White gold, black soil

Sujata C

A project on Cotton can be engaging. How can a student learn all about life by being on a cotton farm? Cotton is more than just a fabric. It has pervaded every part of our lives in more ways than we can think of. From clothing to medicare to oils, its range is very wide. This article will take you on an incredible journey of cotton that will leave you asking for more.

The flying tigers

Geetha Iyer
Have you ever come across tigers that fly or a tiger with six legs? Welcome to the world of tiger butterflies that are very common in our country. This month’s Nature Watch column introduces us to a different species of butterflies that can be found in large numbers in both urban and rural areas.

Finding the connections

Diba Siddiqi
Most teachers may not have observed the subtle interconnectedness between different classes and different subjects. These connections can be found within learning spaces across classes. The similarities could be with an engagement with the world around us, could involve learning that is based on observation, reflection and practice. This kind of learning helps children to explore and join the dots as it were.

Straws: those wonder tubes

Simple materials can be used to teach different concepts. Read how a bunch of drinking straws can be used to teach complex concepts.

Sharing spaces equally

Vivek Vellanki
Does the classroom belong to the teacher or to the student? Should not this sacred space be shared equally by both? How can the teacher and the student find their voices and work together? Presenting a student’s angst against the school system.

Music for a cause

Ramya Ramalingam

A first person account of a student’s effort to raise funds for a good cause through her music.

What Shakespeare means

Prema Raghunath

The language of Shakespeare is hard to comprehend for 15 year-olds, especially in today’s times and given the chronological and political distance between his works and today’s scholarship. However, he continues to remain relevant because of his ability to reveal the mysteries of human nature which never changes.

Pictures that teach

Nivedita Vijay Bedadur

Newspapers are a rich resource in that one can find pictures, articles, advertisements which help us learn in different ways. Read how this resource can be used as textual material.

When fingers become cars

Geetha Durairajan

Children often indulge in make-believe games. With an imagination that can transform anything into anything, children can keep themselves occupied for hours together. As they enter the adult world, this imagination or creativity takes a back seat and is not valued. Is organised schooling reponsible for killing this childish trait?