Knowledge is often created in spaces outside the boundaries of the four walled classrooms
and besides a subject like environmental education, which deal with how to beautify our
environment cannot be simply taught by sitting inside the class.
Field trips should be organized to the exotic nearby locations, which are key areas of grave
concern of the environmental degradation that is taking place. Subsequently, the matter
should be discussed by involving students in a debate that would generate interest amongst
the students to share their opinions, ideas and viewpoints regarding what they feel about a
particular on-going development project that is receiving negative publicity and protests from
the indigenous people of those areas. Only, when a child feels connected to an issue will there
be some kind of an interest that would be kindled to know more about that topic and also find
subsequent ways of overcoming the problem.
According to the historian Thomas Berry, -Teaching children about the natural world should
be seen as one of the most important events in their lives.- Nature has been one of the most
precious gifts of God to mankind, its beauty and serenity inspires every person to become a
self-proclaimed poet or poetess. Such is the magic of nature, for kids especially who are just
exploring the -Big Bad World- nature has a soothing effect and makes them realise that not
everything is bad, God is balancing bad with good.
A child who is born and brought up in an urban environment and has only seen villages in
their television set can never be able to know what kind of problems do they face. So in order
to develop that sense of relatability amongst kids, they could be taken on short one day trips
to nearby villages, where kids should be asked to get involved with the people and find put
the problems they are facing and then as a part of their assignment they could be asked to
come up with the various solutions that could put an end to all the problems that are taking
place in the lives of these indigenous people. Only when we make an effort do we derive
results, so it is a combined task for teachers as well as the students to make the subject which
generally acts as a sedative to most kids in class by putting them off to sleep, sound and
appear interesting, only then will they like to study it.