Course Structure

First Term Units

Unit I: Matter – Nature and Behaviour

Definition of matter; solid, liquid and gas; characteristics – shape, volume, density; change of state-melting (absorption of heat), freezing, evaporation (cooling by evaporation), condensation, sublimation.

Nature of matter: Elements, compounds and mixtures. Heterogenous and homogenous mixtures, colloids and suspensions.

Unit II: Organization in the Living World

Cell – Basic Unit of life: Cell as a basic unit of life; prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, multicellular organisms; cell membrane and cell wall, cell organelles; chloroplast, mitochondria, vacuoles, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus; nucleus, chromosomes – basic structure, number.

Tissues, Organs, Organ System, Organism: Structure and functions of animal and plant tissues (four types in animals; meristematic and permanent tissues in plants).

Unit III: Motion, Force and Work

Motion: Distance and displacement, velocity; uniform and non-uniform motion along a straight line; acceleration, distance-time and velocity-time graphs for uniform motion and uniformly accelerated motion, equations of motion by graphical method; elementary idea of uniform circular motion.

Force and Newton’s laws: Force and motion, Newton’s laws of motion, inertia of a body, inertia and mass, momentum, force and acceleration. Elementary idea of conservation of momentum, action and reaction forces.

Gravitation: Gravitation; universal law of gravitation, force of gravitation of the earth (gravity), acceleration due to gravity; mass and weight; free fall.

Unit V: Food Production

Plant and animal breeding and selection for quality improvement and management; use of fertilizers, manures; protection from pests and diseases; organic farming.

Second Term Units

Unit I: Matter – Its Nature and Behaviour

Particle nature, basic units: atoms and molecules. Law of constant proportions. Atomic and molecular masses.

Mole Concept: Relationship of mole to mass of the particles and numbers. Valency. Chemical formula of common compounds.

Structure of atom: Electrons, protons and neutrons; Isotopes and isobars.

Unit II: Organization in the Living World

Biological Diversity: Diversity of plants and animals – basic issues in scientific naming, basis of classification. Hierarchy of categories / groups, Major groups of plants (salient features) (Bacteria, Thalophyta, Bryo phyta, Pteridophyta, gymnosperms and Angiosperms). Major groups of animals (salient features) (Non-chordates upto phyla and chordates upto classes).

Health and Diseases: Health and its failure. Infectious and Non-infectious diseases, their causes and manifestation. Diseases caused by microbes (Virus, Bacteria and protozoans) and their prevention, Principles of treatment and prevention. Pulse Polio programmes.

Unit III: Motion, Force and Work

Floatation: Thrust and pressure. Archimedes’ principle, buoyancy, elementary idea of relative density.

Work, energy and power: Work done by a force, energy, power; kinetic and potential energy; law of conservation of energy.

Sound: Nature of sound and its propagation in various media, speed of sound, range of hearing in humans; ultrasound; reflection of sound; echo and SONAR. Structure of the human ear (auditory aspect only).

Unit IV: Our environment

Physical resources: Air, Water, Soil. Air for respiration, for combustion, for moderating temperatures; movements of air and its role in bringing rains across India. Air, water and soil pollution (brief introduction). Holes in ozone layer and the probable damages.

Bio-geo chemical cycles in nature: Water, oxygen, carbon and nitrogen.

First Term Practicals

1. To test (a) the presence of starch in the given food sample, (b) the presence of the adulterant metanil yellow in dal.

2. To prepare:

• a) a true solution of common salt, sugar and alum
• b) a suspension of soil, chalk powder and fine sand in water
• c) a colloidal solution of starch in water and egg albumin/milk in water and distinguish between these on the basis of
  • transparency
  • filtration criterion
  • stability

3. To prepare

• a) a mixture
• b) a compound

using iron filings and sulphur powder and distinguish between these on the basis of:

• i. appearance, i.e., homogeneity and heterogeneity
• ii. behaviour towards a magnet
• iii. behaviour towards carbon disulphide as a solvent
• iv. effect of heat

4. To carry out the following reactions and classify them as physical or chemical changes:

• a. Iron with copper sulphate solution in water
• b. Burning of magnesium in air
• c. Zinc with dilute sulphuric acid
• d. Heating of copper sulphate
• e. Sodium sulphate with barium chloride in the form of their solutions in water

5. To prepare stained temporary mounts of (a) onion peel and (b) human cheek cells and to record observations and draw their labeled diagrams.

6. To identify parenchyma and sclerenchyma tissues in plants, striped muscle fibers and nerve cells in animals, from prepared slides and to draw their labeled diagrams.

7. To separate the components of a mixture of sand, common salt and ammonium chloride (or camphor) by sublimation.

8. To determine the melting point of ice and the boiling point of water.

9. To establish relationship between weight of a rectangular wooden block lying on a horizontal table and the minimum force required to just move it using a spring balance.

10. To determine the mass percentage of water imbibed by raisins.