Class Plan in General

In general, presentations of ideas for classes will be encouraged. These ideas will be recorded and developed. When circumstances seem appropriate, then these ideas will be marked for inclusion in the upcoming class plan list.

Class Plan List

A class plan list will be kept for daily work by teachers. The class plan ideally will cover a period of two weeks. The plan will include ideas for events and discussions and homework and class work. Work needs to include mathematics and English as the two languages that need emphasis. All teachers are invited to recommend events/discussions/assignments/work that emphasizes their subjects while keeping in mind the constant of having some mathematics and some English on each day.

The class plan will be flexible. At any given time, the class plan can be postponed in favor of an event or class that has reference to immediate events/situations. The classes need to appeal to the students and their interests as much as possible. We will be constrained by our limited ability to know the interests of the children, and our limited ability to appeal to those interests in a classroom experience.

Class Ideas

A list of class ideas will be kept. Ideas will be added to this list until it extends to enough classes for two years or more. Some of these ideas will be part of sequences, and will be incorporated accordingly. All ideas will be available for discussion and will incorporate student participation. Approximate dates for presentation of particular class ideas will be decided upon by the teachers in general.

Student Presentation of Class Ideas

Students will be encouraged to present class ideas as we become aware of their interest in doing so.

Students will be encouraged to present any topic that they have an interest in for the benefit of all. Class plans will incorporate these student presentations and help define them, but the responsible student(s) will make the decision about what is included in the class which they present.

The process of encouraging the students to present class ideas is an ongoing one that needs to be pursued by each of us working together to approach children and ask if they would like to present some topic as a class.

Once we know of an interest a child or group of children has, or a potential interest, then we discuss approaching the child(ren) with the idea of presenting the class.

Once the child demonstrates a preliminary interest in presenting the plan, then the child will be encouraged by taking the child to the other 7^th standard teacher and the subject teachers for their help in formalizing the class idea.

Formal Class Idea

Formal class ideas will include 1)discussions, 2)presentation of new ideas, 3)work in mathematics (written and spoken), 4)written work in English, 5)work in other subjects as appropriate, and a 6)homework assignment which includes drawing a picture.

List of Ideas

1. One idea is to present a PowerPoint presentation on the trip to Allepuzha, and discuss the fundamental concepts of science in the context of the history of science and relate it all to observations the students might have made during that trip.

Included in this idea is a discussion of certain chemicals used in glass manufacture, and from there an introductory discussion of chemistry.

With the introductory discussion of chemistry, there will be some mathematical calculations for the students to do.

There will be encouragement for discussion of various ideas.

There will be presentation of a homework assignment perhaps something like: Make a list of more than one chemicals and discuss their use.

2. Present more discussion of chemistry. New ideas include some ideas about atoms and they form molecules. Mathematics work includes playing with calculations using the chemical formula of a compound. Written work in English includes taking notes about certain ideas of fundamental chemistry. Other subjects include Art. Making of chemical compounds can be introduced using straws and chart paper and staples with a little glue. The models can be displayed in the room after completion. Homework can be writing a paragraph about a chemical. Teachers can make suggestions to individual students to help them narrow the topic according to their interests.

3. Counting molecules. Discussion will be along the lines of how chemicals are the only things we perceive.

New ideas will be the very large and very small numbers used in discussing molecules.

Mathematics will be calculating the numbers of molecules and numbers of atoms in the molecules.

English includes taking certain basic notes related to the new ideas.

Homework might be make estimates of number of molecules in items found in their homes.

4. New information will be details about endangered animals and endangered plants.

Discussion will be along the lines of what to do when you see an endangered animal eating an endangered plant.

Mathematics will be calculating the numbers of endangered animals at different times.

English includes taking certain basic notes related to the new ideas.

Homework might be to draw a picture and write a paragraph about an endangered animal.

5. Counting

New information will be how to count to infinity.

Discussion will be questioning the new material.

Mathematics will be using the definition of counting to add single digit numbers.

Homework will be to name some big numbers or things that involve big numbers.

6. More Counting

New information will be how to estimate amounts by picking numbers bigger and smaller than the number of items under consideration.

Discussion will be practice at picking numbers.

Mathematics will be practice with exponents.

Homework will be to estimate measurements of things.

7.  Meaning of the environment, interaction between living and non-living things

8. Main internal organs of the human body (lungs, heart and stomach) and their functions

9. - 47

·        Importance of plants and animals—land and water

·        Weather and climate (local), their effects on daily life

·        Dependence on the environment for food

·        Buildings in the locality—school, panchayat ghar, health centre, post office, railway station, police station, need for their proper maintenance

·        Different types of clothing fibres and their sources (plants, animals, and manmade), various stages in the making of fabrics

·        Celebrations of important national and international days

·        Types of recreational activities in the locality—fairs, games, folk dances, music, weekly market, storybooks, games, radio, television, drama, puppetry, Internet

·        Common infectious diseases (common cold,  flu, diarrhea)

·        Precautions for maintaining proper health and protection against infectious diseases

·        First aid as a safety measure

·        Personnel responsible for community health and hygiene

·        Effect of advancement in transport and communication systems on the environment and human life

·        Simple measures to be practised to reduce air, water, noise pollution

·        The environment, social and natural

·        Care of parks, gardens, orchards, ponds, wells, sanctuaries, museums and historical monuments

·        Simple safety measures in the event of fire, earthquake, flood, tsunami

·        Human dependence on the environment

·        Interdependence of plants and animals

·        Role of individuals in maintaining peace, harmony and equity in nature; good neighbourly behaviour; use and misuse of common property resources

• States of India
• Principal cities of India

• Chief rivers of India

·        Measuring distance

·        Directions: use of compass points and bearings

·        Three components of Indian government: Legislature, executive, judiciary, their functions and importance

o       Importance of these ideas in our daily lives