Language and Ecology
Age group : 5th , 6th std
Objective: Using ecology (observing living and non living entities) to enhance language.
Lesson plan 1 :
Methodology
To introduce vocabulary in the area of diversity of living beings from prior knowledge.
Session 1 :
- Name some insects , birds, mammals, reptiles that you have seen around .
- Look at some of the pamphlets available on birds , butterflies, beetles , reptiles etc. Here is a link of some e-pamphletshttps://drive.google.com/folderview?id=15aR7viB7llEaiXH3jAiAEES4MQRxh_vv
- Discussion points :
Have you noticed small creatures such as dung beetles , small butterflies ,geckos etc?
What are the characteristics you saw ?
Session 2 :
Objective : To make children appreciate and enjoy the interconnectedness of nature.
- Go for a walk for half an hour .
- Write down some of the insects , birds, reptiles and mammals that you see ( bring awareness that rats and bats are also mammals )
- Make some small food chains (Here is a snapshot of one such made by a child )
Discussion points :
What do you observe in these food webs ?
Do you realize the roles of mushrooms ,ants and termites etc ?
Session 3
Objective : Sharing the learning with the group and building on it which encourages them to work towards more complicated concepts .
Children present simple food chains they have made .Teachers make a food web on the board .(This can be in a computer screen for online classes) Note : Children can also observe creatures inside the house eg. moths , spiders , cockroaches etc )
Discussion points :
What is it that which fascinates you all in the above exercise ?
Session 4 :
Objective : Using the vocabulary which came out of direct observations to build sentences .
- Use Sentence table to make sentences of what/how different animals do/eat.
(One such sentence table homework for reptiles below: )
- Use the food web to make your own sentences similar to sentence table.
Session 5 :
Objective : Applying language to express the experiences in nature.
- Take a small walk and children use the sentences written. Two such examples a child said “Akka! Look the white-throated kingfisher is jumping on the grass and eating a worm. ““Akka ! look at rat chewing the cloth which had peanuts.”
Extensions :
Make a list of locally found amphibians,insects , birds and reptiles bilingually .
Sentence table with past tense verbs can be introduced.