The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) Class 9 textbook, ‘Exploration,’ marks a shift from rote learning, encouraging students to investigate, experiment, and seek evidence-based answers through real-world contexts.
The book highlights India’s ancient scientific contributions and familiarises students with the nation’s premier institutions and eminent scientists, including Homi Bhabha and C.V. Raman.
‘Exploration,’ now comprising 13 chapters, replaces the previous 12-chapter science textbook. In line with the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023, science education at this stage aims to foster scientific temper, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
One chapter describes how scientists at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, run advanced computer models to simulate the Indian monsoon.
These models draw data from satellites, Indian Ocean buoys, and even Antarctic stations to improve seasonal forecasts and study the potential effects of global warming on monsoon rainfall patterns across India.
A new feature, ‘Quest Continue,’ highlights unanswered questions where scientific understanding is still evolving. For instance, the textbook cites how sound could potentially become a powerful tool for exploring other planets.
The textbook introduces several pedagogical innovations, including a chapter titled ‘Exploration: Entering the World of Secondary Science,’ which illustrates the interdisciplinary nature of science using examples such as surgical masks.
Hands-on learning is emphasised through a variety of low-cost, accessible activities that allow students to explore scientific concepts using everyday items. For example, students can investigate the propagation of sound energy using a container, a cellophane sheet, a plate, a rolling pin, and coloured grain particles.
While the chapter on gravitation will be added in Class 10, core topics such as force, work and energy, atoms, and sound remain in the Class 9 curriculum.
The chapter on atoms references Acharya Kanada, the ancient sage and philosopher who proposed an early atomic theory. He suggested that all matter is composed of minute, indivisible, and eternal particles called Parmanu (atoms), as documented in the Sanskrit text ‘Vaisesika Sutras.’ Another chapter, ‘Describing Motion Around Us,’ draws on concepts from ‘Aryabhatiya,’ written by Aryabhata.
