Yogesh Pathak

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Below are the suggested  key concepts and concept clusters that would form the 1st-grade strands of the Web of Ecological Concepts:

 

• How does a stream or river flow? What happens to animals in it when it flows?

• What happens to dust when there is high wind?

• What happens to soil when there is heavy rain? What is mud?

• Where do we get all the water from? What are all the things we do with water?

• Various forms of soil. What does man make from soil?

• Where does the rainwater go? Where do streams start and end? Where do rivers end? Where does the ocean start and end?

• What happens when it rains heavily? What is a flood?

• Why does the ocean have waves and what happens to them when they meet the shore?

• Trees: Physical structure

• Trees: Movement/motion, especially in wind

• Trees: Branches – how do they start and grow

• Same as above for smaller plants

• Grass: Structure, motion in wind

• High-level structure & body parts: Mammals, birds, insects, amphibians, snakes

• Motion/Movement: Mammals, birds, insects, amphibians, snakes

• How do various kinds of animals balance themselves. How do we balance ourselves?

• Which animal(s) is stronger than man, weaker than man? Stronger than a child, weaker than a child? In what way?

• Where and when do animals sleep? Do trees sleep?

• High-level: What are animals and plants doing in various seasons? How do they face each season?

• Difference between pets and wildlife: What are all the pets in my part of the world? In other parts of the world? What service do they provide us? 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?

• Do plants and animals also 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 plants and animals have families like we do? What is the equivalent? High level coverage of plant communities and animal communities (easy to understand ones).

• Babies of various animals: Mammals, birds, snakes, amphibians, insects

• Do animal’s children play with each other like we do?

• How do animals communicate with each other? Do they greet each other? Do they have a language?

• How do we use various parts of a tree? Take some examples. e.g. Coconut or neem tree

• In what way does man uses animal in his surroundings (local context only)? Food/Skin/Protection/other

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

• My surroundings – Natural and man-made spaces. Changes in them according to seasons.

 

Each of these concepts could be integrated in the 1st grade curriculum in a preliminary way. Parents and teachers could co-create and co-facilitate a variety of activities to make this happen. The actual content of each activity would differ as per local ecosystems and habitats, locals land and water forms, and local climate. (Eventually we will publish some guidelines on the activities).