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Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

School Based Assessment


- A Theoretical Perspective
The National Curriculum Framework 2005 emphasizes the practice of assessment as an integral part of
the learning process that has the capacity to benefit both the learners as well as the educational system,
by giving credible feedback. It also acknowledges that the ongoing assessment procedures and
practices cater to a very narrow set of faculties that learners possess. The picture of the learners' abilities
provided by such assessment practices is largely incomplete, and their use impedes the further growth
of learners.
The vision behind introducing the Continuous and Comprehensive system of Evaluation (CCE) was
to provide feedback to the learners about their abilities at frequent intervals in order to aid their
learning and development. By strengthening and upgrading the design of assessment practices used
in schools, the much needed paradigm shift in approach to teaching and learning can be brought
about, which would eventually lead us to improvement in the quality of education. With this in mind,
the internationally accepted Modern Assessment Theory and Practice is being introduced as the guiding
light in bringing about a shift in how learners need to be assessed in schools throughout the country.

Modern Assessment Theory in the CCE


The Modern Assessment Theory is directly aligned with the spirit of CCE as it situates the learner at the
heart of the learning process and enables teachers to practice efficient assessment and management
techniques. At the core is the developmental continuum that explicates the path of growth for learners for
every subject. With the help of authentic and concrete evidences the teacher formulates her professional
judgment about the learner and draws interpretations in order to locate every child on the
developmental continuum. The assessment tasks and grading scales must be so designed that they
enable the learners to exhibit the appropriate abilities in consonance with the learning objectives. For
this to be a reality, learners must be informed of the capacities they are to develop so they can navigate
through the developmental continuum with a purpose. Teachers must communicate the learning
objectives to the learners in simple and easy way to understand language, to keep them informed of the
path that must be followed, to attain levels of mastery over concepts and skills. The backbone of the
theory is hence formed by the framework that operates as the core of the teaching learning practices,
and, the developmental continuum that defines the standards of student performance. The theoretical
nuances are easily executed in practice when the image of the learner is attempted to be built upon.

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

Modern Assessment Theory and Formative Assessments


Formative assessment practices provide considerable scope for mapping the learner's academic and
non-academic progress along the developmental continuum. The Developmental Continuum can be
visualized as a stairway; each step leading the child to higher realms of knowledge, understanding and
performance. Each child's performance corresponding to what he or she knows and can do, can be
located along the developmental continuum. Through it, the child's progression and development can
be comprehensively mapped and can be positioned not in discrete categories- as has been done for a
long time in the history of assessment and testing, but in continuity and quick succession, along a
continuum that would embody a learner's growth and development during the academic session.

Understanding Formative and Summative Assessments


The paradigm of school based assessments makes assessment an integral part of the teaching learning
process that guides the learning process and stimulates further learning.
The mode in which the assessment is conducted in the classrooms may range from being unstructured
such as teacher-student, student-students conversations, to a highly structured kind such as paperpencil tests or performance tasks.
For unstructured or slightly structured assessment tasks, students and/or their peers could be the
sources of evidence when they share their knowledge during the task. For such tasks self assessment or
peer assessment can be undertaken to give feedback to the learners about their standards of
achievements.
USE OF
EVIDENCES
TO IMPROVE
TEACHING
LEARNING

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT

FEEDBACK TO
THE STUDENTS

ASSESSMENT CYCLE

INTERPRETATION
OF EVIDENCES

REPORTING TO PARENTS
SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT
USE OF RESULT BY SCHOOL

LEARNING
OBJECTIVES

STUDENT NEEDS

TEACHING
LEARNING
PROCESS
INCLUDING
ASSESSMENT

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

As evident from the above cycle, any assessment can be used as formative or summative. It depends on
the purpose of the assessment and difference in the way of reporting. The evidences gathered by the
assessments that do not form the base for further learning are not really formative assessments.
Hence, it must be noted that if and only if a teacher incorporates her insights and feedback for the
students in further learning processes in the classroom, only then can that assessment be termed a
'formative assessment'. Departing from the above said principle would yet again render an assessment
as a 'summative' assessment since it would not have contributed in further teaching input by the
teacher based on learner performance and would have terminated the learning cycle for the child.

Linking Assessments to Cognitive Levels of the Learners


Teachers are aware of the learning objectives that the students need to achieve as a result of the
teaching learning process. We then proceed to design lesson plans, activities and teaching methods
which revolve around the concept of the cognitive levels of learning, of which Bloom's six levels of
cognitive learning are the most familiar.
The six levels of Bloom's taxonomy of cognitive learning are as follows:
G

Remembering

Understanding

Applying

Analyzing

Evaluating

Creating

While our teaching learning process is based on this taxonomy, assessments also need to be linked to
the cognitive levels. For example:

Remembering (Multiple Choice)


1.

Particles of a liquid(a)

are most ordered

(b)

move randomly

(c)

have large intermolecular spaces

(d)

can slip and slide over each other

Applying (Multiple choice)


1.

With reference to Hooper, the author says, "Everything was going for him", What does it imply?
(a)

he had everything that a man aspires for

(b)

people admired him

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

(c)

he did what he wanted

(d)

he was capable of playing games

Analysis
1.

How was Private Quelch's knowledge exposed even further as the Sergeant's classes went on?

Evaluation And Creation


1.

Do you agree with Harold's parents decision of hiding from him the fact that his father was a
boxer? Why / Why not?

2.

Democracy is seen to be good in principle, but felt, to be not so good in practice. Justify the
statement with suitable arguments.

Guidelines for Writing Multiple Choice Questions


Multiple choice questions are a form of assessment in which the question instructs the respondent to
choose one of the responses as the correct answer from a list of alternatives that are provided. Multiple
choice questions are being increasingly used by schools as one of the assessment tools for measuring
students' learning achievement.

Advantages of MCQ's
Multiple choice questions provide a level of versatility since they are adaptable for various levels of
learning outcomes including simple recall of knowledge, analysis of phenomena, application of
principles, interpreting cause and effect relationships, etc. They have a higher validity since more
questions can be given to the student and therefore greater coverage of the syllabus can be done.
Multiple choice questions have an increased reliability because of the objectivity that is involved in
marking; and also facilitate increased efficiency as papers can be easily checked and marked.

Parts of an MCQ
Multiple choice questions consist of a question or a stem, distractors (or the incorrect options) and the
key, i.e., the answer. The stem, in a multiple choice item, can be in the form of a direct question, or in a
sentence completion format or in the form of a picture or diagram. For example:
Q1. A tin foil of length a and breadth b is rolled to make a cylinder.
What will be the volume of the cylinder?
a)

ab 2
4

b)

4 a 2 b

c) a 2 b2
d)

}
}

a2 b
4

STEM
DISTRACTORS
KEY - D

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

There are several guidelines for effectively developing good quality multiple-choice questions:
G

The question should be aligned with the learning objective.

A multiple choice question should focus on an important concept.

It may cover more than one concept when a higher cognitive level has to be tested.

The language should be simple, clear and unambiguous.

Answer options should be plausible and similar in context, ideas and focus.

Ensure that answer options do not overlap with each other.


2

Use "all of the above" and "none of the above" sparingly.

The stem and answer options should be framed in positive terms.

The answer options should not have opposites.

Modern Assessment Theory and Performance Standards


In the Modern Assessment Theory- marks and grades are NOT the determining factors to assess the
learners. It is descriptive standards that aid in positioning a child along the developmental continuum
and define the achievement standards for every learner. It must be borne in mind that a child is not
compared with a group, but is assessed through descriptors which are both extensive and intensive in
nature; those which support the image that is constructed of a child. While building the image of any
child, teachers need to be extremely reflective with regard to the factors that reinforce the formed
image. Teachers need to persistently collect evidences and thereafter locate the child along the
developmental continuum. It must be noted that an image once formed is NOT the final image. Since
learning is a process, thereby the image formation is a process too! At no point must a teacher stop
adding the evidences that consistently support and build the image of the child.
In modern assessment we refer the student's performance to predetermined standards. 'Curriculum
Standards' are the knowledge, skills, and understanding expected to be gained by the student as a
result of studying a course, while 'Performance Standards' are defined as how well the student has
achieved the curriculum or content standard. The higher the level of the performance standard, the
further the learner is along the developmental continuum.
Depending on the purpose of assessment and the learning objectives, a range of assessment methods,
not just MCQ's, should be used to generate a reliable and valid estimate of the students learning. For eg.
Forms such as Short Answer Questions, Essay Questions (used affectively to assess higher order
cognitive skills), Performance Assessments (used for role play, recitation, conducting a science
experiment etc.), etc. can be used to extract knowledge about the learners' mastery over knowledge
and skills.
5

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

Rubrics and Modern Assessment Theory


Teachers need to develop marking rubrics which are aligned to the performance standards. Only then
can marks actually have meaning. The rubrics are a guide for teachers to locate the student along the
developmental continuum. Only then would higher marks reflect higher cognitive skills.
Students and parents should be made aware of the marking criteria, because only then can they
actually see why the response was worth the marks it earned. They can also see what level the student
has to climb to, in order to get extra marks. In this way, the learner too can share the responsibility of his
growth and improvement.
An example of marking rubrics created for assessment tasks for Physics is provided below:
Learning Outcomes:
Students should be able to use appropriate terminology and reporting styles to communicate
information and understanding in Physics.
Students should be able to assess the impacts of applications of Physics on society and environment.
Assessment task- essay item
Discuss the effects of the development of electrical generators on society and environment.
(6 marks)
Criteria

Marks

Demonstrates a thorough understanding of the effects of generators on society and


the environment by discussing a positive and a negative aspect of at least one
societal effect and at least one environmental effect.

56

EITHER
Provides at least one positive impact on both society and the environment indicating
a thorough understanding of the issues.
OR
Provides at least one negative impact on both society and the environment
indicating a thorough understanding of the issues.
OR
Provides positive and negative aspects of at least one societal effect and at least one
environmental effect, indicating a sound understanding of the issues.
6

34

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

States one impact each on societal issue and environmental issues.


OR
Indicates a sound understanding of a societal issue.

OR
Indicates a sound understanding of an environmental issue.
States either one aspect of a societal issue or one aspect of an environmental issue.

While making a professional judgment on how many marks to allot, only two things should be kept
in mind:
1)

Performance of the student and

2)

Criteria listed in the marking rubric

By making the rubrics transparent and the criteria explicit any subjectivity or bias is eliminated. Well
developed marking rubrics can be used to not only provide valuable feedback to the teacher, but also to
make the student aware about what it is that he has to do to improve or move along the developmental
continuum.

Realizing the Potential of Assessment: Keeping Up with the Times!


The world over, school boards, universities, international testing agencies, question-writing
companies, etc. follow the basic principles of the Modern Assessment Theory. Essentially, the aim of
the Modern Assessment Theory is to enable the learners to develop knowledge about their own
progress so they channelize their efforts towards becoming proficient in every domain of learning.
Teachers on their part are indispensible constructors of a truly educated child, and the theory presents
the teacher with concepts that have a strong psychological base, and tools that are structurally sound
and in consonance with the curriculum that is executed in schools. School-based assessment needs to
engage in assessment practices that are directed towards benefitting the learner, instead of just
'marking' the level of achievement. The Ministry of Human Resources and Development's initiative
towards the same is the CCE, which needs to be backed up with tools and techniques that are in
congruence with its vision.

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

Formative Assessment
- An Overview
Formative Assessment is a tool used by the teacher to continuously monitor student progress in a nonthreatening, supportive environment. It involves regular descriptive feedback, a chance for the
student to reflect on the performance, take advice and improve upon it. It involves the students being
an essential part of assessment from designing criteria to assessing self or peers. If used effectively, it
can improve student performance tremendously while raising the self-esteem of the child and
reducing the work load of the teacher.

What is Formative Assessment?


Formative assessment is defined as "information communicated to the learner that is intended to modify his or her
thinking or behaviour for the purpose of improving learning" (Shute, 2008, pg.154). It is part of a feedback
process in which a learner is able to evaluate his/her response in light of the information received, and make
adjustments. It can be used to:
(a)

identify gaps in knowledge.

(b)

help novice learners to identify important information.

(c)

correct procedural errors or misconceptions.

Formative Assessment is carried out during a course of instruction for providing continuous feedback
to both the teachers and the learners. It is also carried out for taking decisions regarding appropriate
modifications in the transactional procedures and learning activities.
G

' provides feedback which leads to students recognizing the (learning) gap and closing it it is forward
looking ' (Harlen, 1998)

' includes both feedback and self-monitoring.' (Sadler, 1989)

' is used essentially to get a feed back into the teaching and learning process.' (Tunstall and Gipps,
1996)

Formative Assessment is characterized by the following.


It:
G

is diagnostic and remedial.

makes provision for effective feedback.

provides a platform for the active involvement of students in their own learning.

enables teachers to adjust teaching taking into account the results of assessment.

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

recognizes the profound influence assessment has on the motivation and self-esteem of students,
both of which are crucial influences on learning.

recognizes the need for students to be able to assess themselves and understand how to improve.

builds on students' prior knowledge and experience in designing what is taught.

incorporates varied learning styles to decide how and what to teach.

encourages students to understand the criteria that will be used to judge their work.

offers an opportunity to students to improve their work after they recieve the feedback.

helps students to support their peer group and vice-versa.

Why Provide Formative Assessment?


Formative assessment is critically important for student learning. Without informative feedback on
what they do, students will have relatively little by which to chart their development." (source: Yorke
2003)
G

Enhances motivation to learn

Helps students to identify gaps in knowledge

Fosters self-study

Clarifies the desired outcomes

Diagnoses the specific misunderstandings

In summary, formative assessment allows students to make adjustment to what and how they are
learning. Feedback can also be used to make immediate adjustments to what and how you teach.
Comprehensive evaluation would necessitate the use of a variety of tools and techniques. This will be
so because both different and specific areas of learner's growth can be evaluated through certain
special techniques.
Formative Assessment...
G

is a part of the learning process.

is used to improve learning.

enhances intrinsic student motivation.

is used to improve teaching.

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

Formative Assessment is feedback!


Learning without feedback is like learning archery in a darkened room; Cross, 1998
1.

Clarifies what good performance is

2.

Facilitates self-assessment (reflection) in learning

3.

Delivers high quality information to students about their learning

4.

Encourages teacher and peer dialogue about learning

5.

Encourages positive motivational beliefs and self-esteem

6.

Provides opportunities to close the gap between current and desired performance

7.

Provides information to teachers to improve teaching

Formative Assessment Scheme


Focus on Formative Assessment
Share the learning outcomes
and assessment expectations with students
Use clearly defined criteria
Use examples and exemplars
Give specific feedback
(which will help)
Incorporate Students Self Assessment
Students keep a record of their progress
Teachers keep records of students progress

Specific Recommendations for Formative Assessment:


In order to fulfill the objectives of Formative Assessment and to enable students to improve
performance, teachers need to use a variety of assessment tools during the course of their teaching. It is
mandatory that the teachers use atleast three to four assessment tools during each term. Teachers may
use one written assessment and two activities (one group and one individual) in one formative
10

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

assessment. The Home Work and Class assignments will not be counted towards arriving at grades. In
order to promote cooperative learning, one out of the two activities should be a group activity. The
teachers should assign one group project during each term to their students which may be multi
disciplinary.

Components of a Formative Assessment


G

Each Formative assessment can include:


1.

One Individual Activity


(Worksheet, Debate etc.)

2.

One Group Activity (Projects, Role Plays,


Group Discussion, Surveys etc.)

3.

Written Assessment

Best
Score

Average
Score

Activities to include to one group activity per assessment quiz, debate, projects, theatre etc.

One Multidisciplinary/interdisciplinary group project to be assigned to students in each


term.

For Assessment purposes the best score of one individual activity and one group activity to be
taken.
The final FA to be calculated as the average of the best score (one individual activity or a group
activity) and the score of written assessment
Formative Assessment can be carried through using multiple modes of assessment such as
assignments, quizzes, debates, group discussions, projects etc. It must be clearly communicated to all
teachers teaching various subjects that projects and assignments must be done as group activities
within the class and school time only. Each subject must have only one paper pencil test under
Formative Assessment. The other modes of assessment must be a part of classroom interactive
activities.
Given below is the list of suggestive activities for different subjects. This list is not exhaustive; it is only
to give an idea of the possible variety.

Languages
G

Oral and listening - these could be listening comprehension, prepared speech, conversation or
dialogue

Written assignments - short and long answer questions, creative writing, reports, newspaper
articles, diary entries, poetry etc.
11

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

Speeches - debates, oratory, recitation, extempore etc.

Research projects - information gathering, deductive reasoning

Analysis and synthesis and a presentation using a variety of forms including the use of
Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

Pair work/group work

Peer assessment

It is suggested in Languages that at least a few assessments should be used for assessing Conversation
Skills.
Mathematics
G

Problem solving, Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

Data handling and analysis

Investigative projects

Math Lab activities

Models including origami etc.

Research projects and presentations

Group projects

Peer assessment

Presentations including the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

It is suggested for Mathematics that at least a few Formative Assessment tasks should be based on the
Mathematics Lab Activities .
Sciences
G

Written assignments, Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

Experimental work which may involve one or more of setting experiments, making
observations, handling data, making deductions, working safely etc.

Planning or designing experiments to collect data or to investigate properties, laws, phenomena


etc.

Research work which could be investigative or information gathering and deducing

Group work - research or experimental

Contextual research projects

12

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

Peer assessment

Presentations including the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

Science Quiz

Seminar

Symposium

Field Trips

Class Response

Model Making

It is suggested for Science that at least some Formative Assessments should be based on Experiments
and hands-on activities.
Social Sciences
G

Written assignments- short and long answers

Commentaries

Source-based analysis

Projects-investigative, informative, deductive and analytical

Research

Group work - projects and presentations

Models and charts

Presentations including the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

Using authentic sources and primary texts

Open-book tests

Secondary sources

Comparison and contrast

It is suggested in Social Sciences that at least some assessment should be based on projects which are
done in groups as in-class activities under the direct supervision of the teacher.

13

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

A system of education and examination that teaches members of disadvantaged group the requisite problemsolving and analytical skills needed by the job market is vital. Memorizing and regurgitating textbooks is not
a skill needed by the job market. An exam system that encourages this type of 'learning' snuffs out creativity.
To teach skills and create excellence, is the way-perhaps the only sustainable way - toward real equity'.
Examination Reform; NCF 2005- NCERT

Myths about Formative Assessment


1.

"Formative assessment doesn't count."


It can! While formative assessment doesn't have to be graded, teachers have the option to include
formative assessment as a part of the grade, which students accumulate toward their final grade
in a unit or course.

2.

"Formative assessment has no impact on student learning or achievement."


It does! Studies show that strengthening formative assessment produces significant learning
gains. As well, formative assessment can enhance lifelong learning skills by helping students to
self-regulate their learning. (Black and William, 1998; Nicol and McFarlane-Dick, 2006)

3.

"Formative Assessment takes up more of teaching time and effort


It doesn't have to! Formative assessment techniques are often just good teaching techniques. For
example, it includes: preparing planned question and answer sessions, gauging student
responses through a set of indicators, or providing online modules and self-study quizzes linked
to in-class sessions.

4.

"Formative Assessment = Multiple Choice Tests


Indeed, MCQ items can form the bases for formative assessment. However, providing students
with the opportunity to self-correct and self-study is an important element of formative
assessment. So "taking up the test" is as essential as participating in the test.

5.

"Students won't 'buy into' formative assessment."


Motivation to learn actually increases when students see the gap between what they thought
they knew and what they actually know. Therefore, feedback from formative testing can
improve learning (providing the testing is not too frequent). (Iverson et al, 1994, Bangert-Downes et
al, 1991 in Rushton, 2005).

6.

"More the Formative Assessment, better is the learning"


Just a few Formative Assessments with the correct tools and techniques will help the child to
improve his / her performance.

14

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

7.

"Every formative assessment needs to be documented and recorded"


It is not essential, Formative Assessment may only be for helping the child to improve.

The reason why we use different methods:


1.

Learning in different subject areas and aspects of development is to be assessed.

2.

Learners may respond better to one method as compared to another.

3.

Each method contributes in its own way to teacher's understanding of learner's learning.

In order to help students improve their performance levels, the schools shall diagnose their learning
difficulties through formative tests right from the beginning of the academic year and bring it to the
notice of parents at appropriate intervals of time. They will recommend suitable remedial steps to
enhance their learning capability. Similarly, gifted children should be provided with further
reinforcements by giving them additional assignments, enrichment material and mentoring. Due
provision should be made in the class timetable for mentoring and to address different kinds of
learners. The teacher also needs to incorporate strategies for dealing with differently abled students in
his/her class.
The Formative Assessment should normally be made on recorded evidences based on anecdotal
records to be maintained by the class teacher or the subject teacher.
It is advisable to communicate levels of attainment to the students and parents during the course of the
academic year, so that with their cooperation remedial measures are taken in time for enhancing the
performance of the students. The overall assessment should be followed by descriptive remarks
from the class teacher about the positive and significant achievements, avoiding negative
assessment even by implication.
It implies:
1.

Sharing learning goals with students.

2.

Involving students in self assessment.

3.

Providing feedback which leads to students recognising weakness and taking


corrective/remedial steps.

4.

Being confident that every student can improve.

15

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

What is Formative Assessment?


Let us look at a task:
Subject: Social Science
Class: VIII
Topic: Women, Caste and Reform
Task: Dramatization
Time Required:
G Discussion and script writing: 2 periods;
G Presentation: 1 period
Procedure:
1.

Students are divided into groups. They discuss and prepare a short skit on any of the social ills
prevalent in the Indian society at different periods of time.

2.

The social ills may include Sati, Child Marriage, Female Infanticide, Denial of Education to
Women and Gender Disparity.

3.

Each group prepares a small skit and performs it. Each student is then asked to speak some
dialogue.

4.

After the presentation, students engage in discussion.

Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to


G gain an insight into the social evils prevalent in India at different periods of time.
G reflect on social evils and verbalize their feelings.
Skills:
To develop in the students the ability to
G Write scripts
G Deliver dialogues
G Act
G Work in teams

16

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

Assessment Criteria:
The performance of the groups will be assessed on the basis of content, dialogue-delivery and
clarity of concept.
Follow up:
The presentations could be discussed by the class. Wherever the concept is not clear, teacher could
encourage students to ask questions. The teacher could also revisit any part of the lesson that has
not been clearly understood by the students.
Is this a Formative or Summative Assessment task?
It has the following features:
G

The main objective is to enable the learners to gain an understanding of the concept of social evils
perpetrated against the girl child and women in India at different periods of time.

The task is part of the teaching-learning on the topic of women, caste and reform.

The task involves students in group interaction and presentation.

After the task is completed, the teacher gives feedback for improvement. Also, if needed, the
lesson may be reviewed.

Assessment is done on the basis of well-defined criteria.

The task is done in the classroom as part of the lesson.

The main purpose is not to measure the knowledge of the learners. The task aims to provide
conceptual clarity to the learners through experiential learning.

It also encourages further learning.

The above attributes are at the heart of Formative Assessment.

Let us now look at the following question given in a test:


What were the different social evils prevalent in Indian society at different times? How have they affected girl
children and women? Write your answer in about 200 words.
This is a typical question that figures in a Summative test or examination. Here the main aim is to
measure the extent of knowledge of the learners in the lesson tested. The answers of the learners will be
marked or graded on the basis of value points and a marking scheme. The information collected by the
teacher may not be used to diagnose the problems faced by learners or for remediation since the test is
usually conducted after completing the unit or lesson.
17

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

However, if a short quiz or test is conducted on the topic when the lesson is in progress to ascertain the
learning gaps for the purpose of providing further help to learners, it will be Formative in nature.
So, by and large the way in which a tool is used, i.e. for enhancing learning or for ascertaining and
measuring the extent of learning, decides whether it is for Formative or Summative purpose.

What is NOT Formative Assessment?


It is seen that under the guise of continuous evaluation schools conduct a series of 'tests'.There are tests
for almost every day of the week or every month of the academic session. The argument put forth is
that it is only by conducting frequent tests that continuous assessment can be ensured. However, such
practices can hardly be called formative assessments because they are not integrated with the teachinglearning process nor is the information collected by the teachers from such tests effectively and
systematically used for improving the teachings learning process.
Case Study
Students of Class IX are given the following project in Science:
Project on Communicable Diseases

Collect information about communicable diseases by referring to books and journals and
surfing the internet.

Present the information in a folder with illustrations, pictures and photographs.

The folders should be submitted for evaluation within 15 days.

The folders will be evaluated on the following criteria:


Content, neatness of presentation and illustration

Students complete the task individually and submit the folders by the deadline. The teacher grades the
work of the students as per the assessment criteria.

Questions:
G

Is it a good formative task?

How are the students helped by the teacher and peer groups in doing the task?

What are the objectives of the project?

To assess the student's ability to collect information and present it?


Or

To enable the students to deepen their learning?


18

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

If the purpose is to help the learners acquire a deeper understanding of the topic of the project then the
project should be organized differently.
G

The teacher should discuss the project with the learners.

Learners should explore the ways in which information could be gathered, understood and
adapted.

Provide scope for group work so that learners study the topic collaboratively and help each other.

The teacher should monitor the entire process at regular intervals, giving feedback for correction,
modification and refinement.

Besides submitting a folder, the learners are also required to make a presentation to the class or
take a viva voce.

Assessment is done by involving the learners in peer assessment.

The information gathered by the teacher and the learners is used to improve and further the
teaching-learning process.

One major concern with regard to such projects and assignments is that the teacher has very little scope
to ensure that they are done by the students themselves. It is now common knowledge that projects and
assignments can be 'bought' from shops. Instances of parents doing the projects are also not
uncommon. Furthermore, downloading information from the internet also leads to very little learning.
Hence, to use projects and assignments as effective tools of formative assessment, the teacher should
take certain precautions:
G

Ensure that the learners do the task in the school itself under the direct supervision of the teacher.

Discuss the project with the learners and monitor their progress at every stage.

Involve them in the assessment process through self and peer assessment.

Give descriptive feedback as an instructional strategy to move students forward in their learning.

Help students to link their classroom learning with the task and their experience.

Follow it up with activities like revisiting some of the concepts, explanations etc.

What does the Manual contain?


After the introduction of CCE in schools affiliated to CBSE in class IX during 2009-10, the Board found
it necessary to provide a holistic picture of CCE to all the stakeholders, particularly the teachers. Hence
a Teacher's Manual on Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation - Class IX and X was brought out.
Apart from giving detailed information about the scheme of CCE, fundamentals of assessment of co19

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

scholastic and scholastic areas, dimensions of school-based assessment and tools and techniques of
evaluation for formative and summative purposes have also been included in the manual.
As a sequel to this publication, the Board decided to bring out a series of manuals to provide exemplar
and illustrative materials on Formative Assessment in Languages, Mathematics, Science and Social
Science for classes IX and X. The board has received comments and suggestions on the FA manuals
from the stakeholders since their publication and hence decided to revise them. A comprehensive
feedback on each and every activity/task was collected from the teachers of the schools affiliated to the
Board and this revised edition is a result of that feedback.
We aim to strengthen the formative assessment and provide the teachers, detailed guidelines and
support material for formative assessment through the manuals.

Objectives of the Manual on Formative Assessment


1.

To clarify the concept of formative assessment within the broad framework of CCE.

2.

To integrate formative assessments (FA 1, FA 2, FA 3 & FA 4) with the materials prescribed and
classroom procedures.

3.

To help teachers and learners use formative assessment for enhancing the teaching-learning
process.

4.

To provide a rich source of formative assessment tasks for the units/ lessons in Languages,
Mathematics, Sciences and Social Sciences for classes IX and X.

5.

To help teachers to use the Formative Assessment tasks given in the manuals for generating
further tasks on their own.

6.

To enable teachers to gain conceptual clarity with regard to Formative Assessments.

7.

To motivate teachers to build their capacity to add value to materials and methods.

8.

To help teachers to plan and manage time effectively.

9.

To provide guidelines to schools to record Formative Assessments in a systematic manner.

10.

To provide scope for teacher development in the area of assessment as well as for consultations
and enrichment.

11.

To initiate a healthy and meaningful interaction between different stakeholders on CCE and the
place of formative assessment in this scheme.

12.

To make the teaching - learning process enjoyable for both the teachers and the learners.

20

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

How to use this Manual?


This manual contains a number of Formative Assessment tasks for classes IX and X in all the main
scholastic subjects. Teachers can use them in a planned manner not only to assess learning but also to
enhance the effectiveness of their own teaching. Some suggestions for the effective use of formative
tasks are given below:

a)

Planning
At the beginning of the academic session teachers of the same subject may consult each other and
draw out a plan of formative assessment for the entire session. A suggested annual planner is
given for each subject in the manual. The annual plan drawn up by each school should include
the following details:

b)

The number of formative tasks to be used for FA 1, FA 2, FA 3 and FA 4 (The number of


tasks should not be less than the minimum suggested)

The identified tasks from the manual (Teachers are, however, free to add their own tasks to
the ones given in the manual)

While deciding/choosing the tasks, care should be taken to select a variety so that
knowledge and skills are covered comprehensively and there is no scope for monotony to
set in. For example, in languages, the different skills like reading, writing, speaking and
listening and language areas like literature and grammar have to be covered in formative
assessment. The plan could distribute tasks over the four formative assignments in such a
way that all these aspects are assessed at least twice or thrice in a session. Similarly the tasks
may be chosen in other subjects in such a way that they assess different skills and
competencies using a variety of modes of assessment.

Classroom Strategies
Since the tasks are to be integrated with classroom instruction, teachers have to embed them in
their lesson plans.
Task specification as given in the manual may be used by teachers in the following manner:
Learning Outcomes:
Identifying the learning outcomes for each task helps teachers and learners in developing a focus.
They are also meant to be kept in mind at the time of assessment.
Procedure:
A task may need some preparations on the part of the teacher. These are included under

21

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

'Procedure'. The different steps to be followed, precautions to be taken and suggestions for
collecting information are also provided under this heading.
Assessment Criteria
In order to make the assessment objective and systematic, specific criteria have been provided for
each task. It is essential that the teachers put up these criteria or read them out to the class before
commencing a task. Learners should know on what basis they will be assessed. It will also give
them task clarity. The scores obtained by students in each of the tasks conducted must be
recorded. The record of assessment should also be maintained. Wherever a written product
emerges, it may be made part of the student portfolio.
Feedback/Follow up
This is a crucial stage in formative assessment. The performance of students gives valuable
information about their understanding, conceptual clarity, problems faced and gaps in learning.
Based on this information, teachers could give feedback and undertake follow up activities for
remediation and enrichment. The information will also enable teachers to modify their practices
for enhanced effectiveness of learning.

Some Challenges
Teachers may face certain challenges in integrating formative assessment with teaching. This may be
due to:
G

Large class size.

Scarcity of time.

Constraints imposed by logistics.

Strategy to assess group/pair tasks.

With the help of proper planning these challenges could be overcome.

Some suggestions:
For Large Class Size
G

Choose tasks that involve group work and pair work.

Tasks that require written answers from the learners could be peer assessed.

Answers to MCQs and other objective type questions could be marked by students themselves
by exchanging their work sheets as the teacher calls out the answers.

All the students in a class need not be assessed in one period. It means that the tasks may be
distributed among groups of students so that the teacher is able to assess them in different
periods. The implication is that in large classrooms all the students need not be assessed in all the
22

ii

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

tasks/activities. By planning the tasks/activities carefully, all the skills can however be covered
by rotating them among groups of students.
G

It follows from this that all the students need not be involved in the same task at a time. In order to
cater to multiple intelligence, teachers could adopt a flexible approach with regard to assigning
tasks to students. For instance, students good at written work may be given tasks different from
those good at practical work.

While framing the time table some double periods could be provided in each subject. Tasks
involving debates, presentations, group discussions, dramatization, role plays etc could be
conducted during the double periods.

Time Management
Since the number of teaching periods for each subject is pre-determined, teachers may feel that
conducting formative assessment tasks within the allotted periods may prove to be difficult. However,
it is to be borne in mind that formative assessment is to be built into the teaching-learning process and it
only represents a change in the methods to be adopted for curriculum transaction. By reducing
explanations and frontal teaching, adequate time could be found for tasks and activities.
Some other suggestions are:
G

Proper planning will result in efficient time management.

Complete the preparations for each task well before the class begins so that there is no wastage of
time.

Use self and peer assessment strategically.

Train learners in the initial part of the term to collaborate with each other and the teacher. Over a
period of time they will be able to maintain efficiency and a brisk pace.

It is essential that the scoring sheet with names of students is prepared at the beginning of the
academic session as per the annual plan. Columns for FA 1, FA 2, FA 3 and FA 4 may be
provided along with details of the tasks selected for each assessment and the maximum marks so
that recording of scores does not take too much time.

Train the students in maintaining their portfolios. A folder may be maintained for every subject
in which the best written products could be filed by each student. When students are helped to
take responsibility for record keeping, it will ease some burden on the teachers besides leading to
better time management.

Teachers should choose the activities as per their requirement and resources. All activities are not
to be performed. Choose from the given activities or create your own activities to help the
students to get involved and learn different life skills.
23

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

Logistics
Photocopying of worksheets may not be feasible in all schools. Teachers have to adopt a few strategies
to overcome this problem.
Suggestions:
G

Only elaborate worksheets and those with diagrams and pictures need to be photocopied.

Wherever possible, the worksheet may be put up on the blackboard.

If technology is accessible, worksheets could be projected with the help of an LCD projector.

MCQ's and objective type questions could be read out and students instructed to write only the
answers on a sheet of paper.

Instructions for pair work, group work and whole class work could be read out once or twice.

Share with the Principal and school administration the requirement of photocopies in advance so
that the school makes adequate arrangements.

Always use both sides of the sheet of paper for photocopying. It may mean that more than one
task is photocopied on a single sheet. After the students complete one task the sheets may be
collected and redistributed for the next task.

Whenever possible, worksheets could be shared by two or more students.

Train the students to observe economy in the use of paper/ worksheet.

Strategy to assess group/pair tasks


Initially teachers may find it a little difficult to assess group/ pair tasks because the product is usually
from more than one student.
Some suggestions to help the teachers in this regard:
G

Wherever possible group and pair tasks could be broken down into smaller areas and each
member of the group could be assigned an area.

Where the above is not feasible, the contribution of each student to the group work has to be
observed and monitored.

Usually after group discussion a presentation is to be made by each group. Care may be taken to
rotate the presentation among all the students so that over a period of time all are given an
opportunity to present the group's views.

Group tasks may be assessed for the entire group/pair. It means that members of each group
may get the same mark/grade. However, in pair tasks it is easier to assess the performance
individually.
24

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

Since formative assessment is informal, group tasks may be assessed on broad parameters such
as participation, contribution and effectiveness of each member of the group.

It is necessary that the teacher monitors group tasks properly to ensure that every student is
participating and no student dominates.

Conclusion
This document emphasises teacher-preparedness, planning and co-ordination. It is suggested that at
the time of preparing an annual plan, the Principal interacts with each subject committee and helps the
teachers prepare a plan of action, ensuring that assessment is integrated with the teaching-learning
process.
It may be necessary to prepare detailed lesson plans for each unit/ lesson besides the overall plan for
the first and second term. While the lesson plan should essentially be an innovative tool evolved by
each teacher depending on the concepts to be taught, the needs of the learners and other socio-cultural
factors, it is perhaps advisable to include certain broad areas in the lesson plan to make it reflect the
integration of continuous and comprehensive evaluation. While these broad areas, along with the
format of the lesson plan could be decided by each school, the following components could be included
to ensure holistic planning:
G

Content/topic/lesson.

Concepts/skills.

Instructional Objectives.

Levels entry, process, integration, exit.

Tools of assessment with specific questions.

Remediation.

It is also suggested that the formative tasks may be assessed for ten marks or multiples of ten to
facilitate easy calculation of weightage. Similarly, self evaluation by students could be encouraged by
integrating ICT and developing student self-access tools. While it provides ample scope for learner
autonomy, it also reduces the burden on the teachers. Finally a word about projects. This document
specifies that projects should, as far as possible, be done in the school itself. But certain projects that call
for extensive research and work involving hands and using different materials, may be difficult to be
carried out within school hours. Since the main concern is about the genuineness and credibility of the
work submitted for assessment by the students, if adequate care is taken by the teacher in monitoring
the project work, students may be allowed to do some part of it outside school. By making the projects
realistic and simple, teachers can ensure authenticity of the work of students.
25

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

Formative Assessment
Important Notes:
G

It is recommended that teachers should choose the formative tasks and number of tasks per unit
or chapter judiciously so as to cover a variety of skills and learning objectives.

It is not necessary that all the tasks suggested for each chapter/unit be conducted in class and nor
it is necessary for all tasks/activities to be assessed or marked. However, students should be
aware of the activities/tasks which will be considered for assessment.

Activities should be built into the teaching-learning process and be a seamless part of the
classroom process.

The marks for each task may be decided by the teachers; however, the weightage for each
Formative Assessment should be calculated for 10%.

All activities related to Formative Assessment such as language games, quizzes, projects, role
plays, script writing etc. must be done as 'in class' and 'in school' activities, supervised by the
teacher.

The Portfolio can include:


G

Photographs: Provide an insight into the child's emotional, social and psychological aspects of
development.

Paintings and other examples of learner's artistic endeavour: Provide evidence of a learner's
abilities, thoughts and attitudes.

Audio-Video Recordings: Specific situation or over a time span to cover important processes and
aspects that can be recorded and analysed later.

Self-Assessment Sheets: Portfolio to provide evidence of the learner's self-evaluation.

Peer Assessment Sheets: Excellent for assessing team and group based activities, social projects
and peer related behaviour. Can be incorporated into the learner's Portfolio to provide evidence
of the learner's Life skills.

Parent Assessment Sheets: Can be incorporated into the learner's Portfolio to provide evidence of
evaluation done by the parent.

For more information on Portfolio please refer to CCE Manual.

26

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

HISTORY

UNIT

INDIA AND
THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD - I

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

Chapter
The French Revolution
While teaching the chapter on the French Revolution, the students must be oriented about the ancient
French regimes and its crisis and the social forces and factors that led to the revolution. The teacher
must help students to comprehend the role of different revolutionary groups and ideas of that period.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

get familiar with the various personalities involved in the course of the French Revolution.

use primary sources and evidences.

interpret these sources and draw conclusions.

get acquainted with revolutionary ideas and new philosophies.

comprehend the importance of democracy and individual rights.

appreciate the legacy of the French Revolution.

Given below are a number of questions and activities, which may enable the teacher to make the
lesson more interactive and effective. It is desirable that the teacher proceeds from simple to more
difficult tasks.
The following objective type questions (Q. 1-5) are examples of quick recapitulation questions.
Teachers can frame a variety of such questions, either in the form of classwork sheets or quizzes to sum
up a lesson or for eliciting response from each student.
1.

Match the terms given in Column A with suitable statements from Column B.
A

2.

a.

Estates General

1.

Written by Rousseau.

b.

Taille

2.

Legislature of France.

c.

The Social Contract

3.

A place where the mansion and lands of the lord are


located.

d.

Jacobin Club

4.

Direct tax paid by the members of Third Estate.

e.

Manor

5.

A political club which has less prosperous members


of the society as its members.

Put a (3) mark for the correct statements and a (


) mark for the wrong statements. Correct the
wrong statement.
a.

The French society was divided into two estates.

28

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

3.

4.

5.

b.

Louis XVI ascended the throne of France in 1774.

c.

The people of Third Estate declared themselves a National Assembly in 1789.

d.

Napoleon Bonaparte became the French emperor in 1780.

e.

The French Constitution of 1791 began with The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen.

Fill in the blanks :


a.

Between 1793 and 1794, the Reign of Terror was started in France by ____________.

b.

The theory of separation of powers was advocated by _______________.

c.

The device used by the French for beheading a person was known as

d.

An insurrection was planned in 1792 and the Palace of Tuileries was attacked
by____________.

e.

The French Revolution took place in ____________.

______________.

Identify the odd one and give reason for your choice.
a.

Napoleon

b.

J. J. Rousseau

c.

Locke

d.

Montesquieu

Which of the following best explains Subsistence Crisis ?


a.

Crisis due to shortage of food.

b.

Crisis caused by shortage of housing.

c.

Crisis caused by the lack of basic means of livelihood.

d.

Acute unemployment.

Note - Q. No. 6 is a thought provoking question which needs reasoning and analytical skills to answer.
Similar questions can be framed by the teachers.
6.

Short answer questions:


(a)

The French Constitution (1791) began with a 'Declaration of the Rights of Man and
Citizen'. Comment on the two words 'Man' and 'Citizen'.

(b)

Even though Robespierre had introduced many reforms in France, why was his reign
termed as a Reign of Terror?

29

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

Suggested Activities:
The activities are given with an aim to provide a variety of ways to make the teaching learning
process interactive and enjoyable. Emphasise on learning by doing rather than rote learning. Most of
the activities - individual or in groups, would require exploring beyond the textbook.

Activity 1: Role Play


Topic: Personalities related to the French Revolution.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

develop their creative skills.

comprehend the French society in 19th century.

develop a spirit of enquiry.

learn to research.

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
1.

Divide the students into suitable number of groups.

2.

Each group will select one character from the French Revolution, who impressed them the
most (e.g., Louis XVI, Napoleon, Olympe de Gouges, Rousseau, Marie Antoinette, etc.).

3.

Each group selects one student to enact the role of the person of their choice.

4.

The teacher would assign duties to other students, e.g., to explore resource material (as
guided by the teacher), stage settings and designing/collecting simple props, seating
arrangements, etc.

5.

Though the research will primarily be based on the text, the teacher must encourage
students to use the internet, library, etc., for additional information.

6.

All groups will be given 5 minutes each to enact the roles and 5 minutes for summing up.

7.

The students select a situation where the 'selected person' played a significant role and
enact event / situations in the class. In a similar way, other students will also enact their
selected roles.

The members of other groups will be the audience. They will help in peer assessment while one group
is presenting their act, the other groups make notes and give their opinion, after the presentation is
over.

30

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

Assessment Criteria:
G

As a group activity or an individual roleplay.

To what extent the students are able to transport themselves to another period and depict the
19th century situation.

Credit should be given for cooperative effort of each group as well as for helping in assessment.

Follow up: The teacher should instruct the students to discuss about French Society at that time, after
watching the roleplay.

Activity 2: Debate
Topic: In the opinion of the house "The French Revolution laid the foundation of Democracy".
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

comprehend both positive and negative impacts of the Revolution.

analyse its impact on France and other countries.

organize their thoughts/ideas.

develop oratorical skills and self confidence.

Time Required: Two periods (one for preparation and one for conduct of debate)

"The French Revolution laid


the foundation of Democracy"

FOR

AGAINST

Procedure:
1.

The class is divided into two teams - one for the motion and one against it.

2.

Each team chooses a speaker who will be the representative.

31

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

4.

The team collects points / arguments with evidence, to support their stand.

5.

Two members from each team will prepare for the rebuttal.

6.

The teacher chairs / moderates the debate.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Relevance of content

Clarity of the argument

Logical approach

Quality of rebuttal

Follow up: The students should list notes about the negative and positive impacts of the resolution in
their notebooks.

Activity 3: Symposium
Topic: People during the French Revolution.
Learning Outcomes : The students will be able to
G

state the facts about the French Society in the 18th and 19th Centuries.

list problems faced by different sections of the society.

do research and use the library independently.

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
1.

The teacher allows each student to choose a character from the lesson, e.g., a prisoner in
Bastille, any person from the three estates, Jacobin, slave, philosopher, a female
revolutionary, Robespierre, Napoleon, etc.

2.

Preparation time-one week.

3.

Students speak about the character using illustration: e.g., a picture, scene, etc.

4.

Other students make notes and ask questions after the presentation.

5.

Each student may get 5 minutes to speak.

6.

The teacher may modify the time and marks according to the requirement of the class.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Research

32
7

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

Content

Aid used

Follow up: The students are encouraged to read 'A Tale of Two Cities' by Charles Dickens to know
more about French society.

Activity 4: Learning about Symbols


Topic: Political Symbols of the French Revolution.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

recall the various symbols of the French Revolution.

state their significance and meaning.

explain as to why the symbols were adopted.

identify the colours of France.

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
1.

The teacher divides the class into eight groups of 5-6 students each.

2.

The leader of each groups picks a chit on which the symbol is written, e.g., broken chain, red
cap, etc. (the teacher should prepare the chits)

3.

The leader distributes the preparatory work for the group presentation.

4.

Each group is given 5-6 minutes to make its presentation with a picture of the symbol.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Research

Content

Aids used

Explanation

Group Work

Follow up: If students require further inputs about symbols and their significance, they can be given a
worksheet where they match columns.

33

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

Activity 5:
Topic: Active and Passive Citizens
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

distinguish between an active and passive citizen.

identify the status of women.

examine the role of women as revolutionaries.

share their knowledge.

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
1.

The students are divided into pairs.

2.

Each pair prepares 23 questions on the topic.

3.

Using the Active Mental Participation Box, one pair poses a question to the pair whose
names have been picked.

4.

Agreement/disagreement can be shown symbolically by thumbs up/thumbs down


action.

5.

Two minutes to be given to think and answer the question.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Framing of appropriate questions

Correctness of response

Confidence

Follow up: The teacher instructs the students to frame a few good questions with answers in their
notebooks.

Activity 6 : Crossword Puzzle


Topic: Terms/concepts in the lesson:
(learning. This crossword can be used by the teacher to Recapitulate.)
Learning Outcomes : The students will be able to solve problems.
Time Required: 15 minutes
Procedure: The teacher develops a crossword like the one given on terms and concepts used in the

34

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

chapter and circulates copies to groups of three students. Groups are instructed to complete the
crossword in 15 minutes, based on the clues.
Assessment Criteria:
G

Completion within the time given.

Number of correct responses.

The task may or may not be assessed by the teacher.


Clues:

Across
2

1.

Fortress Prison. (08)

3.

French General who crowned himself 3


emperor of France. (08)

5.

Author of Social Contract. (08)

6.

Tax Levied by church. (05)

8.

Device used to behead a person. (10)

Down

2.

A club of French middle class. (07)

4.

A great philosopher who inspired French


people. (08)

7.

A common day item taxed by the French 8


government. (04)

Follow up: If many students do not solve the crossword correctly, the teacher can create another one
after giving time for students to find the answers and learn more during the process..

Activity 7: Group Discussion.


Topic: Declaration
Learning outcomes: The students will be able to
G

comprehend the nature of the Declaration.

analyse the impact on the polity, economy and society of France (all three aspects should
clearly be distinguished to identify the anomaly in the declaration.)

Time Required: One period

35

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

Topic: Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen was historic not only for France, but also for the
entire world."
Procedure:
1.

Teacher gives the topic to the students one week in advance, to collect additional
information on various aspects related to the topic.

2.

A discussion should be about of the following :


2

The background.

Nature of the declaration.

Those who were given rights and those who were not.

Impact on politics, economy and society of France.

Impact on other countries, with special reference to India.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Participation

Analytical ability

Relevance of the information collected through independent reading

Group work

Follow up: The teacher should revise the topic if students are not able to comprehend the concepts in
the unit.

Activity 8: Flowchart
Topic: Political system under pre
revolutionary France.

Judiciary
Judge

Learning Objectives: The students will be able


to
G

compare the two political systems.

identify the difference between the


two.

Legislature
CONTROL
National Assembly (745 members)

King
VOTE

CO

RO

NT

Ministers

understand the working of the


political system in pre and
postrevolutionary France.

Executive

VOTE
Electors (50,000 men)

V
O
T
E
VOTE
Active citizens: entitled to vote. About 4 million of a
population of 28 million
Passive citizens: no voting rights. About 3 million men
Women, children and youth below 25.

36

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

make a presentation through a flowchart.

understand the relationship between different organs.

Time Required: One period


Procedure: The students do the following:
1.

Study the figure which is a flowchart showing the political system under Constitution of 1791.

2.

Draw a flowchart to depict the Political System that prevailed in pre-revolutionary France. The
flowchart should depict the King, Estates General, constituents of the three estates, their
respective roles, tax paying and nontax paying population, etc.

Extension of Activity: The same presentation can be used to explain the division of powers as
envisaged in France and compared with the division of powers as visualized in the Indian
Constitution. This helps in developing cross curricular links.
Assessment Criteria:
G

Understanding

Analytical ability

Presentation

Follow up: Students may be shown any period film such as 'A Tale of Two Cities' to reinforce their
learning.

37

Chapter

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

The Russian Revolution


In this chapter, the teacher explains the crisis in Tsarist Russia and differentiates between the nature of
the French and Russian Revolutions.
The students will use primary sources and evidences to identify the historical process in Russia and,
will also learn to interpret historical evidences.
Learning Outcomes: After going through this chapter the students will be able to
G

explore the history of socialism through a study of the Russian Revolution.

get familiarized with different types of ideas that inspired the Revolution.

comprehend the reasons for social conflict and final Revolution in Russia.

relate the Revolution to First World War.

comprehend the impact of socialism on Russia and on other countries.

understand the legacy of the Revolution.

The teacher must start with simple tasks for acquainting the students with terms and names used in
the chapter. Given below are questions which may be used for quick recapitulation. The teachers
may use other tools such as simple word games, anagram, true and false, etc., for this purpose.
1.

Identify the odd one out of the following giving reasons:


(i)

(ii)

2.

a.

Lenin

b.

Nicholas II

c.

Kerensk II

a.

Karl Marx

b.

Trotsk II

c.

Frederick Engels

Fill in the blanks with relevant information :


a.

was the advisor of the Russian Tsarina.

b.

The Winter Palace of the Tsar was shelled from a ship called, , in 1917.

c.

The Bolshevik army came to be known as the army.

38

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

3.

d.

The Revolution is also known as the October Revolution.

e.

The International Union of Socialist Parties was known as

Match the words in column A with the suitable phrases in column B:


A

4.

Socialism

Collective farms.

Bloody Sunday

Ideology popularized by Lenin in Russia.

Jaddists

Lenin's demands in 1917.

Kolkhoz

Muslim Reformers in Russia.

April Theses

Event which triggered off the Revolution in 1905.

The short answer questions are provided below as examples to introduce students to the
thought provoking questions. These questions may be used to stimulate discussion in class.
(a)

To what extent was Russian participation in World War I responsible for the Russian
Revolution in 1917?

(b)

Distinguish between the ideas of the conservatives and liberals in 19th century Europe.

(c)

How did the incident of Bloody Sunday spark the Revolution of 1905 in Russia ?

(d)

Why is the October Revolution (1917) considered a landmark in the history of Socialism ?

(e)

Analyse the reasons of Stalin's unpopularity in the Soviet Union.

Suggested Activities: Variety of activities have been provided to make learning more interactive.
Effective involvement of maximum number of students should be encouraged in group activity.
Criteria of assessment must be clearly specified by the teacher in advance.

Activity 1: Talk Show


Topic: Collectivization of Farms.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

understand the concept of collectivization.

comprehend the advantages and disadvantages of the system.

distinguish between its impact on the rich and the poor and the reaction it brought against
Stalin.

know the reaction it brought against Stalin.

Time Required: Two periods


39

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

Procedure: After reading about collectivisation and source D and E in the text book, a Talk Show could
be conducted in class. The topic of discussion will be : "Collectivisation of Agriculture in the Soviet
Union". The teacher will:
1.

Select one student as the anchor.

2.

Form three suitable groups each representing.


(i)

The family of a poor landless peasant.

(ii) The family of a kulak.


(iii) Stalin and his followers.
The rest of the class will form the audience who will participate in the interactions during the talk
show.
Since the students are representing different classes of the society, the students should know more
about these classes from authentic sources. The teacher should guide and prepare them to represent
different sections in true perspective. The students should be guided to explore beyond textbook.
Assessment Criteria: The students in audience are involved in peer assessment to prepare themselves
to judge the performers.
Follow up: The students write two lines on collectivism in their notebooks.

Activity 2: Word Search


Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

establish the relationship between names and achievements.

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
1.

The teacher will distribute the wordsearch sheet, with clues to the students.

2.

The students to read the clues and encircle the suitable words from the grid.

3.

The students will find the words vertically, horizontally or diagonally.

40

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

Clues:
1.

Father of Communism.

2.

Leader of the provisional government.

3.

Bolshevik leader.

4.

He started collectivization of agriculture.

5.

Council of workers.

6.

Russian parliament.

7.

The party renamed as Russian Communist Party.

8.

Rich peasant.

9.

Russian ruler's title.

10.

Secret police of Russia.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Ability to complete the task in stipulated time

Correct Response

Follow up: The students repeat the achievements with each name orally.

41

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

Activity 3: Poster Making / Slogan Writing


Topic: February Revolution 1917
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

develop creativity.

enhance their analytical skill.

Time Required: Flexible


Procedure: The teacher will set a task based on the following:
"The lockout at a factory on the right bank of the River Neva in Petrograd on 22nd February 1917 led to
February Revolution."
Imagine yourself to be a worker participating in the strike and demonstration that followed. Prepare
yourself for the same by making the following 1.

Suitable slogans

2.

Banners and Posters

3.

Petition

Assessment Criteria: It should be based on the creativity and generation of new ideas. Catchy slogans
and attractive banners must be appreciated. This particular activity may not be assessed for marks.

42

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

Follow up: The teacher puts up the slogans, brochures and posters on the bulletin board and does a
recap of the revolution.

Activity 4: Cause and Effect


Topic: Causes of the Russian Revolution and its effects.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

make a comprehensive study of the Act.

understand the causes of the Russian Revolution of 1917.

analyse the effects of the Revolution.

understand the view of each social group and their discontentment towards the idea of
monarchy.

list the defects of the Czarist state in the context of the modern world.

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
1.

Students read the lesson carefully.

2.

Find the causes of the Revolution and its results.

3.

Teachers' to guide on the basis of the views of the liberals, radicals, socialists, nationalists,
philosophers, workers.

4.

The students may express their ideas in the form of an attractive diagram.

5.

The teacher may modify the time and marks according to the requirement of the class.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Presentation

Content

Neatness

Follow up: The students should be asked to paste/draw a graphic organiser in their notebooks for
other topics also.

Activity 5: Round Robin


Topic: Literature on Russian Revolution.

43

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to


G

find out the famous literary works written in backdrop of the Russian revolution.

understand the problems faced by people during the revolution .

cultivate the habit of reading , and make their own judgments.

Time Required: One period (Two days to prepare)


Procedure:
1.

The teacher explains the activity i.e., Take a sheet of paper and pass it to each pair of
students to write the name of the writer and his/her works on Russian Revolution, and one
important feature of the work. Then sheet is taken back.

2.

Discussion follows based on the opinion of the students.

3.

Teacher may provide some more information.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Research

Knowledge

Accuracy

Follow up: Students may be asked to read some of the works of the Russian writers in their library
period.

Activity 6: Paper Presentation


Topic: Problems of workers.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

understand the problems of workers during the Russian Revolution.

compare their problems with those of other European countries and find similarities.

examine the demands of the workers.

find the possible solutions to the problems.

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
1.

The teacher may divide the class into four groups with a leader in each to co-ordinate.

44

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

2.

Each group will be given a problem/demand eg. poor conditions of workers, low wages,
high prices of essential goods, long working hours, etc.

3.

Students to write a paper on it.

4.

Students to find solutions and see what effect it will have on the rest of Europe/world.

5.

Each student must be allowed to speak/present the paper.

6.

The teacher may modify the time and marks according to the requirement of the class.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Research

Knowledge / content

Presentation

Confidence and Expression

Follow up: Encourage the students to speak again if lack of confidence is observed.

45

Chapter

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

Nazism and the Rise of Hitler


In this chapter, the teacher orients the students about the various developments between the two
world wars. On the one hand there was growth of social democracy and on the other there was the
growth of totalitarian tendencies in Italy and Germany. The main points discussed are (a) the basis of
Hitler's rise (b) the ideology of Nazism and (c) the impact of Nazism.
Learning Outcomes: After reading this lesson the students will be able to
G

comprehend the factors responsible for the growth of Nazism and the disastrous nature of
the ideology.

explain the impact of Nazism in shaping the politics of modern world.

be familiarized with the speeches and writings of Nazi leaders.

understand the discriminatory treatment of the Jews during the holocaust.

The teacher may use various types of objective questions for recapitulation and acquainting the
students with names and terms used in this lesson.
The following questions can be used and the teacher may frame her own questions based on the
chapter.
1.

Circle the odd one out. Give reasons for your choice.
i.

Selection, Final Solution, Murder, Special Treatment.

ii.

Jews, Aryans, Gypsies, Disabled.

iii.

England, Sudetenland, Rhineland, Austria.

iv.

Germany, Italy, Japan, US.

?
46

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

2.

3.

Identify Who I am:


i.

I am a German economist responsible for launching programmes for building Germany's


superways and the Volkswagon. .

ii.

I am the German President who offered the chancellorship to Hitler in 1933 .

iii.

My idea of survival of the fittest was used by Nazis to justify the dominance of the Aryan
race. .

iv.

Born in 1889 in Austria, I spent my youth in poverty but finally rose to become the
chancellor of Germany. I also founded the Nationalist Socialist German Worker's Party
. .

Match the terms from Column 'A' with suitable statements from Column 'B'
A

4.

a.

Genocide

1.

A place where people were isolated and


detained without due process of law.

b.

Charles Darwin

2.

The highest post in the cabinet of ministers


in Germany.

c.

Euthanasia

3.

Nazi mass killing.

d.

Chancellor

4.

A natural scientist who discovered the


theory of natural selection and evolution.

e.

Concentration Camp

5.

Nazi method of killing a disabled.

Fill in the blanks with suitable words / names.


a.

An international tribunal was set up at . to try the war criminals.

b.

The Treaty of . was humiliating to Germany.

c.

The people's car produced in Germany was named . .

d.

Japan bombed the U.S. base at . Harbour.

e.

The Soviet army gave a humiliating defeat to Germany at. .

Note: Here questions may be used to stimulate discussion in class and also to develop a rational
approach among the students.
5.

How did Nazi propaganda stir hopes of a better future for Germany?

6.

In what way did the theories of natural scientists help in shaping the Nazi ideology?

47

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

7.

Read Source F (pg 69) from the History textbook and answer the following questions:
Hitler at the Nuremberg party Rally, 8 September 1934, also said : ' The woman is the most stable
element in the preservation of a fold...she has the most unerring sense of everything that is
important to not let a race disappear because it is her children who would be affected by all this
suffering in the first place...That is why we have integrated the woman in the struggle of the racial
community just as nature and providence have determined so.'
a.

What were Hitler's ideas of a socially pure society?

b.

How were women used to implement these ideas?

Suggested Activities: To encourage active participation of students, activities must be carefully


developed, which will help to reinforce the learning outcomes, without creating any stress in the
students.

Activity 1: Just Imagine (Letter Writing)


Topic: Holocaust in Germany
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

comprehend the suffering experienced by the Jews in the Nazi camp.

aquire the skills of empathy.

develop creative expression.

Procedure :
1.

A clipping from the film 'Schindlers List' should be shown to the class.

2.

After the film, the teacher will give the following situation:

Roleplay: You are a Jewish boy/girl who survived the holocaust in Germany. Write a letter to your
friend telling him/her about how you survived and what was your life like in a concentration camp.
Assessment Criteria:
G

Understanding of Content : Condition of Jews in Nazi camp

Creative expression

Imaginative skill

Writing skill

Follow up: The letters of the children which cover all the points of the Holocaust should be readout to
the class.

48

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

Activity 2 : Dialogue Writing


Topic: Imaginary meeting between Mahatma Gandhi and Adolf Hitler.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

develop creativity.

comprehend the difference in ideology of Gandhi ji and Hitler.

develop ability of expression and analytical skill.

develop imaginative skill.

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
1.

The class will be divided in pairs.

2.

The teacher gives the following task to students:


Imagine a chance meeting of Mahatma Gandhi and Adolf Hitler.
(i)

Prepare a dialogue between them.

(ii) Each will put forward her views and beliefs.


(iii) End the dialogue by Gandhi ji convincing Hitler about the need for world peace and
non-violence.
(iv) The Best dialogue will be enacted.
Assessment Criteria:
G

Argumentation and persuasiveness

Creative expression

Follow up: Help from the English teacher be sought to correct the language of the dialogues. Some of
the dialogues may be enacted.

Activity 3: Fun - Pyramid


Learning Outcomes: The students will able to
G

recapitulate the learning.

Time Required: One period

49

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

Procedure:
1.

The teacher will circulate the picture of a pyramid and clues to the students with the
following instructions:
Read the clues and starting from 3letter word and with the help of the first letter, complete
the pyramid using words from the chapter. The first word is a three letter word. Each of the
following words increases by one more letter :
2

Most oppressed race in Germany.

Party founded by Hitler.

Purist race according to Hitler.

First German Republic.

Secret Police.

Youth organization.

German Parliament.

Humiliating treaty was signed here.

J
N
A
N
G
J
R
V

Assessment Criteria: The activity need not be graded.

Activity 4 : Somewhere else in the World.


Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

understand the effect of the migration on other parts of the world.

have an idea of the world at one particular movement in the history.

Time Required: Two periods


Procedure:
1.

The teacher will divide the class into eight groups.

2.

The teacher will ask the students to research and find out what was happening in all the
other continents of the world when Hitler was ruling Germany in Europe.
(Socially/Politically)

3.

Students present a paper.

4.

The teacher will help the students in using various resources to find the relevant
information.

5.

All the groups will be given 4 - 5 mins to make the presentation.

50

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

Assessment Criteria:
G

Research

Findings

Presentation

Follow up: The students can be asked to write the Bibliography of the research documents.

Activity 5: Debate
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

analyse the issue.

learn the skill of presenting and organising their thoughts.

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
1.

The class is divided into groups of four each.

2.

The students are given one day to prepare for all the aspects. Each team will be given 4 - 5
minutes to present their views both in favour and against the motion.

3.

At the end teacher will consolidate the main issue and discuss with the whole class.

Assessment Criteria :
G

Research

Oratory skills

Clarity of argument

Logical Approach

Follow up: The students should be trained to put forth their arguments in a refined manner, to hone
their life skills.

51

Chapter

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

Forest Society and Colonialism


In this chapter, the teacher would focus on Forest Society and Colonialism - explaining different
aspects of forestry and main features of forest society. The teacher would also explain how colonial
government exploited the resources and people of forest society for their advantage. The teacher
would guide the students to use case studies as resource to understand specific problems of Indonesia.
Learning Outcomes: After completing this chapter, the students will be able to
G

understand the relationship between forests and livelihood.

comprehend the changes in forest societies under colonialism.

use case study as source material and to compare the effects of colonialism in India and
Indonesia.

The following types of questions can be used for quick recapitulation or be used as quiz in class. The
teachers make variety of such questions to be used in class for making learning effective.
1.

2.

Fill in the blanks with the relevant information:


i.

Natural forests were cut down and one type of tree was planted in straight rows under the
system of introduced by the British in India.

ii.

The practice of cutting and burning of forests and sowing seeds in the ashes is referred to as
a agriculture.

iii.

The 'blandongdiensten' system of exempting villages from rent if they provided free labour
was introduced by the in Java.

iv.

The in Java chose to protest against tax surveyors by lying down on their land.

v.

In the Ghats it is possible to find as many as 500 different plant species in one
forest patch.

Match the word in Column A with the correct option from Column B.
A

Latex

Skilled forest cutters

Jhum

Railway tracks

Kalangs

Sacred groves

Sarnas

Rubber tyres

Sleepers

Shifting cultivation

52

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

3.

Pick the odd one out stating the reason for your choice:
i.

(a) Jhum

(b) Dhya

(c) Semur

(d) Penda

ii.

(a) Sarnas

(b) Devarakudu

(c) Rai

(d) Podu

iii.

(a) Santhals

(b) Korava

(c) Karacha

(d) Yerukula

Note: The following are examples of thought provoking questions which require reasoning and
analytical skills. Teacher can prepare such questions for testing higher mental abilities.
4.

Examine the similarities between the forest laws introduced by the colonial rulers in India
and Java. Compare the response of the people to these laws.

5.

Read the Source A (page 79 of the textbook) and answer the following questions.
Source A
The idea that uncultivated land had to be taken over and improved was popular with colonisers
everywhere in the world. It was an argument that justified conquest. In 1896 the American writer,
Richard Harding, wrote on the Honduras in Central America.
There is no more interesting question of the present day than that of what is to be done with the
worlds land which is lying unimproved; whether it shall go to the great power that is willing to
turn it to account, or remain with its original owner, who fails to understand its value. The
Central Americans are like a gang of semi-barbarians in a beautifully furnished house, of which
they can understand neither its possibilities of comfort nor its use. Three years later the
American-owned United Fruit Company was founded, and grew bananas on an industrial scale
in Central America. The company acquired such power over the governments of these countries
that they came to be known as Banana Republics. Quoted in David Spurr, The Rhetoric of
Empire, (1993).

6.

i.

Why did the colonizers consider forest as unproductive land?

ii.

Explain what the American writer, Richard Harding meant by calling the Central
Americans "a gang of semi-barbarians living in a beautifully furnished house"

iii.

In the present context of Global Warming, what is the view of developed countries with
regard to deforestation? (teacher to provide material)

'Java is now famous as a rice producing island in Indonesia.' Discuss the role played by the
Dutch colonialists in this.

Suggested Activities: Various types of activities can be used by teachers to reinforce learning. The
choice of activities would lead to flexibility and prevent monotony of stereotypical tests.

53

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

Activity 1: Listing Forest Products and their Exhibition.


Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to:
G

understand the importance of forest products in our life.

identify forest products out of various other products.

recognise the properties of each product.

develop the organizing skill.

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
1.

Read the words given below and list them under two headings (teacher could add more to
the list).
i)

Forest products

ii)

Non-Forest products.

Latex, mobile phone, compact disc, honey, bamboo, chocolate, bangle, plate, baskets,
table, chair, haldi, computer, matchstick, oil, eraser, comb, spoon, tendu leaves, mahua,
cotton, jute bags, doormats, resin, gum, rubber, indigo, tulsi, book, mint, eucalyptus oil,
sweet potato, berries, disposable plates, ropes, tamarind, neem, poppy, shikakai.
2.

Then study the list of forest products and categorise them further on the basis of some
common properties / usage ( e.g. : medicinal / domestic / industrial)

3.

Instruct the students to collect any five forest products from the list of categories. A limited
time of 2 days may be given. Once everyone's collection is over, a mini exhibition may be
organized in a convenient place.

4.

The students explain which type of forest material is used to make the items in the
collection. They also explain the utility of the product.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Participation

Knowledge

Number of products identified

Activity 2: "Life without paper !"


Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

develop critical thinking skills.

54

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

develop power of observation and reasoning.

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
1.

The teacher will give the following situation:


Forest products are important source for making paper. Due to reckless cutting of trees, forests are
fast disappearing. Under such circumstances imagine that one morning you woke up and found that
all the paper has disappeared! No paper is available anywhere!

2.

Each student will be asked to write a narrative listing, five problems that each member of
their family will face in the course of the day, in the absence of paper .

Assessment Criteria:
G Writing ability and creative expression
G Analytical skills
G Logical thinking and presentation of ideas
Follow up: The teachers should ask students to save paper even at home and encourage reusing
envelops and waste paper etc.

Activity 3: Knowing People, Who Contributed towards


Environmental Protection
Topic: Environmental Protection
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

know about environmental activities.

understand the importance of protecting the environment.

enhance their creativity.

Time given: One week


Procedure:
1.

The students conduct research on people who are well known


for contributing towards protection of environment such as.
2

Medha Patkar

Sunderlal Bahuguna

Chandi Prasad Bhatt

Rajendra Singh
55

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

2.

They will also read about the movements organized by them.

3.

After the research is complete, the teacher divides the class into three groups.
(a) Group one enacts a scene based on their understanding of the movement.
(b) Group two makes posters about the preservation of forests.
(c) Group three to write a poem/song for preservation of forests, set it to music and sing
in class.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Research

Understanding

Creativity

Participation in groups

Follow up: Students list things that they can do to protect the environment in their school.

Activity 4 : Crossword
Topic: Forest products and society.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

learn about forests as a resource.

examine the defects of deforestation.

list the usefulness of 10 forest products.

recall the need for scientific forestry and its advantages.

identify the tribes living in the forests.

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
1.

The teacher may prepare a crossword worksheet with at least 6 clues [Across and Down].

2.

Take print outs for the class.

3.

Students may refer to the textbook if necessary.

4.

For each clue, the number of letters should be indicated in brackets.

5.

The teacher may modify the time and marks according to the requirement of the class.

56

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

Crossword Grid and Clues:


With the help of the given clues, complete the following crossword:
ACROSS:
1.

A species of wood promoted by the British in India. (4)

3.

Disposable plates and cups were made from these. (6)

5.

Wooden planks laid across railway tracks. (8)

7.

Traditional agriculture practiced in Asia. (7)

9.

A nomadic community in India. (8)

11.

This community in Java were skilled forest cutters. (7)

DOWN:
2.

Forests under the direct supervision of the British. (8)

4.

One type of tree grown in straight rows. (10)

6.

It was collected from rubber trees to supply traders. (5)

8.

The German inspector of forests who began scientific forestry in India. (7)

10.

Fears of the people of Bastar led to this against the British. (9)

12.

Forest management in Indonesia was started by this colonial power. (5)

GRID
9

10

2
1
5

4
11

12

57

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

Assessment Criteria:
G

The students may exchange their worksheets for peer correction.

The answers may be read aloud, corrected and discussed.

The teacher may collect/move around the class and sign the worksheet.

Follow up: As a part of the coscholastic activity, a student may learn to make one product/item by
recycling or using any material from the forest.

Activity 5: Nature Walk: Know Your Environment


Topic: A study of Plants and Trees.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

list at least five trees / plants and identify them by name.

examine their importance and uses to human beings.

recognise if they are common or rare species.

explain the climatic conditions in which they exist.

identify the tribes living in the forests.

Time Required: One period


Procedure :
1.

The teacher may divide the class into groups, with a group leader.

2.

Students go to a nursery, garden in the school premises or nearby forest/garden/park.

3.

Collect information on at least one type of tree with full details.

4.

Make a chart of that tree/use projector and speak on it by turns.

5.

The audience may ask questions after the presentation.

6.

The teacher may modify the time and marks according to the requirement of the class.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Research

Aid used

Content

58

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

Explanation

Group work

Follow up: The information collected and presented by the students can be put together in a form of
Album to be kept in school library.

Activity 6: Planting Trees


Topic: Understanding the value of afforestation.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

understand the value of afforestation and make others aware of it.

identify the defects of deforestation.

explain the type of tree planted and their importance.

discuss the kind of soil used, suitable season, etc., for that particular species.

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
1.

The teacher may divide the class in pairs.

2.

The students get a sapling and plant it in the school premises.

3.

Discussion with chart/technology about the advantages of the tree .

4.

The school gardener may also contribute to the knowledge.

5.

The teacher may modify the time and marks according to the requirement of the class.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Initiative

Content discussion

Aid used

Follow up: The students should be responsible for taking care of the sapling planted by them.

59

Chapter

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

Pastoralism in the Modern World


In this chapter, the teacher explains different forms of pastoralism and will show how pastoralism has
become a way of life for many. The teacher would also sensitize the students on the impact of
colonialism on the life of the pastoralists.
Learning Outcomes: After completing the chapter, the students will be able to
G

comprehend the nature of pastoral life and the change in the life of pastoralists in the
modern world.

identify the varying patterns of development within pastoral societies.

understand the impact of colonialism on pastoralists.

The teacher should be able to use different types of tasks and activities for formative assessment.
The variety and flexibility of questions and activities may help the teacher in making learning more
meaningful and enjoyable.
Suggested questions and activities.
The following questions (1-3) are for quick recapitulation followed by some thought provoking
questions involving reasoning.
1.

2.

Fill in the blanks with suitable words :


i.

Every summer the Gujjar Bakarwal herders cross the Pir Panjal passes to enter the valley of
.. with their herds of goats and sheep.

ii.

The .. shepherds stay in the central plateau of Maharashtra during the


monsoons.

iii.

..peasants of the coastal region provided rice to the Dhangar shepherds.

iv.

Pasture land in India was seen as unproductive by the colonial officials who enacted the
.. .. rules to settle in these lands.

v.

In pre-colonial days .. society in East Africa was divided into two groups elders and warriors.

Match the words in Column A with the correct options in Column B.


A

Nomads

A dry forested area below the foothills of Garhwal and Kumaon.

Kafila

A group of pastoral household journeying together.

60

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

3.

Maasailand

People who move from one place to another to earn their living.

Bugyals

Area from North Kenya to steppes of Tanzania inhabited by pastoral


people.

Bhabar

Vast meadows in high mountains.

Tick the odd one. Give reasons for your choice.


i.

(a) Ghee

(b) Silk

(c) Wool

(d) Milk

ii.

(a) Bhotiyas

(b) Sherpas

(c) Kinnauris

(d) Banjaras

iii.

(a) Camels

(b) Sheep

(c) Pigs

(d) Goats

iv.

(a) Manufacturing

(b) Trade

(c) Weaving

(d) Herding

v.

(a) Maasai Mara

(b) Samburu

(c) Serengeti

(d) Sariska

4.

How did the Gujjar Bakarwals of Jammu and Kashmir earn their livelihood? Explain the cycle
of their movement.

5.

Why is cyclical movement necessary for most of the tribal communities? How does this
movement prevent the land from the negative effects of over use?

6.

Why did the Raikas in Rajasthan combine cultivation with pastoralism? What pastoralist
activities do they adopt in winter?

7.

To what extent was the Criminal Tribes Act (1871) of the colonial government justified?

Suggested Activities: Innovative activities are extremely important to be used for the attention of
students as well as for encouraging them to explore beyond textbook and develop different skills.
Some suggested activities are discussed below:

Activity 1: Interview
Learning Outcomes : The students will be able to
G

interview the people.

develop thinking skills.

learn to express logically.

organise the facts and report in a comprehensive manner.

Time Required: Two periods


Procedure:
1.

The teacher divides the class in groups and ask the students to role-play:

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Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

(i)

A reporter who has been assigned the job of interviewing the pastoralists to know their
response to the Forest Acts passed by the colonial government.

(ii) Prepare a questionnaire for the interview to be conducted.


2.

The one group will interview the other group, who will act as pastoralists and vice versa.

3.

They will present their findings to the class.

Assessment Criteria :
G

Interviewing skills

Knowledge of Forest Acts

Team Spirit

Presentation

Comprehension of the nature of Forest Acts

Follow up: The students should be asked to list atleast one Forest Act.

Activity 2 : Learning with Map

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Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to


G

know about the states with tribal population.

find out the common characteristic of the places where tribal population is found.

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
1.

The teacher distributes the map in the class/or display a large map on the board.

2.

The students study the map by referring the text and fill the following chart.

Name of the
Special
Tribe

Region where
they are located

Source of
livelihood

Common
characteristics

Special
characteristics
if any

1
2
3
NOTE : The following activities will help the students to relate their learning from History textbook
with that given in economics and Geography textbooks.
Follow up: Students can be asked to mark the places on the blank
map.

Activity 3: Learn from Pictures


Topic: To relate textbook learning with real life experience
and other subject.
Leaning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

relate their learning from different subjects.

understand the application of concepts.

correlate textbook learning to real life learning.

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
A.

1.

The teacher will ask the students to study the picture (at page no. 16 and 19 in their NCERT
Economics textbook).

2.

The teacher will ask the students to answer the following questions:

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Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

(a) Where would you place the economic activities of the pastoral communities?
(b) Do you think these communities are an asset and therefore be considered as a 'human
resource'?
B.

The teacher will ask the following question based on Fig:18 (pg : 88)
(a)

Do you think anybody involved in killing tigers in 2010 would pose for a photograph like
this? Give reasons.

C.

The teacher will ask the students to juxtapose the information provided in Fig 4.4 (pg:32,
Geography textbook) and Fig 11 (pg:106, History textbook) and ask the students if there was any
impact of monsoons in the life of pastoralists?

D.

(i)

The teacher will ask the students to study the following figures given in the chapter :
Fig.1(97), 2(98), 3 and 4(99), 5(100), 6(101), 7 and 8(102), 9 and 10(103).

(ii)

The students will be asked to read a newspaper which they receive in their locality (home or
school) for a month.

(iii) At the end of the month. The teacher will ask the students:
(a) Did you find any news item on the people depicted in the pictures of your textbook ?
If there is any, share it with your class.
(b) What was written about them ?
OR

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Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

Ask your parents if they know about them.


OR
If you see them in your locality talk to them. Ask about their life style.
(c)

What is their routine?

Assessment Criteria:
G

Understanding

Analytical Skills

Logical Answers

Follow up: The teacher should instruct students to collect pictures/articles relevant to topics they are
studying in a folder.

65

Chapter

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

Peasants and Farmers


In this chapter, the teacher focuses on the history of the emergence of different forms of farming and
peasant societies. Constructing form of changes within rural economies in modern world will be
explained with the help of case studies in USA and England.
Learning Outcomes: After reading this lesson, the students will be able to
G

comprehend different processes through which agrarian transformation may occur in the
modern world.

understand how Indian agricultural system is different from that of other countries.

get familiarized with concepts/ideas of large scale farming, small scale production,
shifting agriculture and how they operate on different principles and different histories.

The teachers are free to introduce new tools, activities and methods of formative assessment
provided they make teaching effective, meaningful and easy to conduct. Innovative activities make
learning interesting as well as elicit better involvement of students.
Some sample questions and suggested activities have been provided below to enable the teachers to
make many more on these patterns.
1.

Match the words / terms given in column A with those given in column B.
A
a.

Enclosure movement

B
(i)

Invented the first mechanical reaper.

b. Cyrus McCormick

(ii) Black blizzards.

c.

(iii) Traveling traders.

The Great Plains

d. Pykars

(iv) A major item of export to China from India.

e.

(v) A movement to divide and enclose land into compact


blocks to improve cultivation.

Opium

2.

Examine the adverse effects of the Enclosure Movement on the peasants and farmers.

3.

Why were Manchus suspicious of all foreign merchants?

4.

Why was the American dream of a land of plenty turned into a nightmare?

5.

Why were the Indian farmers reluctant to produce opium? In which part of India, is opium
still produced even though it was made illegal?

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Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

Suggested Activities: The following are some suggested activities:

Activity 1: Prepare a case study PPT using the internet, on the life of a peasant.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

understand the living conditions, challenges faced by peasants.

appreciate aspirations of farmers.

respect the work/labour rendered by the farmers for urban people.

comprehend the hardships they face to make both ends meet.

develop dignity of labour.

Time Required: Two periods


Procedure:
1.

The class may be divided in 6 groups.

2.

Each group is guided by the teachers to identify at least one farmer from whom the student
would know about the life and work of the farmers. Each student could make 10 similar
questions. The teacher would finally collate the information collected by all students .

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Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

3.

On the basis of the feedback collected by the students, a combined response may be
submitted by each group which will be read out in class.

4.

An interactive session can be arranged by the teacher in one period, where each group will
share their experiences with others.

5.

Questions to be posed could be written after group discussion in the class. This does not
necessarily mean that individual students cannot ask supplementary questions.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Knowledge and understanding

Quality of questions

Team work

Creativity

Participation

Follow up: Teacher should support students by focusing on questions based on the information given
in the chapter and identify the text material (all 9th std Social Science textbooks), related to the
following areas:
Native place of the peasant

Know the agricultural activities

Size of the land owned

Festivals celebrated

Involvement of the family

Cycle of crops

Women as peasants

Technology and innovations

What is produced ?

Non-farm production activities

Earnings from the land ?

Support from government


Peasants as pressure groups and electoral
politics Migration

Activity 2: Picture Comprehension


Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

comprehend the information through pictures /graphs/maps.

understand the movements of commodities.

understand the representing prices of wheat.

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Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

Time Required : One period


Procedure :
Look at the picture given (NCERT textbooks, fig 18, page 132) and answer the following questions:
a.

Arrows indicate movement of commodities. Identify the commodities and the direction.

b.

Explain the effect of this movement.

c.

Explain the factors responsible for this condition.

d.

Which section of society was instrumental in aggravating this situation?

e.

In this triangular trade what did England import from India and in what form did it come
back to India?

f.

Can you relate this process of trade to colonialism? What were the effects of the triangular
trade on (a) India (b) China.

Learning from the graph (pg :120, Fig.2)


a.

Explain the rise and fall of wheat prices represented in the graph with specific reference to
the information given above the graph (read first paragraph, pg : 120).

b.

What is the average price ?

Assessment Criteria:
G

Accuracy

Understanding

Reasoning

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Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

SHILLINGS PER BUSHEL

120
100
80
60
40
20

-8
5
86
-9
0
17
91
-9
5
17
96
-1
18 800
01
-0
18 5
05
-1
0
18
11
-1
5
18
16
-2
0
18
51
-2
5
18
26
-3
0
18
31
-3
5
18
36
-4
0
18
41
-4
18 5
46
-5
0
17

0
17

81

-8
76

17

17

71

-7

YEARS
average price

Follow up: The students practice with more graphs to learn or to interpret them.

Activity 3: Peasants of the World


Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

understand the life of a peasant in different parts of the world.

appreciate the contribution of the peasants to an economy.

Time Required: One week


Procedure:
1.

The class is divided into eight groups.

2.

The students study the life style of peasants of India, China, US and England.

3.

The students focus on the current status of the peasants in these countries.

4.

They present the information collected in a tabular form.

5.

Each group should highlight one common and one unique feature.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Team Work

Facts and information collected

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Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

Presentation

Analytical ability

Activity 4: Interdisciplinary (Geography + History)


Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

become familiar with the concept of shifting agriculture.

become familiar with ideas of large scale farming and small scale production.

Time Required: Two periods


Procedure:
1.

The class is divided into pairs.

2.

The students select any two countries of their choice for the activity.

3.

The three concepts mentioned above in learning outcomes have to be compared for their
similarities and differences in the selected countries.

4.

The students find out the role of geographical features in their differences/similarities.

5.

They make a presentation in whichever way they want to.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Analytical thinking

Clarity of concepts

Presentation

Relevance of similarities/differences found

Follow up: If possible, students may be taken to the farm/small scale industry, to understand the
concept.

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Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

Chapter

The Story of Cricket


In this lesson, the teacher explains the evolution of cricket as a major sport in England, and then in
India. The lesson will also focus on cricket under colonial rule and emergence of cricket nationalism in
India and the de-colonization process. The teacher also touches on modern cricket, as a marketable
game.
Learning Outcomes: After reading the lesson the students will be able to
G

trace the history of cricket in England and in India.

identify Government's influence on sports.

appreciate the contribution of Indian players in the game of Cricket in India.

understand the commercial aspects of the sports.

To make teaching interactive, meaningful and interesting, the teacher can make a question bank of a
large number of objective questions for using these as worksheets for class test or oral quiz. These
questions help in quick recapitulation of the lesson taught in class.
Given below are the examples of some objective type questions and short answer type questions:
1.

2.

Read the clues and recognize me. Who am I?


a.

Born in 1875 in Poona, I became India's greatest slow bowler .................................... .

b.

I was an outstanding batsman and was India's first test captain ................................ .

c.

I was an Australian television tycoon, and introduced the 'World Series' of cricket ............... .

d.

I was the editor of Bombay Chronicle (a newspaper) and became famous as a radio
commentator of cricket.............................. .

e.

I was the Headmaster of the famous Rugby School in England, and also the founder of
modern public schools ............................... .

Cross the odd one out from the following. Also state the reason for your decision.
i.

(a) Bat

(b) Ball

ii.

a.

Oriental Cricket Club

b.

Bombay Gymkhana

c.

Ranji Trophy

d.

Calcutta Cricket Club

(c) Gloves

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(d) Stump

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

3.

4.

Write true or false.


a.

In 1977, cricket celebrated 100 years of test matches.

b.

Oriental Cricket Club was set up at Calcutta in 1848.

c.

The British did not consider colonial India as a nation.

d.

In cricket the length of the pitch is specified as 22 yards.

e.

The first written laws of cricket were drawn up in 1780.

Short Answer Questions.


a.

What values and skills are to be developed through playing the game of cricket? List them.

b.

What was the effect of globalization on the game of cricket?

c.

How did the British sow the seed of communalism through cricket in the early phase of the
game ?

d.

Trace the stages of development of the game of cricket in India.

Suggested Activities: These activities are very effective to involve students and helping them to enjoy
while learning. Every teacher must use variety of activities. Some activities suggested below may be
used by the teacher whenever needed after teaching the lesson.

Activity 1: Organise a Traditional Game (Seven Tiles-Pithu)


Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

know about traditional games.

learn to play the game.

explore the history of traditional games.

Time Required: Two periods


Procedure:
1.

The teacher will ask the students to list the traditional games played by them.

2.

The teacher will take the class to the playground to play a traditional game like 'Seven Tiles'
(Pithu).

3.

Two teams will be formed.

4.

The students will enjoy the sport and teach the ones who have never played the game
before.

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Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

5.

After the game, students are asked to trace the history of any traditional game and in
groups of four each make a presentation to show in the class.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Sportmanship

Research

Presentation

Factual Knowledge

Follow up: List of traditional games can be made collectively by the class.

Activity 2: Film screening to show Sportsmanship


Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

understand sportsmanship.

distinguish between fair and unfair means.

develop the spirit of playing the game rather than winning/loosing.

Time Required: Two periods


Procedure:
1.

The teacher shows the clipping from the film Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar in the class, the scene
of the cycle race at the end.

2.

Students bring information of the drugs taken by the cyclist in 'French Tour de France' event
held every year.

3.

Students give their views on 'winning at all costs/giving your best'.

4.

The teacher may also ask the students to write a short paragraph on 'Sportsmanship'.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Inferential ability

Participation in discussion

Clarity of thought

Understanding the importance of fair play

Follow up: A short paragraph on 'Sportsmanship' can be corrected by the language teacher and pasted
in their notebooks.

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Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

Activity 3: Formulating a new game for the class and making its rules.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

appreciate the need for rules and regulations in the game.

gain self confidence by developing their own rules.

develop awareness of safety concern.

recognise the importance of teamwork and discipline.

Procedure:
1.

The teacher divides the class into two teams and assign them duties and responsibilities.

2.

Each team would formulate its own game and its own rules and regulations on issues like

3.

Declaring out

Scoring

Pooling money/resources

Safety concerns, etc.

Organise cheering teams.

The rules will be then discussed in the class and finalised.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Innovation

Team Work

Ability to Plan

Follow up: The framed rules and the name of the new game can be evaluated by the sports teacher,
who may suggest changes and improvements.

Activity 4: Commentary on a game of Badminton


Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

learn about Badminton.

develop good oratory skills.

analyse the situations in the game.

75

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

develop the art of critique.

Time Required: Two periods


Procedure:
1.

A competition for a running commentary of a badminton game can be organized. The


commentary must be extempore (those who have more knowledge / interest about the
game could be choosen to do this).

2.

Each speaker is given 4 minutes to speak. (About 10 students of the class may be screened
by the teacher).

3.

When the speakers make their commentary the other students would sit in audience and
assess the commentator on the basis of their forceful delivery, modulating their voice and
knowledge about the game.

Assessment Criteria: A panel of 3 judges (either from the student body or teaching staff may be
selected before hand) would give their judgement on the basis of:
G

Oratory skill.

Knowledge of the sport.

Modulation of voice.

Follow up: The teacher can take help from English/Hindi teacher to improve the pronunciation and
speaking skill.

Activity 5: Picture Study (Picture of any sport)


Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

identify the dress items required for the sport.

know the names of the equipment.

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
1.

The teacher shows a large picture of the


game to the class through any medium.

2.

Give the students 10 minutes to study


the picture.

76

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

3.

Give 10 minutes to list five dress items and equipment.

4.

In pairs the students will discuss the following:


(a) Which items are worn for protection by boxers as shown in this picture?
(b) Which is the main equipment used for playing the sport?
(c)

Do you think the dress is appropriate for the sport. If yes, give reason?

Assessment Criteria:
G

Correct responses

Participation in discussion

Application of knowledge

Follow up: The sports teacher can be requested to address the students about equipment of the games
played in the schools.

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Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

Chapter

Clothing: A Social History


In this chapter the teacher will explain the history of clothing; will focus on the changes in pattern and
style of clothing in western countries as well as in India. The teacher will also discuss about the impact
of nationalism on clothing, about increase of popularity of Khadi and about the factors responsible for
determining the style of clothing.
Learning outcomes: After the lesson is completed, the students will be able to
G

comprehend the factors that determine the styles and pattern of dresses.

explain how social norms and changes in economy and political life bring about changes in
styles of clothing.

establish relationship between modern world and the new trends in clothing.

compare the norms that guided clothing in western countries as well as in India.

In order to make the lesson interesting, effective and meaningful the teacher can use a variety of tools
and activities. Formative assessment stresses on learning by doing which helps in the formation of a
student's personality in his/her formative years. All activities need not be assessed.
Some examples of questions and activities are given in this chapter of the manual but the teachers are
free to make their own questions and innovative activities to be used in class.
1.

Fill in the blanks:


(i)

Members of the Jacobin Club , who wore long trousers were known as ................................. .

(ii)

Support as part of a woman's dress to hold the body straight was known as ......................... .

(iii) The National Woman Suffrage Association (1870s America) was headed by........................ .
(iv) By mid-nineteenth century.. .. was made stricter.
(v)
2.

.. movement started in reaction to partition of Bengal in 1905.

Which part of the body is covered with the following? Draw a sketch of the same.
(i)

Boots

(ii)

Phenta

(iii) Breeches
(iv) Turban
(v)

Chapkan

(vi) Dhoti

78

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

(vii) Tunic
(viii) Fez
3.

Match the terms in Column A with suitable options in Column B.


A

4.

Corset

Symbol of self-reliance and nationalism.

Chintz

Cap worn by revolutionaries in the French revolution.

Khadi

Stiff inner bodice worn to give women a narrow waist.

Cockade

Printed cotton cloth from India with floral designs.

Suggested short answer questions.


(i)

Even though the dress of western women changed radically after the World Wars, why has
there been little change in the dresses worn by Indian men and women.

(ii)

Comment upon the 'shoe respect' rule introduced by the British in 19th century in India.
What do you understand about the government of that time? In your opinion should any
government interfere with items of personal aspects of dressing?

(iii) Discuss the relevance of 'khadi' in contemporary India from your experience and exposure
through media.
Suggested Activities: The following activities may be taken up in the class - A teacher may modify
them as per the requirement of her class.

Activity 1: Designing School Uniform


Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

develop creative expression.

identify the factors required for designing clothes.

develop skills of drawing and sketching.

Time Required: Two periods


Procedure:
1.

The teacher will divide the class in groups of four each.

2.

The teacher will ask the students to design a new uniform for boys and girls using khadi cloth.

79

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

3.

The teacher will discuss with the students the things to be kept in mind while designing the
uniform.

4.

The students will be asked to design the uniform listing out the reason for their designing.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Creative writing

Knowledge about factors required for clothing

Presentation

skill for drawing and sketching

Follow up: The designs made by the students can be displayed and the art teacher can give suggestions
for modification, if any.

Activity 2: Survey on dress habits in India over the last fifty years.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

organize a survey.

compare the dress habits of people of different age groups.

collate and organize data.

analyze responses and report.

Time Required: One week


Procedure:
1.

Divide the class into groups to prepare a questionnaire containing ten questions. The
questions should cover the types of dresses they wear, material used, the factors which
influence their choice of dress, how many have the freedom to choose their own clothes and
other relevant questions.

2.

The students distribute these to three groups, representing three different age groups
(50 yrs - 60 yrs ), (40 yrs - 50 yrs) and (30 yrs - 40 yrs) in their neighborhood / family / school

3.

They collect their responses.

4.

Analyse the responses and prepare a report on the trends in the groups.

5.

Read the report to the class, to share their findings.

Assessment Criteria: This can be assessed on the basis of the following:

80

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

organising survey

collecting data

interpreting data

reporting

Follow up: A trip can be organised to a KhadiGram Udyog/clothes shop.

Activity 3: Visit to a Dolls Museum/shop


Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

observe the clothing of various countries/states according to their climatic conditions.

identify the style of traditional clothing in different countries/states.

point out the materials used.

list clothing according to the situation/occasion, e.g., climate, battle dress, festivals, khadi,
etc.

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
1.

The teacher organizes a visit to the Dolls Museum/shop with a variety of dolls from
different countries.

2.

The students carry a pad and pen to write down their observations.

3.

The students compile their observations and may get five mins. to speak in class.

4.

All observations to be noted on the board in the form of a graphic design.

5.

The teacher may modify the time and marks according to the requirement of the class.

Assessment: The teacher may assess the students based on the following criteria:
G

Observation

Presentation

Graphic Design

Neatness

Content

Activity 4: Traditional Dresses of India


Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

learn to discuss ideas and work independently.

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Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

identify the climate of different parts of India according to which clothes are worn.

identify the different traditional dresses and material/fabric of Indian states.

Time Required: One period


HIMACHAL PRADESH
JAMMU & KASHMIR

UTTAR PRADESH

PUNJAB
HARYANA

ASSAM

SIKKIM
ARUNACHAL PRADESH

RAJASTHAN
BIHAR

NAGALAND

MAIPURA
GUJARAT
TRIPURA
MIZORAM

MEGHALAYA
WEST BANGAL

MAHARASTRA

ORISSA

MADYA PRADESH
GOA
KARNATAKA

ANDRA PRADESH

TAMIL NADU
KERALA

Procedure:
1.

Distribute a political map of India to every student.

2.

Ask the students to paste a picture of the traditional dress warm by the people of every
state.

3.

The students then relate the material used and give one reason for the use of that material in
the state based on culture, climate, etc.

4.

The teacher instructs students to make a presentation on it.

Assessment Criteria: The teacher may assess the students based on the following criteria:
G

knowledge

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Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

Identifications of the material

Logical reasoning

Presentation

Follow up: The students can learn about different folk dances and their the appropriate costumes.

Activity 5: Visit to a Khadi Gram Udyog


Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

trace the history of khadi in India.

importance of khadi in Indian context.

understand the principle of using khadi as advocated by Gandhi.

compare the different kinds of clothing in last 50 years.

Time Required: One week


Procedure:
1.

The teacher instructs the students to get pictures of their family members over the last five
decades.

2.

In groups of three, students choose and display the pictures in a chronological order.

3.

They write comments on each selected photograph, to bring out the changes over the years.

4.

Identify the clothes made of khadi and explore the history of the khadi.

5.

Research and find out why there has been a decline in the use of khadi over the years.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Research skills

Reasoning skills

Aesthetics of the display

Understanding of Gandhian thought behind khadi

Follow up: The teacher instructs students to state the principle of Gandhi's thought behind Khadi.

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Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

Activity 6: Scrapbook - Countries


Topic: History of Clothing in different parts of the world.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

discuss the history of clothing and the changes evolved over the years.

research on the topic (Library or internet be used).

differentiate between the various types of clothing used at different times, e.g., war time,
working dress, farmers clothing, at the time of the struggle for nationalism, etc.

contrast the clothing of the west with that of the eastern parts of the world.

explain the transformation of clothing from the past to the present.

Time Required: A week to prepare followed by a class discussion.


Procedure:
1.

A box containing bits of paper with names of different countries to be prepared.

2.

The class may be divided into groups of 5-6.

3.

The leader of each group assigns work to its members under the teachers guidance
according to map, climate, geography of that country, traditions and culture, dress and
changes evolved from ancient to modern, food habits, festivals.

4.

The teacher may modify the time and marks according to the requirement of the class.

Assessment Criteria: The teacher may assess the students based on the following criteria:
G

Research

Creativity

Details

Group work

Timely submission

Follow up: An exhibition of the scrapbooks to be organized on a Parent - Teacher Meeting day.

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Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

GEOGRAPHY

Unit

INDIA : LAND AND PEOPLE

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

1
India-Size and Location
Chapter

India, a country of diverse features, has always been a source of inspiration to the people from time
immemorial.
Through this book, Contemporary India-I, students are exposed to some of its varied features, which
make her very special. The first chapter begins with its location on the globe, its longitudinal and
latitudinal extent and also its locational advantage on the globe.
Learning Outcomes: After going through this unit, the students will be able to
G

understand the location of India on the globe and will be able to locate India in terms of
latitude and longitude.

appreciate the aerial extent and its advantageous location.

make a comparison with the other countries of the world.

realize the need for setting up of a standard time and to reason out the selection of 8230'E as
the standard meridian of India.

recognize implications of having vast latitudinal and longitudinal extent.

Teacher may take the initiative to make students understand the above mentioned aspects through
maps and globes. The following are some suggested activities which may be used for formative
assessment and as a model to prepare some more by the teacher.
After the lesson is taught, the teacher can recapitulate the concepts using some of these questions.
1.

2.

Which one of the following Indian island groups lies to the South East of India?
(a)

Maldives

(b)

Sri Lanka

(c)

Andaman and Nicobar Islands

(d)

Lakshadweep Islands

Which one of the following union territories lies along the border line between Gujarat and
Maharashtra.
(a)

Pondicherry

(b)

Diu

(c)

Mahe

(d)

Dadra and Nagar Haveli

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3.

4.

5.

Which one of the following is the longitudinal extent of India?


(a)

98 25'E - 108 6'E

(b)

68 7'E - 97 25'E

(c)

67 8'E - 98 23'E

(d)

68 7'N - 97 25'N

India's total area accounts for about 2.4 per cent of the total geographical area of the world and
occupies:(a)

6th position in size after Australia

(b)

5th position in size after Brazil

(c)

6th position in size after Brazil

Solve the Puzzle by following your search horizontally and vertically, to find the hidden
answers.

Clues:
(a)

Southern most point of Indian Union.

(b)

Narrow water body separating India and Sri Lanka.

(c)

Standard Meridian passes through this place.

(d)

A country sharing its boundary with India from three sides.

(e)

Silk route connects India with this continent.

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Suggested Activities: The teacher may use the following activity or take idea and use his own
creativity to prepare some more.

Activity 1: Comparing the Duration of Day at Two Different Places in India


Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

know that duration of day and night varies from the southern part of India to its northern
part.

reason out for such a variation in day and night duration.

Time Required: One period


Procedure: This activity enables students to understand the implications of the vast latitudinal extent
of the location of India.
1.

Teacher gives the values of the duration of day at a few places in southern India [such as
Thiruvananthapuram, Kanyakumari, Port Blair, Kavarathi, Kochi, Chennai, etc.].

2.

Students are directed to find the latitude and duration of day of a place lying in northern
part of India [such as Leh, Srinagar, Amritsar, Pinjor, Delhi etc.] during the same period of
the year.

3.

Students may be given two days for the collection of data.

4.

They can search Atlas/www.googleearth.com for latitude.

5.

Duration of day may be noted from newspapers or internet.

6.

The teacher may locate all the places on a black roll-up map along with latitude and
duration of day.

7.

Students observe the variation in duration of day with respect to the variation in latitude.

8.

Start a class discussion based on the data.

9.

Teacher explains the reasons for such a variation in the day and night.

Assessment Criteria:
G

This is a fun based activity. Therefore, this need not be assessed.

Students may be encouraged to interact at every stage for better learning.

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Activity 2 : Making and Filling of Map


Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

locate different features on an outline map of India.

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
1.

The class is divided into small groups of 4 to 5 students.

2.

Each group locates the features as dictated by the teacher, on an outline political map of
India.

3.

Teacher will give the feature indirectly in the following ways:


2

Southern most state of India (Tamil Nadu)

Capital of Andhra Pradesh (Hyderabad)

Tropic of Cancer (23N Latitude)

4.

The group will collectively think and solve the question, and locate the place/feature on the
map.

5.

Each group displays its work on the bulletin board.

6.

Teacher can make the assessment of students work.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Correct location of the place based on feature.

Neatness of the work.

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Activity 3: Longitude and Time Concept


Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

find out why there is a time lag of two hours from Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh.

find out reason why Standard Meridian of India is chosen as 8230'E though it does not pass
exactly through the centre of the country.

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
1.

Two towns/ cities are identified, one each in Gujarat and Arunachal Pradesh.

2.

The longitudes of these two towns/cities are found out from the atlas.

3.

The time lag between these two towns/cities is calculated (4 minute's time difference per
degree of longitude).

4.

The students are to find out why the standard meridian of India is chosen as 8230'E.

5.

They will calculate that the Indian Standard Time is exactly 5.30 hours ahead of the
International time (Greenwich Meridian Time).

DIGBOI
LAT. 2733'N
LONG. 9540'E

LAT. 23.01'N

KANDLA

LONG. 70.10'E

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Assessment Criteria:
G

Concept Clarity

Calculation

Logical reasoning

Follow up: The teacher should give more practice to the students on locating places and time using
latitude and longitudes.

Activity 4: Mock Youth South Asian Meet


Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

understand the socio-cultural similarities and differences.

know about the neighbouring countries and their problems.

Time Required: Two periods.


Procedure:
1.

The students are divided into 9 groups representing to the nine neighbouring countries Bangladesh, Myanmar, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Maldives and Sri
Lanka.

2.

Each group has to find information on the following :


2

Socio - cultural exchanges.

Trade with India.

Current problems.

Sharing of water resources.

Environmental issues.

3.

On the day of the activity, students discuss the issues.

4.

Students are assigned a topic to speak, from each country they represent.

5.

Similarly, the other topics are assigned to different students to take up during the meeting.

6.

Each student is to be allowed about 1-1 minutes to speak on the assigned topic.

7.

Students may dress according to the country they represent.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Knowledge gathered about the countries

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Clarity of concept

Delivery

Follow up: The students are encouraged to come up with ideas to solve current problems with
neighbouring countries.

Activity 5: The AMP* Box Quiz (Group)


Learning Outcomes : The students will be able to
G

pick out the relevant information from the lesson.

frame relevant questions from the information.

extract correct answer from the information accumulated.

make a question answer bank to conduct the quiz.

Time Required: One period


Procedure :
1.

The teacher divides the class into groups of 5-6 with a student leader for each.

2.

The group make at least 10 questions with answers.

3.

The teacher picks a name from the AMP Box and the student poses a question to the student
whose name is picked out.

4.

The quiz activity may be carried out till all names are picked from the AMP Box.

5.

If a student is unable to answer, then the question passes to the next student.

6.

The teacher may modify the time and marks according to the requirement of the class.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Framing of questions

Content

Extra information

Explanation

Group work

Follow up: Good questions framed by the students may be selected for class work.

*AMP-Active Mental Participation

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Activity 6: Making a Brochure - Visit to a place


Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

find out the size, latitude, longitude, state, neighbours, famous tourist spots of that place.

collect information and compile it into a brochure.

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
1.

The teacher explains the idea of a brochure with relevant guidelines on the topic.

2.

The students collect information from the internet and library.

3.

The students decorate their brochure suitably.

4.

The students paste pictures appropriately.

5.

The teacher may modify the time and marks according to the requirement of the class.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Information

Group co-ordination

Decoration of brochure

Pictures collected

Follow up: A class field trip may be organized.

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Chapter

Physical Features of India


India, a land of varied physiographic divisions, had played an important role in evolving to its present
form. Moreover, the life and present day activities are also closely associated with it. An understanding
of the physical environment will enable the students to understand and appreciate natural
endowment and to cultivate a spirit of pride in the nation's physical diversity.
Learning Outcomes: After going through this chapter, the students will be able to
G

understand the location of various physiographic divisions and their characteristic


features.

make a comparison between each one of them.

relate how each physiographic unit is complimentary to the other.

The following questions may be asked to find out if the students have understood the physiographic
divisions.
1.

Name the three types of plate boundaries. Identify which one of them lies in the Himalayan belt.

2.

Describe fault with the help of an example from peninsular India.

3.

Make a comparison between the Shiwaliks and the Himalayas, based on the following :

4.

Composition

Age

Altitude

Describe the following features with examples:


G

Distributaries

Doab

Bhabar

Bhangar

5.

Give a detailed description of the Deccan Plateau.

6.

State the difference between Central Highland and Deccan Plateau.

Suggested Activities: The teacher may use the following activities for formative assessment and
prepare some more of the kind using her creative skills.

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Activity 1: A Presentation on Physical Features


Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

get familiarize with the content already taught in the class.

locate the physical features on the map of India.

identify the major physiographic divisions and also the related physical features.

differentiate one physical feature from the other.

Time Required: Two periods


Procedure: Teacher prepares slips containing the names of various physical features such as:
1.

Aravalli Range

2.

Malabar Coast

3.

Shiwalik Range

4.

Pirpanjal Range

5.

Garo Hills

6.

Chota Nagpur Plateau, etc.

Each student picks a slip from the box. Based on the slip, students will be given in six major
physiographic divisions.
Students will be guided to make a presentation based on the following points:
G

Location - (through maps)

Characteristic features

Geographic reason for its formation

Human activities associated with this

Its influence on the climate of India

Assessment Criteria:
G

Presentation through maps/diagrams

Content accuracy

Integration of the topic with the main topic

Confidence

Clarity

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Follow up: Each student should be asked to work on the physical features on a blank map.

Activity 2: Grid
Topic: Mountains of India.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

identify the mountains of India according to their height and location.

recall the significance of these mountains.

relate the usefulness of the mountains to India.

explain the advantages of the mountains to India.

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
1.

The teacher guides the students to know as to what is a GRID, i.e., making columns under
headings and writing the matter in short phrases.

2.

The grid columns may be under the following headings- name, height, width,
characteristics, peaks.

3.

The teacher shows how to do it with one mountain range as an example.

4.

The students read the textbook and write down the summary by filling up the columns.

5.

The teacher modifies the time according to the requirement of the class.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Information

Application skills

Neatness

Follow up: The map activity can be conducted as an after activity.

Activity 3: Locating and Labeling of Map


Learning Outcome: The students will be able to
G

learn the skill of locating places on a map.

know the physical features of the country.

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Time Required: One period


Procedure:
1.

The teacher instructs the students to locate the following features on an outline map of
India:
(i)

Karakoram, Zaskar, Aravalli, Vindhya, Satpura, Cardamom Hills, Garo, Khasi,


Jaintia, Naga Hills.

(ii)

Mountain peaks - K2, Nanda Devi, Kanchenjunga, Anaimudi, Mahendragiri.

(iii) Aghill Pass, Ship Kila, Bomdila and Nathula.


2.

The students exchange the map after completion and peer assessment will be done.

Follow up: Students should be asked to write a difference between a hill and a mountain as an
assignment.
Assessment Criteria :
G

Correct location on the map

Neatness

Activity 4 : Symposium
Topic: Physical Features of India.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

list the number of physical features that India has and their value to India.

identify and locate the physical features on the map of India.

make relevant teaching aids suitable to the topic.

develop confidence and speaking skills in front of an audience.

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
1.

The teacher divides the class into groups of 5-6 students.

2.

The teacher instructs the leader of each group to pick a chit on which the name of a physical
feature is written, i.e., Himalayas, Northern Plains, Plateaus, Desert, Coastal Plains, Island
groups, Purvanchal Hills, Western and Eastern Ghats.

3.

The leader of the group divides the work among the members.

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4.

The students are given one week to prepare.

5.

The students present the symposium with the help of aids, e.g., charts, posters, technology,
maps.

6.

Each student are given about 2-3 minutes to speak.

7.

The teacher may modify the time and marks according to the requirement of the class.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Aid Prepared /Used

Map

Content

Organizational skill

Follow up: The teacher can ask the students to read on these features from the encyclopedia (library
skills).

Activity 5: QUIZ (use the AMP box)


Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

prepare the lesson with accuracy and detail.

frame at least 2-3 questions and contribute to the question bank.

explain the answer accurately with learning taking place immediately.

think for himself/herself and discuss with a partner.

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
1.

The teacher divides the class in pairs.

2.

The teacher instructs the students to frame at least 4 questions per pair, after reading the
text, for the quiz.

3.

The students write the question on chits with their names below so as to assess them.

4.

The slips may be put in the question bank box.

5.

The teacher gives the students about 2-3 days to prepare.

6.

On the Quiz day, the teacher picks one slip from the bank, and one name from the AMP box
to answer the question.

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7.

The partners may help each other, if necessary.

8.

Each student must get a chance to answer.

9.

The teacher may modify the time according to the requirement of the class.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Framing of questions

Correct Answers

Thinking skills

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3
Drainage

Chapter

Rivers have been of great significance throughout human history. Humans have modified its use in a
broader perspective with the use of advanced technology. India; a land of varied topography is also
blessed with numerous major and minor rivers. Though they vary in their capacity, nature of flow,
features formed etc., they are responsible for supporting the growth and development of a large
population. Sometimes, they have also become a part of discussions and controversies due to their
over exploitation.
Keeping in view the significance of rivers to a nation, students should know about this precious
resource of our land and limitations of using their full potential.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

understand the location of rivers (their origin and course of flow), tributaries,
distributaries, etc.

locate the rivers on an outline map of India.

appreciate the presence of rich alluvial plains formed by these rivers.

understand the role of rivers in the evolution of human society.

The following questions may be asked after teaching the lesson to recapitulate the learning.
A.

A quiz may be conducted after the completion of the lesson.


I.

Fill in the blanks by selecting the appropriate answers given in the box.
Narmada, Indus, Ganga, Godavari, Tapi, Kaveri, Krishna, Brahmaputra, Mahanadi

II.

1.

Rivers _________ and _________ form the largest delta in the world.

2.

_________ forms an estuary.

3.

The river _________ rises near Amarkantak.

4.

River _________ is the largest peninsular river.

5.

Major portion of _________ river flows through Pakistan.

Match the following :


A

Tributary

Main River

1.

River Penganga

(i)

River Indus

2.

River Satluj

(ii)

River Brahmaputra

3.

River Ghaghra

(iii)

River Krishna

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III.

B.

River Dibang

(iv)

River Godavari

5.

River Tungabhadra

(v)

River Yamuna

6.

River Chambal

(vi)

River Ganga

Write true or false against the given statements, and give the right answer where
required.
1.

River Kaveri rises in the Brahmagiri Range of the Western Ghats.

2.

The Sambhar Lake is in Odisha.

3.

Guru Gobind Sagar is a man made lake.

4.

River Krishna is a west flowing river.

5.

The Indus emerges from the mountains at Attock.

MCQs can be used for recapitulation of the topics taught.


1.

2.

C.

4.

Which one of the following is a peninsular river?


G

River Gomti

River Son

River Yamuna

River Kosi

Which one of the following refers to the area drained by a single river system?
G

Water divide

Tributary

Drainage Basin

Distributary

Study the map of India showing the location of lakes. Identify the features marked as A, B, C,
D, E and F and name them.
1.

Study the diagram shown below and identify the different courses of a river marked as A,
B, and C. Also identify the feature marked as D. Give reason for the formation of this feature
in this particular course.

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Suggested Activities: The following are some activities which can be taken up by the teacher for
Formative Assessment.

Activity 1: Dance-Drama
Topic: Rivers of India
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

identify and locate the river in her state.

recall the history of that river.

explain the important facts about that river.

co-operate and share work in their groups.

Time Required: One period (2 weeks for preparations.)


Procedure:
1.

The teacher divides the class into three groups of about fifteen students each.

2.

The teacher appoints a group leader to co-ordinate the work.

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3.

The leader divides the work suitably among the members of the group.

4.

The students are given two weeks (or as required) to prepare the script, props, etc.

5.

The students research on the history of the river going back into mythology if necessary,
facts about the river, still existent or non-existent, changes taken place over the years, its
uses then and now, etc., with help of their teacher.

6.

The group are given fifteen minutes to perform.

7.

The teacher may modify the time and marks according tothe requirement of the class.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Props

Research

Dance and music

Expressions

Originality

Confidence

Follow up: The best dancedrama should be shown to children of school in the assembly.

Activity 2: Group Discussion - Sharing of River Waters


Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

understand the significance of river as an important resource.

understand the role of rivers in integrating/disintegrating the relations between


communities, states or even countries.

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
1.

Teacher gives the topic to the students a week in advance. Students are to collect additional
information related to the topic under the following heads:
G

Countries/states sharing it.

Volume of water being utilized.

Treaty, if any.

Related issues/conflicts

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2.

Its impact on the State/society.

Suggested solution.

The students discuss the topic in class.

Assessment Criteria: Assessment of the group may be done based on the authenticity of the research
work, clarity of thought, relevance of the content , participation and speaking skills.
Follow up: This topic should be correlated with water conservation.

Activity 3: Model Making


Topic: Water divide/Three courses of a river/Patterns of a river/Dam/Gorge/Tributaries and
distributaries/River pollution/Fresh water lakes.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

define the meaning of the title of the model.

explain the important features of the model.

identify the kind of area where these can be found/constructed.

Time Required: Two weeks to prepare, One period for presentation.


Procedure:
1.

The teacher may divide the class into groups of 5-6 with a student leader for each group.

2.

Topics may be allotted by picking slips.

3.

The leader may distribute the work in the groups.

4.

The students use any material of their choice, i.e., clay, plaster of paris, thermocol,
cardboard, etc.

5.

The students use suitable colours/blue wool for river to decorate their model.

6.

Once ready, each group makes a presentation to the class.

7.

The students may display it on a Parent - Teacher meeting.

8.

The students should be encouraged to work on the project in the school.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Peer Assessment

Explanation

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Formative Assessment
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Material used

Creativity

Neatness

Follow up: If possible, a field trip can be organised to see River/Dam/Gorge/Lake.

Activity 4: Identification of River Patterns


Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

get familiar with the various drainage pattern.

identify the drainage pattern based on the terrain (Teacher should explain the different
drainage patterns).

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
1.

This activity may be undertaken after the lesson is taught.

2.

Teacher make use of the atlas or topographic sheets, or even search the site
www.googleearth.com, to do this activity.

3.

The class is divided into small groups.

4.

Each group is guided to identify the rivers and the drainage pattern formed by it.

5.

They draw out reason for such a pattern.

6.

They also identify other bold relief features in the adjacent areas.

If the students find it difficult teacher should re-visit the earlier taught concepts and should guide them
to go further.
Assessment Criteria:
G

Identification

Correctness

Naming of the relief feature

Follow up: The students can be asked to find out about the drainage system of their locality.

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Activity 5: Power Point Presentation


Topic: Rivers and Lakes of India.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

identify the main features of the river/lake.

locate rivers /lakes on the map of India.

explain the role of the river/lake in the economy.

distinguish between perennial and seasonal rivers.

differentiate between fresh water, lakes, man-made and salt water lakes.

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
1.

The teacher divides the class into groups of 5-6 students and a group leader for each group
will be selected.

2.

The teacher may select the topics, i.e., Indus River system, Ganga River system,
Brahmaputra River system, differences between Himalayan and Peninsula Rivers,
Peninsula Rivers, lakes , Role of rivers in the economy, River Pollution.

3.

The leader divides the work among the members of the group and then compile it.

4.

Each student in each group speaks with the help of the PPT, on the part he/she has made.

5.

The audience ask questions at the end of each group presentation.

6.

The teacher may modify the time according to the requirement of the class.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Presentation

Research

Explanation

Speaking skills

Cross questioning

Follow up: The students to learn the names of rivers, lakes in their state.

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Chapter

Climate

This chapter develops the concept of different climatic controls that guide the climate of India. A clear
idea about the latitudinal, altitudinal position and the effect of pressure, winds and needs of the
continent to be understood. The changing pattern of the monsoon and the impact of El Nino needs to be
followed. Monsoon climate is of primary importance and its characteristics need to be understood.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

understand climate influences human activity: movement, food, dress and shelter.

significance and causal relationship in different areas.

understand the climate variations in different parts of India.

discover the reasons for such variance.

After teaching the chapters, questions may be asked to test the learning of the students.
I.

Multiple Choice Questions :


1.

The arrival of the monsoon is influenced by:


(i)

low pressure in the Indian Ocean.

(ii)

presence of tropical easterly jet stream in the peninsular India.

(iii) presence of El Nino in the Western Pacific ocean.


(iv) shifting of the ITCZ to the south of India.
2.

Which one of the following is characteristic of the monsoon winds?


(i)

They are seasonal winds.

(ii)

They are hot winds.

(iii) They are flow in North India only.


(iv) They cause 50 cm of rainfall in western India.
3.

The winter rainfall in western India is advantageous because they:


(i)

bring heavy showers.

(ii)

help the rabi crops to mature.

(iii) bring relief after a long dry spell.


(iv) help in irrigation of kharif crops.

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4.

Pune receives less rainfall than Mumbai though they lie close to each other because (i)

Pune is close to deserts in the west of India.

(ii)

Pune does not lie in the path of the monsoon winds.

(iii) The winds do not carry moisture.


(iv) Pune lies on the leeward side of Western Ghats, which is a rain shadow area.
II.

Map Questions:
On the outline map of India -

III.

IV.

a.

With the help of arrow show the direction of monsoon winds in July.

b.

A low pressure region in summer.

c.

Shade a region receiving annual rainfall 100cm-200 cms.

d.

Shade a region receiving annual rainfall 0-20 cms.

e.

Shade a region receiving winter rainfall.

Short Answer Questions:


1.

Explain the role of jet stream in modifying Indian climate.

2.

'Monsoon is known for uncertainties'. Support this statement with suitable arguments.

3.

Which jet stream flows over peninsular India in the Summer months?

4.

Explain 'break' and 'burst' of monsoon.

5.

What is 'October Heat'?

Long Answer Questions :


1.

Why does Simla have cool summers, while Delhi has hot summers?

2.

Why does Mumbai have pleasant winters while Nagpur lying in Central India has very
cold winters?

3.

Discuss the role of El Nino in weakening the Monsoon.

4.

Mention the characteristics of monsoon mechanism in India.

5.

Explain how the monsoon develops a unifying bond in India.

6.

India has characteristics both of tropical and temperate types of climate. Analyse.

Suggested Activities: The following are some suggested activities which teacher may use.

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Activity 1: Recording in a Weather Chart and Analyzing the Reasons


with a Graph
Learning Outcomes: The student will be able to
G

understand how temperature or rainfall is recorded and plotted.

derive the reasons for variance.

test the conceptual skills.

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
1.

Students are instructed to record the maximum and minimum temperature and rainfall of
their own city from the daily newspapers or internet.

2.

They plot the value on a graph paper and show the rise or fall in temperature or the rainfall
recorded during the rainy season.

3.

The teacher helps them to find the reason for the increase and decrease of temperature.
Weather Chart

Period Place - New Delhi


Dates

Maximum Temperature

Minimum Temperature

Rainfall

The teacher may assist them to plot the temperature or rainfall on a graph.
If the concept is not clear the teacher may again explain the factors influencing climate, with the help of
a location map.
Assessment Criteria:
G

Recording the temperature and rainfall data neatly in a table.

Plotting on a graph paper.

Finding reason for any anomalies. Reason must be from an authentic source.

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Follow up: The teacher should encourage the students to read the weather report daily and also read it
aloud in class.

Activity 2 : Picture Analysis and Finding Relationships with Human Activity


Learning Outcomes : The students will be able to
G

understand, the relationship between climate and pattern of livelihood.

source-www.flickr.com

source-karbianglong.gov.in

source-assamagribusiness.nic.in

source-www.onlytravelguide.com

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
1.

A picture with flat roofs in the desert and livestock rearing will be shown to the students,
e.g., Rajasthan photo.

2.

A picture of farmer with a hat on his head and heavy downpour, a house with slanting roof
of Assam will be shown.

3.

The students study the pictures.

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4.

Based on the pictures, the following questions can be asked2

Which areas are shown in the pictures?

Locate the two areas on the map.

What can you guess about rainfall from the slanting and flat roofs?

Does the climate influence the choice of human activity?

Differentiate the factors influencing the climate of the two places.

The students will explain how heavy rainfall is connected to farming activity and low rainfall to
grazing.
Assessment Criteria:
G

Marking the right location

Analysis

Appropriate response for the questions

Understanding

Correlating

Follow up: The teacher correlates this activity with recapitulation of the section 2, of History.

Activity 3: Study of Weather Conditions of Your Area


Learning Outcome: The students will be able to
G

understand and identify natural weather conditions in their own region.

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
1.

The students find out the following information from the meteorological department or
local Block Development office (i)

Summer and winter temperatures.

(ii)

Characteristics of the wind-direction and speed.

(iii) Type of precipitation.


(iv) Amount of precipitation.
(v)

Length of day and night.

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(vi) Any special weather phenomenon.


2.

The students analyse the data collected, and prepare a chart depicting weather conditions
of their area.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Correctness of information

Clarity of concept of weather elements

Presentation

Follow up: A visit to the meteorological department or local Block Development office to be organised
for the students.

Activity 4: Complete the Map


Topic: Climate of India.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

identify the climatic features of India.

locate the areas of less, moderate and heavy rainfall.

define five new terms, e.g., jet stream, western disturbances, advancing and retreating
monsoons, burst of monsoon, breaks in rainfall.

identify the direction of winds that bring monsoons to India.

explain what has been located.

Time Required: One hour


Procedure:
1.

The teacher instructs students to prepare two questions each after reading the lesson.

2.

The teacher sub-divides the topic according to groups/rows.

3.

The teacher hangs a class in the class/board.

4.

Each student will come up to the blank map and fill in the answer to the question posed to
her by another student and also explain it.

5.

This will continue till all students are covered.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Framing of questions

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Locational skill

Explanation

Follow up: Enough practice on map work should be done in the class.

Activity 5: Research (Group Activity)


Topic: India : Climatic Controls, (Latitude, Altitude, Pressure and Winds, Distance from Sea, Ocean
Currents, Jet streams, Monsoons, Atmospheric Conditions)
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

explore the internet/library for more details on the given topic.

explain how these controls affect the climate of a place.

relate the food habits, clothing, houses, festivals that revolve around the climate of a place.

examine the distribution of rainfall with the help of a map.

Time Required: One period (One week for preparation)


Procedure:
1.

The teacher may divide the class into groups of 5-6 students with a group leader in each.

2.

The leader may sub-divide the topic among the members of the group.

3.

The teacher may let the leader pick a chit on which the topic is written.

4.

The group may make diagrams/ maps to explain the topic.

5.

The teacher may modify the time according to the requirement of the class.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Peer Assessment

Diagram/map

Content

Research

Explanation

Follow up: The students can correlate the climatic control with their own village/town/city.

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Chapter

Natural Vegetation and Wildlife


It is important for students to understand the relationship between climate and the growth of natural
vegetation, significance of natural vegetation for human existence in the environment and how would
life be without the natural vegetation.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

understand that presence of wildlife and biodiversity together allow a balance in the
ecosystem

understand its importance to maintain the trophic level in the food pyramid - role in the
environment.

After the teaching of this chapter the following questions may be asked to assess the learning ability of
the students.
I.

Multiple choice questions:


1.

Virgin vegetation is different from the vegetation we find in the school campus because (i)

There are more number of plants and trees in the virgin vegetation areas.

(ii)

This virgin vegetation contains those plants which are indigenous or endemic and
have grown on their own and not planted.

(iii) Virgin vegetation areas are not entered by human beings.


(iv) Virgin vegetation areas are homes of animals.
2.

Western slopes of Western Ghats have Tropical evergreen forests while the eastern slopes
have scrub vegetation due to (i)

Over grazing

(ii)

Deforestation

(iii) Very heavy rainfall on the windward side compared to the rain shadow area on the
eastern slope.
(iv) Western slopes have reserved forests and national parks while the eastern slopes
have mining and agriculture.
3.

One of the chief characteristics of Mangrove forests is (i)

they have stilt roots and the roots are submerged in saline/sea water.

(ii)

they have numerous branching.

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(iii) trees are short and shed their leaves in dry season.
(iv) trees bear thorns and needle-shaped leaves.
4.

Which one of the following is true of the Montane vegetation?


(i)

They have graded variety of vegetation at each level.

(ii)

It is a type of grass.

(iii) It is found in northern plains in India.


(iv) The vegetation has uniform tree growth.
II.

Short Answer Questions :


1.

Explain how altitude influences the type of vegetation in the Himalayas.

2.

Which areas of the mountains are used by the Gujjars and Bakarwals? Why do they choose
to live in those areas?

3.

Why are wetlands important and need to be saved?

4.

Why are one horned rhinos found in Assam and West Bengal?

5.

What is the need for developing Biosphere Reserve? Name a biosphere in South India.

6.

State the differences between Tropical evergreen and Tropical deciduous forests.

7.

What kind of adaptations are found in Thorn and Scrub vegetation to withstand the
extreme climate in the desert?

8.

"In Mountainous areas there is a succession of natural vegetation belts from the tropical to
the tundra region." Explain this statement with suitable examples from India.

9.

How are the mangrove different from other types of vegetation? Gather more information
about their germination and adaptation in both saline and fresh water. Also collect pictures
related to it.

10.

Locate the following wildlife sanctuaries on the political map of India.


G

Dachigam

Rajaji

Sariska

Periyar

Manas

Gorumara

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Suggested Activities: The following are some suggested activities for formative assessment.

Activity 1: A Presentation on the Regional Study of Forest, Wildlife


and Climate Relationship
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

understand the correlation between climate and vegetation.

understand how change in climate or environment is affecting natural existence of wildlife.

Time Required: One week


Procedure:
1.

Students are divided in groups of five each.

2.

Each group is allotted a particular region of India - Kerala, Manipur, Assam, Jodhpur,
Sunderbans, Rann of Kutch.

3.

After assigning different regions of India to each group the following questions are given
for research and findings:

4.

Which topography is found here? Plain/plateau/mountain/ desert.

How much is the rainfall?

How are the summers and winters?

What are the characteristics of the vegetation?

Name of the different plant species.

What are the uses of plant species?

Which animals are present?

Describe their habitat.

Is any animal endangered?

Why?

Suggested Solutions.

The students who are probing in nature should find out information on climate, vegetation
and wildlife. Those who have a flair for writing they do the writing on the poster. The ones
good at drawing can do the map work or show the characteristics of the vegetation, draw
kind of leaves, height of trees, kind of roots, e.g., breathing roots in case of mangrove
vegetation. The one who is a smart speaker assimilates the points and speaks about the

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poster display, they have made on correlation of climate, vegetation and wildlife. Thus all
children with diverse talents get an exposure and are rightly judged for their talent.
5.

The teacher can ask every group to have equal distribution of artists, speakers, researchers
and one with good writing skill.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Identifying correct relation between climate and vegetation.

Findings of plant and animal species.

Setting correct correlation between human interference and animal extinction.

Activity 2: Street Play / Story Telling


Topic: Presentation of Wetland and Forests.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

understand the importance of the natural habitat and the living organism.

understand the harmful impact of human interference.

Procedure:
1.

The teacher will divide the class in groups of four each.

2.

The students will be asked to:

3.

develop a street play to sensitize people on preserving wetlands and forests - often
rendered wastelands.

develop different roles of animals, birds, human beings and express their problems
through their roles.

Finally a positive message - about environment conservation must come out.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Message conveyed

Theme

Expressive roles in the play

Follow up: The street plays should be performed in various places in the locality to sensitise the local
population.

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Activity 3 : Prepare a Quiz on Migratory Birds Visiting our Country, with the
help of Pictures from Internet.

Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to


G

identify the birds which visit our country.

understand the reasons for their migration.

Time Required: Two days for collecting information, One Period for conducting the Quiz.
Procedure:
1.

Divide the class into 4 groups.

2.

Each group prepares a quiz using pictures.

3.

The teacher asks all the children to collect pictures and identify their names and features.

4.

She shows all the pictures collected by children or herself.

5.

Conduct a quiz by mixing up all the four quizzes prepared by the children.

6.

Error may be corrected by the teacher.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Correct information

Participation

Follow up: An album of variety of birds, species should be made and kept in the library.

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Activity 4 : Identify the Common Birds


There's a little bird

The sun shining through

Somebody sent down to Earth

She flies so high up in the sky

To live on the wind

Way out of reach of human eyes

Blowing on the wind

Light and fragile

And she sleeps on the wind

She's feathered sky blue

This little bird, somebody sent

Thin and graceful

Light and fragile

The sun shining through

And feathered sky blue

And the only time that she touches ground

Thin and graceful

Is when that little bird, little bird

The sun shining through

Is when that little bird, little bird

She flies so high up in the sky

Is when that little bird, little bird

Way out of reach of human eyes

Is when that little bird dies

Light and fragile

Lyrics : Jewel

And feathered sky blue

http://www.lyricsfreak.com/j/jewel/lit
tle+bird+song2007/360.html

Thin and graceful

Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to


G

identify the common birds in their locality.

Procedure:
1.

Students collect information on the sparrows about.


2

Their habitat

Their food

Their breeding season

Weather conditions

Reason for dwindling number

2.

The students make a PPT to present their findings.

3.

The students also suggest ways to preserve the sparrow.

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Assessment Criteria:
G

Information gathered

Presentation

Preparation

Follow up: The students should learn to recite the poem with the help of English teacher. Any Hindi
poem about sparrow can also be used.

Activity 5: Survey
Topic: Knowledge of Plant Species/Planting Trees
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

explore the school premises/neighborhood for various kinds of plant species.

make a list of five different kinds of plants.

find out about their importance and value to mankind.

make a short paper presentation on any one plant species with its special features.

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
1.

The teacher may divide the class in pairs.

2.

The students may survey the school surroundings/neighborhood and find out the names
of five plants.

3.

Each pair may select one plant and find out the details. They may also draw/take a print
out of that plant.

4.

Students discuss their work/finding in pairs.

5.

Five minutes to be given to each pair for their presentation. Other students may seek
clarification or prose questions to the speakers.

6.

The teacher may modify the time and marks according to the requirement of the class.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Presentation

Research

Discussion

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Cross-Questioning

Initiative

Follow up: The teacher can ask the students to prepare name plates for the trees in their
neighbourhood and fix. those on the trees.

Activity 6: Word Search


Topic: Wildlife
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

locate the ten national parks and sanctuaries on the map.

identify the states in which they are located.

think and search for the words that are hidden.

explain the main objectives of these reserves.

develop a concern for the need for conservation.

co-relate the climate, vegetation and wildlife on which they are inter-dependent.

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
1.

The teacher dictates the ten hidden words in the word search, i.e., Corbett, Gir, Kanha Kisli,
Dudwa, Sariska, Kaziranga, Periyar, Ranthambhor, Bharatpur, Ranganathitto. Teacher to
distribute one map to each child.

2.

The students study the map on page 49 of their Geography textbook, to locate them.

3.

The students find the answers horizontally, vertically and diagonally.

4.

The students locate the states as well.

5.

The students paste a picture of any one national park/sanctuary in the appropriate
location.

6.

The teacher may modify the time and marks, according to the requirement of the class.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Map skills

Thinking skills

Location Accuracy

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Picture Pasting

Explanation

Follow up: The teacher encourages students to find information about these wildlife National Parks/
Sancturies.

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Chapter

Population

People of a country make a country developed or underdeveloped. People become a resource as well
as a burden, depending upon how far they are qualitatively groomed. For a country like India, with its
teeming millions, it is imperative to know about the various aspects of its population such as its
growth, distribution, female-male ratio, density, the educational attainment, occupational structure,
etc.
Learning Outcomes: After studying the chapter, the students will be able to
G

understand the size and distribution of population.

reason out the variation in population distribution.

analyse the population growth over different points of time.

understand the processes involved in population change.

understand the population composition based on age, sex, occupational structure, literacy,
etc.

rethink about the problems faced by the adolescents.

Through this lesson teacher highlights both positive as well as negative aspects of the population.
Questions can be asked to recapitulate the topics such as population density, distribution, growth of
population, processes of population change, sex ratio, age-structure and occupational structure.
1.

Why is the population density higher in the Northern plains and Kerala?

2.

Which are the three main processes responsible for a change in population?

3.

Why is it necessary to know about the population of any country?

4.

Give reasons for the shift in the occupational structure from primary to secondary and tertiary
sectors.

Thought provoking questions 1.

Why is it necessary to know about the age-composition of a country?

2.

What are the implications of the present age-structure of our country?

3.

Give reasons for the shift in the occupational structure from primary to secondary and tertiary
sectors. What are its consequences?

Suggested Activities: The following are the activities that can be taken up in the class.

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Activity 1: Bulletin Board Display


Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

understand the concepts such as sex ratio, occupational structure, literacy rate, agestructure, etc.

make a comparison of the number of boys and girls.

understand the different occupational structures and the standard of living of the people.

represent collected data using diagrams.

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
1.

The students are divided into small groups and directed to collect information related to:
(i)

Sex ratio.

(ii)

Age groups.

(iii) Total no. of students in each class/section.


(iv) Educational background of their parents.
(v)

Occupation of the parents of different sections of classes II and III.

2.

After the collection of data, students may be directed to calculate the number of boys and
girls in different sections of particular classes to present it diagrammatically using a bar
diagram.

3.

Similarly, all other aspects of population may be represented through diagrams and
displayed on Bulletin Boards for comparisons.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Genuineness of the work

Correct classification and tabulation

Representation through diagrams

Analysis

Follow up: This topic can be correlated with 'gender sensitization', after discussing the sex ratio.

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Activity 2: Prepare a Television Jingle


Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

understand social issues.

analyse the consequences of various aspects of the population growth in India.

Time Required: One period for presentation, one period for discussion
The teacher selects any such topic, and students are given the topic a week in advance for preparing a
Jingle.
Procedures:
1.

The class may be divided into small groups.

2.

Teacher initiates the proceeding by introducing the topic, for example, 'Girl Child needs to
be protected'.

3.

Teacher speaks about the sex ratio and the growing imbalances of the sex ratio and will
raise a question:' Is it necessary to protect the girl child'?

4.

The question is passed to different groups. Based on the arguments placed further
questions can be created and an atmosphere for further thinking will be created.

5.

This will definitely give an opportunity for the learner to associate various aspects of the
growing imbalance in sex ratio and the need to balance it.

6.

The students will be asked to prepare a jingle for television/radio on the issue.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Participation

Clarity of the concept

Co-operative spirit

Confidence

Creativity

Follow up: The best may be published in school magazine or recorded to be played on annual day.

Activity 3: Interpretation of Graph


Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

make an analysis of the rate at which the population is multiplying.

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understand the variation in annual growth rate.

reason out the increasing population even with a declining annual growth rate.

interpret diagrams.
2.5

12

8
1.5
6
1

Annual Growth Rate %

Population in Millions

10

0.5

Total Pupulation

0
1951

1961

1971

1981

1991

Annual Growth

2001

Year

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
Graph shown is given to the class for interpretation. The students are asked to study the graph and
solve the following questions based on it.
(i)

How much is the total population of India according to the 2001 census?

(ii)

Identify the decade registering the highest population growth rate.

(iii) What is the relationship between the total population and annual growth of population
during the decade 1991-2001? Also give reason for this pattern.
Assessment Criteria:
G

Correct Response

Understanding of the concept

Follow up: The teachers may be required to help students on making and interpreting graphs.

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Activity 4: Preparation of Questionnaire for Interview


Topic: Interview : The RWA head of your locality / A member of the Panchayat.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

identify the male/female number in the population of that area.

list the variety of occupations people have in that area.

examine the number of literate people of that area.

Time Required: Two periods


Procedure:
1.

The teacher divides the class according to where the students live. They should be close to
each other.

2.

The students seek an appointment with the RWA head of the locality/a member of the
Panchayat.

3.

The students prepare a questionnaire with the help of the teacher.

4.

The students base the interview on the population with details on male/female,
occupation, age, literate/illiterate, health.

5.

The students write a report followed by a discussion on their findings in class.

6.

The teacher may modify the time and marks according to the requirement of the class.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Quality of questions frammed

Interview skills

Discussion

Initiative

Follow up: A similar activity can be conducted for the class and named SWA (Student Welfare
Association).

Activity 5: Group Discussion


Topic: Social Issues related to Population, e.g., Girl Child, Youth, Poverty, Unemployment, etc.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to

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identify five important issues prevalent in society.

discuss the topic and find solutions.

explain the present scenario in the country.

recall the role of the government on the subject.

form his/her own opinions.

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
1.

The teacher divides the class into two groups.

2.

The students takes the initiative to decide their own topic on a social issue.

3.

One week time for preparation to be given.

4.

The teacher guides the students to watch the TV/read the newspaper/internet.

5.

The group conversation could be on two different days for the two groups.

6.

The teacher may modify the time according to the requirement of the class.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Correct Response

Research

Oral Skills

Self Opinion

Comprehension

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POLITICAL SCIENCE

Unit

DEMOCRATIC POLITICS - I

Chapter

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

Democracy in the Contemporary World


In this chapter the idea of democracy and the key role of democratic government and its procedures are
introduced to the students. It is highlighted that democratic governments are better than nondemocratic governments.
Learning Outcomes: By going through this unit, the students will be able to
G

develop conceptual skills of defining democracy.

develop a sophisticated defence of democracy against common prejudices.

appreciate democratic practices and strive to preserve and maintain democracy in all
countries.

compare democracy with non- democratic governments.

The teacher may ask the following questions to introduce the lesson (the teacher may also frame some
other questions) :
1.

What is Democracy?

2.

What are the features of a Democratic Government?

3.

Why is a Democratic Government better than a Dictatorial Government?

Most students may be able to answer what is Democratic Government and its features as they have
studied about it in the previous class.
Suggested Activities: The Teachers may frame their own activities or take up the following questions
in class.

Activity 1: Presentation
Topic: Forms of Government
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

develop an understanding of democratic and nondemocratic regime.

understand the distinguishing features of both types of governments.

Time Required: Two days


Procedure:
1.

The students are instructed to find out about:


(i)

countries having democratic and non-democratic governments besides those


mentioned in the textbook, such as Chile, Poland and Myanmar.

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(ii)

distinguishing features of both forms of governments.

(iii) their experiences with others based on their findings in the class.
2.

A presentation will be prepared in groups to be shown to the class.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Presentation skill - effectiveness

Conceptual knowledge

Originality of thought and presentation

Creativity

Reasons to support conclusions

Follow up: The teacher may use the best presentation to recapitulate.

Activity 2: Picture Interpretation


Topic: Contribution of the leader shown in picture.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

enhance the understanding and interpretation of the concept of Democracy.

source: www.toonpool.com

understand that struggle for democracy is not easy.

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appreciate the sacrifices of the leaders who have helped them to enjoy the democratic
rights.

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
1.

The teacher uses either flash cards, poster, printouts, etc.

2.

The teacher may ask the following questions based on the picture 2

Who is the person behind bars?

Why was she under arrest?

Narrate any one incident related to her struggle.

Write a short note on the life and contribution of the person.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Identification of the issue

Identification of the person in the picture

Factual and correct information about the person and his/her contribution

Writing skills

Follow up: The students may collect information about other such leaders of the world.

Activity 4: Debate
Suggested Topics:
1.

Does UN appear to be a democratic organ?

2.

Democracy is the best form of government.

3.

Democracy is the form of government, allows us to choose our rulers.

4.

Democracy becomes real only with participation and not merely through electing representatives.

Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to


G

understand the issue.

present their views effectively.

understand different aspects of democracy.

Time Required: Two periods

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Procedure:
1.

The class is divided into two groups to speak for the motion and against the motion on the
topic given by the teacher.

2.

Topic for debate to be given in advance.

3.

Each students belonging to both groups shall give his/her inputs to prepare for the debate.

4.

The group leader leads the discussion in the class and debate.

5.

At the end of the debate, the teacher summarizes the significant points given by both the
groups .

Assessment Criteria:
G

Reasons to support his/her points

Effectiveness of presenting the debate

Ability to convince the class

Follow up: Each group may select a topic other than they have spoken on to write a short paragraph
on it.

Activity 5: Create a Venn Diagram


Topic: Comparative study of the two biggest democracies of the world - America and India.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

develop the analytical skills.

differentiate between the American and Indian Democracy.

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
1.

The teacher forms groups of three students each.

2.

Students read about the differences and similarities of the two democracies.

3.

One student is instructed to write how American Democracy is different from Indian
Democracy and the other student will do the vice-versa. The third student will write the
similarities between the two democracies, within the groups.

4.

All the students draw a Venn-diagram on a chart in their respective groups.

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America
(Differences)

India (Differences)

Similarities
5.

These should be displayed on the class board for the students to study each other's work.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Clarity of concepts

No. of differences listed

No. of similarities listed

Neatness and clarity of the diagram

Follow up: The teacher instructs students to write about the Venn diagram in the form of
an essay.

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Chapter

What is Democracy? Why Democracy?


In this chapter, the democratic concepts will be further clarified. The teacher explains the historical
factors which led to the development of democratic institutions and presents a convincing argument in
support of democracy, as opposed to a dictatorial government.
Learning Outcomes: By going through this chapter, the students will be able to
G

develop conceptual skills of defining democracy.

develop a sophisticated defence of democracy against common prejudices.

understand how different historical processes and forces have promoted democracy.

Suggested Activities: A teacher may use different types of activities to reinforce learning. The
following are the activities which a teacher may use or modify and use as per the requirement of the
students.

Activity 1: Worksheet
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

gain awareness about different democratic countries across the world to open avenues for
further enquiries.

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
The students are provided with a worksheet containing questions like these:
1.

What are the various forms of governments?


(i)

(ii)

What type of governments do the following countries have?


(a)

Pakistan

(d)

Zimbabwe

(g)

Chile

(b)

Saudi Arabia

(e)

China

(h)

India

(c)

Mexico

(f)

Poland

Mention any two features of governments in each of these countries.

(iii) List the common features, if any.

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Match the following:


A

i.

Pakistan

(a)

More weightage to indigenous voters.

ii.

China

(b)

Military rulers who got a five year extension as President


through Referendum.

iii.

Mexico

(c)

Women do not have right to vote.

iv.

Saudi Arabia

(d)

Law that limits the right to criticize the president.

v.

Zimbabwe

(e)

School teachers are forced to influence parents to vote to a


certain political party.

vi.

India

(f)

Largest democracy in the world.

vii.

Fiji

(g)

The countries Parliament (National People's Congress)


has nearly 3000 elected members.

2.

The students answer the questions as per their understanding.

3.

The teacher evaluates the worksheet.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Conceptual understanding

Analytical skills

Research work depending upon the questions

Follow up: The teacher may ask the students to assess each others work.

Activity 2: Report on Self Government Body


Time Required: Working of a Democratic Institution.
Task: Visit to nearby, local selfgovernment bodies like the Gram Panchayat, Vidhan Sabha (as per
convenience), Municipality.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

get first hand experience of the working of democratic institutions.

Time Required: One day


Procedure:
(i)

The teacher needs to identify the place - either gram panchyat, panchayat samiti, zilla
parishad, state assembly or Lok Sabha or Municipal committee office.

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(ii)

Organize a visit to the place near their area.

(iii) The students will write a report on the findings based on their observations.
Assessment Criteria:
G

Originality in presentation

Creativity

Ability write a report based on observation and experience

Activity 3: To Develop a Case Study


Topic: The evolution of democratic set up in any one of the following countries: Chile/Poland/
China/Pakistan.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

understand the evolution of Democracy.

analyse how the concept of democracy varies from country to country.

Time Required: One week


Procedure:
1.

The teacher divides the class in four groups.

2.

Each group does a case study on one country based on the following criteria:
2

Past political set up.

Problems faced by the people.

Rights of the people, their struggle towards achieving democracy.

Transitional phase (if any) regarding the form of government.

Present political set up.

Democratic features of the present set up.

3.

Each group explains the evolution of democratic set up in one country to the whole class.

4.

Class discussion follows.

5.

Wherever there are doubts the teacher may intervene.

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Assessment Criteria:
G

Correctness of data

Effectiveness of presentation

Creativity

Originality

Content/knowledge

Follow up: All the case studies may be exhibited on Social Science Day.

Activity 4: Prepare a Charter


Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

understand the problems faced by people in dictatorial countries.

inculcate respect for democratic values.

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
1.

Divide the class into two groups A and B representing dictatorial and democratic
governments.

2.

Let group A nominate their leader and group B to elect their leader.

3.

Both the groups should prepare their own Charter of Rights and Duties of the students.

4.

At the end of the activity, each group will make a presentation in which each student will
tell one merit or demerit of their deliberation. They would collectively discuss , which is the
better form of government.

5.

Teacher will highlight those points which students missed out.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Creativity to prepare a charter

Analytical Skill

Presentation

Follow up: Teacher highlights the points that students may have missed.

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Activity 5: Dialogue Writing


Topic: Different Meanings of Democracy.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

appreciate different point of views on democracy.

understand that democracy is not related to government only.

Time Required: Two periods


Procedure:
1.

Instruct the students to read the chapter with reference to page 36 of NCERT textbook.

2.

Divide students into pairs.

3.

Instruct them to write a dialogue to show that how democracy is not related to the politics
only.

4.

Instruct them to bring out how democracy functions in offices, home, schools, etc.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Clarity of thought

Bring out clearly the different interpretations of Democracy other than political

Follow up: The English Hindi teacher may be requested to correct the language of their dialogues.

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Designing of Democracy in India


In a democracy, the rulers are not free to do what they like. There are certain basic rules that the citizens
and the government have to follow. All these rules are called the Constitution. While highlighting the
importance of the written Constitution, as the supreme law of the land. The powers of the government
and how the government should function are stated in the constitution.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

understand the process of making of the Constitution.

develop respect for the Constitution and appreciation of Constitutional values.

recognize that Constitution is the living document that undergoes changes.

The following questions may be given as assignments to recapitulate learning from lesson.
1.

What are the most significant features of the Constitution of India? Enumerate /highlight 3 main
features.

2.

Explore the constitution drafted by Motilal Nehru in 1928 and adopted at the Karachi session of
the Indian National Congress of 1931.

3.

Fill in the blanks with relevant information.


Our leaders were inspired by the ideals of ____________, the practices of parliamentary
democracy in ____________ and the bill of rights in the ___________, besides the socialist
revolution in _____________.

4.

Match the following to make full sentence:


A

(i)

Elections to the constituent assembly were held in

a.

Dec. 1946

(ii)

The first meeting of the constituent assembly


was held in

b.

July 1946

(iii)

The Constitution of India was adopted on

c.

26th Jan., 1950

(iv)

The Constitution of India came into effect on

d.

26th Nov., 1949

Suggested Activities: The teacher is encouraged to develop her own activities or modify and use the
given activities as per the requirements of the students.

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Activity 1: Skit / Role Play


Topic: Racial Discrimination
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

understand effect of racial discrimination in Africa.

develop sensitivity towards different races.

Procedure:
1.

Show the students a clipping from the movie 'Gandhi' where he was thrown out of the train.

2.

Highlight the purpose of the role play and also co-relate such kind of discrimination based
on caste and religion in India.

3.

Class can be divided into three groups.

4.

One group will write the script for the Role Play, showing any three aspects of racial
discrimination.

5.

Second group should enact it.

6.

Third group will observe the presentation and discuss / suggest ways to eradicate such
happenings of racial discrimination in future.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Effectiveness of the Presentation

Creativity

Correctness of the facts

Proper character dramatization

Follow up: The best skit may be performed on the Gandhi Jayanti celebrations.

Activity 2: Talk Show


Topic: Prepare a Talk Show, to make a comparison between Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi,
based on the following points:
G

Method of struggle.

Life style of both the leaders.

Outcome of the struggle.

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Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to


G

know about the two great personalities and their struggle against apartheid.

enhance their oratorical skills.

Time Required: Two days


Procedure:
1.

Divide all the students in groups of 3 members each, for the talk show.

2.

The students to:


(i)

Collect information from the text book, internet, books written on Mahatma Gandhi
and Nelson Mandela and find out facts about their life style and struggle against
racial discrimination.

(ii)

Prepare a script for the show.

(iii) Make a presentation.


3.

Each group may be given 5 minutes to present the talk show.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Interpretation of fact finding

Correctness of the facts

Creativity

Originality

Follow up: The teacher guides them to frame relevant and appropriate questions and their answer.

Activity 3: Word Search


Learning Outcomes: The students will able to
G

do word search puzzle.

help students to have a better understanding of the concepts.

Time Required: One period


Based on the given clues, find the right words. They may be horizontal, vertical, diagonal, forwards or
backwards

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Clues:
1.

A country which has an elected head of the state and not by heredity.

2.

People have supreme right to make decisions on internal as well as external matters of the
state.

3.

A preliminary version of a legal document.

4.

An introductory statement in a constitution which states the reasons and guiding values of
the constitution.

5.

It means to take oath.

6.

A form of government where people enjoy equal political rights, elect their rulers and hold
them accountable.

7.

Claims of a person over other fellow beings, over the society and over the government
recognized by society and sanctioned by law.

8.

No unreasonable restrictions on the citizens in what they think, how they wish to express
their thoughts.

9.

Ability to dominate others or have an authority to make people obey.

10.

A definite territory having its own population.

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11.

It is based on social and economic equality.

12.

Freedom to religion without offending the followers of other religions.

13.

An organized group of people with common political aspirations with an aim to attain
political power.

Procedure:
1.

A word search puzzle to be given to the students.

2.

Students read the puzzle, some statements/definitions.

3.

Based on the clues, the students find the answers hidden in the puzzle.

4.

Students write the correct answer against each statement.

Assessment Criteria: This activity need not be assessed.

Activity 4 : Designing and Writing the Constitution for the Class


Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

learn the importance of written rules

differentiate between rights and duties

Time Required: Two periods


Procedure:
1.

Divide the class into groups of six students/house-wise.

2.

In one period, discuss the rules, rights and duties for their class and make a list.

3.

In the second period, each group presents their lists.

4.

The teacher instructs the students to vote for the rules/regulations/rights/duties to be put
in written form as constitution for the class.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Contribution of ideas

Balance of rights and duties

Understanding of the concepts

Follow up: The teacher may revisit the chapter for highlighting the main features of the constitution.

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Activity 5: Creating a Musical Composition


Topic: Rap of the Preamble of the Indian Constitution.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

understand the importance of the preamble of the constitution.

learn the preamble of the constitution by heart.

enhance creativity in children.

Time : Two periods (One period each for preparation and one for presentation.)
Procedure:
1.

Divide the class into groups of eight each.

2.

Each student should learn the preamble by heart.

3.

Present the preamble with music/instrument in class.

4.

The best performance should be presented during the school assembly.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Creativity/composition

Whether the preamble has been learnt thoroughly

Follow up: The help of music teacher may be sought for this activity.

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Chapter

Electoral Politics in Democracy


To have a representative government, we need to have regular, periodic elections, held in a free and
fair manner. This chapter explains about the process of elections and the body conducting elections in
India.
Learning Outcomes: After going through this Chapter, the students will be able to
G

introduce the idea of representative democracy via competitive party politics.

get familiarized with the electoral system and reasons for choosing this.

develop an appreciation of citizen's increased participation in electoral politics.

recognize the significance of the Election Commission and its functioning.

Questions such as following can be given to students for recapitulation:


1.

Fill in the blanks by choosing appropriate words from the box:


41,

ticket,

483,

543,

EPIC,

voters list,

reserved,

79

a)

In the Lok Sabha _______ seats are reserved for the scheduled castes and _______ for the
scheduled tribes.

b)

The Electoral roll is commonly known as _______.

c)

For the Lok Sabha elections, the country is divided into _______ constituencies.

d)

A party's nomination is often called party _______.

Say whether the following statements are true or false:


a)

1/3 of the seats are reserved in rural and urban local bodies for women candidates.

b)

Elections are not essential for any representative democracy.

c)

Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections are held regularly after every six years.

Answer the following questions briefly:


a)

What makes an election democratic in India? Give four points.

b)

How does the constitution specify the cultural and educational rights of the minorities?

Read the following passage and answer the questions which follow:
During the 1982 general elections in Haryana, Choudhary Devi lal, then an opposition leader, led
a movement for justice. In the election campaign, Devi Lal said that if his party won the election,
his government would waive off the loans of the farmers and small businessmen. The people

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were unhappy with the existing congress government. So, when election was held, Devi Lal's
party and its allies won 76 out of 90 seats.
Answer the following questions :

5.

a.

Was the commitment of Choudhary Devi Lal to waive the loans of the farmers and small
businessmen a fair election promise? Give your arguments.

b.

Why did Devi Lal names the movement "Movement for justice"?

c.

Devi Lal fulfilled his promise that he made during the election campaign immediately after
the election. Is it power of the democracy or a sign of dictatorship?

Which among the following conditions is not conducive to democratic election in India?
a.

Every one should have one vote.

b.

Every vote should have equal value.

c.

The voters should not be given the freedom to choose the candidates.

d.

All Indians should have the freedom to contest the election.

e.

Political parties should be free to contest election.

f.

Elections should be held strictly in accordance with the rules.

g.

The parties should be allowed to use their own transport to help the voters to reach polling
booth on the election day.

h.

One of the political parties has offered a cycle to every household that commits to vote for
that party.

i.

All the villagers of a locality has provided a public platform and asked all the candidates to
address village people collectively.

6.

Mention any three advantages of having an election photo identity card.

7.

Do you agree that political candidates for different elections should have no definite
qualifications? Justify your answer.

8.

Do you agree with the following statements? Justify your answer.


a)

Many candidates with criminal background are given tickets to contest election.

b)

In spite of losing election, many important party leaders are given a place in the Council of
Ministers.

c)

Many defeated candidates of the ruling party are appointed as governors of different states.

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d)

Even the physically fragile and aged politicians do not make way for the young and
energetic upcoming leaders.

e)

In reality, most of the political parties are not in favour of reservation of seats for women.

Suggested Activities: The encourage active participation of the students and to reinforce learning, the
activities need to be developed carefully. The teacher may choose from the following activities.

Activity 1: Election of the Class Monitor


Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

understand the election process in a democratic set up.

appreciate the electoral system in India.

develop an appreciation of students increased participation in the election of the class


monitor.

recognize the significance of the Election Commission.

Time Required: One period (one week for preparation)


Procedure:
1.

The teacher selects one student to be the Chief Election Commissioner.

2.

Ballot papers are prepared by students.

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3.

Two students to be made Returning Officers.

4.

Two students to be Officers on election duty.

Activity:
G

The election process can start, one week in advance.

Nomination papers to be filed for 2 candidates.

Students can campaign for them.

On election day, votes will be cast.

Counting to be done by the students.

Results to be declared by CEC.

The procedure followed should be same as Lok Sabha elections.

Arrange the election process in a chronological order 2

Data for scrutiny

Election day

Date for withdrawal

Filing the nomination papers

Campaigning

Campaigning to stop

Announcement of result

Oath taking

Assessment Criteria: It is a learning activity mixed with fun, which need not be graded.
Follow up:
G

The teacher from other disciplines preferably PGT Political Science may act as the
Observer.

The computer teacher may be requested to help to conduct computersied elections.

Activity 2: Paper Presentation


Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

understand the concept of electoral system, processes, electoral participation.

understand its importance in a democratic country.

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Time Required: Two periods


Procedure:
1.

The teacher give the topics for paper presentations related to the chapter, for exampleSecret ballot should be replaced by open ballot.

2.

The teacher writes the topic on three slips of paper.

3.

Each student will pick up a slip and take up the topic for presentation.

4.

Students will be given one week to prepare.

5.

Each students will be given 2 minutes for presentation.

Assessment Criteria:
The teacher should assess the students on the following parameters G

Factual accuracy.

Clarity of concepts.

Effective utilization of time to bring out the main points of the topic.

Follow up: Those who do not participate actively should be encouraged to speak.

Activity 3: Debate
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

enhance analytical skills.

enhance understanding of the concept.

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
1.

Divide the class in groups of four each.

2.

Teacher gives either of the topics - "Is it good to have political competition" or 'Minimum
educational qualifications should be mandatory for contesting elections ".

3.

One group should speak for and one group should speak against the motion.

4.

Two students should be selected for rebuttals on each side.

5.

The teacher can elaborate the relevant or convincing points which the students came up
with. Teacher may elaborate and clarify points at the end.

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Assessment Criteria:
G

Content knowledge

Relevant points

Creative Presentation

Good questions for rebuttals

Convincing arguments

Follow up: The students who are shy may be encouraged to prepare the interjections.

Activity 4: Poster Making


Topic: Model code of conduct for candidates/political parties for election campaign and/or Party
Manifesto.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

recognize the model code of conduct for the candidates of political parties in India.

recognize the significance of the Election Commission.

learn about the manifesto.

Time Required: Two periods


Procedure:
1.

Students are divided into four groups.

2.

Two groups make posters on suggested topic. One on code of conduct and the other on
Manifesto.

3.

The students may refer to internet / books / newspaper for the information.

4.

The students display their posters together.

5.

Four presentations of posters are made representing 4 parties.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Content

Appropriateness of the content

Effectiveness of presentation

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Relevance of data

Reasons to support conclusions

Follow up: The best posters should be displayed in the school corridors.

Activity 5: Symposium
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

get familiarized with the party system - one party (advantages and disadvantages).

develop an appreciation for two party or a multi-party system.

appreciate our national goals and ideals - secularism, socialism, democracy.

Time Required: Two periods


Procedure:
1.

Class is divided into groups of 8-10 students depending upon class strength.

2.

Students choose either of the two topics 2

Merit and demerits of one party system.

Advantages and disadvantages of multi-party system.

3.

Topic has to be given a week in advance.

4.

Each student in the group must give relevant inputs for the discussion.

5.

Each group should write on secularism, socialism and democracy.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Effectiveness of presentation

Reasons to support conclusions

Content/Knowledge (exhaustive)

Relevance of data/information

Follow up: The teacher instructs the students to distinguish between secularism, socialism and
democracy by writing on it.

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Chapter

Institutions of Parliamentary Democracy


This chapter deals with the working of the government institutes like the centre, state and local bodies.
The composition, term and powers and functions of these local bodies are also discussed in this
chapter.
Learning Outcomes: By going through this chapter, the students will be able to
G

provide an overview of central government structures.

get sensitized to the key role of the parliament and its procedures.

distinguish between nominal and real executive authorities and functions.

understand the parliamentary system of executive's accountability to the legislature.

Suggested Activities : The teacher may use the following activities or may prepare her own.

Activity 1: Classification Game


Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

understand powers and functions of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

Procedure:
1.

Divide the class into two groups: Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha.

2.

Students collect information on the Lok Sabha/ Rajya Sabha and write it on slips.

3.

The teacher jumbles up the information and reads them to the class.

4.

The students put them separately under appropriate headings.

5.

Discuss them at the end, after the completion of the table.

6.

Two students from each group to summarize the powers and functions of Lok Sabha and
Rajya Sabha separately.

Read the following statements and place them under the proper headings of LOK SABHA and RAJYA
SABHA.
Lok Sabha

(i)

Rajya Sabha

Known as "Council of States".

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(ii)

Enjoys more powers in money matters.

(iii) Known as the 'lower house'.


(iv) Can remove the council of ministers.
(v)

Exercises real power on behalf of the people.

(vi) Looks after the interests of various states.


(vii) It is a permanent house.
(viii) No money bill can be introduced.
Assessment Criteria: Ability to recognize the powers and functions of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

Activity 2: Crossword Puzzle


Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

learn about the working of the institutions.

know the composition and terms.

list the power and functions of local bodies.

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
1.

The teacher takes printouts/photocopies of the crossword.

2.

The teacher distributes these copies to students.

3.

Students check each others work (peer correction) while the teacher gives out the answers.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Correct Responses

Peer Assessment

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CORSS WORD GRID


4

6
7

10
2

Complete the crossword with the help of the following guidelines:


Across:
2.

They make it difficult to have a good decision taken very quickly or rush through a bad decision. (12)

4.

It has some special powers over the states. (10)

5.

It consists of the functionaries who take day to day decisions. (9)

7.

It is the inner ring of the Council of Ministers. (7)

9.

The head of the state exercises this kind of powers. (7)

Down:
1.

It is responsible for ensuring security to the citizens and providing facilities. (10)

3.

It exercises political authority on behalf of the people. (10)

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6.

He/she is more educated and is an advisor to the Minister. (12)

8.

The Prime Minister of this type of government cannot take decisions as he/she likes. (9)

10.

It is an independent, powerful and autonomous body. (9)

Activity 3: BINGO
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

understand the key concept of the topic.

develop high order thinking skills.

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
1.

The teacher gives 'Bingo' sheets to the students containing key words from the chapter.

2.

Teacher reads out definitions/meanings of key words.

3.

Students mark their bingo sheet when they hear the teacher read a definition/meaning
which matches a key word on their sheet.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Correct responses

This is a fun learning activity and may not be graded.

Follow up: The bingo sheets may be pasted with definitions/meaning in notebooks.

Activity 4: Venn Diagram (Concept Leap)


Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

differentiate between the three levels of government institutions.

show their similarities and differences.

understand the working of government bodies at Centre, State and Local levels.

Time Required: Two periods


Procedure:
1.

Give one period to the students to read and make their notes on working of the institutions.

2.

After reading divide them into pairs to share their notes.

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3.

They (as pairs) will list the different and common features of the government institutions at
the centre, state and local levels.
Centre
Local

State

Main Features
Common Features

Main Features

Main Features
Common Features
4.

The students will draw the diagrams.

Assessment:
G

Factual Accuracy

Ability to differentiate

Neatness

Follow up: The teacher may help students to achieve factual accuracy.

Activity 5: Mock Parliament


Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

educate other students about the parliament procedures.

get a brief idea over the question and zero hours in the parliament and other debates held in
the House.

get the knowledge of the questions that are asked in the House.

Time Required: Two periods


Procedure:
1.

Form four teams of the students.

2.

Each team to segregate themselves into two separate teams as ruling and opposition parties
and argue over the burning issues.

3.

Each team had to perform the role of ruling party and also opposition party and conduct the
Parliament session.

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4.

Students to throw questions to 'ministers' on almost all current affairs. The major issues that
can be included "delay and hurdles involved in the appointment of Lokayukta,"
"corruption." "bad condition of roads," etc.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Knowledge and skills regarding Parliament procedures

Communication and Presentation skills.

Debating skills.

Follow up: The students watch a live telecast of a parliament session on T.V.

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Chapter

Citizens Rights in Democracy


This chapter discusses the Rights that make a government democratic, importance of rights in a
democracy, and how these rights put a limit on a democratic government.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

develop awareness about their rights.

appreciate fundamental rights of citizens.

recognise the ways in which these rights are exercised and denied in real life situations.

understand the judicial system and key institutions like the Supreme Court, High Courts
and National Human Rights Commission.

The teacher may use questions such as following to recapitulate topics learnt by students.
1.

2.

3.

Identify the fundamental right to which each of the following statement is associated with:
a.

The constitution made untouchability a punishable offence.

b.

No person can be deprived of his/her life or personal liberty.

c.

Dr. Ambedkar said that this right can be called "The heart and soul of the constitution.

d.

Every religious group or sect is free to manage its own religious affairs.

Correct the following statements and rewrite them.


a.

"Begaar" is a practice where the worker is willing to render service to the 'master' free of
charge.

b.

Freedom is a license to do what one wants.

c.

The citizens of India do not have the freedom to travel to any part of the country.

Fill in the blanks with appropriate words from the box given below:
48, reasonable, court, law, community, traffic, 24, society

4.

a.

The constitution prohibits ________ in human beings.

b.

Rights are ________ claims of persons recognized by ________ and sanctioned by ________.

c.

A person who is arrested and detained shall be produced before the magistrate within a
period of ________ hours of arrest.

Answer the following questions in brief :


a.

"Fundamental rights are not absolute". Justify the statement by giving at least one
limitation of any four fundamental rights.
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b.

Mention any three rights guaranteed by the constitution of South Africa to its citizens.

Suggested Activities: The following are some suggested activities. The teachers may use their
creativity and frame more such activities.

Activity 1: Bulletin Board Display


Topic: Fundamental Rights and their importance
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

gain awareness on fundamental rights and their importance.

explain how rights can be violated and what steps should be taken in such circumstances.

recognize the ways in which these rights are exercised and denied in the real life situations.

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
1.

The teacher explains the factors leading to violation of rights.

2.

Students collect relevant news clippings from newspapers or magazines related to


violation of rights.

3.

They will display these clippings under suitable captions on the bulletin board.

4.

Discussion will follow on remedial measures against violation of rights.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Ability to find facts/information through research.

Correlating the theoretical knowledge with practical situations.

Follow up: The art teacher may help students to display their work aesthetically.

Activity 2: Debate
Topic: Reservation is not a violation of the "Right to Equality"
Leaning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

understand and develop analytical skills.

know about the importance of 'right to equality'.

Time Required: Two periods

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Procedure:
1.

Topic for the debate should be given a week in advance.

2.

The class is divided into two groups to give their arguments in favour and against the topic.

3.

Each student must give his/her inputs to prepare the debate.

4.

Group leaders should lead the debate.

5.

Two students to be selected for rebuttal from each group.

6.

If in the course of debate, the students are not able to come up with relevant points and
convincing arguments, then the teacher highlight the relevant points for the debate.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Presentation skills

Reasons to support the arguments

Ability to convince the class

Logical thinking

Follow up: This topic may be extended and related to gender equity.

Activity 3: Role Play (Street Play)


Topic: Democratic Rights
Leaning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

enhance writing and dramatic skills.

develop analytical skills.

work as a team.

Time Required: One week for preparation


Two periods to perform
Procedure:
1.

Divide the class into groups of six students.

2.

Students discuss what democratic rights are and write the script as a team.

3.

They highlight the rights in a democracy through their play.

4.

On a pre-determind day, each team is given eight minutes each to perform.

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Assessment Criteria:
G

Concept Clarity

Presentation

Confidence

Creativity

Team Co-ordination

Follow up: This activity may be done as inter house competition.

Activity 4: Letter Writing


Topic: Violation of Rights
Leaning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

apply the required knowledge.

analyze and apply problem solving skills.

enhance writing skills.

Time Required: One period


Procedure :
1.

The teacher announces/writes the topic on the board 'Write a letter to the editor of a
newspaper highlighting that the increasing number of beggars is an infringement of their
fundamental right as guaranteed in the constitution will be written on the blackboard.

2.

Students specifically narrate which right/rights are being violated.

3.

Brief discussion may also be initiated before the students start writing.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Content

Application of knowledge

Identification of the correct fundamental rights

Follow up:
G

The language teacher may be consulted for correction of errors in writing.

The best letter may be sent to the Editor of a newspaper for publication.

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Activity 5: Case Study


Topic: Freedom of Expression
Leaning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

comprehend and apply the concept learned.

enhance analytical skills.

understand and grasp the everyday application of the subject through newspapers.

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
1.

Read the newspaper article on the arrest of the cartoonist, Aseem for his seditious
cartoons.
OR
The arrest of the girls who wrote a remark on a social networking site on a current situation.

2.

After reading, instruct the students to individually answer:


2

Was this action of the state government/police correct? Give reasons for your
answer.

Which fundamental right has been denied to the individual?

How would you like to make sure that this fundamental right/rights is not violated in
future? Give your suggestion.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Comprehension of the facts

Correct application of knowledge

Problem solving skills

Follow up: The activities of same nature may be conducted to encourage newspaper reading and
comprehension.
ARTICLES
1.

The Mumbai police produced cartoonist Aseem Trivedi before the Bandra holiday court on
Sunday.
Trivedi was arrested on Saturday on charges of sedition for displaying cartoons during the
Anna Hazare protest in the Bandra-Kurla complex (BKC) in November 2011. The arrest was

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carried out on the basis of a complaint filed by Amit Katarnayea, a legal advisor for a
Mumbai-based NGO.
Katarnayea had approached the BKC police in December 2011 with his complaint against
Trivedi's allegedly derogatory sketches, depicting the National Emblem and the Parliament
in a bad light. The complainant said that the offending cartoons were uploaded on social
networking sites too, thereby hurting the sentiments of the nation.

NATIONAL EMBLEM

WOLFS WITH
THE SIGN OF DANGER

Trivedi himself believes he has done no wrong.


On sunday when the court asked Trivedi if he had sought any counsel to represent him,
Trivedi said, "I do not need any counsel. I do not even remember on which sketches of mine
the police have arrested me. The police have arrested me for expressing my anger against the
government. And if I am an accused by expressing my views, then yes in that case I prefer to
be behind bars than to enjoy my freedom in this way.
The court after hearing the arguments remanded him in police custody till September 16.
Members of India Against Corruption (IAC) claimed that the cases were foisted on Trivedi by
the government, as the government was angry with their anti-corruption crusade.
Mayank Gandhi of the IAC said, "The case has been registered simply because Aseem had
participated in the BKC protest organized by Anna Hazare and had raised his voice against
corruption. So the goverment is trying to scuttle his protest in this manner.
Trivedi was charged with sedition under Section 124 (A) of the Indian Penal Code. The
cartoonist was also charged under the IT Act and the 1971 National Emblem Act.
Trivedi's cartoons reportedly depicted the Parliament as a commode and showed the
National Emblem with wolves instead of lions.
Read more at : //indiatoday.in/story/anti-corruption-cartoonist-aseem-trivedi-arrestedon-sedition-charges/1/216643.html.
2.

Following a furore over the girls' arrest, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan had
promised "strict action" against police personnel, if they were found guilty in the probe.

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So much for freedom of speech : Mumbai girls jailed after a post in a social networking site
about Bal Thackeray which 'hurt religious sentiments'.
By MAIL TODAY REPORTER
PUBLISHED : 22:19 GMT, 19 November 2012 | UPDATED : 09:49 GMT, 20 November 2012

A seemingly harmless post in a social networking site questioning Mumbai shutdown after the
death of Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray has landed two girls in trouble.
The Palghar police in neighbouring Thane on Sunday arrested Shaheen Dhada and her friend
Renu charging them with hurting religious sentiments, apparently under pressure from Shiv
Sainiks.
The Police action has evoked widespread outrage. The girls were also charged under the IT Act.

Markets in Mumbai were closed to morn the death of Shiv Sena Chief Balasaheb. Thackeray in
Karad, Maharashtra
People like Thackeray are born and they die daily, and one should not observe a 'bandh' for
that is what Shaheen Dhada wrote on her Facebook.
Shaheen had reportedly written on her Facebook wall that "People like Thackeray are born and
die daily, and one should not observe a 'bandh' for that".
Renu was arrested for liking the post. The two were on Monday produced before a court which
sentenced them to 14-day judicial custody.
However, they were granted bail soon after furnished personal bonds. While the police were
prompt in arresting the girls, they are still dragging their feet in apprehending the men who
vandalised the hospital owned by Dhada's uncle at Palghar.

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A mob of suspectd Shiv Sainiks had on Sunday vandalised the facility after the girl posted the
comment. Terming the police action against the girls as absurd, Press Council of India chief
Markandey Katju asked Maharastra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan to look into the issue
He also demanded immediate action against the policemen involved, Chavan, on his part, said:
"I have just come to know about the details, I am looking into the matter.
Congress spokesperson Sandeep Dikshit parried questions on the issue, saying government
would respond. "I have no idea. We will find out."he said.
Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy also condemned the arrests demanding that the CM
apologise for reckless disregard of the Constitution and fundamental rights by the state
administration.
The police have now gone on the defensive and said they had no choice after the Sena activists
complained.

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ECONOMICS

Unit

UNDERSTANDING
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

Chapter

The Story of Village Palampore


The class 9 students are being familiarized with Economics as unit IV in the subject of Social Science. In
this introductory chapter simple concepts have been integrated with suggested questions and
activities. You can construct your own questions and activities to make the teaching learning of
Economics for students an enjoyable experience.
Learning Outcomes: After reading through the chapter the students will be able to
G

familiarize themselves with the basic concepts like factors of production, yield, surplus.

classify the main occupations in a village into farm and non-farm activities.

understand the importance of factors of production in producing a commodity.

appreciate the importance of mechanized means of farming in creating surplus produce.

understand the disparity in the existing distribution of agricultural land.

correlate dairy farming, transport services to non- farm activities.

The teacher may use the following suggested questions to recapitulate.


The question numbers 1, 2 and 3 can be used to recall the concepts like physical capital and modern
means of farming.
1.

Identify the following as fixed capital or working capital:


Items of expenditure

Fixed capital

Working capital

a. Bullock cart
b. Tube well
c. Jute fibre to make sacks
d. Electricity to run machines
e. Loan taken to buy a tractor
f.

Cash in hand to purchase seeds

2.

What are the three resources which a modern farmer is likely to use on his farm?

3.

a)

Which area in India first witnessed Green Revolution?

b)

Why was the Green Revolution technology adopted?

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c)

What benefit did the region reap?

d)

What has happened to the same land over a period of time?

The question numbers 4, 5 and 6 can be used to check the understanding of concepts like multiple
cropping, non- farm activities and mechanized means of farming.
4.

How does a landless farmer earn a living from all sources available to him/her in the village?

5.

Why should a farmer adopt multiple cropping?

6.

Why do non-farm activities develop in the village of Palampore? State two examples of non- farm
activities.

Question numbers 7, 8, 9 and 10 are thought provoking. These can be used to judge the ability of
students to correlate, compare and analyze concepts learnt in the chapter.
7.

Suggest 3 ways in which the crop yield from a given piece of land can be improved.

8.

Discuss how the following would be different if land were more equitably distributed:
a)

Employment

b)

Income earned

9.

You want to establish a carpentry shop. What factors of production would you require for this
business and why?

10.

A tea shop owner earns an income of ` 2,500/- in a month. He/she spends ` 1,075/- on regular
expenditures. One month his child falls ill and he/she spends the balance on treating his child.
Explain the impact of this decision on the tea shop owner's earnings in the next month.

Suggested Activities: The following are some suggested activities.

Activity 1: Conduct a Survey and Analyze the Data in Groups


Topic: Disparities in income and standard of living
Learning Objectives: The students will be able to
G

list the economic disparities that exist in the society.

identify the causes for economic disparities.

list the consequences of economic disparities.

collect relevant data.

collate and analyse data collected.

present ideas and content effectively.

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Formative Assessment
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work effectively as a team member.

Time Required: Two days can be given to the groups to collect data, 2 periods to collate the
information in class and make a presentation about their findings.
Procedure:
1.

The class is divided into groups of 6-8 students.

2.

Each group is given a separate topic to collect data on at least 10 individuals.


(As suggested in iii below).

3.

Each group member collects data related to the group topic in the format given below:
S. No.

Income of Individuals

Given topic for data collection

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Suggested topics mode of transport used by people to commute to their place of work,
pocket money given to children, number of times eating out in a week, newspapers and
magazines bought by a family, brand of cooking oil, number of electronic items at home.
4.

Students to collate data in their own group.

5.

Students to analyse data and make notes on:

6.

identification of disparity or similarity, if it exists.

possible causes and consequences of disparity or similarity.

Each group to make a presentation in the class on the data collected and analysed.

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7.

The teacher concludes the activity by explaining the different ways in which disparity can
witnessed in society, their possible causes and consequences.
An example is done to explain the activity. Let the group members collect information on
pocket money received by the children in their locality.
S. No.

Income of Individuals

Pocket Money received by children

` 20,000/- p.m

` 100/- p.m

` 40,000/- p.m

` 250/- p.m

` 50,000/- p.m

` 500/- p.m

4
5
6
7
8
9
10
The students would collate their findings as income increases so does the pocket money
provided to children in a family.
Assessment Criteria: The activity can be marked considering the data collected, analysis and
explanation provided. The participation of all group members should be ensured.
Follow up: The Mathematics teacher may be requested to guide the students on data interpretation.

Activity 2: Talk Show


Topic: Radio channel/TV channel wants to interview different classes of farmers in Palampore to
ascertain their different lifestyles.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

demonstrate the different lifestyles of large, medium, small and landless farmers of
Palampore.

differentiate between the different lifestyles.

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suggest solutions for a more equitable society.

articulate and communicate effectively to the audience.

work effectively as a team member.

Time Required: A two days time can be given to the groups to prepare their talk show. Two periods
time to present the show in class and have a discussion.
Procedure:
1.

Divide the class into 4 groups.

2.

Each group is given one of the following character to enact.


2

landless farmer

small farmer

medium farmer

large farmer

3.

Each group prepares a relevant script.

4.

Each group presents their talk show to the class.

5.

Class to discuss their views, after each presentation.

6.

Teacher summarizes the shows, along with highlighting the fact that these differences in
lifestyles are prevalent all over India.

Assessment Criteria: The activity can be marked considering the relevance of the script. The
difference in standard of living and opportunities available should distinctly be shown in the show.
The participation of all group members should be ensured.
Follow up: For articulation and communication skills the teacher may take help from her/his
colleagues.

Activity 3: Concept Mapping


Topic: Factors of Production.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

identify the four main factors of production.

understand the aim of production.

relate the importance of each factor of production.

list the requirement involved in the production process.


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Formative Assessment
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explain words like physical capital, fixed capital, working capital, human capital.

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
1.

The teacher will explain the idea of concept mapping to students with an example.

2.

The relevant points of the topic may be identified and jotted down in the form of a diagram.

3.

The students may decorate their diagram.

4.

The teacher may modify the time and marks according to the requirement of the class.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Creativity

Concept information

Application skill

Activity 4: Cycle Graph


Topic: The Green Revolution and its effects.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

differentiate between the green revolution method and the traditional agricultural method.

identify the usefulness and advantages of the green revolution method in farming.

point out the amount of increase in production.

tell which states have adopted these methods and whether they have benefitted.

process the defects of the green revolution method.

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
1.

The teacher explains the cycle graphs.

2.

The students note the modern methods used.

3.

The students show how one point is connected to the next like a cycle and
finally the effects/defects.

4.

The students compare the green revolution method with traditional method of farming.

5.

The teacher may modify the time and marks according to the requirement of the class.

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Formative Assessment
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Assessment Criteria:
G

Presentation

Content

Extra information

Activity 5: Visit to a Nearby Village/Farm


Topic: Knowledge of farming activities
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

gain knowledge of farming activities.

observe the methods used in farming.

find out which crops are grown in which season.

identify the conditions necessary for the crops.

differentiate between small and big farmers.

Time Required: A day's outing from school


Procedure:
1.

The teacher organises a day's outing for students to a farm in a nearby village.

2.

The students take their diary to note down their observations on methods and implements
used.

3.

The students identify the crops grown and the conditions necesary for their growth.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Observation

Report content

Experiences

Presentation

Originality

Follow up: The students write their report and experiences in about 200 words.

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2
People as Resource
Chapter

The students are familiar with the concept of Human Resource through their previous classes. A
discussion about the continent of Antarctica which doesn't have this resource and open immigration
policies adopted by the countries like Australia and Canada, can create an interesting beginning to the
chapter.
Learning Outcomes: After reading through the chapter the students will be able to
G

familiarize themselves with the basic concepts like Human capital formation, economic
activities, types of unemployment.

classify the economic activities into market and non- market activities.

understand the importance of health and education in Human capital formation.

understand the difference between Disguised and Seasonal unemployment.

correlate quality of population to literacy rate and life expectancy of population.

identify that disparities exist in our economy. Women are not given equal opportunities.

Question numbers 1 - 4 and 7 can be used to reinforce the main concepts discussed in the chapter.
1.

Why are people considered to be a resource?

2.

Are the following statements True or False? Correct the false statements:
a.

Seasonal unemployment exists only in the rural sector.

b.

Women with high education and skill are paid at par with men.

c.

Economic activities include only market activities.

3.

What is the mid day meal scheme? Explain its purpose.

4.

Distinguish between physical and human capital.

Question Numbers. 5 and 6 are thought provoking questions. Such questions can invite a variety of
answers. The students should be encouraged to think logically.
5.

Answer the questions that follow based on the case study:


Shanker, Gita, Sita, Shyam and Manohar have their own handloom carpet weaving factory in a village.
Each member contributes towards the number of carpets woven in a year. The factory produces 50 carpets
annually. Manohar leaves for the city as he finds a job. The output of carpets woven in the year remains
unchanged despite Manohar's departure and no other changes being made in the factory.

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Formative Assessment
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6.

7.

(a)

Why does the output of carpets remain constant, despite Manohar's departure?

(b)

Is it a waste of human resource to employ more than the required number of people? Justify
your answer.

George works in a small cooler installation shop.


(a)

Identify the nature of his employment.

(b)

Suggest two ways in which George's unemployment can be reduced.

Match the items of column A with suitable choices in column B:


Column A

Column B

a. Non market activities

transport, health, education

b. Literacy rate

average number of years that a person is expected to live

c.

production for self consumption

Tertiary Sector

d. Life expectancy

percentage of people who can read or write

Question numbers 8, 9 and 10 can be used to gauge their higher order thinking skills of the
students. They need to correlate unemployment, literacy rate, IMR with human resource
development and give examples to support their ideas.
8.

What are the objectives of India's National Policy on Health? Suggest two ways in which the
policy objectives can be met.

9.

Explain why infant mortality and literacy rates are considered to be indicators of human resource
development.

10.

Why does unemployment have a detrimental effect on the overall growth of an economy?

Suggested Activities:

Activity 1: Graph Analysis


Topic: Literacy rates in India (Graph Reading).
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

distinguish between different variables shown in the graph.

read the values correctly.

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Formative Assessment
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compare the growth of literacy over a period of time.

identify the source of the data.

mention causes leading to gender disparity in literacy.

compare growth in literacy rates of men and women over time.

identify gender differences in literacy.

Time Required: One Period to understand the graph and answer the worksheet in class is more than
sufficient.
Procedure :
1.

Teacher replicates the graph 2.1 literacy rates in India (Page.21) on a chart
paper/OHP/Transparency/Powerpoint Presentation.

2.

She distributes a structured worksheet to each student.

3.

Each student answers the question in a given time period.

Literacy rates in India


90
82.14

80
75.9

70

65.46
64.1

60

56.4

50

46
40.4

40
30

39.3
29.7

27.2
22

20
10

54.2

15.4
9.1

0
Year 1951

Year 1961

Year 1971

Year 1981

Male

Year 1991

Year 2001

Female

4.

Teacher to assess answers.

5.

A class discussion to be held based on the worksheet.

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Year 2011

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

Suggested Worksheet:
The worksheet should contain questions like:
G

Is there a disparity in the literacy rate among males and females? Suggest one possible
reason for your observation.

Why the literacy rates have improved over the years? Give two reasons.

Assessment Criteria: The activity can be marked on the basis of correct responses. The questions in the
worksheet should be True- False, fill in the blanks, MCQs.

Activity 2: Debate
Topic: "Education is the most important factor in human resource development".
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

distinguish between different variables that contribute towards human resource


development.

develop their arguments in a comprehensive way.

articulate ideas succinctly.

justify their arguments through adequate use of examples.

appreciate the views and perspectives of classmates.

conclude the debate logically.

conduct themselves with poise.

Time Required: The teacher explains the topic. Discuss its pros and cons, and give 30 minutes to each
group to prepare for the debate. The debate itself may take 30 minutes. The activity in all can wind up in
an hour. The teacher may split the activity over two days.
Procedure:
1.

The class is divided into 6 groups, where time and topic are given.

2.

Each group discusses and prepares for the debate for and against the motion.

3.

Two volunteers per group shall represent the group.

4.

A speaker shall be permitted two rebuttals .

5.

Teacher to facilitate the debate and close the debate.

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Formative Assessment
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6.

The teacher may also explain how the State of Kerala has moved forward due to its high
literacy rate.

Assessment Criteria: The activity can be marked on the basis of points raised by the speakers and
handling of interjections.

Activity 3: Symposium
Topic: Investment in human capital yields a return.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

point out the importance of investment in a child.

identify that education plays an important role in yielding returns.

compare a virtuous cycle and a vicious cycle in relation to health and education.

Time Required: Two periods


Procedure:
1.

The teacher divides the class into groups of 5 - 6 with a group leader for each.

2.

The teacher divides the work as education, health, training, country, advantage.

3.

The teacher gives 2 - 3 days to prepare.

4.

Each student speaks on his/her sub topic followed by a plenary session.

5.

Time allotted 2 - 3 minutes each.

6.

The teacher may modify the time and marks according to the requirement of the class.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Research work

Content

Explanation

Thinking skills

Confidence

Follow up: The students who are hesitant to participate may be appointed as rapporteurs.

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Formative Assessment
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Activity 4: Flow chart


Topic: Unemployment and its effects.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

identify the meaning of unemployment.

recognise the different kinds of unemployment.

suggest two measures to mitigate the problem.

enumerate the disadvantages of unemployment.

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
1.

The teacher explains the idea of a flow chart to students.

2.

All points to be included in the flow chart.

3.

One point to be connected to the next leading to the consequences.

4.

The teacher instructs the students to do it in their notebooks.

5.

The teacher modifies the time and marks according to the requirement of the class.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Presentation

Information

Neatness

Follow up: The information given in the flow chart may be written in the form of paragraph for better
understanding.

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Chapter

Formative Assessment
Manual for Teachers

Poverty as a Challenge Facing India


In this chapter, the teacher sensitizes students towards one of the biggest challenges being faced by
India - poverty. Through the chapter, the teacher must try and help students to understand that
poverty is a multidimensional concept, the way it is estimated and that poverty levels are not uniform
across different states in India or in different countries. A discussion on the causes and the measures
taken by the government to reduce poverty levels in India is considered necessary.
Learning Outcomes: After completing the chapter, the students will be able to
G

understand that poverty is a multidimensional concept within the rural and urban
contexts.

explain the meaning of poverty line.

discuss how poverty estimates have changed in India from 1973 - 2000.

compare poverty estimates across countries.

appreciate the anti poverty measures adopted by the government in India.

Given below are a number of sample questions that may be used. Teachers are expected to develop
more such questions to assess the students.
Question numbers 1- 5 enable students to demonstrate their understanding of concepts such as
rural and urban poverty, and poverty line and causes of poverty.
1.

Explain any one distinguishable cause of rural poverty and urban poverty.

2.

Why is the rural poverty line different from the urban poverty line?

3.

Explain with a suitable example, how the social scientists relate social exclusion to
poverty?

4.

How do the inequalities of income and wealth contribute towards poverty?

5.

Explain any two objectives of the government antipoverty programmes.

Question Numbers 1 - 4 are higher order thinking questions, where students think critically and
apply their knowledge.
1.

Explain two points of similarity and dissimilarity between rural and urban poverty.

2.

Is it correct to say that unemployment breeds poverty? Justify your stand.

3.

Does the NREGA 2005 achieve only employment generation or does it aim for the rural
development? Explain.

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Formative Assessment
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4.

Why are the rural agricultural labourers and urban casual labourers considered to be a
vulnerable group of the society?

The following question allows students to hone their skills of reading and analyzing a data that is
represented through a graph.
Study the graph given below (Pg 36), and answer the following questions.
Graph 3.2: Poverty Ratio in Selected Indian States, 1999-2000
47.2

45
40

42.6
37.4

36.1

34.4

35

31.2

30

27.1 26.1

25

25

21.1

20

20

15.8 15.3

15

14

12.7

10

8.7

5
0

8.2

7.6

6.2

ir

ab

hm

K
&

Ja

ha
ac
H

as

Pu

nj

sh

hi

de

el

ra
lP

ar

ya

al

na

at

er

ar
uj

an

th
as

aj
R

im

nd

hr

Pr

ad

es

ka

ta

na
ar
K

il
Ta
m

ah

ad

ra

a
ar

as

ht

di

le

In
ll

A
M

W
es

tB

en

ga

sh

a
ur

de
ra

am
ss

es

Tr
ip

rP

tta
U

a
hy
ad
M

ad

ih
B

ris

ar

sa

3.5

Pr

Percentage of people
below poverty line

50

(i)

Name the state in which almost half the population is living below the poverty line.

(ii)

Name those states in which less than 10% of the population is living below the poverty line.

(iii) Give two reasons to explain the disparities in the poverty ratios existing in the states of
India.
(1+1+2)
Suggested Activities: A few activities have been suggested to make learning more engaging and
interactive for students along with taking the learning beyond the curriculum. These activities help in
co-operative and collaborative learning.

Activity 1: To conduct an Interview


Topic: Understanding that people have different opportunities in life based on their employment and
income levels.
Note to the teacher: It is suggested that this activity be conducted after a discussion is held on the

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Formative Assessment
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multidimensional concepts of rural and urban poverty, using the case studies that have been given in
the NCERT textbook.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

understand the lifestyles associated with different employments, including migrant


labour.

understand that different people enjoy different opportunities in life.

understand problems related to workforce that is living in poor conditions.

conduct an interview to gather relevant data.

Time Required: One day for interview, one period for presentation.
Procedure:
1.

The class is divided into suitable number of groups.

2.

Each group is given the task of conducting an interview of different types of workers in the
society, like the casual labourer, cobbler, shopkeeper, auto rickshaw drivers, employees of
an organisation, professionals such as doctor, engineer, etc., or any other relevant
profession with the objective of gathering information that is relevant to understanding the
lifestyle of the allotted profession. Each student of a group would need to conduct at least
two interviews. This is a home task.

3.

In the next class, each group collates the data, each student has gathered on a particular
profession.

4.

Each group analyses the interview data and write their findings.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Relevance of the collected information

Quality of conclusion drawn from findings

Quality of presentation made on the bulletin board

Follow up: A class bulletin board can be prepared on the basis of their findings highlighting the
different types of employment, income earned, opportunities for growth, migration from different
states and related issues.

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Activity 2: Graph Analysis


Topic: Phenomena of global poverty.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

distinguish between different variables shown in the graph.

read the values correctly.

compare the poverty ratios over a period of time.

identify the source of the data.

appreciate the graphical tool.

compare differences between the poverty ratios in different countries.

mention causes leading to disparities in poverty ratios.

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
1.

Teacher replicates the graph 3.3 (pg 37) as shown below on a chart paper/OHP
Transparency / Powerpoint Presentation.

2.

Distribute a structured worksheet to each student.

3.

Students answer the question in a given time period.

4.

Teacher to assess the answers.


Graph 3.3: Share of people living on $1 a day, 1980-2001
70
China

60

50

East Asia
& Pacific
South Asia

Percentage

Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa

40
South Asia

30

20
China
East Asia &
Pacific

Latin American & Carribean

10

Latin American & Carribean

0
1981

1990
Years

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Suggested Worksheet:
Teachers may develop their own worksheet on the graph, that have questions, moving from the simple
to complex. As a guideline, a few sample questions are given below:
G

What is the time period within which the graph is comparing poverty ratios?

What was the percentage of poor in Sub Saharan Africa in 1981? What was the ratio in 2001?

Name two countries where poverty ratios have improved over time.

Is there a disparity in the poverty ratios between countries? Suggest one possible reason for
your finding.

Give two reasons why poverty ratios have improved over the years.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Ability to read axes correctly.

Ability to read values correctly.

Ability to compare poverty ratios over a period of time.

Compare differences between the poverty ratios in different countries.

Appreciate causes leading to disparities in poverty ratios.

Follow up: The students may be encouraged to practice more graphstudy from newspapers.

Activity 3: Action Plan


Topic: Poverty alleviation plan for a district.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

identify different living conditions of people in an area.

identify causes of poverty for a given area.

understand how inequitable distribution of assets and income and employment levels are
linked to poverty levels.

understand the problems of resource allocation and budgeting.

understand that why a government can't alleviate poverty despite all its efforts.

Time Required: Four periods

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Procedure:
1.

The class is divided into suitable number of groups.

2.

Each group is given the task of making a poverty alleviation plan for the colony/ district/
village/ state.

3.

The group must describe the living conditions of their colony/ district/ village/ state.

4.

The groups identify and analyse causes of people living below poverty line in their area.

5.

Each group prepares a detailed plan of employment opportunities that can be created for
the BPL population, along with proposed budgets and accountability for nonperformance.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Description of the area for which a poverty alleviation plan is to be made.

Relevance of suggestions made to reduce poverty levels in the chosen area.

Relevance of budgets and accountability for non-performance.

Quality of presentation.

Follow up: A presentation can be prepared by each group about their plan. This could be done outside
the scheduled classroom time.

Activity 4: PPT
Topic: Dimensions of Poverty.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

identify the main dimensions of poverty.

identify the main points that lead to poverty.

discuss the concept of poverty line.

point out the indicators on which poverty is based.

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
1.

The teacher divides the class into groups of 5-6 with a group leader for each.

2.

The leader divides the topic among the members of the group.

3.

Preparation time given 2-3 days.

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4.

The students speak their part through a PPT.

5.

The PPT is presented by a group member.

6.

The teacher may modify the time according to the requirement of the class.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Group work

Research work

Content

Expression

Activity 5: Graphic Organiser


Topic: Anti-Poverty measures.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

list the main points of the topic.

demonstrate concepts easily through the diagram.

explain the anti-poverty measures taken by the government.

examine the objectives and strategies of the government to remove poverty and promote
economic growth.

Time Required: One period


Procedure:
1.

The teacher explains the graphic organiser.

2.

The students read the textbook on the topic.

3.

The main points of the topic may be noted down on the diagram.

4.

The teacher may modify the time according to the requirement of the class.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Diagram Presentation

Content

Application skills

Follow up: The graphic organisers will be displayed in the class for students to appreciate each others
work.
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Food Security Source of Foodgrains


This chapter is closely connected with the previous chapter on poverty. In teaching the concepts of
Food Security a teacher must constantly endeavour to draw conclusions as to how poverty levels are
linked to lack of food security in different regions of the country and in different social classes. This will
also reinforce the idea of poverty being a multidimensional concept, impacting an individual's life in
many ways.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

give the meaning of terms such as availability, accessibility and affordability in the context
of food security.

observe linkages between people who are 'food insecure' and those who are 'poor'.

understand the circumstances in which the government decided to move towards selfsufficiency in foodgrains.

appreciate and critically evaluate the role of government in ensuring food supply.

critically appraise the public distribution system.

discuss the role of co-operatives in ensuring food security in India.

Given below are sample questions. Teachers are expected to develop more such questions.
Questions 1 -2 are recall questions, that test the basic knowledge of students such as about ration
cards, buffer stock.
1.

What is a ration card? State the three types of ration cards existing in our economy
today.

2.

What is a buffer stock? Why does every government need to maintain a buffer stock?

Questions 1-4 help students to demonstrate their understanding of concepts such as the need for
food security, ration shops and ration cards.
1.

Why is it necessary to provide food security in an economy?

2.

In an economy, food is easily available and accessible to the people, however it is not
affordable. What would you say about the food security in the economy?

3.

Distinguish between Issue price and MSP.

4.

Why is a ration shop called a Fair Price Shop? Why does the government have a system of
different ration cards?

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Questions 1 -4 are higher order thinking questions that could be used to make students think
critically.
1.

Read the two case studies given below and answer the questions that follow.
Fareed runs a small tea stall besides a bank. He is able to provide two square meals a day to his family
of four. However the meals lack in nutritional value like green leafy vegetables, dals, curd, etc.
Arjun is a worker in the woollen factory and is able to provide two square meals a day to his family of
four during the winter months. However during the summer months he can't afford this.

a)

Which of the above family faces chronic hunger and why?

b)

Which of the above family faces seasonal hunger and why?

c)

Where in India would you find a greater proportion of people suffering from seasonal
hunger and why?

2.

What is common in a casual labourer, cobbler, petty shopkeeper, auto rickshaw driver,
beggar, gardener, cycle mechanic and a road side barber? Explain relationship between
their nature of work, income earned and poverty faced.

3.

Explain this statement. "There is a general consensus that high level of buffer stock of food
grains is very undesirable and can be wasteful.

4.

Like Mother Dairy is to Delhi, Academy of Development Science is to Maharashtra.


Identify these organizations and explain their role in providing food security in the
economy?

Suggested Activities: A few activities have been suggested to make learning more engaging and
interactive for students along with taking the learning beyond the structured curriculum. These
activities help in co-operative and collaborative learning.

Activity 1: Picture reading and story writing


Topic: Public Distribution System: A solution to poverty and hunger.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

identify the picture as that of a slum.

understand the reasons behind the development of a slum.

relate the poverty, unemployment, hunger and PDS in a creative story line.

articulate their ideas imaginatively and interestingly.

appreciate the role played by the government through the Rationing system.

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Time Required: Two priods

Procedure:
1.

The class is divided into suitable number of groups.

2.

The picture is centrally placed or a copy is given to each group.

3.

Each group is to develop a story that pertains to the picture keeping the learning objectives
in mind. The story must at least emphasise the following:
2

Possible problem that leads to the picture.

Possible solutions.

Suitable title to the story.

4.

Students write the story.

5.

The story is presented such that every student gets a chance to speak.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Relevant title for the story

Clear description of the problems that lead to the picture

Relevant solutions to solve the problems that are highlighted in the picture

Creative aspects of the story

Activity 2: Project on a Cooperative Society


Topic: To form a cooperative society.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to

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have a clear perception of the functioning of cooperative system of a business organization


and socio-economic benefits accruing to the members.

identify the pictures of the various types of cooperatives (based on the perception,
knowledge and functioning of a cooperative.)

understand the purpose behind their functioning and the advantages to be derived. (They
need to visit a functioning cooperative and do the research.)

Point to be discussed in class


1.

The micro position of a cooperative in an area/activity is to be co-related to the Cooperative


Movement in India at the macro level. The students need to articulate their ideas imaginatively based on real life situations and after conducting a thorough research. For real life situations, the
students need to be shown a functioning cooperative and motivated to do deep rooted research
and thereafter be asked to identify the positive and negative features and challenges faced by the
organization and how in their view, the same could be successfully negotiated.

2.

The Government plays the role of a friend, philosopher and guide, promoters and financier of the
activities of the cooperatives and therefore, has a huge role in the functioning of a cooperative.
For example, if a housing cooperative has to be formed, the involvement of the government
machinery would be necessary for allotment of land till the allotment of the houses to the
members. The Government also provides policy support and policies are reviewed and modified
from time to time.

Project Preparation: After the students are oriented into the basics of the Cooperative Movement, they
are expected to choose an activity, organize research and prepare a project as to:
G

Benefits of forming a cooperative.

How to form a cooperative.

Management of a cooperative.

Socio-economic impact of a cooperative.

Methodology:
G

They can identify an activity which can be organized in their school, neighbourhood or area
on cooperative lines.

Study the working of an already functioning cooperative(s) and whether a similar


institution can be emulated or improvements can be brought about.

The method by which the project could be presented is to be decided by the students.

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Time Required: One month


Procedure:
1.

The class is divided into suitable number of groups.


The class could be divided into 3 to 4 groups and assisted by a resource person- preferably a
teacher or a cooperator of a standing to guide the students in their understanding and
appreciation of the nuances of a cooperative organization. Students must visit a
cooperative in different activities and see the things for themselves. They may be
motivated to ask questions and provided true replies without sacrificing the focus of their
judgment.

2.

The pictures are centrally placed. (More pictures of cooperative banks, marketing society
should be added.)
When the pictures are centrally placed, the students identify the activities and work out the
processes to which the formation and management a particular cooperative is subjected to.

3.

Teacher explains the guidelines for developing the project.


I.

Students highlight at least the following.

a.

Purpose of the cooperative in India.


A cooperative has a definite purpose in India as it is basically an agrarian economy and there
are million of small and marginal farmers and persons of weaker sections of the community
and unless they have collective approach, their socio-economic condition cannot be improved.
Cooperatives have played a pivotal role in the last 100 years and this aspect has been amply
brought out in the approach paper and other information already furnished. This has to be
clearly brought to the knowledge of the students and while developing a project, the very
purpose of forming a cooperative should be the central theme.

b.

Select any one such cooperative and research about it in detail.


This is the right way and the students may be advised to select a cooperative or an
activity, do extensive research and work out the details.

c.

Prepare a chart paper/report/scrapbook on the organization.


Whereas the students may have the option to present the activities of a cooperative
organization in the manner they may deem fit, it is advised that somehow wholesome
treatment may be given to the activity, so that this distinct form of enterprise gets the
maximum mileage and the portrayal turns out to be realistic, based on facts and
figures.

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Assessment Criteria:
G

Analytical skills

Team work

Concept clarity/organising skills

Quality of content

Presentation

Follow up:The best work may be kept in the library for reference.

Activity 3: Newspaper reading and Diary Entry


Topic: Different prices in the farm market.
Note to the teacher: This activity takes the students beyond the academic curriculum. They need to
demonstrate how they relate concepts learnt (such as issue price, MSP, market price) to real world
situations.
Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

identify the issues mentioned in the article.

understand the reason behind the stir caused by the farmers.

distinguish between MSP, issue price and market price.

appreciate the role played by the government and the problems faced by the farmers.

Time Required: Two periods


Procedure:
The following newspaper article is given to the students to read:
1.

Teacher explains and discusses the issues involved.

2.

Each student writes a diary entry recording her understanding of the situation and
suggesting solutions to the problem.

Farming made unprofitable ( newspaper article)


The government has not hiked the price of fertilizer since 2002. So, how does this input play out for the
farmer? "There are gaps in distribution. Artificial scarcity is created in the market by diverting the stock
to the black market rather than the open market," said Dev. "It finally reaches the farmers' at a higher price
than that set by the government."

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While the Centre has set the rate of urea at ` 4,830/- per tonne, it is available in Karnataka's black market at
` 6,000/- per tonne, according to farmers in the state. Diammonium phosphate, fixed at ` 9,350/- per
tonne, sells for ` 12,000/- per tonne. The government rate for muriate of potash is
` 4,455/- per tonne; the black market rate is ` 6,000/- per tonne. Farmers in the state protested fertilizer
scarcity recently. The protests turned violent and one person died in police firing.
It's not just the farmer at the receiving end. The fertilizer industry, too, is reeling, because of the fertilizer
subsidy. This raises questions about the economic viability of the industry that supported the Green
Revolution. In the wake of rising costs of production the farmers are not satisfied with the low MSP.
Thousands of farmers thronged the Delhi roads to protest against the low MSP for sugarcane.
Assessment Criteria:
G

Identification of issues represented in the article.

Diary entry shows an understanding of why the farmers stirred in Delhi.

Follow up: The students may be encouraged to read newspapers.

Activity 4: Visit to a ration shop in the market


Topic: Comparison of prices and quality in the ration shop with those in the market.
Learning Outcome: The students will be able to
G

compare prices of essential commodities in a ration shop with those in the market.

make a table on the above and point out the difference in prices of these commodities.

identify the differences in their quality.

understand the reasons for such difference.

make a list of essential commodities required in our daily life.

Time Required: Two days


Procedure:
1.

The teacher divides the class in pairs.

2.

The teacher explains the procedure of the activity.

3.

After visiting the ration shop in the market, the students make a table in their notebook
comparing prices and showing the differences.

4.

The teacher may modify the time and marks according to the requirement of the class.

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Assessment Criteria:
G

Observations

Accuracy

Presentation

Experience

Information

Follow up: The students may write their experiences/interviews with the shop keeper.

Activity 5: Plan your own Public Distribution System


Learning Outcomes: The students will be able to
G

contribute to the ideas of the plan.

do research work on the topic.

be aware of the defects of the PDS and find alternatives to it.

develop thinking skills in relation to the plan.

Time Required: Two weeks


Procedure:
1.

The teacher divides the class into groups of 5-6.

2.

The teacher briefs the students on the PDS and its defects.

3.

The teacher instructs the students to do research work.

4.

The students form their own ideas for a plan of the PDS, in their state.

5.

The teacher may modify the time according to the requirement of the class.

Assessment Criteria:
G

Research work

Plan

Thinking skills

Information

Speaking skills

Follow up: The teacher may use peer assessment and students compare each others work.

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Some Interesting Websites to find more about Social Science


History
1.

www.hypercities.com
Collaborate using social technologies to delve into the past, present or future of city spaces. View
architectural maps of some of the world's most famous cities from different time periods and
overlay important structures.

2.

www.historyPin.com
View some of the most interesting and thought-provoking photographs through time to
stimulate discussion in your classroom.

3.

www.europeanvirtualmuseum.it
The European Virtual Museum is an online collaboration between twenty-seven prestigious
European museums and showcases historical artefacts from all over the world.

4.

www.timemaps.com
Time Maps is an all-inclusive look at world history that combines maps, timelines and
chronological narratives.

5.

www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk
This online encyclopedia focuses on historical topics and figures from England, the United
States, Russia, Germany and France. All of the articles are easy-to-digest and are written for
students.

6.

Online Hieroglyphics Translator


www.quizland.com/hiro/mv
Type in a phrase and see what it looks like when it's translated to Egyptian Hieroglyphics. This is
a cool activity to do if you're covering Ancient Egypt.

7.

Women in World History- http://chnm.gmu.edu/wwh/


It contains over 200 primary source materials about women in world history including
photographs, propaganda, commentary and more. These materials are great discussion and
essay starters.

8.

Hyper History- http://www.hyperhistory.com/online_n2/History_n2/a.html


While Hyper History's design is reminiscent of websites from the 1990's, it covers 3000 years of

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world history including culture, religion, politics and historical figures.


9.

History World - http://www.historyworld.net/


It has 300 informational narratives and 10,000 events in a searchable database. History World is
great for conducting preliminary research for papers and projects.

10.

EyevWitness to History - http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/


Eye Witness to History is home to first-hand accounts of historical events, vintage photographs,
original radio broadcasts and more.

11.

Wiki books - Ancient Civilizations


http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Wikijunior:Ancient_Civilizations
Easy to understand descriptions of some of the world's most influential civilizations including
the Babylonians, Chinese, Egyptians, Greeks, Vikings, Persians, Romans and more.

12.

Simple English Wikipedia - World History


http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_history
The history of the world-according to Wikipedia-told in plain English.

13.

History.com Videos - http://www.history.com/videos/topics


Watch video clips from the History Channel on a variety of topics including the American
Revolution, American Civil War, World War II, and the Titanic, Black History Month, Ancient
Civilizations and more.

14.

Go Social Studies Go - http://www.gosocialstudiesgo.com/


A modern-looking website dedicated to world religions, history and world geography. Each
topic includes a separate page with information, images and links to relevant websites. Some
pages even have videos.

15.

The Avalon Project - http://avalon.law.yale.edu


This is a collection of historical documents in law and diplomacy from 4,000bce to the present. It
includes documents such as the Athenian Constitution, Magna Carta, Articles of Confederation,
Civil Rights Act of 1964 and more.

16.

Playing History - http://playinghistory.org/


Playing History aggregates all of the free history games on the web into a simple, searchable
database.

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17.

World History for Us All - http://worldhistoryforusall.sdsu.edu/


World History for Us All offers teaching units, lesson plans and resources for middle school and
high school world history teachers. It is collaboration between K-12 educators, collegiate
instructors and educational technology specialists.

18.

Bridging World History - http://www.learner.org/courses/worldhistory/


26 thematic world history units include videos, an audio glossary and a database of over 1,500
images and maps. Use Bridging World History to teach your students about the ties that bind
historical events together.

19.

World History Connected - http://worldhistoryconnected.press.illinois.edu/


The best online journal for world history. Plus, it's free!

20.

Crash Course YouTube Channel - http://www.youtube.com/user/crashcourse


Crash Course's YouTube Channel currently has 13 quality videos that cover topics in world
history such as the fall of Rome, Alexander the Great, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Mesopotamia and
the Agricultural Revolution. If you're unfamiliar with this YouTube channel, you should
definitely check it out! FYI - some of the narrator's humor may be unsuitable for younger
students.

21.

EdSITEMENT - http://edsitement.neh.gov/subject/history-social-studies
High quality lesson plans, activities and student resources for history and social studies, sortable
by grade level.

22.

C-SPAN Classroom - http://www.c-spanclassroom.org/


Primary source materials for Social Studies teachers.

23.

GoEd Online - http://www.goedonline.com/


Aside from having an awesome blog, GoEd Online is a one-stop resource for fun social studies
materials. It has streaming social studies videos, downloadable eBooks, PowerPoint
presentations and interactive games.

Civics
24.

Project Vote Smart's VoteEasy - http://votesmart.org/voteeasy/


See how your views match up with those of major political candidates. Learn their stance on
topics like abortion, economy, guns, health care, immigration and more.

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25.

CIRCLE - http://www.civicyouth.org/
The official website of the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning is home to
information on the civic and political engagement of young Americans. There are a lot of cool
graphs and charts that will get your students excited about fulfilling their civic duties.

26.

iCivics - http://www.icivics.org/
Free lesson plans and interactive games for learning civics. Some of the topics covered by
materials at iCivics include citizenship and participation, separation of powers, branches of
government and budgeting.

27.

White House - http://www.whitehouse.gov/


The official website of the White House. Watch the weekly address to stay informed on the most
important events in the government.

28.

Vote: The Machinery of Democracy - http://americanhistory.si.edu/vote/


This website teaches your students how ballots and voting systems have changed over the years
in response to political, social and technological change.

Economics
29.

Practical Money Skills - http://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/


Practical Money Skills is an online resource for educators, parents and students focused on
financial literacy and education.

30.

Econ Ed Link - http://www.econedlink.org/


Sort economics and personal finance lessons by grade level, lesson type, concept, or standard
covered. Econ Ed Link includes accounting, banking, budgeting, debt, inflation, interest,
investing, risk and more.

31.

Numbeo - http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/
Numbeo is a website that allows you to compare information about the cost of living from
different areas of the world.

32.

Living Wage Calculator -http://livingwage.mit.edu/


Use the Living Wage Calculator, developed by Penn State University, to calculate the
approximate living wage of your area. The calculator lists typical expenses, the living wage and
typical wages for the selected location.

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Culture and Geography


33.

Mental Floss' Geography Challenge -

http://mentalfloss.com/quizzes

A fun, yet difficult, geography trivia game that tests your knowledge of where countries are
located.
34.

Nations Illustrated - http://www.nationsillustrated.com/


View over 7,700 pictures from all over the world. Just type in a large city or country.

35.

Traveler IQ Challenge - http://www.travelpod.com/traveler-iq


The web's most popular for free geography game.

36.

GeoBeats - http://www.geobeats.com/
An award-winning website that hosts hundreds of short, guided video tours of the most famous
cities throughout the world.

37.

iknow that - http://www.iknowthat.com/com/L2?GradeLevel=-1:6&Subject=Social+Studies


Neat interactive maps to review Geography - requires flash and shockwave player.

38.

Google Earth - http://www.google.com/earth/index.html


Google Earth is a nifty tool that is being used by educators around the world. It puts the planet's
geographic information at your fingertips and can be utilized in a variety of educational
activities. There's even a helpful Google Earth for Educators Community where you can go for
new ideas or to share some of your own.

39.

Culture Crossing - http://www.culturecrossing.net/


A guide to culture, customs, social, business and study abroad etiquette for every country in the
world. The information posted in each country guide is submitted by people who are either
natives or residents (or former residents) of the featured countries.

Printable Maps and Mapping Tools


40.

Scribble Maps -http://www.scribblemaps.com/


Easily draw on Google Maps and then share with your students or post to your teacher blog.

41.

Quick Maps - www.quickmaps.com


QuickMap's slogan is "Doodle on Google!" It's another free and easy way to draw on Google
Maps.

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42.

60. Perry-Castaeda Library Map Collection - http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/


High-quality historic, thematic and topographic maps of the world including Africa, the
Americas, Asia, Australia/Pacific, Europe, Middle East, Polar regions, Oceans and United States.

43.

Printable World Maps - http://geography.about.com/library/blank/blxindex.htm


Free printable maps of the world's countries. Each map is a blank outline.

44.

Nat Geo Education: Mapping


http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/mapping/?ar_a=1&force_AR=True
Free, printable 1-page maps, printable large-format maps and an online interactive student map.

45.

Mapping History
http://mappinghistory.uoregon.edu/
Animated socio and political maps of 18th and 19th century United States, Europe, Latin
America and Africa.

46.

64. Animaps
http://www.animaps.com/#%21home
Animaps letting you create maps with markers that move, images and text that pop up on cue,
and lines and shapes that change over time. Your finalized Animap appears like a video that can
be played, paused, slowed down and sped up.

47.

BBC Dimensions
http://howbigreally.com/
This website takes important places and events, and overlays them onto a map. Just type in a zip
code. Use it to show your students how large something like the Great Wall of China or the battle
of Stalingrad really is/was!

48.

Google Maps. While Google Maps doesn't offer nearly as many features as Google Earth, it is
much easier to start using. Google Maps is completely web-based so students can create place
marks and tours from any Internet connected computer. For directions on creating place marks
on Google Maps, please see pages 25-32 of Google for Teachers.

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Interactive Timelines
49.

Timerime
http://timerime.com/
Search for pre-made, media-rich timelines or make your own using MP3 audio clips, YouTube
videos and more.

50.

X Timeline
http://www.xtimeline.com/index.aspx
Another website that makes it easy to create and share timelines with pictures and videos.

51.

Time Toast
http://www.timetoast.com/
All you need is a valid email address to create interactive timelines that can be shared anywhere
on the web.

52.

Tiki Toki
http://www.tiki-toki.com/
Easily create stunning web-based, sharable timelines with images and video. Tiki Toki also has a
group editing feature for collaboration.

53.

Dipity
http://www.dipity.com/
With Dipity, you can find, create and embed interactive, customizable timelines.

54.

Capzles
http://www.capzles.com/
Create your own sharable timeline with images, video, audio, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel,
Microsoft PowerPoint and PDF files.

Current Events
55.

Google News Archive-http://news.google.com/news/advanced_news_search?as_drrb=a

56.

Time Magazine-http://www.time.com/time/

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57.

New York Times-http://www.nytimes.com/

58.

Newseum-http://www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages/
View today's front page forms more than 800 newspapers worldwide. Use this website to
demonstrate how different cultures can perceive the same event.

59.

Cagle-http://www.cagle.com/
A daily compilation of editorial cartoons from around the world that cover current issues and
important figures.

60.

Clay Bennett Cartoons Archive


http://www.claybennett.com/archives.html
Modern cartoons on a range of topics including individual liberties, global warming, lobby
reform, congress and more.

Information Resources
61.

CIA Factbook
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/
The CIA World Factbook contains information on the communications, economy, geography,
government, history, military, people, transnational issues and transportation for 267 world
entities.

62.

World Flag Index


http://www.flags.net/fullindex.htm
A listing of all of the flags from each of the world's countries, territories and sub-national regions.
Some of the listings also include basic information about the area.

63.

50States
http://www.50states.com/
Find information about each of the 50 states, including the state bird, border states, climate,
constitution, flag, population, state tree and more.

64.

Google Scholar
Google Scholar is a simple search engine that specializes in scholarly literature. It allows you to

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search across many sources including articles, books, court opinions, online repositories,
university libraries and more.
65.

Wolfram Alpha
http://www.wolframalpha.com/
Wolfram Alpha is searchable database of information about government, historical events,
political figures, important documents and more.

66.

Poll Everywhere
http://www.polleverywhere.com/
An inexpensive and quick alternative for clicker response systems. Create your first poll in 30
seconds without having to sign up. Your students simply text their answer to a predetermined
number and, voila! Poll Anywhere is free if your class size is less than 40 students.

67.

Animoto
http://animoto.com/
Use Animoto to easily create presentations and videos with your own images and music, or
choose from a library of stock files. Teachers can apply for a free Animoto Plus account.

68.

Wikispaces
http://www.wikispaces.com/
With a free option for K-12 teachers, Wiki spaces is a great tool for making custom webpages that
your students can edit together. You can manage privacy settings, create student accounts
without email addresses, embed media and even customize the design of your Wiki pages.
BONUS: Check out there sources for history teachers Wikispaces page.

69.

Voice thread
http://voicethread.com/
Voice thread's group conversations are stored and shared in one place, from anywhere in the
world. It allows you to create multimedia slide shows with images, videos and documents.
Others can view the slides and then leave text, audio or video comments.

70.

Prezi
http://prezi.com/
Prezi is a really neat cloud-based presentation program that allows you to zoom in and out. If you
don't mind your slides being public, you can sign up for a free account with 100MB of storage.

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71.

IMDb
http://www.imdb.com/
Use IMDb, the internet movie database, to see if there are any movies that are relevant to the topic
you're teaching. If you find one, you can also check the rating to make sure it's appropriate for
your classroom.

72.

Quizlet
http://quizlet.com/
As one of the largest and most popular flash card creation websites around, Quizlet allows
students and teachers to customize their own "sets" of flash cards. You can manage access to the
flash cards you create and share them with your students.

73.

Slide Share
http://www.slideshare.net/
Slide Share is one of the most popular ways to upload and share PowerPoint presentations and
other documents. Again, this is a great tool for transferring documents between your home and
school computer without having to carry around a flash drive.

74.

Class Marker
http://www.classmarker.com/
Class Marker is an online quiz and test creation website. As an educator, you get 100 free tests
taken (and graded!) per month.

75.

Blabberize
http://blabberize.com/
Blabberize is a fun web 2.0 tool that allows you to upload a picture (of a person-think historical
figures!), select its mouth, and make it talk by adding an audio file. Like Gizmoz, your students
are sure to get a kick out of it!

76.

Online-stopwatch
http://www.online-stopwatch.com/
Online-stopwatch is a web-based stopwatch that is easy to display on an interactive whiteboard
and can count up or down. Use it for timed exams, essays, and standardized tests.

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77.

CuePrompter
http://cueprompter.com/
A lot of students have a hard time giving class presentations, but Cue Prompter helps to relieve
some of the nerves. Copy and paste your script into the box and it displays just like a real
teleprompter. Plus, it's free to use.

78.

Socrative
http://www.socrative.com/
This web 2.0 tool uses cell phones and/or laptops to gather feedback from students. You can post
as many questions as you'd like, which is nice if you have several classes.

79.

Zotero
http://www.zotero.org/
Zotero is a neat tool that helps you collect, organize, cite and share research that you have done.
You can add PDFs, images, audio and video files, snapshots of web pages and more. It indexes
the full-text content of your library, allowing you to quickly find what you're looking for.

80.

Google Earth. The possibilities for using Google Earth in a social studies classroom are almost
limitless. In Google Earth students can tour ancient Rome, explore WWI and WWII battle sites,
learn about contemporary news stories such as events in Afghanistan, or use Google Earth as an
almanac of facts. Students, of course, can use Google Earth to create digital stories. Students can
create tours of military campaigns, trace the lives of famous people, or map the expansions and
contractions of political borders. If you're looking for some directions to get started with Google
Earth, please see Google Earth Across the Curriculum.

81.

Google Books. Google has scanned and put online thousands of books and documents that are in
the public domain. For history teachers this means there is an abundance of books about famous
battles, biographies, and other works that your students can access for research.

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CENTRAL BOARD OF SECONDARY EDUCATION


Shiksha Kendra, 2, Community Centre, Preet Vihar, Delhi-110 092 India

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