Yogesh Pathak

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As discussed earlier, we believe that eight-year olds have the right background to learn material through two long ‘stories’ – essentially natural history and man-nature relationship history.

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The story of evolution and biodiversity should cover the following concepts/clusters:

• How old is the solar system and Earth? What was the Earth like before the formation of early life?

• Theories of how living beings got created on Earth.

• The key periods in Earth's history after life happened, and associated life forms (preliminary)

• Evolution: concepts, preliminary

• Fossils and their variety

• Evolution of birds as a more detailed example 

• Examples of naturally extinct species: Dinosaurs

• Evolution of man

• Examples of extinction due to man’s interference: Mammoth and other large mammals

 

The story of man and nature’s relationship and human civilization should cover the following  concepts/clusters:

• Homo Sapiens’ journey from the branching of our species in the tree of evolution, while we were exclusively hunter gatherers.

  • Collaboration among Sapiens

  • Coexistence with other hominins (preliminary, with Neanderthals as an example)

  • Early diet

  • Language

  • Clans

  • Tools: Stone age and variety of tools from stones and animal bones

  • Fire and it’s many applications

  • Settlements and the role of water bodies

  • Cooking

  • Simple machines

  • Impact of settlements and the need for firewood on forests

  • Impact of hunting on other species like small mammals, large mammals, birds

  • Art and it’s evidence in caves

  • Relevant fossils and other artefacts found

  • Migration of Sapiens across the globe

  • Potential myths/religion among early tribes

• Our journey from hunter-gatherers to farmers, pastoralists, and today’s industrialized mode of living

  • Start of goat/cattle herding and start of agriculture

  • Domestication of animals

  • Early villages, cities

  • Communities, tribes and their norms and rules

  • Trade

  • Specialization of skills and vocations

  • Early social stratification

  • Pottery

  • Early housing

  • Start of culture and religion

  • Start of chiefdoms and kingdoms

  • Evolution of arts including beads, painted pottery

  • Evolution of monetary commerce (preliminary)

  • Evolution of science (early, preliminary) and technology: Metal use – Copper, Bronze, Iron, Gold, Silver

  • Wheel and it’s applications

  • Early transportation: On land, rivers, oceans, snow

  • Larger civilization along major rivers: Preliminary. Some examples of dams, farming, and trade

  • Middle ages, role of military in sustaining kingdoms and empires: Impact on nature e.g. wood for navy, hunting of mammals, firewood needs - Preliminary

  • Modern scientific discoveries and inventions: A quick journey

  • Steam engines, electricity, jet engines, globalization, hyper transportation, hyper construction, variety of man-made materials, energy use, information technology: Preliminary, along with impact of nature like pollution and change in land use

• Modern-day hunter gatherers, tribal societies and their co-existence with farmers, pastoralists, and the industrial man

 

In addition, the following concepts should be covered in this year

• Basic geographic understanding of their vicinity, town, and county or district.

• Interpreting the map of their town and district, filling various details in the map, etc.

• Relate the physical/climatic conditions in the district to the modes of living, vocations, and socio-cultural aspects.

• Concept of Ecosystem (Preliminary)

• Natural landscape as a mosaic of ecosystems

• Mapping natural landscape(s) into the map of town/district  -- may not necessarily fit the map’s boundaries.

• History of nature-man relationship to land, water, and forests (e.g. a river preceding human civilization, and human settlements happening along rivers) can be highlighted – mostly taking local examples from the district.

• Story of evolution and story of man-nature relationship mapped on the local town/district

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