MINIMUM LEVELS OF LEARNING IN ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
Introduction 1. Environment is generally taken to consist of two main aspects: natural and human, i.e. man-made or social. This division is often reflected in the curriculum of Environmental Studies (EVS) where, traditionally, these have been labelled as Parts I and II separately, or Social Studies and Science, respectively. In fact, the total environment should be viewed integratively as the product of the interaction among the man, the natural environment and the social environment.
2. The proposed curriculum plan tries to include all these three dynamic and mutually interactive elements. It has been built around 10 major competencies. The first one is concerned with one's well-being in the context of natural and social environment. The next five deal with the social aspects such as socio-civic environment, the world of work, spatial relationship between man and his natural environment, man's past-present relationship, and some common problems concerning environmental interaction. The last four major competencies relate to selected components of natural environment pressing on the scientific aspect besides the personal and social ones, and include the elements of health, living things, non-living things, and the earth and the sky.
3. The ten major competencies aimed at the cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains of development together with the content elements associated with them are enumerated below:
The pupil
(i) acquires awareness about one's well-being in the context of social and natural environment.
(ii) Explores important aspects of one's socio-civic environment and comprehends their working.
(iii) Knows about various people at work and appreciates the importance about the 'world of work'.
(iv) Understands and interprets the spatial and interactive relationship between man and his environment.
(v) begins to see the relationship between man's past and present, and to hold the past in its proper perspective.
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42 MINIMUM LEVELS OF LEARNING AT PRIMARY STAGE
(vi) Senses common but simple and easily observable socioeconomic situations and problems, analyses them and seeks possible solutions at his level of experience.
(vii) Understands the factors contributing to the preservation of good health.
(viii) Develops skill in gathering and classifying information about living things from one's environment, and drawing simple inferences.
(ix) Observes and examines some common characteristics of non- living things.
(x) Observes simple phenomena on the earth and in the sky and draws inferences.
4. It may be pointed out that the proposed scheme of MLLs avoids drawing any hard and fast dividing line between various components of Environmental Studies and expects them to be treated in a correlated manner. In the ultimate analysis, every child has to conduct himself/herself as a socially responsible citizen as he/she grows, has to become aware of environmental conditions and the need to protecting it, and has to broaden his/her socioeconomic and scientific outlook with the attainment of greater maturity. It is for the achievement of such broad life goals that the competencies stated above have to be mastered during the initial stage of education.
5. In order to develop these major competencies grade by grade, they have been delineated into specific sub-competencies anchoring them with relevant content units, and have been presented as a flow chart in a sequential and interconnected manner. The horizontal relationship of different competencies within a grade and vertical articulation established across grades have to be kept in view in the process of teaching as well as evaluation. Therefore, a particular numbering system is followed in presenting these competencies including pertinent content elements. For example, the sub-competency numbered 5.4.2 means that it belongs to the fifth major competency, for Class IV, and second competency in the study of Progress of Man from Early Times to the Present Age (see Statement of MLLs).
6. Each competency or sub-competency represents a specific curricular objective describing expected learning outcomes. Keeping these expected outcomes of learning in view, effective and attractive procedures of teaching and learning should be followed. The competencies under EVS are such that the techniques of teaching can be conveniently made activity-based. The child should, therefore, be given ample opportunities both individually and in groups, as also within the classroom and outside to observe, explore, analyse, interpret and appreciate the natural and social environment of which he/she is an integral part. The textbook and other aids should be used for reinforcement of these processes.
7. Evaluation of learning outcomes should be integrated with the process of teaching and children's activities on a continuous basis. In the first two classes it should be largely observational and oral. Written tests may be
MINIMUM LEVELS OF LEARNING IN ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES 43
gradually introduced from Class III but should be supplemented by other techniques. The capacity of understanding and application of knowledge acquired rather than rote memorization should be particularly stressed in formal as well as informal examinations.
44 Statement of MLLs in Environmental Studies
Areas Class I class II Class III class [V class V
1 The pupil 1.1. Our body and its 1. 2. Our food and 1.3. Rules of 1.4. Precautions 1.5. Care against persons
acquires cleanliness shelter safety and orderly against common of bad habits and bad
awareness behaviour accidents character
about one's
well-being
in the
context of
social and
natural
environ-
ment
1.1.1. Identifies the 1.2.1. Understands 1.3.1 Appreciates 1.4.1 Identifies 1.5.1 Knows about common
main parts of the the need of food the need for orderly common situations crimes in his locality, e.g.
body for health behaviour in home, leading to accident theft, decoity, violence
school and public in his environment and trespass
places
1.1.2. Understands 1.2.2. Sees relation- 1.3.2. States in queue 1.4.2. Sees relation- 1.5.2. Sees relationship
the importance of ship between unclean and waits for his turn ships between acci- between crimes and bad
keeping them clean food and water, and dents and lack of habits and bad behaviour,
diseases precaution e.g. alcoholism, bullying,
lack of consideration for
others, etc.
1.1.3. Recognizes the 1.2.3. Appreciates 1.3.3. Interprets 1.4. 3. Knows some 1.5.3. Suggests possible
need of clothes and why the house is important road basic measures to safeguards, as also
seasonal variation an essential symbols (as appli- be taken following measures to prevent
in them (wherever need cable) an accident crimes
applies)
Areas Class I Class II Class III Class IV Class V
1.1.4 Practises per- 1.2.4. Shims activities 1.3.4. Observes
song cleanliness to keep the house and important rules
including toilet surroundings of mad (as
habits neat and tidy applicable)
1.1.5 Observes how 1.2.5. Observes and
animals and birds compares various kinds
keep their bodies clean of shelters including
those of animals, birds
and insects
2. The pupil 2.1. Our family and 2.2. Our neighbour- 2.3.Civic amenities 2.4.How we manage 2.5. How we govern
Explores neighbours hood (locality) that make our life our local civic affairs ourselves
important comfortable
aspects of
one's socio-civic
environment
and compre-
hends their
working
2.1.1. Identifies 2.2.1. Identifies 2.3.1. Enquiries about 2 4.1. Finds out how 2.5.1. Understands
important public important public the function of such the panchayat/muni- broad relationship
different members of places such as public institutions as cipality is useful between the Central,
the family with him- the school, panch- hospital , police for us State and local-self
self and among them- ayatghar, etc. in station, post office governments
selves the locality and panchayat/municipality,
knows their court and bank
importance
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46
Areas Class I class II class III Class IV Class V
2.1.2. Shows due 2.2.2. Realizes the 2.3.2. Knows about the 2.4.2. Enquires how 2.5.2. Describes simple
courtesy to elders, importance of going importance of some the panchayat/munici- facts about the Union
peers, etc. in the family to the school, and district level function- pality is run (central) and State Level
and among the relatives attends it regularly aries, e.g. D.M., S.P., etc. governments
and neighbours and in time
2.4.3. Explains why 2.5.3. Interprets the use
the panchayat and of terms like
municipality are called 'democracy' and 'union'
local-self governments for our country as unique
features
2.5.4. Realizes the
importance of the right to
vote in a democracy
3 The pupil 3. 1. Parents and other 3.2. Occupations in 3.3. Life and activities 3.4. Manufacturing 3.5. Other important
knows members of family at the neighbourhood of some people at work: Food producing workers: food producing
about work food producing articles
various
people at
work and
appreciates
the impor-
tance of
the 'world
of work'
Areas Class I Class II Class III Class IV Class V
3.1.1. Observes various 3.2.1. Observes and 3.3.1. Lists the occupa- 3.4.1. Recognizes the 3.5.1. Realizes the
members of family at lists occupations carried tions engaged in importance of manu- importance of work of
work in home on in the locality producing various facturing articles those engaged in trans-
articles of daily need port and communication,
e.g. railways, construction
of roads and bridge,
working of radio,
television, etc.
3.1.2. Knows about 3.2.2. Finds out their 3.3.2. Identifies 3.4.2. Identifies 3.5.2. Understands the
occupations of usefulness those who produce some occupations importance of trade
parents of family for food stuffs, e.g. related to them and commerce
earning livelihood fanner, dairyman,
fisherman and herds-
man
3.1.3. Shares infor- 3.2.3. Appreciates 3.3.3. Describes 3.4.3 Gathers infor- 3.5.3. Realizes the
mation with peers the variety in occu- their main activities mation about the importance of the work of
about occupations pations and its need and their ways of life activities and life a soldier, policeman,
of the parents of a few such workers teacher, etc. and compares
(selected examples) their work with that of a
farmer and a manufacturer.
3.2.4. Realizes the 3.4.4. Compares the 3.5.4. Appreciates the
importance of work work of a farmer existence of increasingly
in life with that of a crafts- large variety in occupa-
man tions and interdependence
among them (Extension
of 3.2.3)