Year: 2017

Lessons for life

Gita Krenek

Rules are important for no society can function without them. But insistence on blind obedience of rules only encourages passive acceptance. As responsible influential adults in the lives of children, teachers have to ensure that they nurture critically thinking children who understand and imbibe the values behind those rules. And perhaps the best way to do this is perhaps to become role models they can emulate.

Going beyond the rule book

Chintan Girish Modi

Rules are made in the hope that their followers will learn certain values. But rules are often made by an authority and forced upon its people. And since what is right for me may not be right for you, it is necessary that rules are discussed and the values they promote be understood. Only if this happens will you realize whether a certain rule is just and challenge one that is unjust. If people had blindly followed rules women would still not have the right to vote, or the dalits wouldn’t be able to enter a temple.

Turning chaos into order

Anamika Kundu

Values and morals were a part of life once upon a time. But today it appears that we have to teach our children what values and in relation rules are. Not just in the home, but teachers too have to actively work towards building an atmosphere from which children can derive a good value system.

The heroic in the humdrum

The past year has just gone by and has left in its wake a lot of disruption. From demonetisation to cyclonic storms and political upheavals, the changes have been swift and hard to accept. It is in times likes these that small acts of kindness can make a huge difference, bring out the heroic nature in each one of us and kindle a sense of hope in our humdrum lives.

Pathways to language development

Subha Vaidyanathan

How can teachers improve the English language skills of their students? While some children are exposed to the language at home, there are others who need special attention. Systematic building of vocabulary from the basics is necessary right from the start. This can be done by using games and activities like word lists. Children not only have fun but without realising it, can hone their skills.

Everybody loves a hero

Aditi Mathur and Ratnesh Mathur
Everybody loves a hero because he has so much of heroism in him.Perseverance, courage, sense of humour and righeousness — these are traits that we find in every hero. Can we probe further into ourselves and check if we have them as well? That is because each and everyone of us can be a hero. The authors of this article tell us how we can become one.

Nest Watch – 3

Geetha Iyer
Did you know that snakes also build their nests? One would think that since snakes do not have limbs, they may not be able to engage in such a complex activity. However, it is only the King Cobra which builds a nest. In the last part of our series on nests, read about nest building by wild boars, termites, snakes and ants.

Add colour to your language

Manaswini Sridhar

Idioms are a unique way of expressing yourself and additionally , they also lend a character and richness to the English
language. How can students learn to reflect on the meaning of the idioms and try and use them in their speech and writing so that their conversation and writing is richer and more engaging? The author gives many tips and exercises in this article to help students master their use of idioms.

Rock on

Prachi Ranadive
Geography can be made more interesting if it is taught outside the classroom. A multi-disciplinary approach will further ensure that the students have a deep understanding of the concepts and also find the learning meaningful and engaging. In this article, the author talks about Rocks which are an often overlooked part of the landscape and how they are integral to human society having been used for centuries to build buildings and even to carve into.