Grade 3 has been working on their unit under the transdisciplinary theme ‘ Sharing the Planet’ where they have been inquiring into the limited amount of potable water for human consumption.
A documentary by Ms. Tarini Manchanda made them wonder how rivers can be cleaned. That is when Mr.Sunil Bharadwaj informed us about the work of the senior Pathwazians on a project on Lake Patoda.
As history goes, there were seven lakes in this region of the Aravalis around fifty years back. Villagers used these lakes as a grazing ground for their domestic animals. Once a year they used to take turns in cleaning the lakes. Around twenty five years back this stopped. As a result the lakes started drying up. In September, 2009, some of our senior school children under the guidance of Mr. Bharadwaj and some teachers took up the task of reviving the lake by cleaning it. This initiative bore fruit and today the lake has water supply to last through the dry season and houses a lot of birds.
This inspired the students of Grade 3 to go an an adventurous trek through the Aravali to see the lake. The walk through the forest was an association with nature. The quiet forest was soon alive with the giggles and talks of the young adventurers. As they walked, they identified trees and plants, mostly of medicinal value. This reinforced their learning about the flora and fauna from the previous unit. The Lake site also had a lot to share. They worked at identifying the hoof prints of animals on the banks of the lake. Some even imagined a lion coming there for a drink. Mrs. Rao had her binoculars and a bird book to help them identify the birds they saw around. Different trees had different stories to tell.
As we walked back the children saw the seeds which were once used to weigh gold. They collected a few samples of whatever interesting they could find…. memories of the trip.
As we sat in the bus for a ride back to school I could over hear some of the children talking about how they would come back when they are in senior school to be a part of the project. That is what we call sharing finite resources with not only other people but other living things as well. And that is also called sowing the seeds of action in young minds………………
Article By: Ms Malini Ghosh
No comments:
Post a Comment