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.
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)