Date: Apr 22 – Apr 24, 2019
Location:SATYAM Centre, Poothurai Villages, Villupuram District, Near Puducherry
International Earth Day
Earth Day is an international annual event celebrated around the world on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First celebrated in 1970, it now includes events coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network in more than 193 countries. Earth Day is a great time for awareness-generation, educational and action-oriented activities for environmental learning, and highlighting examples and ways to ‘go green’ by engaging the students in everyday activities to make their surroundings pollution-free and ecofriendly.
On April 22, 2019, SARVAM conducted an awareness programme on Earth Day through the English Access Program. The trainers explained about the importance of Earth – the only planet where life is possible – and being environment-friendly. The aim was to sensitize the students towards their role in addressing global environmental challenges at grass-root level. Through conversations, slogan writing and painting, the students commemorated the day. They created posters and banners for creating awareness among the people in the village. The sessions also provided the students an opportunity to practice their English language skills.
Zero Shadow Day
Every place on the Earth that is located between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn will have two days in a year when the Sun will be directly overhead. For India this day happens during ‘Uttarayan’, which occurs in the time period between April and September. On the Zero-Shadow Day (ZSD), at noon, a vertical pole will cast no shadow, and will cast a longer and longer shadow as we move away from this day. This apparently simple phenomenon is an excellent experiment that all the students can do for themselves. In this process, they can learn about simple trigonometry, motion of Sun and Earth, the cause of seasons, and optics. The advantage is that measuring shadows over a few days can be done during school hours around local noon, involves almost no cost and importantly doable.
The English trainers at SARVAM first held a theory class to explain to the students the significance of the day. With this information, the trainers asked the students to carry out an activity to understand the concept of ‘Zero Shadow’ practically and make them understand the uniqueness of this scientific aspect. The students were first explained theoretically about Zero Shadow Day and then they were practically shown how Zero Shadow day works. The students also were then asked to do the experiment practically, which they carried out with utmost enthusiasm and understood about the concept of Zero Shadow clearly.
This additional enhancement activity helped the students practice their English as well as improved their general and environmental science knowledge.
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