ICSE Class 10 Syllabus 2023 Environmental Applications (Revised)

ENVIRONMENTAL APPLICATIONS (89)
Candidates offering Environmental Science (Group II) are not eligible to offer
Environmental Applications (Group III).
Note: The Syllabus for this Subject has not been changed.
CLASS X
There will be one written paper of two hours duration carrying 100 marks and Internal Assessment of
100 marks.

THEORY – 100 Marks (e) Treatment of wastes:
• Effluent treatment plants.
1. Caring for our Basic Resources
• Biological treatment.
(i) Caring for our Soil
• Strategies to reuse waste.
(a) Causes and consequences of soil erosion.
Evolving solutions to treat wastes. The
Study improper land use, deforestation, scope and limitation of end of the pipe
overgrazing, etc and also the impact of treatment.
soil erosion on food production,
• Combating deforestation.
generation of wastelands, silting of
waterways and dams. JFM, community forestry.
(b) Soil conservation strategies. (f) Alternatives to timber
Design solutions-alternate materials, etc.
• Contour bunding.
• Tree breaks. Suggested Activities/ Visits:

• Check dams. • Visit an industry to study waste
generated and waste treatment.
A study of solutions and their
applicability. Examples such as • Make models of Chula for reduced
Auroville’s work and Tarun Bharat firewood consumption.
Sangh’s work. • Model of solar cooker.
(c) Fuel wood crisis. • Setting of compost pit.
To develop an understanding in students
that a very large section of Indians still (ii) Caring for our Air
use firewood as fuel, the impact it has on (a) Technical methods to control air
nature in terms of a fast dwindling pollution.
resource and the pressure put on
surviving forests. Impact on health of the Electrostatic precipitators, cyclone
poor, particularly women, from inhaling separators, wet scrubber, bag filters, fluid
the smoke. bed boilers.

(d) Waste generation - its toxicity and its (b) Strategies to reduce air pollution -
impact on life and land. • Economic
The politics of waste dumping, the Penalties and subsidies, Bubble
unmanageable wastes that we generate, theory.
leaching of toxins from landfills into • Technical
water bodies, agricultural lands, and
issues around incinerating waste.

1

Hybrid vehicles, alternate fuels, (c) Small dams versus large dams.
alternate energy vehicles. An analysis - can many small dams
• Traffic management. replace a large dam? Do large rivers
Study of Curitiba in Brazil, require large dams only?
synchronised signals, use of lanes, Issues around large dams.
one-way roads, etc. Scope and limitation of small dams.
(c) Legislation as a means to reduce air Other possibilities like Micro hydel, Mini
pollution. hydel, run off the river.
The role of law in controlling and (d) Water recycling.
reducing pollution with examples like the The scope of water recycling and importance.
Taj Mahal trapezium, Delhi city, etc.
(e) Alternatives to existing sewage treatment like
(d) Remote sensing satellites and their dry compost toilets.
applications.
Decentralised answers to centralised ones,
Why is it such a good tool? What can it be Use of decomposed night soil as a fertiliser as
used for? in China.
(e) International norms on air pollution. Suggested Activities / Visits
What are the International norms on air • Carry out rain water harvesting in the
pollution? How are they drawn? neighbourhood.
Limitations with the implementing.
• Visit a catchment area of the city.
Example: Euro 1, Euro 2.
• Visit to a nearby dam.
Suggested Activities / Visits:
2. Resource Use
• Visit to a pollution control board.
(i) Impact of globalisation on environment.
• Interaction with an NGO working in
the field of environment. Understanding the basic intention of
(iii) Caring for our Water globalisation; the possibility and challenge of
a global economy; impact of globalisation on
(a) Techniques of watershed management developing countries - increased disparities,
Conserving water bodies; Study of national debt and recession; impact on human
indigenous examples like the Eri system resources and natural resources.
of Tamil Nadu or Rajasthan’s traditional (ii) Role of NGOs in sustaining environment.
systems and newly evolving modern
techniques of water management; Study the work of a few NGOs.
Ramsar convention. Choose an international, national and a local
(b) Rain water harvesting. NGO working in different areas - issue based,
women’s collectives and child welfare
• Roof water harvesting through
organisations.
percolation pits, etc.
(iii) Evolving a sustainable growth paradigm e.g.,
• Water harvesting in rural areas
Gandhi. Large-scale development versus
through check dams, bunds etc. Village community based self-sufficient
The need for the above and the scope. growth.

2

What does sustainability mean? 4. Initiatives I can take
GDP versus Growth paradox. (Questioning (i) In my local environment.
the notion that increase in power will bring (ii) In my future career choice.
about economic growth and this in turn will
(iii) In supporting initiative in my State or
alleviate poverty.)
Country.
How to integrate the principle of
By the end of Class X, the student must have a
sustainability in development? working understanding of the broad impact
Gandhi’s model of decentralised governance that his /her personal decisions can have on
like Panchayati Raj. the environment and on society. The
A study of a few working examples like Khadi, implications of such an understanding are
Dastkar, Auroville, Gandhi gram. that:
• the student is responsible for choices
(iv) North - South divide. made.
Patterns of resource use in the North and the • he/she is capable of mobilising responses
South and the impact they have on the to things that happen into meaningful and
environment of both the regions. productive action.
Suggested Activities / Visits • in whatever career context the student
• Visit to a Khadi production centre or may function in later life, there is scope
other such units. for applying environmental sensitivity.
• there is a clear connectedness to people
3. Appropriate Eco-friendly Technologies and a capacity to interpret processes and
(i) Scope and limitation of indigenous decisions in society and governance and
technology and modern technology. its impact on people.
Study an industry like fishing and/or weaving This can be brought about by discussions in
- where both technologies are practised. class or facilitated through any other
empowering process.
(ii) Need for developing intermediate and
appropriate technology. INTERNAL ASSESSMENT – 100 Marks
To be studied through the analysis of the power Students are recommended to complete two case
sector - the limitation of all conventional studies and one project from the list given below.
sources and the scope of alternate energy
Suggested list of Projects/ Case studies for topics from
sources.
the syllabus.
(iii) Developing least cost options.
1. Caring for our Basic Resources
Environment Impact Assessments (EIA), their
(i) Caring for our soil
role including impacts while planning and the
method to develop least cost options. Projects
Dynamics of implementation. • How can a society produce less waste?
Scope of grass root upward planning rather • Examine the problem of plastic.
than trickle down planning. • Setting up a safe plastic disposal system
(iv) Natural resource accounting. in a city.
What is natural resource accounting? How to • What are toxic wastes?
go about it? - Basic understanding with the • Should oceans act as waste dumps?
aid of examples. Case Studies
Suggested Activities / Visits • Tarun Bharat Sangh's work in Alwar.
• Visit a modern power plant. • Case study of Anna Hazare's work in
• Visit a village with traditional Ralegoan Siddhi.
occupation like weaving, pottery, etc. • Auroville's afforestation effort.
• Visit a Bio-gas plant.

3

• Environmental effects of mining, brick • Look at Governmental and Non-
industry. Governmental supports to promote local
• Use of resources in a city. Compare with initiative in the area of sustainable growth.
the resources used in a rural community. Case Studies
• India’s growing population problem - a • Reports by NGOs on Globalisation
critical analysis. impacts.
(ii) Caring for our Air • Captive minds captive lives – Vandana
Shiva.
Projects
• The unseen worker – National
• Monitor pollution in busy traffic places.
Foundation of India.
• Role of vehicles in causing respiratory
• Excerpts from E.F. Schumacher’s work
health problems.
“small is Beautiful”.
• Is better public transport an answer to
• Voluntary action and Gandhian approach
reducing air pollution in cities?
– D.K. Oza.
Case Studies
• J.C. Kumarappa’s writing.
• Generating power through burning
• Gandhi’s writings.
garbage - is it a good way of dealing with
garbage?
3. Appropriate Eco-friendly Technologies
• Medical waste disposal through Projects
incineration - is there an option?
• Can Non-conventional sources meet the
• Can pollution be reduced by better city growing demand for power?
planning [one way lanes, synchronized
Case Studies
signals etc].
• Dr. A.K.N. Reddy’s work in creating a
• Bhopal gas tragedy.
network of villages in Tumkur district based
• Chernobyl tragedy. on appropriate technologies.
(iii) Caring for our Water • MNES publications.
Project
Guidelines for Evaluating Project Work
• Is water being wasted through the modern
sewage disposal system in cities? The project has to be evaluated for the efficacy of the
following steps:
Case Studies
1. Coming up with a clear question or problem
• Water shortage in Kerala and Chirapunji. statement, which will be the basis of the student’s
• Rajasthan's water conservation systems. project research. This is critical because without
• Salt water intrusion. a clear question the research tends to be broad and
unfocussed, with the student tending to gather
• Ground water depletion. whatever information is available rather what they
• Contamination of surface water. need to have.
• Laws relating to rain water harvesting in Criteria of evaluation for this stage will therefore
cities. include definition in terms of the focus and clarity
• The politics of water sharing like the of the question.
Cauvery issue. 2. Formulating an action plan, which states the steps
• Narmada issue. to be taken to move the question forward.
• The Tehri dam issue. Criteria of evaluation for this stage will include
how pragmatically the plan takes the question
• The three gorges project in China. forward.
2. Resource Use 3. Gathering primary data
Projects 50% - 70% of information gathered needs to be
• Assess the impact of any movement related to primary data i.e., data gathered by the student by
displacements or violations. going into the field.
4

This may involve evolving a questionnaire for 7. VIVA-VOCE (Optional)
social issues and formats for ecology related A viva may be conducted with the subject teacher
projects. Sample size and type have to be adequate and an External Examiner who could be another
and scrutinized carefully. teacher from the school itself or an experienced
Criteria of evaluation for this stage will therefore person from the environmental field, preferably a
be based on quantum of fieldwork and efficacy of researcher.
sampling. The purpose of the viva is to give the student an
4. Secondary data opportunity to converse with an expert in the field
Secondary data from books, Internet and other regarding his / her project. This would help to
publications is used only as a basis to substantiate, deepen the learning for the students and help them
analyse and to construct an argument. understand the lacunae in their thinking and
process.
Criteria of evaluation for this stage will therefore
include appropriate choice and use of secondary Guidelines for Evaluating Case Studies
data.
Case studies unlike projects are not based on primary
5. Collating data and generating solutions data but entirely on secondary data mostly about a
This phase after the gathering of the data is one of particular event or case.
stock taking i.e. putting together of information. The student presents it as a report about 1500 words
The data is then analysed and the solutions long. It may be evaluated for:
generated. The initial project report is put
together. • Comprehensiveness;
Criteria of evaluation for this stage will therefore • Accuracy;
include sifting and organisation of relevant data, • Range of sources;
complexity of analysis in terms of number and • Inferences drawn;
relevance of parameter chosen and feasibility and
innovation of solutions generated. • Connections made;
6. Project Report • Perspective gained, etc.
The research the student does is submitted as a Marks may be awarded on the following break up:
project report comprising of the following: Project - 30
(i) Statement of the topic, issue or problem Case studies - 20
being studied / researched.
Total - 50
(ii) Statement of the action plan.
(iii) Presentation of data using different methods EVALUATION
such as bar charts/ pie diagram etc. A clear The assignments/project work is to be evaluated by the
distinction has to be made between primary subject teacher and by an External Examiner. The
and secondary data. External Examiner may be a teacher nominated by the
(iv) Analysis of data. Head of the school, who could be from the faculty, but
not teaching the subject in the section/class.
(v) Solutions offered.
The Internal Examiner and the External Examiner will
(vi) Personal learning for the student.
assess the assignments independently.
(vii) Bibliography and acknowledging resource
Award of Marks (100 Marks)
persons.
Subject Teacher (Internal Examiner) 50 marks
Criteria of evaluation for this stage will therefore
include readability, precision, neatness and External Examiner 50 marks
indexing. The total marks obtained out of 100 are to be sent to
Therefore, the evaluation is on-line and does not the Council by the Head of the school.
base itself entirely on the project report. The Head of the school will be responsible for the
online entry of marks on the Council’s CAREERS
portal by the due date.

5

INTERNAL ASSESSMENT IN ENVIRONMENTAL APPLICATIONS - GUIDELINES FOR MARKING WITH GRADES

Criteria Preparation Investigation/Gathering Data Analysis/Inference Solutions Alternatives/ Presentation
Innovations
Grade I Follows instructions with Is able to ask correct questions. Analyses systematically. Can Innovative ideas Accurate. Feasible, neat,
(4 marks) understanding; modifies if Knows whom to ask, when and how. see sequences or correlation. presented. Alternatives well labelled diagrams.
needed. Background Can deal with more than one variable. Can segregate fact from opinion. suggested. Index and references
information correct. Level given.
of awareness high.
Grade II Follows instructions step- Is able to ask questions and identify Makes observations correctly. Alternatives presented. Accurate. Neat, well
(3 marks) by-step. Awareness is whom to ask, when and how. Can Analysis fair. Innovative but not labelled diagrams. Index
good. Background handle two variables only. practical. and references given.
information correct.

Grade III Follows simple instructions Needs help with the investigations. Observation - help needed. Obvious solutions A bit disorganised, but
(2 marks) only. Awareness basic. Has suggestions but cannot decide. Needs guidance to see presented. Not neat and accurate. Either
Background information correlations or sequence. innovative. index or references
sketchy. missing.

Grade IV Follows some instructions Needs to be told what questions to be Detailed instructions required to Thinks of solutions under Poorly organised. Some
(1 mark) but confused. Has to be asked, whom to ask or where to gather draw inferences. Charts have to guidance. points missing. Index and
made aware. Background the data from. be made. references missing.
information incorrect in
places.

Grade V Confused about Gets stuck at every step. Even with help, analysis is not Solutions not Overall impression very
(0 mark) instructions. Has to be Questionnaire has to be formulated. clear. Takes teacher’s word for forthcoming. poor. Not very accurate.
made aware. Needs help it.
with background
information.

6