The Progressive Teacher Vol 03 Issue 05

Editorial
Nov/Dec, 2016 Vol. 03 No. 05
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Teaching of Social Studies
Greetings of the festive season to all our
readers from The Progressive Teacher.
In the 1990s the acronym ‘SMET’,
short form for science, mathematics,
engineering and technology was born in
America. Since it did not sound good (people
complained that it sounded more like ‘smut’),
in 2003 SMET was turned into ‘STEM’ and
then began the STEMmania. The study of
liberal arts was forgotten and there was a rush
for STEM education. Schools closed down
humanities classes and parents and teachers
wanted their wards to study only science and
technology in order to become thoroughbred
‘Technocrats’. This kind of education was only
for the head and not for the heart and thus the
schools started churning out human robots as
opposed to humane human beings.
The question arises - What makes us humane
humans? Social studies make the best
attempt at answering this question. This
subject includes a breadth of disciplines
covering various aspects of living.
Social studies aim at preparing educated
individuals who can be responsible citizens of
their nation. Teaching children social studies
increases the possibility of their becoming
more aware, more responsible human beings.
Teaching them social studies increases the
chances that they will adhere to ethical
and moral values in life. The study of social
sciences is necessary if we want a bright
future for our society. The primary purpose of
social studies is to help young people develop
the ability to make informed and reasoned
choices/decisions for the public good as
citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic
society in an inter-dependent world.
Social studies education helps explain the
world in which we live. Much like science
teaches us to observe the physical aspects of
life, social studies encourages us to open our
minds to the many places humans live on this
planet.
Studying social studies helps students
figure out their role in society as well as
their place in history. They also learn how
cause and effect influence relationships
between individuals, groups and nations. As
students mature, the study of history gives
them the chance to develop their research
skills and the ability to think critically, skills
which are essential in the twentieth century.
Social studies are also
important for teaching
students basic values,
such as justice and
equality.
In Social studies students learn that they
are part of a larger societal organization that
must have structure in order to operate for the
good of all the people in the group. Economic
themes find their way into the social studies
curriculum in a variety of ways. From the
basic concept of want versus need taught in
primary grades to advanced concepts such
as global economic policy are discussed in
a high school current events class. Students
study economic trends as they study history
so they can better understand events such
as recession. Economics helps them set
career goals aligned with their personalities.
A good understanding of how history has
influenced the modern world gives the
students knowledge that they can apply to
other subjects and everyday life. Embedding
these in the basics of education could be very
helpful for their future.
Thus, we have devoted this issue of The
Progressive Teacher to Social Studies. As you
run through the pages of the current issue,
you will come across a number of articles
on Social Studies. Tanushree Dhandhania
dwells on The Importance of Social Studies
in the School Curriculum, Vishal Varia
enumerates Fifteen Ways to make Social
Studies Interesting, Shani K I elucidates on
Social Studies and Everyday Life, Arpita Dutta
questions – Why history, and S K Jaiswal
gives us Ideas for Effective Teaching of
History. Plus, I am sure, you will enjoy reading
all the other articles and will benefit from
them. Please do get back to us about your
views on this issue of The Progressive Teacher.
I invite you to join us at our next Teachers’
Conclave which is being held in Lucknow
on Saturday, 19th November. You will find
information on this Conclave further in this
issue. You can register for it online
at www.progressiveteacher.in/conclave
I look forward to meeting you at the Lucknow
Conclave.
With best wishes.
Rita Wilson
ritawilson@gmail.com
Rita Wilson has over 40 years of rich experience as educationist including over 30 years of experience in school
leadership positions. She is the former Chief Executive and Secretary Council for the ICSE, New Delhi.
She is a consultant to a number of corporate houses and educational institutions. She is serving as a Member of the
Board of Governors/Managing Committees of some of the most prestigious schools and colleges of the country.
She has vast exposure to the education systems of Japan, Germany, England, Thailand, Singapore, Sharjah and Dubai.
She has initiated, conducted and organised workshops for school teachers and principals all over India
With a B.A. (Hons) English Literature, M.A., M.Phil. (English Literature), B.Ed. to her credit, she has edited two
series of English readers and work-books for school children.
Sep/Oct 2015
www.progressiveteacher.in 3

C O N T E N T
06
Arts At Work In
Education
Imagine a world devoid of creativity,
imagination and artistic expression! It
alludes to a world without the arts. A
cursory glance at the definitions of arts
thrown up by google search provides n
number of answers.
–P. Ajitha
10
THE IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL
STUDIES IN THE SCHOOL
CURRICULUM
‘Why do I need to study Social Studies, when it’s of no use to me. I want
to take up commerce or science in Class XI?’
‘What will I learn by reading about the History and Culture of different
countries?’
‘Will I gain nything by knowing about minerals and mining?’
–Tanushree Dhandhania
14
Teach Children to
tAlk about their Feelings
Young children don’t spend a lot of time pondering
the deep mysteries like ‘Who am I?’ or ‘What is the
meaning of my life?’ Yet in their own way, they are
trying to understand who they are.
–Dr Shayama Chona
50
The Disappearing
Pillars of Learning
It is true that from childhood to adulthood we have been
part of a very structured form of education. And it drives
us to become ‘capable’ and ‘successful’. It also generates
fear and anxiety.
–Vikash Sharma
4 The Progressive Teacher Nov/Dec 2016

Editorial 03
Teaching of Social Studies
Arts Education 06
Arts At Work In Education
Teaching 08
What is the purpose of
your lesson?
Did your students actually 'get it'?
Social Studies 10
The importance of Social
Studies in the school curriculum
Social Studies 12
15 Ways to make
Social Science interesting
Parenting 14
Teach children to talk
about their feelings
Teaching 16
Are we overlooking handwriting
skill in schools?
Social Studies 17
Social Studies and everyday life
Learning 18
Vocabulary, a challenge for
students-in context
Teaching 20
5 highly effective
teaching practices
Lesson Plan 22
Role-playing events from history:
French Revolution
Nov/Dec 2016
Vol 03 I No 05 Nov/Dec 2016
54
All teachers can stand in front of the class and deliver their
lessons. Whether they are doing justice to their job or not
is a different matter. A mediocre teacher will try to finish
his syllabus in time. A good teacher loves to put across as
much as he can in the stipulated time. The best teacher
along with doing what a good teacher does will also keep
in mind that he is building the nation and preparing citizens
who would impact others globally.
– Sukhwant Singh Thaper
62
Principal Q&A
Principal
Arti Prasad
Signs of a
Good Teacher
IN THIS ISSUE
Planner Pullout 23,42
Classroom Display Pullout 24, 41
Worksheet
Class VI: Social Science 25
On the trail of the earliest people
From gathering to growing food
The earth in the solar system
Maps
Worksheet 29
Class VII: Social Science
The making of regional cultures
Eighteenth-Century political formation
Life in the temperate grasslands
Life in the deserts
Worksheet 33
Class VIII: Social Science
The changing world of visual arts
The national movement: 1885-1919
The freedom movement: 1919-1947
India after independence
Worksheet 37
Class IX: Social Science
The french revolution
Socialism in Europe and the
Russian revolution
The constitution
Political institutions
Social Service 43
Parivaar banaam Paathshaala
History 44
Why History
Values 46
Rise and shine with the
morning prayer assembly
Social Studies 48
Ideas for effective teaching
of History
Lesson Plan 49
Let Captain Phillip teach geography
Reflection 50
The disappearing pillars of learning
Partnership 52
Creating responsible citizens
for the future
From Publisher desk 53
Parent-Teacher Relationship
Teaching 54
Signs of a good teacher
Motivation 55
Motivating Mottos
Hindi Diwas 56
Hindi hain hum
Fiction Reading for Students 57
Case Study 58
Are our teachers equipped for the
present and ready for the future?
Planning 60
Field trip
News/Event 61
Twenty students from Mumbai are top
in world in Cambridge International
examinations 2016
Principal Q&A 62
Arti Prasad
2016ASCD Conference
on Educational Leadership
November, 4-6, 2016
National Harbor, Maryland,
Near Washington, D.C
http://www.ascd.org/
World Education Conference (Wec)
November 8-10, 2016
BERNEXPO, Berne, Switzerland
www.worlddidac.org
2016 Quality Education Conference &
Workshop (QECW)
November 11-13, 2016, Houston, TX
https://asq.org/nqec/
London International Conference on
Education (LICE 2016)
November 14-17, 2016, London, UK
http://www.liceducation.org/
VCCircle Education Investment
Summit 2016
November 18, 2016
The Westin Gurgaon
http://events.vccircle.com/content/vccircleeducation-investment-summit-2016
The Progressive Teacher conclave
November 19, 2016
Hotel Clarks Avadh, 8, Mahatma Gandhi Marg,
Hazratganj, Lucknow
www.progressiveteacher.in/conclave
24 th International Conference
on Computers in Education
November 28th to December 2nd , 2016
IIT Bombay, India
http://www.et.iitb.ac.in/
Progressive Teacher conclave
December 10, 2016
Hyderabad, Telangana
www.progressiveteacher.in/conclave
8th ICPPP,2017 (International Conference
of Pre-Primary and Primary Principals)
February 3-5, 2017
World Unity Convention Centre,
CMS Kanpur Road, Lucknow
http://www.cmseducation.org/icppp/registration.html
ICEPS 2017 4th International Conference
on Education and Psychological Sciences
February 12-14, 2017
Barcelona, Spain
http://www.iceps.org/
The Education Show 2017
March 16-18, 2017
NES, Birmingham, UK
http://www.education-show.com/
International Exhibition for Education,
Training, Technology and Supply
4 - 6 April 2017
Location: exhibition center Korme
www.worlddidac-astana.org/en
International Exhibition for Education,
Training, Technology and Supply
26 - 28 April 2017
Mexico City World Trade Centre
www.gessmexico.com
Global edLeadership Summit
April 20-22, 2017
Bangkok, Thailand
http://www.gels.asia/
ICELW 2017 - The 10th International
Conference on E-Learning in the Workplace
June 14-16, 2017
New York, United States
http://www.icelw.org/
www.progressiveteacher.in 5

arts education
Arts At Work
In Education
–P. Ajitha
Imagine a world devoid of creativity, imagination and artistic
expression! It alludes to a world without the arts. A cursory
glance at the definitions of arts thrown up by google search
provides n number of answers.
The most basic and simple one is
provided by the Oxford dictionary -‘Art
is a diverse range of human activities
in creating visual, auditory or performing
artefacts (artworks), expressing the author’s
imaginative or technical skill, intended to be
appreciated for their beauty or emotional
powers.’ The Merriam-Webster’s dictionary
defines art as ‘something that is created with
imagination and skill and that is beautiful or
that expresses important ideas or feelings’.
Thus arts ‘are a physical manifestation of the
internal creative impulse’. These definitions
would suffice to realize why arts should be a
part of every educational enterprise. Pablo
Picasso once famously asserted ‘Every child
is an artist. The problem is how to remain
an artist once we grow up’. Thanks to the
increased awareness and realization that a
close encounter with the arts for school
children to learn, explore and experiment in
order to or as a means of creatively engaging
with the world we live in, play a vital role in
their development. Some educationists have
woken up to the need for promoting a robust
art curriculum alongside a rigorous academic
discipline because an immersive engagement
with the arts can be a transformational
experience for young and impressionable
minds. The arts include both performing arts
– among them music, dance, and theatre, and
visual arts – including drawing, painting and
sculpting - things that are ‘taught’ in schools.
The arts show the way forward when schools
struggle to impart to students appreciation
of finer things in life, to instil in them a sense
of responsibility and ownership towards
everything they do and at the same time help
them unravel the latent power within them
and channelize it in a productive way.
In the words of Sanjana Kapoor, a renowned
theatre personality, ‘The arts open windows
of possibilities to engage with the world
creatively’. In the process of acquiring a
good education, it is imperative that one
needs to identify one’s passion and indulge
in it to have a sense of contentment that
comes only when one follows ones heart. This
passion or ‘fire in the belly’ is what prods an
individual to live life to the fullest - something
quintessential to living a meaningful life.
Indulging in the arts can initiate students on
a journey of creative self-expression where
they get an opportunity to pursue their
passion with abandon.
One of the most educative experiences
that I had outside the academia, happened
during a school programme while watching
the Bharatnatyam exponent Vandana
Alase Hazra ( fondly known as Vandana
Di) talk about the scientific, spiritual and
aesthetic aspect of the dance form. The
very appearance of the artist raised some
inquisitive glances from the students. Dressed
in three piece traditional attire, Vandana
Di was a picture of poise and grace. With
a serene look on her face and a cherubic
smile, she began her interaction with the
P Ajitha is
a teaching
practitioner
who has been
advocating
for ‘liberating’
the education
process to
accommodate
change and
give true
freedom
that enables
the teacher to create, innovate
and experiment with notions of
learning; a votary of teachers’ rights
to empower them to become the
catalysts of change in building a
national force of informed men and
women with sound value system
and integrity of character; a staunch
believer in the transformational
nature of education imparted with
true commitment to the larger
objectives of this noble endeavour.
The author presently teaches at
Delhi Public School, Coimbatore
and can be reached at
ajithapaladugu@gmail.com.
students introducing herself very modestly
and handing over an invitation to ask her
anything. The ease with which the artist
interacted with the children opened up a
volley of questions from the students seeking
to know her inspiration, education, training,
hobbies and even her age! All of which were
answered patiently and to the satisfaction
of the questioner. Watching Vandana Di
demonstrating some basic postures and
movements was like seeing poetry in motion.
Drawing attention to the subtle differences in
posturing and moving the body to a rhythm,
the artist explained how a classical
dancer has a ‘heightened sense of space
and time’ which gives the art form its
uniqueness and lends it its beauty.
The session was insightful in more
ways than one. The artist talking
about how the art form helps
the initiate and the practitioner
shatter all kinds of self-inhibiting
and limiting thoughts by
embracing the fundamental truth
that only form and movements
determine/express the beauty of
the dancer, was simply a moment
of epiphany for many in the
auditorium. What we educators try
6 The Progressive Teacher Nov/Dec 2016

so hard to teach in life-skills programme, was
so effortlessly and beautifully illustrated by
the artist.
As she explained how it is very essential for
an artist to put the ‘knowing’ into ‘doing’
which requires concerted effort and years of
practice, I couldn’t help but apply this to the
teaching - learning process. Here the artist
wasn’t just talking about her art form alone.
It is applicable to all spheres of learning.
The demonstration of various dance postures
was watching a geometry class in progress.
Who knew math could be so much fun in its
real life application! The interaction led to so
many ‘aaha’ moments that it was with great
reluctance that I had to peel myself away
from the venue.
The interaction with the artist, the first of
its kind I have ever witnessed helped me see
the art form in a new light. The format of the
interaction being designed in such a way to
foster understanding of the art form through
a no-holds-barred approach of the Q & A
session, was truly an ennobling experience for
me as well as numerous others partaking in
the rich learning experience. Is this what is
meant by the medium becoming the message?
Another equally poignant discovery about the
power of the arts happened while watching
a Kathakali performance. As the artists
made their way to the stage one couldn’t
help but think of what Po of the Kung Fu
There is
no
depth to
education
without art
–Amiri Baraka
Panda fame meant when he said ‘never
underestimate the impact of a dramatic
entrance’. A riveting short performance on
the popular fable of a pregnant deer about to
give birth amidst a life threatening situation
found a fitting narrative in the artist’s
dramatic rendition. Having established
the deer’s situation, the imminent danger
enveloping the hapless creature was depicted
beautifully. The audience could empathize
with the deer as they learnt that dark clouds
had been gathering around in the area and
lightning started a forest fire. Turning left, she
sees a hunter who is aiming an arrow from
a distance. As she tries to move towards the
right, she spots a hungry lion approaching her.
By now the audience started getting restless
to know what would happen to the deer. After
having built up the suspense, the sequence of
events that happens was very dramatically
depicted in a series of powerful gesticulation
and foot work. Unable to do anything, the
deer just focuses on giving birth to a new life.
In a spur of moment, lightning strikes and
blinds the eyes of the hunter.
He releases the arrow which hits and injures
the lion badly. At that very instant, it starts to
rain heavily and puts out the forest fire.
Precisely then, the deer gives birth to a
healthy fawn…! One had to simply watch
the performance for the ‘purging effect’ the
act had on the audience. Watching the live
performance had a cathartic effect on the
audience that sat spell-bound throughout
the powerful performance. One could see
how the audience winced at the pain of the
deer, fretting for her safety and literally
praying for her wellbeing! Observing these
reactions I couldn’t help but wonder how the
performance acted as a perfect medium to
teach the highly neglected life skill empathy
to a generation that goes by the dictum - I,
me, myself.
Having witnessed the alluring charm and
magic of the arts, I feel strongly about an
integrated approach to teaching of the arts
wherein we use the elements of the arts to
make our classrooms come alive and create
an environment for learning to be joyful
and personal. By creating opportunities for
our students to unleash their creativity and
imagination that could act as a springboard
to catapult them to where their creative
imagination can actually take them, we can
rest assured that we are indeed providing
them a meaningful education.
All said and done, if at the end of the day,
we educators go about our routine business
of transacting the academic content without
taking any initiative to promote arts or give
it its rightful due in the larger scheme of
education, not only will we be doing grave
injustice to our students but to the notion of
a ‘holistic education’ itself.
Nov/Dec 2016
www.progressiveteacher.in 7

teaching
What is the
purpose of
your lesson?
Did your students
actually ‘get it’?
–Eric Bransteter
Why, exactly, are students spending time with you today? What is it you want students to
know, understand, and be able to do as a result of this lesson and unit?
Great teaching starts with a great
reason to teach!
My favorite analogy to describe
learning objectives (or lesson
objectives, learning targets, learning
goals, etc.) is to think about a GPS system.
Unless you are on summer break, it is not
often that you get in your car and just
start driving. It’s even less often that you
get in your car and the car decides to take
you somewhere. Instead, you take about
30 seconds and type in your destination.
Magically, the GPS system gives you turn
by turn directions, and you can even look at
the route in advance to know why the GPS
system is taking you in a certain way. Is
there an accident on your typical route?
Perhaps a road is closed? And what happens
when you miss a turn or make a pit stop?
You receive specific and targeted feedback on
how to stay on course. Voila, you are at your
destination!
How does this translate to the classroom?
Clear and specific (measurable even?) lesson
objectives, teamed with effective checks for
understanding and modifying instruction as
needed, allow for students to know where
they are going and when they have arrived.
Without a ‘road map’ giving directions and
feedback along the way, there is no ending.
Students will never know if they’ve gotten
anywhere, let alone their destination. What’s
just as important is the why.
Do students also know why they are
spending time in school learning this?
Do they understand the significance and
real-world application of the concepts being
taught?
As simple as this sounds, the magic of these
clear and specific lesson objectives comes
from the teacher communicating them to the
students. Make it no secret – the students
should know precisely what they are
doing and why it is important. Be explicit,
and your students will take ownership of the
learning themselves.
One simple and effective way of gauging
how well students understand the purpose
Eric is the President and CEO of iAspire. He has 10 years
experience in education as a teacher, media specialist, and
most recently as an elementary administrator. Eric recently
received a Miller Legacy Award by his former students,
an award given by the current graduating class to honor
educators who made a significant influence on their lives.
Eric engages educators in a process of needs identification
and plans for long-term, sustained success through iAspire.
of the lesson is to ask them! As an
administrator, I made it routine at the
end of each observation to ask a few
students what they were doing and why.
I typically wrote the students’ answers
in the feedback I sent teachers so they
could read their students’ comments. The
student comments became an important
part of my post-observation conversation
with teachers. If students are able to
articulate the day’s learning, its impact,
and its importance, there was clarity. If
students could not, it was time for me to
ask more questions of the teacher to better
understand why this might be.
Teachers can ask the exact same question
at the end of a lesson, either as a quick exit
slip, a short dialogue, or in some other way.
Are you allowing your students to know
their final destination before even
beginning the lesson, or are you having
your students jump into the car without
any idea of where they are going?
8 The Progressive Teacher Nov/Dec 2016

social studies
THE IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL STUDIES
IN THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM
–Tanushree Dhandhania
‘Why do
I need to study
Social Studies,
when it’s of no use to
me. I want to take
up commerce or
science in
Class XI?’
The answers to the above
questions can be found
when we understand
what exactly is Social Studies
- Social Science is a branch of
study which deals with Human
‘What will
I learn by
reading about
the History and
Culture of different
countries?’
These are certain questions frequently posed by students.
Beings - their behaviour, growth
and development, relationships,
resources they use and the
various institutions they require
to function and carry on their
life smoothly. For example
‘Will I gain
anything by knowing
about minerals
and mining?’
- family, school, workplace,
government, judiciary, recreation
clubs, etc. All these aspects
of life are inter-related and
interdependent on one another.
So whether one wants to become
a doctor or an engineer or a
chartered accountant, an artist
or a teacher, we all have to
live in a society, interact with
individuals belonging to different
cultural and socio- economic
backgrounds, adapt to various
situations and circumstances, and
also adhere to certain societal
norms in order to lead a peaceful
and productive life.
The inclusion of Social Studies
in the curriculum right from
primary to secondary classes
signifies the importance of
the subject and the role it
plays in a student’s life. Social
Studies is incorporated in the
school curriculum through a
combination of subjects like -
History, Geography, Cultural
Studies, Economics, Political
Science, Sociology, Psychology,
Anthropology, etc.
These subjects help children to
develop-
Awareness of The World and
Environment: Lessons in Social
Studies related to topics like -
My Family, My Neighbourhood,
10 The Progressive Teacher Nov/Dec 2016

Community Helpers, Early Man,
Indus Valley Civilization, Modern
Period in Indian History, The
French Revolution, Great World
Leaders, etc teach students
about the various civilizations,
movements and renaissances
that occurred over the years. This
knowledge enables the students
to understand how the world and
different societies have evolved,
the important events that have
occurred in the past, enduring
ideas and eminent personalities
that have created an impact
and affected the lives of people
both locally and globally. It also
helps students to understand how
different societies are structured,
managed and governed. This in
turn helps students to understand
their place in the world.
Lessons such as - Our Earth,
Solar System, Major Landforms,
Water Resources, Natural
Vegetation and Wildlife
Resources, Natural Disasters,
Disaster Management, Pollution,
enable students to learn about
– outer space, formation of
different landforms; evolution of
Tanushree Dhandhania
completed her Master
of Science (M.Sc) in
Human Development from
Jadavpur University in
2004 and was
awarded the
University
Gold Medal.
She began
her career in
the education
field as a
lecturer
in J.D.Birla Institute
and then worked as a
preschool teacher with
Kangaroo Kids in Kolkata.
She started working
as an independent
education consultant in
2008 taking up various
projects related to
research, monitoring and
evaluation and content
development with
organisations like - Indian
Institute of Cerebral
Palsy (Kolkata, W.B);
Educomp Solutions Ltd
(India); Jingle Bell School
(Faizabad, U. P.) and
Vikramshila Education
Resource Society
(Kolkata, W.B). She is also
associated as a freelance
resource person with
Pearson Education (India)
to conduct teachers’
training programs.
animals, flora, fauna and man,
water bodies, available resources,
importance of conservation and
preservation, environmental
impact on present life and future
generations. This information
helps students to eventually
develop a holistic understanding
of their environment and the
interrelationship which exists
between the natural and human
habitats.
Helps to Develop Critical
Thinking Abilities: Social
Studies inculcate higher order
thinking abilities and skills like
- Comprehension, Application,
Analysis, Evaluation and
Synthesis, Creativity in students.
Learning a variety of topics
such as – Natural Resources,
Water Resources, Transport,
Communication, Caste System,
Political Ideologies, Social
Reformers, Our Cultures, United
Nations, etc give students a
chance to gain appropriate
information and data in various
contexts. The information
gained allows students to make
relevant observations, identify
similarities and differences, make
connections between related
concepts, ideas and resources.
Appropriate experiences
further enhance the students’
understanding about how
different things and
people affect their day to day
lives. For example - in order to
investigate poverty in the society,
students require knowledge
of subjects like - History,
Economics and Politics. Students
first have to gain information
and comprehend ideas such
as discrimination, resource
allocation and political priorities.
They then need to understand,
analyze and evaluate the existing
connections between those ideas
and theories to make sense of
how poverty affects certain
populations in the country.
This knowledge can be further
put to use to foster creativity,
if students are asked to think
about ways or come up with new
solutions and policies which they
think can help reduce poverty.
They could be given a chance to
present their ideas in the form
of debates, essays, role plays or
class projects.
Helps to Enhance the Social
Understanding Of Students:
Different topics included in
the Social Studies curriculum
for various age groups like -
Festivals of India, Different
types of Families, Clothes We
Wear, Food We Eat, Our Country,
States of India, My Community,
Socio-Religious Reforms,
Challenging the Caste System
- help students to observe,
learn and understand human
behaviour, values and attitudes
and the interrelationships which
exist among different people.
They come to know about the
different religions and cultures
which exist in the world other
than their own. They also learn
about the societal strata and
norms of society and the need
of various governing bodies and
other institutions. This in turn
helps the students to develop a
wider perspective of society and
the human condition.
Furthermore, learning about
the different religions, social
and cultural beliefs, castes and
creed, nationalities and ethnicity,
values, languages, festivals, food
and clothing, types of families,
etc makes students aware that
the society they live in, is diverse
and multicultural and yet there
is interdependence and interrelatedness
between different
people, families, cultures,
religions and countries. This
helps students to recognize the
benefits and challenges of living
in a world with multiple cultures
and ideologies. This awareness
helps them to understand the
importance of democracy, rights
and freedoms and the fact that
in order to live and coexist
peacefully each and everyone
needs to respect, trust and
balance the various opinions,
values and attitudes, lifestyles,
cultures and practices and
ideologies existing in society.
Helps Students To Become
Better Citizens: Subjects in
Social Studies like Economics,
Political Science and History
educate students on Political
Ideologies, Constitutional Laws,
Citizenship, Rights and Duties,
Morals and Virtues, Social
Code of Conduct, thus making
children aware of their roles
and responsibilities particularly
in relation to social and civic
affairs. By providing relevant
information and knowledge, skills
and attitudes, the study of Social
Science prepares students to
grow up as active, responsible,
and reflective members of
society. It also teaches them
to address societal and global
concerns using literature,
technology and other identifiable
community resources.
Thus, we can conclude that
incorporating Social Studies in
the school curriculum ensures
wellrounded education of the
students.
Nov/Dec 2016
www.progressiveteacher.in 11

social studies
–Dr Vishal Varia
The primary purpose of social studies
is to help young people develop the
ability to make reasonable decisions
for public good as citizens of a culturally
diverse and democratic society in an
interdependent world.
Why is it necessary to
learn Social Science?
Learning social science helps students to
understand human interactions that occurred
Dr. Vishal
Varia, Ph.D.
in Education,
is working
with Rosary
School, Rajkot
as Managing
Director. A very
humble and
kind person,
he strives to contribute to the field
of education by his educational
research and services.
Dr. Varia, served as a lecturer
in many colleges in the field of
computer science. He has a lot
of material and hand notes to his
credit out which two books were
published ‘Cracking University
Exams in C’ and ‘System Analysis
and Design’.
A teacher at heart, Dr. Varia, has
brought about many phenomenal
changes in the school education
system he serves, mostly in teacher
orientation and parenting. His
endeavour is to motivate the
teachers and parents to bringup
better and competitive future global
citizens.
in the past, are occurring now, and that are
likely to occur in the future. This may help
students develop and nurture values that
will make it more likely that they will be
able to determine what the right thing is and
do it, especially when doing the right thing
is difficult. It is about decency, respect,
courage and honor.
• Studying history helps the students
figure out their role in society as well
as their place in history. They can
learn how institutions, traditions and
ideals change as society modernizes
and how cause and effect, influence
relationships between individuals,
groups and nations. As students
mature, the study of history gives them
the chance to develop their research
skills and the ability to think critically.
• Education of geography explains the
world in which we live. It encourages
15
Ways
to make
Social Science
Interesting
Social science is a major category of academic disciplines,
concerned with society and relationships among individuals
within a society. Social science basically gives knowledge
about the world, nation and society around us through the
help of other disciplines. Economics, political science,
history, law and geography can be considered as social
sciences.
children to open their minds to many
places humans live on this planet. As
students learn about different places,
they also become aware of the many
cultural differences of the world’s
populations. As they learn more about
cultural differences, students begin to
find that there are a large number of
cultural similarities as well.
• Civics helps the students to learn that
they are part of a larger society that
must have structure in order to operate
for the good of all the people in the
group. This basic sense of citizenship
starts in the primary grades as students
work to monitor classroom rules and
expands as students study the electoral
process, the branches of government
and how citizens interact within the
laws of a society in more advanced
classes.
12 The Progressive Teacher Nov/Dec 2016

General Issue of Low Scores in the
subject of Social Science:
• Students do not consider social studies
to be an important area of study. English,
mathematics and science rank higher
because students see these subjects as
preparing them for careers and teaching
important skills which they will need in
the future.
• Social Science is a subject which requires
lots of reading. Many times it is found that
students lack reading skills and therefore
their scores are low.
• For many students social science becomes
a boring subject and they score low as
they are not interested in knowing about
historical events and history or about the
government.
• Other subjects like math and science
can have practical activities like finding
measure of things around or experiments
but for social science one can only visit
historical monuments, natural parks or
government institutes, etc which is not
always possible. This becomes another
reason for scoring fewer marks in
the subject.
• Another reason for disliking the subject
can be the lack of concentration during
lectures or class activities which
ultimately leads to lower scores.
Fifteen ways to make Social
Science Interesting:
1. Tell students to imagine a particular
moment in history mentioned in their
textbook. This can help them to have a
clear idea of the topic.
2. Act out historical events: Skits,
talk shows and plays are a great way
to engage students and motivate them
to find a love for social studies. Bring
a historical event to life by having
students act out a particular event
in history. Have students produce an
event and assign each student a specific
role to present to the class. After each
presentation let students discuss what
they learned.
3. Draw students in with technology:
Technology has a way to motivate
students and keep them engaged.
Whether you are teaching a lesson
on geography, history or on civics,
technology has a way to draw students’
attention.
4. Make use of Internet: Internet provides
many websites on educational topics.
Many have fun games, multimedia
presentations, quizzes, etc. on
educational topics. All these really make
bookish topics fun for the students and
help them to understand and retain
topics much better.
5. Try a Controversial Topic: An effective
tool for encouraging critical thinking
is to try a controversial topic. Provide
students with a short background on any
topic and let the debate begin. Write or
say a statement that relates to the topic
at hand and have each side plead their
case. There is nothing like a fun debate
to get students motivated to learn.
Nov/Dec 2016
6. You can develop student interest and
motivation in social studies by relating
relevant content and current events
to their daily lives.
7. Be involved, discuss concepts with
them and give them examples of
social studies from their daily lives
that they can relate to, instead of just
complaining that social science is
boring. Give concepts your own twist.
8. Do practical projects and
experiments with them. Doing really
helps in understanding a topic instead
of reading about it.
9. Get interesting books about
different topics for the children. Keep
the books accessible so that they can
take them out when bored and read
them.
10. Take your students to fun and
interesting places like planetariums,
zoos, wildlife sanctuaries, national
parks, museums, botanical gardens, etc.
to make the concepts clear.
11. Making useful notes plays a vital role
in helping students to learn easily with
perfection.
12. Update your students with current
events. Students can develop interest
and motivation in social studies by
relating relevant content and current
events to their daily lives.
13. Encourage students to do collage work
and take census of any particular area
to make the subject interesting.
14. Sometimes it is the everyday places
that can be educational and
interesting – your garden, the local
nursery, the post office, etc. Walk
around the neighbourhood and go to the
local places of interest.
15. Show them videos and
documentaries of the events covered
in their syllabus. This will enhance the
interest in the chapter or episode in
history.
No effort done in this direction will be
in vain. Every effort will have its own
rewards on a child’s learning. Keep
making the effort.
www.progressiveteacher.in 13

parenting
Teach Children to Talk
about their Feelings
– Dr Shayama Chona
Young children don’t spend a lot of time pondering the deep
mysteries like ‘Who am I?’ or ‘What is the meaning of my
life?’ Yet in their own way, they are trying to understand who
they are.
The road to self-knowledge is to
understand your emotions. Knowing
that you are feeling angry, sad, happy
or a mix of all these, is the way you come to
know yourself – what you deeply care about,
what frightens or delights you. The better
you know yourself, the more rewarding and
profound the relationship you will be able to
build with others.
People who have never been taught to
understand their emotions may go through
life without a clue as to what they are really
feeling. The way to prevent your children from
growing up to be out of touch with themselves
is to help them to come to grips with what
they are feeling from the time they are small.
Although children are very emotional, being
in tune with their feelings doesn’t necessarily
come naturally to them. Most cannot verbally
express the feeling behind the outburst or
the sudden impulse to throw a punch unless
someone offers guidance. They need a calm,
understanding adult to label the emotion for
them. So when your child hits you, it is best
to say, ‘I can see you’re angry’. When he cries,
you say emphatically. ‘Oh, you’re feeling sad’.
Helping your child put words to his feeling
in this way won’t just help him understand
his emotions, but eventually to control them
when necessary. A child who is awash in
an emotion may mistakenly experience the
feeling as an extension of himself – as his
identity. In other words, your child when he
is in a rage because he can’t have another
Dr Shayama Chona, is the former Principal of Delhi Public
School, R K Puram, New Delhi; Founder President of Tamana
(NGO for physically & mentally handicapped children); Founder
of Anubhav Shiksha Kendra (a school for the under-privileged);
she has been a member of 96 Advisory Boards and Committees;
she has been nominated to Managing Committees of 46
schools and other educational institutions; she has been named
in the Limca Book of Records 2007. She has been awarded the
State Award for Services in Education 1993, National Award for
Services as a Teacher of Outstanding Merit 1994, National Award for Outstanding
Performance for Welfare of People with Disabilities 1997, Padma Shri 1999, Padma
Bhushan 2008, and 49 other awards. She lives at C10/8, Vasant Vihar, New
Delhi-110057. Email: shayamachona@gmail.com, tamanapresident@gmail.com
coke is not necessarily aware that he is
experiencing anger. Instead, he becomes
angry. Simply by giving him a word to
explain what he is experiencing you make
anger something that is separate from him;
something that he can begin to control.
Your goal isn’t just to help your child
identify his feelings, but to guide him towards
accepting them. One of the most important
lessons you can teach a child is that having
feelings – even nasty ones – doesn’t make
you ‘bad’. When you let a child know that
his negative or uncomfortable feelings are
acceptable, what you are really saying is
that he is acceptable to you even when he
is feeling furious, scared or sad. By getting
this emotional carte blanche from an
understanding parent, a child comes to see
himself as acceptable. This makes positive
growth and change easier.
The more children learn to talk about their
anger, the less need they will have to act it
out. They come to understand that there is
a difference between feeling something –
which is always okay – and doing something,
which may not be. It takes a long time, and
increased maturity, before children learn to
always talk instead of act. But the job of the
parents is to continually guide them along in
this process.
There are also parents who tend to deny or
dismiss a child’s negative emotions because
they so desperately want to eradicate all
painful experiences from their child’s life.
So when your child says, ‘I am scared’. You
say, ‘No, you are not – there is nothing to be
scared of’. Or when he says, ‘I am sad’, you
say, ‘Oh, no, no, it is a happy day!’
Though well intentioned, it amounts to
emotional brainwashing. It can leave a young
child with the sense that what he thinks and
feels is not what he’s feeling. This hampers
his self-understanding. He might have come
to believe that what he is feeling is not okay
with his parents. He may think that nobody
in the world understands him. A childhood
full of this approach will rob children of the
opportunity to really understand themselves.
14 The Progressive Teacher Nov/Dec 2016

teaching
Are we
overlooking handwriting
skill in schools?
–Mohanakannan P
Some may wonder why
students should learn to
write in cursive or print in
the age of tablets and phones.
Won’t everyone just be typing
and dictating in the future?
While electronic devices have
added an element of ease to the
writing process, the evidence is
rising that putting pen to paper
has aids that typing cannot
replace. Researchers have found
ties between writing by hand
and everything from language
skills to memory to critical
thinking. The research is
important to understand
before ‘lauding and applauding’
technology and its uses.
The alarming thing about
overlooking handwriting is the
idea that by writing things out
by hand, we are unaware that we
are actually training our brain in
a way that the mere interfacing
with computers doesn’t ... and
that training, much in the same
way that talking changes the
way we think, may help us be the
people that we are.
Why is writing good for
students?
Writing dynamically engages
widespread areas of both
cerebral hemispheres. Virginia
Berninger, a researcher and
professor of educational
psychology at the University
of Washington, says that brain
Handwriting has
a physiological /
psychological link in
the brain. This link is
so solid that nothing
else done in the
classroom can begin
to associate with the
powerful influence
that continually
manipulating the
thumb and fingers
over time has on the
young brain.
scans during handwriting show
activation of massive regions of
the brain involved in thinking,
language, and working memory.
In ‘The Pen is Mightier than
the Keyboard’, researchers Pam
Mueller and Daniel Oppenheimer
found that students who take
notes by hand perform better
on conceptual questions than
students who take notes on
laptops. They concluded that
students who type their notes
tend to transcribe the lecture
and process the lecture only on a
shallow level. Students who take
notes by hand actually digest
the content and reframe it in
their own words - a process that
increases both understanding and
recall. Children learning to read
for the first time, or as adults
picking up a second language
with new characters— retain the
information best when writing
the letters by hand, according to
research by neurophysiologist
Jean-Luc Velay, University of
Marseilles.
The physical act of holding a
pencil and shaping letters sends
feedback signals to the brain.
This leaves a motor memory
which later makes it easier to
recall the information connected
with the movement, according to
the study.
Writing and reading
comprehension are neurally
connected, and better readers
often have more academic selfconfidence.
If kindergartners
are reading at a first-grade level,
they do better academically,
which means they have more
confidence in their ability to
perform. The more children
write the easier it is for them
to recognize a letter. Letter
recognition is the highest
predictor of reading later on.
Prof Anne Mangen, of the
University of Stavanger in
Norway, said research had shown
different parts of the brain
are stimulated by reading and
writing. Since writing by hand
takes longer than typing on a
keyboard the temporal aspect of
the brain which is involved
in language may also influence
the learning process,
Prof Mangen said.
Research by Laura Dinehart of
Florida International University’s
college of education in Miami
indicates that four-year-olds with
strong handwriting skills of any
kind are more likely to excel in
maths and reading when they get
to elementary school.
As each letter is mastered, the
child says, ‘I can do this! I can do
this even better!’ Then it is just a
matter of moving on to mastery
of the next letter and eventually
to the relatively easy task of
joining letters. Maybe, the best
emotional boost of all is when
children learn they have acquired
this skill on their own.
Why is Cursive a better
form of writing?
Young children struggle to make
the ‘straight lines and perfect
circles’ a manuscript (print)
requires. While cursive requires
skill, it requires curved lines,
which children can easily form.
The connectivity of a simple
cursive style is faster to write
because there are fewer stops
and starts. It is like driving on a
freeway versus surface streets,
a difference especially helpful to
students to develop fluency.
The cursive connectivity
improves both speed of writing
and attention span during
writing. This increases continuity
and fluidity in writing, which
in turn encourages greater
amounts of writing.
16 The Progressive Teacher Nov/Dec 2016

social studies
social studies and
everyday life
–SHANI K I
Social studies are also important
for teaching students basic values,
such as justice and equality, which
are the foundation of modern society. For
every student, social studies are often
based around being a good member of the
community at the local level. For example,
the early levels talk about neighbourhood
relationships, social responsibility in terms
of helping others, and then understanding
how the individual affects the group. A good
understanding of how history has influenced
the modern world gives people knowledge
that they can apply to other subjects and
everyday life.
When we analyze social studies, we can
identify some relations with personal life and
its influence in daily life. Social studies help a
person to improve his personal life. Following
points may reveal the importance of social
studies in daily life-
1. It describes the importance of cultural
unity and diversity within and across
groups.
2. It demonstrates an understanding that
different people may describe the same
Nov/Dec 2016
Social studies teaches students fundamental concepts of
culture, economics and politics - skills to groom them into
educated, productive citizens. Social studies centres around
understanding how the world works on a social level.
event or situation in diverse ways, citing
reasons for the differences in views.
3. It demonstrates an understanding that
people in different times and places view
the world differently.
4. It helps to use appropriate resources,
data sources, and geographic tools such
as atlases, databases, charts, graphs,
and maps to generate, manipulate, and
interpret information.
5. It helps to examine the interaction
of human beings and their physical
environment.
6. It helps to observe and speculate
about social and economic effects of
environmental changes.
7. It considers existing uses; and proposes
Shani K I, M Com & B Ed, is presently working as Academic
Coordinator at the IDC English Higher Secondary School,
Thrissur in Kerala. He has been an avid blogger and has
also worked as a Special Educator at the Ideal Academy,
Perinjanam. He believes ‘in lifelong learning and the
constant need to upgrade ones skills to meet the needs of
the ever challenging society. As an educator, each successful
year I feel a strong sense of achievement and satisfaction
which give me immense pleasure and motivation to set
goals and strive hard to achieve them’.
and evaluates alternative uses of
resources.
8. It helps to work independently and
cooperatively to accomplish goals.
9. It is useful in identifying and describing
examples of tension between an
individual’s beliefs and government
policies and laws.
10. It helps to examine the rights and
responsibilities of the individual in relation
to his/her social group such as family, peer
group, school and class.
11. It is useful in identifying factors that
contribute to cooperation and cause
disputes within and among groups and
nations.
12. It ascertains and describes examples
in which science and technology have
changed the lives of people such as
in homemaking, child care, work,
transportation and communication.
13. It examines the influence of public
opinion on personal decision-making and
government policy on public issues.
The aim of social studies is to promote civic
competence or a practical understanding
of how to effectively participate in public
life, ultimately aiming at a comprehensive
understanding of society. It is taught to young
students as a preparation for their future life.
www.progressiveteacher.in 17

learning
Vocabulary, a challenge
for students-in context
Waning vocabulary among students is one of the key concerns raised
by language teachers during all my interactions with them. The fading
skill has been a unanimous motif in all the deliberations I have had with
teachers to understand performance of students in languages.
– Prakhar Ghildiyal
Since it is voiced by so
many teachers, this sounds
like a real time problem
which teachers acknowledge. On
further pondering and discussion
with teachers what surfaced
was the direct linkage of the
reading habit with the dwindling
vocabulary among students.
I have always been interested in
words and have always felt that
they lend a hand in garnishing
your imagination. Words have
always had a similar effect on
me like Madeleine (cake) had
on Marcel Proust in Search
of Lost Time. It acts as a
stimulus to contrast involuntary
memory with voluntary memory.
Presumably this is a closer way
of learning and responding to
knowledge when we refer to
meaningful learning. It connects
through various schemes of facts
or information thus helping
us arrive at new knowledge
through previously acquired
knowledge with lesser impetus on
memorizing or rote learning of
information.
No sooner had the warm liquid
mixed with the crumbs touched
my palate than a shudder ran
through me and I stopped intent
upon the extraordinary thing
that was happening to me. An
exquisite pleasure had invaded
my senses, something isolated,
detached, with no suggestion
of its origin. And at once the
vicissitudes of life had become
indifferent to me, its disasters
innocuous, its brevity illusory –
this new sensation having had
on me the effect which love has
of filling me with a precious
essence; or rather this essence
was not in me it was me. ...
Whence did it come? What did
it mean? How could I seize and
apprehend it? ... And suddenly
the memory revealed itself. The
taste was that of the little piece
of madeleine which on Sunday
mornings at Combray (because
on those mornings I did not go
out before mass), when I went
to say good morning to her in
her bedroom, my aunt Léonie
used to give me, dipping it first
in her own cup of tea or tisane.
The sight of the little madeleine
had recalled nothing to my mind
before I tasted it. And all from
my cup of tea.
—Marcel Proust,
In Search of Lost Time
Somehow I have always found
words close to my heart as in
many cases I remember where
and under what circumstances
I learnt certain words. A few
examples to cite from my
memory:
• Dilapidated: I read this word
when I was in grade 5 or 7
in a short story in school.
Although I don’t remember
the story but the word still
evokes an image of cob webs
and dampness in my mind.
• Ahmak (fool/silly): Heard it
from one of my uncles who
tagged me with this name
whenever I did something
stupid. It was out of sheer
love for me.
• Austerity: Read it in a
magazine in an article which
was talking about Austerity
measures in some ecological
context.
• Egalitarian: My cousin made
a recommendation of this
word in an essay in place of
equality.
There are many more but I
am citing these cases in order to
think aloud and look at possible
levers which helped me know
a few.
‘Like everything metaphysical
the harmony between thought
and reality is to be found in
the grammar of the language’.
Ludwig Wittgenstein
A recent practice which I find
self defeating is to see learners
presented with a list of a
few words which they cram
up to augment their existing
vocabulary. No doubt you
come across so many thwarted
performances in vocabulary in
a context as a skill. It is for this
reason most of the things in the
world have suddenly become
awesome. From a glass of
lemonade to a good performance
of an actor to a good book-
Everything is just awesome! I
am sure it is not our inability to
acknowledge and perceive the
18 The Progressive Teacher Nov/Dec 2016

Prakhar is a management
professional who has
been working in the
education domain and
finds himself privileged
to have this
opportunity
to have
interacted
with various
stakeholders
in the
ecosystem.
He is based
in Dehradun.
Writing is a hobby while
reading is a habit which
makes his day when he is
not working. As a learner,
the science of learning
has always made him
curious to understand the
way learning happens
from various angles and
he is always seeking
ways in which it can
be ameliorated. He is
keen to join discussions
which are on science
of learning, books or at
least humorous, he can be
reached on Pghildyal@
gmail.com.
world but our frailty in aptly
expressing our emotions.
Another trend which I have
observed amongst learners is
that the more difficult a word
the better one is assumed to
be having a command on the
language. It’s in vogue to flaunt
the list of words one mugged
up painstakingly and perhaps
morbidly over the years. One that
fits is more important than the
vanity it carries on the society.
Brevity and comprehensibility
should be stressed upon for the
students to understand their
value. There is nothing like a
difficult or an easy word. A
word is like a piece of jigsaw
puzzle where it renders life to a
sentence. It is the aptness of the
word which will render beauty to
communication than the length
of the word.
‘When I use a word,’ Humpty
Dumpty said in rather a scornful
tone, ‘it means just what I choose
it to mean—neither more nor
less.’ -Lewis Carroll
I recently came across a
textbook which had a story with
difficult words underlined. The
whole class mugged up those
words and they were all assessed
on these 7-10 words. What
a ridiculous way of teaching
vocabulary to children! It is
monotonous, stressful and self
defeating. Having mugged up
I am sure most of the children
will sooner or later forget these
words which would depend on
individual retention power.
Nov/Dec 2016
Words are like a wheel to a
cart. You tend to learn them
once you understand their
value. In fact in most of the
cases we learn words when we
find them as a hindrance to
comprehension. Imagine a new
word which does not let you
comprehend an important letter
from your employer, friend, peer
or even the government. Will
you not go back and open your
dictionary as this word is a digit
of your code to the important
message. Thanks to the new idea
advocated by many institutions
where one has to understand the
context, tone of the sentence,
et cetera and skim through the
passage to achieve the goal
of some comprehension. This
strategy works because there are
badly framed multiple choice
questions after this.
Using dictionaries is a lost art
these days which has its own
evident repercussions. Either the
system allows you to ignore the
vocabulary or it tells you to mug
it up without understanding its
relevance.
I strongly feel that vocabulary
should be presented as a skill
to students in a lively manner
and not as formulae to mug
up. The dictionary should be a
ready reckoner in the classroom.
When I say vocabulary I
mean it for any language that
children study. To ameliorate
the present situation teachers
should present narratives which
are interesting to children. This
will automatically augment
their vocabulary. Vocabulary is
an intrinsic tool to express and
communicate. Not only through
books but through songs, poems,
advertisements there can be
exploration of vocabulary by the
students. Although it may vary
from individual to individual
but talking about etymology of
words can also be great stories
for students. At least a few
may adopt this way of learning
and choose to delve deeper. For
others, there could be different
methods.
Another important thing
which I value as a lever in my
learning journey was the role of
grandparents. It is with them
one learns and listens to folk
tales, new idioms, and newer
words. The idea is to interact
with people of different age
groups and varied cultures and
professions.
Language like culture grows
organically with interaction. It
will develop more through open
conversations instead of limiting
ourselves to a compendium of
certain words to mug up and be
assessed on.
www.progressiveteacher.in 19

teaching
– Rebecca Alber
I
remember how, as a new
teacher, I would attend
professional development
and feel inundated with new
strategies. (I wanted to get back
to the classroom and try them
all!) After the magic of that day
wore off, I reflected on the many
strategies and would often think,
‘Lots of great stuff, but I’m not
sure it’s worth the time it would
take to implement it all.’
We teachers are always looking
to innovate, so, yes, it’s essential
that we try new things to add to
our pedagogical bag of tricks.
But it’s important to focus on
purpose and intentionality – and
not on quantity. So what really
matters more than ‘always trying
something new’ is the reason
behind why we do what we do.
What Research Says
This leads me to educational
researcher John Hattie, who
wrote Visible Learning for
Teachers: Maximizing Impact
on Learning. Through his
research, one of his goals is to
aid teachers in seeing and better
understanding learning through
the eyes of their students.
Hattie has spent more than
fifteen years researching the
influences on achievement of
K-12 children. His findings linked
student outcomes to several
highly effective classroom
practices. Here I’d like to
highlight five of those practices:
1. Teacher Clarity
When a teacher begins a new
unit of study or project with
students, she clarifies the purpose
and learning goals, and provides
explicit criteria on how students
can be successful. It’s ideal to
also present models or examples
to students so they can see what
the end product looks like.
2. Classroom Discussion
Teachers need to frequently step
offstage and facilitate entire
class discussion. This allows
students to learn from each other.
It’s also a great opportunity for
teachers to formatively assess
(through observation) how
well students are grasping new
content and concepts.
3. Feedback
How do learners know they are
moving forward without steady,
consistent feedback? They often
won’t. Along with individual
feedback (written or verbal),
teachers need to provide wholegroup
feedback on patterns they
see in the collective class’ growth
and areas of need. Students also
We teachers are
always looking to
innovate, so, yes, it’s
essential that we try
new things to add
to our pedagogical
bag of tricks. But it’s
important to focus
on purpose and
intentionality – and
not on quantity. So
what really matters
more than ‘always
trying something
new’ is the reason
behind why we do
what we do.
need to be given opportunities to
provide feedback to the teacher
so that she can adjust the
learning process, materials, and
instruction accordingly.
4. Formative Assessments
In order to provide students
with effective and accurate
feedback, teachers need to assess
frequently and routinely where
students are in relation to the
unit of study’s learning goals
or end product (summative
assessment). Hattie recommends
that teachers spend the same
amount of time on formative
evaluation as they do on
summative assessment.
5. Metacognitive
Strategies
Students are given opportunities
to plan and organise, monitor
their own work, direct their
own learning, and to self-reflect
along the way. When we provide
Rebecca Alber is an instructor at
UCLA’s Graduate School of Education,
a literacy specialist, and consulting
editor at Edutopia. She is committed
to equity and access for all students.
She is also passionate about learning
being relevant, engaging, and
revolutionary.
students with time and space to
be aware of their own knowledge
and their own thinking,
student ownership increases.
And research shows that
metacognition can be taught.
Collaborating with
Colleagues
Great teachers are earnest
learners. Spend some time with
a colleague, or two or three,
and talk about what each of
these research-based, best
classroom practices looks like
in the classroom. Discuss each
one in the context of your unique
learning environment: who your
students are, what they need,
what they already know, etc.
How do you bring these five
classroom practices alive
in your classroom? Please
share with us through the
columns of The Progressive
Teacher.
20 The Progressive Teacher Nov/Dec 2016

lesson plan
Role-Playing Events From History:
french revolution
– Kanchan Shine
We are the freedom generation; we were born in a country that was free from the rules of
maharajahs and monarchs. The generation today, often takes the concept of freedom for
granted, it’s also because we don’t know what it feels like to have our freedom taken away by a
monarch, who runs a state or a country as per his own whims and fancies.
The French Revolution is a classic
example of this situation and highlights
how people revolted against the rule of
a monarch and stood united and formed a
new system of governance.
Here is a role-play lesson plan to help
students understand the concept of
freedom and the reason for the French
Revolution. The lesson plan takes students
back in time, to the year 1789, where they
are members of an estate and live
under the rule of King Louis XVI.
Reference: NCERT – Class 9 – Chapter 1 –
The French Revolution
Setting the Context for the French
Revolution
Begin the class by announcing to students
that you are Louis XVI, the king
of France.
Divide the class into the following three
estates (put 60% students in estate 3, and
further divide them as businessmen,
merchants, lawyers other professionals,
peasants and labour; divide the rest 40% in
estate 1 and 2):
• Estate1: Clergy
• Estate 2: Nobles
• Estate 3: Businessmen, merchants,
peasants, artisans, landless labour
and servants
Give the following brief to each group:
• Estate 1 & 2: Clergy and nobles enjoy
privileges by birth. You are exempt
from paying taxes to the state. Nobles
enjoy a special feudal privilege that
Louis XVI King of France from 1774 to 1791
allows you to extract dues from peasants.
• Estate 3: Peasants are obliged to render
service to the King, work in his palaces
and fields, should serve in the army and build
roads too. Peasants must pay tax (tithes)
to the Church. All members of the third
estate must pay taxes to the state – these
include direct taxes and indirect taxes on
consumption of items like salt or tobacco.
Ask members of each estate to discuss and
list their feelings, allot 10 minutes for
the discussion.
Ask one representative from each estate to
come forward and read out their feelings to
the rest of the estate members. Don’t arrive
at any conclusions; let the estates just voice
their opinions and feelings.
Tell them that you (the King), have discovered
the following:
• The state treasury is empty
Kanchan Shine has over 10 years experience in the
education domain. Her firm, Episteme Learning Solutions
Pvt Ltd. creates training content for schools, ranging from
curriculum design, teacher lesson plans and activity guides.
Her team also writes content for textbook publishers.
She conducts teacher-training workshops and provides
consultancy for curriculum development and implementing
experiential learning in classrooms. She is passionate about
teaching and believes that children learn best through
hands-on-activities and play. She is currently pursing MA in
Education.
• The state owes 2 billion livres(French
currency) in debt
• The state has to pay 10% interest on
loans taken from lenders
• The state has to bear high costs to
maintain the palace, the army,
government offices and universities
In order to make up for the deficit of funds,
you, the King is not left with any choice apart
from levying taxes. You have therefore called
for a meeting of the Estates General to pass
a proposal for new taxes. Each estate will be
allowed to cast one vote either for or against
your proposal.
Ask each group representative to state
whether they accept or reject your
proposal.
The representative from Estate 3 will most
likely oppose your proposal on the grounds
that it’s unfair that they pay taxes and the
clergy and nobles don’t.
Tell Estate 3 to discuss what they will do
if you decide to stick to your decision and
impose taxes only on their estate. Ask them
to present their ideas to the rest of the class.
Ask members of Estates 1 and 2 whether
members of Estate 3 are being treated fairly.
Tell students that they have witnessed a
monarchy system of ruling. Under this
system, the king or the monarch is given full
powers to run the state and the people have
very little to say.
Ask them to think about what they can
do to abolish the monarchy system; what
new system of governance would they like
to create.
Ask each group to discuss and present their
thoughts to the class.
Ask all students to read ‘The Outbreak of
the Revolution’ from the textbook. Do they
agree with the decision of creating a National
Assembly?
Ask what they think about the new political
system proposed by the National Assembly.
Read through the rest of the chapter and
discuss the changes that France went
through after it became a republic.
22 The Progressive Teacher Nov/Dec 2016

Pullout PLANNER
Nov/Dec 2016
www.progressiveteacher.in 23

24 The Progressive Teacher Nov/Dec Jul/Aug 2016

Class VI: history
On the Trail of the Earliest People
Tick ( ) the correct answer
1. The transition of man from ape-like
creatures to human form is called
a. Creation c. Evolution
b. Development d. Advancement
2. Which one of the following proposed the
theory of Natural Selection?
a. James Mill
b. Hermann Miemer
c. Herbert Garner
d. Charles Darwin
3. In 1974 A.D. where did archaeologists
discover partial skeletons of human like
creatures?
a. Egypt c. Syria
b. Palestine d. Ethopia
4. Which of the following was the most
important function of the opposable
thumb?
a. Easy cutting
b. Easy grasp
c. Easy protection
d. Easy adaption
5. During which age did the discovery of
fire and emergence of prehistoric art take
place?
a. Palaeolithic age c. Neolithic age
b. Mesolithic age d. Chalcolithic age
6. The transition from food gatherer to food
producer and settling down, marks the
beginning of the
a. Palaeolithic age c. Neolithic age
b. Mesolithic age d. Chalcolithic age
7. What does Mesolithic mean?
a. Copper Age
b. Middle Stone Age
c. Old Stone Age
d. Early Stone Age
worksheet
Max Marks: 20
9. Which of the following is characteristic
and shows evolution of early man?
a. Increase in the size of the brain
b. Increase in sizes of houses
c. Increase in animal flock
d. None of the above
10. Why did early man move from one place
to another?
a. In search of houses c. In search of grasslands
b. In search of food d. All of these
11. A scientist who studies humanity and
human culture is called
a. Archaeologist c. Sociologist
b. Anthropologist d. Afrologist
12. Which of the following stone tools were
used in the Palaeolithic age?
a. Core and flake tools c. Core and Blake tools
b. Core and microliths d. Core and flint
Fill in the blanks using a suitable word:
Kurnool, Dolphins, Migration, Bhimbetka,
Hunsgi
13. Ash is found in _____________in
Southern India.
14. ____________ and ____________ are the
earliest human settlements in India.
15. Studies suggest that the_____________
also used tools.
16. The early human groups followed animal
________________.
17. Fill the boxes given below with the various
reasons for the movement of early man:
Reasons for movement of early man
8. What did early man use to paint the walls
of caves?
a. Ink c. Paint
b. Charcoal d. Clay
A: B: C: D:
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25

worksheet
Max Marks: 20
From Gathering to Growing Food
Tick ( ) the correct answer
1. Small, sharp and refined tools used by early man in
the Mesolithic period were called
a. Arrow heads c. Microliths
b. Spearhead d. Bamboo
Class VI: history
9. Over a period of time humans were able to
rely upon farming because of
a. Increase in productivity c. Use of manure
b. Better quality seeds d. None of these
2. Which of the following factors helped
most in the growing of different types of
crops by Neolithic man?
a. Abundance of rainfall
b. Rise in temperature
c. Knowledge about plants
d. Use of manure
3. The people of Mehrgarh lived in
a. Rectangular houses
b. Circular houses
c. Square houses
d. Pyramidical houses
4. The time period for the Palaeolithic age is
a. Before 10,000 B.C.
b. 8,000 to 4,000 B.C.
c. 10,000 to 8,000 B.C.
d. 4,000 to 2,000 B.C.
5. The time period for the Mesolithic age is
a. Before 10,000 B.C.
b. 8,000 to 4,000 B.C.
c. 10,000 to 8,000 B.C.
d. 4,000 to 2,000 B.C.
6. Palaeolithic man was also called
a. Nomad
b. Early man
c. Hunter gatherer
d. All of these
7. Increase in farming led to
a. Domestication of animals
b. Decrease in hunting gathering activity
c. Settled life
d. Better quality of crops
8. Humans built primitive houses near fertile
soil and
a. Scenic beauty c. Water
b. Forests d. Mountains
10. The earliest evidence of crop cultivation
was discovered by archaeologists in
a. Indus region c. Fertile Crescent
b. Egypt d. China
State whether the following statements are
true or false:
11. The tools used by Palaeolithic man
were very sophisticated.
12. Animals were domesticated in the
Mesolithic Age.
13. Wheat, Lentil and barley were grown in
the Fertile Crescent around 8,000 B.C.
14. The discovery of fire was not helpful
for early man.
15. Early man used water to scare animals.
Fill in the blanks using the word options
given below:
Mesolithic, Grain, Mehrgarh, Settled, Fire
16. Palaeolithic man led a _____________ life.
17. The discovery of ____________ was
accidental.
18. _______________ tools were more suitable
for farming.
19. Neolithic man selected seeds with strong
stalk and large __________
20. __________ is one of the earliest village
sites found in the Indian subcontinent.
26
The Progressive Teacher
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Class VI: geography
The Earth in the Solar System
Tick ( ) the correct answer
1. How do astronomers learn about stars?
a. Constellations c. Space Walks
b. Telescopes d. Space Stations
2. What is a ‘Light Year’?
a. The distance that light travels in one year
b. The same as the speed of light
c. The amount of time it takes light to travel one mile
d. The distance that light travels in one second
3. What is the difference between long-period and
short – period comets? What are the patterns of
stars and the regions of space around them?
a. Long-period comets: more than 100 years. Short –period:
less than 100 years
b. Long-period comets: more than 200 years. Short –period:
less than 200 years
c. Long-period comets: more than 300 years. Short –period:
less than 300 years
d. Long-period comets: more than 500 years. Short –period:
less than 500 years
4. Why are constellations useful?
a. Help in naming stars
b All stars can be seen at the same time
c. Help people to see stars without telescopes
d. Divide the sky into sections and help in the location of a
particular star
5. What is a ‘galaxy’?
a. A large –scale group of planets, stars, moons bound
together by gravity
b. A large-scale group of stars, gas, and dust bound together
by gravity
c. A large-scale group of stars, rocks and dirt bound together
` by gravity
d. A large-scale group of gas, elements and atoms bound
together by gravity
6. What type of galaxy is the ‘Milky Way’?
a. Elliptical c. Irregular
b. Spherical d. Spiral
7. By analysing the light that a star emits ,
astronomers can determine
a. The motion of a star
b. Composition and temperature of a star
c. The size and weight of a star
d. The galaxy that the star belongs to
8. Which inner planets have almost the same size,
mass and density?
a. Mars and Venus c. Mercury and Venus
b. Earth and Mars d. Mercury and Mars
9. Which planets show evidence of heavy volcanic
activity?
a. Mars and Venus c. Venus and Earth
b. Earth and Mars d. Mars and Mercury
worksheet
Max Marks: 20
10. How do the inner planets differ from the outer planets?
a. Outer plants are bigger than inner planets
b. Outer planets have an outer atmosphere and an inner
atmosphere
c. Outer planets are located in the outer zone of the Milky Way
d. Inner planets are smaller, rockier & denser than outer planets
11. The Greek astronomer Claudius Ptolemy proposed that
planets moved in small circles, or epicycles, as they
a. Revolved in larger circles around the moon
b. Revolved in larger circles around Sun
c. Revolved in even smaller circles around Earth
d. Revolved in larger circles around Earth
12. The Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus
proposed a model for the solar system that was
Sun-centred, or
a. Lunacentric c. Heliocentric
b. Astrocentric d. Celestracentric
13. According to Copernicus, all planets revolved
around
a. The Sun in the same direction
b. The moon in the same direction but at different speed and
distances
c. The Sun in different directions but at the same speed
d. The Sun in different directions and speed
14. Upon whose observations did Johannes Kepler
base his three laws of planetary motion?
a. Galileo c. Ptolemy
b. Tycho Brahe d. Newton
15. Compared with terrestrial planets, the gas giants
a. Have more gravity, which helps them retain gases
b. Have less gravity which helps them retain gases
c. Have the same amount of gravity, which helps them retain gases
d. Have no gravity, which helps them retain gases
16. The thick atmosphere of the gas giants is made up of
a. Oxygen and Hydrogen c. Hydrogen and Helium
b. Helium and Carbon dioxide d. Carbon dioxide and Oxygen
17. The gas giants have ring systems that are made up of
a. Orbiting moons c. Comets
b. Dust and icy debris d. Asteroids and gases
18. The composition of asteroids is similar to that of
a. Inner planets c. Comets
b. Gas giants d. Outer planets
19. A comet’s spectacular tail forms when
a. Sunlight changes the comet’s ice to gas
b. Sunlight is reflected from the comet
c. Moonlight is reflected from the comet
d. Gravity pulls gas from the comet
20. What happens when a meteroid enters the Earth’s
atmosphere?
a. Dissolves in the Earth’s atmosphere
b. Gives out heat and light
c. Collides with the Earth
d. Friction between molecules of the atmosphere and the meteroid,
heat up the meteroid’s surface; so most of them burn up
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27

worksheet
Max Marks: 20
Maps
Tick ( ) the correct answer
1. What are the two ways scientists collect data to make maps?
a. Field surveys and remote control
b. Word of mouth and legend
c. Field surveys and remote sensing
d. Books and the internet
2. What is the science of map making called?
a. Cartography c. Geology
b. Metallurgy d. Global Positioning
3. How do cartographers conduct field surveys?
a. By measuring the area
b. By observing an area
c. By studying the area
d. By walking or driving through an area to be mapped and taking
measurements of that area
4. What do cartographers do with the information they
collect during a field survey?
a. Send it to collection centres
b. They plot the information on a map
c. Compile the information
d. Collect the information
5. What happens when a curved surface is transfered to
a flat map?
a. The image is not distorted
b. The image is larger than its original size
c. The image does not change
d. The image of the curved surface is distorrted
6. In what ways may an area shown on a map be
distorted?
a. Distortion in size
b. Distortion in shape
c. Distorted in size, shape, distance or direction
d. Distortion in direction
7. What must you do to be able to read a map?
a. Understand the symbols, to be able to find directions
b. Know where to research the history of map making and
understand the symbols
c. Memorise the distances between key points and find directions
d. Know the compass points
8. What is the first step in correctly interpreting a map?
a. Align the map by wrapping it around a globe
b. Look up the symbols in a dictionary
c. Determine how the compass directions are displayed
d. Find your current location on the map
9. What information is shown on geological maps?
a. Types of vegetation, trees and mosses
b. Types of rocks, faults and folds
c. Continents, countries and cities
d. Mountains, rivers and oceans
10. A ratio used as a scale on a map is called?
a. A rational scale c. A fractional scale
b. A factional scale d. A graphical scale
Class VI: geography
11. What is a compass rose?
a. A symbol on a map that shows cardinal numbers
b. A legend on a map that shows directions
c. A rose in the shape of a compass
d. A symbol on a map that shows cardinal directions
12. What type of map would be most useful to a scientist
studying earth quakes?
a. A geologic map; describes type of rocks, faults and folds
b. Faults
c. Types of rock
d. Folds
13. What is a legend?
a. Size and shape of land features
b. Symbols used on the map with explanations
c. Direction on the North Line
d. Type of scale used on the map
14. What are some of the characteristics of an area shown
on maps used by Earth scientists?
a. Types of animals, plants and minerals
b. Types of rocks and differences in air pressure & water
c. Types of physical features and landforms
d. Types of physical features and groundwater bodies
15. How does the use of symbols in maps help to
represent several things in a limited space?
a. Symbols give less information in more space
b. Symbols do not give enough information in less space
c. Symbols give lots of information in a limited space
d. Symbols give information in less space
16. How is the size of an area shown on a map related to
the distortion?
a. The smaller the area, the greater the distortion
b. The smaller the area, the lesser the distortion
c. The larger the area, less the distortion
d. The larger the area, the greater the distortion
17. Which of the following are we likely to use to sudy
the physical features of a continent and its political
divisions?
a. Globe b. Map
c. Compass d. Compass rose
18. How can we calculate the distance between any two
places on a map?
a. By using the scale
b. By using the compass
c. By using a ruler
d. By using symbols
19. What is the first step in correctly interpreting a map?
a. Align the map by wrapping it around a globe
b. Look up the symbols in a dictionary
c. Determine how compass directions are displayed
d. Find your current location on the map
20. How are maps commonly drawn?
a. North at top, east at right, west at left, south at bottom
b. East at top, north at right, west at left, south at bottom
c. North at top, east at left, west at right, south at bottom
d. South at top, east at right, west at left, north at bottom
28
The Progressive Teacher
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Class VII: history
The Making of Regional Cultures
Tick ( ) the correct answer
1 Lilatilakam, a 14 th century text that deals in
grammar and poetics is composed in Manipravalam
i.e. mixture of
a. Sanskrit and Malayalam
b. Sanskrit and Marathi0
c. Sanskrit and Telugu
d. Sanskrit and Tamil
2. Which of the following Ganga rulers decided to
erect a Jagannatha temple at Puri in the 12th
century?
a. Jatavarman c. Mahantavarman
b. Anantavarman d. Sanantavarman
3. Kathak developed as a major art form under which
Awadh ruler?
a. Shuja ud Daulah c. Shah Alam
b. Wajid Ali Shah d. Wali Ahmed
4. Which dynasty was the first to introduce a regional
language, Malayalam, as the official language in
their inscriptions?
a. The Pandyas c. The Cheras
b. The Cholas d. The Pallavas
5. Kathak developed as a distinct dance form in the
a. 12th - 13th centuries
b. 14th – 15th centuries
c. 13th – 14th centuries
d. 15th - 16th centuries
worksheet
Max Marks: 20
9. The word ‘kathak’ is derived from the word katha
that means a
a. Play c. Book
b. Toy d. Story
10. The Chera kingdom of Mahodayapuram, which
was established in the 9th century, was situated in
which region?
a. Tamilnadu c. Karnataka
b. Kerala d. Andhra Pradesh
11. The deity Jagannath is closely identified with
which god?
a. Brahma c. Vishnu
b. Shiva d. Sun
12. Why did rulers who conquered Orissa consider
it important to gain control over the Jagannath
temple?
a. It would increase their power
b. It would increase their social authority
c. Ready acceptability of the local people
d. All of the above
13. For which of the following traits were the Rajputs
not known?
a. Valour c. Courage
b. Jealousy d. Bravery
State whether the following statements are
true or false:
6. Kathak is one of the _____________ ‘classical’
forms of dance in India
a. Four c. Five
b. Six d. Eight
7. What may have been the reason for the growing
influence of Sanskrit in Bengal?
a. Trade links between Bihar and Bengal
b. The rule of the Palas
c. The settling of Brahmanas
d. None of the above
8. Which 13th century Ganga king dedicated his
kingdom in Orissa to the deity of Jagannatha and
proclaimed himself the ‘deputy’ of the god?
a. King Anangabhima I
b. King Anangabhima III
c. King Anangabhima II
d. King Anangabhima IV
14. Urdu language is a mixture of Hindi
and Arabic
15. Persian was introduced by the Turks in India
16. Pampa, Ponna and Ranna are the three jewels
of Tamil literature
17. Kamban translated Ramayana in Tamil
18. Nannayya and Tikkana translated Mahabharata
into Malayalam
19. Early Bengali literature was completely
dependent on Sanskrit language
20. Nath literature was apart of Bengali literature
independent of Sanskrit
© DS Digital Private Limited I Photocopying permitted The Progressive Teacher
29

worksheet
Max Marks: 20
Class VII: history
Eighteenth-Century Political Formation
Tick ( ) the correct answer
1 Burhan-ul-Mulk Saadat Khan was appointed the
subadar of Awadh by the Mughals in
a. 1720 A. D. c. 1721 A. D.
b. 1722 A. D. d. 1723 A. D.
2. Who was the founder of the state of Hyderabad?
a. Nizam-ul-Ulk Asaf Jah
b. Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah
c. Nizam-ul-Hulk Asaf Jah
d. Nizam-ul-Tulk Asaf Jah
3. What was the name of the ruler who made
Bharatpur a strong kingdom?
a. Suraj Mal c. Banu Mal
b. Shivam Mal d. Krishna Mal
4. Who was the founding ruler of the state of Awadh?
a. Murshid Quli Khan c. Saadat Khan
b. Shah Alam II d. Alamgir II
5. Who among the following was an important Jat
ruler?
a. Churaman c. Vishman
b. Shivam d. Sundaram
6. Who among the following was the founder of the
Maratha kingdom?
a. Shahaji Bhonsle c. Shivaji
b. Rajaram d. Nana Sahib
7. In the Deccan, twenty-five percent of land revenue
was claimed by zamindars and this was known as?
a. Tithe c. Sardeshmukhi
b. Chauth d. Taille
8. Which Mughal ruler represented the last of the
Great Mughals and died in 1707?
a. Akbar c. Aurangzeb
b. Jahangir d. Shah Jahan
9. Which ruler invaded India five times between 1748
and 1761 A.D.?
a. Nadir Shah c. Ahmad Shah Abdali
b. Timur d. Chengiz Khan
10. In which one of the famous battles were the
Marathas defeated in 1761?
a. First battle of Panipat
b. Third battle of Panipat
c. Second battle of Panipat
d. Fourth battle of Panipat
11. Sawai Raja Jai Singh was the ruler of
a. Jodhpur c. Jaipur
b. Amber d. Chittor
12. In which region the percentage of land revenue was
paid to the head revenue collector?
a. Konkan c. Konaseema
b. Deccan d. Himalayan
13. The Sikhs were organised into political federations
called
a. Hisls c. Misls
b. Risls d. Kisls
14. The Brahman ministers of the Marathas were called
a. Reshmas c. Holkars
b. Bhonsles d. Peshwas
15. Who was the founding ruler of the state of Bengal?
a. Murshid Quli Khan c. Saadat Khan
b. Shah Alam II d. Alamgir II
16. Match each person in Column B with the correct
description in Column A:
Column A
1. The Mughal emperor who
succeeded the empire in
1707 A. D.
2. The Iranian ruler who
attacked Delhi in 1739 A.
D.
3. The Afghan ruler who
invaded India five times
4. The Sikh ruler who formed
the Sikh kingdom
5. The Sikh guru who founded
the institution of Khalsa
Column B
A. Raja Ranjit Singh
B. Ahmad Shah Abdali
C. Guru Gobind Singh
D. Nadir Shah
E. Bahadur Shah
30
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Class VII: geography
Life in the Temperate Grasslands
Tick ( ) the correct answer
1. What are the latitudes within which the ‘Temperate
grasslands’ are located?
a. 20 degrees and 30 degrees
b. 30 degrees and 40 degrees
c. 40 degrees and 50 degrees
d. 30 degrees and 15 degrees
2. What kind of climate is found in the temperate regions?
a. Winters long and severe c. Cold and wet
b. Hot and dry d. Cold and dry
3. Which main kind of vegetation is found in the ‘Prairies’?
a. Forests and plantation crops
b. Forests and cash crops
c. Large grasslands, wheat, maize, sheep and goats
d. Forests and food crops
4. Which is one of the best soils found in the world?
a. Alluvial soil c. Black soil
b. Chernozem d. Laterite Soil
5. What are the summer and winter range of temperatures
found in the Prairies?
a. Winters: --31 C c. Winters: --15 C
Summers:31 C
Summers: 15 C
b. Winters: --41 C d. Winters: --21 C
Summers: 41 C
Summers: 21 C
worksheet
Max Marks: 20
10. ‘Pampas’ are located in
a. South America c. Isthmus of Panama
b. North America d. Caribbean Islands
11. Where are the Pampas located?
a. Between Guiana Highlands and the Brazilian Highlands
b. Between Gran Chaco and the Patagonia
c. Between Andes and the Guiana Highlands
d. Between Andes and Gran Chaco
12. Loess deposits rich in silt are found in the
a. Steppes c. Veldts
b. Prairies d. Pampas
13. Which animals are reared by the people of the ‘Prairies’?
a. Cattle c. Sheep and goats
b. Camels d. Horses
14. Which nomadic tribe lives in the ‘Steppe’ region?
a. Kirgiz c. Pygmies
b. Bedouins d. Masai
15. The ‘Steppe’ region is located between the
a. North European Plain and the Gobi desert
b. North European Plain and the Siberian plain
c. Between the North European Plain and the Arabian
Peninsula
d. Between the North European Plain and the Mediterranean
Sea
6. What amount of precipitation in the temperate regions
supports the growth of grass?
a. 40 Cms annually c. 60 Cms annually
b. 50 Cms annually d. 70 Cms annually
7. Which of these cities is one of the important regions as
the ‘grain collecting centres’ of the Prairies?
a. Winnipeg c. Ontario
b. Alberta d. Ottawa
8. Where are the ‘Veldts’ located?
a. Located between the Sahara Desert and the Kalahari desert
b. Located between the Libyan desert and the Nubian desert
c. Located sbetween the Drakensbergmountains and the
Kalahari desert
d. Located between the Western desert and the Libyan desert
9. What is the most important occupation of the people of
the ‘Velds’?
a. Dairy farming c. Mining
b. Mixed farming d. Cattle rearing
16. What are grain collecting sheds in farmhouses called?
a. Veldts c. Ranches
b. Silos d. Rand
17. What are the famous breeds of goats and sheep called?
a. Ranches c. Angora and Merino
b. Rand d. Gazelle
18. What are ‘Temperate grasslands’ known as?
a. ‘Granaries of the world’ c. Witwatersrand
b. Highveld d. ‘Orchards of the World’
19. Where are most ‘Temperate grasslands’ found?
a. Margins of continents
b. East and west margins of continents
c. North and south margins of continents
d. In the middle of continents
20. Which are the chief crops grown in the ‘Temperate
grasslands’?
a. Wheat and Rice c. Wheat and Barley
b. Wheat and Maize d. Wheat and Pulses
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31

worksheet
Max Marks: 20
Life in the Deserts
Tick ( ) the correct answer
1. What is the nature of vegetation found in Deserts?
a. Forest c. Sparse
b. Tall vegetation d. Scattered
2. What type of plants in deserts are able to conserve
moisture?
a. Perennials c. Hardwood trees
b. Softwood trees d. Succulents
3. What is the process by which animals of the desert save
them from water loss?
a. Adaptation c. Estimating
b. Migrating d. Burrowing
4. What is the amount of rainfall most deserts receive?
a. Less than 100 cm c. Less than 75 cm
b. Less than 25 cm d. Less than 50 cm
5. Which of these reasons are responsible for low rainfall in
deserts?
a. Driest places, located near mountain ranges
b. Dry soil
c. Location near the equator
d. No waterbodies in deserts
6. Why do many desert mammals have more fur on their
bodies?
a. To keep them warm
b. To protect their skin
c. Insulates them from the heat of the Sun
d. To save them from predators
7. What mechanism in the desert plants enables them to
minimise the loss of water in the desert?
a. Thick roots
b. Fewer , smaller stomata located deeper in the plants tissues
c. Long stems
d. Leaves are small
8. Which of these deserts is the driest place on Earth?
a. Thar desert c. Sahara desert
b. Gobi desert d. Atacama desert
9. Which of these is responsible for creating a thermal
version on the Atacama desert?
a. Located on the Leeward side of a mountain range
b. Location near the Equator
c. The Humboldt Current
d. No water bodies
10. Which of these are responsible for the formation of ‘Hot
Deserts’?
a. Trade winds c. Westerlies
b. Polar easterlies d. Local winds
Class VII: geography
11. What is the prcess by which lands in arid and semi-arid
regions can become more desert like?
a. Overgrazing c. Deforestation
b. Desertification d. Land degradation
12. What is the alternative resource which provides water to
the deserts of northen Africa and the Middle East?
a. Canals c. Aquifers
b. Tubewells d. Underground tanks
13. Under what conditions does an ‘Oasis ‘ form in a desert?
a. When water remains beneath the surface
b. When it rains
c. When water is drilled from a well
d. When the water reaches the surface
14. A dromedary is an animal that can travel for many days
without drinking water.You would expect to find the
dromedary in a
a. Savanna c. Tundra
b. Desert d. Tropical grassland
15. Where are ‘Cold deserts’ usually formed?
a. Coastal areas
b. Near water bodies
c. Inland or in mountainous regions
d. On fertile plains
16. Why does Ladakh receive no rainfall?
a. Because of its location on the Leeward side of the
Himalayas
b. It is located far away from water bodies
c. It is located on the Windward side of the Himalayas
d. No rivers run through this region
17. Which animal is most suitable for survival in the hot
desert regions and why?
a. Yak
b. Camel, padded feet and hump to store water
c. Guanaco
d. Burrowing animals
18. Why is daily and the annual range of temperature large in
the Sahara Desert?
a. Located near the Equator
b. Located between the Equator and the Tropic of Cancer
c. Absence of cloud cover, sandy soil and no rainfall
d. Located in the Torrid zone
19. What kind of density of population is found in the Sahara
desert?
a. High c. Low
b. Higher d. Lowest
20. Which two countries in Africa located in the Sahara
Desert, are rich in Petroleum resources?
a. Nigeria and Egypt c. Algeria and Libya
b. Mali and Ghana d. Mauritiana and Sudan
32
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Class VIII: history
The Changing World of Visual Arts
Tick ( ) the correct answer
1. From which century onwards did the European artists
bring new styles and paintings of convention with
them, such as portrait painting to India?
a. 16th century c. 18th century
b. 17th century d. 19th century
2. In the second half of the 19th century which type of
art movement was rejected by the painters in favour
of realism?
a. Romanticism c. Surrealism
b. Picturesque d. Impressionism
3. The famous European painter Honore Daumier
belongs to which category of painting?
a. Realism c. Surrealism
b. Picturesque d. Impressionism
4. Which of the following were famous painters who
used to create aquatints?
a. Thomas Daniell and William Daniell
b. Thomas Daniels and Willis Daniell
c. Thompson Denning and Warren Dennell
d. Thoman Dennell and William Denning
5. Which of the following was not a feature of the
paintings by the artists who created aquatints?
a. British rule bringing modern civilisation to India
b. Traditional life of India as pre-modern and static
c. The Majestic life of Indian rulers
d. Majestic European-style buildings and new modes of
transport
worksheet
Max Marks: 20
9. Which of the following terms describe paintings that
depict scenes from British imperial history?
a. Historical paintings c. Portraits
b. Picturesque paintings d. Murals
10. Which of the following art forms and techniques was
not introduced to India by British artists?
a. Oil painting c. Life-size portrait
painting
b. Historical painting d. Murals
11. Paintings which showed the lavish lifestyles, wealth
and status of Europeans in India belonged to the
category of which of the following paintings?
a. History paintings c. Portrait paintings
b. Picturesque paintings d. Mural paintings
12. Who among the following was one of the most famous
visiting European painters specializing in portrait
painting?
a. Thomas Daniell c. Johann Zoffany
b. William Daniell d. Tilly Kettle
13. The Storming of Seringapatnam was painted by Telly
Kettle and showed the defeat of
a. Hyder Baig c. Siraj-ud-daullah
b. Tipu Sultan d. Mir Qasim
14. The famous scroll paintings that had mythological
themes were associated with
a. Kalikatta c. Kalital
b. Kalighat d. Kalika
6. Which of the following is not a part of portrait
painting?
a. An ideal means to display lavish lifestyles
b. An ideal means to display lavish wealth
c. An ideal means to display status
d. An ideal means to display their costumes
7. Who among the following represented the fusion of
traditional and European painting?
a. Jamini Roy c. Nandlal
b. Abindranath Tagore d. Raja Ravi Varma
8. Which of the following Indian rulers encouraged mural
paintings as an act of protest against the British?
a. Siraj-ud-daullah c. Mir Qasim
b. Tipu Sultan d. Mir Jafar
State whether the following statements are true or false:
15. In the 19th century, Calcutta Art Studio
produced lifelike images of eminent Bengali
personalities, as well as mythological pictures
16. Mir Qasim and Mir Jafar encouraged their
painters to use shades and light in their paintings
17. The portrait paintings of the Europeans were
often used to display power, wealth and position.
18. Mention any three types of painting styles of the
European painters.
a. ___________________________________________
b. ___________________________________________
c. ___________________________________________
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33

worksheet
Max Marks: 20
The National Movement: 1885-1919
Tick ( ) the correct answer
1. Which of the following is not a part of Satyagraha?
a. Truth c. Non-violence
b. Active Resistance d. Soul force
2. In which year did Gandhiji return to India?
a. 1914 c. 1915
b. 1916 d. 1917
3. When was the call for hartal given by Gandhiji
against the Rowlatt act?
a. 6th July c. 6th June
b. 6th May d. 6th April
4. The All India Muslim League was founded under the
leadership of
a. Badruddin Tyabji c. Dadabhai Naaoroji
b. Nawab Salimullah d. Mohammad Iqbal
5. The Indian Association was founded by
a. Surendranath Banerjea c. G. Subramaniya Iyer
b. Ananda Charlu d. Pherozeshah Mehta
6. Which one of the following is not a political
association formed, prior to the formation of the
Indian National Congress?
a. Madras Native Association
b. Poona Sarvajanik Sabha
c. Bombay Association
d. Bombay Presidency
7. Who among the following was not a radical leader?
a. Lala Lajpat Rai c. Khudiram Bose
b. Bipin Chandra Pal d. Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Class VIII: history
8. The Partition of Bengal was designed by
a. Lord Curzon c. A O Hume
b. Annie Besant d. Lord Minto
9. The first session of the Indian National Congress
was presided over by
a. Gopal Krishna Gokhale c. Mahatma Gandhi
b. W C Bonnerjee d. Jawahar Lal Nehru
10. Morley-Minto Reforms are also known as
a. Government of India Act of 1906
b. Government of India Act of 1909
c. Government of India Act of 1907
d. Government of India Act of 1908
Fill in the blanks with appropriate words given below:
1905, Lucknow, Surat, Bombay, 1917, 1919, 1885
11. Gandhiji started the Sabarmati Ashram in
…………………..
12. The venue for the first session of the Indian
National Congress was at ………………….. in the
year …………………..
13. Lord Curzon ordered the partition of Bengal in
…………………..
14. The Moderates and the Extremists had split at
the ………………….. session of the Congress, but
united for the ………………….. session in 1916.
15. The Rowlatt Act was passed in…………………..
16. Mention any three demands of the Moderates:
a. _________________________________________
b. _________________________________________
c. _________________________________________
Answer Key - Class VI: history
1. c 2. d 1. c
3. d 4. b 2. b
5. a 6. c 3. a
7. b 8. b 4. a
9. a 10. b 5. c
11. b 12.a 6. d
13. Kurnool 7. b
14. Bhimbetka,
8. c
Hunsgi
9. a
15. Dolphins
10. c
11. False
16.Migration
12. True
17. A: In search of
13. True
food
14. False
B: In search of water
15. False
C: Following
16. Settled
animal migration 17. Fire
D: In search of raw 18.Mesolithic
material for stone 19. Grain
tools
20. Mehrgarh
On the Trail of the Earliest People
From Gathering to Growing Food
Answer Key - Class VI: geography
1. c
2. a
3. d
4. b
5. d
6. c
7. a
8. c
9. b
10. c
The Earth in the Solar System
1. b
2. a
3. c
4. d
5. b
6. b
7. b
8. b
9. a
10. d
11. d
12. c
13. a
14. b
15. a
16. c
17. b
18.a
19. a
20. d
Maps
11. d
12. a
13. b
14. a
15. c
16. d
17. b
18.a
19. c
20. a
Answer Key - Class VII: history
1. a
1. c
2. b
2. b
3. b
3. a
4. c
4. c
5. d
5. b
6. d
6. c
7. a
7. b
8. b
8. c
9. d
9. c
10. b
10. b
11. c
11. b
12. d
12. b
13. b
13. c
14. False
14. d
15. True
15. a
16. False
16. Q.1 (E)
17. True
Q.2 (D)
18. False
Q.3 (B)
19. False
Q.4 (A)
20. True
Q.5 (C)
The Making of Regional Cultures
Eighteenth-Century Political Formation
Answer Key - Class VII: geography
1. d
1. d
2. a
2. d
3. c
3. c
4. b
4. b
5. d
5. a
6. a
6. c
7. a
7. b
8. c
8. d
9. d
9. c
10. a
10. a
11. b
11. b
12. d
12. c
13. c
13. d
14. a
14. b
15. d
15. c
16. b
16. a
17. c
17. b
18. a
18. c
19. d
19. d
20. b
20. a
Life in the Temperate Grasslands
Life in the Deserts
34
The Progressive Teacher
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Class VIII: geography
The Freedom Movement: 1919-1947
Tick ( ) the correct answer
1. When did Gandhiji reach the coast of Dandi?
a. 6th July c. 6th June
b. 6th May d. 6th April
2. Under whose leadership did the non-cooperation
movement start?
a. C.R.Das c. Alluri Sitaram Raju
b. Gandhiji d. J.N.Nehru.
3. Under whose leadership was the Khilafat Movement
launched?
a. Muhammad Iqbal and Salimullah
b. Farruddin Ahmed and Iqbal
c. Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali
d. Mohsin ul Malik and Shaukat Ali
4. Under whose Presidency was the Lahore
declaration formalised?
a. Gandhiji
b. Subhash Chandra Bose
c. W.C. Bonnerjee
d. J.N.Nehru.
5. The Quit India Movement was started in
a. 1941 c. 1942
b. 1943 d. 1944
6. When did the Simon Commission come to India?
a. February 1928
b. February 1930
c. February 1929
d. February 1931
7. In which session was the declaration of Purna
Swaraj adopted?
a. Bombay session
b. Calcutta session
c. Lahore Session
d. Madras session
8. When was the Gandhi - Irwin pact signed?
a. 1929 c. 1930
b. 1931 d. 1932
9. Who among the following gave up his law practice
during the Non Cooperation Movement?
a. Vallabhbhai Patel
b. Jawahar Lal Nehru
c. C. Rajagopalachari
d. C. R. Das
worksheet
Max Marks: 20
10. Who among the following was not a revolutionary?
a. Aurobindo Ghosh
b. Bhagat Singh
c. Rajguru
d. Sukhdev
11. The Azad Hind Fauj was formed by
a. Jawahar Lal Nehru
b. Dr Rajendra Prasad
c. Mahatma Gandhi
d. Subhash Chandra Bose
12. When did the Dandi March begin?
a. March 12, 1930
b. March 13, 1930
c. March 10, 1930
d. March 11, 1930
13. The Second Round Table Conference was held in?
a. New Delhi c. Moscow
b. London d. Beijing
14. Who came to India in March 1942 to seek the
support of Indian leaders in the Second
World War?
a. Lord Wavell
b. A V Alexander
c. Sir Stafford Cripps
d. Lord Pethick Lawrence
15. Who gave the mantra ‘Do or Die’?
a. Subhash Chandra Bose
b. Gandhiji
c. Bhagat Singh
d. Sukhdev
State whether the following statements are
true or false:
16. The Government of India Act, 1919 is also
known as the Montague-Chelmsford Reforms
17. The Swaraj Party was formed by
Vallabhai Patel
18. Lord Mountbatten gave the plan for the
partition of India
19. Pro Changers wanted to contest elections
20. Indian leaders were willing to let India join the
Second World War.
© DS Digital Private Limited I Photocopying permitted The Progressive Teacher
35

worksheet
Max Marks: 20
India after Independence
Tick ( ) the correct answer
1. Which one of the following Princely States was not
willing to join India after Partition?
a. Kashmir c. Hyderabad
b. Junagarh d. Patiala
2. Which state was formed in the year 1966?
a. Bihar c. Haryana
b. Orissa d. Tamil Nadu
3. The Constitution came into force on
a. 26th November 1949 c. 26th December 1949
b. 26th January 1950 d. 26th February 1950
4. A ‘Cold War’ situation existed between USA and
a. Britain c. Japan
b. France d. USSR
5. India signed an agreement with China based on the
five principles of peaceful coexistence and mutual
cooperation known as
a. Non Alignment c. SAARC
b. Panchsheel d. Panchpantra
6. Who among the following was not the founding leader of
NAM?
a. J.B.Tito c. J.N. Nehru
b. Dr Sukarno d. Roosevelt
7. Where was the first official meeting of the Non-Aligned
Movement held in 1961?
a. Belgrade Conference c. Belaruus
b. Montenegro d. Slovakia
Class VIII: geography
8. When was the Planning Commission formed?
a. 1950 c. 1951
b. 1952 d. 1953
9. Who was the Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the
Constituent Assembly?
a. Dr. Rajendra Prasad c. C.R.Das
b. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar d. Sardar Patel
10. The total membership of NAM countries is
a. 116 c. 117
b. 118 d. 119
State whether the following statements are true or false:
11. The Planning Commission looks after the Economic
Development of India
12. The ruler of Kashmir at the time of partition was
Raja Hari Singh
13. Jawahar Lal Nehru and Sardar Patel feared that creation
of states on linguistic lines will add to disunity
14. There were 54 official languages mentioned in the
Indian Constitution
15. Primary education was given importance in
Five Year Plans
16. The States Reorganisation Commission was formed
in 1956
17. Mention any four challenges that independent India faced
a. ______________________________________________
b. ______________________________________________
c. ______________________________________________
d. ______________________________________________
Answer Key - Class VIII: history
The Changing World of Visual Arts
1. c 2. a
3. a 4. a
5. c 6. d
7. d 8. b
9. a 10. d
11. c
12. c
13. b
14. b
15. True
16. True
17. True
18. Any Three
a. Landscape
b. Portrait
Painting
c. Historical
Paintings
d. Picturesque
Painting
The National movement: 1885-1919
Answer Key - Class VIIII: geography
1. b 2. c
1. d
1. d 2. c
3. d 4. b
2. b
3. b 4. d
5. a 6. d
7. c 8. a
3. c
5. b 6. d
9. b 10. b
4. d
7. a 8. a
11. 1917
5. c
9. b 10. b
12. Bmobay, 1885
13. 1905
6. a
11. True
14. Surat, Lucknow
7. c
12. True
15. 1919
8. b
13. True
16. Any Three
a. Elected representatives in 9. d
14. False
the provincial and central 10. a
15. False
legislative councils
11. d
16. False
b. Recruit Indians for high 12. a
17. Any Four
government posts and holding
the Indian Civil Service 13. b
a. Refugee problem
examinations in India 14. c
b. Princely States to
c. Reduction of military
be convinced to
15. b
expenditure
join
d. Changes in government’s 16. True c. To develop the
economic polices to encourage 17. False
country
growth of Indian industries 18.True
d. Problem of
e. Promoting the spread of
national language
education
19. True e. To draft the
f. Amendment of the Arms Act 20. False
Constitution.
The Freedom Movement: 1919-1947
India after Independence
Answer Key - Class IX: history
1. d
1. a
2. c
2. c
3. b
3. c
4. a
4. b
5. b
5. a
6. b
6. c
7. b
7. d
8. a
8. a
9. b
9. c
10. b
10. b
11. True
11. b
12. False
12. b
13. True
13. Uniform 14. False
14. Jacobin 15. True
15. Directory 16. Kulaks
16. A. Weak Rulers; 17. New Economic
B. Financial crisis;
C. Role of
Policy
Revolutionaries; 18. Red Army
D. Influence of Mary 19. Bolsheviks
Antoniette
20. Mensheviks
The French Revolution
Socialism in Europe and the Russian Revolution
The Constitution
Answer Key - Class IX: POLITICAL SCIENCE
1. c
1. b 2. c
2. b
3. d 4. c
5. b 6. b
3. c
7. c 8. b
4. d
9. b 10. b
5. c
11. b 12. d
6. d
13. True 14. True
7. c
15. True 16. False
17. False 18. False
8. b
19.Independence of the judiciary means
9. d
that it is not under the control of
the legislature or the executive.
10.c
The separation of powers of the
11. True
three organs is very essential for
12. True
its proper functioning. That is why
all modern democracies have
13. True
courts that are independent of the
14. False
legislature and the executive.
20. President is not elected by
15. True
the people directly but by the
16. Parliament
MLA’s and MP’s. The President
represents the entire nation.
17. Dr Rajendra Prasad
However the President can never
18. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar
claim the kind of direct popular
19. Republic
mandate that the Prime Minister
can. This ensures that she
20. Draft
remains only a nominal executive.
Political Institutions
36
The Progressive Teacher
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Class IX: history
The French Revolution
Tick ( ) the correct answer
1. The French monarch at the time of the French
Revolution was
a. Louis XIII c. Louis XIV
b. Louis XV d. Louis XVI
2. Which social class was not a part of the Third Estate
in France?
a. Traders c. Aristocrats
b. Peasants d. Craftsmen
3. The main purpose of calling the meeting of the
Estates General meeting on 5th May 1789 was
a. Get approval for attack on Prussia
b. Get approval for increasing taxes
c. Get approval for Budget
d. Coronation of Louis XVI
4. Louis XVI was married to the Austrian princess
a. Mary Antoinette c. Mary Anthony
b. Mary Bourbon d. Mary Antiaro
5. Which event is associated with 14th July 1789?
a. Tennis Court Oath
b. Storming of the Bastille
c. Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen
d. Assassination of Louis XVI
6. Napoleon Bonaparte is credited with
a. Abolition of slavery
b. Introduction of the decimal system
c. Charter of Rights of Man and Citizen
d. Democratic rule in France
9. Who was responsible for the Reign of Terror in
France?
a. Mirabeau c. Robespierre
b. Dr Guillotine d. Napoleon
worksheet
Max Marks: 20
10. The acute shortage of foodgrains in France was part
of the
a. Shifting crisis c. Self sufficient crisis
b. Subsistence crisis d. None of these
11. The Written Constitution was adopted in France in
a. 1790 c. 1792
b. 1791 d. 1793
12. French Revolution stood for
a. Liberty, Equality, Democracy
b. Liberty, Equality, Fraternity
c. Justice, Liberty, Equality
d. Liberty, Fraternity, Democracy
Fill in the blanks using a suitable word:
Jacobin, Uniform, Directory
13. Napoleon introduced _________________ system of
weights and measures
14. The most popular club of France was___________
15. The________________gave rise to political instability
16. Fill the boxes given below with the causes of the
French revolution:
Causes of the French Revolution
7. The famous philosophers of France during the French
Revolution were
a. Thomas Paine, Montesquieu, Voltaire
b. Rousseau, Montesquieu, Locke
c. Thomas Jefferson, Montesquieu, Voltaire
d. Rousseau, Montesquieu, Milton
8. Abbe Sieyes was a
a. Priest c. Philosopher
b. Trader d. Noble
A:
B:
C:
D:
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37

worksheet
Max Marks: 20
Socialism in Europe and the Russian Revolution
Tick ( ) the correct answer
1. Who among the following wanted a government
that was elected by people and was subject to the
laws of the judiciary?
a. Liberals c. Radicals
b. Conservatives d. Democrats
2. Who among the following was the founder of
Marxism and strongly disapproved of Capitalism?
a. Lenin c. Karl Marx
b. Kerensky d. Trotsky
3. Which demand was not included in the “April
Theses” by Lenin in 1917?
a. Land to be transferred to the peasants
b. Tsar Nicholas II to be removed
c. War to be fought for colonial possessions
d. Banks to be nationalised
4. Who led the worker’s proccession on 9th January
1905 to give a petition to the Tsar?
a. Father Baton c. Father Rapon
b. Father Gapon d. Father Sapon
5. Which of the following socio-economic conditions
is true for the period of rule of Tsar Nicholas II?
a. Eighty-five percent of the country’s population
earned its living from agriculture
b. Most factories were owned by the state and
managed though government supervisors
c. Sovkhoz and Kolkhoz existed in Russia
d. Russia’s military was technically advanced
6. Which of the following is the immediate
consequence of the Russian Revolution of February
1917?
a. Lenin became the ruler of Russia
b. Russia changed from democracy to communism
c. Kerensky replaced Tsar Nicholas II as the ruler of
Russia
d. Trotsky replaced Tsar Nicholas II as the ruler of
Russia
7. How did the Russian Revolution impact India?
a. In 1940s, the Communist Party was formed in India
b. Several Indians attended the Columbian University
c. Indian leaders discouraged people from reading
about Soviet Socialism
d. Indian writers like Rabindranath Tagore wrote about
the effects of the Soviet Socialism
Class IX: history
8. The aim of the Comintern was
a. To bring about a workers’ revolution
b. To discourage colonial people from revolting
c. To deal with negative impact of Socialism
d. None of the above
9. Which policy was not introduced by Stalin?
a. Collectivisation c. Five Year Plans
b. Abolition of serfdom d. State Farms
10. How did the First World War affect Russia?
a. Millions of casualties among the soldiers led to
contentment among people
b. Bread and flour became scarce leading to riots at
bread shops
c. There was surplus labour despite joining the War
d. Russia’s industrial weakness was exposed
State whether the following statements are true or false:
11. Lenin wanted to eliminate the economic
differences between the rich and the poor
peasants for their effective participation in
the Socialist movement
12. Stalin’s policy of collectivisation started in
1939 in Russia
13. To deal with the period of the civil war (1918
to 1921), Lenin introduced the policy of War
Communism
14. Lenin returned to Russia in 1918 from exile
15. In October 1917 the Provisional Government
led by Kerenskii was overthrown through a
Proletarian Revolution led by Lenin
Name the Following:
16. The large land owners:
17. The economic policy that replaced War
Communism:
18. The Russian army:
19. The Russian Social Democratic Labour Party that
was in Majority:
20. The Russian Social Democratic Labour Party that
was in Minority:
38
The Progressive Teacher
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Class IX: POLITICAL SCIENCE
The Constitution
Tick ( ) the correct answer
1. A written document containing the rules for
governing a country, is called a
a. Preamble c. Constitution
b. Document d. Dharmashashtras
2. Which of the following word describes an
independent country?
a. Arbitrary c. Tyranny
b. Sovereign d. Socialist
3. Which of the following terms mean that all religions
are equal in India?
a. Sovereign c. Secular
b. Socialist d. Democratic
4. Which of the following is NOT the purpose of the
Constitution?
a. It lays down the ideals
b. It outlines the fundamental nature of a country
c. It lays the guidelines for the country’s administration
d. It guards the country against external threats
5. What might be the outcome of our chosen leaders
exercising power on our behalf, in a democracy?
a. Minimum use of authority
b. Careless attitude towards authority
c. Misuse of authority
d. None of the above
6. The members of Constituent Assembly deliberated
for 114 days and every document presented and
every word spoken in the Constituent Assembly
was recorded and has been preserved. These are
called
a. Constituent Assembly Dialogues
b. Constituent Assembly Decisions
c. Constituent Assembly Discussions
d. Constituent Assembly Debates
7. When was the Civil Rights Act, that criminalizes the
discrimination and segregation of Blacks people,
passed in America?
a. 1962 c. 1964
b. 1963 d. 1965
worksheet
Max Marks: 20
8. What is referred to as the ‘conscience’ of the Indian
Constitution?
a. Preamble b. Fundamental Rights
c. Directive Principles d. All of these
9. How many members did the Indian Constituent
Assembly have?
a. 305 c. 307
b. 306 d. 308
10. A change in the constitution, made by the supreme
legislative body in a country, is called
a. Constitutional Change
b. Constitutional Challenge
c. Constitutional Amendment
d. Constitutional Draft
State whether the following statements are true or false.
11. The philosophy of the Constitution of India is
embedded in the Preamble.
12. The words ‘Secularist’, ‘Secularism’ and ‘Unity and
Integrity of the nation’ are a part of the Preamble.
13. The Assembly adopted the Constitution on 26th
November 1949 but it came into effect on
January 26, 1950.
14. Socialism means that all of us should behave
as if we are the members of the same family.
No one should treat a fellow citizen as inferior.
15. The Constitution lays down limits on the
powers of the government and tells us
about the rights of the citizens.
Name the following:
16. The assembly of elected representatives which
legislates and exercises political authority on behalf
of the people
17. The President of the Constituent Assembly
18. Chairman of the Constituent Assembly
19. A democratic country with an elected head
20. A preliminary version of a legal document
© DS Digital Private Limited I Photocopying permitted The Progressive Teacher
39

worksheet
Max Marks: 20
Political Institutions
Tick ( ) the correct answer
1. Who is the head of a state in India?
a. President c. Prime Minister
b. Governor d. Chief Minister
2. Which of the following is the main source of authority in a
democracy?
a. The executive c. The people
b. The judiciary d. The cabinet ministers
3. The oldest High Court in India is located in
a. Chennai c. Hyderabad
b. Delhi d. Calcutta
4. Which of the following court is at the apex of justice?
a. District Court c. Supreme Court
b. High Court d. Lok Adalat
5. What is the term of the Lok Sabha?
a. 3 Years c. 4 Years
b. 5 Years d. 6 Years
6. What is the total strength of Rajya Sabha?
a. 225 c. 235
b. 245 d. 255
7. What is the maximum number of seats in the Lok Sabha?
a. 535 c. 555
b. 545 d. 565
8. The Rajya Sabha is also called
a. Council of People
b. Council of States
c. Council of Representatives
d. Council of Union
9. Who among the following nominates the Rajya Sabha
members?
a. Prime Minister c. President
b. Chief Justice d. Lokayukt
10. Which of the following is the most important symbol of
Indian democracy?
a. President c. Prime Minister
b. Parliament d. Army
11. The organ of the government that implements law is
called
a. Judiciary c. Executive
b. Parliament d. Army
Class IX: POLITICAL SCIENCE
12. Which of the following is NOT a function of the
Parliament?
a. It is the final authority for making the laws in the country
b. It exercises some control over those who run the
government
c. It controls all the money that the government has
d. It imparts justice in the disputes of government
departments
State whether the following statements are true or false:
13. Institutions in a democracy involve rules and
regulations that often lead to delays and complications.
14. Lok Sabha exercises the supreme power over more
matters than Rajya Sabha.
15. The Rajya Sabha can only delay a bill by 14 days or
suggest changes in it.
16. Political executive includes the persons working in
civil services.
17. The Prime Minister is NOT elected directly by the people.
All the Members of Parliament (MPs) and the Members of
State Legislative Assemblies (MLAs) elect her/him.
18. The President has wide ranging powers. He chairs
Cabinet meetings. He coordinates the work of
different departments.
Give reasons for the following:
19. An independent and powerful judiciary is considered
essential for democracies.
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
20. The President who is the head of the State, exercises
only nominal powers.
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
40
The Progressive Teacher
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classroom display pullout
Jul/Aug Nov/Dec 2016
www.progressiveteacher.in 25 41

Pullout PLANNER
42 The Progressive Teacher Nov/Dec 2016

social service
Parivaar banaam
Paathshaala
–Arti Prasad
Revered Anand Swarup said, ‘Education, more education, education
made perfect is the only panacea for our country’s ills and evils.’
As we introspect today, we realize that ‘split life’ and ‘knowledge
in cubicles’ can develop a soulless machine, not a ‘soulful
being’. Soami Nagar Model School provides a unique, innovative,
comprehensive, flexible, multi-disciplinary, value based education
system with the mission of evolving a ‘Complete man’.
We believe ‘Education
is not about making
a living; it is about
making a life’. Through
humanised education, we try to
evolve ‘Homospirituals’ from
homosapiens. Given that
children at this tender age
have pure minds that are just
opening up to the outside world,
it is important that the right
seeds are sown at the right time
to enable them to create a better
world tomorrow. Children
need to be taught to live
in unity and not pay
heed to the artificial
divide between the rich and
poor created by the society. It is
only then that they will become
healthy pillars of society and
that is what we at Soami Nagar
Model School strive to do.
Envisioned by Most Revered
Mehtaji Maharaj, the Soami
Nagar Model School started
in 1982 for Classes I-V under
the Gracious Guidance of Dr.
M.B. Lal. The School has been
serving the community over
the years and has expanded
since its founding. The calm,
Arti Prasad has a post-graduate degree in Physics with a B.Ed and
M.Phil. She has 21 years of experience in the teaching domain. She
is an alumnus of DEI (Dayalbagh Educational Institute), which is
celebrating 100 years in the service of education.
She started her teaching career as a Physics teacher in DPS Vasant
Kunj. Presently she is the Principal of Soami Nagar Model School, in
Soami Nagar, New Delhi. SNMS fosters academic excellence along
with physical, cultural, intellectual, ethical, spiritual education with
scientific methodology and transforms children into good citizens by
fostering courage, character and commitment.
She is an educationist and academician by choice and has a strong
passion for teaching and serving the society. She has conducted various workshops for
teachers and students in different areas related to Curriculum (development & designing,
planning) and CCE. She has been an excellent sports person and has participated in Table
tennis, Volleyball, Shot-put at the regional and national level.
Nov/Dec 2016
spiritual ambience provides
an ideal environment for holistic
development of children. This
school is a microcosm of the
world where pupils from different
backgrounds are nurtured
with love and care. Their
ethical, intellectual, spiritual
development is taken care of by
a dedicated faculty. Students
are encouraged to ‘Be Yourself’,
develop independent thinking;
they believe in traditional wisdom
and yet are modern in thoughts.
SNMS is a progressive school
based on Indian thought process,
culture, tradition and values.
The School came under the
academic and administrative
control of Dayalbagh
Educational Institute in 2008-
09. A phase wise expansion of
school started since then and
now it has classes up to XII.
We have Sigma Six Q way of
education in our Model school.
Our school is trying to provide
a platform for well-rounded
development of the child with
these six attributes and skills.
(i) Intellectual education:
Academic relevance with
quality and excellence and
relevance to contemporary
needs. Scientific temper,
learning by observation,
analysis and critical thinking
is developed through various
activities.
(ii) Physical education: Sports
and games are encouraged
where a child develops
leadership, team work and
discipline. Social service (field
work) and rural development
is also taken care of. Yoga
and exercises help in physical,
mental and spiritual growth
of children.
(iii)Emotional education:
Remedial teaching with
the help of mentors, and
counselling sessions take care
of children’s emotional needs.
Facilitators work continuously
for upliftment of weaker
sections serving society.
(iv) Social education:
Environmental and social
challenges of today’s world
and global awareness is
taught. ‘Each one-Teach one’
is practised here. Recycling
and preserving resources
is emphasised in every
sphere and activity. Students
volunteer in Medical camps
and Literacy camps organised
by the society.
(v) Cultural education:
Comparative study of
religion, Indian culture,
general knowledge are taught
through various modules and
activities.
(vi) Moral and Spiritual
education: Values form
the basics of character
development and lay the
strong foundation of life.
Spiritual consciousness
permeates the fibre of
education system of this
institute.
Let’s delve into our very own
‘MODEL’ family, which has
unique features:
• Equality: Every family has
members who share work.
Here in our Model school all
stakeholders work hard and
are treated equally. Decisions
are taken after sharing ideas
and considering all viewpoints.
There are people who may
not be in lead roles, but the
story may never be complete
without them.
www.progressiveteacher.in 43

Social, cross culture, varying
economic backgrounds and
diversity is accepted and
respected by all members.
• Dignity of labour: All
members believe in toiling,
hard work and do not
hesitate in doing small or big
work. ‘Waste nothing’ is an
important principle of this
school, be it food, time, energy,
resources. Human values are
evoked and transformed into
habits here.
• Knowledge society to
Wisdom society: Today in
this Google world, knowledge
is easily available to everyone.
But vivek is missing. Social
sensibilities and societal
commitment seed is sown in
tender hearts.
• Dedicated honorary
educators: Such a band
of experienced, dedicated,
committed teachers is
rarely seen, who discharge
their duties, without any
materialistic motive. No
senior or junior in the school,
only your karma and best
service speaks. You can earn
respect by being the best
worker. It is a unique model
where teaching is a perfect
blend of academic excellence
and moral and spiritual
values. Sharing of knowledge
and learning takes place with
complete humility.
• System Society: All society
members and community are
rendering their services with
commitment. Alumni and
parents are giving technical
support.
Sahyog, Sangathan, Safalta
is the motto of our school
with excellent team work and
collaboration skills. SNMS is
committed to impart quality
education to all children, which
is cost effective; irrespective
of gender, caste, socio economic
background. Only a nominal
fee is charged so that all can
avail the educational facilities
of SNMS. This is a learning
centre where a strong sense
of individual and community
responsibility is fostered in
young minds. The distinguishing
feature of its education policy
is its emphasis on combining
excellence with relevance to
contemporary needs. We believe
in the ideal of ‘Fatherhood of
God and Brotherhood of Man’;
and attempt to produce a model
of a classless and casteless
society, and work in harmony
for the service of mankind and
not for selfish ends.
history
Why
– Arpita Dutta
One question that a Social Science teacher often faces at the
hands of students is that of the ‘relevance’ of History –kings,
treaties, pacts, timelines, dates, etc, etc, etc. For them it is a
seemingly irrelevant, never ending cauldron of facts and figures.
And how can one best answer about the relevance of something
that is eternally pertinent, for one can’t live the present or step into
the future without knowing about the past.
The famous British historian, Thomas
Carlyle, said, ‘The whole past is a
procession of the present’. So, I smile
when I see the young generation raving about
the genius of the current government when it
exhibits its dominance in its recent face off
with arch rivals. How is the genius manifested?
The answer lies in the knowledge of history.
To understand the contemporary world better,
it is fundamental to understand the root of
everything. History is inescapable. It studies
the past and the legacies of the past in the
present. All people are living history. Each
one of us has inherited genetic template from
our past which has helped us evolve with time.
The regional continuity model of evolution
also suggests that whatever we are at present
is because of our ancestors and the evolution
process. Therefore, history introduces us with
ourselves. In simple words, all living people live
in here and now, but it is history which brought
us to this NOW.
Just to learn about ‘today’ makes us half
knowledgeable. Nothing is created in a spur of
moment. Societies, language, culture, traditions
and religions, all which matter in our life, have
been created in the past. Even technology,
which is now our best friend also was invented
somewhere by someone. Therefore, knowledge
of history is paramount to relate to the
present.
Study the past if you would define the future -
Confucius. The reasons for the social, economic
and political turmoil and upheavals across the
world can be better diagnosed by studying the
root cause of the problem which can be found
in history. And the cures also can be sought
from the past.
History itself is a blanket term that covers a
lot of different areas of study. It helps in the
study of philosophy, political science, genetics
and even the natural sciences. Old theorems
Ms Arpita Dutta is a
history teacher of St
Mark’s Girls Sr. Sec
School, New Delhi. She
has been a beacon of
lights to the historians
of future for the last
ten years. She is a Post
Graduate in History. She is working as
a TGT Social Science and has created
awareness and awakening about the
importance of the past.
have to be understood to discover new ones. All the
principles and theories of science based on facts,
knowledge of how these principles evolved, can be
found and studied in history.
History is intimately correlated to geography.
In the 1950s, the two subjects were taught
together. History stresses on time and geography
emphasises on space in the context of time. History
can serve as a good basis for arousing interest in
geographical studies, while geographical facts are
taken into consideration while explaining historical
facts.
History gives root to political science as well.
The development of political institutions, rules,
rights and duties, laws and mode of justice, the
role of executive, legislature in a democracy,
nature of bureaucracy, fundamental principles
are all defined under Constitutional history.
The present day political scenario of cold war,
political disturbances, disarmament can be better
understood if we understand the root cause of
them.
History is a study of the journey of humanity,
through time in all its various facets.
I completely agree with the statement of Robert
Penn, ‘History cannot give us a programme for the
future, but it can give us a fuller understanding of
ourselves, and of our common humanity, so that we
can better face the future.’
44 The Progressive Teacher Nov/Dec 2016

values
–Aditi Sharma
Do you have students
and staff members you
don’t see every day?
Reconnect with your entire
school ‘family’ at the beginning
of each day in the way that
many schools across the
country do -- with a ‘Morning
Prayer Assembly’. A wellorganized
assembly establishes
a positive tone for teachers
and students and encourages
community involvement,
without cutting into precious
instructional time.
‘To keep a lamp burning, we
must keep putting oil in it. We
too need oil for our ceaseless
work. What is the oil? It is
prayer. Prayer is the source
and strength of our work’-
St Teresa.
We often talk about building a
community in a school, but just
as often, the youngest children
and the oldest children in a
school never even see each other.
They have vastly different lunch
schedules, physical education
schedules, and recess times.
When we all meet together in
the assembly every morning, the
entire section of our school is
present. All the children from
their section i.e the Pre-primary,
Primary or Junior section and all
the teachers can see each other.
We’re all involved in the same
activity sharing an experience.
What is demonstrated in an
assembly is a reiteration of the
Rise and Shine With The
Morning Prayer Assembly
Do you have students and staff members you don’t see every day?
Reconnect with your entire school ‘family’ at the beginning of each
day in the way that many schools across the country do -- with a
‘Morning Prayer Assembly’. A well-organized assembly establishes
a positive tone for teachers and students and encourages community
involvement, without cutting into precious instructional time.
values, thoughts and abilities
of every individual pupil. The
children are invited to consider
their inner capabilities, their
positive worth, their place in the
community and their purpose for
the week. Children respond in
the affirmative, so that they are
focused, positive, calm, and ready
to start.
The daily repetition of sharing
begins to build in all of us a
history of shared experiences.
This is what a shared culture
Aditi Sharma, a trained teacher
and a Post-Graduate in Computer
Applications and Educational
Administration with a Certificate in
Guidance and Counseling, joined the
City Montessori School Lucknow, as
a Kindergarten Teacher in 1991. After
occupying a series of administrative
positions in the City Montessori Schools chain, she
was elevated to the post of Principal in the Asharfabad
Campus in September, 2014. She has had vast exposure to
international teaching practices as she has led a number
of school delegations to Hong Kong, North Korea,
Indonesia, etc.
comprises. It is in this forum
that the Principal or Head
Teacher emphasizes expectations
for behavior and character.
Here is where we celebrate our
achievements. The students love
these morning assemblies; so do
the teachers and the parents.
But the pertinent question
still remains - what activities
should do we have in our
Morning Assemblies?
The Morning Assembly should
become an integral part of the
school curriculum. If considered
from a proper perspective, prayer
assembly is the most important
and most productive community
building activity in a school. It
requires a well planned schedule
as it can then be effectively
used as a platform to develop
the latent capacities of children
46 The Progressive Teacher Nov/Dec 2016

and assist them in directing
their energies for the betterment
of society through acts of
service. Through sharing in the
Morning Assemblies we create
opportunities for children to
enhance their understanding of
their own self, skills and abilities
that enable them to become
conscious subjects of their own
growth.
To make the most of the Morning
Assembly some points are kept in
mind while planning them so that
the time allotted is effectively
and efficiently utilized.
1. Proper Physical Arrangements
Children come in files from their
classrooms and assemble in their
different houses for Primary and
Junior School classes and classwise
for the Pre-primary classes.
2. Burning of Incense to create
the spirit of prayerfulness and
meditation incense sticks are
burnt before children come into
the school hall or to the place
allocated for the assembly in the
school.
3. Arrangement of Microphones
and Musical Instruments
Microphones are checked every
day before children start coming
in for the assembly. This enables
the instructions and prayers
recited to be heard by the entire
congregation and hence they
participate whole heartedly
in the proceedings. Musical
accompaniments add to the spirit
of singing hymns and songs in
praise of the almighty.
The programme comprises
singing of devotional songs, the
school prayer, repetition of the
school pledge, sharing of good
thoughts and autobiographies
of great personalities by the
children. The importance of
special days like World Earth
Day, World Book Day, Teachers’
Day, International Day of
Peace and Non-Violence or
Children’s day can be talked
about and celebrated during the
assembly. Interesting articles
on environment, values or
educational possibilities for
senior children can also be
shared during the assembly.
The Principal or Head Teachers
can use this opportunity to
enumerate the school rules and
make important announcements.
It provides a platform for the
Head Teacher or Principal to
communicate with the school
community and become a part
of their journey. He/she can
use his/her words to motivate
them as a whole group towards
higher aims with values as the
cornerstone of achieving them.
Achievements of children in
different Inter-house, interschool
or even International
events can be applauded
during the Morning
Assembly. Activities like
Quizzes, Group Discussions,
Talk Shows, Declamations,
Speech Contests or Spelling
Drills, to name a few, can
also be conducted during the
Morning Assembly.
The purpose of having
the Morning Assembly
can be stated as
i. To develop a feeling
of affiliation and unity
among students.
ii. To acquaint students with
the school programme
more clearly.
iii. To develop in students a
sense of identity with the
school and society as a
whole.
iv. To enable students to share
their experiences, stories,
anecdotes with others.
v. To provide them training in
good social behavior desired
in public life.
vi. To motivate students by
positive reinforcement in the
form of praise or rewards
awarded in public.
vii. To celebrate national
festivals, Independence Day,
Republic Day, birthdays of
great leaders, etc. These
leaders could be political
leaders, scientists, poets and
writers.
viii. To facilitate moral and
religious development of
students.
ix. To facilitate national
integration and secularism
through all-religion prayer
meetings among students.
x. To inculcate feelings of
brotherhood and globalism
by organizing World Peace
Prayers and Mock World
Parliaments on International
issues to make the student
community aware that they
are a part of this globe.
Special care should be taken
to emphasize on the motto and
vision of the Founders of the
school such that the same is
imbibed in the outlook of each
and every learner and member
of the school. We believe –‘Every
child is potentially the light
of the world and at the same
time the cause of its darkness;
wherefore the question of
education be accounted as of
primary importance’.
Baha-u-llah said, ‘Knowledge is
praiseworthy when it is coupled
with ethical conduct and virtuous
character; otherwise it is a
deadly poison, a frightful danger’.
The world today presents a
contrasting picture of ideologies.
On one hand people pay homage
to the victims of nuclear
disasters and on the other hand
there is in the consolidation of
nuclear weapons. Let us aim at
developing strong individuals
through a balanced mix of
material, human and
spiritual education.
The most important thing
is wholeness - a whole
community. This is not a
place that is only devoted to
teaching children material
things. The purpose of
the school assembly is
that the children learn
their academic stuff more
effectively because they
learn in a valued, structured
environment. ‘Holistic
development’ of the
individual can be achieved
based on the premise that
each person finds identity,
meaning and purpose in life
through connection to the
whole school community
and society, to the natural
world, and to humanitarian
values such as compassion
and peace. The quality of
learning is better, and life skills
and values are absorbed in ways
that are more permanent. No
detail about people, individuals,
or the conduct of the school, is
considered unimportant. There’s
a clear sense of vision which
is imparted during this very
important activity of the day -
The Morning Assembly.
Nov/Dec 2016
www.progressiveteacher.in 47

social studies
IDEAS FOR EFFECTIVE
TEACHING OF HISTORY
–Dr Santosh Kumar Jaiswal
It is indeed an achievement for the history teacher to see
that the science stream students are opting for history as
a subject. In such schools, the credit goes to the history
teachers and School Principal in creating interest and
awareness for history to be opted as a career option.
We cannot escape history - Abraham Lincoln
Dr. Santosh
Kumar Jaiswal.
Ph.D. in
History from B
R Ambedkar
University, Agra
is teaching
History at Vidya
Gyan Leadership
Academy [Shiv Nadar Foundation],
Sikandrabad, Bulandshahr, Uttar
Pradesh. He started his teaching
career from John’s Mary Inter
college, Agra, in July 2002. He has
written a Social Science lab manual
for classes IX and X [C.B.S.E.]
published by Millennium
Publication, Agra.
We know that history is the most
preferred subject for the candidates
who prepare for Indian Civil
Services. But despite this important fact, in
most of the schools at the senior secondary
level students hesitate to opt for history as a
subject. Why?
Let us explore the reasons through a
story. In this episode I want to narrate my
educational journey and how I decided to
become a Teacher of History. If I recall my
school days, I still remember my Grade 4
Social Science class at Rosary High School,
Dockyard, Mumbai. Our history teacher did
lots of subject related activities with us. As
per the instruction of the teacher, we pasted
pictures of great Indian personalities in our
history note book and then we had to write
eight to ten lines on their life history. This was
the beginning of laying the foundation for my
interest in history and the interest continues
till date. At college level, I got impressed with
the teaching methods and deep knowledge
of my history teacher, Dr. Suneet Silas,
Associate Professor, St. John’s College, Agra.
Under his able guidance and supervision I
completed my research work of Ph.D. in
History subject.
So the moral of the story is that a wellplanned
teaching method with excellent
knowledge of the subject and effectively
delivered in the class will create a keen
interest among students in that particular
subject.
Following are some of the measures that
educators can easily adopt to create interest
in students for History as a subject:
1. EXCELLENT KNOWLEDGE OF
HISTORY SUBJECT: Suppose a
History teacher wants to teach the lesson
Nationalism in India in Grade 10. He/
she should understand the chapter with
additional knowledge which is not mentioned
in the class text book. During the lecture
discussion and debate of the topic, the
students will definitely ask questions beyond
the information furnished in the chapter. The
educator must be well prepared for all the
topics in detail.
Students always have deep respect for
good educators. Beyond the class textbook,
educators should read supplementary books
on History to update their knowledge and for
effective teaching. Some of the recommended
books are :
a) Ancient India: V. D. Mahajan, S. Chand &
Company, Delhi.
b) Medieval India: A. L. Srivastava, Shiva
Lal & Company, Agra.
c) Modern India: B. L. Grover and S. Grover,
S. Chand & Company, Delhi.
d) Modern Europe since 1789: V. D.
Mahajan, S. Chand & Company, Delhi.
2. EFFECTIVE LESSON PLAN: Effective
lesson planning is an important part of the
teaching and learning process. It offers the
teacher an insight into ensuring that all the
students strive for excellence. It will pave the
way for a completely engaged classroom.
The lesson plan should consist
of learning outcomes, prior
knowledge, hook questions,
teaching methods, quizzes,
activities, debate-discussion part
and written work assigned in the
class. Effective lesson plan of
40 minutes implementation in
the classroom will surely create
interest in history subject.
Effective lesson plan of 40
minutes implementation in the
classroom will surely create
interest in history subject.
3. TEACHING METHODS:
Educators can adopt the
following teaching methods to
create interest in the History
classroom.
i) Effective lecture method with
the help of historical maps,
charts and worksheets.
ii) Think-pair-share method
iii) Concept mapping
iv) Jigsaw method
v) Outside-inside circle method
vi) Exit slip method
4. DICTIONARY FOR
HISTORY: Educators can
prepare a dictionary for history
according to chapters in
48 The Progressive Teacher Nov/Dec 2016

various grades. This will help the students
to understand the meaning of various words
and terms mentioned in their history books.
For example, a dictionary for the lesson ‘The
Harappan Civilization’ in Class XII may
contain words and meanings in the following
manner:
i) Great Bath: rectangular area for public
and religious bathing.
ii) Citadel: fort
iii) Warehouse: godown to store grains.
iv) Lower town: residential areas for
common people.
v) Unicorn: one-horned animal.
vi) Mohenjodaro: a town now in Sind-
Pakistan.
5. HISTORICAL MAPS and CHARTS/
MAP PRACTICE: Make a list of all the
historical maps and charts required as per
the syllabus in each grade and purchase them.
Demonstrate with the help of pointer in the
classroom.
e.g. In Grade 9 CBSE board requires maps/
charts of French Revolution, Russian
Revolution, First World War, Second World
War, Pastoralists in India and World, etc. The
location and labelling on the map will help
in understanding the topic as well as develop
map skills of the students.
6. DIGITAL CLASSROOMS: Contents on
history from various chapters of Grade 6
to 12 taught and explained through digital
classrooms using Smart-Boards will create
interest in the learners for the subject.
7. TEACHING AIDS: These can be used
according to the lessons. Wooden replica of
Ashokan pillar, models of various monuments,
PowerPoint presentations, story books based
on Great Indian Personalities, etc.
8. SAMPLE NOTE BOOK: Notes, question
bank, photocopied or handmade sketches, /
pictures and map work of each lesson should
be kept in the form of a sample notebook
which is maintained by the teacher for
students in the resource room. This sample
notebook will inspire them to maintain their
own notebooks too in the same manner.
9. RESOURCE ROOM: Developing a
resource room for Heritage History should
consist of sketches and pictures of various
monuments, models of monuments, portraits
of national leaders, historical quotations,
books on Indian History, a video library of
historical movies, projector, computer systems
with internet facility for research work
on history, list of Indian monuments and
places certified by UNESCO, wall hangings
demonstrating dynasty time-line, etc.
10. FORMATION OF HERITAGE CLUB:
Educators can also form a Heritage club –
where a group of students create awareness
for the heritage, monument protection and
conservation.
I hope that history educators will adopt the
above measures in their classes to increase
the interest level of their students.
Toni Morrison, the American novelist,
editor, and Professor Emeritus at Princeton
University says
I am interested in the way in which the
past affects the present and I think that
if we understand a good deal more about
HISTORY, we automatically understand a
great more about contemporary life.
Nov/Dec 2016
lesson plan
Let Captain Phillip
Teach Geography
–Kanchan Shine
This is a geography lesson plan that introduces the concept
of latitudes and longitudes. The lesson plan is designed on
the Gradual Release of Responsibility instructional model.
In this lesson plan model, the teacher
works towards moving the responsibility
of learning from him/her to the students.
The model uses a four-step approach – I do
it, We do it, You do it together and You do it
alone.
Reference: NCERT – Class 6 – Chapter 2 –
Globe: Latitudes And Longitudes
Preparation before class:
• A computer with Internet connection
• World atlas with latitude and longitude
I Do:
Begin the class by playing the scene from the
movie Captain Phillips, where the
Captain calls for help. YouTube: Captain
Phillips // Clip - They’re Not Here To Fish
(OV).
Ask students to pay close attention to the
part when the captain calls the base
station for help.
Write the following on the board:
‘Our position is 2°2’N, 49°19’ E.’
Ask children to guess what these numbers
mean.
Tell that the numbers indicate the
geographical position of Captain Phillips’
ship. Explain the concept of latitude and
longitude and how they are used to determine
geographical positions. Also explain how they
help determine time.
We Do:
Display a large atlas with latitudes and
longitudes. Work with students to find
the location of Captain Phillips’ ship.
Alternatively, you can use the coordinates of
your country and work with students to find
what place the coordinates point to.
You Do It Together:
Divide students into groups. Write four to five
coordinates on the board and ask groups to
find which countries they point to. The group
that finds all countries first, wins.
Countries, Capitals, Latitude and Longitude
Table
You Do It Alone:
Finally, ask students to work independently
and find the longitude and latitude
coordinates of the different state capitals of
your country.
India works on IST – Indian Standard Time.
Ask students to find out the time zones
followed in the United Sates.
Kanchan Shine has over 10 years experience in the
education domain. Her firm, Episteme Learning Solutions
Pvt Ltd. creates training content for schools, ranging from
curriculum design, teacher lesson plans and activity guides.
Her team also writes content for textbook publishers.
She conducts teacher-training workshops and provides
consultancy for curriculum development and implementing
experiential learning in classrooms. She is passionate about
teaching and believes that children learn best through
hands-on-activities and play. She is currently pursing MA in
Education.
www.progressiveteacher.in 49

eflection
The Disappearing
Pillars of Learning
–Vikash Sharma
It is true that from childhood to adulthood we have been part of
a very structured form of education. And it drives us to become
‘capable’ and ‘successful’. It also generates fear and anxiety.
How frightening it is to be regarded as
a ‘failure’! That’s why, we all want
to be part of this rat race. The person
who dares to move beyond this order of
things looks ‘ridiculous’; he/she does not fit
into the contemporary notion of ‘success’. But
frankly speaking, we need it; we need to look
beyond this structure because it is destroying
all human possibilities.
Yes, I am talking about the pathology of
a culture of learning which is based on
fear. It would not be an exaggeration to
say that because of this fear we are getting
transformed into machines or manufactured
goods. It is the death of one’s innate curiosity,
uniqueness and creativity. Take a simple
but immensely meaningful illustration: the
hierarchization of minds implicit in the
duality of ‘right’ vs. ‘wrong’ answer. If you are
‘right’ you are destined to be a front- bencher;
and if you are ‘wrong’ you are condemned to
be a back- bencher, and bear its stigma. But
any creative pedagogue would tell you that
this obsession with ‘right’ vs. ‘wrong’ answers
destroys the child’s creativity: the possibility
of plurality of interpretations and answers.
Imagine a situation. ‘What is the name of
India’s national animal?’ You ask a child. And
she surprises you. ‘It is not tiger, it is cat’,
she answers. In a way her answer is not the
‘right’ answer but it is not a ‘wrong’ answer.
Schools become an alienating experience
because in the name of ‘right’ answer they
negate the child’s imagination. The heavy load
of bookish knowledge becomes tiring. In this
context it would be appropriate to refer to
an experiential illustration given by Steven
Harrison:
A little boy came from school with a note
from the teacher saying he doesn’t have an
inquiring mind. The mother, of course, was
quite upset by the note.
‘You need to have an inquiring mind. I am
going to make you have an inquiring mind. If
I have to keep you studying around the clock,
Vikash Sharma
is editor The
New Leam –
a magazine
on education
and culture
and lives in
New Delhi.
He finds his
vocation in the
art of pedagogy, photography
and philosophic writing. His keen
interest in innovative pedagogy
led him to explore contemporary
processes of learning and crisis of
education in modern times. He can
be reached at vikashsharma946@
gmail.com
you will have an inquiring mind,’ said
the mother.
The boy asked, ‘What’s an inquiring mind?’
‘Oh, don’t ask so many questions!’
I am not devaluing textual/theoretical
knowledge; but it alone, as Harrison’s
penetrating reflection suggests, is not
sufficient to make a child truly alert and
conscious; it is very important to create an
experiential domain that allows the child to
learn, to interrogate, to feel and to internalize.
Possibly Martin Buber—an existentialist
philosopher— elaborated it in the context of
prayer: a dialogue that brings our outer and
inner selves together. Imagine how this prayer
is becoming increasingly difficult. We seem
to be concerned with the outer glamour. A
child— particularly, in an urban/middle class
context— is occupied with techno-material
gadgets; his/her ways of looking at the world
become utterly materialistic; one grows up
with greed and pride. Why is it so?
It is in this context that we can refer to the
prevalent state of the three pillars—home,
community and school— an educationist like
T Makiguchi emphasized for the growth of
the holistic personality of the child.
An ideal home, we love to believe, is about
love and care. But where are the parents?
In this age of ‘efficiency’ and ‘success’ their
workplaces occupy them, demand their
complete attention; the child experiences their
absence: absence of a playful engagement,
absence of abundance of time. Possibly costly
birthday gifts, attractive gadgets and toys
emerge as a substitute. Its consequences
are disastrous. Amidst instant consumption
the child misses out on the ethics of care.
Likewise, where is the community—
its warmth, its intensity of intimate
relationships? Even a civilization like ours
known for its community living, because of
a strange form of modernity that generates
only anonymity and loneliness, is losing its
beauty. And not much needs to be said about
the contemporary practice of schooling—its
drilling and standardization. To quote Tagore:
‘School forcibly snatches away children
from a world full of the mystery of nature’s
own handiwork, full of suggestiveness of
personality. It is a mere method of discipline
that refuses to take into account the
individual. It is a factory specially designed
for grinding out uniform results.’
Yet, hope doesn’t die. Look at the eyes of
children. They inspire us to imagine a new
possibility. And I dare. As I work with a
group of children, I invoke Harrison, Buber
and Tagore. We listen to the rhythm of
Bengali, Tamil, Hindi, Punjabi and English
music; some of us begin to speak three or
four languages simultaneously; we visit a
garden, look at the distinctiveness of each
leaf in a tree; we discuss, reflect, crack jokes,
laugh together; and at the end of the day we
realize this splendid interplay of differences
and symmetry. No bookish knowledge
from a standardized ‘civics’ textbook. No
official/’secular’ mantra: ‘unity in diversity’.
Yet, the child learns. And I too begin to pray:
Let these children grow up with curiosity, with
innocence, with an intimate bond with nature
and their inner selves.
50 The Progressive Teacher Nov/Dec 2016

partnership
CREATING
RESPONSIBLE
CITIZENS
FOR THE FUTURE
– Rashmi Prabha
A strong child is defined
by his positive attitude that
helps him to deal effectively
with challenges in everyday
life. He possesses a strong
character and is equipped
with various life skills. Such
a child when he enters the
adolescent stage, is able
to make better choices and
healthier decisions in life.
Every generation seems to be in conflict
at one point or the other with its
preceding and succeeding generation.
Today, this gap is widening due to fast paced
development of society. When the child
enters the adolescent stage, this gap becomes
unbridgeable. A child now stops listening to
his parents and teachers, argues for no reason
and behaves in an unusual manner. This may
result in making wrong decisions regarding
his career which will affect his future. Under
such circumstances we as parents and
teachers become hopeless and helpless and
begin to question ourselves.
→Is our knowledge and experience of any
use?
→Is our advice of any help?
The wider the generation gap, greater is the
lack of understanding between generations.
Therefore, it is very important to bridge the
gap with the young generation so that they
invest their faith and belief in us.
School is the pivot
The school is the centre where the young
generation, parents and teachers come in
close contact to discuss the building of their
future.
A good upbringing of child takes place only
under the partnership of the parents with
school so that learning is well coordinated.
School’s Working
If homework is given
If project is given
If assignment is given
If rules and
regulations are
required to be
followed
If morals are taught
If teachers bear
responsibility
If time management
is taught
Parent’s
Responsibility
Must ensure that it
is done
Must collaborate
Must cooperate
Must not speak
against them
Must be practised
at home
Must respect and
appreciate teachers
Must be given
follow up
Improper coordination between the two, may
result in unbalanced learning such as -
A child is good at academics, but lacks
cooperation with others.
A child is good at various skills but
lacks time management and is unable to
complete his work in time.
A child is overall smart but does not listen
to the teacher or parent’s advice.
Making The Child stronger
A strong child is defined by his positive
attitude that helps him to deal effectively
with challenges in everyday life. He possesses
Rashmi Prabha
is Vice Principal
in St. Kabir’s
School, Hisar,
Haryana and
is currently
teaching
biology to
senior classes.
She obtained
masters degree in biotechnology
from M.S University, Baroda. She has
great passion for environment and
engages in projects and activities
on environment awareness and
conservation involving students,
teachers and parents. She is an
online teacher and faculty in Lund
University for evaluating Global
Young Master’s Programme on
Sustainable Development. She
conducts classes for students
to make them aware about
their responsibilities and social
challenges. Various organisations
have honoured her for making
outstanding contribution to
education. She received the
Derozio Award from CISCE, The
Educationist Of the Year Award
(twice) from Silver Zone Foundation,
The Best Teacher Award from Bharat
Vikas Parishad, Mahilla Jyoti Award
from Integrated Council for Socio
Economic Progress and Paryavaran
Puraskar from Paryavaran Mitra
Organisation associated with
Ministry of Environment Education.
She writes on a wide range of topics
and her articles are published
regularly.
a strong character and is equipped with
various life skills. Such a child when he enters
the adolescent stage, is able to make better
choices and healthier decisions in life.
52 The Progressive Teacher Nov/Dec 2016

‘A person with a strong character does
not get disturbed by the upswings and
downswings of life. He develops a greater
sense of equanimity and gets engaged in his
chosen field of activities undistracted,’ says
the philosopher.
Life skills include psychosocial competencies
and interpersonal skills that help people
to solve problems, think critically and
creatively, communicate effectively, develop
decision making ability, build healthy
relationships, empathize with others and cope
with managing their lives in a healthy and
productive manner.
Character is the ROOT SYSTEM that
supports your entire life and Life skills
are the NUTRIENTS that support the root
system to keep it alive.
Life Skills
They are based on fundamentals of individual
development.
Thinking Skills- Associated with cognitive
development and deal with problem solving,
creative and critical thinking.
Social Skills- Associated with social
relations such as effective communication,
interpersonal skills and empathy with others.
Emotional Skills- Associated with feelings
and emotions. They deal with resisting peer
pressure, resilience, managing stress and selfawareness.
Developing self-awareness can help us
recognize if we are stressed or feel under
pressure. It is often a prerequisite to effective
communication and interpersonal relations,
as well as for developing empathy with others.
Without empathy our communication with
others will amount to one-way traffic. Our
ability to regulate our emotions in turn affects
how we are perceived by the people around us.
Education is all about training the mind to
think. The quality of life depends upon the
quality of thought. Critical thinking can help
you to question your decisions and to look
at yourself and the people around you in
an objective way. It also helps you to learn
how to remain level headed and prevent an
argument from escalating. It enables us to
think in an open minded manner outside the
box and foster the ability to solve problems.
Role of Teacher
Character building and life skills must
be integrated in classroom teaching and
curriculum so that it forms a strong
foundation for all round development of the
child.
A teacher must -
→Inculcate a sense of ‘believe in yourself’
→Regulate thought processes of students.
→Promote questioning in the classroom
based on understanding, reasoning and
analysis.
→Inculcate good listening skills
→Encourage students’ participation in
activities.
→Tell about time management and stress
management.
→Act as a role model for the students.
Role of Parent
Character building does not take place
through specific activity but it requires
complete value system. Therefore,
participation of parents is vital. During
childhood, children tend to trust adults and
believe in morals laid down by the parents.
But as soon as they enter the adolescent
stage, they develop their own logic to face
challenges. In childhood, if good virtues
have not been practised, a child is likely
to develop poor logic that may result in
confusion. He is unable to understand the
ethics of cooperation and complexity of
moral issues. He is unable to develop a
healthy set of values and will not be able
to stand for right things in life. Therefore,
attitude and behaviour of parents play an
important role in shaping the character of
children.
Parents have the opportunity to interact
with teachers on PTMs, to find out about
the progress of the child.
For parents it is important to-
→Relearn new perspectives with the child
→Spend quality time with the child
→Check and eliminate sources of distraction
→Let the child be emotionally strong
If there exists a good partnership between
parents and school, I am sure we will be able
to produce good citizens for the future who
will be capable of making right decisions and
are able to deal effectively with challenges of
everyday life.
From the publisher’s desk...
Parent-Teacher Relationship
Many teachers
would agree that
some parents
have a ‘not-so-impressive’
perception about teachers.
They feel that their child
is not getting adequate
attention or he is not able
to follow the teaching/
learning at school.
Sometimes, children also
have behavioural issues
and parents feel that
teachers are not able to
deal with them. There
are many more negative
perceptions which parents
have about schools and
teachers. What they fail
to understand is that
teachers can only provide
academic education, while
the impact of home goes
a long way in the learning
success.
This can change if parents
are involved in day-to-day
Nov/Dec 2016
learning. Teacher-parent
relationship should not be
limited to periodic teacherparent
meetings because a
child’s academic success
enhances when teachers and
parents are partners in the
process.
So, how can you build such
partnerships? During open
house, parents should be
encouraged to talk and
share their concerns; make
them understand your
viewpoint as well; tell them
what is likeable about their
child and what are the
areas where there is scope
for improvement. Make a
contact log and document
when you met the parents
and what was the topic of
discussion. Though it may
sound a lot of documentation
but it goes a long way
in developing a healthy
relationship.
Teachers can also make
phone calls or send emails
to parents to apprise
them of their child’s
achievements in school.
Believe me every parent
likes to hear good things
about his child. Have open
communication, wherein
parents have the liberty
to voice their concerns.
Inform them about the
teaching practices you follow
and what you are planning
to achieve. Let them know
what and how their child is
learning and take feedback
on the same.
Another way to keep
in touch and get more
information is to conduct a
brief survey -- like asking
about the child’s strengths
and weaknesses, his
hobbies, etc. This will help
to know students better
and will help gain respect
Sonal Khurana
sonal@progressiveteacher.in
from parents. Teaching
is a profession where
you have to deal with
children and parents
- some who like you
and some who don’t.
Nevertheless you
need to have a strong
relationship with parents.
A good parent-teacher
relationship goes a long
way in the development
and nurturing of students.
www.progressiveteacher.in 53

teaching
Signs of a Good Teacher
– Sukhwant Singh Thaper
All teachers can stand in front of the class and deliver their
lessons. Whether they are doing justice to their job or not is
a different matter. A mediocre teacher will try to finish his
syllabus in time. A good teacher loves to put across as much
as he can in the stipulated time. The best teacher along with
doing what a good teacher does will also keep in mind that he
is building the nation and preparing citizens who would impact
others globally.
What are the signs of a good
teacher?
It is not very difficult to identify good
teachers in a school. There are a few clear
cut signs that can reveal the presence of a
good teacher. Most good teachers carry a
beautiful and comforting smile. Their bodies
are not stiff. They acknowledge the greetings
of students promptly irrespective of the fact
whether they teach them or not. They are
often seen followed by a couple of students
after the class gets over. These children follow
them to get their doubts cleared and then
rush back to their classes when they see the
next teacher approaching.
Basically, I believe, a good teacher has the
following three qualities:-
(1) Good subject knowledge,
(2) Good communication skills and
(3) A good character.
Normally it is not difficult to come across
teachers who possess the first quality.
Most of them, I believe, have good subject
knowledge. Second and third qualities are
becoming rare.
Sukhwant Singh Thaper, Founder Principal of Delhi Public
School, Nigahi (MP), has been in the educational field since
1987. He has been associated with the ELT Project since
1994 as CBSE’s Resource Person and has conducted various
workshops. He received the coveted National Award for Best
Teacher 2013 on 4th September 2014. He delivers discourses
on Gita, Quran, Bible and Guru Granth Sahib regularly in his
school. He is an alumnus of Ravenshaw College, Cuttack,
Odisha and loves reading, travelling, photography and blogging. Nine teachers
who had worked under him are now working as Principals.
A shallow river makes more noise especially
while it is flowing over rocks and stones.
Similarly, a teacher with little knowledge is
often seen losing his temper while handling
students who are either too weak or who are
brilliant. Weak students irritate such teachers
and they dread the brilliant ones.
A river that flows in abundance never makes
a noise. It flows atop the rocks effortlessly
and in doing so smoothens their sharp edges.
With their buoyant energy and strength they
help the boats and ships to sail well and
reach their destination. Similarly, a teacher
with his brilliant subject knowledge is able
to help both weak and brilliant students to
attain their goals.
A mother and a child communicate with each
other through not just language but also
through signs and gestures. It is because they
know each other well and love each other.
Similarly, students are able to comprehend
the signs and gestures of their favourite
teachers.
The first and foremost duty of a teacher
should be to ensure that he is the best in his
field. For this he needs to devote time towards
sharpening his tools.
For developing communication skills a person
should read and, if possible, one should
attempt to write. Importance of listening
and spoken skills cannot be underestimated.
In the present age of cell phones, I would
advise teachers to listen to the BBC News
podcast everyday on their cells. This would
help them to remain updated and at the same
time develop their listening skills. As they will
be exposed to good English they themselves
will feel comfortable in using better and
new words while speaking. Very soon people
around them will also note the difference and
will appreciate them.
The word ‘character’ should not be limited
to the physical aspects of life like whether
one takes bribes or not. Unfortunately, we
have reduced this word to such things which
is wrong. Besides these aspects, the word
‘character’ encompasses traits of a person
which include punctuality, commitment
towards a given task, love for the job,
integrity, being proactive, planning, adhering
to good principles in life, inclination towards
spiritualism, human understanding and so
on. A good teacher is capable of delivering
lessons as per students’ level and not his. A
good teacher doesn’t act as a know all. A
good teacher uplifts weak students by asking
them simple questions inside the class and
not difficult ones in order to belittle him. A
good teacher does not pretend to be a ‘sage’
on the ‘stage’ but loves to remain a ‘guide’ by
the ‘side’. A good teacher does not shy away
from, ‘I don’t know, I will let you know in my
next class.’ A good teacher loves spending
time with his students. A good teacher, like a
parent, can never think ill of his students. A
good teacher will always wish the best for his
students, their progress and success. A good
teacher feels elated to see his students doing
better than him in their lives.
It’s time that we as teachers sit and
introspect and see where we stand as
teachers.
54 The Progressive Teacher Nov/Dec 2016

motivation
–Pallishree Rath
In the teaching-learning
process, teachers often ask
how to motivate children to
learn. Sometimes words of praise
fail to motivate an underachiever.
In his eyes, he is inferior. Anyone
who tells him ‘You are smart, you
are intelligent. You can do well’
ceases to be an agent of help. The
child’s logic is: ‘Only someone
stupid or dishonest would say
that I am bright’.
Children can be lured into
learning but cannot be shamed
into it. When forced to study,
children use their ingenuity to get
through school without learning.
They know very well how to snow
teachers. Here is an example:
Once a principal stopped a tenth
grade boy on his way home and
asked a question, ‘What did
you do in school today?’ The
boy was tempted to tell him the
truth that: ‘I apple-polished the
English teacher. I read comic
books during mathematics. I
drew the cartoon of my teacher
in social studies. I wrote notes
to my girlfriend during French.’
Rather he replied, ‘It was a busy
day’. The principal left with a
smile in satisfaction.
The answer of the abovementioned
question is ‘Make it
safe for them to risk failure’.
The major obstacle to learning
is fear: fear of failure, fear of
criticism, fear of appearing
stupid. An effective teacher
makes it possible for each
child to err with impunity. To
remove fear is to invite attempt.
To welcome mistakes is to
encourage learning.
MOTIVATING MOTTOS
To motivate learning, the teacher
has to discuss the meaning
of failure in their lives. The
failures of great persons are to
be discussed. The children also
talk about their fear of failure
and the pain of humiliation. A
set of motivating mottos can
be displayed in the class room
prominently.
1. In this class making mistakes
is permissible.
2. An error is not a terror.
3. Goofs are lessons.
4. Mistakes are for correcting.
5. Value your correction, not
your error.
REDUCE FEAR
To free children from fear of
incorrect spelling, the teacher
can encourage him by saying:
‘It’s difficult to spell unfamiliar
words. It would be helpful for me
if you’d write the first consonant
of the word with a dash after it.
Nov/Dec 2016
In the teaching-learning process, teachers often
ask how to motivate children to learn. Sometimes
words of praise fail to motivate an underachiever.
In his eyes, he is inferior. Anyone who tells him
‘You are smart, you are intelligent. You can do well’
ceases to be an agent of help. The child’s logic is:
‘Only someone stupid or dishonest would say that I
am bright’.
From that clue and the context
of your sentence, I’ll know which
word you need.’ This works like
magic and children respond to
it and do not hesitate to write
stories, poems, letters, etc.
NOT A GENIUS
Parents and teachers sometimes
diminish a child’s motivation by
seemingly benign words. They
tell the failing child: We know
you are not genius, and we don’t
expect miracles from you. All we
want you to do is to work to your
capacity. We’ll be satisfied if you
pass your grade.
These words make it impossible
for the child to exert any
academic effort. Even if he does
his best, he can look forward to
nothing but a humiliating ‘pass’.
If he fails, it will constitute a
public admission of stupidity.
The child wisely concludes that
there is less risk in not trying.
A mere motivating stance
signals to children a clear
message: We expect scholarship.
Learning is not an accident but
a long process; it requires effort
and determination. We expect it
from you.
Pallishree Rath has been in this
profession for more than fifteen years
and has had the opportunity to work
in various schools around India.
Though teaching was not her first
preference in life, she just ventured
in by chance and eventually fell in
love with it. She loves to experiment
with various methods of teaching
in the class rather than using the
conventional way. She loves to organize language-based
activities such as spell-bee, quiz, pictionary, drama, etc.
You can contact her at: pallishreerath@gmail.com.
READING ALOUD
When asked to read, some
children read softly and are
barely audible. They stumble
over many words and finally stop
reading. Instead of ridiculing
the child the teacher can say:
‘Reading English aloud is not
easy. There is fear of making
mistakes and of being laughed
at. It takes courage to stand up
and read. Thank you for trying’.
The teacher shows understanding
of his inner reality, deliberately
avoiding unhelpful praise and
empty encouragement.
MOTIVATE WRITING
Children often show apathy
towards writing. They avoid
writing or write too short.
Instead of criticising and
admonishing, the teacher says:
‘I found your writing very
interesting, tight and concise.
However when I finished it, I
wished there was more to read’.
My views on motivation can
be best summed up with the
following tale:
A fire broke out in a house. The
firemen who rushed to the rescue
found a man heavily asleep.
They tried to carry him down the
stairs but could not. Then the
chief arrived and said: ‘Wake him
up and he’ll save himself’.
The moral of the story is clear.
Children bored and asleep
will not be affected by a wellintentioned
rescuer. They need to
be awakened to their potential,
and they will save themselves.
www.progressiveteacher.in 55

56 The Progressive Teacher Nov/Dec 2016

Fiction Reading for students
• Reading is the basic foundation on which academic skills of an
individual are built.
• Reading doesn’t just enhance the child’s ability to comprehend various
concepts with ease, but also develops critical thinking skills.
• Reading helps in mental development and is known to stimulate the
muscles of the eyes.
• Reading is an activity that involves greater levels of concentration and
adds to the conversational skills of the reader.
• Reading is the single most important skill necessary for a happy,
productive and successful life.
Reading …
In these busy times, when we don’t even have time to eat breakfast, it isn’t surprising
that we have given up on reading ... or rather we have forgotten the importance of
reading. Reading is the basic foundation on which academic skills of an individual are
built. Our education system acknowledges the fact that reading is important for the holistic
development of a student, and hence ‘it’ is considered a top priority. Reading doesn’t just
enhance the child’s ability to comprehend various concepts with ease, but also develops
critical thinking skills.
Educational researchers have found that there is a strong correlation between reading
and academic success. Reading helps in mental development and is known to
stimulate the muscles of the eyes. Reading is an activity that involves greater levels
of concentration and adds to the conversational skills of the reader. It consistently
enhances the knowledge acquired. Reading is the single most important skill necessary
for a happy, productive and successful life. A child who is an excellent reader is a
confident child, has a high level of self-esteem and is able to easily make the transition
from learning to read to reading to learn. Learning to read well is an essential life skill
that teachers must ensure that their students acquire. So if you want your students to be
successful encourage them to read.
I am sure that this list would be of interest to your students.
–Editor
Nov/Dec 2016
www.progressiveteacher.in 57

case study
Are our teachers equipped for the
present and ready for the future?
The need for teacher education and addressing shortage of teachers
Recognising the important role the teacher plays in the
delivery of education, it is important to look at the challenges
facing the country in ensuring that all children have qualified
teachers in their classrooms.
Currently India faces an acute shortage
of teachers. To achieve the sustainable
development goals for education:
‘ensuring every child has access to a quality
education by 2030’, UNESCO has projected
that India will need to recruit 30 lakh additional
teachers. This gap in school vis-à-vis teachers
also finds reflection in the recent District
Information System for Education (DISE).
figures shared by the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development.
providing continuous professional
development opportunities and transfers.
The Ministry of Human Resource
Development had invited recommendations
to the Draft National Education Policy 2016
(NEP). This presented an opportune moment
for the government to examine the issues
relating to teachers and redesign Teacher
education programmes.
In the academic year 2014-15 (Source: District Information System for Education,
Union Ministry of Human Resource Development)
Schools in India
Total number
of schools
Two teacher
(%)
One teacher
(%)
No teacher
All (primary, senior
(%) (numbers)
secondary and
12.6 lakh 41.55 11.62
higher secondary
0.84 11249
sections)
Primary Schools 7.6 lakh 28.68 8.84 0.91 6404
Recent reports suggest that there are
approximately 6.6 lakh teachers currently
in the system who lack the requisite
qualifications; in the Union education budget
in 2016-17, a mere 1.17 per cent of the total
is allocated to teacher education and training.
At a recent conference, the Secretary of
Education rightly stated that availability
and quality of teachers is the key factor
for ensuring learning. Given that teachers
are critical, there is an urgent need for
pre-service teacher education, recruitment,
No education system in the world has
excelled without making a significant
investment in building a cadre of quality
teachers. Yet teacher education is one of
the weakest links in the education sector
in India. Against this backdrop, Tata Trusts
have relentlessly focused on addressing some
of the critical needs in education in India,
especially with regard to teachers. With years
of experience in working to improve access to
quality education in some of the most remote
geographies of India, while simultaneously
addressing concerns of equity, through
enhanced learning levels and opportunities,
Tata Trusts has been ensuring appropriate
learning levels, strengthening systems,
training teachers, integrating appropriate
technologies and mobilising communities.
It has set up a core committee comprising
well-known educationists to put forward a
strategy on how teacher education should be
addressed.
Listed below are some of the
recommendations made by the
Tata Trusts:
• Focus on teacher education programme
– restructuring of teacher education
programmes, linking them to universities
and schools. Create centres of excellence
for Teacher Education.
• Establish clear criteria for recruitment of
students into teacher education.
• Equip teachers with essential knowledge
base and multiplicity of skills ranging
from subject competence, understanding
of the student, continuous assessment and
instilling values and behaviours.
• Increase motivation of teachers and equip
them with skills by mobility within the
system.
• Use technology to tackle the problem of
teacher absenteeism, and reward good
performance.
• Rein in substandard and unregulated
teacher training institutes, 90 % of which
are in the private sector.
• Strengthen state-run institutes that suffer
from multiple deficiencies, by a new
institutional framework to formalize the
accreditation process, develop institutional
mechanisms for periodic monitoring of
teacher training institutes and to ensure
strict adherence to quality parameters
• Help teachers identify their own
professional development at least once
every five years.
• Encourage teaching as a professional
career option for the brightest; higher
education should diversify specializations
into areas of curriculum and pedagogical
studies.
• Fill in the teacher vacancies and create
state-specific norms for fair and equitable
deployment of teachers.
(Tata Trusts are amongst India’s oldest,
non-sectarian philanthropic organizations
that work in several areas of community
development. Tata Trusts seek to be catalysts
in development through partnerships and
direct implementation in the areas of Natural
Resources Management, Rural Livelihoods,
Urban Livelihoods & Poverty, Education,
Enhancing Civil Society and Governance,
Health and Arts, Crafts and Culture.)
58 The Progressive Teacher Nov/Dec 2016

PLANNING
–Rajni Jauhari
Importance of Field Trips?
(Why?)
Field trips increase a student’s learning
through active hands-on experience
which in turn gives a boost to the student’s
knowledge and understanding of a subject.
Good planning must precede field trips.
Careful attention should be given to
trip selection, pre-visit preparation, the
trip itself, appropriate follow up, and
evaluation. When considering a field trip,
teachers are advised to first consult
with their administrator regarding
existing school board policies and
follow those recommended procedures.
Trip Selection (Where?)
A. Identify the objectives and plan of
evaluation for the field trip.
B. Select the site to be visited and arrange
the date and time. Work out the pre-trip
information, record addresses, directions,
contact persons, phone numbers, email
addresses, etc.
C. Conduct a pre-visit to familiarize yourself
with the major features of the field trip.
Purchase postcards and posters. Take
digital photographs to share with students
prior to the visit.
Preparing for the Field Trip (How?)
u Write down the objectives and plan
activities to meet these objectives.
u The teacher should know her
expectations and must check out if
the place to be visited fulfills her
expectations.
u Advance preparation of students and
establishing a link between the field
trip and the curriculum are the most
influential factors in a field trip being
educationally effective.
A trip made by students or
research workers to study
something at first hand.
With winters round the
corner every school wants
students to engage in outdoor
activities. Field trips is just
one of them.
u Students will be best-prepared for the field
trip when their teachers are informed and
prepared, and the learning expectations
of students will be high only if teachers
expect learning to occur. Students may
benefit from taking time in advance to
discuss and probe.
u Students should be encouraged to
develop open ended questions instead
of ‘fact finding questions’ that require
comparisons.
Rajni Jauhari is an educationist with twenty-six years of
experience in schools. She is presently heading Parevartan
School, Ghaziabad.
In consultation with the British Council she has been
conducting sessions with teachers on pedagogy, planning and
methodology for learning and teaching process. She is also a
facilitator in imparting core skills to educators. She has written
a Teacher Manual; she conducts School audits for QCI and is a
member of the Inspection Panel for CBSE.
She was nominated by CBSE for Cert IV in Training and Assessment at CIT-
Perth, Australia.
She is a certified teacher trainer in ‘Multiple Intelligence’; an active social worker,
animal and environment lover.
Setting up (What?)
• Apply for administrative
approval from the competent
authority.
• File requisition for bus
transportation reservation.
• Make arrangements for
meals or snacks as per your
requirement.
• Plan schedule for the day.
• Prepare a list of things required
and to be carried - food, film,
video camera, digital camera,
Field Trip Journals.
• Prepare name tags for students
and teachers/ parents if I-cards
are missing.
• Work out the expenses and
collect money for the trip.
• Compose a detailed letter for parents
along with a consent note for parent
permission with the points given below -
u Date and location of field trip and
transportation arrangements
u Educational purpose of field trip
u Clothing for the trip
u Lunch arrangements
u Provision for medicines
u Money needed
u Trip schedule
u Teacher on duty with mobile number
u List of things permitted e.g. camera,
mobile, etc
u Parent on duty if required
• Provide options for pupils who will not be
going on the trip.
• Inform the cafeteria staff if students will
avail or be away during the lunch hour.
• Inform other subject teachers if their
schedules will be affected.
• Collect money for the trip and deposit it
in your school account. If asked, send the
advance fee to the field trip site.
• Create a list of all student names and
home phone numbers for use in an
emergency.
Pre-Trip discussion with students
• Discuss the purpose of the field trip and
how it relates to the current chapter being
taught in the class.
• Work on observation skills.
• Introduce vocabulary words that will be
used during the tour.
• Show photographs or posters of the field
trip site or prepare a PPT.
• Students could be grouped in different
subject areas related to the field trip topic
60 The Progressive Teacher Nov/Dec 2016

to research (e.g. history, art, religion,
science, environment, etc) as per the
requirement of the topic.
• Ask students/ parents to explore the
website of the location they will be
visiting.
• As a class brainstorm a set of standards
of conduct for the trip (rules & penalty)
and discuss money, meals and clothing to
wear for the trip keeping the weather in
mind.
• Discuss with students how to ask good
questions and brainstorm a list of openended
questions to gather information
during the visit. Record questions in
student field trip journals.
• Overview the field trip schedule.
To Do List
• Check all consent notes the day before the
field trip.
• Check Name tags/
Gate Pass.
• Divide students into
small groups and
assign leaders to
groups.
• Assign each student a partner.
• Place a class list with mobile numbers in
a folder.
• Carry a cell phone as mentioned in the
parent’s letter.
• Take along an emergency kit (medicines
for headache, vomiting, stomach ache,
loose motions, glucose, and inhaler).
• Take account of food, specific equipment,
medicines pertinent to the particular field
trip.
• Number of students going/not going.
During the Field Trip
Plan activities that allow students to work
alone, in pairs or small groups as per the
schedule planned.
Activities might include:
• Keep an eye on the mile stones/ hoardings/
sign boards and questions may be posed
accordingly.
• Provide clues and let children guess.
• Students may be asked to prepare
jingles, talk, write their observations,
sketch, prepare questions based on their
observations.
• Field trip journals for recording answers
to prepared questions based on clues.
• Hand drawn postcards to write at the end
of the tour that will summarize the field
trip.
• Provide time for students to observe, ask
questions, and record key words, ideas and
phrases as journal entries in their Field
book after visiting.
• Ask open ended questions – eg:
1) How are these two exhibits/objects/
monuments/animals/plants different from
one another?
2) What clues do these exhibits/objects/
monuments/animals/plants provide?
3) In what ways do these two objects relate
to one another?
4) If you could change one thing in this
exhibit/object/ monument/animal/plant,
what would it be?
• Provide time for students to use
Nov/Dec 2016
camcorder, digital camera, etc for
recording important resources viewed/
heard. Then ask students to record
one sentence in their Field trip journal
describing why they felt the objective was
of key importance.
Post-Field Trip Activities
Follow-up activities will aid student
learning and multiply the value of hands-on
experiences outside the classroom -
• Provide time for students to share general
observations and reactions to field trip
experiences.
• Share specific assignments students
completed while on the field trip.
• Create a classroom bulletin board
displaying materials developed or
collected while on the field trip.
• Link field trip activities to multiple
curricular areas. For example, students
can develop vocabulary lists based on
field trip observations; record field trip
observations in a classroom journal;
complete math problems related to actual
field trip budget planning etc, Prepare
posters to create more awareness in
school about their learning.
• Share and evaluate student assignments/
activities from the Field Book.
• Have the class compose and send thankyou
letters to the field trip site host,
teachers, parents, school administrators
and other persons who supported the field
trip. Include favourite objects or special
information
learned during
the field trip.
• Create a
short news
report about
what happened on the field trip. Publicize
the trip via an article in your local
newspaper, school bulletin board, trip
presentation for parents or class Web
page/ website.
Assessment: Students can pick activities
as per their choice, give them the
parameters of assessment and then assess
accordingly.
Or
Prepare a MCQ/ VIVA/ PROJECT
Evaluating the Trip (Did it help?)
In the teacher’s diary make a note of the
following questions as that will provide a
good reference for future field trips.
• Were the objectives met?
• What went as per plan and what didn’t?
• What was of unique educational value in
this field trip?
• Did the students meet the objectives/
expectations?
• Was there adequate time?
• Was there adequate staff and adult
supervision?
• What should be added to make this a
better experience in the future?
• What should not be done at all?
• Were the assessments helpful?
• What improvements should be brought in
to make the visit to this site better in the
future?
The same can be shared with the students,
teachers and school administrators.
news/event
Twenty
Students
from Mumbai
are Top in
World in
Cambridge
International
Examinations
2016
Mumbai, 17 October, 2016:
Forty-one Indian students have
achieved the highest marks and
are Top in World in a range of individual
subjects in the November 2015, March
2016 and June 2016 examination series
across Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge
International AS Level and Cambridge
International A Level. 101 Indian
students also achieved Top in Country
across these qualifications.
These ‘toppers’ from schools across
the country will be recognised for their
outstanding academic achievements
with an Outstanding Cambridge Learner
certificate.
Ruchira Ghosh, Regional Director
South Asia, Cambridge International
Examinations, said: ‘It gives us
immense pleasure to see learners across
India successfully exhibit their passion
to succeed. Their outstanding results
in the Cambridge Examinations are a
proof of the dedication and commitment
of their teachers and the constant
selfless support from their family and
friends that helped them achieve this.
We congratulate all these learners on
their performance this year and wish
them every success in all of their future
endeavors.’
There has been a substantial and
evident increase in the popularity of
Cambridge qualifications in India and
around the world. There are over 370
Cambridge schools in India. There
has been a 17 per cent increase in the
number of entries for all qualifications
in India since 2015, which includes
the Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge
International AS Level and Cambridge
International A Level. The most popular
Cambridge IGCSE subjects in India are:
First Language English, Mathematics,
Hindi as a Second Language, Physics
and Chemistry.
www.progressiveteacher.in 61

Principal Q&A
Principal Arti Prasad
Soami Nagar Model School, in Soami Nagar, New Delhi
Birthday : 10th October
Place of Birth : AGRA (U.P.)
Studied at Schools/Colleges:
Schooling at KendriyaVidyalaya,
Hoshangabad (M.P);
Graduation and Post Graduation
from DEI (Dayalbagh
Educational Institute); Agra,
(U.P)
First school as a teacher:
DPS, Delhi Public School,
Vasant Kunj, New Delhi
The best thing about being a
teacher:
To be with the children and for
the children. Always feel young
mapping energy of children and
interacting with young minds.
Love and respect you earn from
them cannot be measured.
How did you feel on the first
day being a school Principal:
I was excited and nervous
about the new responsibility
and challenge to shoulder. But
happy also with firm belief to
serve others and make a positive
impact with dedication.
The best thing about being a
teacher/leader:
You are able to execute
innovative ideas with progressive
approach and a good team.
You are able to shape young
minds and give them wings.
You have to be an all-rounder,
flexible, accountable, yet firm on
principles and core values.
Please describe the role you
feel parents should play in the
operation of the school:
Parent has a proactive role
as a facilitator and important
partner in the learning process.
They should trust and believe
in the child’s strength and
contribute to strengthen school’s
mission. They should spend
quality time with children and
support them in all endeavors.
First indications that the
classroom is an effective
learning place:
Happiness and energy level
of students is an important
factor. Student’s engagement
involvement and passion
of teachers reflects the
effectiveness.
Vision of special education:
It should be inclusive, but with
trained teachers to monitor
their growth and with conducive
environment. Other children also
learn empathy and values with
them.
To make inclusion a reality:
We are teaching students of
different backgrounds, and
children understand diversity
in real life scenario. Children
from all economic background
study together and learn. Our
philosophy is to impart quality
‘Education to all’.
View on CCE:
It is a good approach for
Primary and Middle school
students. Children can
experiment and learning is
joyful with ‘Learning by doing’
approach.
View on e-learning platform:
It’s an effective platform and
economical tool for sharing
knowledge. Visual impact is
more in learning process.
Best conference/seminar you
have attended on education:
TSC (Towards Science of
Consciousness) in 2014 at DEI,
Dayalbagh
Qualities you seek in a new
teacher:
Enthusiasm and willingness.
I believe, a teacher should
have passion besides good
qualifications. A teacher should
have an attitude of a learner,
have love and warmth, caring
attitude towards children, to
nurture them.
Advice that you want to give
to new teachers:
Try to kindle a spark and light
of curiosity in young minds.
Knowledge is available today,
try to inspire and motivate
children to go an extra mile.
Dedication, commitment and
your ‘Karma’ makes you a role
model for these students.
What are the key values that
a school/ institute must instill
in students?
Character building and have
courage to fulfill their dreams.
Students should be motivated
to do selfless service and
take societal responsibility
as a good citizen. Conserving
resources and environmental
consciousness to be instilled
from early stage.
Your favourite Book:
Karma Kurry by Jerninio
Jerry Almeida and Jyoti
Nanda.
How has the teaching
learning process changed
from or a decade ago to
now? How do you/ the school
meet the current needs of
students?
More technology is being used
today than in past years. We are
flexible and progressive towards
learning of students. More
activities, workshops, visits,
talk by experts from different
areas are arranged to give them
exposure and enhance their
potential.
What are the key challenges
that you go through as a
Principal/School Leader and
how do you overcome these?
Every day is a new challenge
and has a ray of hope. I try to
deal with these with patience
and divine grace. With positive
attitude, constant feedback and
belief in Karma, I evolve as a
person, to do more every day.
How do you keep abreast
with the current trends in the
education system?
By attending workshops,
meeting and interacting with
different people, more reading
and keep updated. Alumni also
contribute a lot in this.
Advice you give to your
teachers/ staff at the
beginning of each session.
A teacher is a sculptor, who
shapes the future of a child and
country. Teach from your heart
with passion and commitment.
Enjoy your work and be an
active learner with open mind.
Tell us about a recent book
you read or a recent film that
inspired you and your key
takeaways as a school leader
from:
‘Guiding Souls’ by APJ Abdul
Kalam. I am a great fan and
inspired by the Late Dr APJ
Kalam.
What inspired you to enter
the field of education?
Love and affection for children,
learning and creativity to
shape your ideas. To serve the
community and carry my social
responsibility.
What according to you is the
purpose of education?
Spiritual, intellectual,
development and evolution as a
complete man, with a purpose.
62 The Progressive Teacher Nov/Dec 2016

DELBIL/2014/55800