IT TAKES LOT OF BLUE, TO STAY GREEN

BIRLA SCHOOL PILANI

BLOG ON SCHOOL BRITISH COUNCIL ACTIVITY-4

IT TAKES LOTS OF BLUE TO STAY GREEN

 

• Visit to Haminpur village

 

Under the British Council’s aegis, Birla School Pilani conducted an educational visit to an agricultural field in Haminpur village 7 km from Pilani to educate students in Water Management and Agricultural Practices.

The school organized a cycle trip to reach Haminpur where students were shown Rain Water Harvesting setups and their working and taught how their usage helps farmers. Students were also familiarized with water conservation concepts and responsible farming practices in an arid area like Rajasthan by farmers themselves.

Birla School Pilani arranged for various plants, about whose usage and characteristics the students were educated by the farmers; the plants were then donated to the farmers to be taken care of. This activity was done to sensitize students and develop a better connection with natural surroundings,

This activity exhibits the core belief of Birla School Pilani that learning should not just be confined to classrooms, and that theory must be substantiated with enough practical exposure. 

• Visit to Birla Science Center and Science Park

A total of 103 students were taken, as part of a series of educational trips, to Birla Science Center. The focal point of the visit was the visit to the newest addition to the Science Center, the Pilani gallery. Students were educated upon Water conservation techniques used in Pilani in ancient times using mechanized models.

Working models of scientific instruments such as the Archimedes’ Screw and its widespread usage in irrigation practices in ancient times was also part of the practical instruction.

In addition to all this, students explored various sections of the museum like the Space Section, the Energy Section, the Metallurgy Section, Transport Section, Agricultural Section and the geology section and were educated about the intricacies of the areas by Museum experts and Teachers alike.

 

The students were also able to enjoy unique experiences like exploring a model Coal mine, seeing the workings of a functioning robot and view India’s first Car, donated to the Science Center by Shri G.D Birla.

 

In addition to the visit to the Science center, the students also visited the newly constructed Birla Science Park where they were able to view and explore a Polyhouse, in which plants of varying variety are grown and housed.

Visits such as these are organized to explain complex scientific concepts in a very easy and fun manner while instilling and motivating a scientific temperament among the students so that they better understand and appreciate their surroundings.

• Greenwall Formation

 

The initiative for the formation of a Greenwall was undertaken as part of an interclass combined activity. The students were first taught about dynamic framing and plant-growing practices such as Deep Water Culture and Nutrient Film Techniques

 

The activity was spread over 3 months, with the students growing plants and taking care of them inside waste plastic bottles, Plastic pipes and aluminum cans. Compartmentalized groups oversaw the cutting of materials and growing of plants in small baskets in soil free nutrient rich medium like Cocopeet before irrigating them with techniques like Drip Irrigation to conserve water.

 

Students also prepared and presented PowerPoint Presentations detailing ancient and the importance of water. This exercise was specifically devised to serve a dual purpose – to inform the students about water conservation, plant irrigation and growing plants to an even greater degree and to encourage them to speak at a public platform thus contributing to their personality development and public speaking skills.

• Earth Day Celebration, Wall Magazine and Collage making competition

 

Birla School Pilani has always placed great importance on celebrating Earth Day. Students were encouraged to write poems and make posters. They also participated in Palm colouring activities

The posters highlighted the importance of planting trees and saving water thus saving earth. Throughout the year, students researched the water saving irrigation techniques in Israel and India and performed and visualized a comparative analysis by the medium of posters, collages, articles and poems.

All these pieces of art were collectivized as a ‘Wall Magazine’, which was the central highlight of the Earth day celebrations.

 

Birla School Pilani places utmost importance in activities such as these because they are contributing factor in the holistic development of children. They are also important due to the fact that they sensitize children towards the dwindling resource that is nature and makes them more responsible citizens of society.