CTET Paper 2 Social Science 21st Jan 2022 (English-Hindi-Sanskrit) (Previous Year Paper)

Development describes the growth of humans throughout their lifespan, from conception to death. It refers to development as patterns of change over time. It does not just involve the biological and physical aspects of growth, but also the cognitive and social aspects associated with development. Basically, the development of a child is considered in five stages-

• Pre-natal period (conception period)
• Infancy period (0 to 2 years)
• Early childhood period (2 to 6 years)
• Later childhood (7 to 11 years)
• Adolescence ( 12 to 19 years)

Key Points

• The development of a child continues throughout life. But it is important to focus much on the development of the child from infancy to adolescence.
• Children learn many skills in their life from infancy to adolescence, such as interaction with others, their daily tasks such as drinking water, how to wear clothes, etc.
• The period from infancy to adolescence is also called the sensitive period of development because in this period child learns basic norms of life.

Thus by all these references, we can conclude that Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).

Important Points

• Infancy period: During this stage, adjusting to the new non-uterine environment becomes the major goal or focus in the life of the neonate. Adjusting to room temperature. Breathing independently, sucking and swallowing the milk, eliminating body, and waste are prime areas that the newborn needs to master.
• Early childhood period: The period from birth to six years is a time for rapid development. In this stage, the absence of experience and deprivation can be detrimental to growth. Care and stimulation are critical during early childhood or the first three years.
• Later childhood: During this stage children develop marked negativism and because of their desire for independence seldom obey their parents. The child begins going to school and learns the rudiments of knowledge essential for successful adult life. The peer group assumes great significance and children of this age 'crowd together, thus earning the name gang age'.
• Adolescence: Adolescence literally means 'to grow to maturity. It is an intermediary stage between childhood and adulthood characteristically possessing qualities of both stages, although not fully in either of them. The age range is from 12-19 years. It is the threshold to adulthood. There are rapid physical changes taking place including sexual maturity which is attained during adolescence.

The process of learning to internalize the values and norms into itself or the mode of learning to live in society is called the process of socialization. It may be defined more comprehensively as a life-long process of inculcation whereby an individual learns the principles, values, and symbols of the social system in which he participates and the expression of those values and norms in the roles he enacts.

Key Points  Socialization can be classified into two broad groups:

• Primary socialization
• Secondary socialization.
• Primary socialization- Inculcation of norms and values within the family is called primary socialization. Here children want to know themselves and try to find their identity and learn the daily routine tasks of humans.
• Example: Family.
• Secondary socialization- The process of imbibing norms, values, and behavior patterns of school may be called secondary socialization.
• Example: Church, School, Media, Religion, institutions, books, magazines, etc.

Thus by all these references, we can consider that Families and schools are major contributors to socialization but there are other agencies such as media and peers who have an important role.

Important Points 

• Change in a child by the Primary socialization-
• The identity of the child is formed.
• Primary socialization takes place in infancy and childhood.
• Infancy is the most crucial stage of socialization as the child learns basic behavior patterns at this stage.
• Change in a child by the secondary socialization-
• ​Development of different aspects starts with secondary socialization as Divergent thinking, Creative thinking, etc.
• children learn how to act in a way that is appropriate for the situations they are in.

John Dewey, an American philosopher proposed the concept of 'Progressive Education' which emphasizes that learning takes place only through a 'hands-on' approach so the students must interact with their environment to adapt and learn.

Key Points Characteristics of progressive education:

• Education for society and democracy.
• Collaborative and cooperative learning.Learning as opposed to rote knowledge.
• Progressive education is based on learning by doing. Everything learned by the children should be related to their curriculum and activities.
• The emotional needs of students are taken care of and they feel valued.
• Flexible timetable and seating arrangement.Emphasis on lifelong learning and social skills.
• Integrated curriculum focused on thematic units.
• Learners are curious to find new ways to solve the problem by exploring their surroundings.
• Progressive education emphasizes enhancing the skills and understanding of the learners by engaging with the content and experiences.
• Emphasis on problem-solving and critical thinking.
• De-emphasize textbooks, and emphasize multiple resources.

Thus by all these references, we can conclude that, In a progressive classroom, stress needs to be placed on creating an atmosphere where the emotional needs of students are taken care of and they feel valued.

Hint

• Teachers should not lead the child passively, teacher should emphasize students for learning by doing.
• Learning should be done in a meaningful way, not as exams oriented.

Jean Piaget studied cognitive development among children of different age groups in different developmental stages, According to Piaget, development is based on Physical environment and Biological abilities, he ignores social Aspects. he categorized it into different developmental stages. These stages are-

• Sensory-motor stage (0 to 2 years)
• Pre-operational stage (2 to 7 years)
• Concrete operational stage (7 to 11 years)
• Formal Operational stage (11+ years to adolescence).​

Key Points 

• Pre-operational stage: According to Jean Piaget this is a stage in a child in which a child gains Irreversibility, centration, language development, Egocentrism, and animism.
• During this period, children are thinking at a symbolic level but are not yet using cognitive operations.
• Egocentrism: It is an inability of a child to see the situation with the perceptions of others.
• Thus by all these references, we can conclude that, if a child is shown a 3D model of three mountains. Another person is looking at the model from a different position. The child is asked to depict the other person's view of the model but is unable to do so correctly. According to Jean Piaget, this is illustrative of egocentricism.

Hint

• Animism is the ability which the child thinks that inanimate or non-living objects(such as toys, dolls, and teddy bears) have life and feelings and intentions like a person.
• Object permanence:  Understanding that the object exists even when it is out of sight, has begun. Despite this they make an A-not-B search error, indicating that object permanence is not yet complete, that is, if they find an object at one hiding place (A) and even if they see it being moved to another place (B), they still search for it in its original place (A). It falls under the stage of Coordination of secondary circular reactions (8 to 12 months).

Jean Piaget (1896-1980) was the most well-known and influential theorist of cognitive development. His views indicate that there is no knowledge that is pre-existing in the world such that it can be ‘taught’ to a child nor does knowledge comes innately (on its own) to the child. Knowledge develops when they act in the world.

• His theory also helps in understanding how children ‘construct’ knowledge. Thus, it is also known as a theory in ‘Constructivism’.

Key Points 

• Piaget realized that older children were able to answer more questions on the same test. Also, there were qualitative differences between the answers and the logic that the older children applied, but they are not quantitatively different.
• According to Piaget, children's thinking differs in kind from adults than in amount.
• Piaget does not view development as a continuous progression with gradual quantitative changes. For him, like physical development, cognitive development also occurs in stages with each stage being qualitatively different from the other.
• That is, as compared to the younger children older children were able to apply logic which was more adult-like.
• Piaget further realized that incorrect answers given by children helped in analyzing children’s logic and thought better than the correct answers. Moreover, there was a similarity between the ‘incorrect’ logic among the children of the same age.

Thus by all these references, we can conclude that Jean Piaget proposed that children's thinking is qualitatively different from that of adults.

Lev Vygotsky is a Russian Psychologist who proposed the theory of Socio-cultural development. In this theory, Vygotsky emphasizes the role of society and culture in the development of the child.  

Key Points Vygotsky also proposed three basic needs of students during learning, these are:

• ZPD (zone of proximal development):  The difference between the learning of a child by self and the learning of a child with the help of others(society, culture, etc).
• Scaffolding: Scaffolding is the term, given by Vygotsky, in which he proposed that the temporary help given by the teachers, family, friends, etc. to the children in his learning.
• MKO (more knowledgeable others)- Vygotsky defined the “More Knowledgeable Other” (MKO) as anyone who has a better understanding or a higher ability level than the learner, particularly in regards to a specific task, concept, or process. MKO could be teachers, parents, tutors, and even peers.

Thus by all these references, we can conclude that Lev Vygotsky referred to the difference between what a child can do on his own and what can be accomplished with some assistance as a zone of proximal development.

Important Points According to Vygotsky, there are three main factors that affect the cognitive development of the child and these are- Social interaction, Culture, and Language:

• Social interaction: ​​Children try to interact with people.
• Example: Peer groups, family members, etc.
• Culture: ​Children adopt the culture by interaction.
• Language: Children can easily intimate their primary language through interaction or communication.

Reciprocal Teaching is a small group instructional activity in which students become the teacher and lead discussions using four strategies that good readers use to comprehend text. Students must ask questions to clear their misunderstandings.

• The goal of reciprocal teaching is to instruct students with specific strategies that they can apply to new texts.
• Reciprocal teaching is based on Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development (1978) and the proleptic model of teaching (Wood, Bruner & Ross, 1976, as cited in Manning & Payne, 1996).

Key Points Characteristics of Reciprocal teaching:

• It helps the students to think about their own thought processes during reading.
• It teaches students to ask questions during reading and helps make the text more comprehensible.
• It helps the students to learn through the interaction between them Because reciprocal teaching is based on a socio-cultural approach.
• Students will enjoy it very much as they get the opportunity of becoming a teacher and ask questions during this process.
• Students will actively participate in this process.

Thus by all these references, we can conclude that reciprocal teaching is the pedagogy based on the socio-cultural approach.

Lawrence Kohlberg, an American psychologist, has propounded the 'Theory of Moral Development. He has made a systematic study of moral development in his theory that is categorized into 3 levels and 6 stages.

Key Points Conventional Level: At this level maintaining the expectations of the individual, family, group, or nation is perceived as of value in its own right regardless of the immediate and obvious consequences. The attitude is not only of personal expectations and social order but of loyalty to it of actively maintaining, supporting, and justifying the order, and identifying oneself with persons or groups involved in it. This level is further classified into 2 levels-

• Stage 3: Good boy - Nice Girl Orientation: Good behavior is that which pleases or helps others and is approved by them. Behavior at this stage is frequently judged by intentions - "he means well", becomes important for the first time. One earns approval by being good to others.
• Stage 4: The Law and Order Orientation: There is an orientation towards authority, fixed rules, and maintenance of social order. Right behavior consists of doing one's duty, showing respect for established or lawful authority, and maintaining given social order for its own sake.

Thus by all these references, we can conclude that Responding to Heinz's Dilemma Roohi says, 'stealing the drug is wrong under any circumstance because it is wrong to steal. According to Lawrence Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development, Roohi is at the Conventional level; Law and Order Orientation stage.

Howard Gardner proposed a theory of multiple intelligence. Gardner defines intelligence as "a biopsychological potential to process information that can be activated in a cultural setting to solve problems or create products that are of value in a culture.

Key PointsAccording to Gardner's theory of multiple intelligence, intelligence is of eight types. All the eight types of intelligence belong from different aspects but are interrelated to each other.

• Inter-personal intelligence is one of the eight intelligence proposed by Gardner.

 Interpersonal Intelligence refers to the ability to understand others and social interactions. They can understand the temperaments, intentions, emotions, and perspectives of others and relate well to others. They can establish good interpersonal relationships with others. They have good and effective communication skills. 

Thus by all these references, we can consider that,' interpersonal intelligence' in Howard Gardner's theory of Multiple Intelligences means the Ability to detect and respond appropriately to the moods, temperaments, motivations, and intentions of others.

Important PointsOther intelligence proposed by Gardner are:

• Linguistic Intelligence refers to the ability to use language. It is the capacity to use spoken and written words in a skilled way. Individuals with high verbal/linguistic intelligence are very good at using words and language to express themselves, articulate things, and create.
• Logical-mathematical intelligence is the ability to use logical reasoning and mathematical ability. Individuals high in this intelligence have good abstract reasoning, critical thinking, and good in dealing with numbers. This type of intelligence correlates well with the traditional notion of intelligence. Scientists, engineers, physicists, and economists are people with high logical-mathematical intelligence.
• Musical Intelligence is the ability to use rhythms, sounds, and patterns to create, compose and perform music. It involves sensitivity to music, and the ability to recognize and manipulate musical patterns. People with high musical intelligence are likely to be singers.
• Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence is the ability to use and control one’s body movements and actions. Dancers and sports persons are usually high in such intelligence.
• Spatial Intelligence is the capacity to perceive, understand and use spatial and visual information effectively. Such people are good at spatial orientation, forming visual images and patterns.
• Intrapersonal Intelligence is the ability to understand oneself and know one’s thoughts, emotions, feelings, motives, and desires, and how these influence their behavior.
• Naturalistic Intelligence is the ability to recognize and understand the various patterns in nature. It includes sensitivity to nature with all its features including flora, fauna, and biodiversity. Gardner has added this eighth type of intelligence to his original seven bits of intelligence.

National Education Policy 2020- According to NEP 2020, A good educational institution is one in which every student feels welcomed and cared for, where a safe and stimulating learning environment exists, where a wide range of learning experiences are offered, and where good physical infrastructure and appropriate resources conducive to learning are available to all students.

Key PointsSome important fundamental principles of the NEP 2020 are- 

• Full equity and inclusion as the cornerstone of all educational decisions to ensure that all students are able to thrive in the education system.
• It includes the overall development of the leader, it covers all three aspects as Cognitive domain, affective domain, and psychomotor domain.
• Emphasis on conceptual understanding rather than rote learning and learning-for-exams.
• Assessment of the students should be done by using different methods, by different activities including role play, portfolios, etc.
• Promoting self-assessment and peer assessment done by the student in the classroom.
• Respect for diversity and respect for the local context in all curriculum, pedagogy, and policy, always keeping in mind that education is a concurrent subject.
• Establishment of the linkage of the concepts with the environment or we can say that the linkage of the school with the home.
• Promoting learning through interaction, learning through many different types of activities done by group work, Teamwork, etc.
• Promoting multilingualism and the power of language in teaching and learning.
• Creativity and critical thinking encourage logical decision-making and innovation.
• It emphasizes group work as well as individual work, NEP 2020 links the study to the curriculum.

Thus by all these references, we can conclude that National Education Policy 2020 proposes the inclusion of group work and self-assessment for the assessment of children.

Hint

• Tests and exams are only for finding gaps in the learning of the learners, not for judging the students by marks, thus tests are not done in standard way.

Comprehensive assessment entails the whole system of assessing student understanding as a mechanism to improve teaching and learning. Teachers use multiple strategies to gather and share information about what students understand and to identify where they may be struggling.

Key Points A comprehensive assessment aimed to achieve qualitative education and meet the following objectives of all aspects of learning:

• Cognitive Approach - Knowledge, understanding, application, analysis, synthesis, evaluation.
• Effectiveness –  Accepting, responding, assimilating, thinking, organizing, specializing in value group.
• Functional/Psychomotor – stimulation, control, functioning, disposition, adjustment, habit building.

Thus by all these references, we can consider that learning is done in all the aspects if it is emphasized by the comprehensive assessment, For the purpose of comprehensive assessment, a teacher should consider the outcome as well as the process of learning for students.

Additional Information  The objectives behind creating the Continuous Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) pattern were:

• Making the learning process student-friendly
• Reducing the difficulty level of learning
• Diagnosing Learning Difficulties
• Promoting Remedial Learning
• Emphasizing Student self-evaluation

Gender refers to the socially constructed differences between men and women. It refers to the masculine and feminine qualities, behavior, roles, and responsibilities that society upholds. Gender can be changed / re-oriented.

Key Points

Gender stereotype is an oversimplified and unfair belief or idea that groups of people have particular characteristics or that all people in a group are the same.

• Gender stereotyping can limit the development of the natural talents and abilities of girls and boys, women and men, as well as their educational and professional experiences and life opportunities in general.
• Example: Pink color is suitable for girls on the other hand Pink is not good for boys, Car driving is the ability of boys and cooking is the ability of girls.
• The above examples clear that the beliefs of society are stereotypes.

Thus we consider that "young girls rather than boys are expected to perform household chores and sibling care in the absence of their mothers" to be an example of gender stereotype.

Hint

• Gender equality is when people of all genders have equal rights, responsibilities, and opportunities. Everyone is affected by gender inequality - women, men, trans, and gender diverse people, children, and families.
• Gender equity is the process of being fair to women and men. To ensure fairness, strategies and measures must often be available to compensate for women's historical and social disadvantages that prevent women and men from otherwise operating on a level playing field. Equity leads to equality.

"Progressive education" depends on the meaning assigned to the word 'progress'. Progress implies movement and movement involves changes in some direction. 'progressive education, is that body of educational thought nourished in the fertile mind of John Dewey. ​

Key Points Characteristics of progressive learning:

• The child already has acquired some experiences from their interaction with the environment, i.e facilitating collaborative learning.
• Education plays a role in reconstructing these experiences in the required direction in order to add meaning to those experiences.
• Flexibility in the school curriculum, learning process, and school organizations.
• Evaluation of the learners is continuous and comprehensive, evaluation is not for judging the learners it should be done to find learning gaps.
• ‘Reconstruction of experience’ by themselves results in knowledge which further helps in understanding subsequent knowledge through subsequent experiences.
• Experiment-based activities are the main feature of progressive education children can learn through direct interaction with things and conceptually.
• Promoting learning by doing, also tries to make habit of the learner to learn everything by doing during the whole life, hence progressive education is also a lifelong process.
• The values, ideals, goals, mores, traditions, and the culture of a society are inculcated in a child through education in order to make them an effective members of the society.

Thus by all these references, we can conclude that Encouraging rote memorization is not a characteristic of rote memorization.

Hint

• Rote Memorization: Rote memorization is the learning technique where students repeat certain facts or figures until it is instilled in their memory bank. The concept behind this strategy is that students will be able to quickly recall the meaning of the material the more they repeat it.

'Lev Vygotsky', a Soviet psychologist, has propounded the "Socio-cultural Theory". This theory implies the idea that social interaction plays a crucial role in the development of a learner's cognitive ability. 

• His theory emphasizes that children learn through interaction and collaboration with skilled and knowledgeable people.

Key Points  Vygotsky's view on Language:

• Lev Vygotsky emphasized that the acquisition of speech is the major activity in cognitive development.
• He believed by acquiring language, the child modifies its higher mental functions.
• Vygotsky stresses the impact of language on cognitive development. According to him, children speak to themselves for self-guidance.

Thus by all these references, we can conclude that According to the Vygotskian perspective Language facilitates the development of higher mental functions.

Hint

• Language development plays an important role in the cognitive development of the child, it never hiders the cognitive abilities of the child.
• Language is developed by the formation of thoughts, it is totally dependent on the thought process of the child according to Lev Vygotsky.

Important Points   In his "Socio-cultural Theory", Vygotsky also proposed the three stages of language that a child progresses while developing cognitively. These stages are:

The process of learning to internalize the values and norms into itself or the mode of learning to live in society is called the process of socialization. It may be defined more comprehensively as a life-long process of inculcation whereby an individual learns the principles, values, and symbols of the social system in which he participates and the expression of those values and norms in the roles he enacts.

Key Points Teacher's beliefs about socialization and learning of the students as:

• By analyzing them also they can learn through social interaction.
• Making linkage between the knowledge given in the school with their local knowledge.
• Understanding that learning takes place in a social context and it is important to connect with it.
• By engagement of the learner in social activities or teamwork, the group works, etc.

Thus by all these references, we can consider that points (i), (ii), and (iii) are correct as per the context of the question.

Hint 

• Teacher as well as students do not give more importance to school and colleges, they can learn more conceptually through interaction with the socially rather than textbooks.

Learning disabilities mean a heterogeneous group of conditions wherein there is a deficit in processing language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself as a difficulty to comprehend, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations and includes such conditions as perceptual disabilities, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia, and developmental aphasia’.

Key Points Dyscalculia is a mathematical disability. In this disability, the learner has difficulty in learning or comprehending mathematics. There are many signs which would indicate that the learner may have dyscalculia, these are:

• have trouble counting.
• have trouble arranging the things in order or sequence.
• shows the difficulty in understanding fractions.
• Does not understand how to use steps in a mathematical operation.
• have trouble understanding concepts of quantity, place value, and positive and negative values.
• have trouble understanding the concepts of months, weeks, days, etc.
• have trouble adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

Thus by all these references, we can consider that Dyscalculia is a learning disability related to mathematical order.

Important PointsSome Other Common Learning Disabilities in Children:

Gifted learners: Gifted learners are those who display evidence of high-performance capabilities, in areas such as intellectual, creative, artistic, or leadership quality, or specific academic subjects, in comparison to others of the same age.

Key Points Characteristics of Gifted and talented students:

• They cover all the possible aspects of the problem.
• They learn things very quickly than others.
• They are fully active and took part in the competitive environment.
• These children have divergent thinking and are very curious and inquisitive about nature.
• Gifted students learn things conceptually, they want to know the roots of the concepts.
• Gifted learners enjoy their work, and they never thought it was a boring task.
• They can do the work in a smart manner in less time than the average time taken by the students,
• Talented and Gifted students are ready to take on challenges.
• They always find multiple ways to solve the same problem.
• They connect their thoughts with the real world.
• They have originality in their thought process.

Thus by all these references, we can conclude that Salma, a 5-year-old girl, started playing the musical instrument Guitar without any outside instruction when she was 3 years old. This talent would characterize her as Gifted.

Hint

• The slow learners are the children who keep failing in our schools mainly because of their low intellectual ability. The I.Q. range of this group is 55/60 to 85/90. This implies that this group has a very wide range of abilities and a wide variety of characteristics depending upon their background.

Visual Impairment: The term 'visual impairment' is used to refer to not only those who are blind but also those who have their own vision. When the person has residual vision above a certain level, he is said to have low vision or poor vision. However, if the residual vision is below that level, he is considered to be blind. 

Key PointsProblem that can represent the low vision of the learners:

• Can not read the words on the blackboard while teaching-learning process.
• Squinting eyes while reading books, magazines, etc.
• Seeing blurry images is also a factor that represents low vision.

Thus by all these references, we can conclude that, squinting of eyes while reading is one of the causes that shows that the learner has problems with eyes.

Important Points

Instructional adaptations that a teacher should make to address the needs of children with low vision include:

• Use of large-print books.
• Use of a lot of touches and feel materials.
• Use of three-dimensional maps and charts.
• Use of software that converts text to speech.
• Give verbal clues to create opportunities to imagine.
• Introduce tactile materials such as felt books and felt boards.
• Speak clearly, explicitly, and loudly with appropriate pauses and reiterations.
• Provide learning with the help of auditory systems such as an audio CD of the textbook, radio, etc.
• Using a braille system to make them read-write as its raised dots will help the child to study the words through the pattern.

Conducive Learning Environment:

The different kinds of environments have their different types of effects on learning. Some environment offers many advantages for learning, others may have some disadvantages that affect learning adversely. It is true that teachers cannot change the socioeconomic status of the students, and their family environment or make a substantial difference to their physical well-being. But they can still do a great deal to create a positive, conducive learning environment in the classroom for all children.

Key Points Children with a disability may need special attention regarding the spatial arrangements you create for them in the classroom by the following ways:

• Disability is not handicap Do not approach disabled learners with a prejudged notion of deficiency. Disability per se is not a handicap, it becomes a handicap when society does not create a favorable environment. Therefore, teachers must create an inclusive environment in the classroom for the disabled.
• High expectations and realistic goals Teachers must have high expectations of all students and set realistic and achievable goals for individual students.
• Using instructional techniques to suit each learner Teachers should use a variety of instructional techniques to include the different sociocultural characteristics of learners that influence their learning. Use instructional strategies and techniques to suit the learning needs of the disabled and children with a learning disability. Select instructional methods peer tutoring, cooperative learning, mastery learning, etc.) to include different learning styles.

From the above points, we can conclude that teachers should make reasonable and appropriate curricular accommodations.

Inclusive education ensures that children with special needs are taught in regular schools with their age and grade peers with support services provided within the school system. Thus, it reflects the objective of providing quality education to all children by accommodating their needs and learning styles into the general curriculum.

Key Points Characteristics of inclusive education:

• The main objective of inclusive education is to educate and help them in learning every child not label them by different names on their performance.
• accepting all learners without imposing normative standards.
• Equitable education for all, including challenging, backward, gifted, creative, and disabled children.
• using diverse pedagogical strategies and respecting individual students’ pace of learning.
• All the students of different abilities, differences, and disabilities are treated equally.
• Inclusive education provides barrier-free access for all students.
• Creating an environment in which the child can learn with diversity, not creating a special environment for learning.
• Emphasis on their learning to read instead of emphasizing teaching.
• providing choices and options for learners amidst an array of activities and experiences.

Thus by all these references, we can consider that Both (A) and (R) are false with respect to inclusive education.

Cognition is the mental processing of information, which is the function of the human mind that allows perceptions to grow into conceptions. When we have control over our own cognitive functions that are termed metacognition.

Key Points Characteristics of metacognitive capabilities:

• Metacognition makes students' thoughts divergent and gives them control over their own functionalities.
• A teacher should have to promote the development of the metacognition of the students through different activities, experiments, and hand-on-performances.
• Metacognitive strategies include Self-correction by evaluating himself in solving the problem.
• It means processes designed for students to 'think' about their own 'thinking'.
• Metacognitive capabilities as a way to access the process and learning. The metacognitive strategies provided teachers with concrete actions and thought processes to reflect upon.
• If a student is able to think about their thinking/way of thinking, it is much more beneficial for their learning, they can improve their learning by changing their thoughts.
• It deals with the individual's awareness of the self as a knower and processor of information.
• It is strategic or reflective knowledge about how to go about solving problems, and cognitive tasks, including contextual and conditional knowledge and knowledge of self.
• Metacognitive knowledge is directed towards achieving the learning outcome.

Thus by all these references, we can say that Thinking about one's own thinking processes is the main characteristic of metacognitive skills.

Hint

• Metacognitive skills never promote rote learning, it always emphasizes conceptual learning by thinking about their own views in the context of concepts.

Learning may be defined as a relatively durable change in behavior due to experience. Thus, if the change in behavior is temporary, or due to instinct or maturation, it is not learning. The key feature of learning is experience. Any change in behavior in the absence of practice or experience does not qualify as learning.

• A teacher uses various methods and techniques to make the learning meaningful and purposeful and a concept map is one such method.

Key Points Concepts maps: Concepts maps include graphical and diagrammatical representations to illustrate the meaningful acquisition of various sub-topics of a concept.

• Concept mapping helps in the assessment of the learners in a formative way, because if the learner learns meaningfully, then the teacher can find their learning gap easily.
• Evaluation of the students is done by rubrics in better ways, so Rubrics can be developed through concept mapping.
• It summarizes the main conclusion of the concept so that learners have better knowledge of limited content.
• It helps learners in removing the misconceptions related to the concepts.

Thus by all these references, we can say that, (i), (ii), and (iii) are correct in the context of the given question.

Hint

• ​Concept map promotes formative assessment it never evaluates the students in a single ability or in those abilities where concepts are not used such as Arts.

Important Points Characteristics of concept mapping:

• It helps the learners to draw an outline of the topic/concept or briefly explain the concept or to link any two concepts of any subject by summarizing it.
• It shows the inter-relationships and cross-links among concepts under a subject matter which helps the learner in identifying the gaps in their knowledge.
• The arrangement of the concepts is from top to bottom, or be can say that general concept to complex.
• Concept mapping is a linkage of new concepts with previous knowledge.
• So we can conclude that a graphical tool for organizing, making linkages, and representing knowledge on a topic is called concept mapping.

Primary education constitutes a significant stage as the foundation for the entire structure of education. It deserves the highest priority from the Government because of the constitutional obligation to provide universal compulsory and free education for children between 6 and 14 years of age. 

Key Points The environment of primary school should be:

• focusing on high Student engagement and involvement.
• cooperative and collaborative.
• The learners also know that they are valued as individuals if the environment of the classroom is positive.
• The socio-emotional, needs and interests of the students are respected in the classroom, so that learner can learn in an effective way.
• providing enough freedom for the students to explore and learn.
• The value is given to all the individuals as per their needs not as per their appearances, personalities, and achievements.
• giving more importance to the whole process than only to the product.

Thus by all these references, we can conclude that Primary school children learn most effectively in an atmosphere where the socio-emotional needs of the children are taken care of.

Hint

• Students should be active participants in the classroom so that they can learn the lessons as per their abilities and needs, teacher represents himself as a facilitator of the classroom.
• The teacher should never be an authoritarian, the classroom fully depends on the needs, and interests of the learners.
• The motive of teaching is not to have good marks in the exams, the motive is that the learner learns the lesson in a meaningful way and conceptually.

Learning is a continuous life-long process that is not inherited but can begin right from birth by providing constant interaction and stimulation received from the physical, social, and cultural environment and it does not stop till the end.

Collaborative learning is a method of teaching and learning in which students team together to explore a significant question or create a meaningful project. A group of students discussing a lecture or students from different schools working together over the Internet on a shared assignment are both examples of collaborative learning.

Key Points Characteristics of the collaborative learning approach:

• It emphasizes direct or face-to-face coordination.
• collaborative learning refers to a situation in which two or more people learn or attempt to learn together in a group and represents the learning as effective classroom practice.
• Positive interdependence.
• There are many varieties of learning in collaborative learning such as activities, teamwork, group discussions, etc.
• Individual and group accountability.
• Adolescents provide many opportunities in the classroom to share their views and have much involvement in group discussions.
• A heterogeneous group of mixed abilities.
• in collaborative learning, a Group-oriented reward system should be implemented.
• Group learning to master academic materials.

Thus by all these references, we can conclude that collaborative learning of the students is an effective classroom practice.

Hint

• The competitive nature of the teaching-learning process can not make a positive impact on every student, it may demotivate the learners which makes a negative impact on their learning of the learners.
• Evaluation is never done in a comparative manner because comparison makes a negative impact on the learning of the learners.

Motivation: The term motivation has been derived from the Latin word ‘movere’, which means ‘to move. “the factors that direct and energize the behavior of humans and other organisms”.

Motivation is of two types, which are:

• Intrinsic Motivation.
• Extrinsic Motivation.

Key Points Intrinsic motivation refers to motivation that is driven by an interest in the task itself and exists within the individual. 

• Example: Motivation by self, interest, motivation by curiosity, etc.

Thus we can conclude that "A student is doing an experiment because he is curious about the result of the experiment" is an example of intrinsic motivation because here curiosity of the students comes from their soul. 

Important Points 

• Extrinsic Motivation: Extrinsic motivation can be defined as “motivation that comes from outside the person and usually involves rewards and praises”.
• Example: reward, praise, money, feedback.

Additional Information Intrinsic motivation can also be defined as “motivation that comes from within a person and includes the elements of challenge, enjoyment, mastery, and autonomy”.

These four components of intrinsic motivation are-

• Challenge- It relates to the extent to which an individual enjoys the excitement that accompanies a new challenge.
• Enjoyment- It relates to the pleasure that an individual may obtain from carrying out the task.
• Autonomy and self-determination- It relates to the autonomy that an individual enjoys while carrying out the task, that is, the freedom with which the individual can determine what is to be done and how is it to be done.
• Mastery- It relates to the sense of pride and accomplishment that an individual may experience when he/ she carries out a difficult task.

The constructivist approach is based on the idea that meaningful learning takes place when learners actively construct their knowledge.

• The central idea of the constructivist frame is that learners learn through experiencing things and reflecting on those experiences.

Key Points Central ideas of the constructivist frame:

• Children are active explorers or problem solvers of the environment.
• Children are little scientists and markers of meaning.
• Children learn through debate and discussion on contemporary issues in the classroom or in their daily lives.
• Children are builders and creators of new knowledge.
• Children are born to be like 'scientific investigators' and 'problem solvers.
• Children are born to construct the meaning of their environment through social interaction.
• Children’s thinking is qualitatively different from that of adults not quantitatively.
• Children learn through experiencing things and reflecting on those experiences.

Thus by all these references, we can say that A teacher presenting his students with a contemporary issue, on which they discuss and debate exemplifies constructivist pedagogy.

Hint

• Learning through textbooks is not a constructivist pedagogy.
• Constructivist pedagogy never promotes rote learning.
• Listening to the teacher while teaching the concepts is a way where the learner can learn the concept of the related topic, but this method of teaching can not follows the constructivist pedagogy.

Group Dynamics:

Group dynamics can be defined as a field of inquiry dedicated to advancing knowledge about the nature of groups, the laws of their development, and their interrelations with individuals, other groups, and larger institutions. Actually, it implies the interactive psychological relationship in which members of a group develop a common perception based on feelings and emotions.

Key Points The key features that should be present in members of  a group are:

• A group often works on tasks that are common for all members and a coordinated group effort is needed to complete the task. This is termed as co-operation.
• In a class, there should be a proper dialogue between the students.
• Healthy and ample communication among the group members enhance cooperation among them.
• In a group there should be proper interaction to collaborate and work together for solving a problem.
• Such communication also facilitates discussion and the interchange of ideas. This leads the members to understand each other’s stance and act in a more coordinated way.

From the above points, we can conclude that there should be an encouragement for the interaction and participation of the members of the group towards a particular task.

Learning is a continuous life-long process that is not inherited but can begin right from birth by providing constant interaction and stimulation received from the physical, social, and cultural environment and it does not stop till the end.

Key Points Student learning can be improved by:

• Engaging the students with peers as well as with teachers actively in the curriculum.
• Tours and visits should be arranged for the students so that they can learn by observing things.
• Students connect their knowledge with their previous experiences so that they can learn more meaningfully.
• The teacher should have to provide ample opportunities to the students to learn and make thinking divergent.
• Teachers should organize different types of activities, and hands-on activities so that students can construct their knowledge, learning, and thinking on their own.
• The teacher should create situations where students are active listeners, and gain knowledge with interests.
• The use of divergent thinking, and delivering thoughts in a classroom should also be encouraged by the teacher.

Thus by all these references, we can consider that The metaphor of 'Jug and the mug' is often used to depict how traditional education views the teacher as a big jug pouring knowledge into the mind of a student depicted by a smaller mug. This kind of understanding is problematic because students carry valuable experiences with them and learning is constructed with their active participation with teachers & peers.

Hint

• We can not say that students can not learn without teachers, in today's world the best way of learning is through interaction, thus learner can build their concepts by engagement with the learners.
• The teacher works as a facilitator, the teacher can help the learner where they need help in the construction of the knowledge.
• Learning happens best only when the students listen to the teacher actively not passively.

Errors are the faults made by the student during their learning. Errors help students to find out their weak point of view regarding the problem and also make a chance to improve their learning. Errors are made because of the different thought processes of the students regarding the problem.

Key Points Some important points which are helpful for the students to reduce their errors:

• Errors analysis help teachers to understand the weak lesson of the students so that they can improve them by applying different teaching-learning methods.
• Errors can be removed by conceptual learning, meaningful learning, learning by doing, etc.
• Errors are part of the teaching-learning process teacher should respect students and errors and explain the logic behind the errors in a polite way.
• Errors can be removed by analyzing by the teacher and then discussing with the learners about the errors and the related concept, so that learner can get their point of error and fix them.
• Errors can also be removed by engaging students in different types of activities related to concepts so that students can learn from these activities.
• Teachers should have to provide opportunities to all these students to find errors in their learning by themselves,
• Errors facilitate the teaching-learning process in which a teacher gets to the point where a student makes faulty so that he focuses more on that type of conceptual point.

Thus by all these references, we can conclude that Errors in children's work should be thoroughly analyzed by the teacher and discussed with children.

Hint

• Errors never are ignored by the teachers, because these are also part of their teaching-learning process, and they can learn in a better way when the errors are analyzed and fixed with the help of teachers.
• Errors in the process of learning of the students do not represent the lack of preparedness of the teacher, it is a part of the teaching-learning process.

Thinking is the basis of all cognitive activities or processes and is unique to human beings. It involves the manipulation and analysis of information received from the environment. There are different kinds of thinking styles which include creative, logical, concrete thinking, etc.

Key Points Critical thinking is a process that challenges an individual to use reflective, reasonable, rational thinking to gather, interpret, and evaluate information in order to derive a judgment. 

Few methods that a teacher can think of in order to inculcate the skill of critical thinking in middle school students:

• Engage students in problem-solving situations by providing problems that have multiple solutions.
• Do reward students who come up with innovative ideas.
• Develop the quality of persistence. Do not get bored while solving problems.
• Asking Questions to the students related to the topic so that they can reply by thinking divergently in a critical way.
• Develop a risk-taking ability and engage in creative activities.
• Avoid the rigid and fixed patterns of solving problems.
• Promote interaction with teachers and among peers.

Thus we can say that critical thinking in middle school students can be enhanced by Asking students to discuss topics in groups and come up with questions.

Hint

• The lecture method of teaching can never promote their thinking, it makes them bored and may impact their learning in a negative way.
• Discussions among the students provide many opportunities to learn the concept in a different way and also give they the can analyze the thoughts of other students so that we can say that discussion can also improve their critical thinking.
• Learning by textbooks, and by memorization never promotes critical thinking of the students.

The correct answer is The Chandela dynasty.

• The Kandariya Mahadeva Temple meaning "the Great God of the Cave", is the largest and most ornate Hindu temple in the medieval temple group found at Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh, India.
• It is considered one of the best examples of temples preserved from the medieval period in India.

Important Points

1. Khajuraho was once the capital of the Chandela dynasty. The Kandariya Mahadeva Temple, one of the best examples of temples preserved from the medieval period in India,
2. It is the largest of the western group of temples in the Khajuraho complex which was built by the Chandela rulers.
3. Shiva is the chief deity in the temple deified in the sanctum sanctorum.

Hence, The Kandariya temple was constructed by the king of the Chandela Dynasty.

The correct answer is Vindhya Hills.

• The Vindhya Range is a complex, discontinuous chain of mountain ridges, hill ranges, highlands, and plateau escarpments in west-central India.
• Technically, the Vindhyas do not form a single mountain range in the geological sense.

Important Points

1. Indian agriculture began in 9000 BCE in northwest India with the early cultivation of plants, and domestication of crops and animals.
2. Indian subcontinent agriculture was the largest producer of wheat and grain.
3. Their settled life soon followed with implements and techniques being developed for agriculture.
4. The Earliest agriculture practices started in India with the river basin of Ganga and with the area of Vindhya Hills in central India.

Hence, The earliest agricultural areas in central India are found near the Vindhya Hills.

The Mughal Empire also spelled the Mogul or Moghul Empire an early modern Islamic empire in South Asia.

• For some two centuries, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus basin in the west.
• To Northern Afghanistan in the northwest, Kashmir in the north, Bangladesh in the east, and the uplands of the Deccan Plateau in South India.

Important Points

• The Mughals were descendants of two great lineages of rulers.
• From their mother’s side, they were descendants of Gengis Khan, ruler of the Mongol tribes, in China and Central Asia. From their father’s side, they were successors of Timur, the ruler of Iran, Iraq, and modern Turkey.
• The Mughals emphasized their Timurid and not their Mongol descent because Ghengis Khan’s memory was associated with the massacre of innumerable people.
• It was also linked with the Uzbeks, their Mongol competitors.
• On the other hand, the Mughals were proud of their Timurid ancestry, because it had achieved a good name in history.

Hence, The Mughals emphasized their Timurid descent over their Mongol descent because Mongols were linked to Uzbeks, one of their competitors.

The Mughal dynasty was a Muslim dynasty of Turkic-Mongol origin that ruled most of northern India from the early 16^th to the mid-18^th century.

• After that time it continued to exist as a considerably reduced and increasingly powerless entity until the mid-19^th century.
• The Mughal dynasty was notable for its more than two centuries of effective rule over much of India.

Important Points

1. The Mansabdari system was the administrative system introduced by Akbar in Mughal Empire in 1571.
2. The word 'Mansab' is of Arabic origin meaning rank or position. Hence, Mansabdari was a system of ranking the government officials and determining their civil & military duties, along with their remunerations.
3. The Mughals recruited mansabdars from diverse backgrounds. They included not only Taranis and Iranis but also Indian Muslims, Afghans, Rajputs, Marathas, and other groups.
4. They did so because they wanted to incorporate the subcontinental people of warrior classes to participate in the running of the mansabdari system.

Hence, Mughal recruited Mansabdar from diverse backgrounds because it encompass services of nobles from various regions as the empire expanded.

Philosophy arose in India as an inquiry into the mystery of life and existence.

• Indian Philosophy refers to several traditions of philosophical thought that originated in the Indian subcontinent.
• Over centuries, India’s intellectual exploration of truth has come to be represented by six systems of philosophy.
• These are known as Vaishesika, Nyaya, Samkhya, Yoga, Purva Mimansa, and Vedanta or Uttara Mimansa.

Important Points

1. Vaisheshika: The basis of the school's philosophy is that all objects in the physical universe are reducible to a finite number of atoms and Brahman is regarded as the fundamental force that causes consciousness in these atoms. It was given by Kanad.
2. Nyaya: Nyaya Philosophy states that nothing is acceptable unless it is by reason and experience (scientific approach). Nyaya is considered a technique of logical thinking. It was given by Gautama Muni.
3. Yoga: Yoga means the union of two principal entities. Yogic techniques control the body, mind & sense organs, thus considered a means of achieving freedom or mukti. Yoga was given by Patanjali.

Mistake Points

1. Vedanta: The Vedanta, or Uttara Mimamsa, the school concentrates on the philosophical teachings of the Upanishads, rather than the Brahmanas. It was given by Adi Shankara.

Hence,  Vedanta philosophy is not given by Gemini, it was given by Adi Shankara.

Mathura is the place where Lord Krishna was born and spent his early days.

• A famous center of Buddhism in ancient India,
• It is one of the Sapta Puri, the seven cities considered holy by Hindus, also called Mokshyadayni Tirth.

Important Points

• Mathura derived its importance as a center of trade due to its location where the northern trade route of the Indo-Gangetic Plain met with the routes to Malwa (central India) and the west coast. Thus, statement A is false.
• By the 6^th century, BCE Mathura became the capital of the Surasena Kingdom.
• The place was known for a great school of sculpture known as Mathura school of Art which flourished under the Kushana dynasty in the 1^st century AD.
• Thus, statement B is true.

Hence, statement (A) is false, but statement (B) is true.

The correct answer is Village Headman.

• The Mahalwari system is used in India to protect village-level autonomy. It was introduced by Holt Mackenzie in 1822.
• The word "Mahalwari" is derived from the Hindi word Mahal, which means house, district, neighborhood, or quarter.

Important Points

1. Mahalwari consisted of landlords or Nambardars assigned to represent villages or groups of villages.
2. Along with the village communities, the landlords were jointly responsible for the payment of taxes. Individual responsibility was not assigned.
3. The village headman was responsible for all recommendations, land surveys, maintaining records of land rights, settlement of the land revenues, demand in the Mahals, and collection of land revenue.

Hence, In the Mahalwari system, the charge of collecting revenue is given to The Village Headman.

The British Raj was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent from 1858 to 1947.

• The region under British control was commonly called India in contemporaneous usage and included areas directly administered by the United Kingdom, which were collectively called British India.
• The region was sometimes called the Indian Empire, though not officially.

Important Points

1. The British extended their control over all forests and declared that forests were state property.
2. The British forest department faced problems in getting labour when they stopped tribal people from living inside forests.

Additional Information

1. The British effort to settle jhum cultivators was not very successful. Settled plough cultivation is not easy in areas where water is scarce and the soil is dry.

Hence, The British took charge of all the forest area and stopped tribal people from living inside the forest, this causes the problem of labour unavailability.

A reform movement is a type of social movement that aims to bring a social or also political system closer to the community's ideal.

• A reform movement is distinguished from more radical social movements such as revolutionary movements which reject old ideas.

Important Points

1. The self-respect movement was founded by Periyar. It was a dynamic social movement aimed at destroying the contemporary Hindu social order in its totality and creating a new, rational society without caste, religion and god.
2. The most important Satnami group was founded in 1820 in the Chhattisgarh region of middle India by Ghasidas, a farm servant and member of the Chamar caste.
3. Brahmo Samaj was founded by Raja Ram Mohan Roy with Keshav Chandra Sen in Bengal Province.
4. The Young Bengal Movement was started by Henry Louis Vivian Derozio, who had come to Calcutta in 1826 and was appointed to the Hindu College as a teacher of English literature and History.

Hence, Periyar, Ghasidas, Keshav Sen, and Henry Derozio was the prominent social reformer in India. They founded the Self Respect movement, Satnami Movement, Brahmo Samaj, and Young Bengal respectively.

The correct answer is the Singh Sabha.

Important Points

Social reform involves a radical change in the social system. India has been a great land of great pioneers of social reforms.

• The Singh Sabha Movement is a reform organisations of the Sikhs, the first Singh Sabhas were formed at Amritsar in 1873 and at Lahore in 1879.
• The Sabhas sought to rid Sikhism of superstitions, caste distinctions and practices seen by them as non-Sikh.
• They promoted education among the Sikhs, often combining modern instruction with Sikh teachings

Hence, during the colonial rule, Singh Sabha was the organization that focused on caste abolition in India along with research work.

Additional Information

• The Asiatic Society is a government of India organisation founded during the Company rule in India to enhance and further the cause of "Oriental research", in this case, research into India and the surrounding regions.
• Bharat Dharma Mahamandala was a prominent Hindu organization founded by Pandit Din Dayalu Sharma in Hardwar in 1887, who also founded the Hindu College, Delhi, on May 15, 1899. Its objective was to bring together all leaders of the orthodox Hindu community and to work together for the preservation of Sanatan Dharma.
• The Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha, colloquially known as the Maha Sabha, is the largest and most influential Hindu organization in Trinidad and Tobago.

The correct answer is equip children with some resources to make their way into a changing world.

Important Points

• During the course of the nineteenth century, Christian missionaries began setting up schools for tribal groups and lower-caste children.
• Caste based discrimination was not followed in the schools run by these missionaries.
• Children studying in these schools were equipped with some resources to make their way into a changing world.
• Soon the poor left the villages and started looking for jobs in the cities.
• However, the larger section of the people who looked down on the lower caste did not like the progress of these tribal people.
• They were attacked by mainly the orthodox or conservative people in the country.

Therefore, we can conclude that Christian missionaries through their schools managed to equip children with some resources to make their way into a changing world.

The correct answer is Only (A) and (B) are true

Key Points

• All India Muslim League was founded on 31 December, 1906 at Dacca (Dhaka) by Nawab Khwaja Salimullah.
• Some of its other founding members were Vikar-ul-Mulk, Syed Amir Ali, Syed Nabiullah, Khan Bahadur Ghulam and Mustafa Chowdhury.
• The first annual session of Muslim League was held at Karachi in December 1907.
• The primary objectives of Muslim League were:
• To promote the political rights and interests of the Muslim community in India.
• To maintain loyalty with the British government avoiding any support to the critique of imperialism.
• To demand separate electorates for the Muslim community.
• To ensure that Muslims do not develop discontent and hostility towards the British.
• They also supported the Partition of Bengal.

Mistake Points

• The two basic reasons responsible for the Surat Split in 1907 between the Early Nationalists and the Assertive Nationalists were as follows:
• Early nationalists believed in the policy of settlement of minor issues with the government by deliberations. But the extremists believed in agitation, strikes, and boycotts.
• In the Surat session of 1907, a difference of opinion regarding the candidature for President of Congress arose between the Early Nationalists and the Assertive Nationalists. Assertive Nationalists wanted Bal Gangadhar Tilak as a presidential candidate and Early Nationalists supported Ghosh to be the President. This difference of opinion was the reason of the Surat Split.

Based on the above discussion we can say that, statement A and B are only true about the All India Muslim League.

The correct answer is Both (A) and (B) are true and (B) is the correct explanation of (A).

Important Points

• The period from 1885-1905 is considered as the moderate phase of the Congress.
• The Moderate leaders wanted to develop public awareness about the unjust nature of British rule.
• They published newspapers, wrote articles, and showed how British rule was leading to the economic ruin of the country.
• They criticised British rule in their speeches and sent representatives to different parts of the country to mobilise public opinion.
• They felt that the British had respect for the ideals of freedom and justice, so they would accept the just demands of Indians.
• What was necessary, therefore, was to express these demands, and make the government aware of the feelings of Indians.

Based on the above-given points, we can say that Both the statements (A) and (B) are true and (B) is the correct explanation of (A).

The correct answer is 1950

Key Points

• The first meeting of the Constituent Assembly was held on 9 December, 1946 with Sachidanand Sinha as the President.
• On 11 December 1946, Dr. Rajendra Prasad was elected as President by the assembly.
• For the purpose of drafting Constitution, the Assembly appointed thirteen important committees.
• Dr. B.N. Rau was made the Constitutional Adviser who submitted the final draft by the end of October 1947.
• On 13 December 1946, Jawaharlal Nehru moved his Objective Resolution which was passed on 22 January 1947 and later incorporated in the Constitution as Preamble.
• Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was the chairman of the drafting committee.
• On 26 November 1949, the Constitution was declared or passed after its third meeting.
• The Constitution of India came into effect on 26 January 1950.

​Hence, the correct answer is - 1950.

The correct answer is Ural.

Key Points

Fold mountains are formed when the layers of the earth’s crust are folded by compression. The compression is caused by forces generated by movements inside the earth. 

• The Ural Mountains, located in Russia, are considered to be an example of old fold mountains.
• They formed around 300 million years ago during the Paleozoic Era, as a result of the collision of two tectonic plates.
• Over time, the mountains have undergone erosion and weathering, which has resulted in their current, much lower elevation compared to their original height.

Therefore, the correct answer is - Ural.

Mistake Points

 Himalayas is an example of young folded mountain.

• The Himalayas are considered young as they were formed relatively recently, geologically speaking, and are still undergoing tectonic activity which is causing uplift and folding of the rock layers.

Additional Information

• Vosges is an example of a block mountain.
• Block mountains are formed when large blocks of the earth's crust are uplifted and tilted due to tectonic movements.
• They are characterized by a series of parallel ridges and valleys that resemble blocks, hence the name block mountain.
• Vosges is a range of low mountains in northeastern France that were formed during the late Cenozoic period.
• Volcanic mountains are formed due to volcanic activity.
• Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa and Mt. Fujiyama in Japan are examples of such mountains.

The correct answer is (A), (C) and (D)

Key Points

• All parallel circles from the equator up to the poles are called parallels of latitudes.
• The latitude is an imaginary circular line with varied radius. Hence, as we move away from the equator, the size of the parallels of latitude decreases.
• Latitudes are measured in degrees.
• The equator represents the zero degree latitude.
• The distance from the equator to either of the poles is one-fourth of a circle round the earth, it will measure ¼th of 360 degrees, i.e. 90°.
• Thus, 90 degrees north latitude marks the North Pole and 90 degrees south latitude marks the South Pole.

Additional Information 

• The imaginary lines running from the North Pole to the South Pole are called meridians of longitudes.
• Longitudes are semi-circles and the distance between them decreases steadily until it becomes zero at the poles, where all the meridians meet.
• The longitude is very important to know the local time.

Hence, the correct answer is - (A), (C) and (D).

The correct answer is Vindhya Range

Key Points

• The Tropic of Cancer is an imaginary line that is at an angle of 23.5 degrees.
• It is located to the North of Equator, which passes through the middle of India.
• Tropic of Cancer passes through 17 countries and India is one of them.
• It passes through Vindhya Range which lies in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Southern parts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

Therefore, the correct answer is - Vindhya Range.

Additional Information

• The Tropic of Cancer passes through eight states in India. They are:

1. Gujarat
2. Rajasthan
3. Madhya Pradesh
4. Chhattisgarh
5. Jharkhand
6. West Bengal
7. Tripura
8. Mizoram

The correct answer is 9:30 PM

Important Points

• As the earth rotates from west to east, those places east of Greenwich will be ahead of Greenwich time and those to the west will be behind it.
• The rate of difference can be calculated as follows:
• The earth rotates 360° in about 24 hours, which means 15° an hour or 1° in four minutes.
• Thus, when it is 12 noon at Greenwich, the time at 15° east of Greenwich will be 15 × 4 = 60 minutes, i.e. 1 hour ahead of Greenwich time, which means 1 p.m.
• But at 15° west of Greenwich, the time will be behind Greenwich time by one hour, i.e., it will be 11.00 a.m.
• India located east of Greenwich at 82°30'E is 5 hours and 30 minutes ahead of GMT.
• The time difference between India and England is of 5:30 hours.
• This can be calculated in the following manner:
• Difference between 0° longitude and 82°30'E longitude = 82°30'
• Time in the East is ahead by 4 minutes on passing every meridian
• Hence, time ahead will be 82°30'×4=330 minutes or 5:30 hours.
• So it will be 9:30 p.m. in India when it is 4:00 p.m. in London.

 Therefor the correct answer is - 9:30 PM.

The correct answer is Both (A) and (C) are correct

Key Points

• The grasses, shrubs and trees, which grow on their own without interference or help from human beings are called natural vegetation.
• There is a close relationship between height of land and the character of vegetations.
• With the change in height, the climate changes and that changes natural vegetation.
• The growth of vegetation depends on temperature and moisture.
• It also depends on factors like slope and thickness of soil.
• The type and thickness of natural vegetation varies from place to place because of the variation in these factors.

Therefore, the statements (A) and (C) are correct.

Additional Information

• Natural vegetation is generally classified in to three broad categories as follows:

1. Forests: Forests grow where temperature and rainfall are plentiful to support a tree cover. Depending upon these factors, dense and open forests are grown.
2. Grasslands: Grasslands grow in the region of moderate rain.
3. Shrubs: Thorny shrurbs and scrubs grow in the dry region.

The correct answer is Mediterranean region

Key Points

• Mediterranean forests can be found in the Mediterranean Sea region, Central Chile, the Southwest USA, Australia, and Africa.
• They include thick barks and waxy leaves that aid in reducing transpiration.
• Mediterranean trees respond to dry summers because of these characteristics.
• Mediterranean forests are known as the Orchards of the World because of their fruit production.
• Figs, oranges, grapes, and olives are among the many citrus fruits grown here.

Hence, the correct answer is - Mediterranean region.

Additional Information

• Tropical grasslands:
• ​These occur on either side of the equator and extend till the tropics.
• This vegetation grows in the areas of moderate to low amount of rainfall.
• The grass can grow very tall, about 3 to 4 metres in height.
• Savannah grasslands of Africa are of this type.
• Coniferous forests:
• In the higher latitudes (50° – 70°) of Northern hemisphere the spectacular Coniferous forests are found. These forests are also seen in the higher altitudes.
• They are tall, softwood evergreen trees.
• Chir, pine and cedar are the important variety of trees in these forests.
• Temperate evergreen forests:
• ​The temperate evergreen forests are located in the mid-latitudinal coastal region.
• They are commonly found along the eastern margin of the continents, e.g., In south east USA, South China and in South East Brazil.
• They comprise both hard and soft wood trees like oak, pine, eucalyptus etc.

The correct answer is that (A) is false and (B) is true.

Key Points

• A coastline is a line that forms the boundary between the land and the ocean.
• The intended and irregular coastline provides an ideal location for natural harbours and ports.
• The coastline of the Atlantic ocean is identical and irregular.
• The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest ocean in the world.
• The intended coastline helps in two ways:
• provides natural sideways protection for the ships if they harbour there
• less cost is incurred due to its shape

 Thus, we can say that the intended and irregular coastline provides an ideal location for natural harbours and ports.

The correct answer is Stratosphere.

Key Points

• Our earth is surrounded by a huge blanket of air called the atmosphere.
• There are five layers of the atmosphere.
• These are:
• Troposphere
• Stratosphere
• Mesosphere
• Thermosphere
• Exosphere
• The stratosphere extends up to a height of 50 km.
• It contains Ozone gas.
• This layer is free from clouds and associated weather phenomena.
• The ozone layer protects us from the harmful effect of sun rays.

 Thus, we can say that the Stratosphere contains ozone gas and is free from clouds and associated weather phenomena.

The correct answer is Both A and B are true and B is the correct explanation of A.

Key Points

• Air pressure is a force exerted on a surface by the air above it as gravity pulls it to Earth.
• It is measured with the help of a barometer.
• Air pressure changes according to the temperature at the same sea level.
• The air pressure decreases when the temperature is high and vice versa.
• Areas with high temperatures create low-pressure areas.
• This is because the warm air rises.
• These areas are called low-pressure areas.
• A low-pressure system has low pressure at its centre than in the areas around it.

 Thus, we can say that air pressure varies according to the temperature at the same sea level and areas with high temperature creates a low-pressure area.

The correct answer is they prevent water from entering houses during the rainy season.

Key Points

• Stilt houses are called pile dwellings.
• They are built on stilts or piles over the surface of the soil or a water body.
• These houses are built primarily as a protection against floods.
• They prevent water from entering houses during the rainy season.
• The stilts or bamboo pillars are ten to twelve feet high.
• The shady space under the house is used for work or storage.
• Stilt houses are built in places of heavy rainfall like Assam.

 Thus, we can say that the houses are built on stilts because they prevent water from entering houses during the rainy season.

The correct answer is Only (A) and (B)  are correct.

Key Points

• child mortality refers to the probability of a child dying between birth and five years of age.
• The population pyramid is a graphical representation of the age and sex composition of a specific population.
• Due to better health facilities, child mortality rates are decreasing and survival rates are increasing at a younger age.
• In such a case, the population pyramid will be A broad-based pyramid indicating that people in the younger age categories make up a relatively large proportion of the population.
• A broad base and sharply tapering sides or a true pyramid shape reflect high mortality rates in the younger age groups.

Mistake Points

• It is called a Triangular shaped population pyramid because when a population is growing (more babies are being born than people are dying), the graphic forms the shape of a triangle.
• In the above case, it is clear that survival rates are important for the base rather than the Born rate. So, There will be no triangular-shaped population pyramid.

 Thus, we can say that Only A and B are correct.

The correct answer is - Natural growth of population

Key Points

• Natural growth of population
• Refers to the change in population size due to births and deaths, excluding migration.
• It is calculated using the formula: Births - Deaths.
• In the question, the teacher asks students to account for births and deaths, which directly pertains to the concept of natural growth.
• Migration factors (in-migration and outmigration) are not part of natural growth but were included in the task for broader context.
• This concept is essential in understanding demographic changes over time within a specific region.

Additional Information

• Density of population
• Defined as the number of people per unit area, typically per square kilometer.
• It does not involve calculations of births, deaths, or migration but focuses on spatial distribution.
• Distribution of population
• Refers to how population is spread across a region, considering factors like urbanization, geography, and resources.
• It is not related to the numerical increase or decrease in population but spatial patterns.
• Rate of Migration in population
• Involves calculations based on in-migration (people moving into a region) and outmigration (people leaving a region).
• This concept was included in the question but is not central to the calculation of natural growth, which focuses on births and deaths.

The correct answer is Only (A) and (D) are correct.

Key Points

• Subsistence agriculture is the type of farming practised to meet the needs of the farmer's family.
• It can be classified into:
• Intensive Subsistence farming
• Primitive subsistence farming
• Intensive subsistence farming is prevalent in thickly populated areas of the monsoon regions of the south, southeast and east Asia.
• Primitive subsistence farming includes shifting cultivation and nomadic herding.
• Shifting cultivation is prevalent in areas of heavy rainfall and quick regeneration of vegetation.

 Thus, we can say that subsistence farming is prevalent in thick populated areas and areas of heavy rainfall.

The correct answer is St. Thomas.

Key Points

• St. Thomas is one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ who is credited with bringing Christianity to India through the Malabar coast in 52 AD.
• Thomas is commonly known as "doubting Thomas" because he initially doubted the resurrection of Jesus Christ when he was told of it.
• He later confessed his faith on seeing the wounds left over from crucifixion.
• He travelled outside Roman Empire to preach the gospel, travelling as far as the Tamalikkam in south India and reached Muziris of Tamallikam in 52 AD.

 Thus, we can say that St. Thomas of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ is credited with bringing Christianity to India.

The correct answer is (A) and (B) and (B) explains (A).

Key Points

• Kerala is a state on India's Malabar coast known for its palm-lined beaches and backwaters.
• It has been an attractive destination for international travellers and traders since antiquity.
• People in Kerala practice different religions such as Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism.
• This is because of the influence of these travellers that the people in Kerala adopted their religion.
• This is possible due to diversity.
• Diversity is the coexistence of different people, plants, animals, etc.

 Thus, we can say that the above statements are correct.

The correct answer is Reza supplies Tendu Patta to villagers and receives bidi as a product.

Key Points

• The putting-out system is a trading arrangement among the weavers and the merchants prevalent in most parts of India.
• Under this system, the merchants provide the yarn to the artisans and weavers, who in turn, are given a very small sum for weaving the desired variety and length of the cloth as directed by the merchants.
• In this system, the merchant supplies the raw material and receives the finished product.
• An example of this system would be: Reza supplies Tendu Patta to villagers and receives bidi as a product.

 Thus, we can say that Reza supplying Tendu Patta to villagers and receiving bidi as a product is an example of the pulling-out system.

The correct answer is Democratic.

Key Points

• The Democratic government is considered a representative one.
• Representative Democracy is a form of democracy in which people vote for representatives who then vote on policy initiatives.
• In this type of democracy, people elect officials to create laws and policies on their behalf.
• Countries like Canada, the United States of America and the United Kingdom have representative democracies.

 Thus, we can say that the Democratic government is a representative one.

The correct answer is Both A and B are true and B is the correct explanation of A.

Key Points

• Agricultural labourers are those people in rural areas who work as labour in fields and get daily wages.
• In India, 80 per cent of the farmers have barely enough land income to meet their daily needs.
• Nearly, two out of every five rural families are agricultural labourers.
• They depend on other people's fields to earn a living.
• Many of them are landless and own very small plots of land.
• These workers are exploited by rich farmers as they do not have alternative ways to earn money.

 Thus, we can say that the above statements are correct.

The correct answer is a wholesaler.

Key Points

• Trade refers to buying and selling of goods and services with the objective of earning profit.
• Wholesale trade refers to buying and selling of goods and services in large quantities for the purpose of resale or intermediate use.
• If Nirmal goes to auction from where he buys vegetables in bulk and sells it to neighbourhood vegetable sellers. He is a wholesaler.

 Thus, we can say that if Nirmal buys vegetables in bulk and further sells it to neighbourhood vegetable sellers, he is a wholesaler.

Additional Information

• A retailer is a person or company who sells goods to the public in a shop.

The correct answer is Federal.

Key Points

• Federalism is a system of government in which the power is divided between a central authority and various constituent units of the country.
• A federal system of governance is when the constitution outlies the division of legislative powers between the centre and the states.
• Usually, a federation has two levels of government.
• One is the government for the entire country that is usually responsible for a few subjects of common national interest.
• The others are governments at the level of states that look after the day-to-day administering of the state.

 Thus, we can say that when the constitution outlines the division of legislative powers between the centre and the states, the system of governance is called the federal system of governance.

The correct answer is she could read and write in Sanskrit.

Key Points

• Pandita Ramabai pioneered women's education and rebeliously championed for women's rights and empowerment.
• She founded the Arya Mahila Samaj in Pune.
• The purpose of this society was to promote the cause of women's education and deliverance from the oppression of child marriage.
• In 1878, Calcutta University conferred her the titles of Pandita and Saraswati in recognition of her knowledge of various Sanskrit works.

 Thus, we can say that in the 19^th century, social reformer and women's rights activist Ramabai was given the title 'Pandita' as she could read and write Sanskrit.

The correct answer is people standing in a line to cast their vote in an assembly election.

Key Points

• A teacher wishes to discuss that the Constitution recognises every person as equal.
• An example of this would be people standing in a line to cast their vote in an assembly election.
• The Indian constitution recognises every person as equal.
• This means that every individual in the country, including male and female persons from all castes, religions, tribes, and educational and economic backgrounds are recognised as equal.

 Thus, we can say that the above statements are correct.

The correct answer is Article 15.

Key Points

• Article 15 of the Indian constitution states that No citizen shall, on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them, be subject to any disability, liability, restriction or condition with regard to access to shops, public restaurants, hotels and places of public entertainment.
• Article 21A states to provide free and compulsory education to all children in the age group of six to fourteen years.
• Article 343 states that Hindi in devnagiri script is the official language of the Union.
• Article 23 deals with prohibition of traffic in human beings and forced labour.

 Thus, we can say that the above statements are correct.

Criminal Law deals with conduct or acts that the law defines as offences.

• For example, theft, harassing a woman to bring more dowry, murder.
• It usually begins with the lodging of an First Information Report (FIR) with the police who investigate the crime after which a case is filed in the court.
• If found guilty, the accused can be sent to jail and also fined.

Important Points

• Harassment of a group of girls by a group of boys will come under Criminal Law.
• The majority of criminal law is formed by statute, which is to say that a legislature enacts the rules.
• The prosecution and rehabilitation of persons who violate certain laws are included in criminal law.

Additional Information

• Civil Law is a general law which solves disputes between two organisations or individuals.
• As per Civil Law the wrongdoer will have to compensate the affected organisation or individual.
• Civil Law deals with Property, Money, Housing, Divorce, custody of a child in the event of divorce etc.
• Thus, other options will come under civil law.

The correct answer is R. Sachar.

Key Points

• The seven-member High-Level Committee was chaired by Justice Rajindar Sachar.
• The committee examined the socio-economic and educational status of Muslims in India.
• It submitted its final report to the Prime Minister on November 17, 2006.
• The Government tabled the Justice Rajinder Sachar Committee Report in Parliament on 30^th November.
• The report has suggestions and solutions for the inclusive development of Muslims in India.

 Thus, we can say that R. Sachar chaired the committee that examined the socio-economic and educational status of Muslims in India.

The correct answer is equal rights for African-American citizens and an end to racial discrimination.

Key Points

• The Civil Rights Movement was a political movement and campaign from 1954 to 1968 in the United States.
• It was a movement to abolish racial segregation, discrimination and disenfranchisement throughout the United States.
• The Civil Rights Movement started in the USA to demand equal rights for African-American citizens and an end of racial discrimination.
• This movement had its roots in the centuries-long efforts of enslaved Africans and their descendants to resist racial oppression and abolish the institution of slavery.

 Thus, we can say that the Civil Rights Movement started in the USA to demand equal rights for African-American citizens and an end to racial discrimination.

Geography is a social science subject that deals with the study of the earth, the environment, and human activities related to the environment. 

Key Points

• Geography enables us to have a better understanding of the earth and environment. The study of maps and charts is done for a better understanding of the earth.
• It raises issues, problems, and solutions vital to modern society. So, it tells us the relation between man and his society.
• It consists of knowledge of the world around us and it enables us to study the ways of lives of other people in other parts of the world.
• It also tells the evolution of mankind and its different races.
• It helps us to understand some other related topics of physics, chemistry, biology, economics, history, and mathematics.
• It enables us to have a better understanding of physical things around us such as vegetation, climate, rivers, soil, oceans, and mountains*.*

​Thus, it is concluded that **B, C, and D is the correct option.**​

Social Science is a discipline that comprises different areas of study related to humans and their relationship with the physical and social environment around them. 

Key Points

• The interdisciplinary approach to teaching is different in many ways from the traditional approach to teaching like the disciplinary approach to teaching.
• The interdisciplinary approach helps to integrate knowledge from different disciplines by using a real process of synthesis. This approach tries to create holistic knowledge by integrating knowledge from different disciplines. This approach facilitates crossing the traditional boundary among academic disciplines or schools of thought in order to create integrated knowledge.
• The teaching of Social Science involves an interdisciplinary approach as the subject under it are interwoven with each other. So, teaching social sciences in an interdisciplinary manner is challenging for teachers as it requires more effort from the teacher.
• It is the interrelationship between different subjects such as history, geography, and civics that makes it interdisciplinary and makes it more challenging for teachers to adopt a different approach to teaching.

Hence, we can say that the most important challenge for social science teachers is to use an interdisciplinary approach.

Hint

• Maintaining discipline in the classroom is not a real challenge for a teacher. If students are engaged in the learning process, they are automatically disciplined.
• Helping students to do their homework is the teacher's duty which they are perfect at.
• Preparing students for the exams is not the whole purpose of education and so it is not a challenge also.

Social Science is a discipline that revolves around humans and their society. So, learning of social sciences is most effective if taught by relating it to the child's social experiences.

Key Points 

• Psychologists also emphasize experiential learning theories that involve children's experiences in the classroom.
• Basing the teaching on real-life situations in a social science classroom is the most effective way to teach the subject.
• Using real-life situations in order to teach concepts since it acknowledged that children learn best through real experiences.
• The aim is to have the learner understand the concept through their own experiences and write about it in their own words.

Thus, it is concluded that More effective learning opportunities in social science education can be provided by basing the teaching on real-life situations.

Hint

• Giving a detailed explanation of all topics is one of the important that must be adopted but it is less effective than teaching through real situations.
• Using more teaching aids is a good option but a teaching aid is of no use if it's not related to the child's context.
• Conducting periodical tests is not a method of providing learning opportunities rather it can be considered for conducting assessments.​

The gathering of adults to choose their leader in the rural area denotes a democratic process of elections. Since it talks about a village, it must be the elections of Gram Sabha because it is formed only in villages. 

 Key Points 

• The Gram Sabha is a meeting of all adults who live in the area covered by a Panchayat. This could be only one village or a few villages. In some states, a village meeting is held for each village. Anyone who is 18 years old or more and who has the right to vote is a member of the Gram Sabha.
• The Gram Sabha work as the general body of the Gram Panchayat.

​Thus, it is concluded that this story could be developed to initiate a discussion on Gram Sabha's topic.

Hint

• It does not show the rural livelihood.
• It does not demonstrate the administration of rural areas as no administration process is shown through this incidence.
• Gandhi Swaraj has no relation to a social gathering in a village area. It is a particular type of movement in pre-independent India.

Man is a product of both 'Heredity and Environment' as they are the elements that play a vital role in determining the growth and development of an individual.

Key Points 

Heredity determines the physical appearance and traits of an individual but the environment influences language and beliefs. Following is the order of discussion:-

• Members of groups learn social behavior from each other.
• Community characteristics result from the interaction between individuals and groups in an environment.
• People in different environments often have similar behavior patterns.
• Social systems are affected by the values of interacting groups.

​Thus, it is concluded that (A), (C), (B), and (D) is the correct order of discussion.

Sensibility is an important characteristic of a teacher to provide an appropriate learning environment to the students that are free from all kinds of bias and supports inclusiveness. 

Key Points

• The teacher needs to handle uncomfortable situations in the classroom with sensibility and must take care of the dignity of each and every community.
• Students in a classroom are from different communities. There is a possibility that some of them belong to minority communities such as Dalits or Muslims etc. So it is the teacher's responsibility to be sensible while dealing with such situations in a classroom.
• Transacting issues in these communities with sensitivity is the first step that teachers must adopt.

Thus, it is concluded that Option 3 is the correct answer.

Hint

• Not bringing uncomfortable terms and issues or avoiding teaching certain topics related to particular communities in the classroom discussions is not the solution.
• Just focusing on giving concrete definitions of such terms, and issues and proceeding further show the inability of the teacher to deal with those situations. ​

Monuments are a very important and interesting topic of History and fascinate students a lot and a visit to a monument makes the topic lively and interesting.

Key Points

• A teacher can plan a visit to Delhi Monuments to study various things about them.
• It will give them an understanding of what is superstructure while discussing the architecture of the Sultanate Era.
• It will give the opportunity to flourish their interest if they get fascinated by the Structure of the "Bangla dome".
• They will get to know about the structure of the monuments and will help them paint the pillars of Pietra dura for their upcoming art exhibition.

​ Hence, it is concluded that statement A, B, and C denotes the situations when a visit to a monument can help the child in their learning process.

Social inequality describes a condition in which people have different amounts of wealth, prestige, and power. In every society, we can see some degree of inequality.

• Social inequality is present in our society due to gender differences, economic position, religion, ethnicity, etc.

Key PointsSocial inequality can be taught through various sources to the students of upper primary classes as they are logically mature and have their own social experiences about different types of inequalities. These include : 

• Data:- It is fact about something that can be used for reasoning, calculating, and planning.
• Photo essay:- It is a group of photographs that are used to explore a theme.
• Case studies:- It is an in-depth study of one person, group, or event.
• All these sources will provide them with examples of various types of inequalities prevailing in society.

Thus, it is concluded that (A), (B) and (D) only is the correct answer.

Bias means a one-sided opinion or favoring someone or something. Within texts, bias refers to :

• A prejudice against something or someone mentioned in the text.
• Favoring something an author is writing about.

Key Points

As a social science teacher, there are ways to guide students in identifying bias within texts.

• The teacher must encourage students to find evidence regarding what they read in the text to identify the bias included in it. This will help students identify the difference between reality and the content presented through the text.
• The teacher must encourage students to refer to only those sources which are published by well-known people because the chances of biasedness are less in the texts presented by them.

Thus, it is concluded that statements B and C are correct.

Social sciences encompass diverse concerns of society and include a wide range of content drawn from history, geography, political science, economics, sociology, and anthropology. 

• Critical thinking is the ability to apply reasoning and logic to new or unfamiliar situations, ideas, and opinions. It refers to the process of judging or analyzing facts, events, etc. It requires proper analysis, evaluation, inference, and explanation.

Key Points​ Following questions provide greater scope for developing critical thinking:-

• What are some similarities and differences between the way the Mughals came to power in India and the way English came to power in India?
• In 1857 why did a section of the soldiers feel their religious faith was being violated?
• Why do you think some people wanted to preserve the caste system in society?

Important Points

• ​ These all questions help in developing critical thinking skills as here the student thinks, applies reasons, and then justifies his answer.
• The thinkers reach the solution by involvement in different aspects, such as searching, finding, etc

​Thus, it is concluded that A, B, and C options are correct.

Inquiry-Based Learning- The inquiry-based instructional method considers education as an experience, a process, and not as an inert set of facts. Hence, rather than the product (amount of knowledge amassed), the path (the process of learning) is important.

Key PointsHere, visiting a community for data collection activity uses an inquiry-based learning approach as 

• Students connect with their own experiences by posing questions and making decisions in the search of new understanding.
• Students become active by engaging in hands-on explorations.
• Students get information by visiting the community and asking questions for data collection.

Thus, it is concluded that visiting a community for data collection activity uses an inquiry-based learning approach.

Critical Thinking is the ability to apply reasoning and logic to new or unfamiliar situations, ideas, and opinions. It refers to the process of judging or analyzing facts, events, etc. It requires proper analysis, evaluation, inference, and explanation.

Key Points

• Students must be able to develop mutual respect, respect for diversity, and trust as a result of critical thinking as these are developed as a result of an aware individual due to critical thinking.
• Discipline and Obedience are completely abstract qualities that are not related to the critical thinking process. They can be exhibited without any kind of reflection or thinking process involved.

Thus, it is concluded that (A), (D), and (E) is the correct option.

Gendering refers to the process of socialization according to certain gender norms. It lays more emphasis on gender by expressing everything from a gendered perspective.

Key Points

Gender differences are not fixed but vary over time, from place to place, and in different traditions or religious beliefs.  The recommendation of 'gendering' the social science curriculum is reflected in the textbooks in the form of:

• Increasing the number of references to individual women:- Social science curriculum as a reference to gendering shows the issues and concerns related to women more.
• Highlighting the perspectives of women in the discussion of themes:-To help the women to be independent and create their own identities so women need to be included in an integral part of the discussions.
• Using gender-inclusive language during class discussions will also emphasize the genders and make the classroom transaction a more gendered one.

​Thus, it is concluded that statements A, B, and C are correct.

‘Prayaga Prashasti’ is a pillar inscription of Samudragupta found at Allahabad and written in Sanskrit.

• It was composed by Harisena.
• It is one of the important epigraphic sources to know about the political history of the Guptas.
• It is a primary source to understand Ancient Indian period.

Additional InformationSurat Hundi

• Hundis are notes recording deposits made by a person. The amount deposited can be claimed in another place by presenting the record of the deposit in medieval times.
• The Kathiawad seths or mahajans (moneychangers) had huge banking houses at Surat.
• It is noteworthy that the Surat hundis were honoured in the far-off markets of Cairo in Egypt, Basra in Iraq and Antwerp in Belgium.

Kandariya Mahadeva temple

• It is considered one of India's best examples of temples preserved from the medieval period.
• The Kandariya Mahadeva temple dedicated to Shiva was constructed in 999 by king Dhangadeva of the Chandela dynasty.

Nagabhata's Prashsasti

• One prashasti, written in Sanskrit and found in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, describes the exploits of Nagabhata, a Pratihara king.

Items such as research articles, books, photographs, audio and video recordings, materials, websites, etc. are a source of information. They help the child in gathering some knowledge. 

Key Points

• Knowledge is gathered for a purpose and this is a key component of the Enquiry process.
• An inquiry is a question, an investigation, a request for information, or the process of seeking information.
• The teacher here is trying to emphasize the inquiry learning process by providing their background knowledge through sources such as research articles, books, photographs, audio and video recordings, materials, websites, etc.

​Thus, it is concluded that Option 2 is the correct answer.

Assessment serves to promote learning by reinforcing the efficacy of teaching-learning when teachers can customize their teaching plans through relevant information on students’ interests, abilities, and learning progress with constant involvement and input from students.

Key Points

• Assessment for learning is, generally, formative in nature and helps teachers to monitor their students’ progress and to modify the instruction accordingly.
• It provides each student with details of descriptive feedback to further the student's learning.
• It also helps students to monitor their own progress as they get feedback from their peers and the teacher and find opportunities to revise and refine their thinking.

Thus, it is concluded that Assessment for learning provides practices each student with details of descriptive feedback to further the student's learning.

Additional Information

• Assessment as learning- It is the use of an activity or a task that helps children to use assessment to improve their own learning. It helps children to reflect on their own learning and make adjustments so that they achieve a deeper understanding of the concepts.
• Assessment of learning is generally summative in nature occurring at the end of a class, course, semester, or academic year and intended to measure learning outcomes and report these outcomes to students, parents, and administrators.
• Summative assessment helps to give certificates to the individuals and to select the appropriate person for the selective job.

Conceptual knowledge- It is referred to as the knowledge of the concepts, principles, and theories which the students learn in the class mainly through reading, writing, and experiencing.

Key Points

• The conceptual knowledge creates a bridge between the concepts studied in the class and the learner's personal life.
• Example-If the student in social science studies the concepts of socialization, then he should be able to use this concept in his daily life.
• The conceptual knowledge develops the skills of differentiation, analysis, and implementation in daily life.

Important Points

• ​ Write in your own words what you understand by the term 'rule of law'.
• How is economic marginalization different from social marginalization?
• Before answering these questions, students need to know the concepts of rule of law, economic and social marginalization.

​Thus, it is concluded that (D) and (E) are the correct options.

Open Book examination is also another important contemporary development in the field of assessment. Open book examination emphasizes the use of textbooks during the examination to write answers to the questions.

Key Points

The objectives of open book examinations in social science:-

• The abilities of reflection on issues and their critical analysis are generally required to answer the questions in the open book examination.
• It assesses the higher-order cognitive abilities of learners in Social Sciences.
• This develops the ability of learners to examine the concept presented in the text, critically analyze it, and contextually present it in the examination.
• This supports learners to solve the questions, as well as helps evaluators, understand the learners’ skills of analyzing the questions, getting the answers, and organizing and presenting them in answer books.

Thus, it is concluded that the primary objective of open book examination in social sciences is to assess skills of reflection and critical thinking.

Bloom’s Taxonomy: It is a hierarchical ordering of cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains and each domain has some objectives that can help teachers teach and students learn.

Key Points Cognitive domains\process: In this domain, a child deals with knowledge and hence, learns to create, evaluate, analyze, apply, understand, remember. 

The cognitive domain involves mental skills which are categorized into six levels of learning that serve in the development of intellectual skills and acquisition power. 

Stages& Subdomains of Cognitive Domain:

• Knowledge: It refers to the process of recognizing and recalling information.
• Understanding: It refers to the process of interpreting and assimilating information.
• Application: It refers to the process of utilizing information in new and different situations.
• Analysis: It refers to the process of identifying the pattern and connection among the given information
• Synthesis: It refers to the process of combining information and making connections among them to generate a new idea.
• Evaluation: It refers to the process of making judgments and Justifying decisions about the value of information and materials.

Important Points​ Following are the questions that assess the 'understand' aspect of the cognitive process:-

• Why are some rocks mushroom-shaped?
• Explain the factors causing poverty.

These all questions assess the understanding aspect as if they have an understanding of the concepts then they can answer these questions.

Thus, it is concluded that B and E are correct.

Bloom’s Taxonomy: It is a hierarchical ordering of cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains and each domain has some objectives that can help teachers teach and students learn.

Key Points Cognitive domains\process: In this domain, a child deals with knowledge and hence, learns to create, evaluate, analyze, apply, understand, and remember. 

The cognitive domain involves mental skills which are categorized into six levels of learning that serve in the development of intellectual skills and acquisition of power, evaluation is one of them.

• Evaluate- It helps in making judgments about the situations by using the ideas. Justifying decisions about the value of information and materials.
• Evaluating helps in concluding, criticizing, evaluating, justification, relating, and comparing.

Important Points 

Following are the questions that assess the 'evaluate' aspect of the cognitive process:-

• The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005 improved the standard of living in India. Do you agree with this statement? Justify.
• If you wish to choose a place to setup chocolate factory, which Indian State you will choose? Why?

These questions assess the evaluation of the cognitive process as in this the child will be able to justify, compare and relate.

Thus, it is concluded that statements B and C are correct.

The correct answer is Biologist

Key Points 

• Let's refer to the following line of the passage:
• "Decades later, a thousand kilometres from the water tank, I accompanied honey collectors deep into the forest to study their harvesting technique."
• It can be easily understood that the writer went to the forest to study the harvesting technique of bees, which clearly indicates that the writer is a biologist.

*Therefore, it can be inferred that the correct answer is option 1)*​

Additional Information 

• Comprehension questions can be answered easily by:
• Reading the passage carefully.
• Identifying the purpose of the passage.
• Going through the questions correctly and comprehending the correct meaning.

The correct answer is Honey extraction

Key Points  

• Let's refer to the following line of the passage:
• "They carried battery lights, ropes, and bee suits. Climbing up the trees, protected by the bee suit, the collectors set to the task - they extracted the honey chamber leaving the hive intact."
• It can be easily understood that the passage talks about the technique of honey extraction.

*Therefore, it can be inferred that the correct answer is option 2)*​

Additional Information 

• Comprehension questions can be answered easily by:
• Reading the passage carefully.
• Identifying the purpose of the passage.
• Going through the questions correctly and comprehending the correct meaning.

The correct answer is (a) is right and (b) is wrong

Key Points 

• Let's refer to the following lines of the passage:
• "Honey collectors were invited but were only able to destroy a few hives. Actually, they never wished to get rid of all the honey trees honey was their livelihood. "
• It can be easily understood that the honey collectors knowingly didn't destroy the bee hives.
• (a) is true.
• "Our giant water tower was home to some big and menacing honey free colonies. We made all efforts to get rid of them for the safety of the human residents of the colony."
• ​The safety of the residents was not ensured.
• (b) is wrong.

*Therefore, it can be inferred that the correct answer is option 1)*​

Additional Information  

• Comprehension questions can be answered easily by:
• Reading the passage carefully.
• Identifying the purpose of the passage.
• Going through the questions correctly and comprehending the correct meaning.

The correct answer is carry flaming torches to distract the bees

Key Points 

• Let's refer to the following line of the passage:
• "They carried battery lights, ropes, and bee suits. Climbing up the trees, protected by the bee suit, the collectors set to the task - they extracted the honey chamber leaving the hive intact."
• Option 1 is incorrect as honey collectors didn't pollinate the flowers.
• Option 3 is incorrect as they used to climb the trees.
• Option 4 is incorrect as it is nowhere mentioned that they collected more honey.

*Therefore, it can be inferred that the correct answer is option 2)*​

Additional Information  

• Comprehension questions can be answered easily by:
• Reading the passage carefully.
• Identifying the purpose of the passage.
• Going through the questions correctly and comprehending the correct meaning.

The correct answer is Both (a) and (b) are right

Key Points 

• Let's refer to the following line of the passage:
• "Our giant water tower was home to some big and menacing honey bee colonies. We made all efforts to get rid of them for the safety of the human residents of the colony." - (a) is right
• Bees are responsible for giving honey and for pollination of plants which in turn give us fruits.
• Hence, Man derives double benefit from the bees - (b) is right.

*Therefore, it can be inferred that the correct answer is option 3)*​

Additional Information 

• Comprehension questions can be answered easily by:
• Reading the passage carefully.
• Identifying the purpose of the passage.
• Going through the questions correctly and comprehending the correct meaning.