Every atom is full of stories!

Distilling

INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF CHEMISTRY ACTIVITIES

2011

People are invited to celebrate the International Year of Chemistry in 2011 by recognizing the achievements of chemistry throughout history and its contributions to the humankind. The Year will give a global boost to chemical science, and hopefully increase the interest in chemistry among young people. It aims to increase the public appreciation of chemistry in meeting world needs and people around the world are invited to participate in activities and events that promote the International Year of Chemistry. Activities for the International Year of Chemistry include:

1. Events that emphasize chemistry as a creative science essential for sustainability and improvements to our way of life.

2. Experiments to explore how chemical research is critical for solving our global problems involving food, water, health, energy, and more.

3. Activities that engages young people with scientific disciplines and generates enthusiasm for the creative future of chemistry.

Background

Chemistry is the science of matter and the changes it undergoes, concerned with the composition, behaviour, structure, and properties of matter, as well as the changes it undergoes during chemical reactions. Chemistry is vital to our understanding of the world and the cosmos, especially molecular transformations are important to the production of food, medicines, fuel, and countless manufactured and extracted products. The International Year of Chemistry will celebrate the art and science of chemistry, and its essential contributions to knowledge, to environmental protection and to economic development.

Activity	Description	Students' level
Chemistry Quizzzzz	This quiz challenges students' reasoning	High school, Higher secondary, TTC and B.Ed
Chemical Interactive chemistry experiments	Experiments Show demonstrations in a school activities	Upper primary, High school, Higher secondary, TTC and B.Ed
Poster/Cartoon drawing competitions	Chemistry Days	Upper primary, High school, Higher secondary, TTC and B.Ed Open to the public at activities
Chemistry Stamps	Students design stamps commemorating chemists, chemistry principles, elements etc.	High school
Projects-Ex. Whole periodic table	Periodic Table developed collectively at school and public ally displayed	High school, Higher secondary, TTC and B.Ed
Panel discussions/Talks	By eminent persons/teacher teaching/working in Chemistry Global Challenges, Chemistry Solutions	High school, Higher secondary, TTC and B.Ed
Students' hands-on activities in PTA/CPTA/School	Students' event can include hands-on activities such as using household chemicals to create special effects, conducting experiments with copper.	U.P, High school, Higher secondary, TTC and B.Ed
Life sketches, Demonstration Experiments, Reading and visualisation	Know the scientist and his/her contributions. Example, Priestley and Soda Pop Marie Curie	U.P, High school, Higher secondary, TTC and B.Ed
Talks/Lectures Themes for issues are: Use of Endosulfan, Renewable fuels, Treating house-hold wastes, Water	Talks on controversial issues- Renewable fuels: can we really run our cars on waste, wee, water or alcohol? If not, are there any other sources of energy we have not thought about? How could we power up in a ‘greener’ way? Are the alternatives all that they seem?	High school, Higher secondary, TTC and B.Ed
Chemistry on the move	Every update of News in Chemistry as News board or TVshows	High school, Higher secondary, TTC and B.Ed
Chemist of the week	See the details given below	U.P, High school, Higher secondary, TTC and B.Ed
One person	See the details given below	U.P, High school, Higher secondary, TTC and B.Ed
Chemistry in Action!	See the details given below	High school, Higher secondary, TTC and B.Ed
Chemistry in Kitchen	Aspects of Chemistry happening in Kitchen-quiz, talk	People/PTA/CPTA-Presentation by students

Happy distillation!

MMarch of Birnam woods in Readers' week

ACTIVITIES FOR READERS' WEEK

Set up Classroom libraries in each classroom

Stephen Krashen's The Power of Reading addresses the impact and influence of school/class

libraries. His research supports and encourages school/class libraries with such points as:

• the more books that are available, the more reading that is done.

• access to a school library equals more reading.

• interacting with a librarian can make a difference in how much children read.

• students check out more books with a larger collection and longer library hours.

• young children read more when it is comfortable and quiet.

• students get a majority of free reading books from the library.

• hearing and talking about stories encourages reading and literacy development.

• a school/class library can be an equalizer for access to books and other information resources.

(Read more about the power of reading “81-Generalizations-about reading”. )

Process steps

• Decide the appropriate design for a class library for each classroom

• Select the books suitable for reading connected with the present unit in all subjects and other books.

• Select a class librarian and his/her assistant.

• Form Readers' circles in each class.

• Develop activities to be undertaken y class libraries.

• Develop posters for their library by each class-competition

Date for setting up class library

16.06.2011

Large bulletin board in each class/section

To display children's products of reading

Date to begin

14.6.2011

Start issue of library books for students

The students select the books that they like to read from the library and the class librarian issues it. The students can take it home and return it along with

• A summary card

• Character sketch

• A wall paper of the book

• A letter to the author

• A letter of recommendation to read the book

• Read orally what I liked in the book

• Draw a pictorial representation of the book-place of the story, characters, events, dialogues etc.

Process

Daily activity

Collect and exhibit them in the large bullettin board for displaying children's products.

Date to begin

Today

Plant a Vayana Maram in each class

Process

Improve the last year's efforts

Date to begin

16.6.2011

Develop Reading Logs

Keep a simple reading log during the week, eg

1. title

2. author

3. main ideas

4. main ideas and special characters

Date to begin

Writing a Short Book /Short books

Write and illustrate a book. This can be done as a group co-operative project. UP students can write a book for junior classes after surveying the literature that LP read and enjoy most. LP classes write a 'big book' on a theme eg 'our familiy' containing their art work and simple captions.

Write a Letter

Write a letter to their parents listing reasons why they should be given a certain book for their next birthday.

Panel Discussions

Have daily student panel discussions that include:

1. favourite character and why

2. most exciting page

3. dullest page

4. most interesting page

5. suggested changes to the plot

Adopt a Pupil /Class

A Senior class/pupil adopt a junior class or junior pupil. Read to them regularly during the week.

Invited Guests

Special Invitee of the day

Invite a special guest each day to share their love of books with the pupils, eg

1. local readers, teachers, senior students, TTC students etc share their favourite story

2. invite an author to the classroom

3. visits by the librarian

4. teachers share their favourites

5. visits from magazine and newspaper reporters

8. invite a book illustrator/artist/sacheendran to visit the classroom

9. invite parents to share favorite stories

10. local farmer /grandmother to tell their life tales and convert them to books.

Invite librarian to the class

Invite the librarian to come in and talk about visiting the library.

Time Lines

Students make an illustrated time line of what happens to one of the book characters during a story. Add captions to the illustrations.

Character Masks

All pupils make at least one mask of their favourite character/s from a story. Masks can be made from paper bags, bent & stapled card and papier mache.

Book Mobiles

Make favourite character or favourite book posters to hang around the school verandha.

Shadow Play

Action scenes from a book make exciting shadow plays, eg actors behind a sheet with bright light behind the actors.

Oral Reading

Provide daily opportunities for pupils to read out their favourite paragraph from their current book. Have UP school childern read daily to the LP school.

Read and Rate

Have pupils devise a rating system for books, eg a 1-5 scale. Pupils must provide reasons and justifications for their ratings.

Keep a Visual Record

Have a daily update of the total number of books read by the class members.This could be in graph or pictogram form. They could write the name of the book in a book shape that becomes part of a growing display.

Book Assemblies

Hold daily book assemblies where books are promoted by teachers, parents and pupils. Books are then 'auctioned' for reading.

Mother Books

Book production by Mothers. Conduct one workshop of two hr. duration and then they can be supplied with A4 sheets/Chart sheet. Let them develop books for their children.

Using Big canvas

Use the canvas to depict a book.

Dramatisation

(the last resort!)

Readers' theatre

Reading and dramatisation goes hand in hand in the production. Require experts' help.

March of Birnam woods!

All Vayana Marams march to the main hall on the final day like the Birnam woods march in Macbeth!

A trip to Library

And let the children take books, observe the arrangments, smell the books, read it to children etc. Arrange leisurely chairs to them and give them sweets!

Time Allocation for Reading week

Decide on a time allocation per day for reading week activities, eg

1. two hours per day

2. a full afternoon

3. each day or the full week , or

4. mornings only

But DECIDE.

Involvement & Preparation

Involve all staff members in planning the theme and activities.

1. Plan TODAY itself class wise activities and what is to be done on the final day. .

2. Involve the parents so they can enthuse and encourage pupils.

3. Arrange for a wide range of guests to visit during the week.

4. Make the school the focus for the reading week.

5. Arrange for displays of books in all classrooms and library.