Syllabusfor

Classesat the

ElementaryLevel146

VIIQuestions Key Concepts Resources Activities/

Processes

1. FoodFood from whereHow do plants get theirfood?

Utilisation of foodHow do plants andanimals utilise their food?

2. MaterialsMaterials of daily useDo some of our clothescome from animalsources?Which are these animals?Who rears them?Which parts of the animalsyield the yarn? How is theyarn extracted?What kinds of clothes helpus to keep warm?What is heat?What is the meaning of‘cool’/‘cold’ and ‘warm’ ‘hot’?

Autotrophic andheterotrophic nutrition;parasites, saprophytes;photosynthesis.

Types of nutrition,nutrition in amoeba andhuman beings, Digestivesystem – human,ruminants; types ofteeth; link with transportand respiration.

Wool, silk – animal fibres.Process of extraction ofsilk; associated healthproblems.

Heat flow; temperature.

Coleus or any other plantwith variegated leaves,alcohol, iodine solution, kitmaterials.

Model of human teeth,charts of alimentary canal,types of nutrition etc.,chart and model ofamoeba. The story of thestomach with a hole.

Samples of wool and silk;brief account ofsilkworm rearing andsheep breeding.

Potassium permanganate,metal strip or rod, wax,common pins, spirit lamp,matches, tumblers,Thermometer etc.

(Periods - 22)

Need for light, greenleaf for photosynthesis,looking at anysaprophyte/parasite andnoting differences froma green plant.

Effect of saliva on starch,permanent slide ofAmoeba.Role play with children.

(Periods - 38)

Collection of differentsamples of woollen andsilk cloth. Activities todifferentiate natural silkand wool from artificialfibres.Discussion.

Experiment to show that‘hot’ and ‘cold’ are relative.Experiments to showconduction, convectionand radiation.

CLASS VIISCIENCE

CLASS VII SCIENCE SYLLABUS

147Syllabus

forClassesat the

ElementaryLevel

Questions Key Concepts Resources Activities/Processes

How does heat flowfrom/to our body to/from the surroundings?

Different kinds ofmaterialsWhy does turmeric stainbecome red on applyingsoap?

How things change/react with one anotherWhat gets deposited on atawa/khurpi /kudal if leftin a moist state?Why does the exposedsurface of a cut brinjalbecome black?

Why is seawater salty? Is itpossible to separate saltfrom seawater?

Classification ofsubstances into acidic,basic and neutral;indicators.

Chemical substances; in achemical reaction a newsubstance is formed.

Substances can beseparated bycrystallisation.

Common substances likesugar, salt, vinegar etc, testtubes, plastic vials,droppers, etc.

Test tubes, droppers,common pins, vinegar,baking powder, CuSO4,etc.

Urea, copper sulphate,alum etc, beaker, spiritlamp, watch glass, plate,petridish etc.

Reading a thermometer.

Testing solutions ofcommon substances likesugar, salt, vinegar, limejuice etc. with turmeric,litmus, china rose.Activity to showneutralisation.

Experiments involvingchemical reactions likerusting of iron, neutralisation(vinegar and baking soda),displacement of Cu fromCuSO4 etc.Introduce chemical formulaewithout explaining them.

Making crystals of easilyavailable substances likeurea, alum, coppersulphate etc. usingsupersaturated solutionsand evaporation.

Syllabusfor

Classesat the

ElementaryLevel148

Questions Key Concepts Resources Activities/Processes

3. The World of theLiving

Surroundings affect thelivingWhy are nights cooler?How does having wintersand summers affect soil?Are all soils similar? Canwe make a pot with sand?Is soil similar when youdig into the ground? Whathappens to water when itfalls on the cemented/bare ground?

The breath of lifeWhy do we/animalsbreathe? Do plants alsobreathe? Do they alsorespire? How do plants/animals live in water?

Movement ofsubstancesHow does water move inplants? How is foodtransported in plants?Why do animals drinkwater? Why do we sweat?Why and how is thereblood in all parts of the

Climate, soil types, soilprofile, absorption ofwater in soil, suitability forcrops, adaptation ofanimals to differentclimates.

Respiration in plants andanimals.

Herbs, shrubs, trees;Transport of food andwater in plants; circulatoryand excretion system inanimals; sweating.

Data on earth, sun – size,distance etc, daily changesin temperature, humidityfrom the newspaper,sunrise, sunset etc.

Lime water, germinatingseeds, kit materials.

Twig, stain; improvisedstethoscope; plastic bags,plants, egg, sugar, salt,starch, Benedicts solution,AgNO3 solution.

(Periods - 42)

Graph for daily changes intemperature, day length,humidity etc.; texture ofvarious soils by wettingand rolling; absorption /percolation of water indifferent soils, which soilcan hold more water.

Experiment to showplants and animals respire;rate of breathing; what dowe breathe out? What doplants ‘breathe’ out?Respiration in seeds; heatrelease due to respiration.Anaerobic respiration,root respiration.

Translocation of water instems, demonstration oftranspiration, measurementof pulse rate, heartbeat;afterexercise etc.Discussion on dialysis,importance; experiment

149Syllabus

forClassesat the

ElementaryLevel

Questions Key Concepts Resources Activities/Processes

body? Why is blood red?Do all animals have blood?What is there in urine?

Multiplication in plantsWhy are some plant partslike potato, onion swollen– are they of any use tothe plants? What is thefunction of flowers?How are fruits and seedsformed? How are theydispersed?

4. Moving Things,People and Ideas

Moving objectsWhy do people feel theneed to measure time?How do we know howfast something is moving?

Vegetative, asexual andsexual reproduction inplants, pollination - cross,self pollination;pollinators, fertilisation,fruit, seed.

Appreciation of idea oftime and need tomeasure it.Measurement of timeusing periodic events.Idea of speed of movingobjects – slow and fastmotion along a straight line.

Bryophyllum leaves, potato,onion etc.; yeast powder,sugar.

Daily-life experience;metre scale, wrist watch/stop watch, string etc.

on dialysis using eggmembrane.

Study of tuber, corm, bulbetc; budding in yeast; T.S./L.S. ovaries, w.m.pollengrains; comparison ofwind pollinated andinsect pollinated flowers;observing fruit and seeddevelopment in some plants;collection and discussion offruits/seeds dispersed bydifferent means.

(Periods - 16)

Observing and analysingmotion (slow or fast) ofcommon objects on land,in air, water and space.Measuring the distancecovered by objects movingon a road in a given timeand calculating their speeds.Plotting distance vs. timegraphs for uniform motion.Measuring the time takenby moving objects tocover a given distance andcalculating their speeds.Constancy of time periodof a pendulum.

Syllabusfor

Classesat the

ElementaryLevel150

Questions Key Concepts Resources Activities/Processes

5. How Things WorkElectric current andcircuitsHow can we convenientlyrepresent an electriccircuit?Why does a bulb get hot?

How does a fuse work?

How does the current ina wire affect the directionof a compass needle?What is an electromagnet?

How does an electric bellwork?

6. Natural PhenomenaRain, thunder andlightningWhat causes storms? Whatare the effects of storms?Why are roofs blown off?

LightCan we see a source oflight through a bent tube?

Electric circuit symbols fordifferent elements ofcircuit.Heating effect of current.

Principle of fuse.

A current-carrying wire hasan effect on a magnet.

A current-carrying coilbehaves like a magnet.

Working of an electric bell.

High-speed winds andheavy rainfall havedisastrous consequencesfor human and other life.

Rectilinear propagation oflight.

Recollection of earlieractivities. Pencil and paper.

Cells, wire, bulb.

Cells, wire, bulb or LED,aluminium foil.Wire, compass, battery.

Coil, battery, iron nail.

Electric bell.

Experience; newspaperreports.Narratives/stories.

Rubber/plastic tube/straw, any source of light.

Drawing circuit diagrams.

Activities to show theheating effect of electriccurrent.Making a fuse.

Activity to show that acurrent-carrying wire hasan effect on a magnet.Making a simple electro-magnet.Identifying situationsin daily life whereelectromagnets are used.Demonstration of workingof an electric bell.

(Periods - 24)

Making wind speed andwind direction indicators.Activity to show “lift” dueto moving air.Discussion on effects ofstorms and possible safetymeasures.

Observation of the sourceof light through a straighttube, a bent tube.

151Syllabus

forClassesat the

ElementaryLevel

Questions Key Concepts Resources Activities/Processes

How can we throwsunlight on a wall?

What things give imagesthat are magnified ordiminished in size?

How can we make acoloured disc appearwhite?

7. Natural ResourcesScarcity of waterWhere and how do youget water for yourdomestic needs? Is itenough? Is there enoughwater for agriculturalneeds? What happens toplants when there is notenough water for plants?Where does a plant gowhen it dies?

Reflection, certain surfacesreflect light.

Real and virtual images.

White light is composedof many colours.

Water exists in variousforms in nature.Scarcity of water and itseffect on life.

Glass/metal sheet/metalfoil, white paper.

Convex/concave lensesand mirrors.

Newton’s disc.

Experience; mediareports; case material.

Observing reflection oflight on wall or whitepaper screen.Open ended activitiesallowing children toexplore images made bydifferent objects, andrecording observations.Focussed discussions onreal and virtual images.Making the disc androtating it.

Discussions.Case study of peopleliving in conditions ofextreme scarcity of water,how they use water in ajudicious way.Projects exploring variouskinds of water resourcesthat exist in nature indifferent regions in India;variations of wateravailability in differentregions.

Questions Key Concepts Resources Activities/Processes

Forest productsWhat are the products weget from forests? Doother animals also benefitfrom forests? What willhappen if forestsdisappear?

Waste ManagementWhere does dirty waterfrom your house go?Have you seen a drain?Does the water stand in itsometimes? Does thishave any harmful effect?

Interdependence of plantsand animals in forests.Forests contribute topurification of air andwater.

Sewage; need fordrainage/sewer systemsthat are closed.

Case material on forests.

Observation andexperience; photographs.

Case study of forests.

Survey of theneighbourhood,identifying locations withopen drains, stagnantwater, and possiblecontamination ofground water by sewage.Tracing the route ofsewage in your building,and trying to understandwhether there are anyproblems in sewagedisposal.

Syllabusfor

Classesat the

ElementaryLevel152