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       Activities

Activity : Compost Pit

    Objective: To make use of biodegradable waste.

    Materials:

1. A spade for digging.
2. Dry grass or straw.

    Steps:

a. Dig a pit in the corner of your garden.
b. Line it with dry grass or straw.
c. Put in all biodegradable waste such as left over foodstuff, vegetable peels, paper, dried leaves, etc.
d. Cover with a thin layer of soil.
e. Water once or twice a week to keep it moist.
f. Every 15 days or so turn the contents of the pit. Add more waste as it is generated.
g. After 3 or 4 months the compost manure will be ready for use.

Activity : Vermicomposting

    Objective: Use of biodegradable waste.

    Materials:

1. A spade
2. Worms
3. Dry grass or straw.

    Steps:

a. The procedure is very similar to the compost pit, only in this case worms are added to the pit.
b. This form of composting is considered better as the worms feed on the waste and their excreta is mixed with it making it more fertile.

Activity : Feeding site for the birds

    Materials:

1. a roll of string
2. a small bowl.
3. Some grains

    Steps:

a. Tie the string to the bowl, if it is an old plastic bowl you can make three holes at equal distances and tie the string.
b. Hang the bowl on the branch of a tree or on your balcony.
c. Fill the bowl with grains or left over food. You must make sure to fill the bowl regularly. The birds will come every day as they will be assured of finding food.

Activity : To build a bird bath

    Materials:

1. Three sturdy sticks;
2. An old tub, broad bowl, or any broad shallow dish.
3. water

    Steps:

a. Put the three sticks on the ground as shown in the diagram.
b. Place the bowl on top and fill it with water. Now from a reasonable distance watch the birds having a bath.

Activity : Neighbourhood tree watch club

    Objective: To learn to care for trees

    Steps:

a. Gather a group of friends and others who would be interested.
b. Form a club to take care of the trees in your neighbourhood.
c. Count the number of trees in your area, each of you can adopt a few trees.
d. See that they are tended to, plant new trees where there are gaps or places where they are needed, water them and take care of them.
e. Hold regular meetings, involve your parents in the movement, watch your neighbourhood look healthy and green.

Activity : Rough recycled hand made paper

    Objective: Recycling of waste paper.

    Materials:

1. Waste paper from old notebooks/old newspaper/old magazines.
2. A little starch.
3. A bucket or an old basin.
4. A mortar and pestle or any other device to pound the paper.
5. A wire mesh sieve or a perforated plate.

    Steps:

a. Tear the paper you are using into small pieces.
b. Soak in warm water in a bucket for a little while with a little starch.
c. After a few hours take it out of the water and pound it with the mortal and pestle till it becomes soft and pulpy. Add more starch to it to thicken it.
d. Put this pulp in the sieve to allow the water to drip out. Press it if required to get the excess water out.
e. Now turn the sieve slowly upside down over a smooth surface and put some weight on it.
f. Once it dries up your hand made paper is ready for use. You will not be able to write on it but you can draw on it or use it for some other purpose.

Activity : Make a wind vane

    Objective: To test the power of wind.

    Materials:

1. A square piece of stiff paper( about 10/10cm)
2. A stick about a foot long.
3. A pin or a piece of wire to mount the paper to the stick.

    Steps:

a. Make four even cuts towards the centre from the four corners, keeping the center intact as shown in the diagram.
b. Bend a part of each segment at an angle. There should be four points jutting out.
c. Now put a wire or a pin through the center and mount the wheel on a stick. Hold it in the wind and watch the wheel rotate. The windmill which is made in a similar way is actually nothing but a large windvane.

Activity : To burn paper using the power of the sun

    Objective: To test the power of the sun.

    Materials:

1. A piece of paper.
2. A magnifying glass.

    Steps:

Stand in the sun, hold the paper in one hand, let the sun’s rays fall on the paper through the glass. After a while the paper will start burning.

Activity : Ways of trapping heat energy from the sun

    Materials:

1. Two identical bottles
2. White paint and black paint.
3. Water
4. Thermometer

Steps:

a. Paint one bottle white and the other black.
b. Fill each with water.
c. Leave them in the sun for about two hours.
d. Now with a thermometer check the temperature in each bottle.
e. You will find that the temperature in the black bottle is higher.