Local Gyan founders Rajesh Krishnan and Sonam Ambe join hands with CSMVS to host Land Clues, an interactive workshop for children that explores Mumbai’s geological past using tactile activities, storytelling and hands-on learning at the museum
(From left) Sonam Ambe and Rajesh Krishnan explain how terrain and water flow work at a previous session. PICS COURTESY/LOCAL GYAN
The evolution of Mumbai often leaves its residents confused about the nature of the city. Yet, each rock displaced and each building constructed is part of a process built over time. This process, in fact, dates back to thousands and even millions of years, explain Local Gyan co-founders Rajesh Krishnan and Sonam Ambe. The duo will team up with the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS) tomorrow to host Land Clues, an interactive workshop introducing children to the natural and geological history of the city’s formation using tactile means.
“Through centralisation and standardisation of education, children only learn concepts through books. We firmly believe that lessons should be experiential,” shares Ambe. To that end, they have previously hosted a workshop on waterways in the city at the museum. “Often times adults, let alone children, can hardly name five rivers in Mumbai. The increased digitisation has added to an inward-looking generation,” she says.
Children study a globe with Ambe
Krishnan points out that the solution lies in approaching education differently. “To connect these things, you weave a thread through a narrative story. Now, when we try to explain these ideas, we use hands-on activities and tools with relevance to nearby things we see. We ask them to think, and arrive at the answer themselves. In the process, they learn and hear new perspectives. They learn to question each other,” he says.
The workshop tomorrow will centre on the geological formation of the seven islands that originally formed Mumbai. The museum also offers another context to the workshop with the Mumbai Gallery. Thomasina Dsouza, education associate, CSMVS, informs, “Since we had a Mumbai gallery, the first workshop was on waterways, and the different water bodies throughout the city of Mumba. Now we are learning about the formation of the city through tectonic plates, volcanoes, and the geography of the city. It helps children to understand the city better.”
Participants recreate layers of the Earth’s surface including the core, mantle, and the crust using different types of coloured clay
Easier said than done, since such concepts can prove quite complex for adults even. That’s where tactile, interactive activities come in. “We use a lot of clay-related activities. For instance, using the moulding of clay, we can explain to children how tectonic plates are formed, or even help them understand the formation of Gilbert Hill,” Ambe says. Krishnan adds that the interactive sessions also touch upon contextual local questions such as the different sands and rocky texture on the city’s beaches. “Throughout our lives, we learn things in school. But we never truly learn about what it is to be used for. If all those things are linked to the context of your life, they become relevant,” he concludes.
ON January 4, 11 am
AT Children’s Museum Ampitheatre, CSMVS, Fort.
AGE GROUP 6 to 12 years
E-MAIL events@csmvs.in
ENTRY Museum tickets applicable
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