HISTORY SYLLABUS FOR CLASS SEVEN
Introduction
History in
Class VII is to be taught as a separate subject as in class VI. The course for
this class is presented in two sections: Section A deals with Bhutan History and
Section B deals with World History.
In this Class, the Bhutan History course is intended to build in students knowledge based on the general foundation of the country's history laid in Class VI. As a whole, it aims at developing in students a positive attitude towards the preservation of Bhutan's rich cultural heritage and traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation. It also aims at making students fully aware of the importance of the past in relation to the present and of the strong need of strengthening and continuing the country's rich culture and traditions into the future.
The student
activities given at the end of each chapter in the Bhutan history text are
largely designed to help students learn to organise materials and information
for themselves. Through these activities it is hoped that students will learn by
doing and understanding rather than simply committing facts to memory. There are
factual questions, as well, designed to help students recall facts and organise
them in sequential notes. The activities also include map-work, through which it
is hoped that students will have a clearer understanding of the location and
history of places mentioned in the text.
The World
History course covers only 5 chapters so that students are not overloaded. This
course aims at providing students History related knowledge of the outside
world. It is important that students be exposed to some past events of and
changes undergone in other countries as well so that they will develop a better
understanding of the nature of historical changes.
This course
will provide opportunities for students to:
1.
have a better knowledge of basic historical concepts;
2.
be able to perform history -related skills;
3.
develop a positive attitude towards the preservation and promotion of
Bhutan's rich cultural
heritage
and traditions;
4.
develop appreciation and love for the country and
5.
have a knowledge of History of the outside world.
At the end of
the course the students should be able to:
1.
relate basic historical concepts (continuity and change, multiple
causation, past, conflict) to the
different
events and periods in the history of Bhutan and the world; .
2.
state the importance Terton Pema Lingpa tospiritual, cultural and
political life of Bhutan;
3. assess the greatness of Zhabdrung Ngawang Narngyel by identifying his achievements towards the making of Bhutan an independent country;
4.
describe the Desi System with special reference to the first four Desis;
5.
briefly describe the life of the people of Bhutanese Society in the 17th
and 18th Century after Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel;
6.
describe important features and
significant role of some of the important dzongs in our country;
7.
state the significance of mask dances
in the cultural life of the people;
8.
determine the effect on Bhutan of British Expansion in India in the late
18th century and early 19th century;
9.
determine the emergence of Charlemagne's Empire, its rise to power and
its fall after Charlemagne's death;
10.
analyse the evolution of towns in Europe and the changes in the life of
the people;
11.
analyse the rise and growth of nation states in Europe;
12.
give a brief description of the "Renaissance Period" in Europe;
13.
draw and read historical maps and
14.
collect relevant data and information and interpret them in various
forms.
(Examination weighting -60%
Approximate no. of periods -77)
(Considering total no. of periods to be 128-4 per
week)
Content,
scheme of weighting and period distribution:
Exam Approx. no.
Wt. of periods
Chapter One:
The importance of Pema Lingpa
in
the History of Bhutan 5% 6
Chapter Two:
Greatness of Zhabdrung Ngawang
Namgyal 10% 14
Chapter
Three:
The Chhoesi System and the
First Four Desis 5% 6
Chapter Four:
Bhutanese
Society in the 17th and
18th Century after Zhabdrung
Ngawang Namgyal 5% 6
Chapter Five:
Dzongs
-Centres of Administration
and Religion 13% 17
Chapter Six:
The significance of the Mask Dances
in the History of the Country 12% 16
Chapter
Seven:
British Expansion in India and its
Effect on Bhutan 5% 6
Chapter
Eight:
British India's Interference -
The Case of the Assam Duars 5% 6
60% 77
Section
B:
World History (Examination weighting -40%
Approximate no. of periods -51)
Content,
scheme of weighting and period distribution:
Exam Approx.
Wt. No. of pds.
Chapter Two: Life in Charlemagne's Empire
-Invasions from the North
-Charlemagne: A light in the Darkness'
-The Break-up of Charlemagne's Empire 5% 6
Chapter Four:
Town Life in Medieval Times
-A Medieval Town
-Merchant Guilds and Craft Guilds
-The Medieval Fairs.
-Progress in Education and Establishment of
Universities
-Contribution of the Muslims in the Fields of
Science
and Arithmetic 5% 6
Chapter Six:
The Beginning of Nations in Europe Part I
-What is a Nation?
-Rise and Growth of Nation
-States
in Europe
-Decline
of Feudalism; Freeing of the Serfs;
Strong desire for peace and order
-The
First Nation-States of Europe
-The
Nation-States of England
-Henry
II and the Jury System
-English Parliament 13% 17
Chapter
Seven:
The Beginning of nations in Europe Part II
-The Rise of the Power of the King in France
-The Nation-State of France
-Unification of Spain after reconquest from Islam
5% 6
Chapter
Eight:
The Renaissance -Part I
-What does "Renaissance" mean?
-Origin and Spread of the Renaissance Italy and the
Renaissance
-Italian writers and artists of the Renaissance
Period
-Architecture and sculpture in the Renaissance
Period
-Printing and Literature in the Renaissance Period
-Printing and Literature in the Renaissance Period
-Science and Mathematics in the Renaissance Period
-Measurement of Space and Time 12% 16
40% 51
The course begins with set goals and as the course moves on the need to check the on-going progress of the students and the teaching ability of the teachers arises at intervals. This reveals the drawbacks in the teaching-learning process and immediate necessary changes can be made for improvement.
What is
actually meant by the assessment is "the measurement of the students'
ongoing progress in class and the students" achievements at the end of the
course. "During the course the students' ability to grasp what is being
taught and the teachers' ability to teach to be checked so that simultaneosly
the teaching- learning process can be improved. At the end of the course the
achievement of the aims and objectives set at the beginning of the course is
tested, the result of which would indicate the success or failure of the course.
Assessment is
to be done in two ways continuous assessment and terminal assessments.
A. Continuous
Assessment
A teacher has the maximum contacts with the students and therefore is able to assess their performances during the course of the year, which cannot be totally tested by the 2-hour examination at the end of the year. The teacher's continuous assessment is, therefore, most purposeful as it not only measures the achievements of students but also tests the effectiveness of teaching.
The following are the areas to be assessed under continuous assessment.
1 Class
Work:
The
performances of the students in the classroom could be judged by observing how
actively each student involves in group discussions, answering questions posed
by the teacher, co- operating with fellow-students while activities are in
progress and making contributions in the progress of a lesson.
2. Homework:
As follow up
and reinforcement of the lesson taught and activities carried out in the class,
short task can be given to students to do at home. This should be regularly
checked and assessed.
3. Project
work:
Students' performances could also be judged by observing how well each student can collect information from other reliable sources (such as reading materials and interview with resourceful persons) and write out the information collected and present it in written form as a special form of assignment.
B. Examinations
(terminal)
To measure the student's achievements of the general objectives at the end of each term, assessment could be made in the form of written exams. This would judge the over-all performance of each student. The written examinations could be in the form of mid-term examination and end of year examination. A combination of objective type, short answer type and long essay type questions could be asked.
Note:
For further information on assignment, weighting and recording of different
modes of assessment, refer to the Guidelines on Assessment for Class VIII given
at the appendix.
VI.
Prescribed Text Book and References
1 .A History
of Bhutan, Course book for Class VII, CAPS, Education Division. (Text)
2. Aspects of
World History Book II. (Text)
3. History of Bhutan, B.J. Hasrat (Reference)
As in classes
VI and VII, history in class VIII is to be taught as a separate subject. The
course for this class is presented in two sections: Section 'A' deals with the
History of Bhutan and Section 'B' deals with World History.
The Bhutan
History course for this class is intended to increase the students' knowledge on
the country's history based on the foundation laid in lower classes. On the
whole, it aims at developing in students a positive attitude towards the
preservation and promotion of culture and inculcating in children love, loyalty
and dedication to the king and the country. It also aims at making students
fully aware of the importance of the country's past in relation to the present
and of the strong need of strengthening and continuing the country's rich
culture and traditions into the future.
The student
activities given at the end of each chapter in the Bhutan History Course book
are largely designed to help students learn to organise materials and
information for themselves. Through these activities it is hoped that students
will learn by doing and understanding rather than simply committing facts to
memory. There are factual questions, as well, designed to help students to
recall facts and organise them in sequential notes. The activities also include
map- work, through which it is hoped that students will have a clearer
understanding of the location and history of places mentioned in the text.
The Bhutan
History Course book had been intended to cover ten chapters including a chapter
on the present King and development of the country in the past twenty years.
However, due to unavoidable circumstances, this chapter could not be included in
the text but has been brought out as. a separate booklet. We hope to get
feedback from teachers regarding this chapter -whether to leave it as a separate
booklet or integrate it into the text. No matter what the decision, the
presentation of the content of the chapter will be improved and updated from
time to time.
The World
History course covers only six chapters as compared to the Bhutan portion so
that students are not overloaded. This course aims at providing students
history-related knowledge of the outside world. It is important that students be
exposed to some past events and changes in other countries as well so that they
will develop a better understanding of the nature of historical changes.
This course
will provide opportunities for students to:
1.
achieve a knowledge of historical concepts;
2.
be able to perform history-related skills;
3.
develop a positive attitude towards the preservation and promotion of
Bhutan's rich cultural heritage and traditions;
4.
develop appreciation, love and respect for the king and country;
5.
achieve a wider knowledge of history of the outside world and
6.
be able to organise materials and information for themselves.
For a better
understanding of the general aims refer to General Instructional Aims for Class
VIII. History in the Curriculum Supplement to the General syllabus.
By the end of
the course, the students will be able to:
1.
relate basic historical concepts ( continuity and change, multiple
causation, past, conflict) to the different events and periods in the history of
Bhutan and the world;
2.
analyse the situation in Bhutan in the 19th century in relation to the
developments in the other parts of the world;
3.
briefly describe Jigme NamgyaI's early life and his struggle for power;
4.
explain why the Ashley Eden Mission was sent to Bhutan and why it failed;
5.
identify and analyse the causes and results of Duar War between British
India and Bhutan;
6.
assess the emergence Jigme Namgyal as the most powerful leader in the
country by the late 19th century;
7.
analyse the contributions made by the four kings for the development of
the country;
8.
describe the different paintings of the country in relation to their
significance in the history of Bhutan;
9.
analyse the causes and results of the First and the Second World Wars;
10.
identify the major outcomes of the Treaty of Versailles;
11.
describe the history of the League of Nations;
12.
describe the general conditions prevailing in Europe after the 1st World
War;
13.
express their understanding of the founding of the United Nations for
maintaining peace in the world;
14.
explain why the term " Cold War" was used to describe the post
war situation;
15.
express their understanding of the Non-Aligned Movement;
16.
read and draw historical maps and
I 7. collect information from reliable sources and interpret the findings in various forms.
For
more specific objectives refer to Course Objectives for class VIII History in
the Curriculum Supplement to the General Syllabus.
Section
A :
Bhutan History
Content:
Topic
Chapter
1.
Historical Developments in the World
and
Particularly Asia in the 19th Century
One
2.
Young Jigme Namgyal (1825-1865)
Two
3.
Ashley Eden Mission and its Outcome
Three
4.
The Duar War(1864-1865)
Four
5.
Jigme Namgyal and His Times (1866- I 88 I)
Five
6.
Druk Gyalpo Ugyen Wangchuck (1862-1926)
Six
7.
Druk Gyalpo Jigme Wangchuck (1905-1952)
Seven
8.
Druk Gyalpo Jigme Dorji Wangchuck (1928-1972)
Eight
9.
Painting and its Significance to the Culture and
History
of Bhutan.
Nine
Druk Gyalpo Jigme Singye Wangchuck and
Twenty
Years of Development
Supplementary
Content:
Topic
Chapter
1.
The First World War
7
2.
The Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations
8
3.
Europe between the Two World Wars
9
4.
The Second World War
10
5.
The United Nations and the Cold War
11
6.
The Non-Aligned Movement
13
Scheme of
Weighting and Period Distribution:
|
Sections |
Weighting
(in%) |
No. of Periods |
|
A |
60 |
77 |
|
B |
40 |
51 |
|
|
100 |
128 |
Note:
For lesson weighting and examination weighting of each topic refer to the
Curriculum Supplement to the General Syllabus for Class VIII History.
At this level
we are on the second step of the public examinations and as in class VI, here
too teachers tend to feel an obligation to preparing their students for the
final examination. In this way; the teaching strategy is limited to teaching
what the examiner is thought to require, thus deviating from the path to
achieving the learning objectives. The public examination, unconsciously, tends
to predominant at the expense of assessment throughout the course. The tragedy
of the whole process is that the result obtained from assessment is used merely
to grade or rank students and not to evaluate teaching and learning.
What is
actually meant by the assessment is "the measurement of the students'
on-going progress in class and the students' achievements at the end of the
course." During the course the students' ability to grasp what is being
taught and the teachers' ability to teach need to be checked so that
simultaneously the teaching-learning process can be improved. At the end of the
course the achievement of the aims and objectives set at the beginning of the
course is tested, the result of which would indicate the success or failure of
the course.
Assessment is
to be done in two ways -continuous assessment and terminal assessments.
A.
Continuous Assessment:
A teacher has
the maximum contacts with the students and, therefore, is able to assess their
performances during the course of the year, which cannot be totally tested by
the 2-hour examination at the end of the year. The teacher's assessment of the
students is most purposeful as it not only measures the achievements of the
students but also tests the effectiveness of teaching.
The following
areas are to be assessed under continuous assessment.
1.
Classwork:
The
performance of the students in the classroom could be judged by observing how
actively each student involves in group discussions, answering questions posed
by the teacher, co- operating with fellow-students while activities are in
progress and making contributions in the progress of a lesson.
2.
Home Work:
As follow up work and reinforcement to the lesson taught and activities carried out in the class, short task can be given to the students to do at home. This needs to be regularly checked and assessed.
3.
Project Work:
Students' performances could also be judged by observing how well each of them can collect information from other reliable sources such as reading materials and interview with resourceful persons and write out the information collected and present it in written form as a special form of assignment.
B.
Examinations (terminal)
To measure
the student's achievements of the general objectives at the end of each term,
assessment could be made in the form of written exams. This would judge the
over-all performance of each student. The written examinations can be conducted
in three different forms: mid-term exam and trial examination, and end of year
examination. In this case, the end of year examination would be the public
examination conducted by the BBE. A combination of objective type, short answer
type and long essay type questions could be asked. It should be remembered that
the written examinations during the course of the year need not be an imitation
of the end of year examinations. What the students will undergo is not
preparation for the end of year examination but a learning process, whereby
their ability and achievements are tested time to time.
Note:
For further
information on assignment, weighting and recording of the various modes of
assessment, refer to the Guidelines on Assessment for Class VIII given at the
appendix.
1. History of Bhutan (19th and 20th centuries)
2.
Supplementary Reading to Bhutan History Course book for Class VIII
3.
Aspects of World III
4.
History of Bhutan, B. J. Hasrat
GEOGRAPHY
SYLLABUS FOR CLASS SEVEN
Geography in
Class VII is to be taught as a separate subject. The course for this Class is
presented in four sections: Section A looks into the Physical Geography of
Bhutan, section B introduces the continents of North America and Australia,
section C looks into some aspects of World Geography -the Earth, and section D
covers some practical work in geography. (Weather study should be carried out as
practical exercises throughout the year). However, teachers should note that
section D is an integral part of section A and need not be treated as a separate
chapter, but as practical exercises in the teaching -learning process of Bhutan
geography.
In this class
the Bhutan Geography course is intended to provide pupils a closer observation
of the natural environment of Bhutan. Here too as in class 6, flexibility
regarding the student activities is being maintained so that no students in any
part of the country suffer from the distances between them and the sources of
information. Involvement of students in the lessons is very important from the
point of view that they learn better through active participation than through
passive listening to teachers' lectures.
The other
parts of this course is intended to open the students' minds to the outside
world and to lead them to the answers of the "How" and "Why"
of the natural phenomena. It is important that students learn the causes of
things that occur or appear in every day life and observe them with better
understanding.
The teaching
of geography generally demands a good deal of effort from the teachers. This
generally means preparing and guiding pupils in
a) locating the sources of data/information which may be available in the form of library references, persons proficient in a particular area, and the natural phenomena (to be observed),
b) collecting and recording data/information by means of reading and note taking, listening to lectures, making observations of natural phenomena and physical features,
c)
processing and interpreting the data/information. The materials collected
should then be processed (statistical treatment in case of hard data) and
organised in a format so that interpretation of the findings is possible and
d)
presentation of the findings in the form of written interpretations
illustrated with graphs, sketches, maps and possibly pictures.
It is obvious
that the traditional classroom lecturing will not do justice to the teaching of
geography as it does not allow pupils to think, observe and investigate things
for themselves.
The student
activities at the end of each chapter in Bhutan Geography Course book for Class
VII will suffice to develop skills related to Project work as well. This could
be taken as a stepping stone to the Project work to be done and marked in Class
VIII.
With regard
to World Geography it is expected that map works, personal and private studies
by students from the available resources and discussions will prevail in the
classroom over and above listening to lectures. A sand tray serves good purpose
in teaching Physical Geography. Learning by memorising notes dictated by
teachers should be avoided. Instead, students should make their own notes and
get them checked by the teacher concerned.
At the end of
the course the students should:
a)
achieve a better understanding of the subject,
b)
achieve knowledge, skills and attitudes required of responsible citizens,
c) know more about and have higher appreciation for the relationships between the physical environment and human activities,
d)
have stronger realisation of the limited natural resources, their
appropriate uses and proper utilisation of the resources,
e)
realise the importance of the ecosystem and its preservation for our own
existence,
f)
have a basic knowledge of the geography of the outside world and
g)
know more about the Earth we live on and the natural phenomena around us.
a)
explain the effects of relief and altitude on the climate patterns in
Bhutan,
b)
describe the climatic conditions in Bhutan during the different seasons
in the year,
c)
identify the different types of vegetation in Bhutan in relation to the
climatic conditions and the altitude,
d)
state the value of forests in Bhutan and the importance of conserving the
forest resources,
e)
describe the river systems of Bhutan and their effects on the land
surface,
f)
state the importance of proper use of the environment and the resources
such as forests, water, land and minerals,
g)
locate the continents of Europe and North America on the World Map,
h)
give a brief description of the physical features of Europe and North
America,
i)
give a brief description of the people (in general) of Europe and North
America and their economic activities,
j)
give a description of the atmosphere in relation to its temperature,
humidity and precipitation.
k)
sketch local maps,
I)
work in groups and
m)
record weather observations
Section
A:
Bhutan Geography
(Examination weighting-55%.
This includes the weighting for section D)
Approximate no. of periods -70 (considering the total no. at periods in the year to be approximately 128 -4 per week).
Chapter One
: Relief and Climate
9%
12
Chapter Two
: The Seasons in Bhutan
5%
5
Chapter Three
: The Living Forest
5%
5
Chapter Four
: The Fragile Forest
9%
12
Chapter Five
: The River September
9%
12
Chapter Six
: Rocks and Soils
9%
12
Chapter Seven
: Management of the Natural
Environment
9% 12
55% 70
Section B:
The Earth and its People
Book II. Europe & N. America
(Examination weighting -15%; (No. of Periods 19)
Content
1.
Europe - Chapters 9 & 10
a)
Physical Environment: position and size, political divisions, physical
divisions, drainage, climate, vegetation and wildlife.
b)
People, Natural Resources and their Utilization: People- distribution and
ethnic mix; Natural Resources and their Utilization-agricultural resources,
mineral resources, power resources, industries, transport and trade.
2.
North America -Chapters 5 & 6
a) A Geographical Background: location and size, political divisions, physical divisions, drainage, climate and natural vegetation and wildlife.
b)
The People, Natural Resources and their Utilization: People- distribution
and ethnic mix; Natural Resources and their Utilization- agricultural resources,
forest resources, mineral resources and power resources; industries and
transport.
Atmosphere
and Hydrosphere -Chapters 1- 4 (Exam Weighting -15%)
Approximate no. of periods -19)
Contents
a) Atmosphere: definition, structure and layers.
b)
Temperature: source of heat, how air gets heated; measurement of air
temperature; factors affecting temperature.
c)
Pressure: definition and measurement; factors affecting it.
d)
Wind system: permanent and periodic winds
e)
Humidity: definition and reasons for variation.
f)
Condensation and Precipitation: how clouds, fog & mist are formed;
how we get rainfall; measurement of rainfall.
g)
Hydrosphere: definition; oceans- salinity and temperature; ocean
movements- waves, tides and ocean currents and how they are caused; inland water
bodies- lakes, rivers, icecaps and, glaciers.
Section D:
Map work/Weather Study
(Teachers to please note that this is an integral part of Section A as mentioned in the INTRODUCTION. Its weighting of marks and lessons are included in Section A and therefore no separate weighting is given here. This is not to be treated as a separate topic but a range of practical exercises to supplement the student activities given at the end of each chapter of Bhutan Geography).
Topics:
1. Drawing
and reading contour maps representing local relief.
2. Sketching
local maps of important areas identified by teachers.
1 .Section A
Bhutan
Geography
55%
71
2. Section B
Europe
15%
19
North America
15%
19
3. Section C
The
Atmosphere & Hydrosphere 15%
19
Total 100% 128
Assessment means measuring the achievements of the pupils as a result of teaching and learning. It serves two purposes: assessing the progress made by pupils in the teaching - learning process, and providing feedback to the teacher as to how effective his/her teaching has been: The effectiveness of teaching and the resulting achievements by the pupils can be scrutinised through the following modes of assessment.
A. Continuous
Assessment.
A teacher has
the maximum contacts with the pupils and therefore is able to assess their
performances during the course of the year, which cannot be totally tested by
the 2-hour examination at the end of the year. The teacher's continuous
assessment is, therefore, most purposeful as it not only measures the
achievements of pupils but also tests the effectiveness of teaching. The
following are areas to be assessed under continuous assessment.
1.
Classwork:
The
performances of pupils in the classroom can be judged by observing how actively
each pupil involves in group discussions, answering questions posed by the
teacher, co-operating with fellow-pupils while activities are in progress and
making contributions in the progress of a
lesson.
2.
Home Work:
As follow up
and reinforcement to the lessons taught and activities carried out in the class,
short task can be given to the students to do at home. This needs to be
regularly checked and
assessed.
3.
Project Work:
Students can
also be observed in learning activities such as reading, writing, collecting
information from other sources, assignments and presentation of assignments.
The amount of work done by each pupil can als