GEOGRAPHY SYLLABUS: STANDARD X

Approach to Teaching Geography. The syllabus has 12 units. There are 9 units on India and 3 units are allocated for practicals, which are a
part of the examination. The approach to studying India is through regional concept. In all lessons on India, the concept of region will be the
guiding principle and hence natural and cultural regions are discussed. Natural regions are used in 3 units (II to IV), whereas cultural regions
are the frameworks for 6 units (I and V to IX). Practicals are compulsory and students are required to submit their records of work for
valuation at the final examination. Teachers need special cartographic skills for teaching the practicals. New ideas on fieldwork and natural
resources assessment are introduced in the respective chapters. Units X to XI are a blend of classroom teaching and lab and fieldwork.

Unit Expected Learning Outcomes Content Transactional Strategy and Activity Teaching Aids #
Periods
I i) Ability to conceive India as a Indian Subcontinent Classroom activity: Explaining the Blackboard 4
land subcontinental Location, boundaries location of India in the world, using Globe
characteristics Administrative globe and world map Wall map of
ii) Learning locational divisions: States and Teachers speak to students about the world
characteristics and the notion of Union Territories India and the need to position it, in Wall map -
states and union territories in the Positioning India in a variety of modern contexts vis-à- political
federal set up the world vis world events and international Charts on India
iii) Learning about the diversity in Unity in diversity relations
culture and beliefs and secular Cultural pluralism and Outdoor / Home activity: Students
fabric of the society Secularism are guided in collecting and
preparing a report on the multiple
facets of India, especially in socio-
economic and cultural realms
II i) Ability to divide India into Relief and Drainage Classroom activity: Explaining the Blackboard 5
logical divisions based on relief Peninsular and extra- rationale behind division of the Wall maps -
ii) Ability to identify and peninsular rivers country into physiographic physical
understand the importance of Islands divisions Charts on India
drainage, especially rivers Plains Teachers speak to students about Charts on
 2

iii) Learning about the islands of the greatness / sacredness of rivers rivers
India and their importance of India and how life is intrinsically Flip charts
iv) Ability to differentiate twined with them India outline
characteristics of relief divisions, Discussion on sharing of river maps
especially hills/mountains and waters and international, national
plains and interstate water disputes
v) Ability to know and differentiate Homework: Students do a profile of
peninsula, plateau, plains, islands each physiographic division and
rivers in groups
Map work - locating rivers, plains,
places of importance
III i) Ability to know and understand Climate of India Classroom activity: Recap on Blackboard 5
the climatic characteristics of Summer, Winter weather and climate Wall map
India Monsoon winds and Explanation for the climate of India, Charts on
ii) Learning how agriculture is a rains considering India's position and the monsoon
gamble on monsoon Failure of monsoons Himalayas in the north and the Flipcharts
iii) Learning monsoon winds and Rainwater harvesting warm India ocean in the south Newspaper
rainfall patterns in different Students discuss in groups monsoon reports on
seasons winds and how important they are monsoon
iv) Learning why rainwater for the country as a whole Satellite
harvesting has become important Group discussion on the reasons for pictures
monsoon failures and the need to Websites for
harvest rainwater materials on
Homework: Assignments on the monsoon
climate of India, may be as group Outline maps
assignments
Scrapbook on monsoons
Collecting newspaper reports on
monsoon and rains
Students draw maps using rainfall
data for stations in Tamil Nadu
 3

IV i) Ability to differentiate between Soils and Natural Classroom activity: Explanation for Blackboard 5
various soils of India both in Vegetation soils and their formation and variety Wall map
terms of conventional types and Soil types and their of natural vegetation using charts Charts on soils
classification distribution Discussion on practices that affect and vegetation
ii) Ability to identify and Soil conservation soils and forests and the notion of Flipcharts
understand different vegetation Types of natural conservation and protection Pictures
in the country and the richness or vegetation / forests Discussion on rationale behind Newspaper
otherwise of them Vegetation of regions conservation practices in use and reports on soils
iii) Learning about the degradation such as hills/mountains suggested and vegetation
of soils and forests and reasons and deserts Discussion on improving soil and Websites for
for the same Forest conservation forest cover materials on
iv) Learning about the conservation Joint forest Homework: Students write a soils and
and protection measures in use management profile / report on soils and vegetation
and needed vegetation of their locality and Outline maps
v) Learning to appreciate the discuss it later in the class
usefulness of vegetative cover Collecting information on
and improving it traditional soil classification and
vegetation related practices (herbal)
Mapping exercises for soils and
vegetation
V i) Ability to understand the Crops of India Classroom activity: Explanation for Blackboard 5
environmental, social and Peninsular crops crops, by regions of India, Wall map
economic conditions for different Extra-peninsular crops especially peninsular and extra- Charts on
crops of India Agricultural diversity peninsular regions crops
ii) Learning to differentiate food, Social and food Discussion on the need for diversity Flipcharts
non-food, commercial and other security in agriculture Newspaper
crops Students discuss in groups on social reports on
iii) Learning to appreciate the and food security crops and
diversity in agriculture Homework: Scrapbook on crops practices
iv) Learning the need for and actions and practices in India Websites for
taken towards social and food Reports on local crops materials on
 4

security Collecting information on food and social

traditional crops and agricultural security
practices Outline maps
VI i) Ability to differentiate basic and Industries Classroom activity: Explanation on Blackboard 5
non-basic, light and heavy Basic and Non-basic industries, industrial development Wall map
industries Light and Heavy Students discuss industrial location Charts on
ii) Learning about the diverse Industrial development in groups in respect of local industries
industries, namely, mineral based industries Flipcharts
and agro-based industries Groups of students collect first- Newspaper
iii) Learning about the locational hand information on different local reports on
characteristics of industries industries various
iv) Learning about the levels of Homework: Students are asked to industries
industrial development write on traditional, village, and Websites for
cottage industries materials on
industries
Outline maps
VII i) Learning about the vital Infrastructures and Classroom activity: Initiating Blackboard 4
infrastructures and services of Services discussions on infrastructures and Wall map
India Housing, Education, services Charts on
ii) Learning the types, nature, extent Health, Transport Debating on the problems of infrastructures
and reach of services such as housing, education, health and Flipcharts
housing, education, health and transport Newspaper
transport Discussing solutions for reports on
iii) Learning about the importance of infrastructural and services related services and
health education in regard to problems: houselessness, school conditions
health conditions in the local dropout, lack of access to health and Websites for
areas medical care, and pollution from materials
iv) Learning about the importance of transport Outline maps
road versus rail transport, and Homework: Reports / profiles on
water transport local housing, educational, health
and transport conditions
 5

VIII i) Ability to know, understand, and Human Resources Classroom activity: Expanation on Blackboard 4
appreciate human resources of Population: Number, human resources and the need to Wall map
India Growth, Density, Age develop and manage them Charts on
ii) Learning about over / under- and Sex Composition, Lecture on quality versus quantity population, age
population, places of high and Occupational Structure Discussion in groups on: Doubling pyramids
low densities HRD initiatives time, Population trap, Density as Flipcharts
iii) Learning about growth salutary Newspaper
characteristics, occupational and Class discusses problems faced by reports on
other characteristics population planning and family population
iv) Learning about the initiatives for welfare, its successes and failures planning and
HRD activities in India Homework: Students write family welfare
assignments on a variety of topics Websites for
and current concerns of population materials on
growth HRD and M
Outline maps
IX i) Ability to appreciate planning Developing India Classroom activity: Class discusses Blackboard 5
perspectives and the Five Year Plans on the planning of development in Wall map
achievements of India Developmental India and the history of planning Charts on
ii) Learning about the Five Year consequences Teacher speaks to students on why Planning Goals
Plans and Annual Plans and also Perspectives on plans and how of Five Year Plans and and Objectives
how they are made and achievements annual and rolling plans Flipcharts
iii) Learning about planning goals Class discuss in groups Newspaper
and objectives, budegting and achievements during the planning reports on
other aspects era, one plan by another planning
iv) Learning about the consequences Homework: Scrapbook on planning Websites for
of planning and not planning Students write assignments on the materials on
v) Learning about the making of problems and achievements of India plans
state and central plans during each of the Five Year Plans Outline maps
and during certain select period
X i) Ability to appreciate cartography Maps and Diagrams Classroom activity: It is enough to Blackboard 5
and learn skills relating to Distribution maps teach cartographic skills, in the Precision

mapping and drawing diagrams,
including charts
ii) Learning manual skills in regard
to distribution maps namely
isopleth and choropleth maps,
representing demographic data
iii) Learning manual skills in regard
to statistical diagrams and other
types of diagrams such as line,
bar, and pie diagrams
iv) Ability to generating and using
graded patterns for maps and
diagrams
v) Learning basics of statistical
applications in geography
XI i) Ability to design and conduct
fieldwork for a specific purpose
ii) Learning the art of preparing
interview schedules and
questionnaires
iii) Ability to select sample for the
study and fulfilling its objectives
iv) Ability to select individual,
household and group samples
using sampling procedures
v) Learning to choose area sampling
vi) Conducting pilot surveys and
final surveys, including
interviews with key informants
6
Simple line, bar and most rudimentary way. Teachers instruments
pie diagrams explain the importance and Charts for
Statistics procedures of drawing in regard to mapping and
distribution maps and diagrams and diagramming
show how on the blackboard. Record
Teachers go round the class helping notebook
the students draw as well as they Water colours
should. or paints
Homework: Students take home
mapping and diagramming
exercises and have them made into
fair copies to submit as records
Fieldwork Classroom activity: Teachers Blackboard 5
Steps to conducting explain the basics of fieldwork Flip charts
fieldwork using blackboard and flip charts Simple
Practicing fieldwork Students, with guidance from equipment for
teachers, design and develop a fieldwork
schedule of questions or a
questionnaire to be used in the field
survey
Outdoor activity: Students do a
reconnaissance of the area to be
studied
Conducting pilot and final survey,
mainly interviews, with carefully
chosen samples (people or
households or groups)
Homework: Reporting on the field
 7

survey.
XII i) Ability to organise and conduct Rapid Assessment Classroom activity: Teachers Blackboard 4
rapid and participatory Participatory Rapid explain the recent advancements in Flip charts on a
assessments Assessment field survey and resources battery of
ii) Learning skills in using various assessments methods
methods of rapid and Teachers speak on the rapid and Slides
participatory assessments participatory assessments,
especially what needs to be done
prior to, during and after their
conduct
Note: Each unit will form the basis of a lesson and the length of the text will be determined by the hours available for teaching the unit. Twelve of the 68 periods
available will be used for revision of the subject before the quarterly, half yearly and annual examinations (4 periods each).
Practicals are introduced in the syllabus with an intent of introducing cartography, statistics, and fieldwork. All through the year, ten exercises at the rate one to a
month of the course may be worked on in the classroom. Exercises do not necessitate a separate lab and any classroom can be doubled as lab, provided tables for
drawing are available in the classroom. Exercises must be taught in the classroom and must worked on both at classroom and home.