Drive out to the nature - B.Ed first activity memories

It was the last hour of thursday 25th July.We the firstyear  students of mother teresa BEd college had a varied  and  thrilling experience.We were asked to do something creative from nature within 1 hour.We started searching in college campus. While walking first our team saw 3-4 plastic bottles and we planned to plant some plants by cutting the bottles and to hang them in a decorative style .But we couldn't find any tools to cut that bottles so we dropped that plan.Again we started to think is there anything creative that can be done in one hour. While seeing the mosses on the wall remembered about the youtube video on KOKEDAMA.

 

 

'Kokedemma' our version

In the Japanese language, kokedama translates to moss-ball, koke- meaning “moss” and dama- meaning “ball”. A kokedama is a living organic plant sculpture, suspended in its own ball of soil wrapped in moss and held together with string. Combining nature and art is something to admire and cherish!  Today Kokedamas are one of the biggest trends in gardening and indoor plants. They are easy to care for and look fantastic. It is a lovely way to bring the outdoors into your home. I can call them living sculptures.Kokedemas actually symbolizes earth,may be due to its spherical shape. People are loving the unique style, natural influence and lovely, calming atmosphere that Kokedamas bring to their lives. They make a perfect decorative addition to a home’s decor as well as to commercial spaces such as cafes, restaurants  and offices.Kokedamas are relatively easy to look after. You only need to water your moss ball once or twice a fortnight depending on the plant.If your Kokedama is hanging and you can’t take it down for a soaking, you will have to use a spray bottle to water it. Using this method you will have to spray it a lot more regularly but the weight of the ball will tell you when you need to.

STEPS TO MAKE KOKEDAMA

  Actually we are converting this Japanese technique to a  Kerala style version.Soil,coir pitch,cowdung,waste cloths ,mosses ,string are the materials you needed.Using soil coir pitch and cowdung we are making a ball shaped structure and we are planting a sapling inside .Again we makeup that ball shaped structure that was damaged while planting the sapling,Then we wrap that ball using some cotton cloth.Atlast moss is packed around this ball and again covered with thread.Now our kokedamma is ready.Usually at primary days watering is done by spraying method when the ball is completely covered with mosses we can immerse that ball in water .


             It was an amazing experience while exploring the nature in a different method.Our team was very supportive and every person listened to everyones idea. There were alot of innovative ideas but our resources were very less. So we had to drop many ideas.The term" kodadama" itself was strange to many of our team members none of us had not done it before however we stepped forward bravely.Our team members were so enthusiastic and creative that we finished our work successfully and beautifully.Words were not enough to express our joy when our kokedama was in our hand.It took us to the childhood memories of makking 'mannapam'.
                  Due to the influence of medias children are getting separated from nature a teacher can attarct children to nature through this kind of activities.How ever a child will enjoy making a creative art by himself.As we are being trained to become teachers this kind of activities give us a new vision and aim .

The materials Prince uses for his version of the Japanese gardening technique are soil, coir pith an...

Read more at: https://english.manoramaonline.com/lifestyle/decor/2018/09/25/kokedama-garden-technique-tips.html

he materials Prince uses for his version of the Japanese gardening technique are soil, coir pith and...

Read more at: https://english.manoramaonline.com/lifestyle/decor/2018/09/25/kokedama-garden-technique-tips.html

he materials Prince uses for his version of the Japanese gardening technique are soil, coir pith and...

Read more at: https://english.manoramaonline.com/lifestyle/decor/2018/09/25/kokedama-garden-technique-tips.html

oss is abundant in the humid climate of Japan and kokedama is very popular in that country....

Read more at: https://english.manoramaonline.com/lifestyle/decor/2018/09/25/kokedama-garden-technique-tips.html

DON'T THROW THEM OUT....-REUSE GLASS BOTTLES

Don’t throw glass bottles but keep them and make many creative decorations by recycling your empty and useless bottles. Nowadays artists are using old bottles into different household items and decorations.Wine bottles come in all different shapes, sizes and hues, and those diverse qualities make them such versatile objects when it comes to up-cycling or re-purposing.How many interesting and creative ways one can use these empty bottles, be it for something functional or pure decor.
I used to throw them all away, but I realized throwing these bottles away don’t help anybody!
Reusing with glass bottles are the kinds of attempts Mother Nature would be really proud of .So, here are the coolest recycling and glass bottle decoration ideas!




1) Wine keeping purpose
we can reuse glass bottle in creative way and can be used for storing grape wine.We all will share some gifts during X'mas days grape wine in this decorated bottle as a gift will be something different.

2)Lights

 Just clean the beer bottles and put in some Christmas or rice lights inside, and you're done! This can be a great option for a contemporary looking bedside lamp.

 

 

3)Planters

Just cut the bottles(with out cutting also you can plant some water plants) smoothen the ends, and grow small plants in them. You can practically place them anywhere as they take very little space and look ornamental too

.

  

4}Wrapped bottles

Just wrap around your beer bottles with yarn or wool and make them look like a

work of art. We can even use them as home decor.

5)Cap candles

Cap can be used to make small candles for one-time use.https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Bottle-Cap-Candles

6)PAINTED BOTTLES
You can even paint bottles according to your idea and can be used to give birthday gifts or some other kind to your friends

TANGRAM-MATHEMATICS AS A GAME

The tangram is a dissection puzzle consisting of seven flat shapes, called tans, which are put together to form shapes.

The objective of the puzzle is to form a specific shape (given only an outline or silhouette) using all seven pieces, which can not overlap. It is reputed to have been invented in China during the Song Dynasty and then carried over to Europe by trading ships in the early 19th century. It became very popular in Europe for a time then, and then again during World War I. It is one of the most popular dissection puzzles in the world.A Chinese psychologist has termed the tangram "the earliest psychological test in the world"<sup>.

TANGRAM RULES</sup>

Pieces

Tangram is a puzzle made of seven flat shapes: five triangles, a square and a parallelogram. The triangles are isosceles and right-angled and they come in three different sizes: two large, one medium and two small ones. The parallelogram's acute angles measure π4 and the smallest side has the same length as the square's side.

Taking as an area unit the square's area, the pieces have the following areas:

• area 2: large triangles
• area 1: square, parallelogram, medium triangle
• area 12: small triangles
  

  Tangram Benefits

  While the benefits of tangram puzzles can be seen in people of any age, they are most beneficial to young children.
  
  
  They are a great hands-on activity that can be incorporated into the classroom or used at home. Below are the skills that tangram puzzles can help to develop:
  
  
• Problem-solving and logistical thinking:
• Creativity
• Geometrical concepts
• Spatial relationships
• Positive relationships with math
  
  
   MATHEMATICAL APPLICATIONS OF TANGRAM
  
  As stated above, tangram puzzles help children learn problem-solving skills and geometrical concepts. It is for this reason that they are often utilized in math classrooms. The tans can be used to teach the relationships between different basic shapes. For example, two triangles can be combined to make a square or a parallelogram, a parallelogram and two triangles can make a rectangle, and so on.
  
  
  Tangram puzzles can also be used as an introduction to the concept of area. The students can use each tan as a unit of measurement and count how many tans it takes to fill different figures. Symmetry, congruence, similarity, and even fractions can be taught through different exercises using the tangram pieces. Students not only learn mathematical concepts through the completion of theses puzzles and accompanying exercises, but they also passively develop the problem-solving skills needed to effortlessly figure out the puzzles. 

EGG TANGRAM 

Egg Tangram puzzle or the Egg of Columbus or Magic Egg consists of nine pieces of geometric shape. The nine pieces can be arranged into various patterns, the most popular are birds. The goal of Egg Tangram is to rearrange the pieces to form other specific shapes. It is called flip, slide and turn, it is a very fun puzzle to do in the classroom. The process of arranging pieces together enhance students’ thinking skills, reasoning and visual problem solving skills.

 

I FOUND THE GOD IN NATURE-VARNGA TEMPLE

This is also another girls trip we were 11 for this trip  destination was Varnga jain temple. Divine nature has blessed all the places on this earth. Beauty should lie in your eyes actually in this place i will say "really found the God in nature"

 The main highlight of this temple is that it is located in the middle of a lake. There is a small boat that take you to the temple and way back. The temple is located quite far from the city. The lake is really beautiful with lot of fish and lotus.

 Varanga is a small village located at a distance of 26 Km from Karkala in Udupi district. This village is found on the way from Karkala to Agumbe. Varanga is a popular pilgrim center, especially for Jains. This beautiful village houses most ancient and wonderful Basadis (Jain Temples). 

Attractions of Varanga are Neminatha Basadi, Chandranatha Basadi, and Kere Basadi (varnga jain temple). These beautiful locations are the best way one can relax amidst tranquility.The beauty a temple built in the vicinity of a dazzling lake can never be ignored. The essence of calmness and serenity can be felt easily.

It is believed that this Basadi has a history of 850 years. The basadi, raised on a stone platform is a chaturmukha, which means four entrances in four directions and houses the idols of four Tirthankaras, Bhagwan Parshwanatha, Bhagwan Shanthinatha, Bhagwan Ananthanatha and Bhagwan Neminatha in Kayotsarga posture facing four different directions.

 

Although the Kere Basadi is 850 years old, this temple looks renovated, possessing a modern look due to the large marble tiles that surround the outer wall, along with the tile roofing. However, if you look closely at the temple towards its eaves, the frieze projections look old. Also, the pitched roofing above the central section, with a kalasha on its top, rises above the modern-tiled pitched roofing that surrounds it

The winter months are the best time to visit Varanga, owing to the pleasant weather. October-February is therefore when you must visit these temples.

STAIRS TO HEAVEN

This is something that i am missing most and valuable thing in my mangalore-diary  .During Mangalore days i was in college hostel by hostel rule during holydays we have permission to go only after 12 pm and curfew was at 6 pm so planning of trips was very difficult. After a long steps of seeking for permissions we planned our trip to BELTHENGADY-JAMALABAD FORT.

Jamalabad is a trekking destination, with the climb up to the fort being classified as 'medium difficulty level' and the top of the structure offering good views of the surrounding landscape and the Kudremukh range.
At the base of the hill is a forest check post where visitors have to pay a nominal entry fee. Visitors should carry food and plenty of water since there is no potable fresh water available on top. The nearest town with any communication and medical facilities is Beltangady.
Entry to the fort is open between 6 am and 4 pm and overnight stay at the fort is prohibited.

Jamalabad fort in the Dakshina Kannada District of Karnataka. The fort was commissioned by Tipu Sulthan.It was named so because of Tipu’s mother, Jamalabee.This place is accessible via a short bus ride from Mangalore exactly 23 rupees.The speciality of Jamalabad lies in its surroundings which fascinate the trekkers and nature lovers due to the presence of rich vegetation around it. Being located in the flourishing parts of Kudremukh range, Jamalabad also provides its visitors with breathtaking landscapes.

We were 6 girls including one Kannada girl other wise it was tough to catch bus and to communicate with localities because we don't know much to read and speak Kannada. We reached their at 8 am.After paying a token fee to the forest officer on duty you begin the ascent.

Steps are cut into the granitic rock which makes the first part of the climb to be very steep.After climbing about one third of the way you burst out of the canopy of the forest onto a bare mountain face. With absolutely no cover and a steep angle to climb this again is evidence of how perfect the location was to build up a fort. The climb at this part is easier on your thighs but you need to watch out as it is easy to slip on the open ground and there is a long way to slide down. While the Sun had started to beat down, it was past 9 am, there is a strong breeze throughout the climb which makes the weather amiable but also can cause your mouth to dry up so an extra bottle of water will come in handy.

  Wikipedia puts the number of steps to be over 1800 though so it can be slightly more challenging than you expect. The fort was entirely designed to have just one way up or down to maximize it’s defensive potential.While climbing to this fort we feel that this stairs are leading to heaven like we are going to touch the sky.Climbing steps was easy comming down was a little difficult.Any way this journey was something special.