tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33631057324018713822024-03-13T19:31:58.498-07:00Agents of changeAgents of changeAajwanthihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032490313992413362noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363105732401871382.post-76164634188356890202011-03-15T08:18:00.001-07:002011-03-15T08:22:48.329-07:00Namma NeeruSo finally, here is the edited video that I took forever to upload! Any feedback and comments are most welcome!<div><br /></div><div><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/20548981" width="400" height="233" frameborder="0"></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/20548981"></div>Namma Neeru (Our Water)</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/aajwanthi">Aajwanthi</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>Aajwanthihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032490313992413362noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363105732401871382.post-66917628281198798362010-11-08T23:09:00.000-08:002010-11-09T00:13:14.251-08:00Bottle neer yaake? Malai Neer ok!<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black">Mr Vishwanath was visiting the School on the 23rd with Vessela Monta, head of International Rainwater Harvesting Alliance for the inaugural function of the completed rainwater tank. I wanted to see the finished tank and show the kids what I had been working on as well, so tagged along. Sadly, It was a holiday weekend and they were not at school but the tank was done and looked great and we had a small and sweet inaugural function that was organised by the BIAF team in C.K Pura. Here is an image of the</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black">finished</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black">tank. It reads "Bottle neer yaake? Malai neer ok!" (Why do you need bottled water? Rain water is ok!)I thought that was brilliant! Drawing from Kannada Super star Upendra's UB campaign where he says "Yella ok, cool drink yaake?" (Everything is ok, why do you need a cool drink?)!</span></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TNjpXFrzDaI/AAAAAAAAE24/zTnkNB0tM9g/s1600/_MG_3776.jpg"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TNjpXFrzDaI/AAAAAAAAE24/zTnkNB0tM9g/s320/_MG_3776.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537432324724166050" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TNkBiohN7AI/AAAAAAAAE4A/Is0X5Qlb3XE/s1600/_MG_3768.jpg"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TNkBiohN7AI/AAAAAAAAE4A/Is0X5Qlb3XE/s320/_MG_3768.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537458911332658178" style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 14px; ">The bright blue pump inside the kitchen in the school, to pump out water from the tank</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: normal; "><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TNjpfmBOwWI/AAAAAAAAE3A/tOoxSHLdMBk/s1600/_MG_3774.jpg"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TNjpfmBOwWI/AAAAAAAAE3A/tOoxSHLdMBk/s320/_MG_3774.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537432470842949986" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; color: black; "></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; "><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#333333">Getting ready for the inaugural ceremony</span></span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; "><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#333333"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: normal; font-size: 16px; "><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TNjpsCwmZgI/AAAAAAAAE3I/HV_IjeLa_ko/s1600/_MG_3770.jpg"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TNjpsCwmZgI/AAAAAAAAE3I/HV_IjeLa_ko/s320/_MG_3770.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537432684716254722" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; "><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#333333"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: normal; font-size: 16px; "><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TNjqnBWzckI/AAAAAAAAE3Q/JeoEVVR7oT8/s1600/_MG_3777.jpg"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TNjqnBWzckI/AAAAAAAAE3Q/JeoEVVR7oT8/s320/_MG_3777.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537433697951904322" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; "><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#333333">Mr.Vishwanath giving an introduction and talking to everyone about the importance of the tank</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; "><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#333333"></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#333333"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";color:black"><span class="apple-style-span">After this, we</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">walked around the village to show Vessela the various rainwater harvesting tanks that were there and functioned properly and we were graciously given lots of nice cold water to drink, from each one of these tanks. One of the ladies we visited said that her supply, instead of lasting her most of the year, gets over in 6-7 months because people who passed by, would stop and ask her for rainwater to drink, which she undoubtedly could not deny them.</span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt; line-height: normal; font-size: 10pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Georgia, serif; "><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TNjrEaBbOgI/AAAAAAAAE3Y/0iaamBDIoZU/s1600/_MG_3783.jpg"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TNjrEaBbOgI/AAAAAAAAE3Y/0iaamBDIoZU/s320/_MG_3783.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537434202789329410" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt; line-height: normal; font-size: 10pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; "></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#333333">Mr.Vishwanath, Vessela and Mr.Ramakrishna talking to the lady whose home the tank was in.</span></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#333333"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: normal; font-size: 16px; "><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TNjrv2DUUfI/AAAAAAAAE3g/onx9Z0hBux0/s1600/_MG_3781.jpg"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TNjrv2DUUfI/AAAAAAAAE3g/onx9Z0hBux0/s320/_MG_3781.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537434949047833074" style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></a></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#333333"></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#333333">Mr.Ramakrishna drinking water from the rainwater tank.</span></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#333333"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: normal; font-size: 16px; "><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TNjs6DdgWSI/AAAAAAAAE3o/LDqWBrOq76w/s1600/_MG_3785.jpg"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TNjs6DdgWSI/AAAAAAAAE3o/LDqWBrOq76w/s320/_MG_3785.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537436223957653794" style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></a></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#333333"></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#333333">He was kind enough to pump some water from his tank for us to drink.</span></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#333333"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: normal; font-size: 16px; "><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TNjtCsbcWsI/AAAAAAAAE3w/1qiwlN7ork0/s1600/_MG_3786.jpg"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TNjtCsbcWsI/AAAAAAAAE3w/1qiwlN7ork0/s320/_MG_3786.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537436372393810626" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#333333"></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black">Mr.Mohan pouring it into glasses</span></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: normal; font-size: 16px; "><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TNjtc0E5KTI/AAAAAAAAE34/XPLHd-m-hEA/s1600/_MG_3765.jpg"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TNjtc0E5KTI/AAAAAAAAE34/XPLHd-m-hEA/s320/_MG_3765.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537436821123311922" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black"></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black;mso-fareast-language: EN-IN">We stopped at a school on the way to Pavagada to see the state of the rainwater tank there. It was a sad sight. The pipes were broken and probably stolen or taken away and the tank looked like this. It had been positioned in such a bad place as well (Right in the middle of the entrance to the classes). Even if it had been near the wash rooms, it could have been used as a water storage tank. This tank was built as past of the Suvarna Jala Project.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black;mso-fareast-language: EN-IN">"Under Suvarna Jala scheme started in 2007, Karnataka Government released Rs.73.66 crores for providing rooftop rainwater harvesting structures to rural government schools. Out of 45,337 schools in the state, 23,683 have been reportedly identified under this scheme. So far 20,760 schools have been provided roof top rainwater harvesting at an estimated cost of Rs.5 crores.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black;mso-fareast-language: EN-IN">Last year, Arghyam, a Bangalore based NGO that is becoming well-known in the water conservation scenario, has conducted a efficiency survey of this scheme in seven districts. In Chamarajanagara, Davanagere, Chitradurga, Dharwar, Gadag and Tumkur districts, out of 1269 structures completed, only 140, a dismal 11 per cent was functional.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black;mso-fareast-language: EN-IN">Based on their survey, Arghyam had made several recommendations to the state government to execute the rest of the scheme in a result-oriented way. Unfortunately, not much by way of positive developments have come about later."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black;mso-fareast-language: EN-IN">Read the rest of this article from India Together <a href="http://www.indiatogether.org/2009/nov/env-schoolrwh.htm"><span style="color:blue">here</span></a> and here is a video from the Araghyam site which gives the status report of this project. It clearly says what one needs to do in order for this system to work. My project addresses a small part of the larger solution.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black;mso-fareast-language: EN-IN"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fwRf27DdxeU?fs=1&hl=en_GB"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fwRf27DdxeU?fs=1&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; "><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p></p><p></p><p></p>Aajwanthihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032490313992413362noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363105732401871382.post-74855142800799214382010-11-08T20:49:00.000-08:002010-11-08T22:05:38.710-08:00Final Outcomes<div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; font-size: medium; "><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black;mso-fareast-language: EN-IN">We had our final submission a few days ago. Here are the Version 2.0 of the things I submitted. It's not over yet though. Am preparing for my final juries that are coming up next week and trying to crunch this 4 month project into 15 minutes.The thought itself scares me.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; font-size: medium; "><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black;mso-fareast-language: EN-IN">Final Toolkit<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TNjXkKUOpRI/AAAAAAAAE1o/QAHZVlk-C5o/s1600/_MG_3822.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TNjXkKUOpRI/AAAAAAAAE1o/QAHZVlk-C5o/s320/_MG_3822.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537412758096487698" /></a><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TNjXkKUOpRI/AAAAAAAAE1o/QAHZVlk-C5o/s1600/_MG_3822.jpg"></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TNjXpdKktUI/AAAAAAAAE1w/Ylt8RB9OBGE/s1600/_MG_3823.jpg"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TNjXpdKktUI/AAAAAAAAE1w/Ylt8RB9OBGE/s320/_MG_3823.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537412849055610178" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TNjXxfaDFHI/AAAAAAAAE14/lp2nEOs1Nyc/s1600/_MG_3824.jpg"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TNjXxfaDFHI/AAAAAAAAE14/lp2nEOs1Nyc/s320/_MG_3824.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537412987096339570" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TNjX5TE_OLI/AAAAAAAAE2A/WysZVLuUrMA/s1600/_MG_3825.jpg"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TNjX5TE_OLI/AAAAAAAAE2A/WysZVLuUrMA/s320/_MG_3825.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537413121225734322" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black">The hand washing bottle</span></span></p></span></div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TNjYJWfNlQI/AAAAAAAAE2I/hOLPVuE0QLg/s1600/_MG_3811.jpg"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TNjYJWfNlQI/AAAAAAAAE2I/hOLPVuE0QLg/s320/_MG_3811.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537413397018940674" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TNjYR3heN3I/AAAAAAAAE2Q/FHGn27gw--0/s1600/_MG_3820.jpg"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TNjYR3heN3I/AAAAAAAAE2Q/FHGn27gw--0/s320/_MG_3820.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537413543325742962" style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">The project Documentation</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><br /></span></div><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TNjabbBnHeI/AAAAAAAAE2g/9m7n_fe25oo/s1600/_MG_3826.jpg"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TNjabbBnHeI/AAAAAAAAE2g/9m7n_fe25oo/s320/_MG_3826.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537415906497863138" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 275px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TNjbHVwLFYI/AAAAAAAAE2o/V8xA_4FTpvI/s1600/_MG_3828.jpg"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TNjbHVwLFYI/AAAAAAAAE2o/V8xA_4FTpvI/s320/_MG_3828.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537416660996789634" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TNjb7o8xHQI/AAAAAAAAE2w/ZiSqdflHkng/s1600/_MG_3831.jpg"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TNjb7o8xHQI/AAAAAAAAE2w/ZiSqdflHkng/s320/_MG_3831.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537417559503084802" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><div><br /></div></div>Aajwanthihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032490313992413362noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363105732401871382.post-51780758761416609662010-10-18T02:26:00.000-07:002010-10-18T08:21:28.353-07:00Where did the past month go?<div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span"><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black">My desk has looked like this for the past one month. Papers with variations of layouts, fonts, different books and sites I had been referring to, for the content for my toolkit. First I had to fixed a size and decided to go with Saakshi’s suggestion of looking at the golden proportion and tried to fix the margins according to that! Trying to fix a size that had minimum paper wastage, the right margins and fonts, etc itself took me a whole week to get right!</span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p></span><p></p><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TLwW6Cyt70I/AAAAAAAAE0A/aJfMRMODx9E/s1600/_MG_3597.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TLwW6Cyt70I/AAAAAAAAE0A/aJfMRMODx9E/s320/_MG_3597.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529319628941946690" /></a></p></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TLwW6Cyt70I/AAAAAAAAE0A/aJfMRMODx9E/s1600/_MG_3597.JPG"></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TLwXH_ebTcI/AAAAAAAAE0I/wvg_ZstvEqE/s1600/_MG_3595.JPG"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TLwXH_ebTcI/AAAAAAAAE0I/wvg_ZstvEqE/s320/_MG_3595.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529319868569701826" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TLwXSmT2ywI/AAAAAAAAE0Q/kFg-Y0u52Tg/s1600/_MG_3754.jpg"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TLwXSmT2ywI/AAAAAAAAE0Q/kFg-Y0u52Tg/s320/_MG_3754.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529320050793040642" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><strong><span style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></span></strong></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; color:black">After this, I wrote out the text that went in and chose the images that I wanted in the manual, to make a master sheet. Then came the tiring job of fixing a navigation system and layout. I still have to get it proofread but this is a test print I took in college. After Mr.Vishwanath’s and Rustam’s feedback, quite a few things including the cover, have changed. I will be going to the printers for an actual test print and binding to check for errors in the margin and colours tomorrow or day after. I will put those images up once I am done.</span><strong><o:p></o:p></strong></p></span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TLwXnGGSAEI/AAAAAAAAE0Y/AWnYhNYavyo/s1600/_MG_3757.jpg"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TLwXnGGSAEI/AAAAAAAAE0Y/AWnYhNYavyo/s320/_MG_3757.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529320402923421762" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TLwXs-KfJ4I/AAAAAAAAE0g/DyOD-YOOsEw/s1600/_MG_3758.jpg"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TLwXs-KfJ4I/AAAAAAAAE0g/DyOD-YOOsEw/s320/_MG_3758.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529320503872792450" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TLwXztuMsYI/AAAAAAAAE0o/N-J1EuW0g9E/s1600/_MG_3761.jpg"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TLwXztuMsYI/AAAAAAAAE0o/N-J1EuW0g9E/s320/_MG_3761.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529320619718259074" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; color:black">Now that this is nearly done, I am trying to work on the video that goes with the toolkit. I am currently trying to shorten and transcribe it and will have to fine-edit and add the subtitles once I get feedback.</span></span><strong><o:p></o:p></strong></p></span></div>Aajwanthihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032490313992413362noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363105732401871382.post-85779823594167900442010-10-07T00:23:00.001-07:002010-10-07T00:44:45.540-07:00A fluoride mitigation course taught by a fine teacher<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black;mso-fareast-language: EN-IN">I could possibly kill myself for not having found this earlier. Arghyam's India water portal has a comprehensive fluoride mitigation multimedia kit where a sweet old man comes and tells you about the basics of fluoride, fluorosis, solutions and projects are dealing with this. Perfect to show in the rural context or for beginners. What is even better is that it is available in Kannada! It would have been ideal for me to show the kids this. I will take it to them the next time I visit to say hi!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black;mso-fareast-language: EN-IN"><a href="http://www.indiawaterportal.org/node/736"><span style="color:blue">http://www.indiawaterportal.org/node/736#</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Times New Roman","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TK13sViLKUI/AAAAAAAAEzM/BqEclf656Fg/s1600/fluoride+lesson+3jpg.jpg"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TK13sViLKUI/AAAAAAAAEzM/BqEclf656Fg/s320/fluoride+lesson+3jpg.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525203921431898434" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 200px; " /></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TK13sViLKUI/AAAAAAAAEzM/BqEclf656Fg/s1600/fluoride+lesson+3jpg.jpg"></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px; ">A lesson on fluoride in groundwater</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TK134gjv2vI/AAAAAAAAEzU/MPG-pZsrG9c/s1600/fluoride+lesson.jpg"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TK134gjv2vI/AAAAAAAAEzU/MPG-pZsrG9c/s320/fluoride+lesson.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525204130549717746" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 200px; " /></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TK134gjv2vI/AAAAAAAAEzU/MPG-pZsrG9c/s1600/fluoride+lesson.jpg"></a></span>The villagers responding to the facilitator's questions</div><div><p></p></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TK14YPKWlNI/AAAAAAAAEzc/kBovsF8xzRo/s1600/fluoride+lesson+2.jpg"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TK14YPKWlNI/AAAAAAAAEzc/kBovsF8xzRo/s320/fluoride+lesson+2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525204675635614930" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 200px; " /></a></span></div><div>The amount of fluoride some food items contain is shown in this chart</div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><br /></span></span></p></div>Aajwanthihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032490313992413362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363105732401871382.post-21044767617729403092010-09-26T12:36:00.000-07:002010-09-26T12:52:44.355-07:00Them as teachers<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Them as teachers<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Aim: </span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>To empower the students and make them share the knowledge they have gained<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"">Closing the loop <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"">Trying to make them retain more of what they have learnt<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"">I went to talk to Arzu about my project a few weeks ago and she told me about this three tyre system. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>A <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Political Visionary </b>(One who is in charge of the larger politics and functioning- could be in the NGO or funders in this case), a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Conceptual visionary </b>(One who conceptualises the vision which could be me, in this case) and a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Practical visionary</b> (which was also me because I was conducting all the workshops and making it happen). Instead, she said, why don’t you empower the children to be practical visionaries? I thought this was a great idea because I saw for myself that I learnt most when I had to teach and work with these kids. This would just empower them some more and make them feel confident about what they have learnt and share it with their schoolmates too. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>So, I told the 9<sup>th</sup> standard students to prepare an afternoon session for the 8<sup>th</sup> standard kids. I told them to write down what they would ask them or say to them. Beginning from the basics of what fluoride is, what it is present in and what its harmful effects were and what they needed to do about it. I gave them all the visual aid I had and told them that I was going to be a student and they should take the class and not ask me what to do. We set up chairs outside and they went out to start their lesson. Boy, were they awesome!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> B</span>etter than me any day! They make the little ones jump up with joy and test their respective village’s water that they were carrying in their bottles and stamped them as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ water. The standard 8 kids were so excited that they wanted to test their school rainwater for fluoride and found that it had zero fluoride. They loved it. They also told them about rainwater and how to maintain a rainwater tank by cleaning the top of the roof up 10 minutes before they feel it is going to rain. They told them that they have to help each other maintain the tank that is going to provide them with fluoride free water.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Times New Roman","serif""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: normal; "><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TJ-j01fUhBI/AAAAAAAAEyY/EoEGSaR5uio/s1600/_MG_3729.jpg"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TJ-j01fUhBI/AAAAAAAAEyY/EoEGSaR5uio/s320/_MG_3729.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521311796286489618" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Times New Roman","serif""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: normal; "><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TJ-j9Vp0cLI/AAAAAAAAEyg/UAtbPZA_UpE/s1600/_MG_3724.jpg"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TJ-j9Vp0cLI/AAAAAAAAEyg/UAtbPZA_UpE/s320/_MG_3724.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521311942359412914" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Times New Roman","serif""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: normal; "><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TJ-kH1IgLbI/AAAAAAAAEyo/tvFyNUGKSLU/s1600/_MG_3736.jpg"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TJ-kH1IgLbI/AAAAAAAAEyo/tvFyNUGKSLU/s320/_MG_3736.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521312122608299442" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Times New Roman","serif""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: normal; "><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TJ-kQkJm-kI/AAAAAAAAEyw/3UVFLUCvcdo/s1600/_MG_3733.jpg"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TJ-kQkJm-kI/AAAAAAAAEyw/3UVFLUCvcdo/s320/_MG_3733.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521312272668359234" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"">Some of them gave up after some time and went back to class while a few stayed back to finish the lesson. This made me figure how many of them understood what I was talking about! I was surprised to find out that even though they were all in the same campus and the 8<sup>th</sup> std. Kids have been watching what I do with the 9<sup>th</sup>, they had no idea about what it was all about. Fluoride and rainwater was as new to them as when I started off with standard 9. It was great that they were able to share what they had learnt, though they told me at the end that they were a much better class. ‘These 8<sup>th</sup> standard kids are still small and irresponsible” they said!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Times New Roman","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Aajwanthihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032490313992413362noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363105732401871382.post-18012658645016088712010-09-24T13:25:00.000-07:002010-09-27T10:20:47.783-07:00Having fun with soap<b><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black;mso-fareast-language: EN-IN">Aim:<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black;mso-fareast-language: EN-IN"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">To build an experience around hand washing and doing so with soap to integrate it with the bottle we had built earlier<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black;mso-fareast-language: EN-IN">Activity:<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black; mso-fareast-language:EN-IN"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">'Seeing the unseen' was the most effective theme running through these activities. When they see something, it affects them much more than talking about it (like in the case of testing for fluoride). First I spoke to them about soap and what it does. Then I showed them images of virus and bacteria and hands under UV light so that they could see these microscopic germs. It would have been ideal to carry a microscope and show them their hands under them, but sadly I was not able to source one on time. They were really grossed out by the image of the hand infested with bacteria and exclaimed asking if they really had that many germs on their hands!</span><o:p></o:p></span></p></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; "><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TJ-PB7ImlgI/AAAAAAAAExw/MT4qwy82BbQ/s1600/gang.jpg"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TJ-PB7ImlgI/AAAAAAAAExw/MT4qwy82BbQ/s320/gang.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521288931395933698" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 218px; " /></a></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; "></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black;mso-fareast-language: EN-IN">(Images above are from google)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black;mso-fareast-language: EN-IN">Then I gave them sheets with my examples and told them to draw their own germ. Something that they thought was on their hand and name their germ. After which, we went out to wash this germ off their hands. Here are some of the things they came up with. One of them named her germ after another girl in her class!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black;mso-fareast-language: EN-IN"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; "><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TJ-X2zS-7OI/AAAAAAAAEyI/jdnBA4-9S60/s1600/_MG_3642.jpg"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TJ-X2zS-7OI/AAAAAAAAEyI/jdnBA4-9S60/s320/_MG_3642.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521298635918077154" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black;mso-fareast-language: EN-IN"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; "><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TJ-X-VV0pPI/AAAAAAAAEyQ/hLkEJR5MH5I/s1600/_MG_3657.jpg"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TJ-X-VV0pPI/AAAAAAAAEyQ/hLkEJR5MH5I/s320/_MG_3657.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521298765315876082" style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></a></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black;mso-fareast-language: EN-IN"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; "><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TJ-XiMLVWUI/AAAAAAAAEyA/odwzT3SQves/s1600/Untitled-3.jpg"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TJ-XiMLVWUI/AAAAAAAAEyA/odwzT3SQves/s320/Untitled-3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521298281819625794" style="cursor: pointer; width: 223px; height: 320px; " /></a> </span></span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TJ-XR1LAKnI/AAAAAAAAEx4/7kdPq-3HnEA/s1600/Untitled-2.jpg"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TJ-XR1LAKnI/AAAAAAAAEx4/7kdPq-3HnEA/s320/Untitled-2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521298000766315122" style="cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 320px; " /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black;mso-fareast-language: EN-IN">Then I demonstrated a simple experiment using oil, water and soap to show them how soap works and a little bit about the chemistry behind soap. Here is the experiment.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black;mso-fareast-language: EN-IN">1| Take two jars and fill them half full of water. Add a drop or two of food colouring and shake.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black;mso-fareast-language: EN-IN">2| Add some cooking oil to both the jars</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-IN">.</span></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman'; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; "><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TJ-HwHkMPyI/AAAAAAAAEwY/eWpm9Cnx52o/s1600/_MG_3700.jpg"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TJ-HwHkMPyI/AAAAAAAAEwY/eWpm9Cnx52o/s320/_MG_3700.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521280928913833762" style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></a></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black;mso-fareast-language: EN-IN">3| Add a few squirts of liquid soap to one of the jars. Put the lids back on tight and shake them for about 30 seconds.When you first put them down, there's not much difference between the two jars. The oil and water molecules are all quite well mixed together.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman'; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; "><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TJ-H8Oc2q0I/AAAAAAAAEwg/r_lrIvwRIH0/s1600/_MG_3699.jpg"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TJ-H8Oc2q0I/AAAAAAAAEwg/r_lrIvwRIH0/s320/_MG_3699.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521281136920537922" style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></a> </span></span></span><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TJ-IM2X15qI/AAAAAAAAEwo/E7XcbIKfmKg/s1600/_MG_3702.jpg"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TJ-IM2X15qI/AAAAAAAAEwo/E7XcbIKfmKg/s320/_MG_3702.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521281422514841250" style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;background:white"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black; mso-fareast-language:EN-IN">4| After only a minute or so, you'll start to see the jar with just oil and water in it start to re-separate. The jar with the soap in it is still mixed together.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-IN">5| After several minutes, the oil and water only jar has almost completely separated again , but the jar with the soap is still mixed! (as you can see in the bottom right image)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal;background:white"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; "><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TJ-IVyMWhNI/AAAAAAAAEww/CGx6LL-WbKk/s1600/_MG_3705.jpg"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TJ-IVyMWhNI/AAAAAAAAEww/CGx6LL-WbKk/s320/_MG_3705.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521281576011728082" style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></a> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; "><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TJ-IdqVL7MI/AAAAAAAAEw4/n9LTwvV1uag/s1600/_MG_3698.jpg"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TJ-IdqVL7MI/AAAAAAAAEw4/n9LTwvV1uag/s320/_MG_3698.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521281711340252354" style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal;background:white"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-IN">Soap, water and oil are all made up of molecules. Some molecules are hydrophillic, meaning they are attracted to water, and some molecules are hydrophobic meaning they are repelled by water. Oil and water don't mix.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-IN">Well that's where soap comes in. Soap is actually a very long molecule that has one hydrophillic end and one hydrophobic end. The water sticks/bonds with the hydrophillic end and the oil sticks/bonds to the hydrophobic end. Two opposing molecules with the soap in the middle. As the water is rinsed away, the soap sticks to the water, and the oil sticks to the soap. Clean!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-IN">That's what's happened in the jar. The jar with just oil and water quickly separates. In the jar with the soap added, however, the oil and water stay mixed together for much longer.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-IN">After this, I asked them who all had soap at home and was surprised to see all of them raise their hands. I asked them how many of them use it to wash their hands and about 4 put their hands up, I doubt they also do it regularly :) These were only the hostel kids who were given soap for free in their hostel. They proudly announced that they got Mysore sandal soap (the more expensive variety)! Many kids used Lifeboy or Medimix which was the cheapest in the shop we visited. Around Rs.6- Rs.10 a bar. They use it only when they have a bath (twice or thrice a week) and once a day to wash their face. They wanted it to last longer and hence did not want to 'waste' it to wash their hands with them. So, I tried explaining to them that it is essential to wash off those germs from their hands and that they would have to spend much more (I found out that they approximately spend around Rs.50 for consultation and Rs.50 for medicines) each time they visit the doctor in their village for gastric troubles or simple illnesses. We discussed how it is better they spend a little more and stay healthy than spend so much on the doctor and they seemed to agree!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-IN">Then, we went out to the courtyard and dissolved a bar of soap to make lots of soap solution for the whole school, to keep near their water tank for them to use. The rest we used to wash our hands and make bubbles and have fun. I taught them a hand washing song in English that we sang with actions. Then I explained to them what it meant and they helped me translate it into kannada and sang it in kannada too! They boys of course turned it into a local '<i>dappangutthu</i>' type dance song, which was also pretty fun! I still have to upload the video from the casette, it will be up soon!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black;mso-fareast-language: EN-IN">A hand washing song to the tune of <i>Frere Jacques</i></span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-IN"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-right:37.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-IN">Top and Bottom, Top and Bottom, (Rub top and bottom of hands)<br />In between, In between, (Rub fingers inside on both hands)<br />All around, All around, (Just like it says)<br />Makes them clean. Makes them clean. (Flash all ten fingers)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 37.5pt; "><span><span class="Apple-style-span"><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/WTChVBnTtxE?hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/WTChVBnTtxE?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></span></span></p><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal;background:white"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; "><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TJ-J4zkQuUI/AAAAAAAAExA/bxN6doo0g8k/s1600/_MG_3675.jpg"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TJ-J4zkQuUI/AAAAAAAAExA/bxN6doo0g8k/s320/_MG_3675.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521283277187496258" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal;background:white"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; "><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TJ-KJ7z8BCI/AAAAAAAAExI/SpL9nab9f10/s1600/_MG_3681.jpg"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TJ-KJ7z8BCI/AAAAAAAAExI/SpL9nab9f10/s320/_MG_3681.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521283571458507810" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal;background:white"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; "><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TJ-Kc4bx6DI/AAAAAAAAExQ/iAIGE6X9COo/s1600/_MG_3689.jpg"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TJ-Kc4bx6DI/AAAAAAAAExQ/iAIGE6X9COo/s320/_MG_3689.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521283896969390130" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal;background:white"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; "><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TJ-K9o3aioI/AAAAAAAAExY/Nb-Mv44VI3E/s1600/_MG_3693.jpg"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TJ-K9o3aioI/AAAAAAAAExY/Nb-Mv44VI3E/s320/_MG_3693.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521284459726015106" style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></a> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; "><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TJ-LG929OzI/AAAAAAAAExg/Yh9JfNDW50g/s1600/_MG_3695.jpg"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TJ-LG929OzI/AAAAAAAAExg/Yh9JfNDW50g/s320/_MG_3695.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521284619980061490" style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal;background:white"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-IN">They asked me what they should do once this solution got over. Before I could answer, one of the kids said "this soap is for all of us right? Once this is over, we can all get small pieces from our big soap and make lots of solution and use it!" This was the highlight of my visit.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-IN">They took the bottle to lock it up in their principal's office at the end of the day so that no one would waste it! This would be an amazing system, if it works.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-IN">This was insightful in many ways. Even a small thing like soap can show class distinction where the hostel boys used Mysore sandal everyday while some of the lower class children used only Medimix and only when they had to. They all knew all the brands available in the two shops in their village though! How much each one costs and everything!</span></p><p></p></span></span>Aajwanthihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032490313992413362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363105732401871382.post-37151155911773243952010-09-04T10:44:00.000-07:002010-09-04T11:20:56.863-07:00Their water<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium; ">I didn't know when I would be able to go back, so, thought it might be nice to do end with some video exercise with the students since they love to tell stories and the camera! The last day (half a day) we spent learning how to shoot a video using a simple digital camera, how to frame , choose locations etc. I gave each group of 5-6 one camera and half an hour to go around school and tell people things about water, what they had had learnt with me and what they liked and didn't like about it. Here are some images of them shooting. They were great for first time camera handlers!</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; "><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TIKHXPfWVwI/AAAAAAAAEuA/LtQCoN5wcXA/s1600/_MG_3566.JPG"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TIKHXPfWVwI/AAAAAAAAEuA/LtQCoN5wcXA/s320/_MG_3566.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513117727219668738" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; "><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TIKHNuN8gzI/AAAAAAAAEt4/MOYiYzbNlS4/s1600/_MG_3567.JPG"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TIKHNuN8gzI/AAAAAAAAEt4/MOYiYzbNlS4/s320/_MG_3567.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513117563669480242" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; "><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TIKHHWwNH0I/AAAAAAAAEtw/8pGsFGmbJAk/s1600/_MG_3565.JPG"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TIKHHWwNH0I/AAAAAAAAEtw/8pGsFGmbJAk/s320/_MG_3565.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513117454291509058" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></span></span></span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium; ">Here is some of the parts of the videos put together. I have to put something together in a way it might make sense(hope something does!) It is still too long. I need to think of a proper narrative and use this to tell their story. Will be working on more edits. any feedback is most welcome!</span><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/RbU5aszSTVs?fs=1&hl=en_GB"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/RbU5aszSTVs?fs=1&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></span></span></div>Aajwanthihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032490313992413362noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363105732401871382.post-38895420160838231672010-09-02T00:08:00.001-07:002010-09-04T08:56:14.226-07:00Final products<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Ok, so suddenly I realised that I have just a little over a month for submission! Hence I need to start working on my final products to that I can take it back to show it to the students and teachers to see if they find it useful (user testing). </span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">My final outputs would be</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">- Refining and making a working <b>hand washing bottle with soap</b>- building an experience around it and documenting this for the manual/</span>tool-kit</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">- A <b>participatory film</b> that the students have shot on what they learnt, liked and didn't about these workshops that I will be putting together and </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">- A <b>tool-kit (manual)</b> for facilitators which will contain all the knick knacks that can be put into a book, needed to facilitate similar participatory activities.</span></span><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Need. Why this tool-kit?<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A tool-kit manual that helps one facilitate participatory workshops, making it fun at the same time</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"></span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CC00;">. For teachers employed by the government for these rural schools:</span></span> </span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Even within this one school, there are two other classes who are very enthusiastic about these workshops but have no material and facilitators to conduct them. Even if there are teachers, they are not exposed to such participatory methods of working and are unaware. They are surprised to see students running around and having fun while learning. Hence this toolkit will enable them to understand what to do and why certain things might or might not work in a context such as this. Since these people belong to the local community, they will have a better understanding of the students and issues as well, making the activities and discussions more enriching.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CC00;">. For any facilitator who wants to conduct awareness programmes and workshops in this area (like I did):</span></span> </span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Some background research and pointers would have definitely helped me structure my workshops in a much better way and I would have known what to expect and what not to. This will help people who from outside by giving them some background and pointers</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CC00;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">. For people in NGOs like Arghyam and BIAF who are trying to run awareness programmes in the villages anyway:</span></span> </span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">From my short stay in these villages, I have met many enthusiastic people with a passion for learning and teaching. Many people who are trying to spread awareness in their own little ways. They have many ideas but are unable to articulate it and also get the children and community involved. This might be a good ice-breaker. Working with the children using these simple art and design tools which I am going to include in this manual might help them conduct these sessions.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CC00;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">. For health clubs in schools and ‘learn and play’ programmes (a new initiative by the Govt.)</span></span>: </span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Fluoride and water will and should be a part of the discussion in health clubs, which are going to become a mandatory part of school life for students according to the new government rule. This might be a good space to use such manuals, for the children to conduct workshops and activities for themselves and their peer.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CC00;">. Can be appropriated for other contexts as well: </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">These exercises revolve around water and fluoride, but it can be appropriated to different contexts. I will try and give pointers for that in the tool-kit.</span></span></p></div></div></div>Aajwanthihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032490313992413362noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363105732401871382.post-28850284975071977672010-08-29T05:47:00.001-07:002010-09-02T07:36:52.854-07:00Painting 'us' as the rain<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">I didn't want the kids to paint random things on the tank. One of the objectives of doing this was for them to have a 'space' for themselves on the tank, for them to feel the connect with the rainwater so that they would treat it like 'theirs' and drink it and help maintain it as well (though I hear it doesn't really need too much maintenance once its fully built). So, the previous day, I had handed out sheets to them and told them to imagine that they were rain. So the theme was "If I was rain, what would I do?" They had to think about it and come back with a drawing which they would paint on the tank the next day. The responses varied from falling into peoples mouths to going into rainwater harvesting tanks to becoming honey and falling on the flowers.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THvkNbzXL1I/AAAAAAAAEso/GzXmPJ2gZeA/s1600/Untitled-6.jpg"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THvkNbzXL1I/AAAAAAAAEso/GzXmPJ2gZeA/s320/Untitled-6.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511249488470552402" style="cursor: pointer; width: 229px; height: 320px; " /></a> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THvk6yTbnTI/AAAAAAAAEsw/sCWxfjdhggo/s1600/Untitled-7.jpg"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THvk6yTbnTI/AAAAAAAAEsw/sCWxfjdhggo/s320/Untitled-7.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511250267604753714" style="cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 320px; " /></a></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><b>Translation of what is written above:</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><i>If I were rain,</i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><i>I'd be life to plants.</i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><i>I would rain on flowers,</i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><i>By drops; sitting on them.</i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><i>I pour from the sky and hide at the bottom of buckets and pots.</i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><i>I am rain.</i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><i>I don't have any colour, shape or smell.</i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><i>If I am rain,</i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><i>I'd come dancing from the sky.</i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><i>Drop by drop, I fall from the sky, </i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><i>laughing as I come to the earth</i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'times new roman';"><b>- Sushma</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THvlMTkIx4I/AAAAAAAAEs4/OvsW9CXAYOU/s1600/Untitled-8.jpg"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THvlMTkIx4I/AAAAAAAAEs4/OvsW9CXAYOU/s320/Untitled-8.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511250568590968706" style="cursor: pointer; width: 230px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><b>Translation of what is written above:</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><i>If I were rain,</i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><i>I would jump from the sky and join the wells, seas and other water bodies.</i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><i>If I were rain,</i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><i>I'd be a lot of help to the people. </i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><i>If I were a rain drop,</i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><i>You can see me only during the rainy season.</i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><i>Now it is summer!</i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><i>So you can only see me in the tanks.</i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'times new roman';"><b>- Manjula</b></span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'times new roman';"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Aim: </span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> To bring about a feeling of connect and ownership for their water tanks and water</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">To get the community interested in what the students are working on by doing something novel that attracts their attention</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">To get the larger school community involved and feel a sense of ownership for something they are part of and have to maintain</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Activity: </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> All the students in school could come together with interested teachers and parents to just paint their water tank. An act like this allows them to personalise their plain, boring looking tank and also make them feel like it is a part of them, their work. Working together, with the community might give the community a feeling of joint ownership. They all can come together and help each other maintain the tanks that are going to provide them with clean water to drink. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THpgIhqIEpI/AAAAAAAAEqw/Hk4orhUEshA/s1600/_MG_3533.jpg"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THpgIhqIEpI/AAAAAAAAEqw/Hk4orhUEshA/s320/_MG_3533.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510822793631502994" style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></a> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THphkD6RPEI/AAAAAAAAEq4/hkydgS1L1DU/s1600/_MG_3552.jpg"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THphkD6RPEI/AAAAAAAAEq4/hkydgS1L1DU/s320/_MG_3552.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510824366194113602" style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Lokesh laying his foundation in chalk! Then they went over it using the paints. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Their own rainwater harvesting system</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THpij15XZII/AAAAAAAAErI/kQNtKBMGT8A/s1600/_MG_3543.jpg"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THpij15XZII/AAAAAAAAErI/kQNtKBMGT8A/s320/_MG_3543.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510825461943854210" style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></a> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THpi0bqC1oI/AAAAAAAAErQ/6eCbJXJPsj0/s1600/_MG_3538.jpg"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THpi0bqC1oI/AAAAAAAAErQ/6eCbJXJPsj0/s320/_MG_3538.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510825746958046850" style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Sushma is falling as rain into containers that can hold her.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THpk0o4r2-I/AAAAAAAAErY/KChvhxgO-K0/s1600/_MG_3526.jpg"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THpk0o4r2-I/AAAAAAAAErY/KChvhxgO-K0/s320/_MG_3526.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510827949532371938" style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></a> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THplV_Zk5II/AAAAAAAAEro/RmVgyX82Izo/s1600/_MG_3544.jpg"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THplV_Zk5II/AAAAAAAAEro/RmVgyX82Izo/s320/_MG_3544.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510828522511590530" style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THplim5cGKI/AAAAAAAAErw/jq_hfxJRej0/s1600/_MG_3557.jpg"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THplim5cGKI/AAAAAAAAErw/jq_hfxJRej0/s320/_MG_3557.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510828739272644770" style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></a> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THpls2lTDkI/AAAAAAAAEr4/xzYKg8vmbXc/s1600/_MG_3549.jpg"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THpls2lTDkI/AAAAAAAAEr4/xzYKg8vmbXc/s320/_MG_3549.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510828915281825346" style="cursor: pointer; width: 217px; height: 320px; " /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">All done with Gopal falling down as honey!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THpiXs3_RzI/AAAAAAAAErA/fkrHVtN5Ocw/s1600/_MG_3539.jpg"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THpiXs3_RzI/AAAAAAAAErA/fkrHVtN5Ocw/s320/_MG_3539.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510825253363730226" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">Manjula getting drenched in the rain</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THpl7q4pmQI/AAAAAAAAEsA/fGU-mQe_kTQ/s1600/_MG_3528.jpg"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THpl7q4pmQI/AAAAAAAAEsA/fGU-mQe_kTQ/s320/_MG_3528.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510829169839806722" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">We even got the principal to come and paint his rain! The next day, people in the neighbouring village asked me if I had painted the tank and mentioned that they had seen it as they were passing by the school. I felt so happy! I told them that it was all done by the students and they appreciated it. The students even marked their sectors with their initials and showed their 8th and 10th standard friends what they had drawn. They kept re-visiting their art work through the day.</span></p></span></span></div></div></div>Aajwanthihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032490313992413362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363105732401871382.post-63951767451292932582010-08-29T05:31:00.000-07:002010-08-29T22:14:30.729-07:00Started building!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">They have started building the rainwater harvesting tanks at the school! The students help already by watering the cement structure everyday. We all poured buckets of water to keep the tank wet. It will take another month to be fully done, then they get clean water! This tank's capacity is about 32,000 litres.Thanks to the students from Trinity college who decided to give their grant to build tanks in schools in this area. It would have been ideal to paint this tank, but while waiting for it to get done, we painted the other big water tank at the school. </span></span><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THpVW0bWWZI/AAAAAAAAEqo/lefyJAowNPA/s1600/_MG_3376.JPG"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THpVW0bWWZI/AAAAAAAAEqo/lefyJAowNPA/s320/_MG_3376.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510810944560060818" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div>Aajwanthihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032490313992413362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363105732401871382.post-4031169736908761172010-08-29T00:34:00.000-07:002010-08-29T03:19:45.294-07:00Let's test<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Using the fluoride testing kit, we went around a village (Killarlahalli) and tested various water samples and stamped the source, depending on whether the water was drinking-worthy or not. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Aim:</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">To spread awareness about fluoride and the amount of fluoride in different water sources.</span></span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">To make facilitators and students work together (Could even be an informal data collection activity)</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">To get the community interested in what the students are working on/doing</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">To get them to realise that rainwater is a good alternative and that they should drink that instead</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Activity:</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">The students could be split into 2 groups, or more- depending on the number of facilitators available. They get one fluoride testing kit each. They can walk around the village and neighbouring villages and test various water samples with the kits they are provided.(The previous exercise would have helped them identify various sources where they get water from). They could draw from this and test water from the taps in their homes, the </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">kere’s</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">, the well water that they all drink and even the water in the tank in the school. They can compare the fluoride levels in each of these water sources and see how much higher than the permissible levels it is.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">To leave a mark and make it slightly more interesting (drawing from guerrilla art), each time they test a source, they can leave a smiley or a sad face sticker near the source, depending on weather the fluoride level is above or below the permissible level. This might be a small way to get the larger community attracted to this as well. If someone sees this, they might react to it and ask around what this is about. This might lead to in-direct awareness through the children and also create dialogue.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THoPXo2R0OI/AAAAAAAAEpI/e46upYLIh4c/s1600/_MG_3371.JPG"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THoPXo2R0OI/AAAAAAAAEpI/e46upYLIh4c/s320/_MG_3371.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510733992817709282" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></span></span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">These are the water smiley stickers that I am going to ask them to stick on the different water sources, depending on weather they have permissible amounts of fluoride or not.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THoPu6fKfBI/AAAAAAAAEpQ/EmQfSqC04MU/s1600/_MG_3431.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THoPu6fKfBI/AAAAAAAAEpQ/EmQfSqC04MU/s320/_MG_3431.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510734392689589266" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></span></span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I first started a conversation on permissible fluoride levels (to see if they remembered- some of them did and some didn't!) and ask them what the positive and negative effects of fluoride are, and what they can do about it. I then quickly s</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">howed them how the kit worked.We tested the water that one of the students got from home, with had 2mg/l fluoride. So, they stuck a sad face on the bottle. (The symbol of thumbs up and down was new to them! So I had to keep pointing up and down with my thumb initially to say good and bad! Soon, the picked it up though and at end of each test pointed their thumb up or down accordingly!) </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Then I told them about the exercise and we set out to the neighbouring village.</span></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THoWftl1uOI/AAAAAAAAEqY/Zbi495mMAwg/s1600/_MG_3472.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THoWftl1uOI/AAAAAAAAEqY/Zbi495mMAwg/s320/_MG_3472.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510741828111284450" style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THoQuziOboI/AAAAAAAAEpY/Ub5OCShDyu4/s1600/_MG_3436.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THoQuziOboI/AAAAAAAAEpY/Ub5OCShDyu4/s320/_MG_3436.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510735490335010434" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></span></span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">We first tested the main water tank in that village which had 1.5mg/l, which is not too bad. So we stuck up a happy smiley. The whole village crowded around to see what we were doing and the kids explained to the community what they were testing and that their water had 1.5mg/l, which was good.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THoSsrbjE-I/AAAAAAAAEpg/fCgC8wZdqLc/s1600/_MG_3438.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THoSsrbjE-I/AAAAAAAAEpg/fCgC8wZdqLc/s320/_MG_3438.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510737652823036898" style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Lokesh sticking up the happy water smiley</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THoTZdz9WQI/AAAAAAAAEpo/NQ47O4zdAtc/s1600/_MG_3443.jpg"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THoTZdz9WQI/AAAAAAAAEpo/NQ47O4zdAtc/s320/_MG_3443.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510738422261438722" style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></a></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Then, while walking around, we found a house which had a rain water harvesting tank! They decided they wanted to test the water the family used to drink before, in the open tank, as well as the rain water that is pumped out from this pump, which they use for drinking now. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THoUfSZgx9I/AAAAAAAAEpw/kl7yV5bhVVU/s1600/_MG_3444.jpg"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THoUfSZgx9I/AAAAAAAAEpw/kl7yV5bhVVU/s320/_MG_3444.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510739621788567506" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The rainwater had no fluoride in it</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THoUnujirQI/AAAAAAAAEp4/I-kIl9hg-1U/s1600/_MG_3448.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THoUnujirQI/AAAAAAAAEp4/I-kIl9hg-1U/s320/_MG_3448.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510739766785780994" style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THoVdJ20BtI/AAAAAAAAEqA/DcoEKa0SthQ/s1600/_MG_3450.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THoVdJ20BtI/AAAAAAAAEqA/DcoEKa0SthQ/s320/_MG_3450.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510740684647433938" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 246px; " /></span></span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THoVofWcrWI/AAAAAAAAEqI/qWSM2a36eok/s1600/_MG_3452.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THoVofWcrWI/AAAAAAAAEqI/qWSM2a36eok/s320/_MG_3452.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510740879395827042" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></span></span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THoVwCkfNQI/AAAAAAAAEqQ/eKq6loletBs/s1600/_MG_3455.jpg"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THoVwCkfNQI/AAAAAAAAEqQ/eKq6loletBs/s320/_MG_3455.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510741009109038338" style="cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px; " /></a></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">This is the open tank the family used to drink from earlier. This had 2mg/l</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The maximum amount of fluoride we spotted was 3mg/l in a water sample from a household. We told them about the importance of drinking rain water. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THoYoBocjeI/AAAAAAAAEqg/QCG65FlqHYc/s1600/_MG_3471.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THoYoBocjeI/AAAAAAAAEqg/QCG65FlqHYc/s320/_MG_3471.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510744169953136098" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></span></span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"></span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'lucida grande';"><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">After we tested many household samples, two tanks and two rainwater samples, we went back and on the way, discuss the different levels we found.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Inference:</span></span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Through this activity, the students were able to see for themselves how much the fluoride levels are in the water bodies they see every day. Since they are the ones testing it, it might have had a bigger impact on them (more than when it just spoken about in class). It also added a layer of fun to it as they imagined it to be a mini treasure hunt where they were little scientists and tested the water themselves and leave marks for other people to talk about. It also made it a novel idea around the village and was discussed by people who spotted these water smilies, thus spreading awareness. They asked the kids what they were doing and what it was for. It is also an activity that involves the teachers and the larger community, thus bridging the gap.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><b>More images of this activity can be viewed in this slide show</b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><a title="View Fluoride Testing on Scribd" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/36575727/Fluoride-Testing" style="margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;">Fluoride Testing </a> <object id="doc_744172729701461" name="doc_744172729701461" height="500" width="100%" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; width: 100%; height: 247px; " rel="media:document" resource="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=36575727&access_key=key-yoehmfphblxnac8l3ix&page=1&viewMode=slideshow"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"></span><param name="movie" value="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"></span><param name="wmode" value="opaque"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"></span><param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"></span><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"></span><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"></span><param name="FlashVars" value="document_id=36575727&access_key=key-yoehmfphblxnac8l3ix&page=1&viewMode=slideshow"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><embed id="doc_744172729701461" name="doc_744172729701461" src="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=36575727&access_key=key-yoehmfphblxnac8l3ix&page=1&viewMode=slideshow" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="500" width="100%" wmode="opaque" bgcolor="#ffffff"></embed> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"></span></object></span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></p></span><p></p></div>Aajwanthihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032490313992413362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363105732401871382.post-73786441544615632462010-08-24T00:50:00.001-07:002010-08-24T01:03:16.012-07:00Something to look forward to : Health clubs<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Here is an interesting proposition made by the Government. They want to set up health clubs in schools in Bangalore, just like they did Science clubs last year. These clubs will consist of s</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">tudents from Classes 8, 9 and 10 and it is set up </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">to create awareness amongst students about physical and mental health, and cleanliness.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">It is a great way to go about spreading awareness on health issues, involving the students themselves. This will get them to engage with the subject much more than if they were told to mug it off a textbook. There is scope for peer learning as well as practical application of this learning while they</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> conduct health camps and invite psychiatrists for counselling sessions. Students can set up workshops for themselves and other students and help each other understand health issues and see what creative solutions they can come up with to battle it by themselves. Here is the link to the article in DNA, Bangalore which talks about these health clubs.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><a href="http://www.dnaindia.com/bangalore/report_coming-soon-health-clubs-in-bangalore-schools_1427846"><b>http://www.dnaindia.com/bangalore/report_coming-soon-health-clubs-in-bangalore-schools_1427846</b></a>Aajwanthihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032490313992413362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363105732401871382.post-14205733526688601092010-08-22T10:08:00.001-07:002010-08-29T00:34:36.767-07:00What next?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Finally, after about nearly 20 days, I am visiting the school again. Thanks to Mr.Vishwanath and Ruchika, I have managed to procure two fluoride testing kits, something I desperately needed for my next big activity. They both work a little differently. </span></span><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THFa-d2Q91I/AAAAAAAAEnQ/KJWy06M4-sE/s1600/_MG_3355.JPG"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THFa-d2Q91I/AAAAAAAAEnQ/KJWy06M4-sE/s320/_MG_3355.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508283848461449042" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The Jal Tara kit has a sample bottle and glass tube which needs to be filled with the water sample. A chemical reagent called Zirchonyl Arilazine is added (2 ml to 50 ml of water) and the glass tube then needs to be shaken and left aside for an hour. The change in colour can be compared to the ones given in the chart by looking at the chart through the test tube and the mg/l of fluoride can be detected and noted down. </span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THFb1Q1bwBI/AAAAAAAAEnY/xGsMK3N-30E/s1600/_MG_3365.JPG"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THFb1Q1bwBI/AAAAAAAAEnY/xGsMK3N-30E/s320/_MG_3365.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508284789861105682" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">This is simple enough for the students to do by themselves, but since my activity involves testing many water samples around the village, waiting an hour to do so might not be the best way to do it :P</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">The second kit I have is more instantaneous. I thought we could use the one above to test samples in school, go out to test lakes and wells and come back to have results of the water in school the school. In the second kit, a similar process is followed by adding a few drops of reagent to a sample of water. The solution changes colour immediately to indicate the mg/l of fluoride. </span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THFcz_bV71I/AAAAAAAAEnw/3DPdzMNybdc/s1600/_MG_3364.JPG"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THFcz_bV71I/AAAAAAAAEnw/3DPdzMNybdc/s320/_MG_3364.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508285867520028498" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THFcjUpSQaI/AAAAAAAAEng/tz8Vv5oAxjM/s1600/_MG_3361.JPG"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THFcjUpSQaI/AAAAAAAAEng/tz8Vv5oAxjM/s320/_MG_3361.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508285581157876130" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THFcpaSQuMI/AAAAAAAAEno/xIS9L2Ke85o/s1600/_MG_3362.JPG"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/THFcpaSQuMI/AAAAAAAAEno/xIS9L2Ke85o/s320/_MG_3362.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508285685751134402" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">In the second post above this, I have explained the aim of the activity and what I would like to do with these kits.</span></span></div><div> </div>Aajwanthihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032490313992413362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363105732401871382.post-89871693578064243082010-08-20T23:44:00.001-07:002010-08-24T02:25:57.730-07:00Art and design in Education<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">'It is sometimes helpful to make sure we are aware if the two major strands of this whole experience. First is</span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> expressive</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">, which links art with the other arts, giving opportunity for a variety of human expressions, and interrelating naturally when the idea requires; second, the</span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> design </span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">aspect, which links it with curriculum areas concerned with planning, crafting, making and evaluation processes.'</span></span></i><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">'Art and design experience in an education context is essentially practical, making use of the clear logic of visual and tactile language, while also taking into account the intuitive modes of approach. At the heart of this experience lies how the discovery of how materials are reshaped and reformed to make statements of personal expression.'</span></span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></i></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Art in practice- Margaret Morgan</span></span></b></div>Aajwanthihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032490313992413362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363105732401871382.post-85007136814124075362010-08-18T21:39:00.000-07:002010-08-18T23:57:06.411-07:00Re-thinking the device<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">I was just trying to re-think the handwashing bottle and wrote down its plus and minus points to see what I could do about it. Here is the list.<br /><br /></span></span><table class="MsoTableLightShadingAccent1" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="text-align: left;border-collapse: collapse; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; color:accent1;"> <tbody><tr> <td width="308" valign="top" style="width:231.05pt;border-top:solid #4F81BD 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themeborder-left:none;border-bottom:solid #4F81BD 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-themeborder-right:none;padding:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4ptcolor:accent1;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: center;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#6633FF;">Positives<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> </td> <td width="308" valign="top" style="width:231.05pt;border-top:solid #4F81BD 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themeborder-left:none;border-bottom:solid #4F81BD 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-themeborder-right:none;padding:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4ptcolor:accent1;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: center;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#6633FF;">Negatives<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="308" valign="top" style="text-align: center;width: 231.05pt; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgb(211, 223, 238); padding-top: 0cm; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color:accent1;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:normal;mso-yfti-cnfc:68"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#6633FF;"> </span></span></o:p></p> </td> <td width="308" valign="top" style="text-align: center;width: 231.05pt; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgb(211, 223, 238); padding-top: 0cm; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 5.4pt; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color:accent1;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal;mso-yfti-cnfc:64"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#6633FF;"> </span></span></o:p></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="308" valign="top" style="width:231.05pt;border:none;padding:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: center;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#6633FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Easy to made and handle<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> <td width="308" valign="top" style="width:231.05pt;border:none;padding:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: center;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#6633FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The soap that is hanging gets wet at times<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="308" valign="top" style="width:231.05pt;border:none;background:#D3DFEE; mso-background-thememso-background-themetint:63;padding:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4ptcolor:accent1;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: center;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#6633FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Cost effective (Rs..3-4/piece)<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> <td width="308" valign="top" style="width:231.05pt;border:none;background:#D3DFEE; mso-background-thememso-background-themetint:63;padding:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4ptcolor:accent1;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#6633FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Easier to use if two people help each other out<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="308" valign="top" style="width:231.05pt;border:none;padding:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: center;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#6633FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Recycled materials<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> <td width="308" valign="top" style="width:231.05pt;border:none;padding:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#6633FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Doesn't have a cover , so cant be kept inside bags<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="308" valign="top" style="width:231.05pt;border:none;background:#D3DFEE; mso-background-thememso-background-themetint:63;padding:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4ptcolor:accent1;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: center;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#6633FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Portable/Carry able<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> <td width="308" valign="top" style="width:231.05pt;border:none;background:#D3DFEE; mso-background-thememso-background-themetint:63;padding:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4ptcolor:accent1;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#6633FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Exposed soap rubs against the bags and clothes<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="308" valign="top" style="width:231.05pt;border:none;border-bottom: solid #4F81BD 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themepadding:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4ptcolor:accent1;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: center;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#6633FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> Easily replaceable parts</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td width="308" valign="top" style="text-align: left;width: 231.05pt; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(79, 129, 189); border-bottom-width: 1pt; color:accent1;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="color:accent1;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr></tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">This is how the bottles I made with the kids looked</span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TGzENveMghI/AAAAAAAAElo/kIcg4HG280A/s1600/_MG_3176.JPG"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TGzENveMghI/AAAAAAAAElo/kIcg4HG280A/s320/_MG_3176.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506992184727732754" style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></a> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TGzF4oSPlAI/AAAAAAAAEl4/GXWw2BEtuJI/s1600/_MG_3263.JPG"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TGzF4oSPlAI/AAAAAAAAEl4/GXWw2BEtuJI/s320/_MG_3263.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506994021044556802" style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Here is a sketch I made to solve the problem of the soap being exposed. It is easy to make and cheap too. The soap can be stored in this pouch and if not soap strips, even a small sample piece of soap can be cut up and kept inside. It can even be attached to the cap using a piece of thread.</span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TGzHVelVzzI/AAAAAAAAEmA/qV4QDubBVSk/s1600/half.jpg"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TGzHVelVzzI/AAAAAAAAEmA/qV4QDubBVSk/s320/half.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506995616168136498" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 269px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Get some cycle tube rubber and wash them up</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TGzHi_uJKFI/AAAAAAAAEmI/8wPxCIUQOPM/s1600/1.JPG"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TGzHi_uJKFI/AAAAAAAAEmI/8wPxCIUQOPM/s320/1.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506995848401725522" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Cut up a small 'H' shaped piece for the pouch</span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TGzH7orcg6I/AAAAAAAAEmQ/JoaFpeVl730/s1600/2.JPG"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TGzH7orcg6I/AAAAAAAAEmQ/JoaFpeVl730/s320/2.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506996271713125282" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Stitch another small flap of rubber onto the top (to store the soap so that it doesn't get wet or touch the clothes and the bag it is stored in). Since it is rubber, it doesn't matter if the pouch itself gets wet while the children wash their hands.</span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TGzH_NTvw7I/AAAAAAAAEmY/EDKZ5uwRhpI/s1600/3.JPG"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TGzH_NTvw7I/AAAAAAAAEmY/EDKZ5uwRhpI/s320/3.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506996333085442994" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Attach this pouch to the bottle using some glue or pins or just tie it to the back</span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TGzICFI12JI/AAAAAAAAEmg/8OGKCmG9hgU/s1600/4.JPG"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TGzICFI12JI/AAAAAAAAEmg/8OGKCmG9hgU/s320/4.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506996382431828114" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TGzIFbGo2pI/AAAAAAAAEmo/SWS_WivsaKQ/s1600/5.JPG"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TGzIFbGo2pI/AAAAAAAAEmo/SWS_WivsaKQ/s320/5.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506996439867775634" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TGzIKlKsDzI/AAAAAAAAEm4/MbXbPdg7t4I/s1600/7.JPG"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TGzIKlKsDzI/AAAAAAAAEm4/MbXbPdg7t4I/s320/7.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506996528468463410" style="cursor: pointer; width: 215px; height: 320px; " /></a> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TGzIICMbltI/AAAAAAAAEmw/qnnrXR7qjsQ/s1600/6.JPG"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TGzIICMbltI/AAAAAAAAEmw/qnnrXR7qjsQ/s320/6.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506996484720793298" style="cursor: pointer; width: 215px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">It would be ideal to use a bottle that looks like this. With an open-able cap, so that the water doesn't drip on the way and in their bags. I am trying to find one so that I can make a workable neat prototype with that.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TGzL_JbG4MI/AAAAAAAAEnA/rtVmoGh0kGo/s1600/_MG_3243.JPG"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TGzL_JbG4MI/AAAAAAAAEnA/rtVmoGh0kGo/s320/_MG_3243.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507000730089087170" style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></a></span></span></div>Aajwanthihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032490313992413362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363105732401871382.post-27733819476377148972010-08-17T10:47:00.000-07:002010-08-18T00:16:40.280-07:00Visiting a scientist<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I am waiting to get access to some fluoride testing kits so that I can visit C.K Pura again. I have been trying to find the chemicals needed for that, but in vain. Am still contacting people who might have them. I think I might just have found one!</span></span></div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Meanwhile, Mr.Vishwanath calmed me down by suggesting that I visit Professor Kesava Rao at IISc. He teaches in the Chemical Engineering department and works with treatment of drinking water, focusing on d</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">e-fluoridation. He was very kind and agreed to meet me right away. I spoke to him about what I was doing and asked him a few questions on effects of fluoride, de-fluoridation techniques and kits and he gave me a tour of his lab to look at projects that his students and himself have been working on. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TGt7oHSXhcI/AAAAAAAAEk4/pEs2zXbYIp0/s1600/17-08-10_1601.jpg"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TGt7oHSXhcI/AAAAAAAAEk4/pEs2zXbYIp0/s320/17-08-10_1601.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506630898471634370" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><b>Professor Kesava Rao</b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">The first one was an M.E students thesis where he has built a device using a simple lunch box and a photo diode. A set of reagents are used to calibrate the resistance it offers which is then plotted on a graph to find out how much fluoride the sample contains. It is work in progress but it works! Something like this is easy to build as well as cost effective. Each box costs about Rs.250 (of course the chemicals and the gadgets apart) but would still work out lesser than testing the sample in a lab where they charge 1500-2000 rupees is what I was told. Here is a video of the professor explaining it to me.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/AXIE1MFsUc4&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/AXIE1MFsUc4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></span></span></div></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Solar Still</span></span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">This is another neat device that I was shown. It is </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">a low-tech way of </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distillation" title="Distillation" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">distilling</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> water, powered by the heat of the </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun" title="Sun" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">sun</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">. </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">In a solar still, impure water is contained outside the collector, where it is evaporated by sunlight shining through the glass. The pure </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_vapor" title="Water vapor" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">water vapor</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> (and any other included volatile solvent) condenses on the cool inside surface and drips down off of the weighted low point, where it is collected in a bottle and removed. It distils and most impurities, I was told, including arsenic and fluorine. Volatile impurities also escape while it is heated up by the sun. It costs around Rs.850 to make a 0.5 sq ft/mt solar still. It has its advantages and disadvantages of course. The sun needs to be bright and out for this to work. It could also, at times be used to harvest rainwater and thus could even be a good idea to have in these villages since it requires low maintenance and cost. Here is a short clip of the one set up in the department terrace. They are soon going to take it to a fluoride affected area to test it and get some field data.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DFarMx87yu8&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DFarMx87yu8&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The last method was using activated Alumina (Aluminium Oxide)</span></span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The water is passed through a tube filled with activated alumina which absorbs the fluoride in the water to give out pure water. This powder though, gets saturated after a while and needs to be desaturated with some chemicals (which in turn become highly acidic). Thus it requires quite a bit of monitoring and maintenance once in a while. They are trying to reduce the costs so that this can be implemented. The water is stored in a plastic drum as seen in the first image and flows through the pipe, through the activated alumina (the powder in the second image) and comes out through the nozzle.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TGt-ZF3824I/AAAAAAAAElA/qw5HCTBPRXU/s1600/17-08-10_1615.jpg"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TGt-ZF3824I/AAAAAAAAElA/qw5HCTBPRXU/s320/17-08-10_1615.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506633938929245058" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a> </span></span></span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TGt-p9yUWUI/AAAAAAAAElI/_31ibCZtHuk/s1600/17-08-10_1614.jpg"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TGt-p9yUWUI/AAAAAAAAElI/_31ibCZtHuk/s320/17-08-10_1614.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506634228815911234" style="cursor: pointer; width: 228px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Sorry for the bad image quality! I wasn't aware that one could take videos inside the lab! Next time I'll make sure I take a better camera, these were shot on my cell phone.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">This is a small part of a chart they have put up outside their lab on fluoride and flurosis and various methods of distillation that they are working on. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TGuB-3X2L0I/AAAAAAAAElQ/2tTlSdjIx8Q/s1600/17-08-10_1637.jpg"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TGuB-3X2L0I/AAAAAAAAElQ/2tTlSdjIx8Q/s320/17-08-10_1637.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506637886406405954" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px; " /></a></span></span></span></div>Aajwanthihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032490313992413362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363105732401871382.post-91395579008911195262010-08-17T10:32:00.000-07:002010-08-17T10:45:13.160-07:00Design in Education<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: 21px; "><a href="http://akshataa-diplomaproject.blogspot.com/">Akshataa</a>, <a href="http://priyankadiploma.blogspot.com/">Priyanka</a> and I gave a presentation to the 2nd, 3rd and 4th years students who have taken up a course on design for education to send their entries in for the Index Design Challenge this year. We spoke about Design in Education, Alternative Learning Methods, and our respective diploma projects in the realm of Design and Learning. Here is the presentation.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: 21px; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;font-size:130%;color:#222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><a title="View Design in Education on Scribd" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/36018907/Design-in-Education" style="margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;">Design in Education</a> <object id="doc_706789203489804" name="doc_706789203489804" height="500" width="100%" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf" style="outline:none;" rel="media:presentation" resource="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=36018907&access_key=key-1qspxnlvkw8ec7yjzrks&page=1&viewMode=list"> <param name="movie" value="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf"> <param name="wmode" value="opaque"> <param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff"> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"> <param name="FlashVars" value="document_id=36018907&access_key=key-1qspxnlvkw8ec7yjzrks&page=1&viewMode=list"> <embed id="doc_706789203489804" name="doc_706789203489804" src="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=36018907&access_key=key-1qspxnlvkw8ec7yjzrks&page=1&viewMode=list" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="500" width="100%" wmode="opaque" bgcolor="#ffffff"></embed> </object> </span></span></div>Aajwanthihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032490313992413362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363105732401871382.post-51370806819009213702010-08-14T01:27:00.000-07:002010-08-14T01:29:14.297-07:00Health impacts<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Here is a table I found in the CSE site</span></span><div><a href="http://www.cseindia.org/node/655"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">http://www.cseindia.org/node/655</span></span></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; color: rgb(65, 65, 65); "><h2 class="title" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; color: rgb(84, 84, 84); margin-top: 5px; text-transform: none; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">HEALTH IMPACTS: WATER POLLUTANTS</span></span></h2><div class="content"><span class="print-link" style="display: block; text-align: right; padding-bottom: 0.5em; "></span><div style="height: 10px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></div><p style="line-height: 20px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: left; "><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Physico-chemicals parameters and their significance</span></span></strong></p><div style="height: 10px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></div><table width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="8" border border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; color:#666666;"><tbody style="border-top-width: 1px; border-top-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); "><tr><td width="16%" valign="TOP"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Parameters</span></span></b></td><td width="84%" valign="TOP"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Health Hazards</span></span></b></td></tr><tr><td width="16%" valign="TOP"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Color</span></span></td><td width="84%" valign="TOP"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">The presence of inorganic and organic impurities imparts colour to the water, decreasing consumer acceptance. Sometimes, the impurities may be toxic.</span></span></td></tr><tr><td width="16%" valign="TOP"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">pH</span></span></td><td width="84%" valign="TOP"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">A measure of relative acidity of the water. It is useful in assessing the corrosivity of water to plumbing.</span></span></td></tr><tr><td width="16%" valign="TOP"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Alkalinity</span></span></td><td width="84%" valign="TOP"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">The amount of bicarbonate, the major anion in water, is related to pH and causes corrosion.</span></span></td></tr><tr><td width="16%" valign="TOP"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Acidity</span></span></td><td width="84%" valign="TOP"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Not a pollutant, in water it neutralises hydroxyl ions</span></span></td></tr><tr><td width="16%" valign="TOP"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Turbidity</span></span></td><td width="84%" valign="TOP"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">A measure of clarity of water. If turbidity is high, there may be chances of water born diseases</span></span></td></tr><tr><td width="16%" valign="TOP"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Solids (dissolved, suspended, total)</span></span></td><td width="84%" valign="TOP"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">These provide a measure of the suspended solids that can be separated with a filter and the dissolved salts that are present in water.</span></span></td></tr><tr><td width="16%" valign="TOP"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Conductivity</span></span></td><td width="84%" valign="TOP"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">A measure of total dissolved minerals in water. A change in conductivity or unusual ratio of conductivity to hardness may signal presence of contaminants</span></span></td></tr><tr><td width="16%" valign="TOP"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Hardness</span></span></td><td width="84%" valign="TOP"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">A measure of the amount of calcium and magnesium. Hardness is a measure of the capacity of water to precipitate soap. This is particularly important if water softening is considered</span></span></td></tr><tr><td width="16%" valign="TOP"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Dissolved Oxygen</span></span></td><td width="84%" valign="TOP"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">This is a measure of dissolved oxygen in water. Decreased levels of dissolved oxygen in water affect the waterbodies</span></span></td></tr><tr><td width="16%" valign="TOP"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Chemical Oxygen Demand</span></span></td><td width="84%" valign="TOP"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Indicates the amount of O2(MAKE LOWERCASE) required to oxidise the carbonaceous matter. COD taste is widely employed as a means to measure the pollutional strength of domestic and industrial waste</span></span></td></tr><tr><td width="16%" valign="TOP"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Oil and Grease</span></span></td><td width="84%" valign="TOP"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span></td></tr><tr><td width="16%" valign="TOP"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Bromide</span></span></td><td width="84%" valign="TOP"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Chlorination of water that contains bromide ion may produce bromate ion as an undesirable disinfection by-product. Bromate ion is a carcinogen and nephrotoxin</span></span></td></tr><tr><td width="16%" valign="TOP"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Chloride</span></span></td><td width="84%" valign="TOP"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">An indicator ion that if found in elevated concentration, points to potential contamination from septic systems, fertilizer, landfills, or road salt</span></span></td></tr><tr><td width="16%" valign="TOP"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Fluoride</span></span></td><td width="84%" valign="TOP"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Excessive levels of fluoride causes fluorosis, a mottling of the surface of the teeth</span></span></td></tr><tr><td width="16%" valign="TOP"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Nitrate</span></span></td><td width="84%" valign="TOP"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Nitrate in drinking water can cause blue baby syndrome in infants under six months old. Blue baby syndrome, or methemoglobinemia, are common symptoms of nitrate contamination. Nitrate contamination in drinking water may also increase cancer risk, because nitrate is endogenously reduced to nitrite and subsequent nitrosation reaction give rise to N- nitroso compounds; these compounds are highly carcinogenic and can act systematically</span></span></td></tr><tr><td width="16%" valign="TOP"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Nitrite</span></span></td><td width="84%" valign="TOP"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">These serve as an indicator of the potential presence of other contaminants, such as pesticides or trace organic chemicals from septic system effluents</span></span></td></tr><tr><td width="16%" valign="TOP"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Phosphate</span></span></td><td width="84%" valign="TOP"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Excessive consumption of phosphorus may lead to osteoporosis and poor bone maintenance</span></span></td></tr><tr><td width="16%" valign="TOP" height="61"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Sulfate</span></span></td><td width="84%" valign="TOP" height="61"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Ingestion of water containing high levels of sulfate may be associated with Diarrhoea, and other gastrointestinal disorders. Of particular concern are groups in the general population (i.e. infants and transients) that may be at greater risk from the laxative effects of sulfate when they switch abruptly to drinking water with high sulfate concentrations</span></span></td></tr><tr><td width="16%" valign="TOP"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Calcium</span></span></td><td width="84%" valign="TOP"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Water with high calcium content is undesirable for various household uses such as washing, bathing and laundering, because of consumption of more soap and other cleaning agents</span></span></td></tr><tr><td width="16%" valign="TOP"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Magnesium</span></span></td><td width="84%" valign="TOP"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Mg has diuretic, cathartic and laxative effects if it is present in high concentrations</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div></span></span></div>Aajwanthihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032490313992413362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363105732401871382.post-33150858503019492142010-08-14T01:18:00.001-07:002010-08-14T01:24:05.161-07:00Water warrior!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TGZR3hjrvCI/AAAAAAAAEkE/pPOulqXaXow/s1600/Water+warrior.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 223px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TGZR3hjrvCI/AAAAAAAAEkE/pPOulqXaXow/s320/Water+warrior.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505177608849701922" /></a><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TGZR3hjrvCI/AAAAAAAAEkE/pPOulqXaXow/s1600/Water+warrior.jpg"></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Mr.Vishwanath writes a column in the Hindu and has written about my project in his last week's piece! Here is the entire article. It is great to see so many people working in this zone and I hope I am able to contribute something worthwhile to this.</span></span></div>Aajwanthihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032490313992413362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363105732401871382.post-3794604184265705562010-08-06T21:46:00.000-07:002010-08-08T11:37:34.659-07:00Zoom out, Zoom in<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">As my review panel had advised, I decided to take a step back and see what the 'larger than life' picture is. Systems thinking and design is something Rustam had also told me to look at. Wikipedia defines </span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">systems thinking</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> as </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">the process of understanding how things influence one another within a whole. In nature, systems thinking examples include ecosystems in which various elements such as air, water, movement, plants, and animals work together to survive or perish. In organizations, systems consist of people, structures, and processes that work together to make an organization healthy or unhealthy.</span></span></span></span></div></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; font-size:medium;">Systems thinking has been defined as an approach to problem solving, by viewing "problems" as parts of an overall system, rather than reacting to specific part, outcomes or events and potentially contributing to further development of unintended consequences. Systems thinking is not one thing but a set of habits or practices within a framework that is based on the belief that the <a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/component" class="extiw" title="wikt:component" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">component</span></a> parts of a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System" title="System" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">system</span></a> can best be understood in the context of relationships with each other and with other systems, rather than in isolation. Systems thinking focuses on cyclical rather than linear cause and effect.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; font-size:medium;">Here are some examples of different kinds of system maps. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFzqkGhtnZI/AAAAAAAAEjI/1-mhbg2Zo24/s1600/susfarmod.jpg"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFzqkGhtnZI/AAAAAAAAEjI/1-mhbg2Zo24/s320/susfarmod.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502530750688107922" style="cursor: pointer; width: 258px; height: 320px; " /></a></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; "><a href="http://kauaian.net/blog/?p=1354"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">http://kauaian.net/blog/?p=1354</span></a></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; "><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFzq3pTII4I/AAAAAAAAEjQ/3upqyuoneB8/s1600/whole+systems+thinking.jpg"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFzq3pTII4I/AAAAAAAAEjQ/3upqyuoneB8/s320/whole+systems+thinking.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502531086439687042" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px; " /></a></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; "><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">So, I need to understand the whole system before I can do anything to it.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; "><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%; color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">I read up on this and tried to draw an</span></span></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%; color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%; color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">information flow diagram. An information flow</span></span></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%; color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> is an illustration of information flow</span></span></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%; color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%; color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">throughout an organisation or system. An IFD shows the relationship between external and internal information flows. It also shows the relationship between the internal and sub-systems. I tried putting in all the factors within this scenario that influence each other. My panel had told me, "If you had all the time, money and resources, what would you do with this project? What are all the possibilities? Put them all down." So, I tried doing just that. Once I did that, I don't know how</span></span></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%; color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%; color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">much clearer it was in my head because it looked like this!</span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%; color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%; color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFzp--WjTrI/AAAAAAAAEjA/rpU9Wne_aWk/s1600/_MG_3285.JPG"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFzp--WjTrI/AAAAAAAAEjA/rpU9Wne_aWk/s320/_MG_3285.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502530112838651570" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 258px; " /></a></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%; color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%; color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">One thing that I could do though, is zoom in. From all these possibilities, I knew what I wanted to work on exactly. This zone was what I wanted to handle. Of course, all of them are linked to each other, as seen in the map.</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">While zooming in, I was told to look at where in this system can I leverage the right amount of time, effort and energy so that it produces a positive feedback loop. Sometimes, even though the intent it right, what we do might produce negative feedback loops, which is just making an already complex system worse. So, I have to step back from time to time and see if I am creating positive feedback loops. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TF0Bq-XldYI/AAAAAAAAEjg/80ikX4uebn8/s1600/_MG_3290.JPG"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TF0Bq-XldYI/AAAAAAAAEjg/80ikX4uebn8/s320/_MG_3290.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502556157524669826" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 189px; " /></a></span></span></span></div> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style=" ;color:black;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span></o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'times new roman';font-size:medium;">From the zone (green outline) I wanted to work in, the key bubble words were Children, Fluoride, (Rain) Water, Awareness and Behavioural change. So, the next task to accomplish all this through fun methods. Something the children feel for, can relate to and feel like they are a part of. If this happens, then behaviour change will automatically follow. This is probably a better way to go about it (through nudges) than buggering 'change what you do!' in their faces. That on the other hand is probably not going to produce any positive results. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'times new roman';font-size:medium;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'times new roman';font-size:medium;">Yes, I am made this on Illustrator so that it is more understandable for everyone :) Here it is</span></p><a title="View Concept Map on Scribd" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/35545866/Concept-Map" style="margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;">Concept Map</a> <object id="doc_25941708112455" name="doc_25941708112455" height="500" width="100%" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf" style="outline:none;" rel="media:document" resource="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=35545866&access_key=key-1dhabkg4c4jf4n0xumvp&page=1&viewMode=list" media="http://search.yahoo.com/searchmonkey/media/" dc="http://purl.org/dc/terms/"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><param name="movie" value="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><param name="wmode" value="opaque"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><param name="FlashVars" value="document_id=35545866&access_key=key-1dhabkg4c4jf4n0xumvp&page=1&viewMode=list"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><embed id="doc_25941708112455" name="doc_25941708112455" src="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=35545866&access_key=key-1dhabkg4c4jf4n0xumvp&page=1&viewMode=list" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="500" width="100%" wmode="opaque" bgcolor="#ffffff"></embed> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></object><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">From this, the area I want to concentrate on is</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><a title="View Zoomed in on Scribd" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/35548480/Zoomed-in" style="margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;">Zoomed in</a> <object id="doc_932009654172162" name="doc_932009654172162" height="500" width="100%" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf" style="outline:none;" rel="media:presentation" resource="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=35548480&access_key=key-eh294kuunjzul2hkl40&page=1&viewMode=list" media="http://search.yahoo.com/searchmonkey/media/" dc="http://purl.org/dc/terms/"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><param name="movie" value="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><param name="wmode" value="opaque"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><param name="FlashVars" value="document_id=35548480&access_key=key-eh294kuunjzul2hkl40&page=1&viewMode=list"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><embed id="doc_932009654172162" name="doc_932009654172162" src="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=35548480&access_key=key-eh294kuunjzul2hkl40&page=1&viewMode=list" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="500" width="100%" wmode="opaque" bgcolor="#ffffff"></embed> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></object><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">So, I have make/facilitate or design something that involves children and makes them aware of the seriousness of fluoride in water and how rain water is a possible solution. Doing this in an interactive and fun way might lead to behavioural change. The next chart shows a few ideas on how I could possibly do this.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><a title="View What can be done? on Scribd" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/35557358/What-can-be-done" style="margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;">What can be done?</a> <object id="doc_785703645351981" name="doc_785703645351981" height="500" width="100%" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf" style="outline:none;" rel="media:presentation" resource="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=35557358&access_key=key-29qkxukkt64isihnqjea&page=1&viewMode=list" media="http://search.yahoo.com/searchmonkey/media/" dc="http://purl.org/dc/terms/"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"></span><param name="movie" value="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"></span><param name="wmode" value="opaque"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"></span><param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"></span><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"></span><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"></span><param name="FlashVars" value="document_id=35557358&access_key=key-29qkxukkt64isihnqjea&page=1&viewMode=list"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><embed id="doc_785703645351981" name="doc_785703645351981" src="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=35557358&access_key=key-29qkxukkt64isihnqjea&page=1&viewMode=list" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="500" width="100%" wmode="opaque" bgcolor="#ffffff"></embed> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"></span></object></span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span></p>Aajwanthihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032490313992413362noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363105732401871382.post-22391277988183506762010-08-02T01:53:00.000-07:002010-08-02T11:18:49.834-07:00Nudges for action<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Aim: </span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> To create little nudges from the associations obtained in the previous exercises through a playful mode. </span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Activity: </span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'times new roman';font-size:medium;">The students can make little ‘mascots’ or ‘emoticons’; characters that they derive from their association with water. (Insights from the previous exercise might feed into it). They can use scrap material, clay, play dough, cut up pieces of paper, found objects, beads and buttons, M-seal etc. to create their mascot. After they have made their mascot, they can tie it up to their personal ‘squirter’ a device made from a plastic bottle that squirts out enough water to wash ones hands or water a plant. Soap strips or a small piece of soap could also be tied to this. They can carry this around with them during school hours or lunch hours to constantly remind them about this association they have. This might also be useful for them to wash their hands with soap near the plants when they go to their open loos or wash their plate etc. with minimal amount of water. If it is a small bottle, only the amount you squeeze comes out. This can later be refilled and used again.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Inference:</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> Through this exercise, I hope the students are able to visualize their association and turn them into a ‘nudge’ that reminds them subtly at all times that they should be doing a particular thing; whether is washing their hand or throwing garbage into the bin or pouring enough water after they use the washroom (one topic that each student chooses).</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Assumptions</span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">></span> They would find it easy to make and use and carry it with them when they went to the loo</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'times new roman';font-size:medium;"> Since they already knew their associations, they would find it easy to paint it onto their bottles.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'times new roman';"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'times new roman';font-size:medium;"> They would have a problem working with new material- like cutters and acrylic paints.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kutZfstVNlw&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kutZfstVNlw&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFaIpYWa0oI/AAAAAAAAEgk/EoC_3ZAtsrg/s1600/_MG_3236.JPG"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFaIpYWa0oI/AAAAAAAAEgk/EoC_3ZAtsrg/s320/_MG_3236.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500734239372137090" style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></a> </span></span></span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFaJ-HimBnI/AAAAAAAAEgs/1-kcHK9UlqI/s1600/_MG_3235.JPG"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFaJ-HimBnI/AAAAAAAAEgs/1-kcHK9UlqI/s320/_MG_3235.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500735695148680818" style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DnJhH_p6GeQ&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DnJhH_p6GeQ&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Reactions<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">This exercise changed drastically as I could not source enough and a variety of materials for them to make their mascots. I guess that was a constraint I had, since I had to carry all the material and travel by 4 buses to get there! Instead, I decided that they would make their squirter but would paint their associations on it instead of making a mascot that represented something. This device is something that these children can carry with them, anywhere they go, specifically to the open loos that they use. It makes hand-washing and easier and fun task for them to follow. The first day, I showed them what I had made, and a few of them who had bottles made their own. The next day, I told all of them to bring bottles that were thrown away at home to make their devices. I was really surprised when Soumya got this bottle to class to ask me if it was ok to use it. She had clearly understood what was needed and didn’t want to be messy with the hole. This bottle also had a cap to prevent leakage. I was really impressed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFaKzqRdHLI/AAAAAAAAEg0/Z__mQUFLQwY/s1600/_MG_3243.JPG"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFaKzqRdHLI/AAAAAAAAEg0/Z__mQUFLQwY/s320/_MG_3243.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500736615005101234" style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></a></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> They loved the soap strips most of all. The novelty of this itself might make them wash their hands for a week, </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">but sadly they do not have access to paper soap in the village. Instead, I told them to cut up a piece of soap and tie it to their bottle, once the strips were over. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFaLRyw3WiI/AAAAAAAAEg8/4e2zvJVwp7A/s1600/_MG_3232.JPG"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFaLRyw3WiI/AAAAAAAAEg8/4e2zvJVwp7A/s320/_MG_3232.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500737132680403490" style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></a> </span></span></span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFaLyeMXPkI/AAAAAAAAEhE/O669wVG4xAc/s1600/_MG_3263.JPG"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFaLyeMXPkI/AAAAAAAAEhE/O669wVG4xAc/s320/_MG_3263.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500737694094278210" style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></a> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFaMzlyomYI/AAAAAAAAEhU/1YFiV9bAY5M/s1600/_MG_3256.JPG"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFaMzlyomYI/AAAAAAAAEhU/1YFiV9bAY5M/s320/_MG_3256.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500738812825344386" style="cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px; " /></a> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFaMeoJfh_I/AAAAAAAAEhM/tFz4_YQ9RoM/s1600/_MG_3262.JPG"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFaMeoJfh_I/AAAAAAAAEhM/tFz4_YQ9RoM/s320/_MG_3262.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500738452680837106" style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">They quickly pierced their holes, tied up their threads and sat down to paint. This now, was a disaster. They just wanted to be done with it and get the soap, so that they could go and use it. However much I tried telling them to paint their links with water, most of them drew flowers and some even copied from the others! They were at peace only once they attached that soap. Chowdamma and Sushma wanted to show me how theirs worked! They even helped each other and worked together so that they could wash both their hands properly. Here is a video of that.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1bETF3b0ggc&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1bETF3b0ggc&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFaNnLJ2CBI/AAAAAAAAEhc/dBx5-UMToaU/s1600/_MG_3261.JPG"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFaNnLJ2CBI/AAAAAAAAEhc/dBx5-UMToaU/s320/_MG_3261.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500739699028133906" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></p>Aajwanthihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032490313992413362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363105732401871382.post-87708162672802826422010-08-01T20:24:00.000-07:002010-08-02T02:54:32.858-07:00Introducing them to Bio-Sand filters<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Activity Four</span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Aim: </span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">An activity to show them a cause and effect action using water test vials and introduce them to the </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'times new roman';">Bio-Sand filter</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Activity: </span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">I could demonstrate to them how to make a bio-sand filter along with SODIS and tell them the importance of these two in conjunction. They can test the water they put in, before and after filtration using the H₂S bottle test. After that, they can make their own sand filters individually or in groups and keep them at school and use the water that comes from this filter.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Inference:</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> Through this, the children might get to know that the water can be impure and there are methods by which they can take initiative to get clean water for themselves and their class/community. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><b>Assumptions:</b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: normal;font-size:medium;">Some of the water we rest is going to be bacteriology affected</span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:x-small;">> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The students might be excited enough to make it and use the water from this filter</span></span></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">They might go home and try to make it and share it with their family and </span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">friends</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:x-small;">> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Would ask me if they could test other water sources near their homes</span></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Response<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I showed them a video on how the sand filter works before they began, so that they would have an idea of how to go about making it. In groups of five, they made their filters, each competing to make theirs faster and better than the rest of the groups. They kept coming to me to 'check' if they were doing it right. It was the first time they were working with m-seal and cutting up material. They found it very exciting. Once their m-seal had dried, we went on to text the filters. One groups failed because their straw was cut at the wrong place and it started to leak, but four others worked right. They looked at it in awe when muddy water went through one end and clear water appeared through the other. One of them volunteered to come up and explain what she understood of the whole process. She was so enthusiastic that she even made diagrams of the filter in her book for herself to remember :) I was so happy there were students like this. The best moment was when they all came screaming saying "ma'am straw, ma'am gum" and I asked why they wanted these things? They replied saying they wanted to make one for themselves at home. They also tested the water that came out using the H2S strip test to find that is was not bacteriology contaminated. Some of them took bottles back home to test the water in the <i>keres</i> near their homes. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFZT22CBzUI/AAAAAAAAEfs/ym147He6EEs/s1600/1.jpg"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFZT22CBzUI/AAAAAAAAEfs/ym147He6EEs/s320/1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500676196561702210" style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></a> </span></span></span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFZWkAZv2DI/AAAAAAAAEgE/w-pDq3DeFjM/s1600/2.jpg"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFZWkAZv2DI/AAAAAAAAEgE/w-pDq3DeFjM/s320/2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500679171462912050" style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFZVkTBjuQI/AAAAAAAAEf0/YR5M4ylzwd4/s1600/6.jpg"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFZVkTBjuQI/AAAAAAAAEf0/YR5M4ylzwd4/s320/6.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500678076950100226" style="cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px; " /></a> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFZYjCUVSyI/AAAAAAAAEgc/AHOnE0xirmg/s1600/_MG_3252.JPG"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFZYjCUVSyI/AAAAAAAAEgc/AHOnE0xirmg/s320/_MG_3252.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500681353820457762" style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Sushma's notes on how the bio-sand filter works.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'times new roman';"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:medium;">Inference</span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Introducing them to AT like this, something that they can make and see the effects for themselves was a good experience. They probably enjoyed it too. After the activity, when I asked someone to give me a summary, many of the kids were shy and some didn't know! So, if learning by just looking at it in textbook, none of them would have known. They said they had been studying about sand filters since 5th standard, but had never made one, even though it was so easy to make it.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFZW2sT4_UI/AAAAAAAAEgM/AGTnA7wmYaI/s1600/4.jpg"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFZW2sT4_UI/AAAAAAAAEgM/AGTnA7wmYaI/s320/4.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500679492487150914" style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></a> </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFZXJBd0hQI/AAAAAAAAEgU/pUOWCM3plSU/s1600/3.jpg"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFZXJBd0hQI/AAAAAAAAEgU/pUOWCM3plSU/s320/3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500679807403590914" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: medium; "><b>Testing the filters they made</b></span></p><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzIszVUHRBt9sLz1FKRCAd04bsqZrEQvaKHVwHBETTCJewF0hoyFrT-fECkWwsnC_LMmwvulZgvtTMBmYk' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><div><br /></div><div><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz9a0yzKLamev7PkehkL6ZLKDhOfoW_2A8wDXkWwPp9NdImkOteH1RLfN09ScRqc9f59hu0-gJmxfy3jMX5kg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div>Sushma explaining to the class what they had done that day</div><div><br /></div><div><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyhFutcM7Lm7-yTXZrGRjHjt2Dk0GBJ4iLa--GqJdInCAOUAlnRw_uREsAKmcFzJdpNg9rcN1HLd5aDlqvFcg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Aajwanthihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032490313992413362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363105732401871382.post-2226140738119196872010-08-01T12:53:00.000-07:002010-08-01T13:00:17.476-07:00KilaralahalliAll this while, I thought that I lived and worked in the same village. Apparently not! Only this visit, did I realise that if something is just down the road, doesn't mean it is in the same village :) I stayed at C.K.Pura and the school is in Kilaralahalli. This was the first time I went by bus from C.K.Pura, hence I got to know.<div><br /></div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFXSCylOkfI/AAAAAAAAEfk/pKfEgyxSjbc/s1600/_MG_3241.JPG"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFXSCylOkfI/AAAAAAAAEfk/pKfEgyxSjbc/s320/_MG_3241.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500533465282417138" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div>Aajwanthihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032490313992413362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363105732401871382.post-41029066030293178282010-08-01T09:55:00.000-07:002010-08-03T07:32:12.310-07:00Discovering the village<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">However liberated I fee in such environments, it is weird, for me and the people around, if I just walk in and out of their space. They have seen me around, but I never got a chance to interact with the people whose village I was living in. This visit was long enough for me to walk around in the evening and document the water bodies. Here is where I met my new friends who showed me around the village. I went to photograph the open well where all of C.K.Pura gets its drinking water from.</span></span><div><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFWzrwg8VUI/AAAAAAAAEdc/SpzbvYU82ME/s1600/_MG_3185.JPG"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFWzrwg8VUI/AAAAAAAAEdc/SpzbvYU82ME/s320/_MG_3185.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500500084241749314" style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFWzrwg8VUI/AAAAAAAAEdc/SpzbvYU82ME/s1600/_MG_3185.JPG"></a></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Here I met Mounica, Asha and Siri, three curious little girls who had come to take drinking water back to their homes after school was over. I went upto them and asked them if I could take a photo, in my broken Kannada. They obliged and asked me what I was doing there. After I told them, they decided to take me around the village, since it was play time anyway! Mounica graciously lent me her cycle (one that the government had provided her with to go to school) so that I could go for a spin as well!</span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFW0Q75-WoI/AAAAAAAAEds/BGaDaZJlDws/s1600/siri,monica.jpg"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFW0Q75-WoI/AAAAAAAAEds/BGaDaZJlDws/s320/siri,monica.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500500722954689154" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFW2UwkcVAI/AAAAAAAAEeE/1uR8Ue8_3Co/s1600/_MG_3194.JPG"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFW2UwkcVAI/AAAAAAAAEeE/1uR8Ue8_3Co/s320/_MG_3194.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500502987654321154" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I asked them about their school and home and what their parents did. Asha insisted that I go to her house and her mother gave me ground nuts that she had harvested. It was all very overwhelming! We walked on the bund and they showed me the 'kere' which practically had no water in it. It was a beautiful view though. They told me that we wouldn't be standing where we were if it were raining. The water would overflow till it reached the fields. This water was mostly used for agriculture. They even showed me the marked stone which showed them how much water there was left.</span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFW2z1NuDUI/AAAAAAAAEeM/7ywo9khWsKA/s1600/_MG_3195.JPG"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFW2z1NuDUI/AAAAAAAAEeM/7ywo9khWsKA/s320/_MG_3195.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500503521477135682" style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFW3UOFaw3I/AAAAAAAAEeU/wTpd6L_HAIQ/s1600/_MG_3207.JPG"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFW3UOFaw3I/AAAAAAAAEeU/wTpd6L_HAIQ/s320/_MG_3207.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500504077909017458" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFW_gQg8W4I/AAAAAAAAEek/ciw6y1XgOEw/s1600/_MG_3197.JPG"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFW_gQg8W4I/AAAAAAAAEek/ciw6y1XgOEw/s320/_MG_3197.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500513080812788610" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFW8ALN4XYI/AAAAAAAAEec/1o8UJNqNbYM/s1600/_MG_3212.JPG"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFW8ALN4XYI/AAAAAAAAEec/1o8UJNqNbYM/s320/_MG_3212.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500509231099960706" style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">On the way, the showed me many plants and explained to me, what they do with it. They were not aware of the names of the plants, but they knew the uses.</span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFXBcYCZCKI/AAAAAAAAEe0/gJTRFcBuxbw/s1600/_MG_3198.JPG"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFXBcYCZCKI/AAAAAAAAEe0/gJTRFcBuxbw/s320/_MG_3198.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500515213135906978" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">"These are the thorns that they use to pierce their ears and noses in the village" said Asha, pointing to her nose.</span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFXB2jocrfI/AAAAAAAAEe8/vewvNuGpKQQ/s1600/_MG_3208.JPG"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFXB2jocrfI/AAAAAAAAEe8/vewvNuGpKQQ/s320/_MG_3208.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500515662924918258" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">"These flowers are squeezed. There is some liquid that comes out. The make soap out of that!" said an excited Akhila</span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFXCfo9RCvI/AAAAAAAAEfE/c1MmH6CDPmU/s1600/_MG_3211.JPG"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFXCfo9RCvI/AAAAAAAAEfE/c1MmH6CDPmU/s320/_MG_3211.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500516368729049842" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">Asha uses these long stemmed plants as her skipping rope, something she plays with everyday.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">After this, we visited the Kalyani, a tank they have a bath in before they visit the temples and on festivals. They also swim in it occasionally. Akhila poured a few pots of water on the new cement slab they had built for a god's statue. The water from the Kalyani was pure and clean, she said. </span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFXGOTyoeyI/AAAAAAAAEfM/a8p7iEw5VyQ/s1600/_MG_3201.JPG"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFXGOTyoeyI/AAAAAAAAEfM/a8p7iEw5VyQ/s320/_MG_3201.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500520469036038946" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFXN1ocg56I/AAAAAAAAEfU/FIqi80rYk-A/s1600/31-07-10_1306.jpg"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFXN1ocg56I/AAAAAAAAEfU/FIqi80rYk-A/s320/31-07-10_1306.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500528841176704930" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFXOV4yQmhI/AAAAAAAAEfc/zrzrnRl-9yo/s1600/_MG_3276.JPG"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hxZ1DBmJWhM/TFXOV4yQmhI/AAAAAAAAEfc/zrzrnRl-9yo/s320/_MG_3276.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500529395318692370" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><div><br /></div></div></div></div>Aajwanthihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032490313992413362noreply@blogger.com3