Extension activity in Government Higher Primary School, Naguvanahalli on “Importance of Plants”

PREAMBLE

Plants are the essential component of the biodiversity around us. They are the primary producers. They not only provide food but also oxygen which is important for all the lives on earth. Forests are our carbon dioxide sink and that is how the nature manages the greenhouse gas. Plants are variously used in many tribes as medicine. Plants prepare secondary metabolites that have medicinal importance.

Plant kingdom has diverse forms, one of them is algae. They are the most primitive in the plant kingdom. Algae and other phytoplankton’s in the ocean are the largest greenhouse basin. In addition to their ecological roles as oxygen producers and as the food base for almost all aquatic life, algae are economically important as a source of crude oil, food and a number of pharmaceutical and industrial products for humans. Since plants are very important, it is essential to learn about them. It includes different shapes, parts, their habit and importance.

OBJECTIVES

• To create the spark of curiosity among the young minds about science.
• To describe the plants in technical terms so that they know the morphology of the plants better.
• To understand the importance of various types of plants.

 ABOUT THE EXTENSION ACTIVITY

We organised the programme with 20 final year CBZ and CBFN students who were trained thoroughly on communication skills and the content to be shared. The programme started with brief interaction with the 6^th and 7^th standard students by Chirag H. E. who was the master of ceremonies. He built a rapport with the kids which was further carried on by Abhishek M. S. who gave a rundown on introduction to plants and their significance in our day to day life. Students were intrigued and fascinated by the plant world and they couldn’t wait to get more information.

Next was the technical description of plants which was illuminatingly given by Andrews Ashish Joy I and Noorain Fathima. They, very well, explained various parts of plants, their shapes and occurrence. It was informative and created curiosity among the kids.

Then we proceeded to the first game which our students named as ‘Ele Pattedari’, kids were made into groups and they had a lot of fun. This was organised by a group of four Sherline Rizariya, Punith Raju R., Somanna M. P., and K. A. Chinmayi. The game was about finding out the shape of the leaves shown by the volunteers. The winners were given prizes. Since the kids knew about leaf shapes, our students showed and explained how the leaf section would look like under the microscope. Interestingly, the kids knew about microscopes but were never exposed to the same. They actively participated in the observation of leaves.

Our students organised another game called as ‘Guess the fruits and vegetables’. This was about identifying fruits by tasting and vegetables by touching them, the kids were blindfolded. Kids’ involvement in the game was entertaining. We moved on with algae and their uses which was elucidated by Dayashankar B. and Bibi Haleema. Kids never knew that there were varieties of algae and they could be of great use. It was an eye opening session. This brought us to the conclusion where a chart prepared by the students was donated to the school. The prize winners were presented with gifts and the students distributed toffees to everyone. Finally the programme ended with the vote of thanks to everyone for their support and co operation in conducting the extension activity. We heartily thanked Mrs. Subbalakshmi The Head mistress and all the staff members of Government Higher Primary School Naguvinahalli, for their support.

OUTCOME OF THE EXTENSION PROGRAMME

• The school authorities were happy about the activities conducted.
• The children learnt the modifications of plants and their uses in a better way.
• They have decided to grow the plants near their homes and the school premises and nurture them.

FEEDBACK

From the feedback obtained, two students and The Head Mistress of the school expressed their opinion. They were impressed and satisfied with the activities conducted.