JHOOM FARMING

• After cutting one crop, the land is left as it is for some years. Nothing is grown there.
• The bamboo or weeds which grow on that land are not pulled out. They are cut and burnt. The ash makes the land fertile.
• When the land is ready for farming it is lightly dug up, not ploughed.
• Weeds and other unwanted plants are also not pulled out, they are just cut.
So that they get mixed with the soil. This also helps in making the soil fertile.
• This is being done in Mizoram.
• The main crop here is rice.
• The people celebrate when the crop is ripened and they do Cheraw dance holding bamboos.
• Like Father, Like Daughter
• We acquire certain traits at birth from our parents and certain things or skills we learn from our environment.
• Polio is caused by a virus, it is not inherited.
• A doctor can be invited to spread information about these disease.
• Gregor Mendel was born in a poor farmer’s family in Austria in 1822.
• For seven years he did experiments on 28,000 plants in the garden of the monastery.
• Pea plants have some traits which come in pairs- Like the seed is either rough or smooth.

On the Move Again

• Dussehra comes before the rainy season
• Farming of sugarcane needs much water.
• Puranpoli(sweet rotis made from jaggery and gram)- This is being eaten with a spicy kadi dish.
• Caravan is a bus or cart in which one can live with all the facilities.
• Rats have poor eye sights but have excellent sense of smell, touch and taste.
• In Nagpur they put sugar in dal.
• In dance the hands and face are used to convey feelings. These are called mudras and bhavs.
• The owl can rotate its neck backwards to a large extent.
• A bird’s feathers help it to fly and keep itself warm too. From time to time birds lose their old feathers and new ones grow in their place.

• ABOUT BRAILLE…

• Braille is written on a thick paper by making a row of raised points (dots) with a pointed tool. Braille is read by running the fingers on the raised dots.
• Louis Braille belonged to France. when he was three years old, he was playing with his father’s tools. Suddenly, a pointed tool hurt his eyes. He lost his eyesight.
• He had keen interest in studies. He kept thinking of different ways to read and write.
• Finally, he found a way – reading by touching and feeling. This way of reading later came to be known as the Braille script.
• This script is based on six points.
• Braille can now also be written using the computer.
• If you show the children the actual Braille script they will be able to understand it better.
• In the beginning, pots were made of stone and clay.
• People made pots of stones by digging and scraping stones with their hands.
• Kahwa(tea) with almonds and cardamom is being taken in Shrinagar.
• The Dal lake is in Shrinagar.
• Tourists enjoy the ride of shikara in Dal Lake.
• Houseboats can be found in shrinagar.
• Birds prevent fruits from insects as they eat them.
• Bajju village is in Rajasthan.
• Symbols are important to make children understand about maps.
• Discuss the re-use of water.
• This would help the children to understand the importance of saving water.
• It will be useful to listen and adopt suggestions given by the students in this regard.

EVS Pedagogy from NCERT!

• Children can learn the classification skills by categorizing the animals, things, etc.
• Motivate children to collect information from their surroundings as they learn a lot from their surroundings.
• Give children opportunities to observe the nature(not just sit in the class) – i.e Active Participation.
• Teacher can connect the classroom to the outside world.
• Encourage them to work in groups- it will help them to learn diversity.
• A teacher can inspire them to read stories.
• Enhance their creativity by promoting activities such as arts and crafts.
• Works can be given e.g draw something and observe yourself.
• Let them be the judge sometimes or give them opportunities to classify plants, animals etc.
• Let them recite the stories or other things do not force them to memorize.
• Community resources- A doctor, a farmer, their grandparents can discuss about plants to help them know more (real life examples).
• Encourage children to make friends with a tree- water it, look after it.
• It will develop their concern for the environment.
• Teacher should promote student’s regional songs, rhymes related to water.
• Make them sensitize towards issues like discrimination.
• Give them opportunities to observe and ask questions.
• To clarify few things discussions can be held.
• Encourage them to use locally available resources or materials.
• Choose situations which children can understand and relate to, so that they can perform better such as games.
• we all have different abilities.
• Relate things to children’s own experiences it will make them sensitive towards issues.
• Give them opportunities to express themselves.
• Encourage them towards things such as origami, finger painting, arts and crafts etc.
• Children must know the characteristics of birds even if they do not know their names.
• A teacher can organize a discussion over good or bad effects of rain.
• Children can consult their family members for things like cooking.
• Discussion can be done on how fuel effect our environment, teacher can use news reports on the same.
• A teacher should include children’s experiences into conversations.
• Give them real life examples as much as possible.
• A story can be better taught by including role plays-this will enhance their creativity
• Give them opportunities by which they can learn by doing them.
• Let them give opportunities to help each other.
• Discussion on gender issues such as technology, different business related gender issues, alcohol consumption – can be held.
• Let them observe birds closely to know about them- teacher can help them make a bird bath for this.
• Children can share their experiences on local methods of collecting water.
• Things are interdependent in our environment.
• Encourage children to locate some place on map-this will increase their understanding of places, directions and distances.
• Encourage children to ask their elders about animals and insects. Discuss with the children about the reducing number of birds due to changes in the environment.
• Debate helps children look at any issue from different angles- teacher can also explain them the meaning of term debate.
• Teacher can explain different people’s role in our society, life etc.
• A railway time table can be brought to classroom. Help the children to learn how to read the time-table. You can use time-table to devise many interesting activities to teach geography, mathematics, etc.
• Through games, a teacher can bring children’s attention to the point that we make rules for our lives, the way we do for games, so that things can be done in a proper manner.
• Discussion can be done about discrimination in games on the basis of gender, caste and class.
• Encourage children to observe flowers closely.
• The children should be helped to group flowers based on easily observable characteristics- like number of petals, colors, whether in bunches or not, etc.
• A visit can be organized to a construction site nearby so that children can interact with the people working there- people from such places also be invited to the classroom to discuss about their work and tools.
• Changes in the environment, families, places can be discussed in the classroom.
• Events can be organized for children to eat together.
• Let children think about the solutions of issues such as drinking, fights in the families etc. – charts and posters can be prepared by the children with the support of teachers.
• Tables can be used to categorize things such as soluble, insoluble etc.
• Children can be encouraged to learn the languages spoken by their friends.
This would help them appreciate and respect other languages.
• Encourage children to talk to their elders and neighbors about old times.
• This would help them develop their understanding of history.
• Talk to children about various sources of history such as maps, pictures, excavated things, books, records and ledgers.
• Safety rules can be discussed in the classroom.
• Discuss about the possible options for reducing the number of vehicles on the road and also use different news report related to it.
• Encourage the children to relate the use of the term ‘per cent’ to other instances from their lives, such as- chances of winning a game, marks in a subject, discount sales, etc
• Newspaper reports can be used to make students understand the term temperature.
• A discussion can be held on earthquake and its effects.
• News items on issues related to ‘untouchability’ can be used in the class to develop sensitivity.
• Give opportunities to children to share their experiences about gamesDiscussion can be held on the issues such as similar games for boys and girls.
• Team work can be promoted during games.
• A teacher can show them both aspects of a thing- such as dams-a debate can also be organized.
• Encourage children to use their experiences and imagination about forests.
• A teacher should be sensitive while listening some problems of children.
• An arrangement can be made for the children of families that are always on move- Discussion can be held