How to learn the EEEF Way: First Grade
 

(c) Yogesh Pathak

 

We can think of the following five clusters for First Grade.
 

Teachers and parent volunteers should meet at the beginning of the year and plan an activity schedule, based on community resources, school calendar, community calendar and events, and seasons.

These are just guiding examples. Teachers/parents/schools should feel free to modify these as desired or create new grade-appropriate activities.

 

Nature’s Elements

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Rain: Field trip to observe rain and it’s impact on the ground: Things to observe - muddy soil, water flows, rain drops, rain falling on tree leaves. Also discuss: What happens when it rains heavily? What is a flood?

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Stream/River: Field trip to observe a nearby stream or river: Things to observe - How does the stream look like? What happens to animals, insects, and fish in a flowing stream.

 

Wind: Class outings to observe wind (summer and monsoon):  Things to observe - What happens to dust when there is high wind? What happens to trees? What is a storm? What is a cyclone/typhoon/hurricane?

 

Our water: Classroom session on sources of water: Where do we get all the water from? What are all the things we do with water? Where does the rainwater go? Where do streams start and end? Where do rivers end? Where does the ocean start and end?

 

Soil: Field trip on and class session on various forms of soil. The field trip should include visiting a potter and understand how they use clay.

 

Ocean and the coast: Field trip to the coastline (if possible): Observe low tide, high tide, waves, and direction of wind. Discuss: Why does the ocean have waves and what happens to them when they meet the shore?

 

Getting to know trees

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Field trip to observe trees: Observe and Discuss - Physical structure, movement especially in wind, Branches – how do they start and grow. Do they have the five senses? Can they see/touch-feel/hear/smell/taste? Some high-level differences in a few sample species (easy to understand ones). Do they have groups or families like we do? What is the equivalent of community? In what way does man use this plant?

 

Field trip to observe smaller plants: Observe and Discuss - Physical structure, movement especially in wind, Branches – how do they start and grow. Do they have the five senses? Can they see/touch-feel/hear/smell/taste? Some high-level differences in a few sample species (easy to understand ones). Do they have groups or families like we do? What is the equivalent of community? In what way does man use this plant?

 

If there is a field with crops nearby, repeat the above field trip to observe and describe plants in such a field.

 

Field trip to a nearby grassland area: Observe and discuss - Structure of a grass land, motion in wind. Do they have the five senses? Can they see/touch-feel/hear/smell/taste? Some high-level differences in a few sample species (easy to understand ones). Do they have groups or families like we do? What is the equivalent of community? In what way does man use this plant?

 

Getting to know animals

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Field Trip and class discussion - Mammals around Us: Field trip to observe and discuss high-level structure & body parts, motion and movement, balance, what do they do in each season? Do they have the five senses? Can they see/touch-feel/hear/smell/taste? Some high-level differences in a few sample species (easy to understand ones). Do they have groups or families like we do? What is the equivalent of community? How do their babies look like? Do they play with each other like we do? How do these animals communicate with each other? Do they greet each other? Do they have a language?

 

Field Trip and class discussion - Birds around Us: Field trip to observe and discuss high-level structure & body parts, motion and movement, balance, what do they do in each season? Do they have the five senses? Can they see/touch-feel/hear/smell/taste? Some high-level differences in a few sample species (easy to understand ones). Do they have groups or families like we do? What is the equivalent of community?    How do their babies look like? Do they play with each other like we do? How do these animals communicate with each other? Do they greet each other? Do they have a language?

 

Field Trip and class discussion - Amphibians around Us: Field trip to observe and discuss high-level structure & body parts, motion and movement, balance, what do they do in each season? Do they have the five senses? Can they see/touch-feel/hear/smell/taste? Some high-level differences in a few sample species (easy to understand ones). Do they have groups or families like we do? What is the equivalent of community? How do their babies look like? Do they play with each other like we do? How do these animals communicate with each other? Do they greet each other? Do they have a language? How do their babies look like? Do they play with each other like we do? 

 

Field Trip and class discussion - Reptiles around Us: Field trip to observe and discuss high-level structure & body parts, motion and movement, balance, what do they do in each season? Do they have the five senses? Can they see/touch-feel/hear/smell/taste? Some high-level differences in a few sample species (easy to understand ones). Do they have groups or families like we do? What is the equivalent of community? How do their babies look like? Do they play with each other like we do? How do these animals communicate with each other? Do they greet each other? Do they have a language? How do their babies look like? Do they play with each other like we do? 

 

Class discussion – bodily strength of animals: Which animal(s) is stronger than man, weaker than man? Stronger than a child, weaker than a child? In what way? Where are their strengths and weaknesses?

 

Class discussion- sleep: Where and when do animals sleep? Do trees sleep?

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Field trip to observe pets and cattle (if not covered above).

 

Class discussion - pets: What are all the pets and cattle in my part of the world? In other parts of the world? What are other animal-sourced products or services we use every day (e.g. honey, leather, dogs for protection, caged birds and fish for entertainment, dogs and cats for affection). In what way does man uses animal in his surroundings (local context only)?  In return, what do we do for them? Are these pets also found in the wild? Do they have a ‘brother/sister’ in the wild? How did these pets even become pets?

 

Nature and Human Creativity, Storytelling and Imagination

• Art from Nature: A class or field activity (one or more) to create items of art from natural materials collected in the earlier activity. (Ideally do not bring natural material readymade to children – Let them collect things of their own liking).

• Storytime 1: A teacher can read or tell stories about animals, plants, and nature’s elements.

• Storytime 2: Have children create their own stories about animals, plants, and nature’s elements and narrate to class.

• Puppet Show: Create puppets from natural materials and perform a nature-themed show appropriate to this grade’s topics. Teacher may lead and students may participate to the extent they can.

• A speech or essay on their pet animal or favourite tree if they have one.

• Grandpa/Grandma/My parent’s memories about nature: Ask your elders about their memories of plants and animals, and narrate them to class. {It’s equally good if the elders can visit the class}

• Ongoing drawing & craft activities to capture observations done in nature

 

Putting it together / Synthesis

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Class discussion: Examples of sharing of natural resources by plants, animals and man: Air, Water, Soil

 

Field trip and class discussion: My surroundings – Natural and man-made spaces. Changes in them according to seasons. Plants and animals in my area. Our lifecycle and their lifecycle. Our resources and their resources.

 

Any other synthesis, the teacher and parents think is useful.

 

Such activities can be adapted to fit various cultural and socioeconomic contexts. They promote tangible progress along the EEEF, critical thinking, and a connection to nature.