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NATURE IS OUR TEACHER
Grade 11 ESS & Geography Field trip
Maldevta, Mahendrapur, Dehradun, Uttarakhand
As part of the IB philosophy, one must understand that not everything can be taught within the classroom. Thus, field trips provide the perfect opportunity to apply ourselves fruitfully.
Laden with their luggage, and appetite for knowledge, the group of ESS and Geography students readied themselves for the learning expedition that would soon be afoot. With a few parting words from the School Director, Dr. Sarvesh Naidu, Mr. Arvind Kumar Chalasani & Mrs. Poonam Dahiya , the students set course for their destination: Maldevta, Dehradun.
The group reached the Maldevta camp at 7PM, and after a few briefings and a homely meal they bid adieu for the night. Arriving at the camp site after sundown didn’t provide much scope for appreciation of the scenic views, but the next morning made up for it.
Nestled within the boughs of the mountains, the camp was surrounded by flora. Groggy from the untimely proceedings, the students prepped themselves for the long day ahead. Half of the ESS & Geography students went for experimental fieldwork while the other went for interviewing the local village people. While the Geography students carried out a migration survey on the labour class people, the ESS students used scientific methods like Quadrats (a tool for the study of biodiversity) and Simpson’s Diversity Index (a measure of diversity), to quantify the biodiversity of the encompassing habitat. The weather gods looked upon the trip with benevolence; As the sun rose higher in the sky, beads of sweat dripped down the backs of the budding scientists. But instead of getting dogged down with the scorching heat, the students resolved to work even harder.
Upon their return to the camp site, the campers discovered the founder of the area, Mr. Sakhlani. He gave the group a lot of useful background information. Seated around the bonfire, the group leaders shared their experiences of the day and hoped to do better for the next chapter of the trip that awaited them.
On the third day, half of the ESS students trekked to a village school, where they interacted with the children. They not only played and sang along with the village students, but also taught them about WINS (Wash-In School Initiative). The CAS element included the setting up of a library in the school, enacting skits to create awareness about social issues. They ended their activity by distributing stationery i.e. notebooks and pencils, to the primary school students.
Straight after, the students carried out surveys in two different villages: Raniwalla & Hilasauri in Maldevta. The teams split up and surveyed the villagers with different questions related to basic knowledge about the nearby pollution and global phenomena like global warming and population growth. They were met with both welcome and unwelcome responses, and responded appropriately for the human population questionnaires. It was an unusual experience; Walking into a stranger’s house wasn’t comfortable for all the surveyors. Two of the students got the chance to interview the Sar-Panch, i.e Head of the Village, who was supportive of women empowerment in the village and believed in education for all. Most of the girls in the village were educated and had a source of livelihood. The survey revealed that different people with varying lifestyles gave us an opportunity to see and learn how people were living a comfortable and content life even with a lack of certain resources and plenty of hardships that they had to face every day.
The trip was full of new adventures and experiences. For the closing ceremony, the students collected for a general vote of thanks. Also, a few special mentions were awarded to the students who did exceptionally well. The camp and team leaders were appreciated for their constant hard work and help throughout the trip, along with a few who surprised everyone with their remarkable effort.
Away from their comfortable lifestyles the group got to experience a handful of the hardships that millions in India face every day. But with the good came the bad, and there a sense of realization upon the fact that the world is a very small place and even though people and cultures are different, all of us share a common spirit.
Many a times, it’s said that it’s the journey that counts, not the destination. And no truer was this message here. For within the aches and pains, joys and pleasures, one could find the staunch aim of the expedition: Experience, not knowledge. We thank our teachers Ms. Vandana, Mr. Ashwini, Mr. Deepak & Mr. Guru for tirelessly effort for the success of this field trip.
Text: Saarah Khan, Grade 11; Photographs: Armaan ranger, Arman Beri, Ringshart, Mihir, Shona & Sakura: Graphic Design: K. Guru Charan Kumar & Vibhu Bhasin,Grade 11 Student
Grade 11 ESS & Geography Field trip
Maldevta, Mahendrapur, Dehradun, Uttarakhand
As part of the IB philosophy, one must understand that not everything can be taught within the classroom. Thus, field trips provide the perfect opportunity to apply ourselves fruitfully.
Laden with their luggage, and appetite for knowledge, the group of ESS and Geography students readied themselves for the learning expedition that would soon be afoot. With a few parting words from the School Director, Dr. Sarvesh Naidu, Mr. Arvind Kumar Chalasani & Mrs. Poonam Dahiya , the students set course for their destination: Maldevta, Dehradun.
The group reached the Maldevta camp at 7PM, and after a few briefings and a homely meal they bid adieu for the night. Arriving at the camp site after sundown didn’t provide much scope for appreciation of the scenic views, but the next morning made up for it.
Nestled within the boughs of the mountains, the camp was surrounded by flora. Groggy from the untimely proceedings, the students prepped themselves for the long day ahead. Half of the ESS & Geography students went for experimental fieldwork while the other went for interviewing the local village people. While the Geography students carried out a migration survey on the labour class people, the ESS students used scientific methods like Quadrats (a tool for the study of biodiversity) and Simpson’s Diversity Index (a measure of diversity), to quantify the biodiversity of the encompassing habitat. The weather gods looked upon the trip with benevolence; As the sun rose higher in the sky, beads of sweat dripped down the backs of the budding scientists. But instead of getting dogged down with the scorching heat, the students resolved to work even harder.
Upon their return to the camp site, the campers discovered the founder of the area, Mr. Sakhlani. He gave the group a lot of useful background information. Seated around the bonfire, the group leaders shared their experiences of the day and hoped to do better for the next chapter of the trip that awaited them.
On the third day, half of the ESS students trekked to a village school, where they interacted with the children. They not only played and sang along with the village students, but also taught them about WINS (Wash-In School Initiative). The CAS element included the setting up of a library in the school, enacting skits to create awareness about social issues. They ended their activity by distributing stationery i.e. notebooks and pencils, to the primary school students.
Straight after, the students carried out surveys in two different villages: Raniwalla & Hilasauri in Maldevta. The teams split up and surveyed the villagers with different questions related to basic knowledge about the nearby pollution and global phenomena like global warming and population growth. They were met with both welcome and unwelcome responses, and responded appropriately for the human population questionnaires. It was an unusual experience; Walking into a stranger’s house wasn’t comfortable for all the surveyors. Two of the students got the chance to interview the Sar-Panch, i.e Head of the Village, who was supportive of women empowerment in the village and believed in education for all. Most of the girls in the village were educated and had a source of livelihood. The survey revealed that different people with varying lifestyles gave us an opportunity to see and learn how people were living a comfortable and content life even with a lack of certain resources and plenty of hardships that they had to face every day.
The trip was full of new adventures and experiences. For the closing ceremony, the students collected for a general vote of thanks. Also, a few special mentions were awarded to the students who did exceptionally well. The camp and team leaders were appreciated for their constant hard work and help throughout the trip, along with a few who surprised everyone with their remarkable effort.
Away from their comfortable lifestyles the group got to experience a handful of the hardships that millions in India face every day. But with the good came the bad, and there a sense of realization upon the fact that the world is a very small place and even though people and cultures are different, all of us share a common spirit.
Many a times, it’s said that it’s the journey that counts, not the destination. And no truer was this message here. For within the aches and pains, joys and pleasures, one could find the staunch aim of the expedition: Experience, not knowledge. We thank our teachers Ms. Vandana, Mr. Ashwini, Mr. Deepak & Mr. Guru for tirelessly effort for the success of this field trip.
Text: Saarah Khan, Grade 11; Photographs: Armaan ranger, Arman Beri, Ringshart, Mihir, Shona & Sakura: Graphic Design: K. Guru Charan Kumar & Vibhu Bhasin,Grade 11 Student