• Project Work: Ask the students to draw the map on a chart paper. They can mark the
relevant information as mentioned in the activity.
• Model making: Ask the students to complete the activity on page 18.
• Debate: Divide the class into two groups. Give them 5-10 minutes to prepare for the
debate. Conduct the debate in class.
• Chart Work: the students can collect relevant information and colourful pictures to
complete the activity.
• Project/Presentation/website: The students can search various websites to collect
information for the topic. They can display their work in the class.
• Peer and self-assessment: Use Distinguish between and the MCQs on pages 19 and
20 for peer and self-assessment.
HOTS
The HOTS question can be discussed in class.
Life skills
Ask the students to find out the benefits of a multipurpose dam and a check dam. They can
then discuss the pros and cons of the dams in class.
Value-based question
Ask the students to discuss the answers for the value-based question.
Follow-up
• Share at least 5 tips on how to conserve water in your home or at school.
Answer key for the exercises in the lesson
Exercises for Summative Assessment
I. Distinguish between:
1. Private land and community land
Private land
1. Private land belongs to an individual.
2. Individuals who own the land utilize it for their
personal needs
Community land
1. Community land is owned by a group of people
in a community or the local government.
2. Used for collection of fodder, fruits, nuts or
medicinal herbs needed for the community
2. Arable land, fallow land and cultivable waste
Arable land
1. Land which is suitable for crop
production
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Fallow land
Cultivable waste
1. Land which can be cultivated 1. Land which can be cultivated
but left unused for the
but which has been laying fallow
season.
for more than five years.
3. Mulching and contour bunding
Mulching
1. The bare ground between plants is covered
with a layer of organic matter like straw or
peat to prevent loss of moisture from the soil.
This process of conserving soil by retaining the
moisture in the soil is called mulching.
2. Practised in arid areas
Contour bunding
1. On hill sides, stones are used to build barriers
across the slope, following contours. Contours are
imaginary lines connecting places that lie at the
same altitude. Trenches are made in front of the
barriers to collect water. This way of preventing
soil erosion is called contour barrier or contour
bunding.
2. Practised on hilly stretches.
4. Surface water and ground water
Surface water
Underground water
1. Water that is found on the surface of the land.
1. This refers to the underground streams.
2. Two thirds of the Earth’s surface water is found in 2. Springs, wells and tube wells are some sources of
the oceans and it is saline. Fresh water sources
underground water.
on the surface of the Earth include rivers, canals, 3. Underground water pollution is difficult to treat.
lakes and ponds.
3. Surface water pollution is relatively easier to treat.
5. Alluvial soil and laterite soil
Alluvial soil
Laterite soil
1. This is rich and fertile soil formed by the
1. This soil is formed due to intense leaching (i.e.
depositional action of the rivers. Rivers transport
when water washes out soil nutrients) in regions
eroded material from their higher reaches and
with heavy rainfall. This soil is not naturally fertile
deposit this on their banks as they reach the
as the top soil along with the humus is washed
plains.
away by heavy rainfall.
2. Alluvial soil supports cultivation of crops. It
2. To make this soil cultivable it has to be treated
enables abundant growth of staple food crops.
with fertilizers. It is used for growing jute, millets,
3. In India we can find rich deposits of alluvial soil in
fodder crops, etc. It is also used for brick making.
the vast Indo-Gangetic Plains and deltaic regions 3. In India it is found in Maharashtra, West Bengal
of the peninsular belt
and Meghalaya
6. Arid and peaty soil
Arid Soil
Peaty Soil
1. This soil is found in the dry regions. The colour of 1. In the regions where there is dense vegetation we
this soil varies from dark shades of reddish brown
can find peaty and forest soil.
to pastel brown.
2. This soil is rich in humus as the organic matter
2. It has very low moisture and humus content as
that accumulates in the forests decomposes to
it is found in the dry deserts. With sufficient
provide the same.
irrigation the soil can be made cultivable.
3. In India we can find this type of soil in the
3. In India it is found in Western Rajasthan.
reserved forest belt of Bihar, Uttaranchal and the
evergreen forests of the Western Ghats.
II. Give reasons:
1. Humans occupy just a fraction of the surface
area of the Earth.
Land makes up only 30 percent of the surface
of the Earth. Of this land, only a fraction
is habitable by humans, the rest is made
of vast deserts, dense forests and rugged
mountains. In fact, 90 percent of the world’s
population lives on just 30 percent of land
area.
2. We should conserve soil.
We know that soil is a vital resource which
is responsible for the very sustenance of
all plants, animals and human beings. The
removal of top soil is called soil erosion. If
unchecked it will lead to depletion of soil.
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Moreover a layer of soil forms very slowly
– the time can range from 200 to several
thousand years. Therefore it is important to
conserve soil.
3. Cotton is grown in Maharashtra.
Deep, clayey, black soil is ideal for growth
of cotton. Since this soil is wide spread in
Maharashtra, cotton is grown here.
III. Answer the following questions.
1. What are the factors which influence land
use?
The land use pattern of a country is
influenced by physical and human factors.
Physical factors include the type of relief
or topography, the type of soil, climate,
minerals and availability of water. Human
factors such as population density, ability
to plan, ability to invest (capital), skill and
competency, and technological development
are also important determinants of land use
pattern.
2. What are the different ways in which land
can be classified?
Land can be classified in many ways.
• On the basis of relief – as plateau, plains
and mountains
• On the basis fertility – fertile and barren
land
• On the basis of development of that area –
as rural and urban land.
• On basis of ownership of the land – as
private land and community owned or
government land. Private land belongs to an
individual. Community land is owned by a
group of people in a community for common
uses like collection of fodder, fruits, nuts or
medicinal herbs.
• On the basis of the use we put it to – as
arable land, pasture land, forests, fallow,
cultivable waste and non agricultural land.
3. What is land degradation?
Land degradation refers to the decline in
productivity of cultivated land or forest land.
Generally land degradation results from
unsuitable and unscientific land use.
4. Mention the reasons for land degradation.
Factors responsible for land degradation
include excessive exploitation of land,
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deforestation, clearing fertile land for
settlements, slashing and burning the
trees for agriculture (Jhum), abandoned
mining sites and surface mining, toxicity
in landfill, untreated industrial effluents,
concretisation, etc.
5. Define soil. What are the different types
of soil found in India and where are they
found?
Soil is the unconsolidated (or loose) covering
of fine rock particles that covers the surface
of the Earth. Soil varies in colour, texture,
fertility and content. The different types of
soils found in India are alluvial, black, red,
laterite, arid, and peaty soils. Alluvial soil is
found in the vast Indo-Gangetic Plains and
the deltaic regions of the peninsular belt.
Black soil is found in the basaltic Deccan
Plateau (in states of Maharashtra, Madhya
Pradesh, parts of Gujarat and Karnataka).
Red soil is found in the periphery of the black
soil regions in the states of Orissa, Madhya
Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and
Kerala. Laterite soil is found in Maharashtra
and West Bengal. Arid soil is found in Western
Rajasthan and peaty and forest soil is found
in the forests of Bihar, Uttaranchal and in the
evergreen forests of the Western Ghats.
6. What is the other name for regur soil?
The other names for regur soil are cotton soil
and black soil.
7. Explain the uses of water. What is water
pollution?
There are various uses of water. Humans
consume a lot of water. Seventy percent of
the human body consists of water. Water
is primarily used for drinking and washing.
It is also used for productive purposes like
irrigation of fields, generation of hydroelectricity, using waters stored in reservoirs
and dams, industrial needs, recreational
needs, etc. Water pollution deals with
the problem of contamination in water,
which makes it unfit for use. The major
contaminants in water are partially treated
or untreated sewage, chemical fertilisers
used in the agricultural sector and untreated
industrial effluents discharged into water
bodies.
They pollute water with bacteria, parasites,
viruses and toxic chemicals like pesticides.
8. Briefly explain the ways to conserve water.
There are many ways to conserve water.
Water pollution has to be brought under
control. For this it is essential to treat
effluents suitably before discharging them
into water bodies. Afforestation will not
only help reduce runoff but, also replenish
underground water by enabling percolation.
Rainwater harvesting (by constructing tanks
and percolation pits) is another method to
conserve water by saving surface runoff.
Scientific and regulated irrigational methods
will also prevent wastage of water. Mulching
and plugging gullies also helps in the
conservation of water. In dry regions with
high rates of evaporation, drip (or trickle)
irrigation and sprinklers should be adopted.
9. Write a note on the water resources of
India.
India has abundant water resources. Yet large
parts of the country suffer from severe water
scarcity. This is because water resources
are unequally distributed in India, both
seasonally and spatially. India has several
mighty rivers like Ganga, Brahmaputra,
Godavari, Krishna, and Narmada. The rivers
that flow from the Himalayas, like the Ganga
and its tributaries, and the Brahmaputra,
are snow fed and therefore perennial or
flow throughout the year. These rivers
experience flood during the summer months
when snow starts melting in the mountains
However, the rivers in the peninsular India
depend on the monsoons for their water.
They go dry in the summer. To control the
annual summer floods of the northern rivers
and to put its waters to better use, multipurpose projects were started by the Indian
government. Dams were built on the rivers,
which help in flood control, provide water
for irrigation, generate hydroelectricity,
and provide drinking water and recreation.
Some of the major multi-purpose projects in
India include the Bhakra-Nangal Project, the
Damodar Valley Project, the Hirakud Project,
the Nagarjunasagar Project and the Narmada
Valley Project. India also has considerable
underground water sources like wells, tubewells and springs which support agriculture.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. d
9. a
2. a 3. d
10. d
4. c
5. c
6. d
7. b
8. b
Value-based question
• Innovative—willing to experiment with new
practices in order to help others
• Resourceful—being open to new ideas and
having the conviction to change old practices
• Persevering and hardworking
Question bank
I. Define.
1. Land degradation: _____________________
2. Soil Profile: _____________________
3. Mulching: __________________________
4. Contour bunding: _____________________
II. Answer in brief.
1. How can hill slopes be used for cultivation?
2. Why is freshwater considered a critical
resource on the Earth?
3. Where would you find shelter belts being
used for soil conservation? How do they
work?
4. What are the uses of dams?
5. Write four ways to conserve water.
III. Answer in detail.
1. Explain the soil profile with a diagram.
2. Name the different soils found in India and
write two lines about each.
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Answer key for the worksheet
I. 1. d
2. a
3. c
4. b
5. d
6. c
II. 1. Terrace farming
2. Shelter belts 3. Soil
erosion
III. 1. Water Pollution 2. Water Conservation 3.
Deccan Plateau 4. grazing animals 5. seasonal
IV. 1. Land can be classified on the basis of
• relief—plateau, plains or mountains
• soil fertility—fertile and barren land
• development of the area—rural and urban land
• ownership of land—private and community owned or government land
• the use it is put into—arable land,
pasture land, fallow land, forests, cultivable land, non-agricultural land
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2. Land degradation is caused by many factors,
main among which is the unsuitable and
unscientific ways of using land. The main
factors of land degradation are excessive
exploitation of land, deforestation, clearing
fertile land for settlement, jhum cultivation,
surface mining, toxicity in landfills, untreated
industrial effluents and concretisation.
3. The use of land is determined by both physical
and human factors. The physical factors
are topography, soil, climate, minerals and
availability of water and the human factors
are population density, availability of capital
and technology.
4. Soil is the unconsolidated or loose covering
of fine rock particles that covers the surface
of the Earth. The right mix of minerals and
organic matter, with the ability to retain the
correct amount of moisture, determines the
fertility of the soil.