Family and Friends

(Part III)

5.0 Objectives

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Significance of the Theme ‘Family and Friends’

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5.3 Webbing the Theme ‘Family and Friends’

5.4 Scope and Pedagogical Approaches of the Theme ‘Family and Friends’

5.4.1 Relationships with Our Surroundings (Human Beings, Animals and

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Plants)

5.4.2 Diversity in the Nature of Family Set-ups

5.4.3 Diversity in Features, Traits and Roles in Family, Animals and Plants

5.4.4 Family as a Dynamic Unit

5.5 Addressing Issues of Safety, Security, Conflicts, Prejudices and Biases

5.5.1 Safety and Security

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5.5.2 Conflicts, Prejudices and Biases

5.5.3 Connecting with Cultural Roots and Questioning Blind Beliefs

5.6 Let us Sum up

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5.7 References

5.8 Weblinks

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5.0 Objectives

After going through this unit, you will be able to:

• identify concepts and issues related to the theme in the context of wider natural, physical, social and
cultural environment of children;

• understand and appreciate the interconnectedness of different sub-themes encompassing the theme
and their relationship with other themes in EVS at the primary stage;

• analyse and celebrate the huge natural and socio-cultural diversity in children’s daily lives;

• critically reflect upon and question your own, so far unidentified/unexplored, beliefs and values re-
lated to the theme; and

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• evolve inclusive pedagogical and strategies keeping diverse needs of children in mind.

Various social spaces are shaped by the larger social reality such as the factors of caste, gender, religion etc.
Consequently, they are also likely to be subject to various biases, prejudices and conflicts that exist in the
society. Moreover, social spaces such as family and school are deemed as protective spaces, but they can also
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be a site of abuse as well. Thus, this part of the module attempts to unravel the various conflicts and empha-
sises the issues of safety and security which is a collective responsibility of the entire community.

5.5 Addressing Issues of Safety, Security, Conflicts, Prejudices and Biases

5.5.1 Safety and Security

While family can be of help to address the issues of safety, security (both physical and emotional), this may
not be true for all. There might be children who are vulnerable or go through abusive, dangerous, risky
or traumatic situations right within their families or places of living and, sometimes, in their schools and
neighbourhood. Therefore, it is important to address this crucial issue within the curriculum; and the theme
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‘Family and Friends’ offers appropriate and relevant opportunities for the same.

Let us reflect

* Enlist the possible risky or dangerous situations that children of your class are vulnerable to, at their
home, school or neighbourhood.
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* Can these lead to external/internal injury in/on any body part due to accident, abuse, corporal punish
ment, and emotional disturbance/trauma due to fear, anxiety, stress, abuse, shock, corporal punishment,
etc.?

* How can you help children deal with such situations in your EVS classroom?

* Can we help every child sense the signs of danger, and be cautious in order to be safe?

* What are the roles of a school in this regard?

* Are the schools ready to address such issues? What kind of facilities does your school provide to-

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tackle such situations?

A very crucial issue is that of child abuse to which many young children often fall prey in the absence of any
awareness.
Refer to the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3T7Sox_h9Zs

The video shows that all animals have natural instincts for survival but we, humans, have to build circles of
security/trust for ourselves and our wellbeing. This is true for a child as well an ‘adult’. We have the gift of
communicating to people we trust for support in adverse conditions of any type. You may find it difficult to
connect with and open up with children for such sensitive issues. Activities such as the following can be of
help:
Draw a picture of family and friends with whom you feel comfortable. For example, Prerna made a family
picture of her mother and nani. Jolly made a picture of her mother and the maid.

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Sources: http://www.thenewageparents.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/i-love-my family.jpg, https://media.npr.org/assets/
img/2014/12/05/family-drawing-examples-together-9b4eadb50f5b1eb2dc7c25a8a36bd41d3f6d8ca8.jpg?s=6

Note: Such diverse visual representations help you peep into and understand children’s world and the re-
lationships, which may enable you to be sensitive, empathetic and inclusive with children. Encouraging
children to talk and speak their experiences not only helps children learn but also addresses issues of their
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safety, security and wellbeing.

What is Child Abuse?

Child maltreatment, sometimes referred to as child abuse and neglect, includes all forms of physical and
emotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse, neglect, and exploitation that results in actual or potential harm to
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the child’s health, development or dignity. Within this broad definition, five sub-types can be distinguished
– physical abuse, sexual abuse, substance abuse, neglect and negligent treatment, and emotional abuse and
exploitation.

Source: http://www.who.int/topics/child_abuse/en/

Let us reflect

* Have you come across any child from your class who had experienced abuse? What are the kinds of
such abuses?

* What are the safety and security measurements taken in your own school?

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* What was your role in dealing with such situations?

You may have some idea by reading the following:

Najma teaches Class V. She observed that Neelima in her class is always dressed shabbily. Neither her
nails, hair are ever trimmed nor did she seem to bathe regularly. No one in the class ever wanted to sit
beside her. One day, Najma called her and asked about her place of stay, her family members, about her
routine in the morning and the role of other members, etc. She discussed the things in a very polite man-
ner so that Neelima felt no hesitation in talking about herself. During the informal talk, Najma found that
she was staying in a one-room house with four brothers and
sisters. Her parents were daily wagers and worked hard to
keep the family going. They had to bring water from a com-
mon tap in the community everyday to meet the water re-
quirements of the family. One day, Najma called her parents

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to the school and discussed the problem with them. She sug-
gested that if there is not enough time in the morning then
they could facilitate her bath in the evening or night. She
trimmed Neelima’s nails herself and discussed the importance
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of cleaning the uniform, shoes, etc., with her parents. After a few days, visible changes were no-
ticed and Neelima also felt confident to mix with other students and improved in studies as well.

You might appreciate that, in the above case, the teacher’s role as a friend and counsellor without being
judgemental helped the child and her family overcome the impediments, and enabled Neelima to lead a con-
fident life.

Let us reflect

* What measures can be adopted by the schools to sensitise children about various accidents due to fire,
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electricity, water, harmful chemicals, drugs, diseases, disasters, and other emergency situations?

* What learning opportunities can be created to help children acquire awareness to deal with such situa
tions?

* Design some strategies that are age and context appropriate.

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* Could you think of displaying some charts with ‘do’s & don’ts,’ and preventive measures, first-aid kits
and list of emergency contact numbers, organising talks by appropriate resource persons, showing some
films or suggesting some web resources to students?

If you look at the animal world, they also have a sense of safety and security, which can also be seen
in the different dwellings they inhabit. For example, a bird making a nest is a fascinating sight, which most
children might have witnessed, and that can be taken up to highlight the concept of bonding among birds
with their young ones.

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 Children could be asked to share if they have observed any nest near their house. Alternatively, they may
be shown the process of nest-making through pictures/selected video clips. Children’s observations may be
discussed through some thought-provoking questions. For example,

Q. Whose nest is this?

Q. In which month/season, do birds make it?

Q. What material is used in nest- making and how is it arranged?

Q. How do birds raise their children? What specific things they must be teaching them and why?

Q. Do cuckoo birds (koels) lay eggs in their own nest? Find out.

Let us reflect

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* Which process skills do children learn through such activities?

* Which other themes do you think such activities are related to?
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* Is it the theme ‘Shelter’? How can you extend it to the theme ‘Food’?

(Hint: How and what type of food do birds arrange for their young ones?)

* Could you design some teaching-learning situations in the context of animals?

5.5.2 Conflicts, Prejudices and Biases

Often, children come across heated arguments, quarrels and conflicts at home, school or neighbourhood.
These could be over sharing something, space or time. It is important to allow children to talk about their
experiences and get to know their feelings about it. Enable them to think of and devise amicable ways of
addressing the conflicts, however, trivial these might be. Learning these skills right from the childhood may
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help them resolve bigger issues when they grow up.

• Do people quarrel over petty issues? What are those?

• In your home, who settles such quarrels?

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• Are your opinions or views on various issues different from those of your siblings, friends or elders?
What are these about?

• How do you settle a conflict with your sibling, friend or elders?

• Have you ever seen people quarrelling over something elsewhere? What was it about?

Children also experience or observe prejudices and biases based on gender, caste, religion, economic
and ethnic background and also on being differently-abled. In order to address such issues in the society at
large, since the primary stage children may be sensitised to observe, share, question and oppose such dis-
criminatory practices. Following examples from Class IV EVS textbook of NCERT depict some ideas:

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• It is 7 o’clock in the evening. Pratibha is hurrying home from her friend’s house. Her brothers Sandeep
and Sanjay are busy playing round the corner with their friends. They are in
no hurry to go home. Even if they are late, nobody will scold them. Pratibha
thinks that this is not fair. Why should there be one rule for her and another
for her brothers? But, what can she do?

-Has it ever happened with you that you wanted to do something

but the elders in the family did not allow?

• Anil is Akshay’s friend. His grandmother likes Anil too. Anil invited Akshay and some friends home.
Anil’s mother gave water to all of them, and they drank it. When Anil handed Akshay a glass of water, he
suddenly remembered his grandmother’s warning - he should never eat or drink anything at Anil’s house not
even a glass of water! “They are very different from our family,” she says.

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-Despite Akshay and Anil being very good friends, why does Ak-
shay’s grandmother ask him not to eat or drink at Anil’s house?

-What do you think could be the possible reason behind this be-


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haviour and how, as an EVS teacher, will you address such issues
in your classroom?

We observe practices of discrimination and exploitation even on animals. Ruthless behaviour of humans
with animals for their own need and greed involves their torture and committing brutality on them. We often
see even adults pelting stones at dogs, cattle, etc. We also come across incidents of killing of snakes, and
other animals on account of fear or poaching/hunting of animals for simple pleasure or for selling their body
parts. Due to these exploitative practices, many species are either extinct or on the verge of extinction.

Let us reflect
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* Think of some strategies and plan situations to sensitise children towards discrimination against animals.

* Enlist some organisations, which work for conservation and protection of animals and their rights and
find out how they do these tasks.
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* How do you think the animals, lizards, cockroaches, mosquitoes, snakes and different insects play an
important role in the ecosystem?

* Enlist a few suggestions that you think children need to be made aware of so as to save themselves
from stray dogs, or any other animal without hurting them.

Such questions might promote critical thinking among students and make them aware of the impor-
tance of being empathetic and sensitive towards animals.

We know that ants, dogs, silkworms, etc., have specially-developed senses for smell and many others like
bats, whales have exceptional hearing abilities. While such facts astonish children, it is also important for
them to rationalise that humans categorise smell into good or bad depending on their psychological percep-

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tions and various other things. For example, smell from garbage sites, hospitals, etc., may offend some, but,
is not obnoxious to people who work there. If children are given opportunities to analyse this through discus-
sions on carefully-framed questions, they will be able to handle such situations sensitively.

• How do you feel when you walk near a heap of garbage? Think of the children who spend the whole
day picking things from such garbage.
• Is smell ‘good’ or ‘bad’ for everyone in the same way? Or does it depend on how each one feels about
it?

5.5.3 Connecting with Cultural Roots and Questioning Blind Beliefs

On the one hand, EVS provides many opportunities to connect with our culture and traditions; on the other,
it offers scope to question certain superstitious and dogmatic practices. The teachers need to take up such
issues that are locale-specific with caution, so as not to hurt the sentiments of students.

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Activities: Ask children to find out from their elders and discuss with them about practices such as:

• Festivals, folk songs, stories that connect them with nature and surroundings.
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• Practices of feeding birds and animals, e.g., keeping some food aside for animals like a roti for
cows/dogs or grains and water for birds.

• The ritual sacrifice of animals like goats and buffaloes observed around some festivals.

• Menstruating women being considered as impure.

5.6 Let us Sum up

Thus, after going through the theme ‘Family and Friends’, one can understand its wider and comprehensive
nature. In this module, an effort has been made to deconstruct various hidden cultural, ideological and ste-
reotype-based belief systems. Its main objective was to make us reflect and question the often prevalent, firm
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and not so obvious power relationships, which exist not only in human beings but also in animals. Many
parallel analogies can be drawn between behavioural patterns of humans and animals, and the module has
provided multiple opportunities to weave in such experiences in the classroom pedagogy. Not only humans
and animals, plants also are very much included and form a big ecological family. Concepts of their features,
traits, classification, along with prime values of care, share and nurturance, have been continuously empha-
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sised.

5.7 References

1. Looking Around (2014). NCERT Class III textbook, NCERT Publication, New Delhi

2.. Looking Around (2014). NCERT Class IV textbook, NCERT Publication, New Delhi

3. Looking Around (2014). NCERT Class V textbook, NCERT Publication, New Delhi

4. Syllabus for Classes at the Elementary Level (2006). NCERT Publication, New Delhi

5. Source Book on Assessment for Classes I-V: Environmental Studies (2008). NCERT Publication,

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 New Delhi

5.8 Weblinks

1. https://kvno1calicutprt.wordpress.com/evs-videos-classes-iii-iv-v/

2. https://youtu.be/tUOpaKCxEUM?list=PL42E70B6AED8979C1

3. https://youtu.be/fwKBcwz7X_k

4. https://youtu.be/W-xju5hhsRI?list=PL72CCA16A6B83BD01

5. https://youtu.be/Gw8Uj8I9ka4

6. https://youtu.be/D8oyFBHhCh4

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7. https://youtu.be/X_np-6gmBWM

8. https://youtu.be/LjVjMNYXOnc

9. http://epathshala.nic.in/e-pathshala-4/flipbook/
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10. https://youtu.be/Gw8Uj8I9ka4

11. https://youtu.be/D8oyFBHhCh4

12. https://youtu.be/X_np-6gmBWM

13. https://youtu.be/LjVjMNYXOnc

14. http://epathshala.nic.in/e-pathshala-4/flipbook/

15. http://www.ncert.nic.in/rightside/links/pdf/syllabus/vol1/Preliams.pdf
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