapadas,
Changes in Agriculture during the period, History of Magadha and Vajji, Gana Or Sangha form of
Government, Main characteristics of Kingdoms along the Coasts (Cholas, Cheras, And Pandyas),
Main features of Satavahanas and Kushanas, Administration system, Army system, Life of
ordinary people in the kingdoms
Mauryan Empire (321-185 BC) - Empires vs Kingdoms, Dynasty, Succession order of Mauryan
Rulers, Name of Principle Mauryan cities and their location, Ruling mechanism of Mauryan
Empire, Concept to Tribute, Ashoka’s Rule, Kalinga war and its impact on Ashoka, Ashoka’s
Dhamma, Chanakya and Arthashastra
Gupta Empire (300 AD - 800 AD) - Samudragupta’s Prashasti, Genealogy of Samudragupta,
Titles held by rulers in the Gupta Empire
Pallavas and Chalukyas - Pallavas and Chalukyas’ Prashasti, Capital of Chalukya, Reign of
Pulakeshin II, Assembly system
Religion in Ancient India - Varnas, History of Vardhamana Mahavira and Jainism, History of The
Buddha and his Teachings, Upanishads, Concept of the Sangha, Monasteries, The System of
Ashramas, The Spread Of Buddhism across the globe, Kanishka’s Buddhist Council, Changes in
Buddhism (Mahayana Buddhism, Statues Of The Buddha, Bodhisattvas), Famous Pilgrims (Fa
Xian, Xuan Zang, I-Qing), History of Nalanda University, The Beginning Of Bhakti and Hinduism
Architecture in Ancient India - Types of structures, Features and history of The Iron Pillar,
Features of Stupas, the Construction process of Stupas and Temples, Painting in Ajanta
Medieval Indian History (700 AD -1857 AD)
Kingdoms and Dynasties - Emergence of Major Dynasties between 800 AD -1200 AD
(Prathiharas, Palas, and Rashtrakutas), Administration In these Kingdoms, Information on Land
Grants from Prashastis, System of warfare for wealth
Chola Dynasty (848 AD - 1279 AD) - Emergence of Chola Dynasty, Reign of Rajaraja I, Features of
Temples and Bronze Sculpture constructed by Cholas, Agriculture and Irrigation system,
Administration system of Cholas
Delhi Sultanate (1206 AD - 1526 AD) - Dynasties ruling Delhi and Major Rulers from 1100 AD to
1526 AD, Information about Delhi Sultanate available from Tawarikh, The Circle of Justice, Reign
of Raziyya and her dethronement, Garrison Towns, The Expansion Of The Delhi Sultanate,
Construction of Mosques and their purpose, Administration and Consolidation under The Khaljis
And Tughluqs, Reigns of Alauddin Khalji and Muhammad Tughluq, Taxation system, Major
attacks on Delhi Sultanate, The Sultanate In The Fifteenth And Sixteenth Centuries, Reign of Sher
Shah
Mughal Empire (1526 AD- 1707 AD) - Ancestry of Mughals, Major campaigns under Mughal
Empire, Reign of Mughal Rulers from Babur to Aurangzeb, Mughal Traditions Of Succession,
Mughal Relations with other Rulers, Features of Mansabdars And Jagirdars, Features of Zabt
And Zamindars, Reign of Akbar and his Policies, Akbar Nama and Ain-i Akbari, The Mughal
Empire In 17thCentury and after, Fall of Mughal Empire
The emergence of New states (1600 AD - 1857 AD) - Emergence of New States post Mughals,
The Old Mughal Provinces (Hyderabad, Awadh, and Bengal), Reign of Rajputs, The Sikhs, The
Marathas, Peshwa, The Jats
Administration of Towns - Kinds of Towns and their Characteristics (Administrative Centres,
Temple, Towns, And Pilgrimage Centres), Network Of Small Towns, System of Trading and
Taxation, Craftsmen in Medieval Towns, Architecture and Life of People in 3 major cities (Hampi,
Masulipatnam, And Surat), Emergence of new ports, Emergence of New Towns in 16th & 17th
Century, East India Company
Tribes - Characteristics of Tribal Societies, Major Indian tribes prevalent in Medieval period, Life
of Nomads and Mobile People, Characteristics of Nomadic Pastoralists and Banjaras, History of
The Gonds and The Ahoms
Regional Culture - Connection between region and language, History of Malayalam, The
Jagannatha Cult, The Rajputs And Traditions, History of Kathak, Classical Dances and their Forms,
History of Miniature Paintings, Kangra Painting, Growth of Regional Language in Bengal, Early
Bengali Literature, Emergence of Pirs And Temples in Bengal, Fish as Food in Bengal
Religion in Medieval India - Major changes in Hinduism between 700 AD and 1750 AD,
Emergence of The Idea of a Supreme God, Characteristics of Nayanars And Alvars, , History of
Shankara and Ramanuja, Basavanna’S Virashaivism, The Saints Of Maharashtra, Nathpanthis,
Siddhas And Yogis, Islam And Sufism, New Religious Developments In North India (Kabir, Baba
Guru Nanak, Tulsidas, And Surdas), Emergence of New Castes And Hierarchies
Architecture in Medieval India - Important Architectural Innovations during Medieval Period,
Architectural features of Qutub Minar, Features of Architecture Style “Trabeate”, Temple
Construction In The Early Eleventh Century, Building Temples, Mosques And Tanks, Destructions
of Temples during the war, Architecture style under Mughals (Gardens, Tombs And Forts),
Sharing of architectural ideas across regions
Modern Indian History (1857 AD-Present)
East India Company - Mercantile Trading Companies, The Royal Charter, Establishment of East
India Company in India, Company Officials Become Nabobs, Expansion of Company Rule,
Subsidiary Alliance, Policy Of Paramountcy, The Doctrine Of Lapse, New Administration System
under colonial rule, Justice System, Characteristics of The British Army, The Company becoming
The Diwan, Revenue Sources for the Company, Need To Improve Agriculture, Permanent
Settlement system, Mahalwari Settlement, The Munro System, Export of crops to Europe,
History of Indigo cultivation and Blue Rebellion in India
Indian Tribes - Means of livelihood of Tribal groups (Jhum cultivation, Herding, hunting, and
gathering), Effect of Colonial Rule on Tribal Lives, Forest Laws and their Impact on Tribes, Tribal
Rebellions and Revolts
The rebellion of 1857 - Discontentment among Nawabs, Peasants and Sepoys, Responses to
Reforms introduced by Britishers, Emergence of Mutiny in Meerut, Spreading of Rebellion,
Company’s respond to the rebellion of 1857, Aftermath of the Rebellion, the Khurda Uprising
The City in Colonial India - Life in Cities Under Colonial Rule, Presidency Cities, Features of
De-Urbanisation, History of New Delhi, Delhi Renaissance, Planning of the New Capital, Life In
The Time Of Partition, Delhi Became A City Of Refugees, Municipality Planning The Delhi
Improvement Trust
Industrialisation - Demand for Indian Textiles in the World Market, Varieties of cloth exported
from India, Invention of Spinning Jenny, Characteristics of Weaver community, Decline Of Indian
Textiles, Rise Of Cotton Mills, History of Wootz Steel, the emergence of Iron And Steel Factories
Come Up In India
Education under Company Rule - British’s Idea of Education, The Tradition of Orientalism and its
criticism, Wood’s Despatch, The Report Of William Adam, New rules for Schools, Criticism of the
colonial education system, Establishment of Santiniketan
Social Reforms - Cultural norms before 19th century, Emergence of debates on cultural norms and
issues, Emergence of women empowerment and education, Criminalising Sati and Encouraging
Remarriage, Law against child marriage, Caste And Social Reform, Demand for equality and
justice, The Satnami Movement In Central India, The Satyashodhak Samaj, The Non-Brahman
Movement, The Prarthana Samaj, The Veda Samaj, The Brahmo Samaj, The Ramakrishna
Mission, The Aligarh Movement, The Singh Sabha Movement
Art - Types of Art Forms, Styles, Materials And Techniques, New Forms Of Imperial Art, Realism,
New Style Of Portraiture, History Painting, Court Artists, Company Paintings, The New Popular
Indian Art, Scroll Painters, Kalighat Painters, Painting of Bharat Mata, New Buildings And
Architectural Styles, History of National Art, New Movements Of Art
Indian National Movement - Emergence of Nationalism, Indian National Congress, Poona
Sarvajanik Sabha, Vernacular Press Act, Critics of Congress, Partition of Bengal, Vandemataram
Movement, The Swadeshi movement, Emergence of All India Muslim League, Growth Of Mass
Nationalism, Advent Of Mahatma Gandhi, The Rowlatt Satyagraha, The Jallianwala Bagh
Atrocities, Khilafat agitation and the Non-Cooperation Movement, Other Initiatives across the
country like forest Satyagraha, Civil Disobedience Movement, Formation Of The Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh, Dandi March, Women’s role in the Freedom Struggle, Government of India
Act of 1935, Quit India Movement, Independence and Partition
India After Independence - Problem of diversity and slow development, Formation of
Constituent Assembly and Constitution of India, Features of Indian Constitution, Union and
State List, Concurrent List, Formation of States, Planning For Development, Planning
Commission, Mixed Economy Model, Five Year Plan, Foreign Policy
History of Important People - Tipu Sultan, Lord Dalhousie, Warren Hastings (Governor-General
from 1773 to 1785), Birsa Munda, Mangal Pandey, Thomas Macaulay, Rammohun Roy, Mahatma
Gandhi, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Tarabai Shinde, Pandita Ramabai, Shri Narayana Guru,
Jyotirao Phule, E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker, Swami Vivekananda, A.O. Hume, Bhagat Singh,
Ambabai of Karnataka, B.R. Ambedkar, Edward Lutyens, Raja Ravi Varma
Major Battles - The Battle of Plassey, Battle fought at Buxar (1764), Three Wars with The
Marathas (1782 - 1819)
World History
Governance - Characteristics and examples of Imperialism, Colonialism, Annexation, and
Nationalism, Spread of European colonisation and its impact
First World War - Imperialist Rivalries, Conflicts within Europe, Formation of Alliances, The
Outbreak of War, Major Incidents Preceding the War, The Course of the War, End of the War,
Peace Treaties, Treaty of Versailles, Consequences of the War and the Peace Treaties
Second World War - The Invasion of Poland, Conquest of Norway, Denmark, Holland, Belgium,
and France, The Battle of Britain, German Invasion of Soviet Union, Participation of USA, The
Battle of Stalingrad, The ‘Second Front’, End of the War in Europe, Nuclear Attack on Japan,
Resistance Movements, Damage Caused by the War.
Middle School Geography
Syllabus
Solar System - Types of celestial bodies (Sun, Planets, Natural Satellites, Asteroids,
MeteoroidsStars), Constellations, Planets in Solar System, The Moon
Motions of the Earth - Rotation, Revolution, Orbital Plane, Circle of Illumination, Leap Year,
Elliptical Orbit, Seasons, Summer Solstice, Winter Solstice, Equinox
Geographical Models and Representations
Globe - Earth’s Axis, Characteristics of Latitudes and Longitudes, Important Parallels Of Latitudes
(Equator, Tropic Of Cancer, Tropic Of Capricorn, Arctic Circle, and Antarctic Circle), Heat Zones Of
The Earth (Torrid Zone, Temperate Zones, and Frigid Zones), Prime Meridian, Longitude And
Time, Standard Time
Maps - Atlas, Physical Maps, Political Maps, Thematic Maps, Three Components of Maps
(Distance, Direction, and Symbol), Scale, Large scale Map, Small Scale Map, Reading a compass,
Cardinal Points, Conventional Symbols, Sketch, Plan
Natural Physical Features
Domains of the Earth - Lithosphere, Lithospheric Plates, Interior of The Earth, Rocks, Types of
Rocks (Igneous rocks, Sedimentary rocks, and Metamorphic rocks), Intrusive Rocks And Extrusive
Rocks, Rock Cycle, Minerals, Earth’s movements (Endogenic and Exogenic Forces) and their
types, Atmosphere, Composition of The Atmosphere, Structure of The Atmosphere,
Hydrosphere, Major Continents, Major Oceans, Biosphere
Landforms - Formation of Landforms, Erosion, Deposition, Weathering, Mountains, Glaciers,
Mountains Range, Types of Mountains (Fold Mountains, Block Mountains And Volcanic
Mountains), Plateaus, Plains, Life on different landforms, Formations due to movement of river,
sea, ice, and wind, Waterfall, Meanders, Floodplain, Levees, Delta, Sea Caves, Sea Arches,
Stacks, Sea Cliff, Glacial Moraines, Mushroom Rocks, Sand Dunes
Elements of Weather and Climate - Weather vs Climate, Factors affecting climate, Temperature,
Insolation, Air Pressure, Permanent Winds, Seasonal Winds, Local Winds, Cyclone, Moisture,
Water Vapour, Humidity, Clouds, Precipitation, Rain, Types of Rainfall (Cyclonic, Relief, and
Convectional), Weather instruments
Resources and Conservation - Utility, Value, Types of Resources, Abiotic and Biotic, Renewable
and Non-Renewable, Actual and Potential Resources, Human Made Resources, Human
Resources, Human Resource Development, Resource Conservation, Sustainable Development
Drainage and Water resources - Water Cycle, Major Sources of Fresh Water, Distribution of
Water Bodies, Ocean Circulation, Waves, Tides, Ocean Currents and their Types, Problems of
freshwater shortage, Conservation of Water Resources
Land and Soil - Land Use, Conservation of Land Resource, Factors of Soil Formation, Layers of
soil, Degradation of Soil and Conservation Measures, Mulching, Contour Barriers, Rock Dam,
Terrace Farming, Intercropping, Contour Ploughing, Shelter Belts, Types of weathering
Vegetation and Wildlife- Distribution of Natural Vegetation, Conservation of Natural Vegetation
and Wildlife, National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Biosphere Reserves Wildlife, Cites
Mineral Resources - Identification of Minerals, Types of Minerals, Metallic and Non Metallic
minerals, Ferrous and Non-Ferrous Mineral, Extraction of Minerals, Mining (Open-Cast and Shaft
Mining), Drilling, Quarrying, Distribution of Minerals across globe, Different Types of Rocks, Uses
of Minerals, Conservation of Minerals
Power Resources - Power Resources (Coal, Petroleum, Natural Gas, Hydel Power)
Non-Conventional Sources of Energy (Solar Energy, Wind Energy, Nuclear Power, Geothermal
Energy, Tidal Energy, and Biogas)
Geography of India
Size and Location -Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal, Locational Setting, India’s
Neighbours
Physical Features of India - Political and Physical divisions of India, Himalayan Mountain,
Northern Indian Plains, Great Indian Desert, Peninsular Plateau, Vindhyas and the Satpuras,
Western and Eastern Ghats, Coastal Plains, Lakshadweep Islands, Andaman and the Nicobar
Islands
Elements of Weather and Climate -The Major Seasons (Winter, Summer, Rainy Season, and
Retreating Monsoons or Autumn)
Natural Vegetation and Wildlife - Types of forests in India (Tropical Rainforest, Tropical
Deciduous Forests, Thorny Bushes, Mountain Vegetation, Mangrove Forests,) Wildlife in India,
National animal, National Bird, Endangerment of wildlife
Human - Environment Interaction
Environment - Components of environment, Biotic and Abiotic, Ecosystem
Flora and Fauna - Factors for Growth in Vegetation, Forests, Grasslands, Shrubs, Types of Forests
(Tropical Evergreen Forests, Tropical Deciduous Forests, Temperate Evergreen Forests,
Temperate Deciduous Forests, Mediterranean Vegetation, Coniferous Forests), Necessity of
Forests, Thorny Bushes
Tropical & Sub-Tropical Regions - Life and climate in the Amazon Basin, Rainforests, People and
their life in rainforests, Life in the Ganga-Brahmaputra Basin, Agriculture in Ganga-Brahmaputra
Basin
Grasslands - Classification of Grasslands (Tropical and Temperate Grasslands), Climate of
Grasslands, Flora and Fauna of Grasslands, People and their life, Prairies and Velds
Desert - Hot Desert, Sahara Desert , Climate of hot desert, Flora and Fauna of hot desert, People
of Hot desert, Discovery Of Oil, Cold Desert, Ladakh, Climate of hot desert, Flora and Fauna of
hot desert, People of Hot desert, Tourism
Pollution - Types and causes of pollution, Impact of pollution, Measures to control pollution,
Greenhouse effect, Global warming and Climate change
Disaster Management - Natural vs Manmade disasters, Cause and effect of major natural
disasters (Earthquake, Landslides, Flood, Drought, Volcanoes, Tsunami, and Cyclone),
Preparedness for Natural Disasters, Disaster prone areas in India, Types of manmade disasters
(accidents, nuclear, chemical, biological), Concept of Weapon of Mass Destruction
Social and Economic Anthropology
Settlements - Temporary and Permanent Settlement, Rural and Urban Settlements, Houses
based on climate
Transport and Communication - Railways, Waterways, Airways, Means of communication, Mass
Media
Agriculture - Primary Activities, Secondary Activities, Tertiary Activities, Different kinds of
cultivations (agriculture, sericulture, pisciculture, viticulture, and horticulture), Farm System
(Important Inputs, Operations, and the Outputs), Types of Farming (Subsistence and
Commercial), Intensive Subsistence Agriculture, Primitive Subsistence Agriculture, Shifting
Cultivation, Nomadic Herding, Terrace Farming, Contour Farming, Mixed Farming, Plantations,
Major Crops (Rice, Wheat, Millets, Maize, Cotton, Jute, Coffee, Tea), Agricultural Development,
Irrigation Facilities, Fertilisers and High Yielding Variety Of Seeds (HYV), Mechanisation of
Agriculture, Food Security, Agriculture in India vs Agriculture in USA
Industries - Manufacturing Industry, Classification of Industries based on inputs, Classification
based on Size, Classification based on ownership, Factors affecting location of Industries,
Industrial System, Industrial Regions around the globe, Distribution of Major Industries, Iron
And Steel Industry, Cotton Textile Industry, Information Technology Industry, Industrial Disaster
and Risk Reduction measures
Population - Distribution of Population, Density of Population, Factors affecting distribution of
population, Population Change, Death Rate, Migrations, Birth Rate, Natural Growth Rate,
Patterns of Population Change, Population Composition, Age-Sex Pyramid
Middle School Civics (VI-VIII)
Society and Culture
Diversity and Discrimination - Types of Difference, Factors influencing diversity (Historical and
Geographical), Inequality, Caste System, Cultural Differences, Customs And Traditions, Diversity
In India, Unity during The National Movement, National Anthem and Unity, Prejudice and
Discrimination, Inequality and Discrimination, Stereotypes, Gender Stereotypes and inequality,
Reasons for Discrimination, Untouchability, Dalits, Fight for equality
Marginalisation - Meaning of Marginalisation, Adivasis and their key characteristics,
Stereotyping Of Adivasis, Positive and Negative impact of Development on Adivasis, Minorities
And Marginalisation, Muslims And Marginalisation, Ghettoisation, Constitutional provisions
relating to social justice (Articles 14-17), Dalits, Laws For The Marginalised, Promoting Social
Justice, Reservation, Protecting The Rights Of Dalits And Adivasis, The Scheduled Castes And The
Scheduled Tribes (Prevention Of Atrocities) Act, 1989, Importance of the 1989 Act
Equality - Equal Right to Vote, Universal Adult Franchise, Kinds of Equality, Caste system,
Recognising Dignity, Issues of Equality in India, Laws and Schemes in India to promote equality,
Midday Meal Scheme, Issues Of Equality In Other Democracies (African-Americans, Civil Rights
Movement), Examples of Struggles for equality (Journey of Tawa Matsya Sangh)
Gender - Distinctions between genders, Value of Housework (the invisibilisation of women’s
labour), Lives Of Domestic Workers, Women’s Work And Equality, Women In Work, Stereotypes
in terms of occupation, Schooling, Rashsundari Devi, Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain, Schooling And
Education Today, Women’s Movement, Women’s movement and Solidarity, Sexual Harassment,
Raising Awareness about Women rights
Law and Social Justice - Issue of Workers’ Wages, Bhopal Gas Tragedy, Enforcement of Safety
Laws, Environment Protection Laws in India, Environment as a Public Facility
Constitution of India and the Judiciary
Constitution of India - Need For Constitution, Constitutive Rules, Constituent Assembly, The Key
Features of Indian Constitution, Federalism, Parliamentary Form Of Government, Separation Of
Powers, Fundamental Rights, Fundamental Duties, Preamble and meaning of its terms,
Secularism in Indian context, Importance of Separating Religion from the State, Indian
constitution as a Living document
Indian Judiciary - Role Of the Judiciary, Independent Judiciary system, Structure of Courts in
India, Appellate System, Different Branches of the Legal System, Access to the Courts, Public
Interest Litigation (PIL), Role Of police in Investigating a Crime, First Information Report, Role of
the Public Prosecutor, Role of the Judge, Fair Trial
Governance in India
Concept of Government - Need for Government, Responsibilities of Government, Levels of
Government, Laws and The Government, Types of Government
Democratic Governments - Representative Democracies, Struggle for Universal Adult Franchise,
Features of Democratic Governments (Participation, Conflict Resolution, Equality and Justice),
Ways of Participation, Ways to Express Views, Social Movements
Panchayati Raj - Gram Sabha and its election process, Sarpanch, The Gram Panchayat, Sources
of Funds, Responsibilities of Gram Panchayat, Three Levels of Panchayats, Decision making
process, Implementation of decisions, Women and the panchayat
Rural Administration - Working of Local Police, Maintenance of Land Records, New Inheritance
Law, Patwari, Revenue Department (District Collector and Revenue officers), Public Services
functional in Rural Areas
Urban Administration - Municipal Corporation (The Ward Councillor and Administrative Staff),
Electoral Process, Decision making structures, Responsibilities of Municipal Corporations,
Funding of Municipal Corporations, Waste Management, Citizen protests
Public Facilities - Public Facilities and Government’s role, Definition of Health, Healthcare
system In India, Public Health Services, Private Health Facilities, Healthcare and Equality,
Approaches to improve Healthcare System, Medical Tourism, Communicable and
Non-communicable Diseases, Water scarcity, Water As part of the Fundamental Right To Life,
Universal Access To Water, Accessibility of Water, Role of Government in providing Sanitation
Facilities
State Governments - MLA, Legislative Assembly and its electoral process, Opposition, Majority,
Governor, Debate in The Legislative Assembly, Legislature, Press Conference, Role of the Chief
Minister and the council of ministers, Nature of the role played by the government - regarding
resources and services, Factors involved in the distribution of resources/services, Access of
localities and communities to resources/services
Parliament - Need for Decision Making by the People, People’s Representatives, The Role of the
Parliament, Composition of members of Parliament, Do Laws Apply To All, Making of new laws,
Unpopular And Controversial Laws, Accountability of the government to the parliament, Role of
President, PM and the Council of Ministers
International Organisations
United Nations (UN) and its agencies - Formation and history of UN, Role of its major UN
agencies (UNICEF, WHO, and UNESCO), Security Council - Powers and roles, General Assembly
Middle School Economics (VI-VIII)
Economic Theories and Development
Rural Livelihood - Types of livelihoods prevalent in a village, Agricultural Labourers, Types of
farmers (middle farmer, landless labourers, and large farmers), Need for Debt and debt burden
in rural areas, Terrace Farming, Seasonality of work and its impact
Urban Livelihood - Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary occupations, Types of livelihoods prevalent
in an urban area, self-employed, regular employment, wage employment, Migration
Media - Media and Technology, Capital requirement of a Media business, Ways in which
media houses earn revenue, Censorship, Setting Agendas, Local Media, Media’s role in a
Democracy, Ways in which media shapes Public Opinion, Media ethics and accountability,
Commercial Advertising and Consumerism, Social advertising
Microeconomics
Basic Concepts - Economics and its importance, Market participants, Economic Activities,
Consumption, Production and Distribution, Features of Simple Economy, Central problems of
an economy, Types of Economic Systems (Market, Centrally Planned and Mixed), Positive and
normative economics, Microeconomics vs Macroeconomics
Markets - Definition of market, Features and advantages of Weekly Market, Neighbourhood
Shops and their characteristics, Features of Shopping complexes and malls, Supply Chain and
role of Intermediaries, Reasons for Inequality in earnings of different members of the supply
chain, Features of Wholesale Market, Putting-out system, Weaver’s cooperative, People’s
access to markets, Product market vs factor market
Demand and Supply - Concept of Demand and Market Demand, Determinants of demand,
Normal and Inferior Goods, Substitutes and Complements, Change in demand, Concept of
Supply and market supply, determinants of supply, Changes in Supply, Condition of Market
Equilibrium
Law and Social Justice - Issue of Workers’ Wages, Bhopal Gas Tragedy, Enforcement of
Safety Laws, Laws to Protect the Environment, Environment as a Public Facility
Macroeconomics
Money and Banking - Meaning and functions of money, Commercial bank and its functions, Central Bank
and its functions, Role of IMF and World Bank (basic ideas).
Sample questions
Subject expertise
How were trading towns like Surat and Masulipatnam affected by Colonial rule? 3
They flourished with the increase in trade volume.
1
They grew smaller due to migration to other cities.
2
They lost out on trade to the British ports.
3 RA
They were benefited by the boycott of foreign goods.
4
Explanation: Option 3 accurately states the reason why old trading towns like Surat and Masulipatnam lost
their wealth due to the creation of British ports.
Subject pedagogy
A teacher wants to help his students understand whether and how dates are important in
history.
Which of the following exercises could bring out the most appropriate perspective?
2
Give students a list of 10 important events and ask them to put the right year against each
event. 1
Give students a list of 10 important events during 1200 A.D. to 1800 A.D. and ask them to
arrange these chronologically. 2 RA
Give students the task of finding out from various sources which important historical events
took place in the same birth month as their own (in other years of course). 3
Give students a list of 10 important events during 1900 A.D. to 1910 A.D. and ask them to
arrange these chronologically. 4
Explanation: The second option is the question that brings out the best perspective for students on how
dates are important in history.
Middle School English
Syllabus
Literary Analysis
Reading Comprehension – Different Reading Strategies, Factual questions from passage,
Visualisation, Making Connections, Making Inferences, Making Predictions, Drawing Conclusions,
Compare and Contrast characters, Main Idea, Forming opinions, Mood, Theme, Tone, Author’s
purpose and viewpoint.
Literary Devices – Figures of Speech*, Imagery, Symbolism, Idioms, Diction
*List of Figures of Speech - Simile, Metaphor, Personification, Pathetic Fallacy, Hyperbole,
Alliteration, Irony and Sarcasm.
Narrative Traits and Structure – Characters, Physical and Character traits of people and objects,
Character feeling, Setting, Character Motives, Plot, Sequencing events, Conflict and Resolution,
Cause and Effect, Summarising, Point of view, Rhyme Scheme, Parable, Ballads.
Grammar
Punctuation – Using capital letters, full stops, comma, apostrophe, colons, semi-colons, question
marks and exclamation marks.
Parts of Speech – Noun and noun forms, Verb and verb forms (including transitive and intransitive
verbs), Adjective and degrees of adjectives, Adverb and adverb forms, Gerunds, Phrasal verbs,
Convert from one form to another, Pronoun, Articles, Determiners, Singular Plural forms,
Preposition, Conjunction, Contractions, Tenses - simple, continuous and perfect tenses, Participles,
Modals, Subject-verb agreement, Modifiers.
Sentences – Based on type of sentence structure: Simple, Compound and Complex, Main and
subordinate clauses, Conditionals, Parallelism, Active and Passive Voice, Direct and Reported
speech.
Writing
Vocabulary – Synonyms, Antonyms, Homonyms, Homophones, Homographs, Rhyming words,
Simple, Compound and Complex words, Prefix-Suffix, Collocation.
Writing Styles - Different Types of Writing Styles, Elements of Writing, Paragraph Writing, Letter
Writing, Report Writing, Cloze Passages, Paraphrasing, Dialogue Writing, Debate Writing, Diary
Entry, Notice Writing.
Listening And Speaking Skills
Syllables - Monosyllabic and Multisyllabic words, Stressed Syllables, Decoding words.
Speech - Types of Conversation, Tongue Twisters, Prosody.
Sample questions
Subject expertise
“How is bread made?’
‘I know that!’ Alice cried eagerly. ‘You take some flour─’
‘where do you pick the flower?’ the white Queen asked. ‘in the garden or in the
hedges?’
‘Well, it isn’t picked at all’ Alice explained; it’s ground─’
‘How many acres of ground?’ said the White Queen.”
Excerpt from Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
What is the most prominent literary feature in the given passage? 4
Analogy 1
Argument 2
Innuendo 3
Homonyms 4 RA
Explanation: The words ‘flour’ and ‘flower’ are homonyms. The confusion caused due to their similar sounds
is prominent in the passage.
Subject pedagogy
Parallelism is usually supposed to improve the quality of writing. How will you rewrite
the sentence below using parallelism? Choose the CLOSEST option.
The detective deftly and with style outlined how the crime had been committed. 4
The detective had deft and he outlined with style how the crime had been committed. 1
The detective was deft and had style because of which he could outline how the crime
had been committed. 2
How the crime had been committed was outlined deftly and with style by the
detective. 3
With deftness and style, the detective outlined how the crime had been committed. 4 RA
Explanation: Parallelism refers to using similar words, clauses, phrases, sentence structure, or other
grammatical elements to emphasise similar ideas in a sentence. Here ‘with deftness and style’ is used in this
manner to describe the detective’s explanation.
Middle School Mathematics
Syllabus
Number System
Whole Numbers - Natural Numbers, Whole numbers, Properties of whole numbers, Operations on
numbers and their properties, BODMAS, Comparing numbers, Predecessor and successor,
Ascending and Descending Order, Place Value System, Number Sense (Estimation of numbers),
Roman Numerals, Shifting digits of a number, Even and Odd numbers, Number line, Identifying
patterns, Create numbers using the given digits, Base System, Word problems on real-life issues like
time, distance and speed, Profit and Loss
Integers - Characteristics of positive and negative Integers, Representation of integers on Number
Line, Operations on Integers, Comparing integers
Rational Numbers - Properties of Rational Numbers, Comparison of Rational numbers, Equivalent
rational numbers, Positive and Negative Rational Numbers, Rational numbers between two Rational
numbers, Rational Numbers in standard form, Representation of Rational Numbers on Number
Line, Operations on Rational Numbers
Fractions and Decimals - Characteristics of fractions, Equivalent fractions, Like and Unlike Fractions,
Proper fractions, Improper and mixed fractions, Simplest form of a fraction, Reciprocal of a fraction,
Fractions to decimals and vice-versa, Representation of fractions and decimals on Number Line,
Comparing fractions and decimals, Operations on fractions and decimals, Word problems on
fractions and decimals
Factors and Multiples - Properties of properties Factors and Multiples, Prime and composite
numbers, Co-primes, Highest common factor (HCF), Lowest Common Multiple (LCM), Properties of
HCF and LCM, Prime factorisation of a number, Word Problems on HCF & LCM, Rules of divisibility
Squares and Square Roots - Properties of Square Numbers, Finding square of a number, Estimating
square roots, Finding Square roots of a number using factor method and division method, Patterns
in square numbers, Pythagorean triplets, Square Roots of Decimals
Cube and Cube Roots - Estimating cube roots, Finding Cubes and cubes roots using prime
factorisation method
Exponents and power - Laws of exponents, Expanding exponents, Use of Exponents to Express
Small Numbers, Comparing very large or very small numbers
Algebra
Algebraic Expressions - Forming expressions with variables, Identifying constants, coefficient, Like
and Unlike terms, Degree of expressions, Types of polynomials based on number of terms, Factors
of algebraic expressions, Operations on algebraic expressions, Application of algebraic expressions
in geometry and mensuration
Linear Equations - Forming linear equation, Reducing Equations to Simpler Form, Solution of a
Linear Equation, Solving linear equations in one variable, Algebraic Identities
Ratio and proportion
Concept of Ratio and Proportion, Equivalent ratio, Comparison of ratios, Unitary method,
Percentage, Converting fractions and decimals into percentage and vice-versa, Increase or Decrease
as percent, Estimation in percentages, Direct and Inverse proportion, Application to real-life
problems like profit and loss, discount, simple interest, compound interest, Rate Compounded
Annually or Half Yearly
Geometry
Line and Angles - Line, Line Segment, Ray, Intersecting lines, Parallel lines, Perpendicular lines,
Point, Angle and its parts — Vertex, arm, interior and exterior, Measurement of angles, Types of
angles (acute, obtuse, right, reflex, complementary, supplementary, linear pair of angles, vertically
opposite angles), Angles formed in a clock, Turn by right and straight angles, Bisector of an angle,
Congruence of Angles, Angles made by a Transversal, Complementary Angles, Angles formed in a
shape or object
Polygon - Open and Closed figures, Interior and exterior of closed figures, Curvilinear and linear
boundaries, Properties of polygons, Sides, Vertices, Diagonals, Congruence of Plane Figures, Convex
and concave polygons, Regular and irregular polygons, Angle sum property of a polygon
Triangle - Types of triangles, Altitudes and Medians of a triangle, Properties of Triangle, Rules of
congruency of triangles - Congruence (SAS, ASA, SSS, RHS), Angle sum property, Exterior angle
property, Pythagoras Theorem
Quadrilateral - Properties of sides and angles of quadrilaterals, Types of quadrilaterals, Properties
of a parallelogram, Properties of a rectangle, Properties of a square, Properties of a Rhombus
Circle - Centre, Radius, Diameter, Chord, Arc, Sector, Segment, Interior and Exterior of the circle,
Circumference, Semi-circle, Revolution
Practical Geometry - Measuring line segments, Comparison of length of line segments by
Construction of a line segment, Measuring angles using a protractor, Construction of Perpendicular
to a line, Construction of an angle bisector, Constructing specific angles (30°, 60°, 45°, 90°, and
120°), Constructing a copy of a given line segment or angle, Construction of a circle of a known
radius, Construction of simple triangles and quadrilaterals, Construction of a line parallel to a given
line from a point outside it
Symmetry - Reflection and Symmetry, Line of Symmetry, Figures with multiple lines of symmetry,
Completing a diagram to make it symmetric, Rotational symmetry, Symmetry in shapes and colours
Three-dimensional Geometry - Different 3-D shapes, Faces, edges and vertices of different 3D
shapes, Perspective drawing - 2D representation of a 3D object, Nets for 3D shapes, viewing
different sections of a solid – Top view, Front view and Side view, Convex and Regular polyhedrons,
Euler’s formula
Mensuration
Area and Perimeter (Two-dimensional Shapes) - Characteristics of area and perimeter, Area and
perimeter of triangle, circle, parallelogram, square, rectangle, trapezium, rhombus, Area of a
General Quadrilateral, Area of a Polygon, Perimeter and area of Combinations of Plane Figures,
Conversion of Units
Surface Area and Volume (Solid Objects) - Surface Area of Cube, Cuboid and Cylinder, Volume vs
Capacity
Statistics and Probability
Statistics - Definition of data, Collection of data, Organisation of data in a table, Grouping data, Tally
marks, Lower class limit, Upper-class limit, width of the class interval, Graphical representation of
data, Types of graphs - bar graph, pie chart, line graph, histogram, Pictograph, Reading Graphs,
Measures of Central Tendency (Mean, Median and Mode) of ungrouped data
Probability - Definition of Chance and Probability, Equally likely outcomes, Outcomes as events
Sample questions
Subject expertise
ABB and DCD are three-digit numbers and A, B, C, D are positive integers.
If ABB + DCD = AAAA, then what is the value of C? 3
1 1
7 2
8 3 RA
9 4
Explanation: Since 2 3-digit numbers are being added to give a 4-digit number with all the 4 digits the same,
the final number must be 1111. This means that A = 1. Working backwards, we get C to be 8.
Subject pedagogy
Here’s a short transcript of an exchange between a teacher (T) and her
class.
T: Aman, what are we trying to calculate?
Aman: Area of a rectangle.
T: Rajesh, what are the variables we need to calculate the area of a
rectangle?
Rajesh: Length and breadth.
T: Why are they variables, Irfan?
Irfan: Because their values are not fixed.
What would be the MOST appropriate follow-up question for the teacher to
ask to quickly check if the whole class has understood the concept of
variables? 2
How many of you agree with Irfan? Show me a thumbs-up. 1
Write down one example and one non-example of variables in your
notebook and hold it up. 2 RA
Irfan, name the terms which are not variables and give an example. 3
Work in pairs to find the area of the rectangle and shout out the answer. 4
Explanation: By asking the class to show both an example and a non-example, the teacher can quickly gauge
if they have grasped the key ideas.
Middle School Science
Syllabus
Biology
Body Movements - Gait Of Animals, Movement Of Earthworm, Snail, Cockroach, Birds, Fish, Snakes,
Human Body Movements: Human Body And Its Movements, Joints, Ball And Socket Joints, Pivotal,
Joint, Hinge Joints, Fixed Joints, Skeleton, X-Ray, The Rib Cage, Backbone, Shoulder Bones, Pelvic
Bones, Skull, Cartilage, Muscle
Plant Anatomy - Herbs, Shrubs And Trees, Stem, Leaf, Part Of A Leaf, Leaf Venation, Transpiration,
Root, Flower, Observations On Flowers, Parts Of The Open Flower
Animal Organ Systems - Digestive System: Digestion, Different Ways Of Taking Food, Various Modes
Of Feeding, Starfish; Circulatory System: Blood, Cells Of Various Kinds, Blood Vessels, Types Of
Blood Vessels, Capillaries, Heart, Atria, Ventricles, Heartbeat, Respiratory System: Breathing In
Other Animals, Cockroach, Tracheae, Earthworm; Breathing Underwater; Excretory System:
Excretion In Animals, Reproductive System: Modes Of Reproduction, Sexual Reproduction, Male
Reproductive Organs, Sperms, Female Reproductive Organs, Ova (Eggs), Fertilization, Zygote,
Internal Fertilization, In Vitro Fertilization, External Fertilization, Development Of Embryo, Foetus,
Viviparous And Oviparous Animals, Metamorphosis
Human Excretory System - Excretory System In Humans an introduction, Kidneys, Bladder, Ureters,
Urethra, Sweat, Dialysis
Digestion In Humans - Alimentary Canal (Digestive Tract), Glands Such As Salivary, Glands, The Liver
And The Pancreas, Digestive System, The Mouth And Buccal Cavity, Ingestion, Type Of Teeth, Saliva,
Breaks Down The Starch Into Sugars, Tongue, Taste Buds, Tooth Decay, The Food Pipe/Oesophagus,
Movement Of The Walls Of The Food Pipe, The Stomach, Hydrochloric Acid And Digestive Juices,
The Small Intestine, Liver, Pancreas, Pancreatic Juice, Absorption In The Small Intestine, Villi,
Assimilation, Large Intestine
Human Respiratory System - Breathing in Humans, Lungs, Nasal Cavity, Diaphragm, Expiration
Human Endocrine System - Hormones Other Than Sex Hormones, Thyroid Gland, Thyroxine, Insulin,
Adrenalin, Growth Hormone, Role of Hormones
Human Reproductive System - Reproductive Health, Nutritional Needs Of The Adolescents,
Adolescence And Puberty, Changes At Puberty, Development Of Sex Organs, Reaching Mental,
Secondary Sexual Characters, Hormones, Endocrine Glands, Male Hormone Or Testosterone,
Female Hormone Or Estrogen, Mammary Glands, Pituitary Gland, Role Of Hormones In Initiating
Reproductive Function, Target Site, Reproductive Phase Of Life in Humans, Menstruation,
Menarche, Menopause, Sex Determination Of The Baby, Sex Chromosomes
Plant Nutrition System - Mode Of Nutrition In Plants, Autotrophs, Heterotrophs, Photosynthesis —
Food Making Process In Plants, Stomata, Chlorophyll, Carbohydrates, Synthesis Of Plant Food Other
Than Carbohydrates, Nitrogen Fixation in Plants, Other Modes Of Nutrition In Plants, Heterotrophic
Plants, Host And Parasite, Insectivorous Plants, Saprotrophs, Symbiotic Relationship, Nutrient Cycles
that replenish Soil, Rhizobium, Nutrients From The Soil, Fertilisers
Plant Reproductive System - Modes Of Reproduction, Vegetative Parts, Reproductive Parts,
Asexual, Reproduction, Vegetative Propagation, Budding, Fragmentation, Spore Formation, Sexual
Reproduction, Stamens, Pistil, Unisexual Flowers, Bisexual Flowers, Male Gametes, Female Gamete,
Pollination, Fertilisation, Fruits And Seed Formation, Seed Dispersal, Plant Respiration, Role of roots
in respiration
Plant Transportation System - Transport Of Substances In Plants, Transport Of Water And Minerals,
Vascular Tissue, Xylem, Phloem, Transpiration
Plant Life Processes: Growth, Respiration, Different Mechanisms For The Exchange Of Gases,
Excretion, Reproduction, Sexual and Asexual Reproduction in plants, Budding, Binary Fission
Nutrition - Food Variety (Ingredients), Food Materials And Sources, Plant Parts And Animal Products
As Food, Animal Diet, Herbivores, Carnivores, Omnivores, Nutrients and Digestion, Tests For
Presence Of Carbohydrates, Proteins And Fats, What Do Various Nutrients Do For Our Body,
Balanced Diet, Deficiency Diseases, Digestion In Grass-Eating Animals, Rumen, Rumination,
Cellulose, Feeding And Digestion In Amoeba, Pseudopodia, Food Vacuole
Respiration - Purpose of Respiration, Cellular Respiration, Aerobic Respiration, Anaerobic
Respiration, Breathing, Inhalation, Exhalation
Crop Production and Management - Agricultural Practices, Kharif Crops, Basic Practices Of Crop
Production, Agricultural Practices, Preparation Of Soil, Loosening Of Soil, Tilling Or Ploughing,
Plough, Agricultural Implements, Plough, Hoe And Cultivator Sowing, Selection Of Seeds, Traditional
Tool, Seed Drill, Adding Manure And Fertilisers, Manure And Fertilisers, Examples Of Fertilisers,
Organic Manure, Crop Rotation, Advantages Of Manure, Irrigation, Sources Of Irrigation, Traditional
Methods Of Irrigation, Modern Methods Of Irrigation, Sprinkler System, Drip System, Protection
From Weeds, Weeding, Weedicides, Harvesting, Threshing, Combined Harvester, Winnowing,
Storage, Silos And Granaries, Food From Animals, Animal Husbandry
Microorganisms - Microorganisms, Bacteria, Fungi, Protozoa And Algae, Viruses, Where Do
Microorganisms Live, Friendly Microorganisms, Making Of Curd (Yogurt) And Bread, Commercial
Use Of Microorganisms, Fermentation, Medicinal Use Of Microorganisms, Antibiotics, Vaccine,
Antibodies, Increasing Soil Fertility, Harmful Microorganisms, Pathogens, Disease Causing
Microorganisms In Humans, Communicable Disease Carriers, Disease Causing Microorganisms In
Animals, Disease Causing Microorganisms In Plants, Food Poisoning, Nitrogen Fixation, Nitrogen
Cycle
Food preservation - Food Preservation, Chemical Method, Preservatives, Preservation By Common
Salt, Preservation By Sugar, Preservation By Oil And Vinegar, Heat And Cold Treatments,
Pasteurization, Storage And Packing
Habitat - Habitat And Adaptation, Animals and Plants Found In Different Surroundings, Adaptation,
Habitat, Types Of Habitats, Acclimatisation, Biotic And Abiotic Components, Germination, Terrestrial
Habitats, Deserts, Mountain Regions, Grasslands, Prey and Predator, Aquatic Habitats, Oceans,
Ponds And Lakes
Conservation of Plants and Animals - Deforestation And Its Causes Consequences Of Deforestation,
Droughts, Desertification, Conservation Of Forest And Wildlife, Biosphere Reserve, Flora And Fauna,
Endemic Species, Species, Wildlife Sanctuary, Project Tiger, Endangered Animals, Ecosystem,
National Park, Migration, Recycling Of Paper, Reforestation
Characteristics and Functions of Cell Organelles - Discovery Of The Cell, Organisms Show Variety In
Cell Number, Shape And Size, Number Of Cells, Shape Of Cells, Pseudopodia, Size Of Cells, Cell
Structure And Function, Tissues, Parts Of The Cell, Cell Membrane, Nucleus, Cytoplasm, Cell Wall,
Organelles, Nucleolus, Chromosomes, Genes, Prokaryotic Cells, Eukaryotic Cells, Vacuole, Plastids,
Comparison of Plant and Animal Cells
Chemistry
Thermochemistry - Hot And Cold, Sense Of Touch, Temperature, Thermometer- Clinical and
Laboratory, Measuring Temperature, Heat Flows, Conduction, Conductors, Insulators, Convection,
Sea Breeze, Land Breeze, Radiation
Physical and Chemical Changes - Reversible and Irreversible changes, Physical Changes, Chemical
Reaction, Burning as a Chemical Change, Rusting, Galvanisation, Crystallisation
Combustion - Fuel, Forest Fire, Ignition Temperature, Inflammable Substances, Controlling Fire, Fire
Extinguisher, Types Of Combustion, Rapid Combustion, Spontaneous Combustion, Explosion, Flame,
Structure Of A Flame, Different Zones Of Candle Flame, Fuel, Ideal Fuel, Fuel Efficiency, Calorific
Value
Acids, Bases and Salts - Natural Indicators, Litmus: A Natural Dye, Turmeric as Natural Indicator,
China Rose As Indicator, Phenolphthalein, Neutralization reaction, Indigestion in humans, Treatment
of Ant Sting, Soil Treatment, Factory Wastes
Metals and Non Metals - Physical Properties Of Metals And Non-Metals, Malleability, Electrical
Conductivity Of Materials, Ductility, Sonorous, Chemical Properties Of Metals and Non-Metals -
Reaction With Oxygen, Reaction With Water, Reactions With Acids, Reactions With Bases,
Displacement Reactions, Uses Of Metals And Nonmetals
Characteristics and Uses of Natural Resources - Water: Uses Of Water, Sources Of Water,
Evaporation, Transpiration, Formation Of Clouds, Condensation, Consequence of Heavy and No
Rains, Conservation Of Water, Rainwater Harvesting, Techniques Of Rainwater Harvesting; Air:
Composition Of Air, Oxygen, Replacing Oxygen In The Atmosphere; Soil: Soil Profile, Humus,
Weathering, B-Horizon, C-Horizon, Bedrock; Soil Types, Properties Of Soil, Percolation Rate Of
Water In Soil, Moisture In Soil, Absorption Of Water By Soil, Soil And Crops, Soil Erosion, Different
Types Of Soils for Different Types Of Crops, Inexhaustible Natural Resources, Exhaustible Natural
Resources, Coal, Products Such As Coke, Coal Tar And Coal Gas, Petroleum, Refining Of Petroleum,
Petroleum Refinery, Natural Gas
Pollution and its Control - Dealing With Garbage, Landfill, Composting, Burning Of Waste,
Vermicomposting, Recycling, Recycling Of Paper and Plastic, Air Pollution And Pollutants, Carbon
Monoxide, Smog, Sulphur Dioxide And Nitrogen Dioxide, Chlorofluorocarbons (Cfcs), Acid Rain,
Greenhouse gases, Greenhouse Effect, Global Warming, Water Pollutants, Industrial Waste,
Agricultural runoffs and their effect on aquatic ecosystems, Potable Water And Water Purification
Fibre to Fabric - Properties and Uses of Materials: Fibre, Natural Fibres, Artificial Fibres, Cotton,
Jute, Spinning Cotton, Yarn, Yarn To Fabric, Weaving, Knitting, Wool, Processing Fibres Into Wool,
Silk, Sericulture, Life History Of Silk Moth, Rearing Silkworms, Processing Silk, Objects And The
Materials They Are Made Of, Appearance, Hardness, Solubility, Floating and Sinking, Transparency
Separation of Materials - Hand Picking, Threshing, Winnowing, Sieving, Sedimentation, Decantation
And Filtration, Evaporation, Use Of More Than One Method Of Separation, Saturation
Synthetic fibers and Plastics - Synthetic Fibres, Polymer, Types Of Synthetic Fibres, Rayon, Nylon,
Use Of Nylon Fibres, Polyester And Acrylic, Petrochemicals, Characteristics Of Synthetic Fibres,
Plastics, Polythene, Thermoplastics, Thermosetting, Plastics As Materials Of Choice, Non-Reactive
nature of Plastic, Properties Of Plastic, Plastics And The Environment, Non-Biodegradable, 3R
Principle- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle And Recover
Physics
Properties of Light - Transparent, Translucent And Opaque Objects Shadows, Pinhole Camera,
Upside Down Images, Light Travels along a straight line, Visibility, Incident Ray, Reflected Ray,
Normal To The Reflecting Surface, Angle Of Incidence And Angle Of Reflection, Law Of Reflection,
Colour Of Sunlight
Optical Devices - Plane Mirrors, Reflection In Mirrors, Simple Periscope Using Mirrors, Light Travels
Along A Straight Line, Reflection Of Light, Right Or Left, Playing With Spherical Mirrors, Concave
Mirrors, Convex Mirror, Real Images, Virtual Image, Character Of The Image, Images Formed By
Lenses, Convex Mirror, Concave Mirror, Splitting Of Sunlight Using Prism, Newton’s Disc, Image
Formation In A Plane Mirror, Lateral Inversion, Regular And Diffused Reflection, Multiple
Reflections, Multiple Images, Kaleidoscope
Space - The Moon, Phases Of The Moon, The Moon’s Surface, The Stars, Light Year, The Pole Star,
Constellations, Ursa Major, Orion, Cassiopeia, The Solar System, The Sun, The Planets, Orbit,
Satellite, Tilted Axis, Asteroids, Comets, Meteors And Meteorites, Artificial Satellites
Earth’s Interior - Earthquakes, Causes Of An Earthquake, Tectonic Plates, Movements Of Earth’s
Plates, Seismic Or Fault Zones, Richter Scale, Seismograph, Protection Against Earthquakes
Measurement - Measuring Length Unit, Standard Units Of Measurement, Correct Measurement Of
Length, Metric System, International System Of Units (SI Units), Measurement Of Height, Errors In
Taking Observations, Measuring the length of a curved line with a thread
Types and Characteristics of Motion - Types of Motions, Rectilinear Motion, Circular Motion,
Periodic and Non-periodic Motion, Combinations of Different Types of Motion
Motion and Time - Speed, Non-Uniform Motion, Uniform Motion, Measurement Of Time, Simple
Pendulum, Periodic and Oscillatory Motion, Units Of Time And Speed, Measuring Speed,
Speedometer, Distance-Time Graphs
Types and Properties of Force - Interactions giving rise to Forces, Forces acting in the same
direction, Forces acting in the opposite directions, Magnitude Of Force, Ability of Force to change
the state of Motion, State Of Motion, Ability of Force to change the shape of an object, Contact
Forces, Non-Contact Forces, Magnetic Force, Electrostatic Force, Gravitational Force, Pressure,
Pressure Exerted By Liquids And Gases, Pressure On The Walls Of The Container, Atmospheric
Pressure
Friction - Force Of Friction, Factors Affecting Friction, Spring Balance, Surface Irregularities, Friction:
A Necessary Evil, Friction producing Heat, Increasing And Reducing Friction, Lubricants, Wheels,
Reduce Friction, Rolling Friction, Sliding Friction, Fluid Friction, Drag
Characteristics of Mechanical Waves - Sound Produced By A Vibrating Body, Vibration, Musical
Instruments, Sound Needs A Medium For Propagation, Amplitude, Time Period And Frequency Of A
Vibration, Oscillatory Motion, Hertz, Amplitude, Loudness And Pitch, Noise And Music, Noise
Pollution, Measures To Limit Noise Pollution
Properties of Electric Charge - Lightning, Electric Charges, Charging By Rubbing, Charged Objects,
Types Of Charges And Their Interaction, Convention Of Positive And Negative Charge, Transfer Of
Charge, Electroscope, Earthing, Lightning Safety
Electric Components - Electric Cell, Torch Bulb, Positive And Negative Terminals, Bulb,Connected to
an Electric Cell, Electric Circuit, Current Flow, Direction Of Current Flow, Electric Switch, Conductors
And Insulators, Symbols of Electric Components, Electric circuit components, Battery, Circuit
Diagram, Heating Effect of Electric Current, Heating Element, Electric Fuses, Magnetic Effects Of
Electric Current, Electromagnet, Electric Bell
Chemical Effects of Electric Current - Liquids conducting Electricity, Chemical Effects Of Electric
Current, Electrodes, Electroplating, Chromium Plating, Corrosion Protection
Properties of Magnetic Materials - Magnetic And Non-Magnetic Materials, Magnetic Objects, Poles
of a Magnet, Iron Filings Sticking to a Bar Magnet, Compass, Making a Magnet, Attraction And
Repulsion Of Magnets, Loss of Magnetic Properties
Eye - Cornea, Iris, Pupil, Optic Nerve, Blind Spot, Care Of Eyes, Visual impairment, Braille System
Voice and Ears - Sound Produced By Humans, Voice Box Or The Larynx, Vocal Cords, Sound
perceived by the Ears , Eardrum, Audible And Inaudible Sounds, Hearing Impairment
Sample questions
Subject expertise
Choose the correct statement about tall woody trees in a rainforest. 1
Photosynthesis happens during the day.
Respiration happens during day and night.
Transpiration happens during day and night. 1 RA
Photosynthesis happens during the day.
Respiration happens during day and night.
Transpiration happens during the day. 2
Photosynthesis happens during the day.
Respiration happens during night.
Transpiration happens during day and night. 3
Photosynthesis happens during the day.
Respiration happens during the day.
Transpiration happens during the night. 4
Explanation: Apart from photosynthesis which only occurs during the day because of its dependence on
sunlight, both respiration and transpiration occur during the day and night.
Subject pedagogy
A student in Mr. Mitra's class says: "Heat always flows upwards."
Mr. Mitra asks the class for their opinion and four students say the following:
(i) It is true because we see that in convection currents.
(ii) It is true because hotter things become lighter.
(iii) It is true only when the hotter substance is below the colder one.
(iv) Heat flow does depend on directions.
Arrange these responses in increasing order of conceptual clarity, from LEAST to MOST. 4
iii, i, iv, ii 1
ii, iv, i, iii 2
i, iv, ii, iii 3
i, ii, iv, iii 4 RA
Explanation: The first response shows the least conceptual clarity while the third response shows the most
conceptual clarity. It is not true that hotter things become lighter. Heat flow does depend on direction but
(iv) is not as comprehensive as (iii) in terms of conceptual clarity.
Middle School Social Science
Syllabus
Historical Method
Artefacts and Sources - Archaeologists, Sources of historical information and their
characteristics (Manuscripts, Inscriptions, Seals, Books, Travellers’ accounts, Sculptures, Coins,
Rock paintings, Cave paintings, Burial sites, Tools) Decipherment, Tools Of Stone, Wood And
Bone, The Vedas, How Historians Study The Rigveda, Skeletal Studies, Prashastis and what they
tell us, Preservation of books, Changes in terminologies over the year and its impact on
historians, Hagiographies, Sources of information about Colonial period (Administrative records,
Surveys), Drawbacks of Official records
Periodisation - Concept of Dates, Eras, Importance of Dates, Selection of Important dates,
Archaeological time periods, Periodisation of Indian history done by the British (Hindu, Muslim,
British), Periodisation of Indian History into Ancient, Medieval and Modern, Characteristics of
Colonial Period
Archaeology - Family of languages, Finding about social differences, Finding about occupation,
Burial at Inamgaon, Occupations at Inamgaon, Life in Arikamedu (between 2200 and 1900 years
ago), Harshavardhana and the Harshacharita, Genealogy Of Harsha, Aryabhata and his major
contributions, Kalidas and his major contributions, major changes between 700 AD and 1750 AD
Ancient Indian History (Prehistoric to 700 AD)
India in Ancient times - Hunter-gatherers and their way of life, Stone tools and their use,
Beginning of farming and herding, Domestication, Huts And Houses, Use Of Pots, Iron Tools and
Agriculture, Irrigation system during the ancient time period, Hierarchy of people living In
villages, Role of cities, Crafts and Craftsmen during the ancient period, Characteristics of
Shrenis, Trade between kingdoms, The History of the Silk Route
Harappan Civilisation (2700 BC - 1900 BC) - Characteristics of Harappan Civilisation, Town
planning, Buildings and architecture, Citadel, Bricks, Drainage system, Life In The City, Tools,
Weapons, Ornaments and, Vessels, Scribes, Craftsmen, Source of Raw materials, Food, City of
Dholavira, the City of Lothal, End of Harappan Civilisation
Early Kingdoms (1500 BC - 700 AD) - Ways of becoming of a ruler (through an election, sacrifice,
etc), Characteristics of Janapadas and Mahajanapadas, Taxation system in Mahajanapadas,
Changes in Agriculture during the period, History of Magadha and Vajji, Gana Or Sangha form of
Government, Main characteristics of Kingdoms along the Coasts (Cholas, Cheras, And Pandyas),
Main features of Satavahanas and Kushanas, Administration system, Army system, Life of
ordinary people in the kingdoms
Mauryan Empire (321-185 BC) - Empires vs Kingdoms, Dynasty, Succession order of Mauryan
Rulers, Name of Principle Mauryan cities and their location, Ruling mechanism of Mauryan
Empire, Concept to Tribute, Ashoka’s Rule, Kalinga war and its impact on Ashoka, Ashoka’s
Dhamma, Chanakya and Arthashastra
Gupta Empire (300 AD - 800 AD) - Samudragupta’s Prashasti, Genealogy of Samudragupta,
Titles held by rulers in the Gupta Empire
Pallavas and Chalukyas - Pallavas and Chalukyas’ Prashasti, Capital of Chalukya, Reign of
Pulakeshin II, Assembly system
Religion in Ancient India - Varnas, History of Vardhamana Mahavira and Jainism, History of The
Buddha and his Teachings, Upanishads, Concept of the Sangha, Monasteries, The System of
Ashramas, The Spread Of Buddhism across the globe, Kanishka’s Buddhist Council, Changes in
Buddhism (Mahayana Buddhism, Statues Of The Buddha, Bodhisattvas), Famous Pilgrims (Fa
Xian, Xuan Zang, I-Qing), History of Nalanda University, The Beginning Of Bhakti and Hinduism
Architecture in Ancient India - Types of structures, Features and history of The Iron Pillar,
Features of Stupas, the Construction process of Stupas and Temples, Painting in Ajanta
Medieval Indian History (700 AD -1857 AD)
Kingdoms and Dynasties - Emergence of Major Dynasties between 800 AD -1200 AD
(Prathiharas, Palas, and Rashtrakutas), Administration In these Kingdoms, Information on Land
Grants from Prashastis, System of warfare for wealth
Chola Dynasty (848 AD - 1279 AD) - Emergence of Chola Dynasty, Reign of Rajaraja I, Features of
Temples and Bronze Sculpture constructed by Cholas, Agriculture and Irrigation system,
Administration system of Cholas
Delhi Sultanate (1206 AD - 1526 AD) - Dynasties ruling Delhi and Major Rulers from 1100 AD to
1526 AD, Information about Delhi Sultanate available from Tawarikh, The Circle of Justice, Reign
of Raziyya and her dethronement, Garrison Towns, The Expansion Of The Delhi Sultanate,
Construction of Mosques and their purpose, Administration and Consolidation under The Khaljis
And Tughluqs, Reigns of Alauddin Khalji and Muhammad Tughluq, Taxation system, Major
attacks on Delhi Sultanate, The Sultanate In The Fifteenth And Sixteenth Centuries, Reign of Sher
Shah
Mughal Empire (1526 AD- 1707 AD) - Ancestry of Mughals, Major campaigns under Mughal
Empire, Reign of Mughal Rulers from Babur to Aurangzeb, Mughal Traditions Of Succession,
Mughal Relations with other Rulers, Features of Mansabdars And Jagirdars, Features of Zabt
And Zamindars, Reign of Akbar and his Policies, Akbar Nama and Ain-i Akbari, The Mughal
Empire In 17thCentury and after, Fall of Mughal Empire
The emergence of New states (1600 AD - 1857 AD) - Emergence of New States post Mughals,
The Old Mughal Provinces (Hyderabad, Awadh, and Bengal), Reign of Rajputs, The Sikhs, The
Marathas, Peshwa, The Jats
Administration of Towns - Kinds of Towns and their Characteristics (Administrative Centres,
Temple, Towns, And Pilgrimage Centres), Network Of Small Towns, System of Trading and
Taxation, Craftsmen in Medieval Towns, Architecture and Life of People in 3 major cities (Hampi,
Masulipatnam, And Surat), Emergence of new ports, Emergence of New Towns in 16th & 17th
Century, East India Company
Tribes - Characteristics of Tribal Societies, Major Indian tribes prevalent in Medieval period, Life
of Nomads and Mobile People, Characteristics of Nomadic Pastoralists and Banjaras, History of
The Gonds and The Ahoms
Regional Culture - Connection between region and language, History of Malayalam, The
Jagannatha Cult, The Rajputs And Traditions, History of Kathak, Classical Dances and their Forms,
History of Miniature Paintings, Kangra Painting, Growth of Regional Language in Bengal, Early
Bengali Literature, Emergence of Pirs And Temples in Bengal, Fish as Food in Bengal
Religion in Medieval India - Major changes in Hinduism between 700 AD and 1750 AD,
Emergence of The Idea of a Supreme God, Characteristics of Nayanars And Alvars, , History of
Shankara and Ramanuja, Basavanna’S Virashaivism, The Saints Of Maharashtra, Nathpanthis,
Siddhas And Yogis, Islam And Sufism, New Religious Developments In North India (Kabir, Baba
Guru Nanak, Tulsidas, And Surdas), Emergence of New Castes And Hierarchies
Architecture in Medieval India - Important Architectural Innovations during Medieval Period,
Architectural features of Qutub Minar, Features of Architecture Style “Trabeate”, Temple
Construction In The Early Eleventh Century, Building Temples, Mosques And Tanks, Destructions
of Temples during the war, Architecture style under Mughals (Gardens, Tombs And Forts),
Sharing of architectural ideas across regions
Modern Indian History (1857 AD-Present)
East India Company - Mercantile Trading Companies, The Royal Charter, Establishment of East
India Company in India, Company Officials Become Nabobs, Expansion of Company Rule,
Subsidiary Alliance, Policy Of Paramountcy, The Doctrine Of Lapse, New Administration System
under colonial rule, Justice System, Characteristics of The British Army, The Company becoming
The Diwan, Revenue Sources for the Company, Need To Improve Agriculture, Permanent
Settlement system, Mahalwari Settlement, The Munro System, Export of crops to Europe,
History of Indigo cultivation and Blue Rebellion in India
Indian Tribes - Means of livelihood of Tribal groups (Jhum cultivation, Herding, hunting, and
gathering), Effect of Colonial Rule on Tribal Lives, Forest Laws and their Impact on Tribes, Tribal
Rebellions and Revolts
The rebellion of 1857 - Discontentment among Nawabs, Peasants and Sepoys, Responses to
Reforms introduced by Britishers, Emergence of Mutiny in Meerut, Spreading of Rebellion,
Company’s respond to the rebellion of 1857, Aftermath of the Rebellion, the Khurda Uprising
The City in Colonial India - Life in Cities Under Colonial Rule, Presidency Cities, Features of
De-Urbanisation, History of New Delhi, Delhi Renaissance, Planning of the New Capital, Life In
The Time Of Partition, Delhi Became A City Of Refugees, Municipality Planning The Delhi
Improvement Trust
Industrialisation - Demand for Indian Textiles in the World Market, Varieties of cloth exported
from India, Invention of Spinning Jenny, Characteristics of Weaver community, Decline Of Indian
Textiles, Rise Of Cotton Mills, History of Wootz Steel, the emergence of Iron And Steel Factories
Come Up In India
Education under Company Rule - British’s Idea of Education, The Tradition of Orientalism and its
criticism, Wood’s Despatch, The Report Of William Adam, New rules for Schools, Criticism of the
colonial education system, Establishment of Santiniketan
Social Reforms - Cultural norms before 19th century, Emergence of debates on cultural norms and
issues, Emergence of women empowerment and education, Criminalising Sati and Encouraging
Remarriage, Law against child marriage, Caste And Social Reform, Demand for equality and
justice, The Satnami Movement In Central India, The Satyashodhak Samaj, The Non-Brahman
Movement, The Prarthana Samaj, The Veda Samaj, The Brahmo Samaj, The Ramakrishna
Mission, The Aligarh Movement, The Singh Sabha Movement
Art - Types of Art Forms, Styles, Materials And Techniques, New Forms Of Imperial Art, Realism,
New Style Of Portraiture, History Painting, Court Artists, Company Paintings, The New Popular
Indian Art, Scroll Painters, Kalighat Painters, Painting of Bharat Mata, New Buildings And
Architectural Styles, History of National Art, New Movements Of Art
Indian National Movement - Emergence of Nationalism, Indian National Congress, Poona
Sarvajanik Sabha, Vernacular Press Act, Critics of Congress, Partition of Bengal, Vandemataram
Movement, The Swadeshi movement, Emergence of All India Muslim League, Growth Of Mass
Nationalism, Advent Of Mahatma Gandhi, The Rowlatt Satyagraha, The Jallianwala Bagh
Atrocities, Khilafat agitation and the Non-Cooperation Movement, Other Initiatives across the
country like forest Satyagraha, Civil Disobedience Movement, Formation Of The Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh, Dandi March, Women’s role in the Freedom Struggle, Government of India
Act of 1935, Quit India Movement, Independence and Partition
India After Independence - Problem of diversity and slow development, Formation of
Constituent Assembly and Constitution of India, Features of Indian Constitution, Union and
State List, Concurrent List, Formation of States, Planning For Development, Planning
Commission, Mixed Economy Model, Five Year Plan, Foreign Policy
History of Important People - Tipu Sultan, Lord Dalhousie, Warren Hastings (Governor-General
from 1773 to 1785), Birsa Munda, Mangal Pandey, Thomas Macaulay, Rammohun Roy, Mahatma
Gandhi, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Tarabai Shinde, Pandita Ramabai, Shri Narayana Guru,
Jyotirao Phule, E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker, Swami Vivekananda, A.O. Hume, Bhagat Singh,
Ambabai of Karnataka, B.R. Ambedkar, Edward Lutyens, Raja Ravi Varma
Major Battles - The Battle of Plassey, Battle fought at Buxar (1764), Three Wars with The
Marathas (1782 - 1819)
World History
Governance - Characteristics and examples of Imperialism, Colonialism, Annexation, and
Nationalism, Spread of European colonisation and its impact
First World War - Imperialist Rivalries, Conflicts within Europe, Formation of Alliances, The
Outbreak of War, Major Incidents Preceding the War, The Course of the War, End of the War,
Peace Treaties, Treaty of Versailles, Consequences of the War and the Peace Treaties
Second World War - The Invasion of Poland, Conquest of Norway, Denmark, Holland, Belgium,
and France, The Battle of Britain, German Invasion of Soviet Union, Participation of USA, The
Battle of Stalingrad, The ‘Second Front’, End of the War in Europe, Nuclear Attack on Japan,
Resistance Movements, Damage Caused by the War.
Middle School Geography Syllabus
Solar System - Types of celestial bodies (Sun, Planets, Natural Satellites, Asteroids, Meteoroids,
Stars), Constellations, Planets in Solar System, The Moon
Motions of the Earth - Rotation, Revolution, Orbital Plane, Circle of Illumination, Leap Year,
Elliptical Orbit, Seasons, Summer Solstice, Winter Solstice, Equinox
Geographical Models and Representations
Globe - Earth’s Axis, Characteristics of Latitudes and Longitudes, Important Parallels Of Latitudes
(Equator, Tropic Of Cancer, Tropic Of Capricorn, Arctic Circle, and Antarctic Circle), Heat Zones Of
The Earth (Torrid Zone, Temperate Zones, and Frigid Zones), Prime Meridian, Longitude And
Time, Standard Time
Maps - Atlas, Physical Maps, Political Maps, Thematic Maps, Three Components of Maps
(Distance, Direction, and Symbol), Scale, Large scale Map, Small Scale Map, Reading a compass,
Cardinal Points, Conventional Symbols, Sketch, Plan
Natural Physical Features
Domains of the Earth - Lithosphere, Lithospheric Plates, Interior of The Earth, Rocks, Types of
Rocks (Igneous rocks, Sedimentary rocks, and Metamorphic rocks), Intrusive Rocks And Extrusive
Rocks, Rock Cycle, Minerals, Earth’s movements (Endogenic and Exogenic Forces) and their
types, Atmosphere, Composition of The Atmosphere, Structure of The Atmosphere,
Hydrosphere, Major Continents, Major Oceans, Biosphere
Landforms - Formation of Landforms, Erosion, Deposition, Weathering, Mountains, Glaciers,
Mountains Range, Types of Mountains (Fold Mountains, Block Mountains And Volcanic
Mountains), Plateaus, Plains, Life on different landforms, Formations due to movement of river,
sea, ice, and wind, Waterfall, Meanders, Floodplain, Levees, Delta, Sea Caves, Sea Arches,
Stacks, Sea Cliff, Glacial Moraines, Mushroom Rocks, Sand Dunes
Elements of Weather and Climate - Weather vs Climate, Factors affecting climate, Temperature,
Insolation, Air Pressure, Permanent Winds, Seasonal Winds, Local Winds, Cyclone, Moisture,
Water Vapour, Humidity, Clouds, Precipitation, Rain, Types of Rainfall (Cyclonic, Relief, and
Convectional), Weather instruments
Resources and Conservation - Utility, Value, Types of Resources, Abiotic and Biotic, Renewable
and Non-Renewable, Actual and Potential Resources, Human Made Resources, Human
Resources, Human Resource Development, Resource Conservation, Sustainable Development
Drainage and Water resources - Water Cycle, Major Sources of Fresh Water, Distribution of
Water Bodies, Ocean Circulation, Waves, Tides, Ocean Currents and their Types, Problems of
freshwater shortage, Conservation of Water Resources
Land and Soil - Land Use, Conservation of Land Resource, Factors of Soil Formation, Layers of
soil, Degradation of Soil and Conservation Measures, Mulching, Contour Barriers, Rock Dam,
Terrace Farming, Intercropping, Contour Ploughing, Shelter Belts, Types of weathering
Vegetation and Wildlife- Distribution of Natural Vegetation, Conservation of Natural Vegetation
and Wildlife, National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Biosphere Reserves Wildlife, Cites
Mineral Resources - Identification of Minerals, Types of Minerals, Metallic and Non Metallic
minerals, Ferrous and Non-Ferrous Mineral, Extraction of Minerals, Mining (Open-Cast and Shaft
Mining), Drilling, Quarrying, Distribution of Minerals across globe, Different Types of Rocks, Uses
of Minerals, Conservation of Minerals
Power Resources - Power Resources (Coal, Petroleum, Natural Gas, Hydel Power)
Non-Conventional Sources of Energy (Solar Energy, Wind Energy, Nuclear Power, Geothermal
Energy, Tidal Energy, and Biogas)
Geography of India
Size and Location -Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal, Locational Setting, India’s
Neighbours
Physical Features of India - Political and Physical divisions of India, Himalayan Mountain,
Northern Indian Plains, Great Indian Desert, Peninsular Plateau, Vindhyas and the Satpuras,
Western and Eastern Ghats, Coastal Plains, Lakshadweep Islands, Andaman and the Nicobar
Islands
Elements of Weather and Climate -The Major Seasons (Winter, Summer, Rainy Season, and
Retreating Monsoons or Autumn)
Natural Vegetation and Wildlife - Types of forests in India (Tropical Rainforest, Tropical
Deciduous Forests, Thorny Bushes, Mountain Vegetation, Mangrove Forests,) Wildlife in India,
National animal, National Bird, Endangerment of wildlife
Human - Environment Interaction
Environment - Components of environment, Biotic and Abiotic, Ecosystem
Flora and Fauna - Factors for Growth in Vegetation, Forests, Grasslands, Shrubs, Types of Forests
(Tropical Evergreen Forests, Tropical Deciduous Forests, Temperate Evergreen Forests,
Temperate Deciduous Forests, Mediterranean Vegetation, Coniferous Forests), Necessity of
Forests, Thorny Bushes
Tropical & Sub-Tropical Regions - Life and climate in the Amazon Basin, Rainforests, People and
their life in rainforests, Life in the Ganga-Brahmaputra Basin, Agriculture in Ganga-Brahmaputra
Basin
Grasslands - Classification of Grasslands (Tropical and Temperate Grasslands), Climate of
Grasslands, Flora and Fauna of Grasslands, People and their life, Prairies and Velds
Desert - Hot Desert, Sahara Desert , Climate of hot desert, Flora and Fauna of hot desert, People
of Hot desert, Discovery Of Oil, Cold Desert, Ladakh, Climate of hot desert, Flora and Fauna of
hot desert, People of Hot desert, Tourism
Pollution - Types and causes of pollution, Impact of pollution, Measures to control pollution,
Greenhouse effect, Global warming and Climate change
Disaster Management - Natural vs Manmade disasters, Cause and effect of major natural
disasters (Earthquake, Landslides, Flood, Drought, Volcanoes, Tsunami, and Cyclone),
Preparedness for Natural Disasters, Disaster prone areas in India, Types of manmade disasters
(accidents, nuclear, chemical, biological), Concept of Weapon of Mass Destruction
Social and Economic Anthropology
Settlements - Temporary and Permanent Settlement, Rural and Urban Settlements, Houses
based on climate
Transport and Communication - Railways, Waterways, Airways, Means of communication, Mass
Media
Agriculture - Primary Activities, Secondary Activities, Tertiary Activities, Different kinds of
cultivations (agriculture, sericulture, pisciculture, viticulture, and horticulture), Farm System
(Important Inputs, Operations, and the Outputs), Types of Farming (Subsistence and
Commercial), Intensive Subsistence Agriculture, Primitive Subsistence Agriculture, Shifting
Cultivation, Nomadic Herding, Terrace Farming, Contour Farming, Mixed Farming, Plantations,
Major Crops (Rice, Wheat, Millets, Maize, Cotton, Jute, Coffee, Tea), Agricultural Development,
Irrigation Facilities, Fertilisers and High Yielding Variety Of Seeds (HYV), Mechanisation of
Agriculture, Food Security, Agriculture in India vs Agriculture in USA
Industries - Manufacturing Industry, Classification of Industries based on inputs, Classification
based on Size, Classification based on ownership, Factors affecting location of Industries,
Industrial System, Industrial Regions around the globe, Distribution of Major Industries, Iron
And Steel Industry, Cotton Textile Industry, Information Technology Industry, Industrial Disaster
and Risk Reduction measures
Population - Distribution of Population, Density of Population, Factors affecting distribution of
population, Population Change, Death Rate, Migrations, Birth Rate, Natural Growth Rate,
Patterns of Population Change, Population Composition, Age-Sex Pyramid
Middle School Civics (VI-VIII)
Society and Culture
Diversity and Discrimination - Types of Difference, Factors influencing diversity (Historical and
Geographical), Inequality, Caste System, Cultural Differences, Customs And Traditions, Diversity
In India, Unity during The National Movement, National Anthem and Unity, Prejudice and
Discrimination, Inequality and Discrimination, Stereotypes, Gender Stereotypes and inequality,
Reasons for Discrimination, Untouchability, Dalits, Fight for equality
Marginalisation - Meaning of Marginalisation, Adivasis and their key characteristics,
Stereotyping Of Adivasis, Positive and Negative impact of Development on Adivasis, Minorities
And Marginalisation, Muslims And Marginalisation, Ghettoisation, Constitutional provisions
relating to social justice (Articles 14-17), Dalits, Laws For The Marginalised, Promoting Social
Justice, Reservation, Protecting The Rights Of Dalits And Adivasis, The Scheduled Castes And The
Scheduled Tribes (Prevention Of Atrocities) Act, 1989, Importance of the 1989 Act
Equality - Equal Right to Vote, Universal Adult Franchise, Kinds of Equality, Caste system,
Recognising Dignity, Issues of Equality in India, Laws and Schemes in India to promote equality,
Midday Meal Scheme, Issues Of Equality In Other Democracies (African-Americans, Civil Rights
Movement), Examples of Struggles for equality (Journey of Tawa Matsya Sangh)
Gender - Distinctions between genders, Value of Housework (the invisibilisation of women’s
labour), Lives Of Domestic Workers, Women’s Work And Equality, Women In Work, Stereotypes
in terms of occupation, Schooling, Rashsundari Devi, Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain, Schooling And
Education Today, Women’s Movement, Women’s movement and Solidarity, Sexual Harassment,
Raising Awareness about Women rights
Law and Social Justice - Issue of Workers’ Wages, Bhopal Gas Tragedy, Enforcement of Safety
Laws, Environment Protection Laws in India, Environment as a Public Facility
Constitution of India and the Judiciary
Constitution of India - Need For Constitution, Constitutive Rules, Constituent Assembly, The Key
Features of Indian Constitution, Federalism, Parliamentary Form Of Government, Separation Of
Powers, Fundamental Rights, Fundamental Duties, Preamble and meaning of its terms,
Secularism in Indian context, Importance of Separating Religion from the State, Indian
constitution as a Living document
Indian Judiciary - Role Of the Judiciary, Independent Judiciary system, Structure of Courts in
India, Appellate System, Different Branches of the Legal System, Access to the Courts, Public
Interest Litigation (PIL), Role Of police in Investigating a Crime, First Information Report, Role of
the Public Prosecutor, Role of the Judge, Fair Trial
Governance in India
Concept of Government - Need for Government, Responsibilities of Government, Levels of
Government, Laws and The Government, Types of Government
Democratic Governments - Representative Democracies, Struggle for Universal Adult Franchise,
Features of Democratic Governments (Participation, Conflict Resolution, Equality and Justice),
Ways of Participation, Ways to Express Views, Social Movements
Panchayati Raj - Gram Sabha and its election process, Sarpanch, The Gram Panchayat, Sources
of Funds, Responsibilities of Gram Panchayat, Three Levels of Panchayats, Decision making
process, Implementation of decisions, Women and the panchayat
Rural Administration - Working of Local Police, Maintenance of Land Records, New Inheritance
Law, Patwari, Revenue Department (District Collector and Revenue officers), Public Services
functional in Rural Areas
Urban Administration - Municipal Corporation (The Ward Councillor and Administrative Staff),
Electoral Process, Decision making structures, Responsibilities of Municipal Corporations,
Funding of Municipal Corporations, Waste Management, Citizen protests
Public Facilities - Public Facilities and Government’s role, Definition of Health, Healthcare
system In India, Public Health Services, Private Health Facilities, Healthcare and Equality,
Approaches to improve Healthcare System, Medical Tourism, Communicable and
Non-communicable Diseases, Water scarcity, Water As part of the Fundamental Right To Life,
Universal Access To Water, Accessibility of Water, Role of Government in providing Sanitation
Facilities
State Governments - MLA, Legislative Assembly and its electoral process, Opposition, Majority,
Governor, Debate in The Legislative Assembly, Legislature, Press Conference, Role of the Chief
Minister and the council of ministers, Nature of the role played by the government - regarding
resources and services, Factors involved in the distribution of resources/services, Access of
localities and communities to resources/services
Parliament - Need for Decision Making by the People, People’s Representatives, The Role of the
Parliament, Composition of members of Parliament, Do Laws Apply To All, Making of new laws,
Unpopular And Controversial Laws, Accountability of the government to the parliament, Role of
President, PM and the Council of Ministers
International Organisations
United Nations (UN) and its agencies - Formation and history of UN, Role of its major UN
agencies (UNICEF, WHO, and UNESCO), Security Council - Powers and roles, General Assembly
Middle School Economics (VI-VIII)
Economic Theories and Development
Rural Livelihood - Types of livelihoods prevalent in a village, Agricultural Labourers, Types of
farmers (middle farmer, landless labourers, and large farmers), Need for Debt and debt burden
in rural areas, Terrace Farming, Seasonality of work and its impact
Urban Livelihood - Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary occupations, Types of livelihoods prevalent
in an urban area, self-employed, regular employment, wage employment, Migration
Media - Media and Technology, Capital requirement of a Media business, Ways in which
media houses earn revenue, Censorship, Setting Agendas, Local Media, Media’s role in a
Democracy, Ways in which media shapes Public Opinion, Media ethics and accountability,
Commercial Advertising and Consumerism, Social advertising
Microeconomics
Basic Concepts - Economics and its importance, Market participants, Economic Activities,
Consumption, Production and Distribution, Features of Simple Economy, Central problems of
an economy, Types of Economic Systems (Market, Centrally Planned and Mixed), Positive and
normative economics, Microeconomics vs Macroeconomics
Markets - Definition of market, Features and advantages of Weekly Market, Neighbourhood
Shops and their characteristics, Features of Shopping complexes and malls, Supply Chain and
role of Intermediaries, Reasons for Inequality in earnings of different members of the supply
chain, Features of Wholesale Market, Putting-out system, Weaver’s cooperative, People’s
access to markets, Product market vs factor market
Demand and Supply - Concept of Demand and Market Demand, Determinants of demand,
Normal and Inferior Goods, Substitutes and Complements, Change in demand, Concept of
Supply and market supply, determinants of supply, Changes in Supply, Condition of Market
Equilibrium
Law and Social Justice - Issue of Workers’ Wages, Bhopal Gas Tragedy, Enforcement of
Safety Laws, Laws to Protect the Environment, Environment as a Public Facility
Macroeconomics
Money and Banking - Meaning and functions of money, Commercial bank and its functions, Central Bank
and its functions, Role of IMF and World Bank (basic ideas).
Sample questions
Subject expertise
How were trading towns like Surat and Masulipatnam affected by Colonial rule? 3
They flourished with the increase in trade volume.
1
They grew smaller due to migration to other cities.
2
They lost out on trade to the British ports.
3 RA
They were benefited by the boycott of foreign goods.
4
Explanation: Option 3 accurately states the reason why old trading towns like Surat and Masulipatnam lost
their wealth due to the creation of British ports.
Subject pedagogy
A teacher wants to help his students understand whether and how dates are important in
history.
Which of the following exercises could bring out the most appropriate perspective?
2
Give students a list of 10 important events and ask them to put the right year against each
event. 1
Give students a list of 10 important events during 1200 A.D. to 1800 A.D. and ask them to
arrange these chronologically. 2 RA
Give students the task of finding out from various sources which important historical events
took place in the same birth month as their own (in other years of course). 3
Give students a list of 10 important events during 1900 A.D. to 1910 A.D. and ask them to
arrange these chronologically. 4
Explanation: The second option is the question that brings out the best perspective for students on how
dates are important in history.