Environment Week activities during 5-10 July, 2021

“The environment and the economy are really both two sides of the same coin. If we cannot sustain our environment, we cannot sustain ourselves”-Wangari Maathai

Nature was once vast and boundless, but an industrialised 21st century world, that is no longer the case. Across the globe, landscapes and seascapes are becoming more fragmented. Wildlife has less freedom to roam and free-flowing rivers are increasingly rare. This division of the habitat into fragments has many effects, leading to the downward spiral of ecological dysfunctions. To lend awareness on these urgent concerns,  students at The Indian School-Second Shift observed Environment Week from 5 to 10 of July, 2021. The aim was to explore ways help our ailing planet.

In Pre school, on Day 1, a story telling session was undertaken, "Three little Recyclers" which spoke about how to reprocess recycled materials. Bringing new perspective through technology, the teachers shared a podcast about the story. On Day 2, the children sang songs on the environment. On Day 3, the celebrations continued as the children made ‘sock puppets’ using old socks. On the 4th day, students
pondered about where and when recycling takes place. They later discussed this during the Circle Time through pictures- (Time to reflect).The 5th day saw the children  presenting recycled crafts and how to make them.

To mark the importance of nature, the students of Pre-Primary celebrated the week with various activities to enhance  awareness.  A Drawing activity on sea life was one of these. Presentations were shown depicting the restoration of the environment through various ways like reducing the generation of trash. Students made colourful posters on saving water and electricity. A paper plate craft activity was carried out to show how a flower grows. The children also took a pledge to be considerate towards the environment and protect nature for sustaining healthy living. At the end, the week long activities ended with beautiful posters and craft dedicated to Mother Earth.

Class I students observed th special week by participating in a mélange of activities. A fruit enzyme cleaner  was prepared using a recycled can,fruit peels and jaggery. Also made were seed balls( seed bombs) using newspaper and old worksheets, some soil and seeds.  A skype session with Ms. Thi Nyugmen and her students from Vietnam was  conducted on 7 July, wherein the peers discussed methods by which they can protect the precious environment. 

The children of class 2 designed ‘Best of Waste’ products using their deft fingers. Furthermore, they applied their creative skills using  old jars, bottles and discarded cereal boxes to curate pencil stands. To encourage peer-to-peer learning an inter-class poster making competition on the theme “We are the Environment Protectors” was arranged. The purpose of this exercise was to spread awareness about the threat to the environment from rising pollution levels and degrading waste.

Class 3 students discussed the topic- 'Ways to Save our Environment' as they watched a video on nurturing the environment. They expressed their views on saving the planet in a poster competition and using poem recitation.

Students of class 4 voiced their opinions on saving the planet by interviewing people in their homes and friends via digital technology like the Podcast and Flipgrid. They advocated adopting plantation in  small areas. A 'trash fashion show' was held by the students  of class 5, emphasising upon the 3R’s, making ornaments and garments with scrap and reusable material found at home. A very impactful and motivating exercise in every sense.

Class 5 students also made their own sun catchers using old plastic with artistic skills. To further corelate to their observation, they watched a series of videos on upcycling options which are easily available. Students discussed the various ways in which we can contribute towards bettering our environment. 3D projects om the coral reef were made by them to expound the issues of polluting and disrupting marine life that has so much to contribute.

Not leaving a stone unturned, the students of class 6 showed enthusiasm by participating in an environment quiz showcasing their knowledge. In the competition the students interacted with peers on ways to save the planet.

Marking the week long activity, the students took a pledge to safeguard the environment.

Class 7 took on an online quiz on environment. They participated in a zero-waste project. For a hands-on experience, they prepared and presented 'best of waste' objects from materials found at home. 

Class 8 students held a debate  competition in English and Hindi, both of which emphasised the hazards to the health of our environment and in turn, to our own. They held an open-house discussion where peers took turns at explaining their ideas on how to best conserve our planet. They also demonstrated how to make carry bags from discarded shirts.