CLASS X

There will be one paper of two hours duration (d) Development framework for poverty
carrying 80 marks and Internal Assessment of 20 alleviation.
marks.
Social mobilisation, agricultural
1. Controlling Air Pollution development, small-scale industries, human
development. Not to be tested, for knowledge
(a) From domestic combustion.
and understanding only.
Reducing pollution from domestic cooking;
clean cooking - kerosene as a desirable 3. Managing the Urban environment
cooking fuel in rural areas.
(a) Urbanisation - a challenge to the future.
(b) From industries.
Sustainable cities: the need of the hour.
Measures for controlling industrial air
(b) Planning environmental improvement.
pollution - technological measures (energy
efficient devices, clean technologies), Efficient land use, planning energy, shelter
meteorological controls; zoning strategy; and transport; water supply management,
penalties and subsidies; wastewater and sanitary waste management,
construction activities.
Case Study: the Taj Trapezium.
(c) Rural development to counter migration.
(c) From vehicles.
Self-explanatory.
Vehicle emission control - modify engine
design (catalytic converters, four stroke (d) Development of secondary cities to counter
engines), clean fuels, public transport options, migration.
traffic management, economic policy Self-explanatory.
measures.
(e) Community participation and contribution of
2. Addressing Population private enterprises.
(a) The link between growing population and Community participation in keeping
environmental degradation. surroundings clean, participation of private
UN’s population projections for 2050, the enterprises in city improvement, measures to
climate link, the choice of alternative futures. increase private enterprise participation.
Growing population in the developing
countries and rising consumption in the 4. Managing Soil and Land
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, fertilisers.
Malaysia). Not to be tested, for knowledge
and understanding only. Soil conservation techniques - land-use
management, vegetative and mechanical
(c) Strategies for controlling growth of practices, conserving soil and water together;
population. appropriate cropping systems – cropping
Strategies to include family planning and patterns (strip cropping), tree crops, and
birth control, health care, education, foliage crops.
economic development; women-centered
human development.

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 (b) Land reforms. Conservation tillage farming - meaning of
conservation tillage, advantages and
Meaning, measures enforced in India to give
disadvantages.
land to the landless.
Trickle drip irrigation – need for a trickle drip
(c) Integrated rural development.
irrigation system; operation of a drip
Objectives, self-help schemes like social and irrigation system; advantages and
community forestry. disadvantages.
(d) Role of women and community in New organic fertilizers – integrated nutrient
conservation. supply programme, organic fertilizers - bulky
organic manures, green manures, bio-
Self-explanatory.
fertilizers, and sewage sludge.
(e) Combating deforestation.
Gene banks – what are gene banks; objectives
Reforestation, energy plantations, forest of maintaining gene banks.
harvesting of non-timber forest products,
exploring alternative sources of livelihood, (b) Problem of global food security, food aid.
change in consumption patterns. Global food imbalance, distributional
inequality; role of food aid in achieving global
(f) Managing forest grazing.
food security.
Causes and consequences of overgrazing,
controlled forest grazing as in National 6. Biodiversity
Forest Policy, 1988.
(a) Biodiversity at risk due to human actions.
(g) Alternatives to timber.
Reasons for loss of biodiversity; Man - the
Recycling of timber and paper. super consumer: impact of his actions on the
earth’s resources; reasons for concern:
5. Food economic, ecological and aesthetic.
(a) Sustainable agriculture. (b) Conserving our genetic resource: in-situ and
Integrated pest management – understanding ex-situ; harvesting wildlife.
the term, aims, advantages, disadvantages. In-situ - wildlife sanctuaries, national parks
Genetically modified organisms, application and biosphere reserves.
in plants and animals and environmental Ex-situ – zoological parks, botanical gardens,
risks. gene banks in agricultural research centres
New crop strains – high yielding varieties and and forestry institutions.
their viability, hybrid varieties. Harvesting wildlife to meet commercial needs.
Mixed cropping – advantages and (c) Conservation strategies at national and
disadvantages; regenerative farming international levels.
techniques - intercropping, crop rotation,
agroforestry, polyvarietal cultivation and Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, Project Tiger
polyculture. 1973, IUCN, the Ramsar Convention on
Wetlands, 1971, CITES, The Convention on
Biological Diversity.

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7. Energy (d) Role of multinational corporations.
(a) Fossil fuels used to produce electricity. Definition of MNCs, their contribution to
development and debatable contribution to
Electricity: energy on demand; dwindling
environment; case study - Bhopal gas
supplies of fossil fuels; renewable and non- tragedy; measures to regulate activities of
renewable energy resources. Not to be tested, MNCs in developing countries.
for knowledge and understanding only.
(b) Nuclear energy. 10. Towards a Sustainable Future
Nuclear fission, advantages and (a) Global interdependence – economic and
disadvantages of nuclear energy; safety environmental.
concerns (the Chernobyl disaster); Concept of economic and environmental
nuclear fusion. global interdependence; global
(c) A sustainable energy future. environmental health – the shared
responsibility of nations; trade and aid as
Energy conservation; alternative energy ways of reducing world inequalities.
sources - solar energy, wind energy,
hydroelectricity, geothermal energy, biomass, (b) International cooperation.
liquid fuels from biomass- methanol, ethanol, The Montreal Protocol; the Global
gasohol, CNG, hydrogen. Environmental Facility (GEF) support; the
Earth Summit, UN’s International
8. Waste Conference on Population and Development
(a) Solid waste: the throwaway society. (Cairo); the Kyoto Treaty.

Solid waste, biodegradable and non- (c) Sustainable development.

biodegradable materials; where does the The concept of sustainable development,
trash go - landfills and incinerators. sustainable development and developed
countries; sustainable development and
(b) Solid waste: options for the future.
developing countries.
Producing less waste, reusing, recycling, (d) Role of non-governmental organisations.
composting, vermiculture, biotechnology;
finding alternatives to materials we use. Self-explanatory.
(e) Technology that sustains.
9. Environment and Development
Satellite imagery as a means of monitoring the
(a) Global environmental pollution. global environment: satellite remote sensing,
Who is responsible - developed or developing advantages in collecting environmental data,
countries? Need for mutual cooperation. applying data in areas of environmental
damage as deforestation, desertification, land
(b) Economic development and environmental degradation, wastelands, mining, ozone layer
degradation. depletion and predicting droughts and floods.
Role of developed and developing countries; The concept of alternate technology, adopting
contrasting views of developed and alternate technology to create self-sustaining
developing countries; debt trap. societies in the developed and developing
(c) International trade. world.
Its link to environmental deterioration – Role of biotechnology in achieving global
unfair trade practices. food security.

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 INTERNAL ASSESSMENT EVALUATION
A minimum of three assignments as prescribed by the The assignments/project work are to be evaluated by
teacher, need to be completed. the subject teacher and by an External Examiner.
(The External Examiner may be a teacher nominated
Suggested Assignments by the Head of the school, who could be from the
1. Make a field study of the effect of human faculty, but not teaching the subject in the
interaction on the natural environment and write a section/class. For example, a teacher of
project report (1500 words) on the likely impact of Environmental Science of Class XI may be deputed to
the interaction on the global environment. be an External Examiner for Class X, Environmental
Science projects.)
2. Prepare an original study/essay (2000 words) on
The Internal Examiner and the External Examiner will
an area of the prescribed curriculum that is
assess the assignments independently.
indicative of his/her appreciation/concern for
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
The total marks obtained out of 20 are to be sent to
CISCE by the Head of the school.
The Head of the school will be responsible for the
online entry of marks on CISCE’s CAREERS portal
by the due date.

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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 under Some things
made aware. Background whom to ask or where to inferences. Charts guidance. missing. Index and
information incorrect in gather the data from. have to be made. 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 teacher’s word accurate.
with background for it.
information.

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