Prrema Rangachary
Learning in primary school should be wholesome. It should be exciting, inquisitive and challenging, for only then will children develop the desire to learn. A theme-based model of learning requires a teacher to put in a lot of effort and planning, but it imparts life skills and reveals the seamless connection between different subjects to the child.
Category: May-June 2022
Being a part of the natural world
Chintan Girish Modi
All talk of climate change and degradation of the environment is usually alarming and negative. It puts people off and that is why Bijal Vachharajani fills her books for children on nature and environment with humour and hope. An interview with the children’s author.
Tinkering: how we can think with our hands
Mihir Pathak and Srishti Sethi
As teachers who are keen on the all-round development of students, we should be excited about tinkering. Tinkering allows students to take learning into their own hands, steer it in directions they would like and build on skills like curiosity and creativity. As a methodology that also develop life skills, it is high time that we brought tinkering into our classrooms.
Metals really matter: in life and learning
Tejas Joshi
One of the most important lessons in the science curriculum involves the periodic table and the elements. The lesson becomes all the more important because metals dictate our way of life today and how we use them will shape our future. We have to set traditional teaching methods aside and become creative in our delivery of the periodic table if it is to be of use to our students as changemakers, caretakers and concerned citizens tomorrow.
The sun’s yearly journey in the sky
Rajaram Nityananda
The sky and its elements have intrigued human beings in the past and they continue to fascinate us even today. What is the relationship between the sun and the Earth? Like the sun, do the stars and moon also appear to rise and set? Where does the sun appear to rise? In relation to the stars, does the sun change its position? How often? This article provides a few activities that will aid the teacher in helping her students understand and observe the sky better.
A true scientist in the field
Karen Haydock
What is science? Is it something that is confined only to the laboratories and involves nerdy men in lab coats fiddling with expensive instruments? Certainly not. Science is in our everyday lives. It involves asking questions, identifying problems and finding solutions. Science is not limited to a few people, it is social and meant for everybody.
Nature’s perfumery
V S Pragadheesh
Every time we pass the flower market, the aromas that hit us make us heady. Whenever we stop to water the tulsi or ajwain plants at home, our instinct is to smell them. How do plants produce these different aromas? What is the purpose of these aromas in plants? How do we bottle these aromas and sell them? Here’s entering a fragrant world to find the answers.
Experimentation: the core of chemistry
N S Sundaresan
Experiments are an important part of any science class. They help understand concepts better and are a means for children to explore ideas. Here are a few experiments that will clarify the concept of matter.
The sun and the shadows
Venkateswaran Thathamangalam Viswanathan
The sun is a fascinating object and there are many fun activities and experiments that you can carry out with the shadows that the sun casts to know more about this fireball in the sky.
Curiosity drives the classroom
Gurinder Singh
No science class can be considered successful if there are no questions asked. Curiosity leading to questioning is the best way of learning science. Questioning in the Indian classroom however is purely pedagogical in nature, is often one-sided and does not encourage discussions. So how can we encourage students to ask questions in the classroom? When should teachers ask questions and what kind of questions should they be asking?