Reaching for the sky

Vandana Aggarwal

The things one can do in a classroom are endless. Teachers must change the paradigm of how lessons are planned. Real world situations can be challenging and complex, often requiring solutions that are intelligent, creative and interdisciplinary.

The sky is (quite literally) the limit when planning innovative lessons. Problems are never one dimensional. The teachers should engage the students, ignite curiosity and make the classroom an inspiring place. Cohesive information on a topic helps them understand a subject holistically.

Let’s look at an interdisciplinary lesson plan using all things related to the sky as our central theme and see how we can address the problem of fragmented knowledge by integrating multiple subject domains.

Warm up
Assemblies are a useful tool to develop a sense of community among students. They help students focus on the theme as part of a larger group. An interactive, engaging assembly grabs their attention and creates a lasting impression. Depending on their seniority, students can talk about India’s space programme, the Wright brothers, the space shuttle Challenger disaster, recite poetry about the sun, etc. The range of topics is huge and can include a weather forecast, book reviews and myths about objects in outer space. The latter subject becomes all the more meaningful as we celebrate 50 years of man’s first landing on the moon in July 2019.

Launch integrated lessons with eye-catching bulletin boards to pique the natural curiosity of children. These can even be created collectively by the students. From Aryabhata to planets, early aircrafts to space shuttles, birds, bees and insects – there are countless possibilities.

Have a ‘Shoot for the Stars’ corner on the board where a student’s best work is displayed next to their name written on a star. There can be a ‘Star Student of the Week’ with the student’s picture and good points listed on it. A thoughtful teacher will ensure that each child gets an opportunity to be featured on it through the course of the year to highlight that all of them are stars in their own right and have their positive points. Give pupils titles like ‘Star helpers’ and ‘Star friends’ to encourage and motivate them to inculcate good values.

Make sure the library is well stocked with books – both fiction and non-fiction – related to the sky. The availability of relevant multimedia can enhance observation and learning. Display images related to the sky to provide visual clues for the pupils.

Engage the entire school in a programme to teach students to be respectful and kind to all things that are found under the sky. Teachers can plan a month or year-long activity to inculcate in the students a desire to play their part in creating a better world. Apart from reducing, reusing and recycling, there can be tree plantation drives, beach/park cleanings, charitable activities and fundraisers. Most importantly, the students should learn to work together to give back to society voluntarily and serve society ethically to make their community in particular and the world, in general, a better place. They should also learn the valuable life lesson of trying to achieve a positive solution to a negative situation. Each child early on should be given the opportunity to be involved.

Kindergarten
When learners connect what is taught in the classroom to the world around them, learning becomes enjoyable.

Decorate the classroom with colourful pictures of things that can be seen in the sky. Make a ‘Sky word wall’ by sticking images on the wall along with their names. It is a good idea to also introduce the planets in this way.

Create an activity corner by sticking glow in the dark stars, moon and planets on the underside of a large table. Cover the table with a dark cloth. Pupils can take turns to visit this special corner and enjoy the night sky.

Assembly for kindergarten can be replaced with ‘Circle Time’. As the children sit around in a circle, ask them what they see in the sky. Nudge them to think of out of the box things like hot air balloons, owls, bats and kites. List them on the board and get the students to use a higher order of thinking and differentiate between those that are visible at night and those that can be seen during the day.

Engage pupils by asking them to describe the colours in the sky. Apart from black and blue, there are also white and grey clouds and sometimes rainbows. Get them to draw some objects that they see in the sky and colour them.

Older students can replace colouring with tearing coloured paper and gluing it on the picture to create a collage. This will stimulate their brain and develop fine motor skills.

As children become more familiar with objects in the sky, they can be guided to observe how the position of the sun changes from when they come to school in the morning to the time they leave.

Get parents involved by asking them to help the child observe the changing shape of the moon every night.

Discuss how objects in the sky change the temperature. The sun gives us heat, keeps us warm, dries our clothes and helps plants grow. The clouds bring rain, keep the temperature cool and provide much-needed water for living things.

Print two copies of words pertaining to the sky. Hang one copy on a clothesline strung across the classroom. Students can pick out words from the other set and match them to the corresponding ones they see on the clothesline.

After the little ones sing rhymes like Rain Rain Go Away, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star or any other topical poem, ask them if they can count the stars in the sky or the raindrops. Introduce the concept of countable (sun, kites) and uncountable nouns (stars, raindrops).

Children love fun and games. They can have an outdoor kite flying activity or a balloon race. Playground activities can include flying like a bird (moving with arms flapping), like an aeroplane (arms spread out), like a kite (dipping) or standing like a star (arms and feet spread out). These motions will help improve their coordination and rhythm. It will also develop the dexterity and agility of the children.

Primary
An integrated lesson plan requires the cooperation of all the teachers as the lessons must involve teaching different concepts under one central umbrella. This requires addressing the learning objectives and planning activities that will help students learn and apply their knowledge effectively and meaningfully.

In the English language class, a classic story like ‘The Sky is Falling’ is appropriate for younger pupils. Get them to read it aloud with correct diction. Insist that the story has to be retold in the order in which the incidents happened. This can be a written or oral activity. Encourage students to use the words ‘first,’ ‘then’, ‘next’ and ‘last’ to help organize their thoughts and stories. In their notebooks, they should write on topics such as their first airplane journey, their kite flying experience, etc., in a proper sequence.

Students can read about or watch the video footage of man’s first landing on the moon. They can then attempt writing an essay imagining their visit to the moon. Brainstorm idioms that come to mind when they think of the sky and the objects therein (e.g., out of the blue, on cloud nine, once in a blue moon, reach for the stars, the sky is the limit, etc.). List them on the board and ask them to include at least five of these in their essay.

Students learn the skill of having a proper conversation in their second language. Divide the class into groups of six students each. Assign topics for students. Each student makes a list of five questions they would ask an airport staff, a butterfly, an astronaut, clouds, etc. They then ask other members of their group these questions who answer according to their imagination. All students get a chance to ask as well as give replies.

During a social studies lesson, organize a classroom activity to demonstrate the orbital and rotational relationship of the sun, moon and earth and observe how day and night are caused. Divide the class into groups of three. Assign them the roles of the sun, moon and earth. Have the sun hold a torch. Bring to their attention that the earth rotates counterclockwise. Ask what does the moon orbit around? (Earth). Why can the sun be seen only during the daytime? (Due to the rotation of the earth around the sun and how it spins on its axis.) Students will observe that the body part facing the sun has day and the part which is away has night. Eclipse and seasons can all be taught via this activity at the discretion of the teacher. Ask students to move any way they like and not follow a fixed path. Draw their attention to the ensuing chaos. Reinforce that nature follows rules and for things to run perfectly we all have to do our part correctly. Use this opportunity to impress upon them that in their daily life they should also be disciplined. At the end of the lesson, students should be able to record meaningful observations and discern patterns based on what they have seen.

During science class, get the pupils to observe and discuss how clouds are formed. Introduce the lesson by asking if they have seen a hot air balloon. Why does it rise? (The gas inside gets heated and the balloon floats upwards.) Introduce them to the different types of clouds that they may see in the sky. (Cumulus, stratus, cirrus.) Simulate the formation of clouds by partially filling a glass jar with very hot water. Cover the mouth of the jar with a plate filled with ice cubes. Light a match stick, hold it in the jar for a few seconds, drop and cover the jar quickly. Ask students what they see in the jar? (Clouds.) What role did the hot water play? (It caused the water to evaporate and heat the air making it rise.) What role did the match stick play? (It provided the dust or nuclei on which the water condensed.) And what about the ice cubes? (They cooled the air.)

In maths, calculating average, less and more, are concepts that can be taught using a rain gauge. Explain that drastic weather changes have led to global warming. Reading a rain gauge can help farmers calculate how much rain to expect and in which month. Make a rain gauge by using the bottom part of a cola bottle as a jar and the inverted top part as a funnel. Depending on the level of learning, students can observe the amount of rainfall for a week and calculate the average rainfall. They can figure out which day it was less and when it was more. Senior students can even create a graph representing the pattern of rainfall over a period of seven days.

During art class, get the students to make a birdhouse with empty juice cartons and hang them up in the open area of their school. They can observe and enjoy the birds from a distance.

A field trip to the planetarium or an overnight camp to observe the night sky would be fun activities for the students.

Secondary classes
Learning by observation or hands-on activity happens when students use their senses to collect information about objects and events related to a topic. Teachers can effectively scaffold student understanding through careful questioning as students share their observations, brainstorm and learn.

The secondary classes can attend a night camp to observe the moon and constellations. Help students to identify that stars appear in fixed patterns called constellations. Discuss that before modern science came about people explained cosmic wonders by creating stories or myths around them. Encourage students to read some myths in preparation for this lesson. Reiterate that constellations have been used for centuries for navigation and timekeeping.

Divide students into groups. Ask each group to imagine a new constellation by connecting different stars. Language teachers should encourage them to brainstorm and give this imaginary constellation a name and create a myth around it. Each group should present their story to the rest of the class. The most original stories can be published in the school magazine or adapted for enactment in the Speech and Drama Class. This group activity develops imagination and gives learners a chance to use language effectively to build on ideas and express opinions clearly.

The Second Language teacher should use this opportunity to introduce the class to the rich heritage of Sanskrit Literature. The epic poem ‘Meghdoot’ by Kalidasa talks about the journey of a cloud which carries a message as it flies northwards to a mythical city in the Himalayas. During the journey, the cloud describes many cities and landmarks from its vantage position in the sky. The teacher can read out an extract from this classic and explain it to the students. Get the students to discuss how Kalidasa used facts and his imagination to visualize the scenery that the cloud flew over. They should try to do the same and write about what the cloud would have seen as it flew over their region.

Meghdoot can also be enacted as a dance drama for co-curricular activity.

During the history class, question students on how they find their way around in unknown places? (Global Positioning System which uses satellites to indicate the best possible route.) How did mariners in ancient time travel to foreign lands without the help of technology? Students should be able to indicate that objects in the sky like stars, constellations and the sun, which served as useful sky maps for explorers and helped them navigate. Discuss the voyages of a few famous explorers and how world history would have been different if these marine explorers had not ventured out. Reflect if Vasco da Gama had not reached India or Columbus not arrived in America, would we still be living the lives we live today? Did these explorers alter the world forever?

In geography, students can learn about the magnetic force of the sun. They will recall magnetic concepts of attraction and repulsion. Show them photographs of the Aurora Borealis, also known as The Northern Lights. Internet resources can be helpful to enhance student experiences on this topic as opportunities for direct experience may be limited. Explain that the earth’s atmosphere is made up of several gases but surrounding the earth is a geomagnetic field that we cannot see. The sun also has a similar magnetic field. Solar wind particles which are sucked into the earth’s magnetic field collide with the atmospheric gases and the result is energy in the form of light which is seen as an aurora. Inquire why they are seen mainly at the poles? (The earth’s magnetic field is weaker here, allowing the solar particles to enter the earth’s atmosphere.)

Newton’s third law of motion lends well to a lesson in physics. Inquire what students understand by the terms ‘action’ and ‘reaction’. Fill a balloon with air and let go. What happens? (The balloon flies away as the air escapes.) Note which side the open end of the balloon faces. (Away from the direction of travel.) This happens because for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Let pupils apply this knowledge to interpret how an airplane moves. Gently guide the class to reach the conclusion that when the engine pushes the exhaust backwards there is an equal and opposite thrust because of which the aircraft moves forward.

Finite and infinite numbers can be taught with the example of the cosmos. Explain to the class that the outer space is infinite and endless and thus cannot be measured. The distance between stars, on the other hand, maybe variable yet it is measurable and thus finite. Similarly a sequence of numbers 1,2,3,…,n where ‘n’ is a natural number, is infinite. Infinity is a very important concept in calculus as it helps to find the solution to problems where there is no convergence.

The class can be asked to give examples of finite and infinite sets. A set of letters in an alphabet is a finite set while a set of even numbers is infinite. Even numbers are unlimited and cannot be counted so they make an infinite set. An infinite set has elements that are unlimited. The students should learn how to represent infinity in mathematical notation. They should know what happens when a mathematical operation such as addition, subtraction, division and multiplication is carried out with infinity as one of the operators.

The teacher can demonstrate that if a constant is divided by a variable, as the variable approaches zero, the division approaches infinity (or negative infinity) and if the variable approaches infinity, the fraction approaches zero. Students should be able to reason abstractly and quantitatively. They should understand that there are numbers that are not rational and approximate them with rational numbers.

In the economics class generate questions about how satellites have revolutionized the world economy. In the old days, it was the celestial bodies that showed mariners the way and pigeons that carried post, but today it would be impossible to imagine a life without technology. Satellite communication, navigation systems, space science and technology all create more jobs and boost economic growth. Divide the class into groups and assign each group a topic to reflect and explain the impact of satellites in boosting the economy. Some topics for student engagement could be the role of accurate weather forecasts in boosting production of crops, ease of communication which has made the world a smaller place, disaster relief, monitoring of deforestation, melting ice caps and other evidence of climate change. Get students to record their views on a cause and effect diagram.

Conclusion
Like the sky, the possibilities of including this topic during class are limitless. However, the teacher can be confident that a well-planned and integrated approach of teaching will make students effective learners. They will be team players and problem solvers with an enquiring mindset and an empathetic personality, skills that are necessary for success in life.

The author was a schoolteacher for over 20 years and continues to be one at heart. Currently, she writes freelance, is a volunteer archivist and published author. Her passion is history and she is an avid researcher on historical topics. She can be reached at vandanaaggarwal@hotmail.com.