Flowers of Puducherry

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The students of Class 3 are introduced to the theme of plants with the chapter titled ‘Plants Around Us’. Then, they go on to see the diversity of those plants with the chapter ‘Leaves in our Lives’ and lessons such as ‘The Plant fairy’ and ‘A Beautiful cloth’. In Class 4, the students learn about flowers and flower sellers in the lesson ‘Valley of Flowers’, and they discuss about who trees belong to in ‘The Story of Amrita’ and ‘Abdul in the Garden’. the students move on to the lesson about plants that have come from far off places in the lesson ‘Seeds and Seeds’ and ‘Forests and Forest People’. Students finally get the notion of parks and sanctuaries in Class 5 in the lesson ‘Whose Forests?’.

Now, let us take up the lesson ‘The Valley of Flowers’, where the aim is to introduce the students to an interesting place—a valley that has diverse flowers—and then discuss the various aspects of flowers, such as their appearances, the plants types in which they grow, and the uses of flowers. However, there is a need of constant support in order to bridge the content gaps, present in the textbook, and the literacy gaps that the students have. This project aims at bridging those gaps by providing students with the opportunity to explore nearby places and by providing reading and writing support through stories and profiling.

Lesson Covered: Class 4, 11. Valley of Flowers

Objectives

Understanding, observing, and listing common flowers.
Explaining the visual features, the importance, and the uses of different flowers.

Project idea—Flowers of Puducherry

Engagement—Discussion should be carried out in the classroom on flowers using questions that are given below:
Have you all seen a flower?
Where do we get those flowers from? What type of plants do they come from? (trees, shrubs, bushes, climbers, creepers)
How do the flowers that you have seen look like? (colour, shape, texture-if touched)
When do these flowers blossom? Do you know any other time when these flowers blossom?
Have you seen anything sitting on the flower? If yes, why?
What are the different places/time/events when you use flowers? Have you seen people using flowers in any other way?
Have you ever eaten a flower?
Do you know any flowers that are used as medicines or in medicines? Which ones are used for perfume? Which ones are used for decorations and which ones have an ornamental value?
What are the colours of some of these flowers? Why do flowers have bright colours?
What is the role of flowers in plants?

(Additionally, questions from the textbook can also be used)

After each question, the teacher can use photos from the textbook and resources that are mentioned below:

Photos of Local flowers.
Additionally, a PPT on flowers can also be used to introduce flowers and initiate discussions.
Engaging videos (The teacher will have to pause the videos and guide the students or facilitate discussion wherever needed)
- The following videos can be used to introduce students to the ‘Valley of flowers’. A discussion can be carried out regarding nearby places in the locality that have a rich collection of flowers.
- Why is Valley Of Flowers Uttarakhand's Most Popular Trek:
- The Valley of Flowers—Ganges—BBC:
- This shows the flower blooming with wonderful colours and arrangements. Time-Lapse: Watch Flowers Bloom Before Your Eyes
- The following video and web links show and explain the 99 varieties of flowers that are sung in Kurinjipaattu. Most of the flowers can be identified by us and are still in common use:
- குறிஞ்சிப்பாட்டில் கபிலர் குறிப்பிடும் 99 மலர்கள் குறித்து படங்களோடு விளக்கங்களை இங்கே காண்போம் - http://www.tamilmantram.com/vb/archive/index.php/t-25979.html
- குறிஞ்சிப்பாட்டில் 99 மலர்கள் - http://chenaitamilulaa.bigforumpro.com/t44908-99
- 99 வகை மலர்கள் படங்களுடன்
- Flower market: The following videos can be used to discuss flowers and diversity of flowers:
- Pondicherry Flower Market | Goubert Market
- This festive season, the Flower Market area is the most buzzing place in town!
A discussion can be carried out in the classroom on flowers used in homes, temples, and other places for ornamental and spiritual purposes.
Data should be collected about different flowers growing in and around the school (to the possible distance we can explore). This should be guided by the teacher using the worksheet.
The uses of flower can include its benefits for plants, human beings, and animals, thereby sensitizing the students that flowers are useful to humans, animals and plants.
The list can be expanded by students, by encouraging them to observe and collect data from home and by interviewing their parents and other elders at home. (The details in the table are to found through the interviews)
A visit to a local park or garden (botanical garden if possible) can also be arranged for students, so that they can observe more plants and flowers.
Classification of the flowers should be done based on the data collected, and students can also draw and colour different flowers, which can be presented as an album or a poster. the classification can also be done based on the uses of the flowers. The Categories can be ornamental use , spiritual use , etc.