ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE (82)

(Candidates offering Environmental Applications are not eligible to offer Environmental Science.)

The subject deals with the interdependence of living 3. To appreciate the influence of human activity on
things within their environment and provides an natural processes.
insight into the orderly interplay of factors 4. To develop an awareness of the need and
influencing environmental change. The impact of responsibility to keep the natural system in a
human demands on renewable and non-renewable condition that it sustains life.
resources and the limited availability of these
5. To develop sensitivity in personal attitudes to
resources in nature, have been linked to correlate
environmental issues.
with patterns of human behaviour necessary to
evolve a sustainable environmental paradigm. 6. To develop an understanding of how local
environments contribute to the global
Aims: environment.
7. To develop a sense of responsibility and concern
1. To acquire knowledge of the origin and
for welfare of the environment and all life forms
functioning of the natural system and its
which share this planet.
correlation with the living world.
8. To develop a keen civic sense.
2. To develop an understanding that human beings,
plants and animals are part of a natural 9. To develop a sound basis for further study,
phenomenon and are interdependent. personal development and participation in local
and global environmental concerns.
CLASS IX

There will be one paper of two hours duration To be studied with reference to the developed
carrying 80 marks and Internal Assessment of and developing countries.
20 marks.
(d) The root of environmental problems.
The paper will have two Sections:
Population crisis and consumption crisis
Section A (Compulsory) will contain short answer should be covered.
questions covering the entire syllabus.
(e) A sustainable world.
Section B will contain six questions. Candidates will
Concept of sustainability to be explained;
be required to answer any four questions from this
sustainable societies to be discussed.
section.
2. Living things in Ecosystems
1. Understanding our Environment
(a) What is an ecosystem?
(a) What is Environmental Science?
What do we understand by Environment? Concept of ecosystems to be explained; biotic
What does the study of Environmental Science and abiotic structures, organisms and
involve? species; populations, communities.

(b) What are our main environmental problems? (b) Habitat and ecological niche.

Environmental problems to be studied in To be discussed in terms of address and

terms of resource depletion, pollution and function.
extinction of species. (c) How species interact with each other.
(c) A global perspective of environmental Interaction of species should be covered in
problems. terms of - predation, competition, parasitism,

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 mutualism and commensalism. Law of the examination. The rest are for knowledge
Limiting Factors; synergisms. and understanding.
(d) Adapting to the environment. (e) Biogeographic zones of India.
Evolution by natural selection; co-evolution, The different biogeographic zones/ regions of
extinction. India and predominant wildlife in these zones/
regions.
3. How Ecosystems work
5. Water
(a) Energy flow in ecosystems.
(a) Our water resources.
An explanation of how life depends on the
sun; who eats what; respiration: burning Water resource in the form of frozen solid in
the fuel. Energy transfer: food chains, food polar ice caps, surface water (rivers of
webs and trophic levels. controversy, dams), groundwater (aquifers
running low). Solutions to water shortages
(b) The cycling of materials.
must be covered in terms of desalting the sea,
The water cycle, the carbon cycle (how towing water, water conservation and water
humans are affecting the carbon cycle) and harvesting.
the nitrogen cycle; Not to be tested, for
(b) Freshwater pollution.
knowledge and understanding only.
Point pollution and non-point pollution;
Interdependence of natural cycles.
wastewater treatment plants, pathogens. The
(c) How ecosystems change. manner in which water pollution affects
Succession- secondary and primary. ecosystems; artificial eutrophication, thermal
pollution. Cleaning up water pollution. The
4. Kinds of Ecosystems special problem of groundwater pollution;
bottled water.
(a) Forests.
(c) Ocean pollution.
Tropical rainforests and threats to
rainforests; temperate rainforests; temperate How pollutants get into oceans; preventing
deciduous forests; Taiga. ocean pollution; who owns the oceans?

(b) Grasslands, Deserts and Tundra. 6. Air

Tropical savannas; temperate grasslands: (a) What causes air pollution?
prairies, steppes and pampas; deserts;
Tundra. Threats to the temperate grasslands, Air pollution due to - natural disasters;
deserts and Tundra. domestic combustion; air pollution on wheels;
industrial air pollution.
(c) Freshwater ecosystems.
Major air pollutants - carbon monoxide,
The study to cover - lakes and ponds; oxides of nitrogen, oxides of sulphur, ozone,
wetlands - marshes and swamps; rivers. lead, hydrocarbons, benzene and particulates
Threats to wetlands and rivers must also be -their sources, health effects and the
highlighted. environmental effects must be studied.
(d) Marine ecosystems. Classification of air pollutants based on
Estuaries, coral reefs, oceans and how each is composition - gaseous pollutants and
threatened should be discussed. Polar particulate matter (grit, dust, smoke and lead
ecosystems of the Arctic and the Antarctic oxide); broader classification - primary and
and the threats to them must also be covered. secondary pollutants.
Only threats to the specifically mentioned
ecosystems will be tested for the purpose of
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 Aerosols (smog), sources natural world - fuel crisis, competition for land, land
(continental, oceanic and anthropogenic); exploited for cash and food crops, population
their effect on our lives. pressures, increasing demand for timber to
meet the needs of the developed world,
Air pollution episode - the Bhopal gas
grazing and its link with desertification.
tragedy.
Effects of deforestation on climate,
(b) Thermal inversions, photochemical smog and
atmosphere and soil process.
acid precipitation.
(b) Soil erosion and desertification.
Thermal inversions (Los Angeles),
Photochemical Smog (Mexico City) and Acid Causes and consequences of soil erosion and
Precipitation (Mumbai) - how acid desertification - removal of vegetation,
precipitation affects ecosystems. overgrazing, overculture, clearance of slopes,
drought, heavy rainfall, bad farming
(c) Impact of air pollution.
practices.
Impact of air pollution should be covered in
(c) Land pollution.
terms of economic losses, lowered
agricultural productivity and health problems. Causes and consequences of land pollution -
salinization, fertilizers, pesticides, toxic
7. Atmosphere and Climate wastes, nuclear wastes, domestic wastes,
(a) The atmosphere. ground water contamination.

Balance between photosynthesis and 9. People

respiration; layers of the atmosphere. Not to
(a) World poverty and gap between developed
be tested, for knowledge and understanding
and developing countries.
only.
Dimensions of world poverty and gap between
(b) Climate.
developed and developing countries using
What determines climate (latitude, development indicators such as per-capita
atmospheric circulation patterns, ocean incomes, housing, levels of disease and
circulation patterns, local geography, nutrition.
seasonal changes in climate). Not to be tested,
(b) Poverty in developed countries, poverty in
for knowledge and understanding only.
developing countries.
(c) Greenhouse earth.
Rural poverty and urban poverty.
The Greenhouse Effect, rising carbon dioxide (c) The implications of poverty trap for the
levels, GHGs and the earths temperature environment in developing countries.
(global warming); effect on weather,
agriculture and sea-levels; slowing the Self-explanatory.
temperature change.
10. Urbanisation
(d) The Ozone layer.
(a) Causes of urbanisation.
Ozone in the troposphere, ozone in the
The push-pull factors to be discussed.
stratosphere; detection of the damage to the
ozone layer; causes and consequences of (b) Manifestations of urbanisation.
ozone thinning; alternatives to CFCs. Growth of slums, growth of informal sector,
8. Soil and Land pressure on civic amenities; degradation of
human resources; growing sense of despair.
(a) Deforestation.
(c) Social, economic and environmental
Causes and consequences of rapid and problems.
progressive deforestation in the developing
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 Problems of housing, congestion, pollution, Discussion on whether Green Revolution is a
loss of agricultural land and provision of success or a failure.
services to be covered.
INTERNAL ASSESSMENT
11. Agriculture
Any one project/assignment from the prescribed
(a) Unsustainable patterns of modern syllabus.
industrialised agriculture.
Monocultures, disappearance of traditional Suggested Assignments
crop varieties, pollution risk due to use of 1. Make a survey of any one threat to the local
pesticides and inorganic fertilizers; problems environment with suggestions as to how the
of irrigation surface and ground water.
impact of the threat could be gradually reduced.
(b) Environmental damage due to large farm
units. 2. Make a functional model of an
apparatus/equipment that could be used to
Self-explanatory.
alleviate the impact of any pollutant and, make a
(c) Food mountains in developed countries. survey to study the effectiveness of this
Surplus and waste. apparatus/equipment. (The report of the study is to
form a part of the Project Work.)
(d) The Green Revolution.

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 CLASS X

There will be one paper of two hours duration (c) Strategies for controlling growth of
carrying 80 marks and Internal Assessment of population.
20 marks.
Strategies to include family planning and
The paper will have two Sections: birth control, health care, education,
economic development; women-centered
Section A (Compulsory) will contain short answer
human development.
questions covering the entire syllabus.
(d) Development framework for poverty
Section B will contain six questions. Candidates will
alleviation.
be required to answer any four questions from this
section. Social mobilisation, agricultural development,
small-scale industries, human development.
1. Controlling Air Pollution Not to be tested, for knowledge and
(a) From domestic combustion. understanding only.

Reducing pollution from domestic cooking; 3. Managing the Urban environment

clean cooking - kerosene as a desirable
(a) Urbanisation - a challenge to the future.
cooking fuel in rural areas.
Sustainable cities: the need of the hour.
(b) From industries.
(b) Planning environmental improvement.
Measures for controlling industrial air
pollution - technological measures (energy Efficient land use, planning energy, shelter
efficient devices, clean technologies), and transport; water supply management,
meteorological controls; zoning strategy; wastewater and sanitary waste management,
penalties and subsidies; Case Study: the Taj construction activities.
Trapezium.
(c) Rural development to counter migration.
(c) From vehicles.
Self-explanatory.
Vehicle emission control - modify engine
(d) Development of secondary cities to counter
design (catalytic converters, four stroke
migration.
engines), clean fuels, public transport options,
traffic management, economic policy Self-explanatory.
measures. (e) Community participation and contribution of
private enterprises.
2. Addressing Population
(a) The link between growing population and Community participation in keeping
environmental degradation. surroundings clean, participation of private
enterprises in city improvement, measures to
UNs population projections for 2050, the increase private enterprise participation.
climate link, the choice of alternative futures.
Growing population in the developing 4. Managing Soil and Land
countries and rising consumption in the
developed countries. (a) Conserving soil.
(b) The demographic transition. Erosion control techniques - terracing,
Stages of transition, transition stages of contour ploughing, dry farming, tree planting,
certain developed nations and developing bunds, gullies, wind-breaks, use of organic
nations (such as India, China, Korea, fertilizers.
Malaysia). Not to be tested, for knowledge Soil conservation techniques - land-use
and understanding only. management, vegetative and mechanical

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 practices, conserving soil and water together; Trickle drip irrigation need for a trickle
appropriate cropping systems cropping drip irrigation system; operation of a drip
patterns (strip cropping), tree crops, foliage irrigation system; advantages and
crops. disadvantages.
(b) Land reforms. New organic fertilizers integrated nutrient
supply programme, organic fertilizers - bulky
Meaning, measures enforced in India to give
organic manures, green manures,
land to the landless.
bio-fertilizers, and sewage sludge.
(c) Integrated rural development.
Gene banks what are gene banks; objectives
Objectives, self-help schemes like social and of maintaining gene banks.
community forestry.
(b) Problem of global food security, food aid.
(d) Role of women and community in
Global food imbalance, distributional
conservation.
inequality; role of food aid in achieving
Self-explanatory. global food security.
(e) Combating deforestation.
6. Biodiversity
Reforestation, energy plantations, forest
(a) Biodiversity at risk due to human actions.
harvesting of non-timber forest products,
exploring alternative sources of livelihood, Reasons for loss of biodiversity; Man - the
change in consumption patterns. super consumer: impact of his actions on the
earths resources; reasons for concern:
(f) Managing forest grazing.
economic, ecological and aesthetic.
Causes and consequences of overgrazing,
(b) Conserving our genetic resource: in-situ and
controlled forest grazing as in National
ex-situ; harvesting wildlife.
Forest Policy, 1988.
In-situ - wildlife sanctuaries, national parks
(g) Alternatives to timber.
and biosphere reserves.
Recycling of timber and paper.
Ex-situ zoological parks, botanical gardens,
gene banks in agricultural research centres
5. Food
and forestry institutions.
(a) Sustainable agriculture.
Harvesting wildlife to meet commercial needs.
Integrated pest management understanding
the term, aims, advantages, disadvantages. (c) Conservation strategies at national and
international levels.
Genetically modified organisms, application
in plants and animals and environmental Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, Project Tiger
risks. 1973, IUCN, The Ramsar Convention on
Wetlands, 1971, CITES, The Convention on
New crop strains high yielding varieties and Biological Diversity.
their viability, hybrid varieties.
Mixed cropping advantages and 7. Energy
disadvantages; regenerative farming (a) Fossil fuels used to produce electricity.
techniques - intercropping, crop rotation,
Electricity: energy on demand; dwindling
agro forestry, polyvarietal cultivation and
supplies of fossil fuels; renewable and non-
polyculture.
renewable energy resources. Not to be tested,
Conservation tillage farming - meaning of for knowledge and understanding only.
conservation tillage, advantages and
disadvantages.

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 (b) Nuclear energy. Concept of economic and environmental
global interdependence; global environmental
Nuclear fission, advantages and
health the shared responsibility of nations;
disadvantages of nuclear energy; safety
trade and aid as ways of reducing world
concerns (the Chernobyl disaster);
inequalities.
nuclear fusion.
(b) International cooperation.
(c) A sustainable energy future.
The Montreal Protocol; the Global
Energy conservation; alternative energy Environmental Facility (GEF) support; the
sources - solar energy, wind energy, Earth Summit, UNs International Conference
hydroelectricity, geothermal energy, biomass, on Population and Development (Cairo); the
liquid fuels from biomass- methanol, ethanol, Kyoto Treaty.
gasohol, CNG, hydrogen.
(c) Sustainable development.
8. Waste The concept of sustainable development,
(a) Solid waste: the throwaway society. sustainable development and developed
countries; sustainable development and
Solid waste, biodegradable and developing countries.
non-biodegradable materials; where does the
trash go - landfills and incinerators. (d) Role of non-governmental organisations.

(b) Solid waste: options for the future. Self-explanatory.

(e) Technology that sustains.
Producing less waste, reusing, recycling,
composting, vermiculture, biotechnology; Satellite imagery as a means of monitoring
finding alternatives to materials we use. the global environment: satellite remote
sensing, advantages in collecting
9. Environment and Development environmental data, applying data in areas of
environmental damage as deforestation,
(a) Global environmental pollution.
desertification, land degradation, wastelands,
Who is responsible - developed or developing mining, ozone layer depletion and predicting
countries? Need for mutual cooperation. droughts and floods.
(b) Economic development and environmental The concept of alternate technology, adopting
degradation. alternate technology to create self-sustaining
societies in the developed and developing
Role of developed and developing countries;
world.
contrasting views of developed and
developing countries; debt trap. Role of biotechnology in achieving global
food security.
(c) International trade.
INTERNAL ASSESSMENT
Its link to environmental deterioration
unfair trade practices. A minimum of three assignments as prescribed by the
(d) Role of multinational corporations. teacher, need to be completed.
Definition of MNCs, their contribution to Suggested Assignments
development and debatable contribution to 1. Make a field study of the effect of human
environment; case study - Bhopal gas interaction on the natural environment and write a
tragedy; measures to regulate activities of project report (1500 words) on the likely impact
MNCs in developing countries. of the interaction on the global environment.
10. Towards a Sustainable Future 2. Prepare an original study/essay (2000 words) on
(a) Global interdependence economic and an area of the prescribed curriculum that is
environmental. indicative of his/her appreciation/concern for
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 environmental issues and make a functional model Award of marks (20 Marks)
to support the above.
Subject Teacher (Internal Examiner) 10 marks
External Examiner 10 marks
EVALUATION The total marks obtained out of 20 are to be sent to the
The assignments/project work are to be evaluated by Council by the Head of the school.
the subject teacher and by an External Examiner. The Head of the school will be responsible for the
(The External Examiner may be a teacher nominated entry of marks on the mark sheets provided by the
by the Head of the school, who could be from the Council.
faculty, but not teaching the subject in the
section/class. For example, a teacher of EVS of Class
VIII may be deputed to be an External Examiner for
Class X, Environmental Science projects.)
The Internal Examiner and the External Examiner will
assess the assignments independently.

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 INTERNAL ASSESSMENT IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE - GUIDELINES FOR MARKING WITH GRADES
Criteria Preparation Investigation/ Analysis/Inference Solutions Presentation Marks
Gathering Data Alternatives/
Innovations
Grade I Follows instructions with Is able to ask right Analyses Innovative Accurate. Feasible, 4 marks
understanding, modifies if questions. Knows whom systematically. Can ideas neat, well labelled
needed. Background to ask, when and how. see sequences or presented. diagrams. Index and
information correct. Level Can deal with more than correlation. Can Alternatives references given.
of awareness high. one variable. segregate fact from suggested.
opinion.
Grade II Follows instructions step- Is able to ask questions Makes observations Alternatives Accurate. Neat, well 3 marks
by-step. Awareness is and identify whom to ask correctly. Analysis presented. labelled diagrams,
good. Background when and how. Can fair. Innovative but index and references
information correct. handle two variables not practical. given.
only.

Grade III Follows simple instructions Needs help with the Observation - help Obvious A bit disorganised, 2 marks
only. Awareness basic. investigations. Has needed. Needs solutions but neat and
Background information suggestions but cannot guidance to see presented. Not accurate. Either
sketchy. decide. correlations or innovative. index or references
sequence. missing.

Grade IV Follows some instructions Needs to be told what Detailed instructions Thinks of Poorly organised. 1 mark
but confused. Has to be questions to be asked, required to draw solutions Some things
made aware. Background whom to ask or where to inferences. Charts under missing. Index and
information incorrect in gather the data from. have to be made. guidance. references missing.
places.

Grade V Confused about Gets stuck at every step. Even with help, Solutions not Overall impression 0 mark
instructions. Has to be Questionnaire has to be analysis is not clear. forthcoming. very poor. Not very
made aware. Needs help formulated. Takes teachers word accurate.
with background for it.
information.

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