5- try & tested amazing subject enrichment activities. 

 The education system has a different scenario in the prospect of teaching and learning. Demands from schools and teachers also have changed in today’s era. The teaching-learning process has become student-centric. Earlier it was a teacher-centric education system. But now the role of the teacher is only Facilitator and guider. New terms, techniques, and methods are introduced in the modern school system. 

Earlier there was only chalk and the talk method used. But nowadays many new approaches are being used to teach children. The approaches like :

• Competency-based learning
• Toy based learning
• Play way method
• Experiential learning
• Multidisciplinary approach
• Integrated learning

 These changes in the teaching-learning process have many advantages for the kids. As a teacher, I also experienced the positive changes in today’s education system. These approaches make learning Joyful and burden-free for the kids. 

I know you worry – What are these approaches? How would I use it in my teaching-learning process? Don’t worry !!! Just click on the link given on particular approaches and you will find a detailed explanation with examples. Do check it. 

Now, you think about the correlation of subject enrichment activities with the modern education system. I believe that the teaching-learning process is shifted to activity-based learning specifically at the primary level. So to teach them activity-based learning, subject enrichment activity play a vital role.

Subject enrichment activities :

Subject enrichment activities support the learning outcomes. Make the learning enriched with various creative ideas of the students. Enrichment activities provide opportunities for the kids to think out of the box. At the same time connect them to the real world and nature. Which are very essential for the overall development of the kids.  Now, let’s see what is the importance of subject enrichment activities?

Why are subject enrichment activities important?  :

Enrichment Activities promotes 

• Critical thinking and problem-solving skills,
•  Improves students’ ability to concentrate, and 
• makes learning more meaningful, valuable, and rewarding. 
• Enrichment activities are fun, which helps students to become more engaged in their learning process.
• Self Confidence 
• Social interpersonal relationship.
• Helps to explore new hobbies and interests.
• Holistic development of the child. 

Thus enrichment activities not only promote the learning process but also helps the holistic development of the kids. 

Now let’s see with examples of subject enrichment activities. 

examples of subject enrichment activities.

  Let’s see first some suggested activities which you can incorporate into your classroom for the subject of Environmental studies. 

1. Projects
2. Field trip
3. Awareness Program
4. Preparation of herbarium. 
5. Map work
6. Debate
7. College and collection.(Collection of stamps, coins, etc.)
8. Interview
9. Surveys and case study
10. Identification and report writing
11. Role play
12. Quiz 
13. Science Magazines 

All above mentioned are some suggested activities from which you can opt for any activities to enrich your topics. Using these activities students can think creatively and critically. 

Let us understand with an example. How will you perform these activities in your classroom?

Activities prepared by the teacher for class IV :

 Collect Information about an endangered animal. Also, paste some endangered animals.

2.   Draw a picture of a honey bee and its hive. Label the body parts of the honey bee. Also, explain the types of bees. Also, find out the cost of things which you need for your school.

3.    Locate on the map.  

4.  Draw a family finger puppet: Then VS Now. Also, note a change occurs in your family after five years or your birth.

Above I have given activities which I prepared for my subjects. Let’s see how students prepare. And how will you do assessments of the activities?

Activity: 1 Collect Information about an endangered animal. Also, paste some endangered animals.

Through the endangered animal topic, the teacher wants to teach the students about how important it is to save animals.

The protection of animals is very important as they are going to finish soon like Dinosaurs. And gave knowledge of Extinct animals also.

Also correlated it with language and Art. Where the teacher instructed to draw or paste an endangered animal. Also, tell them to write about endangered animals. 

Activity: 2 Draw a picture of a honey bee and its hive. Label the body parts of the honey bee. Also, explain the types of bees. Also, find out the cost of things which you need for your school.

The activity of Labeling body parts of honey bees gives the students exposure to know about the parts of insects and gives them exposure to know about them more.

Also, they got knowledge about other insects like honey bees such as ants, and wasps. They also got to know about :

1. worker bees 2. Queen bees 3 Soldier bees.

By drawing and clicking the picture of the beehive they have a concept of how the honey bee collects the nectar from the flowers and makes honey.

Also, ask them about the cost of honey. And its uses. 

Also, discuss school expenditure.  

Activity: 2

Activity :3 MAPPING AND LOCATING

Mapping the way or Mapping the route is yet another interesting activity. Which students can easily perform. Through these activities they can learn about :

1. Own country, states, and cities.
2. Other countries and their famous places.
3. Forest areas
4. Continents 
5.   Oceans and many more things. 

Further, I want to suggest activities for Primary classes where you can easily introduce the concept of map recording. You can tell them to keep a record or share their views on the journey they have done. Make a project on :

• Means of transport used for journeys.
• Places they visited and locate on the Map
• About ticket information
• People work at railway stations, airports, or bus stations. 
•  They learn about Public transportation.

Activity: 4 Draw a family finger puppet: Family Then VS Now. Also, note a change occurs in your family after five years or your birth.

Family System: The family system can be taught using the Puppet-making activity as shown below. Concepts of large family & small family and Joint family & Nuclear family. 

Ask Children to make the puppet of their own families. And discuss whether he/she has a large family & a small family and a Joint family & Nuclear family. Also, Discuss the change occur in past three years. 

Family is the theme where it shows that Family can be changed due to many reasons such as:

  Death of anyone

 Due to birth in the family

Marriage of boy and girl

 Transfer of a family member

Shifting reasons and many more.

To make the children aware of why the family changes with real-life experiences this project was given to them.

Under which they have to draw hand prints of their own. And label the family members now and then. 

Activity 5 visit your own kitchen. & develop your kitchen garden

Food is a very vast concept. This concept is start from class 1 and goes still further from high classes to colleges. But here I talk about the primary level and upper primary level. How can you teach easily this concept with these simple activities? Experiential learning is the best way to teach the students of these age groups. Here I provide you a link you can get many more activities for the many different concepts. It will help you to enhance your teaching skills.

Now, let’s see how you can conduct the activity.

Instruct your students to visit their own kitchen with their parents. Tell them to make a list of what can he/she have in the kitchen? Like,

• Utensils used in the kitchen
• induction
• all cooking ingredients like chili powder, sauces, spices, etc.
• Method of cooking used by your parent.
• List of vegetables, fruits, and pulses they have in the kitchen. Further, you can give them a project on collecting various pulses and species. Bring them to school. And then discuss its shape, size, color, texture, and even its origin.
• Further, you can motivate your students to create a kitchen garden. They can plant some fenugreek seed, Mint, coriander plant, and other small plants which can be planted in a planter or small pot easily.
• This activity gives chance them to understand the growing condition of the plant. And they can easily understand the importance of food in our life. Hence, we should not waste food.

These kinds of activities are very helpful to enrich your subject with maximum involvement and participation of your students. It makes learning joyful and everlasting.

Conclusion :

I hope you have a clear idea about subject enrichment activities for environmental science. You as a teacher can use such types of subject enrichment activities to make your classroom learning process joyful and interesting. If you want to get more such activities for other subjects like English or Mathematics, do let me know in the comment box. You also can read these articles to enhance your teaching-learning experience.

1. Storytelling as an educational tool – Importance and Benefits
2. How to make Projects with a multidisciplinary approach – Best examples.
3. What is Experiential Learning? 7 best Practical Examples for Kids.

Read these articles, articles will surely help you. And serve the purpose of joyful learning. If you have any other ideas regarding teaching learning experiments, do let me know in the comment box. I will surely come up with the suggested topic.