The NCERT textbook for Class 9 CBSE students is a good book for beginners. Remember, what you learn in Class 9 will not only form the basis for what you will learn in Class 10, but also Classes 11 and 12, if you take up science. So, make sure you understand everything from the very beginning. Do not memorize without understanding.
Chapter 1 is called Matter in Our Surroundings. It starts from the fundamentals and is ideal for beginners. It explains the different different states of matter through simple experiments which takes it very easy to understand. Make sure your concepts are clear and you can confidently answer the questions at the back.
Chapter 2 is called Is Matter Around Us Pure. It introduces you to different concepts related to solutions and suspensions, separating the components of different kinds of mixtures which are very important topics. Then it talks about elements and compounds. The theory is excellent and easy to understand. Test yourself with questions at the back.
Chapter 3 called Atoms and Molecules introduces you to several extremely important laws such as the law of conservation of mass, law of constant proportions and then moves onto different concepts regarding atoms and molecules. It was also teach you how to write chemical formulae and does a very good job of explaining molecular mass and moles, all of which you will use a lot. Solving the questions in the chapter and at the back will give you good practice. I will suggest other books later from which you can practice. Remember, the more you practice the better.
Chapter 4 is called Structure of the Atom. As the name suggests, it talks about different models of the structure of the atom which you will see in much more detail in Class 11, so learn it well. It also talks about atomic number, mass number isotopes etc from the very basics, so that will be good for you. Again, practice the problems will help you internalize the material.
Chapter 5 called The Fundamental Unit of Life starts from the very basics of biology. Remember, do not memorize the material without understanding. That is a mistake which many students make when it comes to biology. The material in the chapter is written in simple language and the presentation and illustrations are very good. So, understand and then memorize.
Chapter 6 is on tissues. Again, the material is presented in a way that is easy to understand and memorize. So, go for it!
Chapter 7 is called Diversity in Living Organisms. It talks about different kinds of organisms. The material is concise and to the point. It will take sometime to retain everything. Understanding the material first, will speed up the process, so keep that in mind.
Chapter 8 is on motion. Understand the material from the very basics because you will encounter this stuff in much more detail in later classes. This chapter will teach you the physics of motion from the very beginning. Understand all the equations in the chapter and how they are derived, as well as practice the problems. They will help you later on.
Chapter 9 is called Force and Laws of Motion. Again, it is essential that you understand the concepts in the chapter thoroughly because a lot of the material in later classes will build on this material. It contains very good discussions on all three Newton’s laws of motion. Understand the material in the chapter and practice the problems. I will talk about other books for practice later on.
Chapter 10 is on gravitation which is again something you will see in later classes. The chapter starts with the law of gravitation and then discusses its applications. It is a very interesting chapter and you should have a good grasp of it. Solve the problems in the chapter and at the back. You can try more advanced problems from other books which I will suggest later on.
Chapter 11 is on work, power and energy. This is an extremely important chapter and you need to understand the concepts thoroughly because you will use them time and time again and in different forms in your science subjects. Once again, practicing problems will clear your concepts.
Chapter 12 is on sound and is a very interesting chapter. It talks about sound waves and different properties and applications of sound. The chapter contains good theory. So, read through it until you understand everything. The numerical problems from this chapter shouldn’t be too hard.
Chapter 13 is called Why Do We Fall Ill. This is a theoretical chapter and talks about human health, types of diseases and their causes, treatment and prevention. You can expect easy and scoring questions from this chapter in your Class 11 exams, so study it well.
Chapter 14 is on natural resources that our planet has to offer. This is another basic chapter from which you can expect easy theoretical questions. Study the section on biogeochemical cycles such as the water-cycle, nitrogen-cycle, carbon-cycle along with the greenhouse and the oxygen cycle. Also study the section on ozone layer. You can expect questions from these topics in your exams.
Chapter 15 is called Improvement in Food Resources. It talks about different types and methods of farming of crops and poultry/fish farming, cattle rearing etc. This is another easy and scoring chapter, so make sure you learn it well.
Good luck!
I will now talk about the NCERT textbook for Class 10 CBSE students. Do not hesitate to refer to the Class 9 textbook if you’ve forgotten concepts introduced in Class 9. I will suggest other books later, specially for practice. Read on!
Chapter 1 is on chemical reactions and equations. I have found the theory in the chapter to be pretty much self-explanatory. Read through the chapter, understand everything well and practice all the questions in the chapter to start with. They are excellent for beginners.
Chapter 2 is on acids, bases and salts. The material is presented in a step-by-step and methodical manner and the concepts are explained using experimental observations which will help clear your concepts. Once again, try to answer all the questions. They will give you confidence.
Chapter 3 is on metals and non-metals. This chapter contains some reactions which you should be knowing because you will see questions from it in your exams. However, do not blindly memorize without understanding the concepts. You will use these concepts in higher classes as well, providing you take up science. Also, you will find that it’s much easier to retain the information if you understand them first.
Chapter 4 is on carbon and its compounds. This chapter introduces you to organic chemistry from the very basics. I have found the explanations to be very good. Understand everything thoroughly because you will see this stuff in much more detail in Classes 11 and 12, if you take up science.
Chapter 5 introduces you to the fundamentals of the periodic table which I will advice that you learn thoroughly from the very basics because you will use it everywhere if you pursue science. The material related to the modern periodic table is the most important in this chapter. Nevertheless understand everything in the chapter well.
Chapter 6 called life processes is on certain biological phenomena that occur mostly in plants and human beings that are essential for staying alive and is relatively straightforward. You will have to memorize some of the material. Understand the material and then memorize and you will be fine.
Chapter 7 talks about biological phenomena that govern control and coordination in human being and plants. The material is written in an easy-to-understand way and is to the point, so it shouldn’t be too hard to retain.
Chapter 8 contains a lot of good material on how organisms reproduce. The illustrations are also very good and will help you understand the material which in turn will help you retain all the information.
Chapter 9 is on the different aspects of heredity and evolution. Once again, the material is explained very lucidly by referring to the illustrations and is very easy to understand and retain.
Chapter 10 is on reflection and refraction. This is another chapter which you will use later on as a science student. It has some of the best discussion on the reflection of light by spherical mirrors (i.e convex and concave) and refraction of light by rectangular slabs and lenses which I have seen. Understand everything in the chapter, solve the problems and you’ll be in good shape.
Chapter 11 is called Human Eye and Colorful World. It starts off by talking about the different aspects of the human eye. It also continues the discussion on light started in the previous . Both the theory and illustrations are excellent for beginners, so make sure you study them well.
Chapter 12 is on electricity. This chapter will teach you the fundamentals of electricity. It is essential that your concepts on this topic are clear because you will see multiple questions on this topic in your boards. Also, your foundation needs to be strong because you will see this material in much greater detail in higher classes if you take up science. Study the chapter and practice the problems and you should be good.
Chapter 13 talks about the magnetic effects of electric current, which is another very important topic for both your boards and as preparation for higher classes (for science students). All the different scenarios are explained very well. The chapter introduces you to a lot of new concepts which you need to understand thoroughly.
Chapter 14 is a theoretical chapter which talks about many different sources of energy both conventional as well as alternate or non-conventional. Once again, understand the material. Be prepared to answer questions from this chapter that require reasoning.
Chapter 15 is called Our Environment. It talks about the ecosystem and a little about man-made causes for environmental degradation. This is a relatively simple chapter, but do not neglect it. Make sure you understand everything thoroughly.
Chapter 16 is another theoretical chapter which talks about different kinds of natural resources and how to conserve them. This is a very easy chapter and you should not have much trouble with it.
Good luck!
