The middle school years are a challenging and exciting time for boys and girls and Takshshela Junior College has a strong focus on health and wellbeing as this age group now enter their teens (adolescent) stage. Our aim is to guide our boys and girls through their adolescent growth in a safe and supportive environment.

Our middle school programme concentrates on personal growth, resilience and self confidence, with a strong focus on learning, our staff and specialist with their age group. They understand the enormous changes children undergo during this stage and have programmes in place to support each individual in their intellectual social and emotional growth.

Staff delivery programme that not only engage adolescent boys and girls, but respond to their particular learning and developing needs. Children in the middle school are introduced to a broad curriculum, which allows them to explore new areas of interest at the important times of there lives.

Middle School Courses And Subject Guide

Aims Of The Middle School

The middle school provides educational and culture experience that offer student opportunities to :-

•Develop an enquiring mind.

•Find purpose and enjoyment in learning.

•Value and appreciate excellence and opportunity, and

•Develop personal and professional skills of life in the context of the dynamic and challenging environment of India and its global context.

We Aim To EngenderIn Our Students :-

•Personal excellence of endeavour.

•An ability to relate to others in a positive and affirming manner.

•Self discipline and a responsible use of authority, in an environment which engages students, staff and families in co-operation and respect.

Our schools values are captured in the compass, the foundation symbol of Takshshela. Each value of ‘point’ is a focus each and every day. This occurs through our programmes designed to specifically cater for the development needs of boys and girls and/or the regular interaction between our staff and students.

The middle school learner profile outlines what students are encouraged to strive to be

Inquirers 
- Enjoys learning
- Curious, active, open minded, questioning and excited by the unknown
- Appreciate the importance of critical and creative thinking within the learning process.
- Use sound reasoning to make decisions.

Knowledgeable 
- Explore new skills, concepts, and issues of local and global significance and reflect upon them.
- Pursue personal excellence in literacy, numeracy and ICT skills
- Demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of intellectual and social diversity.

Communications 
- Express ideas confidently, fluently and appropriately in a wide range of terms.
- Listen to others with understanding and empathy.

Balanced 
- Appreciate the need for intellectual, spiritual, physical and emotional balance for a healthy and fulfilled life.
- Participate in a diverse range of academic, creative, sporting and community service activities.

Ethical
- Act with integenty and honesty with all interactions.
- Exhibit a principled engagement with local global community issues.
- Demonstrate empathy, compassion and respect for self and others.

Resilient
- Welcome new opportunities and challenges with courage and flexibility.
- Willing to take appropriate risks and persistent when faced with adversity.
- Take responsibility for own decision and actions.

Reflective
- Reflect on and evaluate own words, actions and learning
- Knowledge of own strength, and challenges.
- Understand the importance of growth as a person.

Collaborative 
- Enjoy working with others towards shared goals
- Demonstrate developed conflict resolution skills.
[Adopted from IBO learning profile (2006)]–

The middle school years : change and challenge.

The middle school year at Takshshela comprises years 6, 7, 8 and our philosophy across these vital years focuses on assisting students to effectively manage change and individual challenges. It looks at education that develops the full potential of the individual in a pastoral and educational level. We aim to create a challenging and stimulating environment. Exploring personal development, community, leadership and adventure are the key themes in the middle years which are a time of critical transition as our students develop from young boys and girls into men and women.

Our dynamic middle school curriculum offers a broad and diverse range of academic subjects and experience that will prepare students for the Takshshela Junior College Senior School. We aim to intellectually stimulate and personally support each student, in developing a life long love of learning. We encourage this by selecting a theme for each year that is appropriate to the development of young men and women.

The pastoral team at each year level assist students to foster self discipline, independence and a sense of community and seeks to build resilience in each student in preparation for the next stage of learning. A wide rage of co-curriculum activities are offered to middle schools students including, dance, music, choir and recreational sports. Additionally all students are encouraged to participate in a variety of form and house activities. We looks forward to welcoming and working with the young boys and girls of the middle school.

Year 6 – Transition :

Year 6th is a transitional stage for young people from primary into secondary school and a time for maturing and guidance. The pastoral programme from the 1st few weeks onwards, combined with the year 6 camp allows students to feel that they are in a safe learning environment and to develop a better awareness of themselves as individuals and of the dynamics of friendship.

Year 7 – Perception :

Year 7th, 8th is a time when students are beginning to take on challenges and are offered increased leadership opportunities. Students are carefully monitored and encouraged to develop and maintain good woking habits in preparation for a positive entry into year 8, the year 8th camp is an integral part of our ongoing outdoor educational programme, character building and group co-operation are two of the main aims of the camp.

Year 8 – Exploration :

Year 8th offers a dynamic programme where students may take risks in a controlled and safe environment. Year 8th is the final stage of middle school when students are experiencing more challenges withing their educational experiences. Year 8th students have opportunities to take on more leadership roles and this is particularly evident with the carry and outdoor education programme run at the school. Throughout year 8th students are encouraged to understand the needs of others and the pastoral programme is designed to foster responsibility, respect and a sense of balance in their lives.

Leadership in the middle School :

Leadership opportunities are available through many pursuits and avenues for our middle school students. Each pastoral group elects from leaders on a semester basis and these students work closely with their from teachers and class peers.
Year 7th and 8th students elect 4 house leaders per level for each of the 4 houses. These house leaders work actively to promote house events and participation both within the middle school and in co-operation with their senior college house leaders. Additionally leadership position exist at all year levels in co-curricular areas such as sustainability and sporting terms.
Year 7th and 8th students also effect year level leaders who play a larger role in assisting the year level coordination at assemblies and in presenting student driven ideas to staff. Our year level leaders are called the middle school leaders and they work closely with our most senior student leadership in the secondary school. All students receive leadership training, within the school and this is frequently supplemented by additional learning programmes.

Overview of the Middle School Curriculum :

Takshshela Middle School, comprehensive core curriculum at year 6 to 8 is both a philosophic and practical continuation of the junior school programme and a sound academic preparation for the post compulsory years of schooling. Students study several set subjects in each semester in order to concentrate them energies and to consolidate their learning. The NCERT learning standards and CBSE curriculum are reflected in the Takshshela Middle School curriculum as relevant.
Some subject traditionally offered for only two or three lessons per ten-day teaching cycle are consolidated into one block known as the rotating core for year 6, 7 and 8, some of the rotating core subjects are taught in smaller class groups to enable more effective use of the practical equipment and the more individualized teaching that these subjects require.
Health is offered for one semester per year over years 7 to 9 to complement the pastoral programmes, which focuses on life skills, health issues and adolescences education.
With both core and rotating core studies, as well as the students pastoral activities, enjoyment of their learning and academic development are essential.

In each subject the coursework is developed with the following aim :-

•To meet the needs of all students

•To assist students to work through core curriculum according to their ability

•To ensure that students do not feel unchallenged or bored in their learning

•To assist that students to develop effective learning strategies/independent learning skills.

•To assist in skills development

•To assist students to feel a sense of achievement in every ability group

•To encourage highly able students to engage in opportunities for extension and enhancement.

Enrichment is offered to all students though presentation by visitors, talks, workshops, competitions and excursions.

Assessment And Reporting :

Work at years 6, 7 and 8 is extensively commented upon as well as graded. This comments should be considered carefully by the students as advice regarding strengths and areas that need improvement on subsequent piece of work.

While there are no examination in years 7, 8 and 9 there are formal test of course and grades are given. These should be seen in the context of the total programme rather than as key indicators of the students ability. Takshshela Junior College grades on a 10-point A+ to E scale. All tasks are internally assessed by the subject teachers.

The Grading Scale is Reperesented by a to UG :

A. Work is of excellent standard (80%+)
B. Work is of good standard (70%+)
C. Work is of a satisfactory standard (60%+)
D. Work is of a minimum standard (50%+)
E. Work is below the minimum acceptable standard (40%+)
UG Work shown significant weakness in all areas (39% and below)

The Following Additional Symbols Are Used.

+ Higher standard with level of achievement.
NA - Not Assessed
NS  - Work not submitted 
LS  - Work submitted late resulting in no grade. 
ABS - Students absent during assessment task.

Throughout secondary school, we believe that listing individual grades on specific areas of assessment is a non valid indicator of a student progress then an overall composite grade for a subject. Formal reports are prepared twice a year at the end of each semester and formal parent/teachers interviews are held twice a year. Just prior to this meeting an interview report will be made available via the online parent portal at and each family will be given a user name and password. It is intended to act as a stimulus for this meeting.

YEAR 6, 7, 8 CORE SUBJECTS

English
Social Science
Science
Information and Communication Technology
Hindi
Mathematics
Music
Dance
Physical Education

The study of English provides all students with the opportunity to experience both a sense of challenge and a sense of achievement. This, in turn, assists in the development in students of a positive attitude towards the use of language, confidence in expression, and a sense of their own individual worth and competence that will enable them to respond effectively and appropriately to their society. English plays a key role in the development of the individual as a person and in preparing the student for taking on her roles in society.

This involves :

INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT :

Language is a key tool and a necessary prerequisite for the acquisition of knowledge and skills. It plays an important role in the representation of experience and in the development and refining of ideas.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT :

The study of language contributes to students’ personal development by providing, through literature, the means by which they can confront and investigate life experiences and problems. The study of English develops the skills necessary for effective reading, writing, listening and oral expression by encouraging creative thought and appropriate language use.

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT :

The study of language dcevelops the communication and analytical skills necessary for participation in society, both socially and in practical terms. Further, and more importantly, the study of English fosters greater understanding of others and so encourages more mature responses to real-life situations.

VOCATIONAL AND ACADEMIC PREPARATION :

The study of language provides students with the skills to obtain the educational qualifications necessary for securing a satisfying occupation by given students the communication skills necessary to meet the demands of prospective employers.
The study of language also assists students to acquire the language and analytical skills necessary for the pursuit of tertiary studies.

English at Takshshela Junior College, therefore, serves both cultural and practical ends :
1. Through the appreciation of literature it leads students to a greater understanding of life, of themselves as individuals, of other people, and of society.
2. It prepares students for active participation in their society through the acquisition and development of appropriate language and communication skills.

YEARS 6 ENGLISH :

At Takshshela Junior College, the focus in English is on developing literacy through explicitly targets teaching activities which cater for all levels of ability. Each year level teaching team ensures the program is consistent across all classes, meets the individual need of all students, and provides students with the necessary skills and knowledge to equip them for studying the available course pathways.

Within the framework of the philosophy of Takshshela Junior College during the Middle School years, English seeks to :

•develop students’ understanding of the ways language varies according to its context, purpose, audience and content.

•offer a board range of writing experiences with an emphasis on creating personal, descriptive, creative, informative and argumentative pieces.

•develop literacy skills by offering set differentiated units focusing on skills such as spelling, grammar, punctuation and comprehension, as well as an introduction to literary terms and more advanced literacy skills such as language analysis.

•offer a range of challenging literary set texts such as contemporary and classic novels, plays, short stories, films and poetry and are assessed on their reading, writing and speaking skills in response to these texts. Each year level has a differentiated wide reading program for each term.

•provide frequent and varied opportunities to speak effectively. Emphasis is given to prepared and impromptu speeches, debates, role plays and group discussion.

YEAR 7 ENGLISH :

The year 6 English course aims to encourage an active engagement by students in the three basic areas of English : speaking, writing and reading. The emphasis is on consolidating and expensing students’ knowledge and understanding of a range of texts, while also experimenting with a variety of writing styles to reflect their learning. Students regularly practice and develop their speaking skills and are explicitly taught formal grammar and spelling.

AREAS OF STUDY :

•Oral communication

•Reading and responding to literature

•Writing

•Basic skills of grammar, spelling and punctuation

ASSESSMENT :

•Speaking : debates, speeches, classroom discussion and role play

•Writing : autobiographies, narratives, descriptive writing, creative and analytical responses to literature and film, migrant history stories, children’s story books, persuasive writing pieces

•Reading: a wide reading log, responses to literature, comprehension tasks

•Skills : grammar exercises from the successful English text, grammar tests, spelling/vocabulary exercises and tests.

YEAR 8 ENGLISH :

The year 8 English course aims to consolidate and expand the knowledge and understanding joined in year 7 in the 3 basis areas of English ; Speaking and listening, writing and reading. The emphasis is an the importance of stories of our lives and the engagement of the Students with a range of classic and contemporary texts. The course also encourages Students to experiment with a variety of writing styles to reflect their thought processes and their learning.

ASSESSMENT :

•Reading : the study of class novels, both classic and contemporary and responses to poetry.

•Text responses : creative and analytical responses to literature and film text.

•Wide reading : a range of differentiated wide reading tasks.

•Writing : creative, descriptive, personal / reflective, prose and poetry, analytical essays, persuasive / argumentative.

•Speaking and listening : a range of formal and informal oral presentations, poetry recital using Power Point, participation in group discussions, impromptu and prepared persuasive speeches and debate.

•Skills : grammar exercises, weekly spelling / vocabulary exercises and texts.

YEAR 6 SOCIAL SCIENCE :

HISTORY :

The essentially chronological structure of the courses enables students to successfully understand the concept of charge and continuity over time. By tracing the growth of civilization and the development of human race from prehistoric through to the present, students can begin to come to terms with the importance of earlier societies, their political, social and economic structures, and individual’s achievements and actions.
This helps students to understand how the post has influenced the present world in which we live, History also develops an understanding of the concepts of cause and effect, motivation and empathy with people in different times and places, It fosters the skills of comprehension, expression, research, reasoning, analysis and the interpretation of written and visual sources. All the courses offered aim to promote a lifelong interest in the study of history.
History remains a core subject in year 10 and then there are a variety of pathways a student may take. History subjects are excellent choices for those students who are interested in pursuing career paths in law, journalism, international relations, teaching, media, drama, writing, publishing, film and television producing, archaeology, anthropology, criminology, museum and library, management, research, public relations, administration and charity organizations.

YEAR 6 HISTORY :

PERIOD OF STUDY – 2 SEMESTERS

For may students this may be their first formal encounter with History and the course is designed to capture their imagination and interest. They learn about ancient societies and they are fascinated by their content. Students investigate daily life, the division of labour between man and woman, education, rituals and family.
They explore the values and beliefs of these societies through their religions, might and legends, and their social and political structures. Students examine the ways the culture was expressed through and music, literature drama and festivals and the influence of trade. The historical knowledge and understanding is a vital part of the education of any students.
It gives them a broad historical map and enables them to see the enormous cultural influence of the ancient period on subsequent eras, including contemporary India.
Students are introduced to the concepts of autocracy, democracy, governance, the rule of law, justice, religion, liberty, authority, readership, culture, feudalism and citizenship. They become the past, they use a range of primary and secondary sources, both written and visual and begin to evaluate them for meaning, point of view, values and altitudes. Students reflect on some of the strengths and limitations of historical documents. This fosters historical reasons and interpretation and they start to use historical conventions to document sources.

YEAR 7 : OUR PASTS

RATIONALE

Students need to see history not simply as a set of facts about the past-economic, social, political, and cultural-but that they have to learn to think historically. Students have to acquire a capacity to make interconnections between processes and events, between developments in one place and another, and see the link between histories of different groups and societies.

OBJECTIVES

1. Provide a general idea of the developments within these periods of history. This can be achieved by presenting a broad overview of a theme and a detailed case study. Care will be taken to avoid an excess of detail which can burden textbooks.

AN INTRODUCTION TO HISTORY WHEN, WHERE AND HOW

•(a) Familiarize the student with the changing names of the land

•scuss broad historical trends

•Give examples of the kinds of sources that historians use for studying the period.
E.g., buildings, chronicles, paintings, coins, inscriptions, music, documents, literature

NEW KINGS AND KINGDOMS

•Trace the patterns of political developments and military conquests – Gurjara Pratiharas, Rashtrakutas, Palas, Chahamanas, Ghaznavids

•Develop an understanding of the connections between political and economic processes through the exploration of one specific example

•Illustrate how inscriptions are used to reconstruct history

THE SULTANS OF DELHI

•Outline the development of political institutions and relationships amongst rulers

•Understand strategies of military control and resource mobilization

•how travellers’ accounts, court chronicles and historic buildings are used to write history

THE CREATION OF AN EMPIRE

•Trace the political history of the 16th and 17th centuries

•Understand the impact of an imperial administration at the local and regional levels

•Illustrate how the Akbarnamaand the Ain-I-Akbari are used to reconstruct history

ARCHITECTURE AS POWER : FORTS AND SACRED PLACES

•Convey a sense of the range of materials, skills and styles used to build: waterwords, places of worship, palaces and havelies, forts, gardens

•Understand the engineering and construction skills, artisanal organization and resources required for building works

•Illustrate how contemporary documents, inscriptions, and the actual buildings can be used to reconstruct history

TOWNS, TRADERS AND CRAFTSMEN

•Trace the origins and histories of towns, many of which survive today

•Demonstrate the differences between founded towns and those that grow as a result of trade

•Illustrate how travellers’ accounts, inscriptions, and the actual buildings can be used to reconstruct history

SOCIAL CHANGE : MOBILE AND SETTLED COMMUNITIES

•Convey an idea of long-term social change and movements of people in the subcontinent

•Understand political developments in specific regions

•Illustrate how anthropological studies, inscriptions and chronicles are used to write history

POPULAR BELIEFS AND RELIGIOUS DEBATES

•Indicate the major religious ideas and practices that began during this period

•Understand how Kabir and Guru Nanak challenged formal religions

•Illustrate hos traditions preserved in texts and oral traditions are used to reconstruct history

THE FLOWERING OF REGIONAL CULTURES

•Provide a sense of the development of regional cultural forms, including ‘classical’ forms of dance and music

•Illustrate how texts in a regional language can be used to reconstruct history

NEW POLITICAL FORMATIONS IN THE 18TH CENTURY

•Delineate developments related to the Sikhs, Rajputs, Marathas, Later Mughals, Nawabs of Awadh and Bengal and Nizam of Hyderabad.

•Understand how the Marathas expanded their area of control

•Illustrate how travellers’ accounts and state archives can be used to reconstruct history

YEAR 7 : THE EARTH-OUR HABITAT

RATIONALE

Geography is an integral components of social science. At this stage learners are introduced to the basic concepts necessary for understanding the world in which they live. Geography will be introduced to promote the understanding of interdependence of various regions and countries. The child will be introduced to contemporary issues such as global distribution of economic resources, gender, marginalized groups, and environment and the ongoing process of globalization. The course at this stage comprises the study of the earth as the habitat of humankind, study of the environment, resources and development at different scales-local, regional, national and the world.

OBJECTIVES

THE MAJOR OBJECTIVES OF THE COURSE ARE TO :

•Develop an understanding about the earth as the habitat of humankind and other forms of life

•Initiate the learner into a study of her or his own region, state and country in the global context

•Introduce the global distribution of economic resources and the ongoing process of globalization

•Promote the understanding of interdependence of various regions and countries

ENVIRONMENT IN ITS TOTALITY

To understand the environment in its totality including both natural and human components Periods 6

NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

To explain the components of the natural environment
To appreciate the interdependence of these components and their importance in our life
To appreciate and develop sensitivity towards environments Periods 12

AIR

To understand about the atmosphere and its elements Periods 10

WATER

To know about the distribution of water on the earth Periods 10

NATURAL VEGETATION AND WILDLIFE

To find out the nature of diverse flora and fauna Periods 5

HUMAN ENVIRONMENT

To explain the relationship between the natural environment and human habitation
To appreciate the need for transport and communication for development of the community
To be familiar with the new developments making today’s world a global society Periods 7

HUMAN ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION

To understand the complex interrelationship of human and natural environment
To compare life in one’s own surrounding with life of other environmental settings
To appreciate the cultural differences which are an outcome of interaction between human beings and their environment Periods 15

YEAR 7 : DIVERSITY AND INTERDEPENDENCE

RATIONALE

Democracy and equality are the key ideas to be engaged with this year. The efforts is to introduce the learner to certain core concepts, such as equality, dignity, rule of law, etc. that influence democracy as a political system. The role of the Constitution as a document that provides the guiding framework to function in a democratic manner is emphasized. This section deals with making the link between democracy and how it manifests itself in institutional systems in a concrete and live manner through case studies and real experiences. The objective is not to represent democracy as a fixed idea or system, but one that is changing and evolving. The learners are introduced to a wide range of institutions-the government, the bureaucracy and civil society organizations like the media-so that they can develop a broad understanding of the relationship between the state and citizens.

Equality as a value is explored in some detail, where its relationship with democracy is highlighted and the challenges or questions it raises on inequities and hierarchies that exist at present in society are also discussed. An analysis of everyday experiences in the domain of gender enables the learner to understand how these are related to the creation of differences that are discriminatory in nature.

OBJECTIVES

The specific objectives of the course, where it is not clear from the rationale of the approach, are indicated beside the themes to be taught in the course.

UNIT 1 : DEMOCRACY

To enable students to :

•develop an understanding of the rule of law and our involvement with the law

•understand the Constitution as the primary source of all laws

•develop the ability to distinguish between different systems of power

•understand the importance of the idea of equality and dignity in democracy

•develop links between the values and ideas of democracy and the institutional forms and processes associated with it

•understand democracy as representative government

•understand the vision and the values of the Constitution

UNIT 2 : STATE GOVERNMENT

To enable students to :

•gain a sense of the nature of decision-making within state government

•understand the domain of power and authority exercised by the state government over people’s lives

•gain a critical sense of the politics underlying the provision of services or the distribution of resources

UNIT 3 : UNDERSTANDING MEDIA

To enable students to :

•understand the role of the media in facilitating interaction between the government and citizens

•gain a sense that government is accountable to its citizens

•understand the link between information and power

•gain a critical sense of the impact of media on people’s lives and choices

•appreciate the significance of people’s movements in gaining this right

UNIT 4 : UNPACKING GENDER

To enable students to :

•understand that gender is a social construct and not determined by biological difference

•learn to interrogate gender constructions in different social and economic contexts

•be able to link everyday practices with the creation of inequality and question it

UNIT 5 : MARKETS AROUND US

To enable students to :

•understand markets and their relation to everyday life

•understand markets and their function to link scattered producers and consumers

YEAR 8 : OUR PASTS

RATIONALE

From Class VI all students would read history as a component of social science. This component has been devised in a way that would help students develop a historical sensibility and awareness of the significance of history. The assumption has been that students need to see history not simply as a set of facts about the past-economic, social, political and cultural-but that they have to learn to think historically. Students have to acquire a capacity to make interconnections between processes and events, between developments in one place and another, and see the link between histories of different groups and societies.
In these three years (VI-VIII) the focus would be primarily on Indian history, from the earliest times to the present. Each year one chronological span of time would be studied. The effort would be to understand some of the social, economic, political and cultural processes within them.

OBJECTIVES

•Provide a general idea of the developments within these periods of history. This can be achieved by presenting a broad overview of a these and a detailed case study. Care will be taken to avoid an excess of detail which can burden textbooks.

OBJECTIVES

AN INTRODUCTION TO HISTORY EXPLAIN THE SPECIFIC NATURE OF THE DISCIPLINE

•Introduce the changing nomenclature of the subcontinent and regions

•Delineate major developments within the time frame

•Suggest how the sources of study for this period are different to those of earlier periods

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF COMPANY POWER

•Unravel the story of a trading company becoming a political power

•Show how the consolidation of British power was linked to the formation of colonial armies and administrative structures

RURAL LIFE AND SOCIETY

•Provide a broad view of changes within rural society through a focus on two contrasting regions

•Show the continuities and changes with earlier societies

•Discuss how growth of new crops often disrupted the rhythms of peasant life and led to revolts

COLONIALISM AND TRIBAL SOCIETIES

•Discuss different forms of tribal societies

•Show how government records can be read against the grain to reconstruct histories of tribal revolts

CRAFTS AND INDUSTRIES

•Familiarize students with the processes of de-industrialization and industrialization

•Give an idea of the technologies of weaving and the lives of weavers

THE REVOLT OF 1857-58

•Discuss how revolts originate and spread

•Point to the changes in colonial rule after 1857

•how vernacular and British accounts can be read to understand the rebellion

EDUCATION AND BRITISH RULE

•Show how the educational system that is seen as universal and normal today has a history

•Discuss how the politics of education is linked to questions of power and cultural identity

WOMEN AND REFORM

•Discuss why so many reformers focused on the women’s question, and how they visualized a change in women’s conditions

•Outline the history of new laws that affect women’s lives

•Illustrate how autobiographies, biographies and other literature can be used to reconstruct the histories of women

CHALLENGING THE CASTE SYSTEM

•Familiarize students with the biographies and writings of individuals who sought to criticize and reform the caste system

•Discuss why the question of caste was central to most projects of social reform

COLONIALISM AND URBAN CHANGE

•Outline the nature of urban development in the 19th and 20th centuries

•Introduce students to the history of urban spaces through photographs

•Show how new forms of towns emerged in the colonial period

CHANGES IN THE ARTS-PAINTING, LITERATURE, ARCHITECTURE

•Outline the major developments in the sphere of arts

•Discuss how these changes are linked to the emergence of a new public culture

•Illustrate how paintings and photographs can be used to understand the cultural history of a period

THE NATIONALIST MOVEMENT

•Outline the major developments within the national movement and focus on a detailed study of one major event

•Show how contemporary writings and documents can be used to reconstruct the histories of political movements

INDIA AFTER INDEPENDENCE

•Discuss the successes and failures of the Indian democracy in the last fifty years

•Illustrate how newspapers and recent writings can be used to understand contemporary history

YEAR 8 : RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

RATIONALE

Geography is an integral component of social science. At this stage learners are introduced to the basic concepts necessary for understanding the world in which they live. Geography will be introduced to promote the understanding of interdependence of various regions and countries. The child will be introduced to the contemporary issues such as global distribution of economic resources, gender, marginalized groups, and environment and ongoing process of globalization. The course at this stage comprises the study of the earth as the habitat of humankind, the study of the environment, resources and development at different scales-local, regional or national and the world.

OBJECTIVES

THE MAJOR OBJECTIVES OF THE COURSE ARE TO :

•Develop an understanding about the earth as the habitat of humankind and other forms of life.

•Initiate the learner into a study of her or his own region, state and country in the global context.

•Introduce the global distribution of economic resources and the ongoing process of globalization.

•Promote the understanding of interdependence of various regions and countries.

RESOURCES :

To know the meanings of resources, their variety, location and distribution Periods 10

NATURAL RESOURCES :

To understand the importance of resources in our life
To appreciate the judicious use of resources for sustainable development
To develop awareness towards resources, conservation, and take initiative towards the conservation process Periods 14

AGRICULTURE :

Learn about various types of farming and agricultural development in two different regions Periods 15

INDUSTRIES :

To understand important forms of manufacturing industries Periods 14

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (BENGALURU AND SILICON VALLEY) :

To understand the role of human resources in the development of the nation’s economy Periods 12

YEAR 8 : RULE OF LAW AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

RATIONALE

The theme of law and social justice for Class 8 attempts to connect constitutional values and vision to the reality of contemporary India and to look at the Constitution as an inspiring and evolving document. Some provisions of the Constitution relating to fundamental rights, parliamentary form of government, role of the judiciary and economic role of government are the topics discussed in this light. The attempt is to move from listing rules and functions to discussing some of the key idea underlying the working of these institutions. The role of people as desiring and striving for a just society and hence, responding and evolving laws and structures that govern us is brought forth.

OBJECTIVES

The specific objectives of the course, where it is not clear from the rationale of the approach, are indicated beside the themes to be taught in the course.

UNIT 1 : THE CONSTITUTION

To enable students to :

•develop an understanding of the rule of law and our involvement with the law

•understand the Constitution as the primary source of all our laws

•understand laws as evolving and subject to change

•understand the vision and the values of the Constitution

•develop an appreciation of human rights guaranteed in the Constitution

•appreciate our continuous involvement with the Constitution as a living document

UNIT 2 : PARLIAMENTARY GOVERNMENT

To enable students to :
understand why India chose a parliamentary form of government
gain a sense or rationale of the essential elements of the parliamentary form of government
analyse the role of people’s agency in placing demands for legislation
understand the ways in which the government and other groups respond to such issues

UNIT 3 : THE JUDICIARY

To enable students to :
Understand the main elements of our judicial structure
Appreciate the need for the processes followed
Understand what an FIR is and how to file one

UNIT 4 : SOCIAL JUSTICE AND THE MARGINALIZED

To enable students to :

•understand what is meant by ‘marginalized’

•gain a critical understanding of social and economic injustices

•develop skills to analyze an argument from the marginalized point of view

UNIT 5 : ECONOMIC PRESENCE OF THE GOVERNMENT

To enable students to :

•Think about the role of government in the economic sphere

•See some links between people’s aspirations and needs and role of the government