KENDRIYA VIDYALAYA SANGATHAN

HYDERABAD REGION
BRIDGE COURSE FOR CLASS - 8
SOCIAL SCIENCE

MODULE: 1: INTRODUCTORY
⮚ Social Science is the relation or interaction between the human Society and
the nature.
⮚ Branches of Social Science :
(a) HISTORY: Study of pasts events.
(b)GEOGRAPHY: Study of the Earth and its components.
(c) CIVICS: Study of the Social and Political Life.

EVALUATION:
1. In Class 7 your History Book is known as _________
(a) Our Environment (b) Our Pasts –II (c) Social and Political Life 2.
The Study of the Earth and its components is called the _________
(a) History (b) Geography (c) Civics

MODULE: 2: TRACING CHANGES THROUGH A THOUSAND YEARS

⮚ Finding out differences/similarities between Learner’s own life and
surroundings with the One depicted in the visual.
⮚ The period from the second half of the 8th century up to first half of the 18th
century is known as the “medieval period” of Indian history.
⮚ Seventh century AD – The teachings of the holy Quran brought to India.
⮚ 1154 – Map of the Indian Subcontinent made by al-ldrisi.

EVALUATION:
1. Cartographer is a person who makes:
(a) Cartoons (b) Caricatures (c) Maps
2. In which century Babur used Hindustan to describe geography of
subcontinent?
 (a) 17th century. (b) 18th century. (c) 16th century
3. Why do historians today have to be careful about the terms in the past?
(a) Because they do not know the meaning of terms
(b) Because the terms may have more than one meaning
(c) Because the terms meant different in the past
MODULE: 3: New Kings and Kingdoms
The Emergence of New Dynasties

⮚ The main ruling dynasties were Gurjara-Pratiharas, Palas, Rashtrakutas and

Chahamans in North India and the Chola, Pandyas and Chalukyas in South
India.
⮚ 1168-1192 – Prithviraja III ruled over the regions around Delhi.
⮚ 1191 – Prithviraja III defeated Muhammad Ghori.
⮚ 1192 – Prithviraja III lost a battle and was finished by Muhammad Ghori. ⮚
5th/6th century – The area of Tamil Nadu was opened up for large-scale
cultivation.

EVALUATION:

1. Who invaded the Somnath temple in Gujarat?

(a) Akbar (b) Muhammad Gori (c) Mahmud Ghazni
2. Which new dynasty developed in eastern part of the country?
(a) Cholas. (b) Palas. (c) Chahamanas

MODULE: 4: The Delhi Sultan

⮚ Presentation and Explanation of major Developments and takes Interest in

exploring His/her area.
Rulers of Delhi
⮚ Tomars: Early 12th century 1165.
⮚ Chauhans: 1165-1192 Prithviraj Chauhan: 1175-1192 Under the Tomaras
and Chauhans, Delhi became an important commercial centre.
Slave Dynasty: 1206-1290
⮚ In 1236, Razia, the daughter of Sultan Iltutmish, became the Sultan of Delhi.
She was removed from the throne in 1240.
Khilji Dynasty : 1290-1320
Tughlaq Dynasty : 1320-1414
Sayyid Dynasty : 1414-1451 (It was the only Shia dynasty) Lodi
Dynasty : 1451-1526
EVALUATION:
1. Which ruler first established his capital at Delhi?
(a) Chauhans ruler. (b) Tomara Rajput rule (c) Turkish ruler. (d) Khalji dynasty
2. A fortified settlement with soldiers was
(a) Hinterland. (b) Garrison town (c) Jagir
3. Who was the first slave king of Delhi Sultanate?
(a) Qutbuddin Aybak. (b) Iltutmish. (c) Raziyya Sultan

MODULE: 5: The Sultanate in the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries

⮚ The Tughluq, the Sayyid and Lodi dynasties ruled from Delhi and Agra until
1526.
⮚ Delhi Sultanate played the most vital role in the transformation of Delhi into
a capital which controlled vast areas of the subcontinent.
⮚ Raziyya, the daughter of Sultan lltutmish, became the Sultan of Delhi in
1236 but she was dethroned only in 1240 only for being a woman and was
unacceptable to the nobles. Even a.famous chronicler of the age, Minhaj-i
Siraj, recognized her as more able than all her brothers but was not
comfortable with her, only for her being a lady.
EVALUATION:
1. Which ruler first established his capital at Delhi?
(a) Chauhans ruler (b) Tomara Rajput ruler (c) Turkish ruler
2. What was the language of administration under the Delhi Sultans?
(a) Urdu (b) Persian. (c) Hindi
MODULE: 6: Environment
⮚ The place, people, things and nature that surround any living organism is
called the environment.
⮚ Three Components of Environment :-
 Natural Environment
Human Environment
Human-made Environment

EVALUATION:
1. When is the World Environment Day celebrated every year?
(a) 25th December (b) 23rd June (c) 26th January (d) 5th June
2. Which one of the following is a basic life support system?
(a) Music system. (b) Environment. (c) Transportation

MODULE: 7: Domain of Environment

⮚ Domains of environment—Lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and
biosphere.
⮚ Lithosphere: It is the solid crust or the hard top layer of the earth. ⮚
Hydrosphere: It refers to the water bodies like rivers, lakes, seas, oceans, etc.
On the earth.
⮚ Atmosphere: It is the thin layer of air that surrounds the earth. ⮚ Biosphere:
Biosphere or the living world is comprised of plant and animal life. It is a
narrow zone of the earth where land, water and air interact with each other to
support life.
Ecosystem: The relation between the living organisms, as well as the relation
between the organisms and their surroundings, form an ecosystem.
EVALUATION:
 1. The domain of water is referred to
(a) Hydrosphere (b) lithosphere (c) atmosphere
2. What do plant and animal kingdom make together?
(a) Biosphere (b) Hydrosphere (c) Atmosphere
MODULE: 8: Inside the Earth
⮚ Takes interest in exploring the interior of the earth.
⮚ To know about types of Rocks.
⮚ There are three types of rocks—
(i) Igneous rocks
(ii) sedimentary rocks
(iii) metamorphic rocks
⮚ One type of rock changes to another type under certain conditions in a cyclic
manner. This process of transformation of the rock from one to another is
known as the rock cycle.
⮚ The earth is made up of three concentric layers-crust, mantle and core. ⮚ The
uppermost layer over the earth’s surface is called the crust. It is about 35 km
thick on the continental masses and only 5 km thick on the ocean floor. It is
made up of silica and alumina and thus called sial.
⮚ The oceanic crust mainly consists of silica and magnesium called sima. Just
below the crust is the mantle up to an extent of 2,900 km.
⮚ The innermost layer is the core with a radius of 3,500 km. As it is made of
nickel and iron, it is called nife(ni-nickel and fe-ferrous i.e. iron). The
central core has a very high temperature and pressure.
EVALUATION:
1. The process of transformation of the rock from one form to another is known
as
(a) Road cycle (b) food cycle (c) rock cycle
2. The upper most layer of the earth’s surface is called
(a) the crust (b) the brust (c) the roads
3. Draw a structure of the interior of the earth.
MODULE: 9: Our changing the Earth
⮚ Knows about the various land forms of the earth
⮚ Understands the earth’s movement and their effect.
⮚ Major Landforms
⮚ The landscape is being continuously worn away by two processes –
 weathering and erosion.
⮚ Weathering: Weathering is the breaking up of the rocks on the earth’s
surface.
Work of a River
⮚ Waterfall: When the river tumbles at steep angle over very hard rocks or
down a steep valley side, it forms a waterfall.
⮚ Meanders: As the river enters the plain it twists and turns forming large
bends known as meanders.
Work of wind
⮚ Wind: In the desert, an active agent of erosion and deposition is wind. ⮚
Mushroom Rocks: In deserts, rocks can be shaped like a mushroom, commonly
called mushroom rocks.
⮚ Sand Dunes: When the wind blows, it lifts and transports sand from one
place to another. When it stops blowing the sand falls and gets deposited in
low hill like structures. These are called sand dunes.
EVALUATION:
1. What is the place on the surface above the focus called?
(a) focus (b) forces (c) lithosphere (d) epicentre
2. What are the sudden movements of the Earth known as?
(a) building mountains (b) force (c) earthquakes
3. What are sand dunes?
4. Mushroom rocks are found in:
(a) Deserts
(b)River valleys
(c) Glaciers
MODULE:1: Air
⮚ Knows about the various Gases present in the Atmosphere &Significance of
different Layers of atmosphere
⮚ Knows the various Aspects of weather and Climate.
⮚ Develops sensitivity Towards the protection of environment
Composition of the Atmosphere
⮚ Nitrogen and oxygen are the two gases which make up the bulk of the
atmosphere.
 ⮚ Carbon dioxide, helium, ozone, argon and hydrogen are found in lesser
quantities.
Five Layers of Atmosphere -
I. Troposphere
II. Stratosphere
III. Mesosphere
IV. Thermosphere
V. Exosphere
EVALUATION:
1. Which of the following gases protects us from harmful sun rays?
(a) Carbon dioxide (b) Nitrogen (c) Ozone
2. The most important layer of the atmosphere is
(a) Troposphere (b) Thermosphere (c) Mesosphere 3. Which of the
following layers of the atmosphere is free from clouds? (a) Troposphere
(b) Stratosphere (c) Mesosphere 4. As we go up the layers of the
atmosphere, the pressure
(a) Increases (b) Decreases (c) Remains the same
5. When precipitation comes down to the earth in the liquid form, it is called
(a) Cloud (b) Rain (c) Snow

MODULE: 11: Natural Vegetation

⮚ Knows about various types of natural vegetation and understands the
Importance of Biodiversity.
⮚ Natural vegetation means the plants that grow naturally without human
interference.
⮚ Natural vegetation can be categorised into three categories namely; forest,
grassland and desert.
⮚ Natural vegetation: Trees, grass, lichens, mosses, etc. That grow naturally
without the interference of human beings are called natural vegetation.
EVALUATION:
1. Give one word for the following:
a) The tropical evergreen forests are also known as the________________
b) Tropical deciduous forests are also known as __________________ 2.
Fill in the blanks:
a) The savannas in Africa are an example of _________ . (grassland/rainforest)
b) Mosses, Lichen and small shrubs belong to the ________ type of vegetation.
c) The Pine tree is a ____________ tree. ( coniferous/deciduous) 3. Thorny
bushes are found in:
(a) Hot and humid tropical climate (b) Hot and dry desert climate (c)
Cold polar climate

MODULE: 12: On Equality

⮚ Introduce the learner to Political equality Social inequality,Economic
inequality Equality in Indian Democracy.

Look at the above picture and write a short paragraph based upon it .Use the word
given in the bracket (Adult, Universal adult franchise, Caste, 18 Years)
The right of the people to vote and elect their representative is called‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐means
that the right to vote should be given to all‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐citizen without the
discrimination of ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐, class, religion or sex. All citizens above the age of ‐‐‐‐‐‐
has a right to vote.

LEARNING ASSESSMENT:
1. What is the voting age in India?
2. What is meant by Universal adult franchise?
3. What do you mean by Political Equality?
4. Fill in the blanks‐
a) India is a‐‐‐‐‐‐Country.
b) Democracy is a form of government in which people govern
themselves through ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
c) Universal adult franchise is based on the idea of ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐.
MODULE: 13: Role of the government in health
⮚ What is health?
⮚ Health means our ability to remain free of illness and injuries. Apart from
disease, there are other factors that affect our health such as dullness,
inactiveness, anxiety or being scared for long stretches of time.
⮚ India has a large number of doctors, clinics and hospitals. Public Healthcare
System is a system of hospitals and health centres run by the government. ⮚
The health care facilities are divided into 2 categories:
1. Public Health Services
2. Private Health Facilities
EVALUATION:
1. Our good health depends on ______
(a) Hygienic food (b) Pollution-free environment
(c) Clean drinking water (d) All the above
2. ______ is a communicable disease
(a) Cancer (b) Headache (c) Sore Throat (d) Diarrhoea
3. What is PHC ?
(a) Private Health Centre (b) Public Health Court (c) Primary
 Health Centre (d) All of these

MODULE: 14: Woman’s Movement

Women’s Movement
⮚ Women and girls now have the right to study and go to school. Their
situation has improved in other spheres like legal reform, violence and
health. Women individually, and collectively have struggled a lot to bring
these changes. This struggle is known as the Women’s Movement. Different
strategies have been used to spread awareness, fight discrimination and seek
justice for women. Here are some glimpses of this struggle.
1) Campaigning
⮚ An important part of the women’s movement was Campaigns. Campaigns
have led to the making of new laws.
⮚ A law was implemented in 2006 against domestic violence which states that
women who face physical and mental violence within their homes will get
some legal protection.
⮚ The Supreme Court formulated guidelines in 1997 to protect women against
sexual harassment at the workplace and within educational institutions. ⮚ The
dowry laws were changed to punish families who seek dowry. 2) Showing
Solidarity
⮚ The women’s movement is also about showing unity with other women and
causes.

EVALUATION:
1. What is an important part of women’s movements’ work? How do they do
it?
2. The women’s movement raises its voice when _______ against women take
place or for example when a law or policy acts against their ________. 3. What
is known as dowry deaths?
MODULE: 15: Means of Transport
⮚ Knows about various means of transport.

⮚ Knows about important airports and port cities. .

There are four major means of transport:

∙Roadways.

∙Railways.

∙Waterways.

∙Airways.

Communication:
Communication means conveying messages to others. With the development of
technology, humans have devised new and fast modes of communication. Different
modes of communication are used to provide information, to educate as well as to
entertain. Through newspapers, radio and television we can communicate with a
large number of people. They are therefore called mass media.

EVALUATION:
Map Activity:
1. The outline map of India mark and label
A) Any two international airports. B) Any two port cities
2. Which of the following is an example of mass communication? i)
Television ii) telegraph iii) Telephone iv) letter
3. The Trans‐ Siberian railway runs between Vladivostok and :
i) Moscow. ii) St.Petersberg iii) Paris iv) London 4. Which
mode of transport is most suitable to reach an island? (a) Ship (b)
Train (c) Car
5. Which vehicle does not pollute the environment?
(a) cycle (b) bus (c) aeroplane