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Syllabus of Higher Secondary
Standard - 11 & 12
(General Stream - English Medium)
Implemented From June - 2004 in Standard - 11, Implemented From June - 2005 in Standard - 12

Geography (148)

Standard: 11

A. Fundamentals of Physical Geography

Unit I : Geography as a Discipline

• Geography as an Integrating discipline, as a science of spatial attributes;

• branches of geography: importance of physical geography.

Unit II : The Earth

• Origin and evolution of the earth; continents and oceans; interior of the earth; Wegener's continental drift theory, theory of plate tectonics; earthquakes and volcanoes;

• Rocks and minerals - major types; soils - formation, major types and characteristics.

Unit III : Landforms

• Concepts of evolution of landforms; typology of landforms;

• Geomorphic processes - weathering and mass wasting, erosion and deposition.

Unit IV : Climate

• Atmosphere - composition and structure; elements of weather and climate;

• Insolation - angle of incidence and distribution; heat budget of the earth - heating and cooling of atmosphere, conduction, convection, *terrestrial radiation, advection; temperature -factors controlling temperature; distribution of temperature - horizontal and vertical; In-version of temperature;

• Pressure - pressure belts; winds - planetary, periodic and local; air masses, fronts and cyclones;

• Precipitation - evaporation: condensation -dew, frost, fog, mist and cloud; rainfall - convectional, orographic and cyclonic; world distribution of rainfall;

• World climates - classification (Trewartha); greenhouse effect, global warming and global climatic changes.

Unit V : Water (Oceans)

• Distribution of water bodies on the earth's surface, hydrological cycle;

• Oceans - submarine relief: distribution of temperature and salinity; movements of ocean water - waves, tides and currents.

Unit VI : Life on the Earth

• Biosphere - Its functioning; Importance of plants and other organisms; biodiversity and conservation; ecosystems, energy flow, and ecological balance.

B. Practical Work

Unit 1: Fundamentals of Maps

• Maps - types; scale - types; construction of linear scales, measuring distance, finding direction and use of symbols

• Latitude, Longitude and time

• Map projection: types, construction and properties of conical with one standard parallel and Mercator's projection.

A. India. - Physical Environment

Unit I : Introduction

• Location - as a factor In shaping India's place in the world;

• Geological history.

Unit II : Physiography

• Geological structure and Relief Features;

• Drainage systems - the Himalayan and the Peninsular; concept of water sheds;

• Physiographic divisions.

Unit III : Climate, Vegetation and Soil

• Weather and climate - spatial and temporal distribution of temperature, pressure, winds and rainfall; Indian monsoons: mechanism, onset and variability - spatial and temporal; climatic types;

• Natural vegetation-biotic resources; forest -types and distribution; wild life; conservation and management; biosphere reserves;

• Soils - major types (ICAR's classification) and their distribution, soil deterioration, conservation and management.

Unit IV : Natural Hazards and Disasters: Causes and Consequences

• earthquakes

• landslides

• droughts

• floods and cyclones

B. Practical Work

Unit II : Topographic and Weather Maps

• Study of topographic maps (1:50,000 or 1:25,000, Survey of India maps) contour cross-section and identification of landforms, hills, valleys, waterfalls, cliffs; distribution of settlements.

• Air-photos and satellite imageries: identification of physical and cultural features on the basis of tone and shape;

• Use of weather instruments and weather charts : thermometer, wet and dry-bulb thermometer, barometer, windvane, raingauge; use of weather charts describing pressure, wind and rainfall distribution.

Standard-12

A. Fundamentals of Human Geography

Unit I : Human Geography: Nature and Scope

Unit II : People

• Population of the world - number, growth and density;

• Population change - spatial patterns and structure; determinants of population change.

• Age-sex ratio; rural-urban composition;

• Human development - concept; selected indicators, international comparisons.

Unit III : Human Activities

• Primary activities - concept and changing trends; gathering, pastoral, mining, subsistence agriculture, modern agriculture;. people engaged in agriculture and allied activities;

• Secondary activities - concept; manufacturing: agro - processing, household, small scale, large scale; people engaged in secondary activities;

• Tertiary activities- education, health, business, transport and communication; people engaged in services;

• Quarternary activities - concept; knowledge based industries.

Unit IV : Transport, Communication and Trade

• Land transport - roads, railways - rail network; transcontinental railways;

• Water transport - Inland waterways; major ocean routes;

• Air transport and the shrinking world - inter continental air routes;

• Oil and gas pipelines;

• Mass communication; satellite communication including computer networking - internet; cable and wireless communication;

• International trade - its basis and changing patterns; ports as gateways of international trade, role of WTO in international trade.

Unit V : Human Settlements

• Settlement types - rural and urban; problems of human settlements in developing countries; distribution of large cities.

B. Practical Work

Unit III : Processing of Data and Thematic Mapping

• Data analysis, diagrams and maps;

• Tabulating and processing of data matrix; uses and calculation of averages, deviation measures and correlation;

• Representation of data - construction of diagrams: bars, circles and flowchart;, preparation of
  thematic maps: dot, choropleth and Isopleth;

• Use of computers In data processing and mapping.

A. People and Economy

Unit I : People

• The people of India - ethnic, linguistic and religious composition;

• Population: distribution and density; population change through time - regional variations;

• Demographic patterns In terms of rural-urban, age-sex, workers and non-workers, occupation;

• Human development - selected indicators and regional patterns;

• Population, environment and development.

Unit II : Human Settlements

• Rural settlements - house types, types of rural settlements, distribution pattern;

• Urban settlements - types, distribution, functional classification.

Unit III: Resources and Sustainable Development

• Resources - concept of resources; resources and development: types and distribution; utilization of resources; conservation of natural resources;

• Water resources - availability and utilisation - Irrigation and other uses; scarcity of water and conservation methods - rain harvesting and watershed management;

• Land use; arable land, agriculture - wet and dry; agricultural development and problems; crop intensity and major crops;

• Mineral and energy resources - major metallic and non-metallic minerals and their distribution; conventional and non-conventional energy sources, distribution and utilisation;

• Industries - types and distribution; Industrial location and clustering; changing pattern of selected industries- Iron and steel, cotton textiles, sugar, petrochemicals, and knowledge based Industries; impact of liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation on Industrial, location;

• Planning in India: need for sustainable. development.

Unit IV : Transport, Communication and International Trade

• Transport and communication - roads, railways, waterways and airways; oil and gas pipelines; national electric grids; communication networking - radio, television, satellite and computers;

• International trade - changing pattern of India's foreign trade; sea ports and airports.

Unit V: Geographical Perspective on Selected issues and problems

• Environmental pollution;

• Hunger and poverty;

• Urbanisation - growth of. cities; rural-urban migration; problem of slums; urban-waste disposal.

B. Practical Work

Unit IV : Field Study or Spatial Information TechnologyField visit and study: map orientation, observation and preparation of sketch; survey on any one of the local concerns: pollution, ground water changes, land-use and land-use changes, poverty, energy Issues, soil degradation, drought and flood impacts (any one topic of local concern may be taken up for the study; observation and questionnaire survey may be adopted for the data collection; collected data may be tabulated and analyses with diagrams and maps):

or

Spatial Information Technology
Use of computers: components of computer, raster and vector data, data sources, data entry, data manipulation, construction of diagrams and data mapping.