Science Education Aims

Science Education aims to achieve:

• Scientific understanding of the natural and physical world
• Capacities for scientific inquiry
• Understanding the evolution of scientific knowledge
• Interdisciplinary understanding between science and other curricular areas
• Understanding of the relationship between Science, Technology, and Society
• Scientific temper and Creativity

The syllabus is designed around seven broad themes: Food; Materials; The World of the Living; How Things Work; Moving Things, People and Ideas; Natural Phenomenon; and Natural Resources.

Curricular Goals and Competencies

CG-1: Explores the world of matter, its interactions, and properties at the atomic level

• C-1.1: Describes classification of elements in the Periodic Table, and explains how compounds (including carbon compounds) are formed based on atomic structure (Bohr’s model) and properties (valency)
• C-1.2: Investigates the nature and properties of chemical substances (distillation, crystallisation, chromatography, centrifugation, types and properties of mixtures, solutions, colloids, and suspensions)
• C-1.3: Describes and represents chemical interactions and changes using symbols and chemical equations (acid and base, metal, and non-metal, reversible, and irreversible)

CG-2: Explores the physical world around them, and understands scientific principles and laws based on observations and analysis

• C-2.1: Applies Newton’s laws to explain the effect of forces (change in state of motion – displacement and direction, velocity and acceleration, uniform circular motion, acceleration due to gravity) and analyses graphical and mathematical representations of motion in one dimension
• C-2.2: Explains the relationship between mass and weight using universal law of gravitation and connect it to laws of motion
• C-2.3: Manipulates the position of object and properties of lenses (focus, centre of curvature) to observe image characteristics and correspondence with a ray diagram, and extends this understanding to a combination of lenses (telescope, microscope)
• C-2.4: Manipulates and analyses different characteristics of the circuit (current, voltage, resistance) and mathematises their relationship (Ohm’s law), and applies it to everyday usage (electricity bill, short circuit, safety measures)
• C-2.5: Defines work in scientific terms, and represents the relationship between potential and kinetic energy (conservation of energy) in mathematical expressions
• C-2.6: Demonstrates the principle of mechanical advantage by constructing simple machines (system of levers and pulleys)
• C-2.7: Describes the origin and properties of sound (wavelength, frequency, amplitude) and differences in what we hear as it propagates through different instruments

CG-3: Explores the structure and function of the living world at the cellular level

• C-3.1: Explains the role of cellular components (nucleus, mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, vacuoles, chloroplast, cell wall), including the semi-permeability of cell membrane in making cell the structural basis of living organisms and functional basis of life processes
• C-3.2: Analyses similarities and differences in the life processes involved in nutrition (photosynthesis in plants; absorption of nutrients in fungi; digestion in animals), transport (transport of water in plants; circulation in animals), exchange of materials (respiration and excretion), and reproduction
• C-3.3: Describes mechanisms of heredity (in terms of DNA, genes, chromosomes) and variation (as changes in the sequence of DNA)

CG-4: Explores interconnectedness between organisms and their environment

• C-4.1: Applies the knowledge of cellular diversity in organisms along with the ecological role organisms play (autotrophic or heterotrophic nutrition) to classify them into five-kingdoms
• C-4.2: Illustrates different levels of organisations of living organisms (from molecules to organisms)
• C-4.3: Analyses different levels of biological organisation from organisms to ecosystems and biomes along with interactions that take place at each level
• C-4.4: Analyses patterns of inheritance of traits in terms of Mendel’s laws and its consequences at a population level (using models and/or simulations)
• C-4.5: Analyses evidences of biological evolution demonstrating the consequences of the process of natural selection in terms of changes: in allele frequency in population, structure, and function of organisms

CG-5: Draws linkages between scientific knowledge and knowledge across other curricular areas

• C-5.1: Explores how literature and the arts have influenced Science
• C-5.2: Examines a case study related to the use of Science in human life from the perspective of Social Sciences and ethics (e.g., Marie Curie, Jenner, treatment of patients with mental illness, the story of the atomic bomb, green revolution and GMOs, conservation of biodiversity)
• C-5.3: Applies scientific principles to explain phenomena in other subjects (sound pitch, octave, and amplitude in music; use of muscles in dance form and sports)

CG-6: Understands and appreciates the contribution of India through history and the present times to the overall field of Science

• C-6.1: Knows and explains the significant contributions of India to all matters (concepts, explanations, methods) that are studied within the curriculum in an integrated manner

CG-7: Develops awareness of the most current discoveries, ideas, and frontiers in all areas of scientific knowledge

• C-7.1: States concepts that represent the most current understanding of the matter being studied, ranging from mere familiarity to conceptual understanding of the matter as appropriate to the developmental stage of the students
• C-7.2: States questions related to matters in the curriculum for which current scientific understanding is well recognised to be inadequate

CG-8: Explores the nature of Science by doing Science

• C-8.1: Develops accurate and appropriate models (including geometric, mathematical, graphical) to represent real-life events and phenomena using scientific principles and use these models to manipulate variables and predict results
• C-8.2: Designs and implements a plan for scientific inquiry (formulates hypotheses, makes predictions, identifies variables, accurately uses scientific instruments, represents data, primary and secondary, in multiple modes, draws inferences based on data and understanding of scientific concepts, theories, laws, and principles, communicates findings using scientific terminology)

General Instructions for Assessment

1. There will be an Annual Examination based on the entire syllabus.
2. The Annual Examination will be of 80 marks and 20 marks weightage shall be for Internal Assessment.
3. For Internal Assessment:
   • Periodic Assessment:
     • For 5 marks: Three periodic tests conducted by the school. Average of the best two tests to be taken that will have a weightage of 05 marks towards the final result.
     • For 5 marks: Diverse methods of assessment as per the need of the class dynamics and curriculum transaction. These may include – short tests, oral test, quiz, concept maps, projects, posters, presentations, and enquiry-based scientific investigations, etc., and use of rubrics for assessing them objectively. This will also have a weightage of 05 marks towards the final result.
   • Practical / Laboratory work: For 5 marks – Practical work that is done throughout the year. The students should maintain a record of the same. Practical Assessment should be continuous. All practical work listed in the syllabus must be completed.
   • Portfolio: For 5 marks – Portfolio that includes classwork and other samples of student’s work.

Course Structure – Class IX (2025-26)

Time: 03 Hours Marks: 80

Unit I: Matter – Nature and Behaviour

Theme: Materials

• Matter in Our Surroundings: Definition of matter; Particulate Nature of Matter; States of Matter: solid, liquid, and gas and their characteristics; change of state – melting (absorption of heat), freezing, evaporation (cooling by evaporation), condensation, sublimation.
• Is Matter Around Us Pure: Elements, compounds, and mixtures. Heterogeneous and homogenous mixtures, colloids, and suspensions. Physical and chemical changes (excluding separating the components of a mixture); Pure and Impure substances.
• Atoms and Molecules: Atoms and molecules, Law of Chemical Combination, Chemical formula of common compounds, Atomic and molecular masses.
• Structure of Atom: Sub-atomic particles: Electrons, protons, and neutrons, Models of atom; Valency, Atomic Number and Mass Number, Isotopes and Isobars.

Unit II: Organization in the Living World

Theme: The World of the Living

• Cell – Basic Unit of Life: Cell as a basic unit of life; prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, multicellular organisms; cell membrane and cell wall, cell organelles and cell inclusions; chloroplast, mitochondria, vacuoles, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus; nucleus, chromosomes – basic structure, number.
• Tissues, Organs, Organ System, Organism: Structure and functions of animal and plant tissues (only four types of tissues in animals; Meristematic and Permanent tissues in plants).
• Health and Diseases (Formative Assessment Only): Health and its failure. Infectious and Non-infectious diseases, their causes and manifestation. Diseases caused by microbes (Virus, Bacteria, and Protozoans) and their prevention; Principles of treatment and prevention. Pulse Polio programmes.

Unit III: Motion, Force and Work

Theme: Moving Things, People and Ideas

• Motion: Distance and displacement, velocity; uniform and non-uniform motion along a straight line; acceleration, distance-time and velocity-time graphs for uniform motion and uniformly accelerated motion, elementary idea of uniform circular motion.
• Force and Newton’s Laws: Force and Motion, Newton’s Laws of Motion, Action and Reaction forces, Inertia of a body, Inertia and mass, Momentum, Force and Acceleration.
• Elementary Idea of Conservation of Momentum (Formative Assessment Only)
• Gravitation: Gravitation; Universal Law of Gravitation, Force of Gravitation of the earth (gravity), Acceleration due to Gravity; Mass and Weight; Free fall.
• Floatation: Thrust and Pressure. Archimedes’ Principle; Buoyancy.
• Work, Energy and Power: Work done by a Force, Energy, power; Kinetic and Potential energy; Law of conservation of energy (excluding commercial unit of Energy).
• Sound: Nature of sound and its propagation in various media, speed of sound, range of hearing in humans; ultrasound; reflection of sound; echo.

Unit IV: Food Production

Theme: Food

• Plant and animal breeding and selection for quality improvement and management; Use of fertilizers and manures; Protection from pests and diseases; Organic farming.

Practicals – Class IX

Practicals should be conducted alongside the concepts taught in theory classes.

List of Experiments

1. Preparation of: (Unit-I)
   • a) a true solution of common salt, sugar, and alum
   • b) a suspension of soil, chalk powder, and fine sand in water
   • c) a colloidal solution of starch in water and egg albumin/milk in water and distinguish between these on the basis of:
     • transparency
     • filtration criterion
     • stability
2. Preparation of: (Unit-I)
   • a) A mixture
   • b) A compound using iron filings and sulphur powder and distinguishing between these on the basis of:
     • appearance, i.e., homogeneity and heterogeneity
     • behaviour towards a magnet
     • behaviour towards carbon disulphide as a solvent
     • effect of heat
3. Perform the following reactions and classify them as physical or chemical changes: (Unit-I)
   • a) Iron with copper sulphate solution in water
   • b) Burning of magnesium ribbon in air
   • c) Zinc with dilute sulphuric acid
   • d) Heating of copper sulphate crystals
   • e) Sodium sulphate with barium chloride in the form of their solutions in water
4. Preparation of stained temporary mounts of (a) onion peel, (b) human cheek cells & to record observations and draw their labeled diagrams (Unit-II)
5. Identification of Parenchyma, Collenchyma, and Sclerenchyma tissues in plants, striped, smooth, and cardiac muscle fibers and nerve cells in animals, from prepared slides. Draw their labeled diagrams. (Unit-II)
6. Determination of the melting point of ice and the boiling point of water. (Unit-I)
7. Verification of the laws of reflection of sound. (Unit-III)
8. Determination of the density of solid (denser than water) by using a spring balance and a measuring cylinder. (Unit-III)
9. Establishing the relation between the loss in weight of a solid when fully immersed in: (Unit-III)
   • a) Tap water
   • b) Strongly salty water with the weight of water displaced by it by taking at least two different solids.
10. Determination of the speed of a pulse propagated through a stretched string/slinky (helical spring). (Unit-III)
11. Verification of the law of conservation of mass in a chemical reaction. (Unit-III)

Reference

https://cbseacademic.nic.in/web_material/CurriculumMain26/Sec/Science_Sec_2025-26.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiVis2n-6-NAxVUsFYBHYaqPFUQFnoECB0QAQ&usg=AOvVaw1yDRByTW4U58hligDAF3ie