CBSE Class 10 Social Science: Important Topics and Tips for SA1 Exam

The SA1 or the CBSE Summative Assessment I is almost here now. Students are busy with their last minute revisions and social studies is the most daunting of the exams as one needs to cover the vast syllabus contained in the subjects of History, Geography, Civics and Economics.

But you do not need to panic as the team of experts at Meritnation has come up with some great insights into each chapter for your Social Studies exam. These key revision points and quick tips will help you prepare intelligently for the exams. Even if you have left out certain chapters for last minute preparations or revisions, these tips will help you get through them better.

MUST READ FOR CBSE CLASS 10 > Important Topics & Tips for: MATHS | SCIENCE | ENGLISH

HISTORY

Below are the important chapters and topics within them for CBSE History for Class 10, along with important tips for your SA1 exam.

Chapter 4 – The Making of a Global World

This chapter has less of events to mug up. Answers too will be more subjective in nature. Explanatory answers need to be prepared.

Important Topics:
1. Silk Route
2. How food became a symbol of cultural exchange?
3. Explain how the global transfer of disease in the pre-modern world helped in the colonialism of the Americas?
4. Nature of nineteenth century
5. Role of technology in the development of world
6. Impact of the Colonial rule on the Africans
7. Cattle Plague
8. Indentured Labour and Cultural Fusion
9. How the Great Depression affect US and India’s economy?
10. Values associated with Bretton Woods system

MERITNATION TIP: a) Try to prepare answers according to sub topics.For example if we take this question as an example: Role of technology in the development of world.We may prepare the answers as per the following points: 1) Providing Mobility 2) Facilitating Trade 3) Increase in Cultural Interaction 4) Evolution of Society b) Students can learn the chapter in the form of a story. Imagination and sketching an image in the mind of 19th century Europe may help them to understand the chapter better.

Chapter 5 – Age of Industrialisation

Important Topics:
1. How close relations developed between towns and countryside
2. Differentiate between Proto-industrialization and Factory System
3. Pace of industrial change
4. Plight of Workers in Britain
5. By the beginning of the 19th century there was a long decline of textile exports from Indian’ explain by giving reason
6. What were the effects of the arrival of Manchester goods on Indian textiles
7. How did advertisements become a vehicle of the nationalist message of Swadeshi?

MERITNATION TIP: Books and notes often cover events in a lot of detail. In most cases, it’s not necessary to memorise a large catalogue of notes on a topic. Instead, it’s best to establish a connection between the facts. The events should follow a logical order to help you understand and memorise them, so the use of mind maps can be quite helpful when visualising all this information at a glance and whenever you’re recapping for an exam.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES: Revision Notes | Sample Papers | Textbook Solutions | Ask & Answer

Chapter 6 – Work, Life and Leisure

Important Topics:
1. The function and shape of the family were completely transformed by life in the industrial city of Britain on the 18th century”. Support the statement with suitable examples.
2. The family had been a unit of production and consumption as well as political decision making. Explain.
3. Explain the life of marginal groups in London in 19th century.
4. The new industrial city of London led to mass work,it also raised problems of mass leisure and common holidays”-explain
5. Explain the social changes in London which led to the need of UNDERGROUND RAILWAYS
6. Haussmannisation of Paris
7. Describe any three points of social changes in the city of London with respect to entertainment and leisure of the people due to industrialization?
8. Why is Bombay referred to as the Prime City of India ?
9. Compare the growth of the city of London with that of Bombay

MERITNATION TIP: Answers comparing the three cities will be very common. So try to trace the common elements between the three and the differences in their growth pattern too. So once you start reading the chapter prepare tables to compare the development of the three cities: London, Paris and Bombay. This will not only help you to remember the chapter but also establish a link between the data provided.

Chapter 7 – Print Culture and the Modern World

Important Topics:
1. The history of print in Europe.
2. The growth of press in nineteenth century India.
3. Relationship between print culture, public debate and politics.

MERITNATION TIP: a) Discuss the link between print culture and the circulation of ideas. Show that forms of writing have a specific history, and that they reflect historical changes within society and shape the forces of change. b) Familiarize students with some of the ideas of writers who have had a powerful impact on society. c) Get familiar with pictures, cartoons, extracts from propaganda literature and newspaper debates on important events and issues in the pas. this will help you make learning fun. Also it will help you to get prepared with “Make Notes” d) Try to frame answers to trace forms of writing have a specific history, and that they reflect historical changes within society and shape the forces of change.

Chapter 8- Novels, Society and History

Important Topics:
1. Emergence of the novel as a genre in the west.
2. The relationship between the novel and changes in modern society.
3. Early novels in nineteenth century India.
4. A study of two or three major writers.

MERITNATION TIP: Makes notes of important writers and their contribution. It is essential to get familiar with some of the ideas of writers who have had a powerful impact on society.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES: Revision Notes | Sample Papers | Textbook Solutions | Ask & Answer

GEOGRAPHY

Below are the important chapters and topics within them for CBSE Geography for Class 10, along with important tips for your SA1 exam.

Chapter 1 – Resources and Development

Important Topics:
1. Resources : Types – natural and human; Need for resource planning.
2. Natural Resources : land as a resource, soil types and distribution; changing land-use pattern; land degradation and conservation measures.

Chapter 2 – Forest and Wildlife Resources

Important Topics:
1. Types and distribution, depletion of flora and fauna
2. Conservation and protection of forest and wild life.

Chapter 3 – Water Resources

Important Topics:
1. Sources, distribution and utilisation
2. Multi-purpose projects
3. Water scarcity, need for conservation and management
4. Rainwater harvesting (One case study to be introduced)

Chapter 4 – Agriculture

Important Topics:
1. Types of farming
2. Major crops
3. Cropping pattern
4. Technological and institutional reforms and their impact
5. Contribution of Agriculture to national economy – employment and output

MERITNATION TIP: Beyond just relying on the traditional ways to memorise information, here are some ideas that you can put into effect to help you become a whiz at recalling important geographic information:a) Mnemonics, mind maps, colour coding, visual patterns and diagramming are all great tactics to employ when working on geographic terms for memory and recall. b) Focusing on shortcuts and ways to identify the information is a must for a topic like geography that can involve a long list of names, locations, and situational location. c) It is important to try a number of devices to see which one works specifically for you as you may not find that a technique another student works for you as well. d) Focus on materials that offer diagrams, pictures, maps and colours rather than just text. This is why flowcharts, mind maps, tables and tree diagrams work so much more effectively with the human brains, especially when it comes to geography where you may also be tested on a country’s shape or certain images that are presented for you to offer an answer on what country or city it might be found in.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES: Revision Notes | Sample Papers | Textbook Solutions | Ask & Answer

CIVICS

Below are the important chapters and topics within them for CBSE Civics for Class 10, along with important tips for your SA1 exam.

Chapter 1 & 2 – Power sharing and Federalism

Important Topics:
1. Power sharing mechanisms in democracy
2. Why and how is power shared in democracies?
3. How has federal division of power in India helped national unity?
4. To what extent has decentralisation achieved this objective?
5. How does democracy accommodate different social groups?

Chapter 3 & 4 – Democracy and Diversity and Gender, Religion and Caste

Important Topics:
1. Working of Democracy
2. Are divisions inherent to the working of democracy?
3. What has been the effect of caste on politics and of politics on caste?
4. How has the gender division shaped politics?
5. How does communal divisions affect democracy?

MERITNATION TIP: a) Practice giving mock papers. At this time, more than your knowledge, your ability to perform in exam environment is important. When you give mock papers, focus on speed. Try to answer the paper as early as possible in a neat handwriting. b) Write answers to the point, as stated in the question. c) For 5-markers, underline the key points clearly so that the examiner can find the information quickly. d) Ensure that the right question number is written against each answer.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES: Revision Notes | Sample Papers | Textbook Solutions | Ask & Answer

ECONOMICS

Below are the important chapters and topics within them for CBSE Economics for Class 10, along with important tips for your SA1 exam.

Chapter 1 – Development

Important Topics:
1. The Story of Development : The traditional notion of development
2. National Income and Per Capita Income
3. Growth of NI – critical appraisal of existing development indicators (PCI, IMR, SR and other income and health indicators)
4. The need for health and educational development
5. Human Development Indicators (in simple and brief as a holistic measure of development. The approach to this theme : Use case study of three
states (Kerala, Punjab and Bihar) or take a few countries (India, China, Sri Lanka and one developed country)

MUST READ FOR CBSE CLASS 10 > Important Topics & Tips for: MATHS | SCIENCE | ENGLISH

Chapter 2 – Sectors of the Indian Economy

Important Topics:
1. Sectors of Economic Activities
2. Historical change in sectors
3. Rising importance of tertiary sector
4. Employment Generation
5. Division of Sectors-Organised and Unorganised
6. Protective measures for unorganised sector workers.

MERITNATION TIP: a) Make simple targets for getting through the material. Don’t spend hours on revision timetables which are overly optimistic. Have a clear plan what subjects need doing as you go through the exam period. b) Start off by knowing the syllabus and likely questions. c) Test yourself frequently. The key to learning is active engagement in the material. If you read a textbook, you will think – yes I understand that but the real test is to close all books and just put a question on a blank sheet of paper. Write what you can, but then go back and check. d) Do a certain amount of written work. This is the best test to make sure you are on the right track. e) Don’t count the number of hours sitting at a desk, but count papers written or topics where you have improved your learning.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES: Revision Notes | Sample Papers | Textbook Solutions | Ask & Answer

All the best with your SA1 revisions and exams! 🙂

Please take a moment to spread these tips with your friends. After all, Knowledge is the only thing that grows when shared! 🙂