Biology - Class VIII- Adventitious Roots

Dear Children,
The Sundarbans is a cluster of low-lying islands in the Bay of Bengal, spread across India and Bangladesh, famous for its unique mangrove forests. This active delta region is among the largest in the world,measuring about 40,000 sq km. 

Here are a few snapshots I took in the Sundarbans of India on my recent visit there.

The first three photos are of pneumatophores- respiratory roots, an adaptation in plants growing near seas or estuaries where the soil has high saline content, limited oxygen andthe place receives heavy rainfall as well as intense sunlight . The Sundarbans is one such place in India where such mangrove forests are dense. In order to respire, the roots apart from its usual function of drawing water and minerals from the soil , breathe by taking in oxygen from the air above the soil.

The last photo is of an handmade boat ( called ' launch' in local language) which is a substitute of an indigenous cruise, adventurous nonetheless where you can be merry spending the whole day eating,sleeping and enjoying a lazy ride on the five rivers meeting the sea- The Bay of Bengal. The only word of caution is that it doesn't catch the fancy of the Panthera tigris!

Hope you enjoyed catching a glimpse of the Sundarbans!
Regards,
Megha Ma'am

Making Sense of Matrices in the Real World (Class IX)

Dear Children,

We are studying Matrices. But do we know what its relevance is in the real world? Here is a link to some information for you that I am sure you will enjoy.

Matrices

Do tell me how you found this. Interesting or mind-boggling?

Regards
Renu Ma'am

The Terrible Trio

Dear Children,

It is delightful to see your curiosity in many areas of Science, especially health and diseases.  Many of your queries cannot be answered in class due to various factors, either it's time constraint or sometimes the discussion takes an entirely different path as the queries are so varied.

Now, just the other day we had an animated discussion on the function of the ear. Below is a link to an article that can tell you a lot about the Ear, Nose and Throat connection.  Some people even call it the Terrible Trio!

Now, as for the link,here you go!

Ear, Nose And Throat Connection | alive

Do let me know whether you found some answers to the questions you had.

Regards
Megha Ma'am

An Explanation of Kapi Kari- Class 8

Dear Children,

In the images below,you will find an explanation to the lesson Kapi Kari..

Hope this is helpful.

Regards
Your Hindi teachers

Namak Ka Daroga and a Little about Munshi Premchand

Dear Children,
Here are a few videos that will surely help you enjoy Hindi as a subject. These are related to the lesson 'Namak Ka Daroga' being taught at school.

These are for Class 7 students and is related to the lesson 'Namak ka Daroga'.





Fun watching them, isn't it?

If you want to read the English translation of the story you could do so here.

This Shakespeare of Hindi literature has not earned so much fame for nothing. Do you know these facts about Premchand?


1. Premchand’s real name was Dhanpat Rai Srivastav. He started writing under the pen name ‘Nawab Rai’ but switched to ‘Premchand’ after the British found his work Soz-e-Watan seditious.
2. Premchand applied for college education but was turned down by institutions for mainly two reasons. A second class matriculation certificate and poor arithmetic skills. Premchand obtained a BA degree much later.
3. Premchand married a child widow. It was nothing short of revolutionary in those times. Needless to say he faced a lot of opposition for doing it but he persevered and wrote a book on the topic that mirrors his experience.
4. Premchand began his education at a Madarsa and learnt Urdu and Persian from a Maulvi. He wrote in Hindustani which is a mix of Urdu and Hindi.
5. When Mahatma Gandhi asked people to quit government jobs as part of the Non Cooperation Movement, Premchand quit his well paying government job of Deputy Inspectors of Schools. He took the decision in-spite of his ill health and with a pregnant wife to take care of and two children. He faced financial difficulties because of this decision which plagued him till his death but he never gave up support to the Nationalist cause.

While we celebrate foreign authors – and rightly so – lets not forget our own. Premchand is considered the “Upanyas Samrat” (“Emperor among Novelists”). We salute his revolutionary writing and his remarkable life. ( information courtesy www.lovehindustan.com)

Regards,

Your Hindi Teachers 

News in Focus- Siachen - Contemporary Studies Hour

Dear Children,

On Tuesday, 9th of February, 2016- we are beginning our first Contemporary Studies Hour during the zero period. During the Contemporary Studies Hour we will be discussing curent affairs topics with our classmates.  This Tuesday it is going to be about the recent tragic mishap at Siachen where many soldiers lost their lives. We will talk about different aspects of this news item - the conditions at Siachen , what kind of challenging conditions the army works under, why is it difficult to patrol, why people take up a profession that poses so many challenges, what makes army men brave all these conditions, what is an avalanche, what is a glacier..well, there are so many things we could talk about!

Here are some links that are about this piece of news.

News...

http://www.ibnlive.com/news/india/army-captain-dies-in-avalanche-in-siachen-glacier-15-soldiers-rescued-1164462.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2126425/Pakistan-avalanche-Siachen-Glacier-buries-130-soldiers-Kashmir-worlds-highest-battlefield.html
http://tribune.com.pk/story/361436/siachen-glacier-tragedy-hits-worlds-highest-battlefield/
http://www.firstpost.com/india/siachen-avalanche-all-ten-missing-army-personnel-declared-dead-pm-modi-condoles-demise-2612762.html

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-35494112

General facts about Siachen

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india/key-facts-about-siachen-glacier/story-8xTgsxKlOHryMpadqeYxnO.html
http://topyaps.com/know-about-indian-soldiers-in-siachen# A really nice one!!!
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/244273/facts-siachen.html


Interesting facts about the Indian Army

https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-amazing-facts-about-Indian-army-4

Let this be the beginning of many rounds of thought-provoking discussions
Regards
Your teachers

Small Pain in My Chest

Dear Children,


Hope you all enjoyed reading the poem 'Small Pain in My Chest' by Michael Mack with me. Here's the poem itself and a few notes on it .


Small Pain In My Chest
by Michael Mack


The soldier boy was sitting calmly underneath that tree.
As I approached it, I could see him beckoning to me.
The battle had been long and hard and lasted through the night
And scores of figures on the ground lay still by morning's light.


"I wonder if you'd help me, sir", he smiled as best he could.
"A sip of water on this morn would surely do me good.
We fought all day and fought all night with scarcely any rest -

A sip of water for I have a small pain in my chest."
As I looked at him, I could see the large stain on his shirt
All reddish-brown from his warm blood mixed in with Asian dirt.

"Not much", said he. "I count myself more lucky than the rest.
They're all gone while I just have a small pain in my chest."
"Must be fatigue", he weakly smiled. "I must be getting old.
I see the sun is shining bright and yet I'm feeling cold.

We climbed the hill, two hundred strong, but as we cleared the crest,
The night exploded and I felt this small pain in my chest."
"I looked around to get some aid - the only things I found
Were big, deep craters in the earth - bodies on the ground.

I kept on firing at them, sir. I tried to do my best,
But finally sat down with this small pain in my chest."
"I'm grateful, sir", he whispered, as I handed my canteen
And smiled a smile that was, I think, the brightest that I've seen.

"Seems silly that a man my size so full of vim and zest,
Could find himself defeated by a small pain in his chest."
"What would my wife be thinking of her man so strong and grown,
If she could see me sitting here, too weak to stand alone?

Could my mother have imagined, as she held me to her breast,
That I'd be sitting HERE one day with this pain in my chest?"
"Can it be getting dark so soon?" He winced up at the sun.
"It's growing dim and I thought that the day had just begun.

I think, before I travel on, I'll get a little rest ..........
And, quietly, the boy died from that small pain in his chest.
I don't recall what happened then. I think I must have cried;
I put my arms around him and I pulled him to my side
And, as I held him to me, I could feel our wounds were pressed
The large one in my heart against the small one in his chest.


[Poem Courtesy : http://www.netpoets.com/poems/life/1504001.htm]

Here's a little about the poem in these links:- ( There is , in fact, a lot of material here!)

http://writetoscore.com/2015/08/06/icse-english-poem-small-pain-in-my-chest/

http://www.gooutpace.com/2015/01/analysis-of-small-pain-in-my-chest-icse.html

http://web.jns.ac.in/worksheet/A%20small%20pain%20in%20my%20chest.pdf

https://beamingnotes.com/2013/08/07/summary-of-small-pain-in-my-chest-by-michael-mack/

Read them with care ...use your discretion . I am sure you will find a lot of this helpful.
Annapurna Ma'am