ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION - METHODS & APPROACHES
A PARABLE* Once upon a time there was a class and the students expressed disapproval of their teacher Why should they be concerned with global Interdependence, global problems and what others of the world were thinking, feeling and doing? And the teacher said, 'she had a dream in which she saw one of her students fifty years from today'. The student was angry and said 'Why did I learn so much detail about the past and the administration of my country and so little about the world? He was angry because no one told him that as an adult he would be faced almost dally with problems of a global interdependent nature, be they problems of peace, security, quality of life, food, inflation, or scarcity of natural resources The angry student found he was the victim as well as the beneficiary 'Why was. I not warned? Why was I not better educat- ed? Why did my teachers not tell me about the problems and help me understand I was a member of an interdependent human race?. With even greater anger the student shouted, 'You helped me extend my hands with incredible machines. my eyes with telescopes and microscopes, my ears with telephones, radios and sonar my brain with computers, but you did not help me extend my heart, love, concern to the entire human family You teacher, gave me half a loaf
- JON RYE KINGHORN
* Earth Rights - Education as if the Planet really Mattered. Published for WWF UK by the Centre for Global Education, University of York, (UK), 1987. (Source:Education in values, NCERT)
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1. LEARNING OUTCOMES OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION The methodology of teaching-learning of environmental concepts, problems and issues is not completely new. Many of the variety of methods used in this case are practically the same as those used in other subject areas. However, since objectives of environmental education demand more challenging learning outcomes, the existing classroom practices need to be supplemented with more innovative and participatory techniques.
Major learning outcomes of Environmental Education are :
1. to improve awareness about environmental concerns.
2. to develop understanding of ecological principles.
3. to arouse concern for environmental problems.
4. to stimulate commitment for environmental protection.
5. to demand action to promote conservation of natural resources.
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The entire process involves a wide range and variety of learning awareness and understanding, sensitivity, concern, responsible choice, willingness and commitment to action. All these learnings, obviously, cannot be provided through one single source or method. The teacher has to draw from a wide range of learning resources and employ a variety of techniques, singly or in combination, to take the learners nearer to the set goals.
Need for use of more innovative methods and techniques is heightened by the facts that :
* What is being learnt goes much beyond the learning of traditional subjects.
* The teacher has to achieve more challenging and set goals of changing attitudes, developing skills, arousing concern, infusing commitment, clarifying values and ensuring participation and actions on the part of the learners.
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2. WHY PARTICIPATORY AND INNOVATIVE APPROACHES ? The methods and approaches selected by the teachers to the teaching learning of environmental dimension of any subject have to be necessarily active and participatory in nature. The techniques must ensure maximum involvement of the learners and provide enough opportu- nities for students to experience the environment, actual or simulat- ed. Being true for any other subject, active and varied techniques are necessitated because :
studies on cognitive development reveal that student participation is a key to success in learning. The extent of active participation of the learner in the teaching-learning process is an excellent index of the quality of teaching. Learner-centred activi- ties such as learning-by-doing, field-study, experimentation, group discussions, games, role-playing, project-work, problem solving and inquiry approach are some of the active learning techniques which bring about maximum learner participation.
- Through active participation. learning becomes internalised and becomes part of learner's cognitive structure. Learning becomes meaningful and permanent. Piaget's theory of cognitive development and Bruner's theory of concept formation support these beliefs.
- Though varied methods can be used to teach same concept. some concepts lend themselves better to certain methods than others. Study of water pollution for instance, lends. itself better to field study and laboratory analysis.
- Studies of learning style reveal that every student has a preferred learning style which facilitates and enhances his learning. Different methods of teaching are necessary to maintain student's interest and increase their desire for further learning.
The entire universe and everything in it, animate an inanimate is His. Let us not covert anything. Let us treat everything around us reverently as custodians. We have no charter for dominion. All wealth is common wealth, let us enjoy but neither hoard nor kill. The humble frog has as much tight to live as we.
- ISOPANISHAD
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SOME PARTICIPATORY AND INNOVATIVE METHODS FIELD VISIT : Visit to places of environmental concerns provides best opportunities to the learners as a means of observing and experiencing the real environment. It has enough scope for building environmental awareness, stimulating participation and developing investigative skills in learners. The technique can also be used successfully to focus on different components. For instance, a field visit arranged to a factory may help the students to understand the nature and source of raw materials used in production,. processes of production, working conditions and safety of its employees, disposal of wastes and loca- tion of factory in relation to natural and social environment. The follow-up activities can be planned to recognise the interrelation- ships, environmental consequences and suggestive actions. The tech- nique, however, requires meticulous planning, painstaking Organisation and cooperation of all.
GROUP DISCUSSION : Group discussion is a frequently used strategy which can be tried to make the students express their opinions and ideas, on a particular theme or environmental issue. The teacher may help, guide, moderate and orient student thinking and facilitate the exchange of ideas. The activity may be organised involving the whole class or- groups of suitable size. It provides the students an opportunity to freely express their opinions and reasons for holding them. The technique facilitates the exploration of values, clarifies values and develops the notion of individual choice and responsibility. The technique, however, demands careful choice of the topic which must be of vital interest to all those who participate in it. Time limit and agreed goals must also need to be decided in advance.
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SITUATION ANALYSIS : This is another effective technique which enables the students to identify significant variables such as values, opinions and objects, which are interacting to create a situation. It is a useful strategy to create awareness and develop understanding and is particularly effective in acquisition of skills in analysing, comparing, prioritising, predicting and evaluating. A situation of the following type may be created :
You are the manager of a factory, you are to decide between using coal and using solar energy for the plant. Using coal, you can raise your production target. However, coal causes pollution and is non- renewable. Solar energy, on the other hand, is cheap and inexhaustible. However, the technology is not yet fully developed and its use might decrease production.
The students may be asked to respond to the questions :
(a) Which power source would you choose?
(b) What criteria would you use in decision making?
ROLE PLAYING : The technique provides contrived experiences to students which are simplified versions of real situations and are necessary when the reality is too obscured. The students are given specific roles to play, to dramatize a specific real life situation and it offers a good opportunity to them for personalising the actions in the given set up. The technique helps the learners to understand the given role in the social context and develop communication skills. One understands the interrelationship between the expectations of others and the identification of the self in a social system. It further helps the students to understand that conflicts are inevitable but could be solved by mutual understanding. The approach sensitises the learners to the needs of society as well as social and ethical issues. A sample situation given below deserves consideration
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There exists a vacant piece of land marked "park land" in a certain locality. Some influential members of the community, having political affiliations, have managed to acquire this land for installing a small-scale industry on it. In a meeting of residents of the area, it was decided that a group of five members comprising of a senior citizen, social worker, housewife, an educationist and a schoolboy will approach the authorities to get the decision reversed.
The teacher may assign the roles to different students and set a role-playing situation. The discussion follows.
ENVIRONMENTAL GAMES : Most students like to play games. This tech- nique can be used effectively to arouse interest and developmental skills in students. Word puzzles. crosswords, quizes, Chinese cheq- uers and many other games related to concepts on environment can be created and used for improving awarness and developing understanding.
FIELD SURVEY: Field survey is another effective technique to gather baseline information which can be utilised further for providing direction to desired actions, A check list, a questionnaire or direct interview are the tools which can be used to determine people's awareness, understanding or interest in environmental issues and problems. A small survey of the locality may be undertaken to study people's attitude towards population growth of the town or development projects being started in the surrounding area.
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PROJECT WORK : Individuals or small groups may undertake projects to either collect useful information or investigate surroundings for specific environmental problems. Some of the suggestive project works could be collection of data from resource books. investigating patterns of different agricultual practices in a rural community. preparation of a scrap book on birds. preparation of a model on water pollution. etc. Teachers may have to provide guidance to the students in selecting, planning, executing and evaluating the project in order to make it a purposeful and meaningful activity.
DEBATES AND PANEL DISCUSSIONS : Debates and panel discussions can serve to clarify matters of controversy and disputes. These can be effectively organised to help the students to express their opinion on environmental issues and concerns. Teachers or student representa- tives may act as judges for presenting their views on the subject.
Some of the suggestive topics for debate or panel discussion could be:
(i) Animals should not be put in cages in a zoo.
(ii) Should construction of dams on rivers be stopped?
(iii) Polluting industrial units should be closed.
(iv) Man has more right on natural resources than other living organisms.
(v) Who belongs to whom?
Earth to Man? or Man to Earth
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3. ACTIVITIES FOR STUDENTS In the preceding sections it has been highlighted that different methods and approaches need to be followed for achieving wide range of learning outcomes of environmental education. A brief outline of some of these techniques has also been given in order to understand the underlying procedure and the psychological considerations of the same. Based on these techniques, the following pages include a range of activities which could be organised by the schools to take the learners nearer to the desired ends. The suggestive approach includes activities on sensitisation, experimentation and investigation. clarification of ecological principles. conservation and environment- friendly lifestyles. Many of these activities demand actions to be taken on the part of learners.
These activities are not meant to be prescriptive. Instead, these are suggestive and should cut across not only through content areas of different subjects but also co-curricular activities and other programmes of the schools. It is suggested that the schools may design similar activities to suit their locale-specific situations and achieve the desired results.
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THINKING TOGETHER, ACTING ALONE
BACKGROUND INFORMATION :
Thrust Area Environment
Subject : Any
Location : Classroom
Duration : 30 Minutes
Material Required : Notebook,pen
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OBJECTIVES : * To sensitise students to local environmental problems.
* To make students understand that many environmental problems can be checked by local people.
* To motivate and encourage every student to initiate some action on his/her part to improve environmental health.
ACTIVITY : Ask the students to do the following :
* List major environmental problems faced by you and the people of your locality.
* Rank these problems according to your priority.
* Draw up a table with the headings 'Problem', actions which could be taken by people, and action to be taken by Govt..
* Compare and discuss your table with your classmates.
* Write one thing for each problem that YOU could do to solve it
DISCUSSION The teacher may help the students to compare their lists by writing some of the major problems on the Board. Actions to be taken on the part of members of society may be highlighted and stressed upon. The message that EVERY INDIVIDUAL, THROUGH HIS/HER ACTIONS, CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE PROTECTION OF ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION OF RESOURCES needs to be emphasised upon.
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ACTING TOGETHER
BACKGROUND INFORMATION :
Thrust areas : Environment
Subject : Any
Location : Outdoor
Duration : Varying
Material : Note book, Pen
OBJECTIVES * To enable students to identify local environmental problems and their possible causes.
* To motivate them to initiate group actions to find solution to these problems, wherever possible.
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ACTIVITY Discuss with the students the need for environmental protection and motivate them to identify main environmental problems of their own locality.
Divide them in groups of 4 to 5. All the group members should be residing in the same locality. Help each group to choose a small area in their respective localities to identify main environmental problems.
Ask them to survey this area while working in a group at convenient time. They may be asked to record their findings in the following format.
S.No. Environmental Possible Suggestive Suggestive actions
Problem Causes Solutions on the part of
group/individual
After the survey, every group should be asked to present the report in the classroom. Discussion should be generated to motivate the students for collective actions.
EXTENSION : 87
APPRECIATING OTHER LIFE FORMS
BACKGROUND INFORMATION : The following activity is meant to promote healthy and positive attitudes towards the environment by means of language activity.
Thrust Area : Animal & Plant Life
Subject : English or any language
Materials : Cue Cards
Group : Groups of 4-6
Duration : 30-35 minutes
Location : Classroom
OBJECTIVE : To make students write comparisons which reflect their appreciation for the positive attributes of other living things.
ACTIVITY : - Prepare cue cards each with one of the following names of characteristics written on them.
- Suffering, Humility, Caring, Courage, Endurance. Preservance; Freedom; Resignation, Regeneration, Kindness
- Divide the class into groups of 4-6 and distribute 2 cue cards to each group.
- Ask the students in each group to identify members/features of the plant and animal kingdom which they associate with these qualities.
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For example a donkey may represent suffering and the earthworm humility.
- Write the following lines on the blackboard as an example : Earth teach me courage as the tree which stands alone
- Ask each group to now complete the lines using the characteristics given to them and the living things they have identified them with.
e.g. Earth teach me suffering as
- Make each group read out their comparisons and write them on the blackboard
- Now read the following poem from "Earth Prayers" to them and pin it up on the class board for everyone to read.
Earth teach me stillness as the grasses are stilled with light
Earth teach me suffering as an old stones suffer with memory
Earth teach me humility as blossoms are humble with beginning
Earth teach me caring as the mother who secures her young
Earth teach me courage as the tree which stands all alone
Earth teach me limitation as the ant which crawls on the ground
Earth teach me freedom as the eagle which soars in the sky
Earth teach me resignation as the seed which rises in the spring
Earth teach me to forget myself as melted snow forgets its life
Earth teach me to remember kindness as dry fields weep with rain
Ask the students to compare their own lines and ideas with those in the poem and encourage them to write similar prayers/poems for school magazines, other periodicals and newspapers.
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THEY HAVE FEELING TOO
BACKGROUND INFORMATION :
Thrust Area : Social behaviour of animals
Subject : English
Group : Whole Class
Duration : 30-35 minutes
Location : Classroom
OBJECTIVES : * To understand that animals too have feelings like us.
* To realise that using the superior means at our disposal to wilfully destroy them is cruel and unjustified.
ACTIVITY : - Involve the students in a discussion on Sati. Use the following questions.
Why is the custom called Sati?
How do you feel about this custom?
Do animals and birds also have the right to live?
- Read the following news item to the students. If possible make copies of it and give it to the students to read silently.
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"SATI" BY A BIRD* It happened many years ago when I was in my twenties. I was serving in the Forest Department then and acquired the habit of bringing down a bird or two for dinner now and then.
The day was particularly hot and it had taken a long time and much effort to stalk a pair of birds, a variety of pigeons locally called "manipura". Finally, the pair rested on an elevated piece of ground. Carefully I got within range, took aim, and fired. One bird lay dead in the ravine below and the other was nowhere to be seen.
As I approached to collect the dead bird, a male, my attention was drawn by its mate circling above. Hardly had I retreated some distance when I observed a strange and most moving scene.
The female came down and was pecking at something. Closer scrutiny showed that it was swallowing something. I do not know what. There was no food there to feed on. It was in fact swallowing pebbles. After it had swallowed a good quantity, the bird flew straight up, high in the air, closed its wing and dropped straight to earth like a rocket, and lay dead.
The strange spectacle of suicide of the female at the death of its male moved me so much that I gave up bird shooting since that day.
- J. DAYANAND (Courtesy : Indian Express)
- Now ask them to answer the following questions based on the news item.
(i) How do you think the female felt when the author took aim and fired?
(ii) Why does the writer call this passage "Sati by a bird"?
(iii) In what way was the author responsible for this Sati?
(iv) The -writer says that he was serving in the Forest Department. What in your opinion is his duty as a forest officer?
(v) In what ways do you think the death of these birds is a loss to human beings and the environment?
* Education in Values - NCERT Publication
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TAPPING THE LITERACY SOURCE Literature abounds in sensitive descriptions of all the living and non-living components of our environment. The teacher can use any such literary text to sensitize students to surroundings. The texts can be used as in the above activity for reading comprehension and for generating discussions. They can lead to other writing outputs like slogans, banners, posters, articles and letters to the editor.
Given below are two excerpts from literature which can be used in the ways suggested above. You. may search for more such excerpts.
1. ENCROACHMENT One evening after work groping in the mailbox for messages, letters from nowhere, my fingers encountered springs, twigs and eggs. A bird had nested right inside my mailbox Annoyed, I cleared it all except for the eggs. Later in the evening A squall had we out hastily gathering clothes left drying. In the garden, hopping in clumsy, hurry, was a mainah. Balancing in its yellow beak twigs and slender sticks heading for my mailbox laborously to rebuild the cosy nest I had wrecked. My vision blurred in the heavy showers The message I had missed Quite clearly I read In the incongruous nest hidden in the wooden box. A slow, persecution through a denuding of its habitat leaving no room to nest Except in wooden post boxes nailed to concrete walls
Neerada Suresh
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2. THEY MOURN THEIR LITTLE ONE* The little one was finally dead. The others encircled him, trumpeting, squealing and wailing. Tears rolled down the eyes of the mother and her breasts lactated heavily because the little one could not feed on them for nearly two days.
This was the scene in front of the range office of the Semhpal Project Tiger at Upper Barakamara where a herd of 25 elephants gathered to mourn the death of a male calf.
The herd in two groups had been grazing in a grassland near the Barakamara-Tinadhra road when a tiger attacked the calf.
Immediately after the incident, a group of. elephants assisted the injured calf to the artificial salt-trek in front of the range office.
The mother elephant on arrival at the salt trek, picked up a clump of dried grass, and wannowed it close to the wound of the injured calf to drive away the flies.
Around mid-day, when the sun became unbeatable, the herd moved to the shade under the trees, about 100 metres from the range office. The mother, meanwhile went to a water source closeby.
The range office staff taking advantage of the temporary absence of the herd, hurried to the injured calf, gave it an antiseptic wash and applied "neosporin"
Just as they completed the job, the mother returned and gave a chase. The staff hastened back to the range office. The mother then sprayed water from her trunk on the injured calf. The baby elephant despite its mother's efforts and attempts of the range office staff, succumbed to its injuries shortly after noon the following day.
The elephants then started trumpeting. Soon after the entire herd assembled in front of the range office in a demonstration of grief. The next day, the herd disappeared into the wilderness and the range office staff dug a pit and buried the calf.
The entire herd visited the spot for two successive nights and thumped the loose soil on the top of the grave with their feet. This was probably to prevent other animals from digging up the grave-and carrying away the dead calf.
- Courtesy : UNI
* Education in Values - NCERT Publication
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NATURE TRAIL
BACKGROUND INFORMATION :
Thrust Area : Nature
Subject : Any
Group Size : About 20
Duration : Two hours
OBJECTIVES : * To familiarise students with different elements of nature.
* To enable them to observe and study nature.
ACTIVITY : (a) Nests : Birds build varied structures as nests. Every bird builds its own nest with distinct characteristics which tells us about its breeding habit and parental care.
(b) Birds : Birds play an important role in our environment. One can easily identify birds with the help of a field guide. The behaviour of the birds can also be studied.
(c) Trees : One may identify different trees found on the nature trail and observe their distinct characteristics viz., bark, leaf, flowers, canopy, etc. Economic importance and usefulness of trees and plants may also be noted down.
(d) Animals : Like birds, different animals found on the trail and their behaviour can also be observed.
(e) Calls : One may not always see the bird or animal but hear its call. The presence of a particular bird or animal can be established on the basis of hearing of such calls.
(f) Feathers, Quils, Hairs : These objects are not only interesting to study but are also helpful in confirming the presence of certain animals and birds in the area.
Rules to be followed : The students may be instructed to obey the following rules :
(i) Be quite on a trail. By making sounds, chances of seeing a bird/animal become less. If one has to talk to others on spotting an object, it should be done in a low tone.
(ii) Leave things as they are. These includes stones and rocks.
(iii)Do not leave tell-tale signs that might give the information of the location of a nest or burrow to predators.
(iv) Do not collect any plant or animal specimen. These belong to the wild.
One may not be knowing if the species is threatened or endangered.
(v) Wear clothes of suitable colour that blends with environment, e.g. brown, green or khaki, etc.
Follow-up Discussion : Students may be asked to record their observations in a given format and prepare a small report. A discussion may be generated in the class on important observations made to arouse interest and sensitize them to different aspects of nature study.
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HABITAT
BACKGROUND INFORMATION :
Thrust Area : Wild Life
Subject : Science, Mathematics, Social-
Science
Location : Classroom
Duration : 40 minutes
Material required : Notebook, Pen
OBJECTIVES : * To enable the students to understand predator-prey relationship.
* To help the students understand the impact of land development on wildlife population.
ACTIVITY : In addition to eating rabbits and other small animals a mountain lion cat eats approximately 500 kilograms of deer meat each year. The lion eats only about 50 per cent of each deer it kills, the rest being consumed by other scavengers.
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One deer approximately consumes about 1600 kilograms of vegetation per year in the form of grass, herbs, bushes and tree leaves, one square kilometer of deer habitat produces about 300 kilograms of vegetation for deer food per year.
Ask the students to solve the following problems :
(a) How many minimum number of square kilometers of habitat will be required to support 10 deers?
(b) If each deer. averages about 60 kilograms in weight, how 'many deer are needed to feed one lion for one year.
(c) How many square kilometers of deer-lion habitat are necessary for one lion to survive? You may assume that one deer and one lion will provides continuation of the species (In reality continuation will require many other animals).
(d) There are more deer in a particular region than when the first human settlers arrived in that area. What could be the possible reasons for this?
(e) What would be the possible impact of growth of deer population on other species of wildlife?
DISCUSSION : 97
WHO AM I ?
BACKGROUND INFORMATION : The students may be explained the contents of different cards and rules of the game before the activity is carried out. Cards related to the game on vegetation/ecosystem (given at the end) of the activity may be prepared in advance.
Thrust Area : Vegetation/Ecosystem
Subject : Science, Social Science
Location : Outdoor
Duration : 30 minutes
Materials : Cards indicating characteristics
of different forests/ecosystem
OBJECTIVES : * To learn that different climatic conditions are required for vegetation of different kinds.
* To identify and classify vegetation growing in different regions on the basis of their characteristics.
ACTIVITY : Different students may be asked to be at the centre in turn and a different card may be given to the student at the centre. The activity may be repeated and continued with different cards.
The teacher may monitor or correct the responses wherever the need be.
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EXTENSION :
SUGGESTED CARDS : Card 1 : I am found in inter tidal regions of tropicals and sub- tropicals. My plants can survive in salt water. During low tides, one can see a variety of animals like mudskipper, crabs and oysters in my area. WHO AM I?
Card 2 : Trees of my forest shed leaves during dry season. Important trees are Teak and Sal. I do not have much resistance to fire. WHO AM I?
Card 3 : I have very tall grass. I am very coarse and brown in colour. I have few trees scattered here and there. I AM CALLED COMPOS IN BRAZIL, WHO AM I?
Card 4 : Unlike land, I have a uniform habitat with three distinct zones divided according to the amount of sunlight that reaches each of these. I have the claws. snails, labsters. and the largest mammal of the world living in me. WHO AM I?
Card 5 : I am found in equatorial and tropical coastal regions. My dense forest shed trees throughout the year. My tall trees form a canopy on the top. I sustain a rich variety of flora and fauna. I have trees like mahagony, ebony and rose wood. WHO AM I?
Card 6 : I am found in the cold regions. I have very tall trees. The branches of my trees are conical in shape and I have needle shaped leaves. WHO AM I?
CLUES
CARD NO. VEGETATION/ECO-SYSTEM
1 Mangroves
2 Deciduous forest
3 Tropical Savana grasslands
4 Marine Eco-system
5 Tropical evergreen forests
6 Coniferous forest