ICSE Geography Class 8 Syllabus

The syllabus consists of eight themes - Representation of Geographical Features, Population Dynamics, Migration, Urbanisation, Natural and Man-made disasters, Asia: The Largest Continent, India: Geographical Features, India - Human Resources.

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Theme 1: Representation of Geographical Features

On the basis of Topographical Sheet:

  • Interpret contours on the sheet (height, shape).
  • Identify landforms through contours.
    • Types of slopes (steep, gentle).
    • Hills, Plateaus, Ridges (gap, saddle, col, pass).
  • Settlement patterns:
    • Temporary and permanent
    • Nucleated, dispersed and linear
  • Interpret and analyse the given toposheet.

Theme 2: Population Dynamics

  • Distribution of population in the world.
  • Overpopulation and under population: meaning with examples of countries from the world.
  • Impact of overpopulation and under population on the society.
  • Factors affecting the population of a place, birth and death rate, immigration and emigration.
  • Composition of population - Age and sex, rural and urban; population pyramid.

Theme 3: Migration

  • Migration: Introduction.
  • Types of migrationimmigration, emigration, rural - urban and urbanurban. (examples from the world).
  • Impact of migration on socioeconomic structure of the society (examples from India and the world).
  • Brain Drain: introduction, causes of brain-drain, positive and negative impacts of brain-drain.

Theme 4: Urbanisation

  • Urbanisation - meaning and causes.
  • Positive and negative impacts of urbanisation; satellite cities.
  • Concept of Smart Cities (examples from the World).

Theme 5: Natural and Man-made Disasters

  • Natural and man-made disasters: Meaning and examples.
  • Disaster management and its importance (in general); safety measures to be taken in case of floods, earthquake and fire.
  • Role of the government in disasters and its management.

Case Studies:

  • Floods in Assam/Bihar (Causes, effects, impacts on life and environment).
  • Earthquake in Nepal (2014): (Causes, effects, impacts on life and environment).
  • Oil Spills - Coastal areas of the United States: (Causes, effects, impacts on life and environment).

Theme 6: Asia: The Largest Continent

  • Location and Extent
  • East Asia, North Asia, Central Asia, South-East Asia, South-Central Asia, Western Asia
  • Physiography: Northern lowlands, Central highlands, Plateaus, River basins, Islands.
  • Climate: Factors affecting Climate of Asia, Types of Climate: Tundra, Temperate, Tropical, Desert, Equatorial.
  • Natural Vegetation and Wildlife, Tundra, Taiga, Tropical Deciduous, Thorny, Equatorial.

Theme 7: India: Geographical Features

  • India - Its location and extent, its neighbouring countries.
  • Political divisions of India - States/ UTs and Capitals.
  • Physiographic Divisions of India - The Himalayas, Northern plains, Peninsular plateau, Thar desert, Coastal regions, Islands.
  • Conservation of Forest and wildlife in India.
  • National parks, biosphere reserve, wildlife sanctuaries.
  • Climate and Natural vegetation:
    • Factors affecting climate, Monsoon.
    • Types of Natural vegetation: Tropical rain forest, deciduous forest, thorny, Tidal Forest, Montane forest.

Theme 8: India: Human Resources

  • Human resources - meaning.
  • Distribution of population in India (rural urban, geographical distribution, sex ratio).
  • Role of health and education in developing human resources (to be done briefly)
  • Skilled and unskilled human resource (meaning and examples only).
  • Impact of skilled human resource on the socioeconomic development of the country (examples from India)