Trees: At School

So, what do you do at school I have often been asked? 

On occasions I smile, on others I respond with a 'teach English' or that 'I play and go-out with children'. At times the answer also is 'good question'. 

Besides these, what I also do is see, touch and feel trees and leaves. 

This was a fun day. We got moving around to fetch leaves in small groups. The groups could bring more than one leaf only if the leaves were collected from the ground. Children got the leaves, discussed which species each of these could belong to. Before writing they had to confirm these names with the uncle who helps with gardening at the school. Few cases were confusing - we had disagreements. For these we went with the uncle to the tree. 

At the end our board did not have space for 2 leaves. It was fun, during the days following, to see them touch the leaves and also alter spellings. 

This was another fun day. We sat in a circle just outside the school and wrote names of species that we saw. Each of us had to remain stationary. A list - with all species mentioned - was put in place by one of us. We then shared one / two lines for each species. This again was jotted. Here too, like with the previous activity, the names could be in English or Hindi or Bhojpuri or any language / dialect. 

It was fun to listen how different individuals saw the same species differently. A tree one identified with pickles, another could attach with shade. 

~ Previous posts of trees ~

An evening with a tree

A tree died

Thanks Akash for the images.