Curriculum and Syllabus for Classes XI & XII

Geography

Class XII

Class XI

One Paper 3 Hours  70 Marks
 

THEORY PAPER        Units         Group A : Physical Geography

1. Introduction 3 Marks 34 Periods
(i) Geography as a discipline -Its meaning, importance, scope and method of study.
(ii) Field of Physical Geography - Origin of the earth, its evolution, distribution and evolution of continent and oceans, physical phenomena as a global system,
2. Lithosphere 10 Marks  34 Periods
(i) Structure of the earth and interior of the earth.
(ii)  Materials of the earth's crust, rock, their major types, minerals.
(iii) Landforms -their types and significance.
(iv) Endogenous processes - Vertical and horizontal earth movements-Earthquakes and volcanoes.
(v)

Exogenous processes-The process of gradation, aggradation and degradation, weathering and erosion, fluvial processes, erosional and depositional features associated with rivers, normal cycle of erosion.
 (vi) Exogenous processes - The work of wind, waves and glaciers, erosional and depositional features of respective landscapes.
(vii) Underground water, water table, wells, artesian wells, springs, and geyser landscape development in limestone region.
(vii) Soils -Their significance, soil profile, its characteristics and formation, classification of soils and their world distribution.
3. Atmosphere 10 Marks 34 Periods
(i)

 Introduction of atmosphere, structure and composition of the atmosphere increasing - human capability in the observation of atmosphere processes.
(ii)

Insolation and temperature - Factors controlling distribution of insolasion, beating and cooling of atmosphere, convection, terrestrial radiation, advection, heat budget of the earth, factors controlling temperature; distribution of temperature, horizontal and vertical distribution, inversion of temperature.
 (iii)

Atmospheric pressure- Its horizontal and vertical distribution, pressure belts, winds planetary, periodic and local winds, air masses, high altitude winds-jet streams.
 
(vi)

Moisture-humidity evaporation, condensation, forms of condensation - dew, frost,fog, mist and clouds, precipitation-forms and types, world distribution of rainfall.
(v) Keoppin's classification of world climate, climate and man.
4. Hydrosphere 4 Marks 15 Periods
(i) The profile of ocean basins, submarine relief.
(ii) Horizontal and vertical distribution of temperature in the ocean
waterwaves, currents, tides.
(iii) Flora and fauna of the ocean-basins, ocean deposits.
(iv) Man and the ocean - marine resources and their values to man.
5. Biosphere 3 Marks 8 Periods
(i) Nature of the biosphere - The concept of ecosystem, energy flow, pyramid of
numbers, ecological Balance.
(ii) Impect of man on the ecosystem - resource deterioration, depletion and
environmental pollution.

Group B : Principles of Geography
(Economic and Human)

6. Natural Resources 10 Marks 37 Periods
(i) Natural resources and their classification based on expandability ,
state of occurrence and utility.
(ii) Renewable Resources - Forest and fisheries,
  (a) Forest Resources - Location, gathering , hunting and lumbering activities of man.
  (b) Fisheries - Location , types, world distribution and problems in utilisation.
(iii) Renewable Resources - Grasslands and pastoral resources, grassland and their location types and world distribution, nomadic, subsistence and commercial types of cattle and sheep raising in the world :Core studies of Masai cattle herders of East Africa and cattle rearing in New Zealand.
(iv) Exhaustable Resources - Minerals : distribution and production and of iron
ore, copper and bauxite.
(v) Power Resources - Exhaustable and renewable and renewable power resources, Distribution and production of coal , petroleum, uranium, thorium and water power, non conventional sources of energy.
(vi) Conservation of Natural Resource - Need to conserve, way and means to conserve.
7. Utilisation of Natural  Resources 10 Marks 37 Periods
(i) Utilisation of natural resources with reference to basic human needs : Primary,secondary and tertiary sectors of economy and major human occupation.
(ii) Agriculture-types viz. shifting and sedentary, intensive and extensive,subsistence and commercial, mixed and dairy farming, track farming and horticulture, individual, co-operative and collective farming.
(iii) Agriculture products- rice, wheat, oilseeds, tea, coffee,sugarcane and sugarbeet, cotton and rubber ( distributional pattern, production and trade ).
(iv) Industries- major industrial regions of the world, with special reference to North America , Europe , Asia , former U.S.S R., Africa and Japan.
(v)  Current trends in the location of industries, some major industries of the world iron and steel, chemical industry with special reference to petro- chemicals, and the textiles, protecting air and water pollution.
8. Transport and Communication 5 Marks 14 Periods
(i) Land transport-Highways, transcontinental railways.
(ii) Water transport - Inland waterways and major ocean routes, Suez and Panama Canal routes.
(iii) Air transport - the shrinking world, intercontinental air routes.
(iv) Oil pipelines.
(v) Communication- Satellite communication.
(vi) International trade-Its basis and current trends with reference to exports and imports, ports as gateways of international trade.
9. Population and Settlement Population 10 Marks 15 Periods
(a) Distribution and density.
(b) Growth-Regional variations in growth rates, trends.
(c) Demographic structure - age, sex, composition, urban-rural literacy and occupation.
(d) Impact of population growth on economic development.
  Settlements
  Urban settlement forms, functional type, structure of cities, rural settlements types with example,patterns and functions, urban-rural relationship.
10. Map Work on World 5 Marks 12 Periods

  PRACTICAL PAPER

One Paper  3 Hours 30 Marks
  Practical work 15 Marks  
  Practical Record Book 5 Marks  
  Surveying 5 Marks  
  Viva- Voce 5 Marks  
  Total  30 Marks  

  
1. Scale

Methods or representation, plain scale, comparative scale time scale and diagonal scale, reduction and enlargement of maps ( square method).

2. Contours

Methods of showing relief on maps by contours, interpolation of contours; identification of simple relief features from the contours on a map ; drawing crosssection and profile.

3. Map Projection

Map projection, their uses , choice and limitations , graphical construction of simple cylindrical and cylindrical equal area projection, conical projection with one standard parallel and polar zenithal gnomonic stereographic and equidistant projections.

4. (a) Observing and recording of various weather elements with the help of the following
instruments :
  (i) Six's Maximum and minimum Thermometer.
(ii) Aneroid and Fortin Barometer.
(iii) Wet and dry bulb thermometer.
(iv) Wind vane
(v) Rain gauge.
  (b) Map reading :

Identification or recognition of symbols or conventional signs used on at lases and topographic sheets of the survey of India and other maps and sings and symbols on weather maps. Study of survey of India topographical maps and Indian daily weather map issued by the Indian Meteorological Department.

5. Surveying

Elementary principles, preparing plans of school compound or small area with the help Chain and tape , over- coming obstructions, slopes and impenetrable areas.

Books Recomended

1. Principles of Geography by M.K.Qureshi - NCERT
2. principles of Geography Part I - NCERT
3. Principles of Geography Part II - NCERT
4. Field Work and Laboratory - NCERT.