This Month’sIssue

Its School Time Again .....

Aarushi’s Library .............

Gooru Ad. .......................

Inspiring Classrooms .......

Success Quotes ...............

Teacher’s Bite .................

ASSET Poster ...................

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T h e m o n t h l y n e w s l e t t e r

Issue 93 | June 2013 | www.ei-india.com

It's School Time Again!

place to learn. Put up attractive posters One minute at a time, the sheets make and decorate the bulletin boards with their way around the circle until interesting visuals etc. These really help – everyone gets their own sheet back and as they certainly give your students reads all the strengths everyone else sees something to look at when their attention in them. Students can put this on the wanders after the freedom and cover of their notebooks. excitement, during a vacation. You can

We hope you have a fantastic and also conduct some activities to make the

HAPPY year!first day interesting.

Why not start with an activity that is engaging and fun. ‘Bragging’ activity is something like this. This helps each one to recognize the positive side of others.

Students from across India are turning in Ask students to sit in a circle and their swimsuits for their backpacks and recognise or appreciate there classmates are heading back to school - but let me one by one. For example “I want to brag ask, “Students, don’t you want to renew about Shia because she is always so your quest for knowledge? Then grab positive and energetic.” “I want to praise your textbooks; it's Back to School”. Karan because his voice is just amazing." "I

want to let everyone know that Rahul is It’s so simple, but important for you, very helpful” Make a bulletin board teachers to know that a smile to greet backstage of what everyone says, and your students is the first step to building students can add to it at any time. rapport. It’s the first step to creating a

trusting, close-knit relationship with your Another activity can be an S.O.S. activity: new class. “Strengths Others See.” Each student

gets a sheet of paper that says “Strengths Remember, if your students like you and other see in...” and writes his/her own trust you, then classroom management name at the top. Then students pass their becomes much easier. A smile activates sheets to the right for one minute and instant likability - and so much more.write the strengths they see in the person

Make this year special by making your whose name is at the top of the sheet. classroom a welcoming and supportive

books containing stories of her interest and at the same time wanted to share these with other friends. But these books are very expensive and not affordable by one person. She knew that other children of the building would have similar books, which she thought could be exchanged, through creating a library in the building. She proposed her idea to her mother and it was immediately shared among other friends and children. Now the problem was to find a common space. At the beginning the cabin near the main gate which had been renovated recently was selected to solve the problem temporarily. However, as it was too small for a library, it was only used to keep the books. After facing some inconvenience, the lobby near the lift in the ground floor of the building was selected for both keeping the books and reading them. The library was named ‘Rainbow Readers’. Aarushi and her friends have categorized the books into three age groups, for 3 to 5, 6 to 8 and above 8.

Leadership and entrepreneurship are common words these Aarushi also has displayed problem solving skills in real life. As days in most of the elite schools. Children spanning all age usual there are differences between boys and girls. Boys are groups are often advised to become leaders and fonder of books related to adventure where as girls like entrepreneurs in their own life. But this advice remains fairytales stories. To resolve the problem, she proposed the mostly within the four walls of the classroom. However, it idea of keeping both kinds of books that would interest all was not so in the case of Aarushi, a class 5 girl from the kinds of children. It may be a small act, but considering Eklavya School, Ahmedabad. Aarushi has stepped out of the Aarushi’s age, it has profound implications of the 21st century four walls of her school and stepped into the act of soul skills in children’s lives. leadership and entrepreneurship. Aarushi does not have high ambitions regarding her library, Aarushi lives in a high rise apartment in the Bodakdev area of but she wants to experiment with some ideas that can make Ahmedabad. In the ongoing summer vacation, the sizzling her initiative a success. Some of these are developing a logo, heat has forced most children to remain inside their homes. creating a Facebook page, through which she wishes to reach At home, the only options are either watching television or more friends using the virtual medium, and so on.reading books. Aarushi chose the later. A few days ago, she

was reading a book titled ‘Adventure in the Island’. While reading the book, she was totally lost and was eager to share the joy with the other friends of the building. In the process, the idea for setting a library was conceived. She liked to read

Aarushi’s Library Initiatives

By Jitu Mishra, Educational Specialist

News Bite

Free education, Jobs for 100 Sports Kids in Each District

The best 100 young sportspersons in each district of India called Panchayat Yuva Krida will get free education and an assured government job. Aur Khel Abhiyan to

i d e n t i f y y o u n g This is part of the new plan of the sports ministry that has

sportsperson, thereby been named "Identification and Nurturing Sports Talent

bringing synergy in the two (INSTAL)". The plan is to set up a special school in every

schemes.district of the country to provide training and guidance to young and budding sports children. “Hundred talented young

boys and girls in the 6-10 The scheme, which would cost around Rs. 11,000 crore in

age group will be selected through rural sports competitions the 12th five-year-plan (2012-17), is part of the Prime

and will be admitted in district level schools with facilities of Minister's plan to increase India's haul in 2020 Olympics.

boarding, lodging, special diets and sports kits,” the minister Sports minister, Jitendra Singh unveiled the plan at a meeting said. The government will bear all the expenses of these of sports ministers and said a major incentive under the students and the most-promising of them would also get a scheme would be an assured government job to those stipend.budding sportsperson at an appropriate age. Both Centre

The best of these children would get specialised training at and state governments have schemes assuring jobs to

25 centres of excellence to be set up across India by the sportspersons doing well at national and international levels.

Sports Authority of India. The minister has requested the Most of the money being sought under the scheme would be state governments to provide free land and development utilized for setting up a sports school with conventional infrastructure for these centres, in a bid to have a educational facilities in each district with the help of the collaborative effort in promoting non-cricket sports, which education department of the state. The government officials has lagged behind because of public fund constraints.said the curriculum for these schools would be different

The ministry expects to get an approval of the Planning catering to overall sporting activity.

Commission for this scheme soon and expects to roll it out in The government will utilise funds under another scheme select districts from the current financial year.

Source: http://www.indiaedunews.net

books containing stories of her interest and at the same time wanted to share these with other friends. But these books are very expensive and not affordable by one person. She knew that other children of the building would have similar books, which she thought could be exchanged, through creating a library in the building. She proposed her idea to her mother and it was immediately shared among other friends and children. Now the problem was to find a common space. At the beginning the cabin near the main gate which had been renovated recently was selected to solve the problem temporarily. However, as it was too small for a library, it was only used to keep the books. After facing some inconvenience, the lobby near the lift in the ground floor of the building was selected for both keeping the books and reading them. The library was named ‘Rainbow Readers’. Aarushi and her friends have categorized the books into three age groups, for 3 to 5, 6 to 8 and above 8.

Leadership and entrepreneurship are common words these Aarushi also has displayed problem solving skills in real life. As days in most of the elite schools. Children spanning all age usual there are differences between boys and girls. Boys are groups are often advised to become leaders and fonder of books related to adventure where as girls like entrepreneurs in their own life. But this advice remains fairytales stories. To resolve the problem, she proposed the mostly within the four walls of the classroom. However, it idea of keeping both kinds of books that would interest all was not so in the case of Aarushi, a class 5 girl from the kinds of children. It may be a small act, but considering Eklavya School, Ahmedabad. Aarushi has stepped out of the Aarushi’s age, it has profound implications of the 21st century four walls of her school and stepped into the act of soul skills in children’s lives. leadership and entrepreneurship. Aarushi does not have high ambitions regarding her library, Aarushi lives in a high rise apartment in the Bodakdev area of but she wants to experiment with some ideas that can make Ahmedabad. In the ongoing summer vacation, the sizzling her initiative a success. Some of these are developing a logo, heat has forced most children to remain inside their homes. creating a Facebook page, through which she wishes to reach At home, the only options are either watching television or more friends using the virtual medium, and so on.reading books. Aarushi chose the later. A few days ago, she

was reading a book titled ‘Adventure in the Island’. While reading the book, she was totally lost and was eager to share the joy with the other friends of the building. In the process, the idea for setting a library was conceived. She liked to read

Aarushi’s Library Initiatives

By Jitu Mishra, Educational Specialist

News Bite

Free education, Jobs for 100 Sports Kids in Each District

The best 100 young sportspersons in each district of India called Panchayat Yuva Krida will get free education and an assured government job. Aur Khel Abhiyan to

i d e n t i f y y o u n g This is part of the new plan of the sports ministry that has

sportsperson, thereby been named "Identification and Nurturing Sports Talent

bringing synergy in the two (INSTAL)". The plan is to set up a special school in every

schemes.district of the country to provide training and guidance to young and budding sports children. “Hundred talented young

boys and girls in the 6-10 The scheme, which would cost around Rs. 11,000 crore in

age group will be selected through rural sports competitions the 12th five-year-plan (2012-17), is part of the Prime

and will be admitted in district level schools with facilities of Minister's plan to increase India's haul in 2020 Olympics.

boarding, lodging, special diets and sports kits,” the minister Sports minister, Jitendra Singh unveiled the plan at a meeting said. The government will bear all the expenses of these of sports ministers and said a major incentive under the students and the most-promising of them would also get a scheme would be an assured government job to those stipend.budding sportsperson at an appropriate age. Both Centre

The best of these children would get specialised training at and state governments have schemes assuring jobs to

25 centres of excellence to be set up across India by the sportspersons doing well at national and international levels.

Sports Authority of India. The minister has requested the Most of the money being sought under the scheme would be state governments to provide free land and development utilized for setting up a sports school with conventional infrastructure for these centres, in a bid to have a educational facilities in each district with the help of the collaborative effort in promoting non-cricket sports, which education department of the state. The government officials has lagged behind because of public fund constraints.said the curriculum for these schools would be different

The ministry expects to get an approval of the Planning catering to overall sporting activity.

Commission for this scheme soon and expects to roll it out in The government will utilise funds under another scheme select districts from the current financial year.

Source: http://www.indiaedunews.net

Inspiring classrooms and Learning Environments – in Pictures

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk

From double-decker learning buses to tree-top classrooms and eco-huts, this photo gallery explores how schools from west take learning beyond the

classroom and experiment with their learning spaces.

Feltonfleet school in Cobham has found its inspirational treehouse learning space, created by Blue Forest, to be a cost effective and sustainable way to extend the teaching space.

Rosendale Primary School in South London needed a library but it had no room for one. The solution was devised by designer Kate Gorely who worked with Forge Architects to create this incredible learning space - which won the School Library Association Library Design Award for 2011 and cost just £5000.

Some really bold and creative ideas from Denmark here, Rosan Bosch Studio has created imaginative designs for the Vittra school in Stockholm with multifunctional learning spaces, colourful interiors and small niches for concentration and contemplation.

When Mark Cross School in Sussex needed additional teaching space they decided against the usual prefab in the playground and went for something more creative instead, designed and built by Blue Forest.

Outside seating area at Longhill School, Brighton. This student designed seating area is made from recycled plastic.

Success Quotes Can Really Help Motivate You

This quote pits two values against each other – doing what you love and doing what you hate. How many among us do not know the agony of being stuck in a job that we hate because it pays our bills? However, George Burns, the comedian, actor, and writer believes that it is a higher virtue to pursue what you really love doing, even if you do fail at it in the beginning. He talks about never sacrificing your passion for anything in the world, and if you stick to it, you are bound to achieve what you aspire for.

“I honestly think it is better to be a failure at something you love, than to be a success at something you hate”.

- George Burns

Success is not about having loads of money or a line of cars parked in front of your house. Being rich should not be confused with being successful. The true measure of success is how valuable you were to the people or society around you and what impression you have left behind.

Source: http://www.leadershiparticles.net

People like hearing about success and successful people. There is something in the aura of a successful person that makes them attractive. Successful people are a constant source of inspiration to us, and we often try to take a leaf out of their books to learn something from them, to absorb some tips that will make your life a success.

Sometimes, this motivation can come from success quotes, which can ignite a spark within you and fuel the passion that will help you achieve the goal that you've been wanting to for so long. Let's look at some of these success quotes in this article and try to analyze what inspiring message is being conveyed them.

The road to success is never smooth, and is fraught with all kinds of difficulties and even failure. However, what separates the men from the boys is the attitude of getting up and starting all over again without losing sight of the vision and without losing courage. Those who lose their eagerness and motivation will never achieve success in life.

"It is not what we get. But who we become, what we contribute... that gives meaning to our lives".

- Anthony Robbins

“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm”.

-Winston Churchill

Fun Zone

Mother: Why does your geography exam have a big zero over it?

Pappu: It's not a zero, the teacher ran out of stars, so she gave me a moon

instead!

You can share your favourite joke/s at assetscope@ei-india.com. We will be glad to publish it.

Inspiring classrooms and Learning Environments – in Pictures

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk

From double-decker learning buses to tree-top classrooms and eco-huts, this photo gallery explores how schools from west take learning beyond the

classroom and experiment with their learning spaces.

Feltonfleet school in Cobham has found its inspirational treehouse learning space, created by Blue Forest, to be a cost effective and sustainable way to extend the teaching space.

Rosendale Primary School in South London needed a library but it had no room for one. The solution was devised by designer Kate Gorely who worked with Forge Architects to create this incredible learning space - which won the School Library Association Library Design Award for 2011 and cost just £5000.

Some really bold and creative ideas from Denmark here, Rosan Bosch Studio has created imaginative designs for the Vittra school in Stockholm with multifunctional learning spaces, colourful interiors and small niches for concentration and contemplation.

When Mark Cross School in Sussex needed additional teaching space they decided against the usual prefab in the playground and went for something more creative instead, designed and built by Blue Forest.

Outside seating area at Longhill School, Brighton. This student designed seating area is made from recycled plastic.

Success Quotes Can Really Help Motivate You

This quote pits two values against each other – doing what you love and doing what you hate. How many among us do not know the agony of being stuck in a job that we hate because it pays our bills? However, George Burns, the comedian, actor, and writer believes that it is a higher virtue to pursue what you really love doing, even if you do fail at it in the beginning. He talks about never sacrificing your passion for anything in the world, and if you stick to it, you are bound to achieve what you aspire for.

“I honestly think it is better to be a failure at something you love, than to be a success at something you hate”.

- George Burns

Success is not about having loads of money or a line of cars parked in front of your house. Being rich should not be confused with being successful. The true measure of success is how valuable you were to the people or society around you and what impression you have left behind.

Source: http://www.leadershiparticles.net

People like hearing about success and successful people. There is something in the aura of a successful person that makes them attractive. Successful people are a constant source of inspiration to us, and we often try to take a leaf out of their books to learn something from them, to absorb some tips that will make your life a success.

Sometimes, this motivation can come from success quotes, which can ignite a spark within you and fuel the passion that will help you achieve the goal that you've been wanting to for so long. Let's look at some of these success quotes in this article and try to analyze what inspiring message is being conveyed them.

The road to success is never smooth, and is fraught with all kinds of difficulties and even failure. However, what separates the men from the boys is the attitude of getting up and starting all over again without losing sight of the vision and without losing courage. Those who lose their eagerness and motivation will never achieve success in life.

"It is not what we get. But who we become, what we contribute... that gives meaning to our lives".

- Anthony Robbins

“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm”.

-Winston Churchill

Fun Zone

Mother: Why does your geography exam have a big zero over it?

Pappu: It's not a zero, the teacher ran out of stars, so she gave me a moon

instead!

You can share your favourite joke/s at assetscope@ei-india.com. We will be glad to publish it.

Teacher’s Bite

a well orchestrated performance of three pieces: the people -that is the teachers and the children; the process or the method of teaching; and the material and technology and various teaching aids available. If all are functioning at the optimum levels - students are engaged and discipline comes as a by-product of this environment.

What are your views regarding the ‘Importance Who has most influenced you to become an of Teacher Training and Development’ in educator, and how did they influence you? educating Students?

One of my most admired and respected educators Great teachers help create great students. In fact, an inspiring once said in a lecture, "The reason I teach is because I have not and informed teacher is the most important school-related finished learning" I found this as a very powerful statement as I factor influencing student achievement. The Tree House have, from very early in my academic career, been interested in Education & Accessories Ltd gave an exemplary teacher-teaching but not before my interest in learning. However, as preparation program which allowed teacher trainees the time time went on, I realized that being a teacher is about making an to apply their learning of theory in the context of teaching in a impact, an impression, and a positive difference in the next real classroom - all institutions of learning should have and generation. What you say, what you do, and how you do it will encourage such programs. I believe that teacher training stay with students and they in turn may pass it along to their leverages our expertise in providing resources, ideas, own children in some way, shape, or form. They say that professional advice and techniques for teachers, to make the teaching touches the lives of the future, which is true. But it also teaching - learning process effectivehelps alter the course of the future as well. We are progressing

What is your view regarding the ASSET Test?in leaps and bounds in terms of technology and modernization of the world - we have to make sure that our next generation is ASSET is an excellent assessment program conducted capable of continuous learning. in school which provides teachers the actual strengths

and weaknesses of the students individually and class-wise by What is your approach to classroom printing feedback for all. In return -people should realize that management and student discipline?feedback is a gift and one can use the feedback to really steer

I believe that a well run classroom is a combination of students to excel by pursuing their goals.

Q:

Ms. Avani Rashne,Principal,Tree House High School,Virar, Mumbai

Q:

Q:

Q:

Thoughtful story - The FenceThere once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the fence. The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily, gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.

He said “you have done well, my son, but look at the holes in Finally the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at

the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that

things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one.” You can the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to

put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won’t matter how hold his temper. The days passed and the young boy was

many times you say “I’m sorry”, the wound is still there. finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.

Make sure you control your temper the next time you are The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. tempted to say something you will regret later.

Videos Reviewed by Jitu Mishra, Educational Specialist

Calculating crime

People who solve crimes look for patterns that might reveal The records of past crimes contain geographical information the identity of the criminal. A mathematician from Maryland and can reveal easy targets — that is, the kind of stores that has come up with tools to help the police find crooks. might be less difficult to rob. Because these stores are along

roads, the locations of past crimes contain information about When you think about Maths, you probably don’t think about

where major streets and intersections are. O’Leary is writing breaking the law, solving mysteries or finding criminals. But a

a new computer program that will quickly provide this kind mathematician in Maryland does, and he has come up with

of information for a given city. His program also includes mathematical tools to help the police find crooks.

census, or survey, information about the people who live in People who solve crimes look for patterns that might reveal the city, and information about how a criminal’s patterns the identity of the criminal. It’s long been believed, for change with age. (It’s been shown, for example, that the example, that crooks will break the law closer to where they younger the criminal, the closer to home the crime.)live, simply because it’s easier to get around in your own

Other computer programmers have worked on similar neighborhood. If the police see a pattern of robberies in a

software, but O’Leary ’s uses more Maths. The certain area, they may look for a suspect who lives near the

mathematician plans to make his computer program crime scene. So, the farther away from the area a crime takes

available, free of charge, to police departments around the place, the less likely it is that the same criminal did it.

country.But Mike O’Leary, a mathematician at Towson University in

The program is just one way to use Maths to fight crime. Maryland, says that this kind of approach may be too simple.

O’Leary says that criminology — the study of crime and He says that police may get better clues to the location of an

criminals — contains a lot of good Maths problems. “I feel offender’s home base by combining these patterns with a

like I’m in a gold mine and I’m the only one who knows what city’s layout and historical crime records.

gold looks like,” he says. “It’s a lot of fun.”

New Maths Tools Could Help Cops Find robbers

Source: http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/2009/01/calculating-crime-2/

Video Review

‘Human Planet’ is an eight episode BBC Series, each of one hour duration. Filmed with high definition cameras, the episodes of ‘Human Planet’ are epic records of human’s survival in the most extreme environments. Each episode focuses on an environment and how the peoples and tribes who live there and adapt to their surroundings: oceans, deserts, arctic, jungles, mountains, grasslands, rivers and cities.

animals), but survival for humans it is not as easy as it looks. Joh Hurt is the narrator of the series. Uniquely in the animal Life in the trees requires great skill, ingenuity and sheer kingdom, humans have managed to adapt in every bravery. environment on earth. In each extreme environment, the

viewers can meet people who survive by building complex, Episode 5: ‘Mountains – Life in Thin Air’: From lusty exciting and often mutually beneficial relationships with their cloud forests to cold desert mountains the higher we climb animal neighbours and the hostile elements of the natural the tougher life gets on a mountain. Episode 5 explores the world. extraordinary ways in which people survive at extreme

altitudes where nature becomes utterly unforgiving. Episode 1: ‘Oceans – Into the Blue’: Humans are breathing animals and not meant for survival in water. But Episode 6: ‘Grasslands – Roots of Power’: Grasslands people have found ways to live an almost aquatic life so they feed the world over thousands of years. We have learnt to can exploit the sea’s riches. We drive 40 metres down to the grow grains on the grasslands and domesticate the animals dangerous world, breathing air through a tangled web of that live there. Our success has propelled a population to pipes attached to diesel engine and capture thousands of fish. almost seven billion people.

Episode 2: ‘Deserts – Life in the Furnace’: We can Episode 7: ‘River – Friend and Foe’: Rivers provide the survive for weeks without food, but only for some days essentials of life, fresh food and water. They often provide without water. It is the essential element of life. Yet millions natural highways and enable us to live in just about every of humans live in parched deserts around the world. In this environment on earth. But rivers can also flood, freeze or episode we discover, how the eternal quest for water brings disappear altogether. huge challenges and ingenious solutions – in the driest places

Episode 8: ‘Cities – Surviving the Urban Jungle’: Cities on earth. are the dream habitats for every human. Over half of world’s

Episode 3: ‘Arctic – Life in the Deep Freeze’: The arctic population now lives in cities. The city is built to keep is the harshest environment on earth. Here little food grows. untamed nature out – but nature cannot be pushed away. It is dark for months and the temperature stays below From bed bugs sucking our blood at night to rats in our freezing most of the year. Yet four million people manage to restaurants, many animals have adapted to a life with us. survive here.

The series can be purchased online through Amazon or a Episode 4: ‘Jungles – People of the Trees’: The rainforest BBC Shop and it is a must for schools who want to make the has the richest concentration of life (both plants and teaching of geography learning interesting.

Human Planet - A BBC Series

Teacher’s Bite

a well orchestrated performance of three pieces: the people -that is the teachers and the children; the process or the method of teaching; and the material and technology and various teaching aids available. If all are functioning at the optimum levels - students are engaged and discipline comes as a by-product of this environment.

What are your views regarding the ‘Importance Who has most influenced you to become an of Teacher Training and Development’ in educator, and how did they influence you? educating Students?

One of my most admired and respected educators Great teachers help create great students. In fact, an inspiring once said in a lecture, "The reason I teach is because I have not and informed teacher is the most important school-related finished learning" I found this as a very powerful statement as I factor influencing student achievement. The Tree House have, from very early in my academic career, been interested in Education & Accessories Ltd gave an exemplary teacher-teaching but not before my interest in learning. However, as preparation program which allowed teacher trainees the time time went on, I realized that being a teacher is about making an to apply their learning of theory in the context of teaching in a impact, an impression, and a positive difference in the next real classroom - all institutions of learning should have and generation. What you say, what you do, and how you do it will encourage such programs. I believe that teacher training stay with students and they in turn may pass it along to their leverages our expertise in providing resources, ideas, own children in some way, shape, or form. They say that professional advice and techniques for teachers, to make the teaching touches the lives of the future, which is true. But it also teaching - learning process effectivehelps alter the course of the future as well. We are progressing

What is your view regarding the ASSET Test?in leaps and bounds in terms of technology and modernization of the world - we have to make sure that our next generation is ASSET is an excellent assessment program conducted capable of continuous learning. in school which provides teachers the actual strengths

and weaknesses of the students individually and class-wise by What is your approach to classroom printing feedback for all. In return -people should realize that management and student discipline?feedback is a gift and one can use the feedback to really steer

I believe that a well run classroom is a combination of students to excel by pursuing their goals.

Q:

Ms. Avani Rashne,Principal,Tree House High School,Virar, Mumbai

Q:

Q:

Q:

Thoughtful story - The FenceThere once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the fence. The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily, gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.

He said “you have done well, my son, but look at the holes in Finally the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at

the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that

things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one.” You can the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to

put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won’t matter how hold his temper. The days passed and the young boy was

many times you say “I’m sorry”, the wound is still there. finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.

Make sure you control your temper the next time you are The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. tempted to say something you will regret later.

Videos Reviewed by Jitu Mishra, Educational Specialist

Calculating crime

People who solve crimes look for patterns that might reveal The records of past crimes contain geographical information the identity of the criminal. A mathematician from Maryland and can reveal easy targets — that is, the kind of stores that has come up with tools to help the police find crooks. might be less difficult to rob. Because these stores are along

roads, the locations of past crimes contain information about When you think about Maths, you probably don’t think about

where major streets and intersections are. O’Leary is writing breaking the law, solving mysteries or finding criminals. But a

a new computer program that will quickly provide this kind mathematician in Maryland does, and he has come up with

of information for a given city. His program also includes mathematical tools to help the police find crooks.

census, or survey, information about the people who live in People who solve crimes look for patterns that might reveal the city, and information about how a criminal’s patterns the identity of the criminal. It’s long been believed, for change with age. (It’s been shown, for example, that the example, that crooks will break the law closer to where they younger the criminal, the closer to home the crime.)live, simply because it’s easier to get around in your own

Other computer programmers have worked on similar neighborhood. If the police see a pattern of robberies in a

software, but O’Leary ’s uses more Maths. The certain area, they may look for a suspect who lives near the

mathematician plans to make his computer program crime scene. So, the farther away from the area a crime takes

available, free of charge, to police departments around the place, the less likely it is that the same criminal did it.

country.But Mike O’Leary, a mathematician at Towson University in

The program is just one way to use Maths to fight crime. Maryland, says that this kind of approach may be too simple.

O’Leary says that criminology — the study of crime and He says that police may get better clues to the location of an

criminals — contains a lot of good Maths problems. “I feel offender’s home base by combining these patterns with a

like I’m in a gold mine and I’m the only one who knows what city’s layout and historical crime records.

gold looks like,” he says. “It’s a lot of fun.”

New Maths Tools Could Help Cops Find robbers

Source: http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/2009/01/calculating-crime-2/

Video Review

‘Human Planet’ is an eight episode BBC Series, each of one hour duration. Filmed with high definition cameras, the episodes of ‘Human Planet’ are epic records of human’s survival in the most extreme environments. Each episode focuses on an environment and how the peoples and tribes who live there and adapt to their surroundings: oceans, deserts, arctic, jungles, mountains, grasslands, rivers and cities.

animals), but survival for humans it is not as easy as it looks. Joh Hurt is the narrator of the series. Uniquely in the animal Life in the trees requires great skill, ingenuity and sheer kingdom, humans have managed to adapt in every bravery. environment on earth. In each extreme environment, the

viewers can meet people who survive by building complex, Episode 5: ‘Mountains – Life in Thin Air’: From lusty exciting and often mutually beneficial relationships with their cloud forests to cold desert mountains the higher we climb animal neighbours and the hostile elements of the natural the tougher life gets on a mountain. Episode 5 explores the world. extraordinary ways in which people survive at extreme

altitudes where nature becomes utterly unforgiving. Episode 1: ‘Oceans – Into the Blue’: Humans are breathing animals and not meant for survival in water. But Episode 6: ‘Grasslands – Roots of Power’: Grasslands people have found ways to live an almost aquatic life so they feed the world over thousands of years. We have learnt to can exploit the sea’s riches. We drive 40 metres down to the grow grains on the grasslands and domesticate the animals dangerous world, breathing air through a tangled web of that live there. Our success has propelled a population to pipes attached to diesel engine and capture thousands of fish. almost seven billion people.

Episode 2: ‘Deserts – Life in the Furnace’: We can Episode 7: ‘River – Friend and Foe’: Rivers provide the survive for weeks without food, but only for some days essentials of life, fresh food and water. They often provide without water. It is the essential element of life. Yet millions natural highways and enable us to live in just about every of humans live in parched deserts around the world. In this environment on earth. But rivers can also flood, freeze or episode we discover, how the eternal quest for water brings disappear altogether. huge challenges and ingenious solutions – in the driest places

Episode 8: ‘Cities – Surviving the Urban Jungle’: Cities on earth. are the dream habitats for every human. Over half of world’s

Episode 3: ‘Arctic – Life in the Deep Freeze’: The arctic population now lives in cities. The city is built to keep is the harshest environment on earth. Here little food grows. untamed nature out – but nature cannot be pushed away. It is dark for months and the temperature stays below From bed bugs sucking our blood at night to rats in our freezing most of the year. Yet four million people manage to restaurants, many animals have adapted to a life with us. survive here.

The series can be purchased online through Amazon or a Episode 4: ‘Jungles – People of the Trees’: The rainforest BBC Shop and it is a must for schools who want to make the has the richest concentration of life (both plants and teaching of geography learning interesting.

Human Planet - A BBC Series

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