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Teaching Program
The classroom teaching plan for the first semester starting July 2008 included the following cycle-wise topics:
1. What is Social Experience?
2. Climate change
3. Poverty – (take a stand activity)
4. Communalism – (take a stand)
5. Child labour (video presentation)
6. The story of Pallikaranai marsh (video)
7. Tripathagamini – an appeal to save the Ganga (video presentation)
8. Adivasis and village justice
9. Multi-Media Competition
10. Biomimicry
New Initiatives
Heritage Club:
The Social Experience department in partnership with the school’s
Heritage club is planning a number of new ventures designed to revive
traditions that are at risk of fading into obscurity. The plan
envisions new projects that will strive to inject new life into old
traditions from different countries by revisiting them in a modern
context.
Areas of interest include
1. traditional toys and games
from different countries [for ex: the revival of traditional games from
India like spinning wooden tops, playing marbles, kabbadi, kho-kho,
gilli danda, kite flying etc]
2. traditional clothing and fashion design – “ethnic chic” - [ for ex: new designs for traditional garments like the sari, churidar etc]
3. traditional drama and theatre [ for ex: traditional puppetry, story telling and street theatre]
4. folk music and world fusion music,
traditional musical instruments [ for ex: the ektara – one
stringed instrument of the bards and minstrels, tribal drums, conches
etc]
5. folk art in a modern context [ for ex: the bindi, mehndi, rangoli with modern themes]
6. an introduction to martial arts [for ex: Kalaripayattu, Silambam, Tai Chi, and the related healing arts such as Marma and Qi Gong]
7. folk dance and fusion choreography [for ex: bhangra, dandiya and the scope for fusion with jazz dancing and ballet]
8. traditional buildings
[visits to villages where traditional building practices are preserved
with a view to further reflect on their efficiency, viability and eco-
sensitivity].
9. grassland restoration [aimed
at understanding the role of commercial forestry and monocultures in
undermining the delicately balanced ecosystem of the Palani hills,
spreading awareness of the problem, and implementing practical measures
to restore grasslands that have been lost to such non-sustainable
practices].
10. Adivasi culture and lifestyle
[an extension of the classroom - where this topic has been dealt with
in seminars – to the forests where the indigenous peoples live,
to learn from and experience at first hand their culture and become
aware of the threats to their existence].
Computer based design and production would play a role in facilitating
some of these projects while widening the scope of education
[for ex: the use of computer based music production, animation and
graphics, video production etc]. These projects are likely to play a
major part in rearing the “Global citizen” and inculcating,
in him or her, a growing awareness and understanding of diverse
cultures, the ability to view them with respect and keen interest and
the skills with which to adapt these traditions and embrace their
virtue in a modern context.
A “Tradition Week” is being planned to showcase these
various projects and to celebrate world traditions and to foster
intercultural understanding.
Organic Farming:
In collaboration with local organic farmers the department plans to
introduce students to the theory and practice of organic farming and
sustainable agriculture. This will involve existing programs such as
visits to organic farms as well as new initiatives to involve students
in designing marketing strategies, awareness programs and the
development of organic kitchen gardens and herb gardens on the K.I.S.
campus and at institutions like the orphanages and Mercy Home with
which the school has relationships. Areas of interest here include
Biodynamic farming, biogas generation, dairy management and sustainable
livestock management.
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