Water, Water Everywhere!
On the 7th and 10th of July, 2023, students of Std. 02 went on a field trip to Puttenahalli Lake in Yelahanka. They went there to observe a water body that they learnt about in their Social Studies lessons under the topic, ‘Earth – Landforms and Waterbodies’. 54 students in all went on this trip with 9 enthusiastic teachers.
The journey started at 8 in the morning in the beautiful Bangalore weather and we reached the lake in about 10 minutes. The short bus drive to the lake helped the students to remain charged and take a 40 minute walk around the beautiful scenic lake.
The organiser of the field trip, Ms. Sowmya, showed pictures of how the lake looked about 10 years ago in contrast to how it looks now. Students were amazed at the fantastic efforts that volunteers had put in to revive this lake that is also home to many different species of birds. Spotting some was the highlight of the trip. A few of them like the egrets, little cormorants, pond herons, the Indian spot-billed ducks, etc. caught the attention of some of our birders.
Ms. Sowmya also spoke of the filtration plant that helps clean the lake and how the different lakes around Bangalore city are connected, sharing water to keep them filled up throughout the year. Our curious scientists not only had loads of questions to ask, but also had so many observations and personal stories to share with the adults.
A recap of what they had seen around the lake in the form of questions and answers and a quick bite at the gazebo brought the trip to an end around 9.45 am. Connecting with nature was such a delight for both adults as well as our youngsters!
A TALK ON THE WILD SIDE!
As part of our unit on ‘Animals’, the students of Std 01 interacted with Mr. Gururprasad, a parent and a passionate forest officer. Although the interaction was over Zoom and we faced some technical challenges, there was no dearth of curiosity from our little wildlife enthusiasts.
Prior to the interaction with Mr. Guruprasad, students had come up with questions on wildlife and the role of a forest officer in taking care of animals.They were curious to know – the number of animals that lived in the reserve; how forest officials take care of animals that fall ill in the jungle; their diet; the rules that one must follow when they go into the forest to sight animals and what motivated him to take up the profession. These questions were shared with Mr. Guruprasad and he answered them through a presentation. Students learnt a lot about the animals in Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve, Maharashtra’s oldest and largest national park.
Std. 03 Field Trip to JN Planetarium
As part of our Language Arts unit – M.O.M. In Orbit, students of Std. 03 went to Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium on Friday, 16th December.
On reaching the planetarium students and teachers had fun in the play park after which we explored the Science Park in our groups. We had volunteers in the planetarium who walked us through the scientific models displayed and explained the science behind them. Students also went inside the anti-gravity room to experience how life would be against gravity on Earth. It was surely full of illusions!
After having our snack we lined up for the most awaited part of our trip. On entering the sky theater we were attended by another volunteer who took us through the important milestones achieved by ISRO. The kids were awed to see real pieces of asteroids on display!
Finally, it was time for us to watch the show – Our Solar System. Once the show started we were mesmerized to see the vast beauty of our skies. From the stories of how each constellation was formed to the mystery of the planets in our solar system, from great scientists to modern scientific tools – this whole experience took us to outer space and showed the history it holds.
Overall, it was a memorable experience for each one of us.
Std. 03 Field Trip – ‘Bengaluru Darshan’
On 23rd and 24th November, students of Std 03 went on their first field trip this year. The trip was organised in connection to their Social Studies topic – Bengaluru.
We began the trip by assembling in Ramana Maharshi Park, Mekhri Circle. There we were joined by Ms. Roopa Pai, a famous Indian author, who told us about the history of Bengaluru and its rich heritage.
Our next stop was Raj Bhavan Road where we saw Karnataka High Court, Vidhana Soudha and Cubbon Park. It was interesting to learn about the history of all these places.
It was time for the most adventurous part of the trip which was walking through the hustle bustle of City Market in Avenue Road. From fresh flowers to juicy fruits and green vegetables, kitchen utensils, home utilities, etc, one could find almost everything!
On reaching Bangalore Fort, Ms. Roopa Pai told us about the Anglo-Mysore War and the great warrior, Tipu Sultan.
Our Field trip came to an end with a scrumptious South Indian meal at Mavalli Tiffin Room (MTR) in J.P.Nagar.
Overall, it was an amazing learning experience for all of us!
Wheee!!
Force? Energy? Friction? What are these terms and how relevant they are in real life was a realisation that Std. 04 arrived at through various experiments, activities and presentations. A game of tug of war helped them arrive at a definition for force, raising their hands and keeping them raised facilitated the awareness that even such a simple activity needs energy and can be enervating. Discussions related to Physical Education and how they would all like to come first in a race as well as questions on transportation helped them arrive at the conclusion that friction is a necessary evil. As a culminating project to the unit, students constructed marble runs in groups of fours or fives. The challenge was for the marble to reach the end of the run as well as go through a loop. Bonus points were awarded for the fastest one! The last, and an important, part of the project was to present the model to the rest of the class and receive feedback from their peers. Students were excited to share their learning with the other grades in the Elementary Section!
Standardised or Non-standardised!
Std. 04
Std. 04 began Science with learning the importance of using standardised units of measurement. Conducting and recording experiments, validating information gathered were some of the skills learnt. They used non-standard tools to measure lengths (such as hand spans, cubits), weights (using different materials around the classroom from sharpeners to notebooks) and volume (using containers of different shapes and sizes) using sand and water to do the measurements. Similarly, they used standard tools to find out whether standardized tools do indeed give the same measurements and if there are variations why do they occur!
A Celebration of Science
Std. 11 Biology and Std. 2
At the end of the last academic year after a discussion with the Std. 2 teachers, Ms. Shukti Dutt decided to organize some impromptu biology activities with the students of Std. 2. This session led by her Std. 11 Biology students on their last day of school, was in a way trying to create some memory for these students who had practically sat out their entire time in the per-university section online. What followed was a session of marvellous biology experiments using a lot of laboratory equipment, seeing which the little ones were agog, to say the least. Their precious enthusiasm rubbed off on the seniors too and they had huge smiles on their faces for the rest of the day.
That made the teachers promise themselves that they would do this again and with a lot more planning. When Ms. Nandita Mohan reached out to Ms. Shukti Dutt last month about the new set of second graders who had just completed their unit on plant life, it seemed the most perfect opportunity to repeat the experience, this time with her Std. 11 Biology students. To say that these strapping students in pre-university were nervous, was an understatement. But the enthusiasm got the better of them and they were ready to take on the challenge of communicating with their juniors. They came into a class filled with over 50 excited second graders waiting with bated breath. The audible gasps on seeing, firstly so many senior students in their classroom, secondly them carrying microscopes and all kinds of materials, was like a dream come true for them.
Five stations were set up in the Std. 2 classroom. The two boys in the 11 ISC biology class handled the experiment on ‘What do plants need to survive?’. They had set up five plants in different conditions with every one of them missing an important requirement for their growth. This experiment was set up a week earlier during their biology class and they were tracking the progress of the plants. One was not being given water, one had no soil (the roots were in water), one without any source of air trapped in a bottle (therefore no carbon dioxide), one inside a shoe-box, therefore no sunlight. The fifth plant was given all the essentials for healthy growth. The second graders observed all these plants and had the wittiest questions. They kept the Std. 11 boys on their toes.
The next station was set up for photosynthesis in an underwater plant, the Hydrilla. The little ones were fascinated to see the bubbles stream out of the leaves as the light bulb shone onto the plant. Some very wisely asked if the bubbles would stop once the light was switched off. One student wanted to know if the Std. 11 student had gone diving underwater to get the plant.
The third station had microscopes focused on a section of the leaf showing stomata, a section of the root and a section of the stem. The students were very excited in this section. They were allowed to peer into the eyepiece and touch the microscope. They felt so grown up! The Std. 11 student manning this station showed an immense amount of patience and deftness. Some students thought the stomata looked like eyes. Some likened it to a many eyed monster and one said it looked like a branched tree. We have heard different descriptions, but it is the first time Ms. Shukti heard the section of a leaf being compared to a many eyed monster!
The fourth station had two 11th graders dissecting a complete flower and explaining the different floral whorls to the second graders. Most of them knew about the colourful petals and some took them away as souvenirs. Some even wanted to try their hand at the dissection.
The fifth station had an assortment of underground stems and roots that are all edible. The second graders were delighted to see carrots. ‘I love carrots’ was the constant refrain from that table. They were amazed to learn that the potato and ginger was a stem. Some were very eloquent about the benefits of ginger tea, much to the amusement of the senior students.
The entire experience was as enriching for the senior students as it was for the second graders. The enthusiasm of the little ones revved the seniors to make the session as interactive as possible. The patience of the seniors put the little ones at ease and soon the flow of conversation between the two age groups was quite entertaining to follow. The older students felt it was a lesson in patience, enthusiasm and wonder. The younger ones called the block a ‘celebration of Science’ and a ‘Science Festival’.
Std. 5 – Structure, Function and Human Systems
In Science, a key idea is that structure determines function; anatomy determines physiology. This means, the way something is arranged enables it to play its role and fulfil its job within an organism.
In an attempt to comprehend this idea of a structure-function relationship and as a precursor to learning about human body systems, students of grade 05 took upon a challenge to construct a table built with newspaper and see how much weight, in books, it could support.
Students had to collaborate within small groups as they engaged with design thinking processes of empathizing, designing, prototyping, testing and reflecting as they built these tables.
The only materials that they could employ were newspapers, sticky tapes and some glue
SOS: We are moving in the Right Direction!
Std. 05 reviewed their sense of direction, grid and map skills as soon as they stepped into their new Social Studies class, so that they stay on the right track!
Book and Movie Recommendations Galore!
Std. 05 spent a few days learning to create a slide deck on Keynote and came up with fabulous book and movie recommendations for their friends. From ‘Famous Five’ and ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’, to ‘Harry Potter’ and ‘Gangsta Granny’, we had lots of fiction recommendations! We also saw a few stories on the World Wars, different kinds of birds and animals, as well as some football and cricket books being discussed. ‘Top Gun: Maverick’, ‘The Batman’, ‘The Secrets of Dumbledore’ and ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ were some of the highly recommended movies to watch. The students created some great art work of their own as well which gave their recommendations an added edge.
Reach for the Stars!
They’re back! and, our classrooms are buzzing. Std.05 is ready to reach for the stars!
The Time Of Your Life
The Western Music students of Middle School participated in a group project titled ’The Time Of Your Life’ which explored the link between music, memories and emotions. They interviewed people of different ages, mostly family members, and tried to discover music from their childhood and youth which brought back special memories.
Some of the main areas of exploration included the role music played in their lives, the media used such as the radio, cassettes and records, and the type of music that was popular at the time. The students discovered interesting stories about their parents and grandparents, and gained perspective on how deeply music is connected to the daily lives of people.
– Shreya, Anya, Arlene and Sumer.
The Std. 05 Quiz Makers
When an opportunity presented itself for Std. 05 to organise an event for the younger classes, our students jumped at it! They were terribly excited at the idea of, first of all, going into other classes, and secondly, as the senior-most group in Elementary School, to be able to organise and run the event. When we asked for volunteers, nearly the entire class (in both sections) raised their hands!
Over the next two weeks, our large band of volunteers heroically gave up their snack breaks to meet with each other and us. They also set up times to meet after school hours. Having been given clear-cut quiz topics, they quickly created large question banks. Next, using the iPads provided by school, they were able to collaborate on making and editing the presentations which would enable them to share the quizzes in the other classes. Once the quizzes were finalized, it only remained for us to organise everyone’s schedule.
The final step was the most exciting of all – students had to go (as quiz masters and scorekeepers) to all the other classes and actually conduct the quizzes.
“Miss, it was so fun!”
“Miss, we met Ms. Sheerali after so long!”
“Miss, the kids are so smart – they knew all the answers and even asked us questions!”
“We had such a nice chat after the quiz was over!”
These were the most common comments we heard day after day as LAR Week got underway and our students began to conduct their quizzes. We heard similar things from teachers and students in the younger grades – that they had enjoyed the quizzes, enjoyed quizzing the Std. 05s in their turn, and generally had a lot of fun.
We realised how much students and teachers had missed interacting with each other… with the shutting of physical school, we no longer have access to common, and often informal, spaces. We mean spaces like buses, playgrounds, corridors, courtyards and even classrooms. We can no longer stop for a quick chat, watch students playing, walk into a classroom to look at notice boards, or talk to each other on the bus. This has essentially meant that we are quite cut off from everyone outside our own class.
Perhaps this is why this exercise meant so much to our students. And we are so proud of the way they organised themselves and the way they conducted themselves in the other classes!
Carnival for a Cause
To do their part and help in the COVID relief work, the students of Std 7 organised a carnival to raise funds to donate oxygen concentrators and beds for people that are suffering from COVID. The Carnival was held for 2 days on Zoom. There was an option of buying tickets and attending the carnival or people could also directly donate to the webpage.The Carnival included games like Bingo, Jeopardy, Dance off, Charades, Doodle (skribbl.io), Queen of Sheeba and Bake off. The students raised about ₹ 7,75,500 from this event.
The ticketing and publicity for the event was done through Paytm Insider who did not charge any fee.
100% of the proceeds from this fundraiser carnival went to the NGO Give India Foundation. The funds went to a 100 Bed COVID Care Centre opened with the Civil Hospital in Dharwad and the rest of funds went to opening a 100 Bed COVID Care Centre in Gadag. Entrepreneur’s Organisation – Bangalore Chapter helped them with the sourcing and purchasing of the COVID care equipment.