UNIT III – MATERIAL

ENTRY POINT : What’s it made of?

As a part of the entry point of the unit related to materials, students undertook the challenge of creating the model of School. The herculean task required lots of research in terms of understanding space, dimensions and usage of materials. Post research, the students examined the suitability of different materials after understanding their properties. The students designed a bromide for making the school-modal. Different parts of the model were divided among different age-groups of students and working in groups, they created a base, using wood and thermoplastic. Thereafter the various areas were developed by students like the main-gate, the garden area, the skating-rink, the drive-way, main-porch, buildings, canteen-area and the play-ground. Students used materials like, wood, metal, corrugated-paper, multi-utility paper, paints, match sticks, plastic, sand, grass and fiber to create a 7″- 3″-2″ model of the school. A great learning experience!

VISIT TO NATIONAL CRAFTS MUSEUM

Learning about ‘Materials’ , the children of International Primary Wing visited the National Crafts Museum, one of the largest crafts museum in India, established in 1956 and is run by the Ministry of Textiles , Government of India. Students got glimpses of rare and distinctive pieces of work reflecting the tradition of Indian craftsmen through paintings, embroidered textiles, clay-work, stone-craft and wood-sculpting.

Children were thrilled to visit the village complex, spread over 5 acres with 15 structures representing village dwellings and courtyards from different states of India.

Children got a chance to meet craftsmen who told them a great deal about the use of specific materials to create objects. Students were shown a documentary on how natural colours are made and used to create special wooden toys. Children discovered how a combination of various materials is used to create everything around us. They also understood how utilizing specific materials require specific skills.

The visit proved to be a great learning experience outside the walls of a classroom, reinforcing the concepts learnt.

EXIT POINT

The exit-point rightly exhibited a combination of acquired knowledge, understanding and skills acquired by the students through the course of the unit related to materials. Students presented a wonderful program to the visitors, surprising them with their learning through the unit of work. Students from Milepost-1, presented a musical depiction of ‘Bob-the builder’ and how different materials are used to construct. The students from Mile-post-2, presented a skit on ‘Single-use plastic- a menance’, making parents aware about how single-use plastic has become a world-wide problem. A foot-tapping fashion-show rocked the stage, as students dressed up as different materials walked enthusiastically and spoke about their properties, leaving the audience in awe. The students from Milepost-3, gave live demonstrations about the process of making a simple circuit and conducted experiments by involving the visitors about conductors and insulators. The audience applauded the confidence and zeal with which the students presented the entire show. It was an eventful day for all!

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