Workshops at the schools of Mandya District

Govt. High School, Katteri, Pandavapura Taluk.

Date : 01-07-2011

            This day marked the beginning of the series of workshops to be carried out over five districts. The event was inaugurated by Mr. Kempugowda, member of Zillapanchayat, Mandya and long standing leader of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha. In attendance were Mr. Thimmegowda, Head Master and his staff. Mr. Kempugowda appreciated the idea of sensitizing the rural children about local environmental issues and mentioned how both the central and state governments had identified lakhs of Acres of agricultural lands for establishment of Special Economic Zones and questioned how could farmers survive in the leftover land and share it with wildlife. Such policies are detrimental to wildlife as well as farmers, If we need to protect wildlife it is not just the farmers who have to sacrifice, the urban riches need to cut down their consumption he said.

            Soon after the registration and pre-test the students were taken through a slide show in which Mr. Kumar enumerated the story of blackbucks. After a small break the students were shown a film on grasslands. With intermediate stops he explained the issue in local language to make the show meaningful. Until lunch time questions by the students were duly answered. 

Kumar addressing the children about Blackbucks.

            In the post lunch session Mr. Manu involved the students in nature games. The resource materials were distributed and the students were grouped in dozens and encouraged to inspect the materials and have group discussions. Each group was assigned with a topic for which they found substance in the materials provided. A few students presented their learning during the valedictory function.

Govt High School, Jakkanahalli, Pandavapura tq, Mandya Dist.

  Date : 01-07-2011

            It was a small informal function in the school where Mr. Mohan Kumar, Science teacher invited and introduced us to the students. Around 100 Students were chosen for the daylong workshop who were pooled in from all three classes in the high school.  Sri. Kamalesh, Head master of the school addressed the gathering and said how lucky the students were to have such a workshop in their school.

            We started off with a pre-test questionnaire and the 100 students were split in to two batches. While the 1^st batch had slide show the other batch was engaged in outdoor activities, Mr. P. Hemanth conducted the outdoor activities. Mr. Mahesh gave the slide show on Grasslands, Blackbuck and its co habitants. He gave every bit of information to the students and clarified their doubts after the show. 

Mahesh giving a slideshow on Blackbucks.

The outdoor activities were:

o  Playing ‘WHO AM I ?’ with names of particularly grassland species.

o  Learning to differentiate grass from a plant by observation.

o  To study the different species of grass in their campus through collection.

o  To study the blackbuck material and poster and list out different birds, carnivores, herbivores and reptiles mentioned in the booklet.

           

            In the post lunch session a film was shown alternately in two batches. Later a post-test questionnaire was given to the students. At the end of the day we thanked one another for the cooperation extended and before we parted blackbuck stickers and labels were distributed to students.

Students reading the Material.