Love the Nature

Introduction:
Science is a subject that is characterized by gathering information direct or indirect observation and testing this information by different methods. Since teachers are bound to the syllabus and time frame to complete the same, often they choose instructional style which requires no time for preparation and delivery. Though children acquire ‘knowledge’ they don’t learn the ‘application’. This lesson plan is an attempt to connect the ‘realistic’ experiences into ‘learning’.

Objective:
1. To help children connect with things around their immediate environment
2. To help them observe closely so that it increases their understanding of things
3. Children learn to categorize and classify

Activity Steps:

Nature around us
Ask your students to closely observe their own natural environment. They can find out what kind of trees and plants grow around their own house and in their locality, and why (weather conditions, soil types, etc.). They can consult their family members, neighbours, and friends for detailed information. This way, they will interact better with people around them. They can even look at plants in the school premises. Here, they can consult both teachers and the non-teaching staff.

Plant profiles
Let them conduct research on plants they have easy access to. They can find out the following: the botanical name of the plant, its place of origin, what kind of climate is suitable for its growth, and so on (you could add your own points to this list). Children can look up educational resources in the library, such as books related to botany and encyclopaedia – general, geographical and botanical. Ask them to watch channels like Discovery and National Geographic. These may provide useful information in this regard. They could also browse the Internet for relevant information.

Children can now prepare plant profiles. They can draw the diagram of the plant, label it and write detailed and systematic reports about it. These reports can be discussed thoroughly in class. The profiles can then be put up on the classroom wall.

While labeling plants, get creative and introduce languages spoken in the countries to which the plants originally belong.

Ask students to list down five roles that plants play in our lives. For instance, some provide us with food, some decorate our homes, some provide us with material for our clothing, and so on. Now they can classify trees and plants on such basis— ornamental plants, food plants, etc.

Nations in a garden
Conservation of soil is an important aspect of environmental education. Here is an activity for your students to do the same, simultaneously exercising their skills in a few other subjects. The children will first have to create a garden in the school playground and represent the entire globe in it.

Ask the children to carefully study the world map. Now, on a spacious part of the playground, let them mark off the outline of all continents using a stick, referring to the map. Include the islands, too. Then the outlines of the countries should be drawn. This will be an interesting exercise in geography.

The shapes and sizes of the countries will have to be proportionate. So, ask the children to take measurements on the map and calculate the shapes and sizes of the continents and countries appropriately before drawing them. To do this, the children should use logic and mathematical skills.

Now infuse life into the garden. Get some seeds and sow them along the marked-off ridges and the outline of the world map. Organize the class into groups and ask each group to take care of this garden every week – water it, nurture it with fertilizers. This is an excellent exercise in science.  A part of the Socially Useful Productive Work (SUPW) session, Physical Education (PE) class, or the library period could be devoted to this exercise. Imagine how the children will rejoice when they find life sprouting forth and blossoming in several colours in a few days!

Use this activity to teach them about different countries. Begin by telling them abut the original trees and plants of different countries. Here, is a sample list of some original ornamental and food plants from various countries:

Ornamental plants

China
Buddleia, Mexican Orange Blossom, Jasmine, Chinese Lantern, Ice Plant, Wisteria, Azalea, Rhododendron

Africa
Papyrus, Red Hot Poker, Pelargonium, Freesia, Busy Lizzie, Cape Daisy

North America
Evening Primrose, Godenrod, Poached Egg Plant, Michaelmas Diasy, Sunflower, Virginia Creeper, Black-eyed Susan, False Acacia, Water Fern (Azolla), Common Amaranth, Ornamental Currant

Japan
Japanese Maple, Quince, Bleeding Heart, Tiger Lily, Crab Apple

Food plants
India
Okra (Ladies’ Fingers), Aubergine (Brinjal), Spinach, Cucumber, Peppers

Russia / Poland
Cabbage, Beetroot

The Benelux Countries
Carrots, Parsnips, Swede, Turnip

South America
Potato, Tomato

Norway
Berries, Mushrooms

Ask children questions to find out/answer the following:

• Name some food plants that grow in our country and some that grow in other countries.
• Name some foods that are imported.
• What is the environmental impact of transferring plants from one place to another?Plants such as potato, rice, corn, and grains could form a good basis for examining these and other world food issues. Give children the names of some countries and ask them to find out what plants are associated with the religion and culture of those countries.

Miscellaneous activities
In addition, you could do these following activities to develop children’s love for the environment.
Children can plant trees wherever and whenever they can.

There are several movies about nature and the environment. Some of these could be shown to the children, for example, Girish Karnad’s Cheluvi.

Each child in the class could assume the role of a tree or a plant and talk about itself in a two-minute presentation.

The school can organize vanamahotsav in the first week of July. On that day, children could plant trees in the school premises. If there are already a lot of trees and space is limited, they could take care of the plants for that day instead of the gardener and take an oath to water the plants every day.

Organize debates in class. Give the students a few environment related topics, for instance, ‘Whether tribal people should be displaced from their natural habitat and made to join the mainstream?’, or ‘Should we minimize the use of paper?’ Now divide the class into two groups and one group could argue for while the other against the topic.

Students could find out details about environment-related movements such as the Green Revolution, the Chipko Movement, etc.

With a little effort, the children can create a cute little kitchen garden of their own. Plants like bitter gourd, mustard, brinjal, tomato, lime, chilly, fenugreek, and curry leaves are easy to grow. They can consult the gardener in the school and someone in a nursery in the town for primary information and guidance.At the end of all this, you will find your students sharing an intimate relationship with nature.