PBL - ‘RIDING THROUGH THE FLAMES’ - AN EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE OF LEARNING ABOUT CONSERVATION OF FORESTS AND PREVENTION OF FOREST FIRES

(FEBRUARY 26, 2022)

“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” 

                                                                                                                          ~Anonymous~

Constant learners make the world go around. Unceasingly acquiring new knowledge and skills these are the people who herald in a future that is better than the past. At GDGPS we seek to develop the habit of constant learning in our young Goenkans. However, even noble thoughts, actions and intentions need to be made palatable for the young impressionable  minds of children. With that in mind, we at GDGPS have implemented Project based Learning (PBL) to ensure holistic involvement and therefore complete and voluntary involvement of our students in the learning process. PBL, an embodiment of experiential learning, helped make the entire teaching and learning process more engaging, involving and holistic.

Students of Class VI spread across seven sections approached the topic of forest conservation in their own indomitable style. They presented their project titled ‘Riding through the Flames’ through virtual means on 26 Feb 2022. What showed through were flashes of brilliance, strands of knowledge deftly and intricately woven together with language, audio visual cues, computer graphics all tempered with the confidence that can only come from in depth research. The presentations were not just about learning but also about engaging the audience through subtle entertainment. Showcasing the school’s vision of living in harmony with nature, the young Goenkans carried themselves with great confidence. The encouraging feedback from an awestruck and engaged parent body were testament to the quality of the work. We were spurred to achieve even higher by the encouraging feedback.

The students took the audience on an educational learning experience. The script was woven around an extract taken from a story written by Ruskin Bond where the protagonist gets stuck in a forest fire. The students then presented a detailed study of how forests are our biggest resource and what best can be done to prevent their wanton destruction. The students started working on the project in December 2021 when the project was launched. Thereafter they researched individually, bringing out different aspects of conservation of forests and forest fires. The students then came together to work in groups and included elements of all academic subjects to finally present their learning experience on February 26th 2022.