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This learning module is an invitation to discover, develop and nurture a wonderment and curiosity for water as an ecosystem that is teeming with amazing life forms that use it in various ways! Life in Water ............................................ In our current school textbooks, the topic of water is introduced to teachers and learners with a focus on our 'uses of water.' For example: how and why is water useful and important to humans, what does scarcity of water imply for us, or how should we conserve it? Water, as an ecosystem, however, goes so much beyond our use and interactions with it. As you will discover through this module, water is also home to and as important to a multitude of life on Earth. Divided into three levels Each level has been designed for children belonging to specific grades and age groups. ● With two major topics and relevant sub-topics covered, each level has been designed with an aim to achieve a series of nature learning goals. ● The module is designed using different mediums to engage the learner, including read-aloud stories, observation charts, picture-cards, audio-visual resources, group activities, and discussions. ● The lessons are linked with existing EVS chapters and cover a range of topics that nurture wonderment for water as an ecosystem. Download the Water Module LEARNING MODULE MODULE WITH RESOURCES This learning module is an invitation to discover, develop and nurture a wonderment and curiosity for water as an ecosystem that is teeming with amazing life forms that use it in various ways!

Behaviour Tales This resource delves into the amazing world of animal hygiene exploring how animals - from birds preening their feathers to mammals licking their fur and insects maintaining their exoskeletons - employ unique strategies to stay clean.This resource can be effectively integrated into science lessons focusing on animal adaptations or health and hygiene units. The activity around it can be adapted to increasing or decreasing complexity for older or younger students, respectively. Animal Grooming Charts English Hindi Kannada Note for Educators Begin by asking students how and why they keep themselves clean. Introduce the concept that animals also groom themselves using different organs and behaviours that we do not have or use! Use the poster to discuss specific examples, and explore other animal grooming behaviours students might have observed of domestic animals around them. This resource is a direct example of how local nature and ecology can be incorporated into our EVS textbook chapters. Questions to Explore Why do animals need to keep clean? How do their methods compare to ours? Students can be encouraged to observe pets or local birds for grooming behaviors, draw different animals grooming, roleplay/enact different grooming behaviours, or even research other unique animal cleaning habits (e.g., ants grooming each other, fish cleaning stations).

If you are an educator looking to engage with articles and opinion pieces on nature education and pedagogy, a student looking to explore discourses in nature education, or just curious about these things - this page lists essential readings available online. Many of these articles and essays have inspired and influenced discussions within Nature Classrooms, and we hope to share this inspiration with many more. NC in Media Articles and Publications We share our learnings and experiences through articles and blogs, opening up conversations on nature education and exchanging ideas with educators, researchers, and practitioners. Building a Community of Nature Educators in Bengaluru (The Hindu ) Nature Classrooms Feature Exploring Children’s Relationships with Nature Project Report by Aashish Gokhale Nature-based S ocial Emotional Learning Internship Report by Priyanka Prakash Uncovering the Potential of Learning at Home Vena Kapoor and Roshni Ravi Nature and Art - A Natural Synergy Roshni Ravi and Vena Kapoor Samuhik Pahal - a monthly journal by Wipro Foundation: Nature Education (June 2022) Vena Kapoor, Roshni Ravi, Mythreyi K Connecting Learning to the Natural World (iWonder) Vena Kapoor and Roshni Ravi Age Appropriate and Locally Relevant Nature Learning Modules for Schools Vena Kapoor and Roshni Ravi Nature in Syllabus (Deccan Herald) Nature Classrooms feature The Suttha Muttha Project in Bengaluru is introducing children to the local biodiversity. Here's how. (EdexLive) Nature Classrooms feature Bringing nature back to classrooms (idr Feature) By Vena Kapoor Podcasts We participate in podcasts to discuss nature education and exchange ideas and experiences with students, educators, researchers, and practitioners. Women for Nature - Heart of Conservation Podcast Vena Kapoor in conversation with Lalitha Krishnan The Thing About Nature Education - Podcast Vena Kapoor in conversation with Ishika Ramakrishna Back Blog

Gojri Alphabet Chart The Gojri-English Alphabet Chart is a powerful cultural and ecological bridge designed for the children of the Gujjar and Bakarwal pastoral tribes in the Kashmir Himalayas. Gojri, their mother tongue, is rich with expressions reflecting their nomadic life and deep ecological knowledge. Since Gojri finds little space in formal schooling, this chart was created to affirm the child's identity and make learning relatable. By connecting English and Gojri alphabets to local flora, fauna, and pastoral life—like Bakri (goat) or Jaberd (water pond)—the chart ensures that literacy celebrates and preserves their unique language, culture, and environmental wisdom. It serves as a portable, visible, and culturally relevant teaching aid for mobile schools and homes, empowering the next generation to see their world reflected in their learning. This resource was created in collaboration with the Himalayan Pastoral Trust. Gojri Alphabet Chart Download Gorji Alphabet Booklet Download

Nature Classrooms has developed a programme that integrates nature learning with social-emotional learning. With this programme our goal is to put together effective practices, resources, and frameworks integrated with social, emotional, and nature–based learning at its core, with a focus on supporting the overall well-being of teachers. Nature-Based Social-Emotional Learning for Teachers & Educators Nature Classrooms, to further its goal of supporting teachers and educators with their endeavours in nature education, has developed a programme that integrates nature learning with social-emotional learning. With this programme our goal is to put together effective practices, resources, and frameworks integrated with social, emotional, and nature–based learning at its core, with a focus on supporting the overall well-being of teachers. The long-term vision is that this social and emotional development within teachers also influences the manner in which they impart nature education within their classrooms. Programme goals: Can nature-based practices and engagements support in promoting social and emotional well-being of teachers? How does supporting teachers’ emotional state influence their connections with nature? How does this process of engaging with nature-based social-emotional learning translate in the long-term into subject lessons and classroom practices? PILOT WORKSHOP With the initial framework and practices developed, we launched an online pilot workshop with a goal to engage with a small focus group of teachers/educators, for trialling out the initially developed practices and taking into consideration their feedback and responses which will influence the future implementation of the programme. Download Report This project was undertaken by Priyanka Prakash as a part of her Master’s internship with Nature Classrooms. Download Connect if you want to collaborate with us for a research project: info@natureclassrooms.in

Tamil Alphabet Charts Walk into any bookstore and you’ll find alphabet charts filled with giraffes, penguins, and macaws. But what about the creatures that are around us? This chart brings together the plants and animals of Tamil Nadu, from dugongs to Indrella snails, fungi, odonates, wasps, wildflowers all through the Tamil alphabet. As the name suggests, this chart will have all flora and fauna seen in Tamil Nadu with their Tamil names. This chart is produced mainly to introduce the biodiversity of Tamil Nadu through the Tamil alphabets for the kids, teachers and nature educators. The flora and fauna presented here are carefully chosen so that (i) It covers organisms from all the landscapes of Tamil Nadu. For instance, Dugong, Seashell, Sardine are from marine ecosystems, Indrella snail, Strobilanthus are from the forests, and wasps, spiders, and skink are from plains and urban settings. (ii) Organisms are not the so-called iconic or charismatic but lesser-known organisms such as stingray, butterflies and odonates, (iii) And not just from one or two groups of organisms but cover most of the taxa such as fungi, plants, invertebrates, reptiles, birds and mammals. This resource is created in collaboration with Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF) and illustrated and designed by Karunya Baskar . Read more about the journey of this resource here . Download Tamil Alphabet Chart Download Explainer Document - Tamil Alphabet Chart Download Vowels - Tamil Alphabet Chart Vowel-Consonents Tamil Alphabet Chart Download Download Consonents - Tamil Alphabet Chart The alphabet chart is now available in video format as well. It's available in our YouTube channel .

Blog The Nature Classrooms Blog is a collection of reflections from the team as well as teachers who we engage with and who use our resources in their spaces. We publish contributions from educators who wish to write about their experience with our resources and nature learning. Write to us with your pitches at edu@ncf-india.org . 2 min Birding at Badamwari, Srinagar Celebrating this Earth Day with WRCF and Early Bird 38 0 comments 0 Post not marked as liked 3 min What and where is nature for the children of Bengaluru? Here are some surprising ways of conceptualizing nature that children shared with Aashish Gokhale in the Child-Nature-Ooru project. 115 0 comments 0 1 like. Post not marked as liked 1 3 min Learning to heal the Earth: Part 4 Building eco-awareness - Aksharnandan - by Jayashree Ramadas and Dhanya K 117 0 comments 0 2 likes. Post not marked as liked 2 3 min Learning to heal the Earth: Part 3 Working through the contradictions and disconnects - by Jayashree Ramadas and Dhanya K 195 0 comments 0 2 likes. Post not marked as liked 2 4 min Learning to heal the Earth: Part 2 Trending a different path - by Jayashree Ramadas and Dhanya K 180 0 comments 0 2 likes. Post not marked as liked 2 3 min Learning to heal the Earth: Part 1 Learning through students' natural and social environment - by Jayashree Ramadas and Dhanya K 227 0 comments 0 2 likes. Post not marked as liked 2 3 min Nature Moves in Action - Glimpses from Workshops and Classrooms As a part of our Nature Moves initiative of designing and trialing movement-based nature learning resources, we trialed some activities... 130 0 comments 0 3 likes. Post not marked as liked 3 5 min Getting to know a Gasagase Mara Children’s Observations and Teachers’ Reflections from a session at Govt. Lower Primary School, Tarabanahalli By Sarojini Ramachandra... 125 0 comments 0 1 like. Post not marked as liked 1 1 min Uncovering the Potential of Nature Learning at Home Published in Samuhik Pahal - Volume 2, Issue 1; September 2021. 47 0 comments 0 1 like. Post not marked as liked 1 6 min Hidden Housemates Activity - A Review By Anvita DJ The Hidden Housemate Activities are a series of nature-themed tasks designed for children by members of the Nature... 81 0 comments 0 1 like. Post not marked as liked 1 3 min Creatures in our schools Of superstitions and serendipitous encounters By Roshni Ravi We’ve been collaborating with the wonderful teachers at the Fig Tree... 93 0 comments 0 3 likes. Post not marked as liked 3 2 min Hidden Housemates Getting to know nature in our homes Is that little piece of paint from the wall moving? Who cleans up the crumbs from my kitchen while... 67 0 comments 0 2 likes. Post not marked as liked 2 Blog Search Search

Words Live Nature What's happening this week, on our adventure Creatures in Our Schools The school is housed in a small, seemingly nondescript building, offset from the Hesarghatta main road. A lone Singapore Cherry (Muntingia calabura) tree marks one corner of the school. ‘Look, there goes a Haavu Rani!’, one of the teachers casually remarked as she walked into the school. Haavu Rani is Kannada for Skink, it translates to ‘Snake Queen’. More A Bugs Life Is that little piece of paint from the wall moving? Who cleans up the crumbs from my kitchen while I’m asleep at night? Who lives in that little white tent in the corner of the wall? More