How A Science Class About Trees Was Used To Understand Multiple Concepts!

What drives a student’s curiosity? What ignites the learning mind of a child so much so that they themselves start to learn from the knowledge that is abundantly available around them, and not wait for someone to teach it to them? What then further inspires them and builds their ability to make that connection, to add blocks of new information on the foundation of their accepted knowledge?

This inquiry that we held was well addressed in one of our recent visits to Khekra, where we witnessed Grade 2 students position a brand new set of information over their existing set, brick by brick, through open-ended discussions, real-life observations, and collaboration with other students of their class.

Let us walk you through this beautiful experience of students not only teaching themselves through observation but also learning through their peers!

Is It Possible To Teach Three Concepts Through One Chapter?

The topic at hand was Flowers and Roots. This topic was taught to the students in two different methods. First, the teacher exposed the concept in the form of reading-together, where the teacher spoke for 45 minutes and the students listened carefully.

In the second method, Team Tarkeybein tagged along with the teacher, went through the chapter, and discussed the concept to be taught and the learning outcomes that are expected, prior to deciding the approach.

Through this discussion, the teacher decided to divide the topic into three main concepts:

1. Tree
2. Weather
3. Moral Education

Experimenting The Listening Approach Instead Of Lecturing Approach

Once the topic was subdivided, we decided to only focus on the first concept in the following class. This category was collectively chosen to be the Tree!

First, the teacher wanted to understand what the students already knew about the subject. So she started off with the question, “What are the different kinds of trees that you have seen around you?” The students were super excited to share and a wide range of answers were received, many of which we had not even thought of!

This animated response was very much welcomed by the teacher, and she then followed up with the question, “What are the different parts of a tree?” Right from roots, branches, leaves, fruits, flowers to sap, bark, twigs and so on, a plethora of answers were received. Again the answers didn’t fail to amaze us!

By the end of this discussion, we could see how this dialogue had clearly helped children to be more involved in the classroom, have a fair chance to analyze the content, make guesses based on their existing knowledge, and discuss any faulty information that they might have assumed. They also cultivated an eye to value their own ideas, thoughts and feelings, as the discussion encouraged collaboration and respect for each other’s views.

Observing The Accelerated Learning That Happens In Groups!

Seeing how successful the idea was proving to be, the teacher now had another exciting idea she was eager to implement, pumped up by the response from the students! She made 3 groups of students and asked them to go out and observe the trees around the school, match it with the answers that came up earlier, and be observant about the hidden peculiarities of different trees.

The students were very excited and ran out in groups to explore the surroundings with a new eye.

It was interesting to see how the same area where the students played every single day, was now witnessing the students’ joy of discovery and getting a closer keener look to what they thought they already knew. The excitement of finding a new tree, a new flower, a new fruit was evident from their squeals and widened eyes!

They were back to class after a while, where the teacher was eagerly waiting. Once the students settled down, she asked them, “What did you all observe about the trees?” The examination this time around was intended to be more thorough.

The students responded with some trees that were around the school, that even the teacher wasn’t aware of and was pleasantly surprised! They noticed how some leaves were different than the others; how some trees have fruits while others don’t. How every tree is of different color, how every leaf has a different shape, different shade of color, and has different interesting patterns!

They also drew interesting observations from how flowers fall from the tree in different seasons to how neem leaves are used in medicines when they get hurt.

The best part of this activity was that it was done together in a group, which opened them up to a different kind of relationship with their friends. The classmates who were till now mostly friends and playmates, now seemed to be people with whom they can learn, express and take help from!

Moral Of The Tree Story!

Observing the beauty of this session had elated our spirits. The teacher was also overjoyed! To further make these learnings easier to retain, the students were encouraged to talk to their parents, neighbors and other people at home to find out more information about trees. They were asked to draw and make note of their learning in their notebooks as homework. This was a beautiful way to ensure the learning doesn’t stop in school!

The session ended with a beautiful moral, making the whole class seem like a great story than a boring lesson! The teacher expressed how if we take care of the roots of a plant wonderfully well, it will go on to grow into a big tree, while offering its fruits, flowers, shade and multiple other things to the needy. Similarly how as students, if we concentrate on our roots, our basics, our values, we can grow to become wonderful and intelligent human beings, with an innate ability to help the society in amazing ways!

What we also realised was, instead of just teaching chapters and textbook information, when a teacher plans for the concept and lets information flow from every side, learning not only becomes meaningful but also more relevant for the students.

Not to mention, we were in awe with the teacher’s decision to explore three important concepts using one chapter, in such an engaging and fun manner. We cannot wait to be part of the future classes and watch as our tiny buds bloom into full-fledged flowers!

If you resonate with our work, want to implement this model in your community, want to support this initiative, or just want to drop in some encouraging words, we invite you to write to us at tarkeybein@gmail.com :)