Course Structure

CLASS VIII
Questions
1. FOOD
Crop production
Crop production:
How are different food
crops produced?
What are the various foods
we get from animal
sources?

Key Concepts

Resources

Activities/ Processes

Crop production: Soil

preparation, selection
of
seeds,
sowing,
applying
fertilizers,
irrigation,
weeding,
harvesting and storage;
nitrogen
fixation,
nitrogen cycle.

Interaction
and
discussion with local
men
and
women
farmers about farming
and farm practices;
visit to cold storage,
go- downs; visit to any
farm/ nursery/ garden.

Preparing herbarium
specimens of some crop
plants; collection of some
seeds etc; preparing a
able/chart
on
different
irrigation practices and
sources of water in different
parts of India; looking at
roots of any legume crop for
nodules, hand section of
nodules.

Microscope,
kit
materials; information
about techniques of
food preservation.

Making a lens with a bulb;

Observation of drop of
water, curd, other sources,
bread mould, orange mould
under
the
microscope;
experiment
showing
fermentation of dough
increase in volume (using
yeast) collect gas in
balloon, test in lime water.

Micro-organisms
What living organisms do Micro organisms
we see under a microscope useful and harmful.
in a drop of water?
What helps make curd?
How does food go bad?
How do we preserve food?

2. MATERIALS
Materials in daily life
Are some of our clothes
synthetic? How are they
made? Where do the raw
materials come from?
Do we use other materials
that are synthetic?

Do we use cloth (fabric)

for purposes other than
making clothes to wear?
What kind of fabric do we
see around us?

Synthetic
clothing
materials.
Other
synthetic
materials,
especially
plastics;
usefulness of plastics and
problems associated with
their excessive use.

Sharing
of
prior Survey on use of synthetic
knowledge,
source materials.
materials on petroleum Discussion.
products.

There are a variety

fibrous materials
use. A material
chosen
based
desired property.

Collection of material
from neighbourhood
or should be part of
the kit.

of
in
is
on

Testing various materials

for action of water, reaction
on heating, effect of flame,
electrical
conductivity,
thermal conductivity, tensile

What are they used for?

strength.

Different kinds of
materials and their
Metals and non-metals.
reactions.
Can a wire be drawn out of
wood?
Do copper or aluminium
also rust like iron?
What is the black material
inside a pencil?
Why are electrical wires
made of aluminium or
copper?
How things change/
react with one another
What happens to the wax Combustion, flame
when a candle is burnt? Is
it possible to get this wax
back?
What
happens
to
kerosene/natural gas when
it is burnt?
Which fuel is the best?
Why?

3. THE WORLD OF
THE LIVING
Why conserve
What are reserve forests /
sanctuaries etc? How do
we keep track of our plants
and animals? How do we
know that some species are
in danger of disappearing?
What would happen if you
continuously cut trees?

The cell
What is

the

Kit items.

Simple observations relating

to physical properties of
metals and non-metals,
displacement
reactions,
experiments
involving
reactions with acids and
bases.
Introduction
of
word
equations.

The
Chemical Experiments with candles.
History of a Candle,
by M. Faraday, 1860.

All fuels release heat Collecting information Collecting information.

on burning. Fuels differ from home and other Discussions
involving
in efficiency, cost etc. sources.
whole class.
Natural resources are
limited. Burning of
fuels leads to harmful
by products.

Conservation
of
biodiversity / wild life/
plants; zoos, sanctuaries,
forest reserves etc.
flora, fauna endangered
species, red data book;
endemic
species,
migration.

internal Cell

structure,

Films on wild life, TV

programmes, visit to
zoo/ forest area /
sanctuaries etc.; case
study with information
on disappearing tigers;
data on endemic and
endangered
species
from MEF, Govt.
of India, NGOs

plant Microscope,

Discussion on whether we
find as many diverse plants/
animals in a well kept area
like a park or cultivated
land, as compared to any
area left alone. Discussion
on depletion of wild life,
why
it
happens,
on
poaching, economics.

onion Use of a microscope,

structure of a plant what

will we see if we look
under the microscope?
Which cells from our
bodies can be easily seen?
Are all cells similar?

How babies are formed

How do babies develop
inside the mother? Why
does our body change
when we reach our teens?
How is the sex of the child
determined? Who looks
after the babies in your
homes? Do all animals
give birth to young ones?
4. MOVING THINGS,
PEOPLE AND IDEAS
Idea of force
What happens when we
push or pull anything?
How can we change the
speed, direction of a
moving object? How can
we shape the shape of an
object?

and animal cells, use of

stain to observe, cell
organelles nucleus,
vacuole,
chloroplast,
cell membrane, cell
wall.

peels, epidermal peels

of any leaves, petals
etc, buccal cavity
cells,
Spirogyra;
permanent slides of
animal cells.

Sexual
reproduction Counsellors,
and endocrine system lectures.
in animals, secondary
sexual
characters,
reproductive
health;
internal and external
fertilisation.

preparation of a slide,
observation of onion peel
and cheek cells, other cells
from plants e.g. Hydrilla
leaf,
permanent
slides
showing different cells,
tissues,
blood
smear;
observation of T.S. stem to
see
tissues;
observing
diverse types of cells from
plants and animals (some
permanent slides).

films, Discussion with counsellors

on
secondary
sexual
characters, on how sex of
the child is determined, safe
sex, reproductive health;
observation on eggs, young
ones, life cycles.

Idea of force-push or Daily-life experience, Observing and analyzing the

pull; change in speed, kit items.
relation between force and
direction of moving
motion in a variety of dailyobjects and shape of
life situations.
objects by applying
Demonstrating change in
force; contact and nonspeed of a moving object, its
contact forces.
direction of motion and
shape by applying force.
Measuring the weight of an
object, as a force (pull) by
the earth using a spring
balance.

Friction
What makes a ball rolling Friction

factors Various rough and Demonstrating

friction
on the ground slow down? affecting
friction, smooth surfaces, ball between
rough/smooth
sliding and rolling bearings.
surfaces of moving objects
friction,
moving;
in contact, and wear and tear
advantages
and
of moving objects by

disadvantages
of
friction
for
the
movement
of
automobiles, airplanes
and
boats/ships;
increasing and reducing
friction.

Pressure
Why are needles made
pointed? Why does a
balloon burst if too much
air is blown into it?
Why does an inverted
glass/ bottle/pitcher resist
being pushed down into
water?
How can air/liquids exert
pressure?

Sound
How do we communicate
through sound? How is
sound produced? What
characterises
different
sounds?

Idea
of
pressure;
pressure exerted by
air/liquid; atmospheric
pressure.

rubbing (eraser on paper,

card board, sand paper).
Activities on static, sliding
and rolling friction.
Studying ball bearings.
Discussion
on
other
methods of reducing friction
and ways of increasing
friction.

Daily-life experiences;
Experimentationimprovised manometer
and
improvised
pressure detector.

Observing the dependence

of pressure exerted by a
force on surface area of an
object.
Demonstrating that
air
exerts pressure in a variety
of situations.
Demonstrating that liquids
exert pressure.
Designing an improvised
manometer and measuring
pressure exerted by liquids.
Designing
improvised
pressure
detector
and
demonstrating increase in
pressure exerted by a liquid
at greater depths.

Various types of sound; Daily-life experiences;

sources
of
sound; kit items; musical
vibration as a cause of instruments.
sound;
frequency;
medium for propagation
of sound; idea of noise
as
unpleasant and
unwanted sound and
need to minimise noise.

Demonstrating
and
distinguishing
different
types (loud and feeble,
pleasant / musical and
unpleasant / noise, audible
and inaudible) of sound.
Producing different types of
sounds. Using the same
source. Making a Jal
Tarang. Demonstrating that
vibration is the cause of
sound.
Designing a toy telephone.
Identifying various sources
of noise. (Unpleasant and
unwanted sound) in the

locality and thinking of

measures to minimize noise
and its hazards (noisepollution).
5. HOW THINGS
WORK
Electric current and
circuits
Why do we get a shock
when we touch an electric
appliance with wet hands?

Water
conducts Rubber cap, pins,
electricity depending water, bulb or LED,
on presence/ absence of cells, various liquids.
salt in it. Other liquids
may or may not
conduct electricity.

What happens to a Chemical

conducting solution when current.
electric
current
flows
through it?

effects

How can we coat an object Basic

idea
with a layer of metal?
electroplating.

6. NATURAL
PHENOMENA
Rain,
thunder
and
Lightning
What is lightning?
What safety measures
should we take against
lightning strikes?

of Carbon rods, beaker, Emission of gases from salt

water, bulb, battery.
solution. Deposition of Cu
from
copper
sulphate
solution. Electric pen using
KI and starch solution.
of Improvised
electrolytical
CuSO4

Simple experiment to show

cell, electroplating.

Clouds carry electric Articles on clouds and

charge. Positive and lightning; kit items.
negative
charges,
attraction
and
repulsion. Principle of
lightning conductor.

Light
What are the differences Laws of reflection.
between the images formed
on a new utensil and an old
one? Why is there this
difference?

Activity to study whether

current
flows
through
various liquid samples (tap
water, salt solution, lemon
juice, kerosene, distilled
water if available).

Discussion on sparks.
Experiments with comb and
paper to show positive and
negative charge. Discussion
on lightning conductor.

Mirror, source of Exploring laws of reflection

light,
ray
source using ray source and another
(mirror covered with mirror.
black paper with a thin
slit).

When you see your image Characteristics

of Plane glass, candle, Locating the reflected image
in the mirror it appears as image formed with a scale.
using glass sheet and
if the left is on the right plane mirror.
candles.
why?

Why dont we see images Regular and diffused

on all surfaces around us?
reflection.

Discussion
examples.

What makes things visible? Reflection of light from Experience.

an object to the eye.

Activity of observing an
object through an object
through a straight and bent
tube; and discussion.

with

various

How do we see images of Multiple reflection.

our back in a mirror?

Mirrors and objects to Observing multiple images

be seen.
formed by mirrors placed at
angles to each other.

Why do we sometimes see Dispersion of light.

colours on oil films on
water?

Plane mirror, water.

What is inside our eye that Structure of the eye.

enables us to see?

Model or chart of the Observing reaction of pupil

human eye.
to
a
shining
torch.
Demonstration of blind spot.

Why are some

unable to see?

Experiences of children;
case histories.
Samples of Braille
sheets.

Description of case histories

of
visually
challenged
people who have been doing
well in their studies and
careers.
Activities with Braille sheet.

Observation of motion
of objects in the sky
during the day and at
night; models, charts,
role-play and games,
planetarium.

Observing and identifying

the objects moving in the
sky during the day and at
night.
Observing and identifying
some prominent stars and
constellations.
Observing and identifying
some prominent planets,
visible to the naked eye,
(Venus, Mars, Jupiter) in the
night
sky
and
their

people Lens becomes opaque,

light not reaching the
eye. Visually challenged
use other senses to
make sense of the
world
around.
Alternative technology
available.
Role
of
nutrition in relation to
blindness

Night sky
What do we see in the sky Idea about heavenly
at night? How can we bodies/celestial objects
identify stars and planets?
and their classification
moon, planets, stars,
constellations. Motion
of celestial objects in
space; the solar system.

Observing spectrum
obtained on a white sheet
of paper/wall using a plane
mirror inclined on a water
surface at an angle of 45.

movement.
Design
and
preparing
models and charts of the
solar system, constellations,
etc.
Roleplay and games for
understanding movement
of planets, stars etc.
Earthquakes
What happens during an Phenomena related to Earthquake data; visit Looking at structures / large
earthquake? What can we earthquakes.
to
seismographic objects and guessing what
do to minimise its effects?
centre.
will happen to them in the
event of an earthquake;
activities to explore stable
and unstable structures.
7. NATURAL
RESOURCES
Mans intervention in
phenomena of nature
What do we do with wood?
What if we had no wood?
What will happen it we go
on
cutting
trees/grass
without limit?

Consequences
of
deforestation: scarcity
of products for humans
and other living beings,
change in physical
properties
of
soil,
reduced
rainfall.
Reforestation;
recycling of paper.

Data and narratives on Narration and discussions.

deforestation and on Project- Recycling of paper.
movements to protect
forests.

What do we do with coal Formation of coal and Background materials,

and petroleum?
petroleum in nature.
charts etc.
Can we create coal and (fossil fuels?).
petroleum artificially?
Consequences of over
extraction of coal and
petroleum.
Pollution of air and
water
What are the various
activities by human beings
that make air impure?
Does clear, transparent
water indicate purity?

Water and air are

increasingly
getting
polluted and therefore
become scarce for use.
Biological and chemical
contamination of water;
effect of impure water

Description of some
specific examples of
extremely
polluted
rivers.

Discussion.

Case study and discussion.

Purification of water by
physical
and
chemical
methods including using
sunlight.
Discussion
on
other
methods
of
water

on soil and living

beings; effect of soil
containing excess of
fertilisers
and
insecticides on water
resources. Potable water.

purification.