Fun and Learning
Nahid Khan
SCIENCE IN EVERYDAY LIFE, CLASSES 1 TO 8 by Vaishali Gupta, Anuradha Gupta, Shalini Bajaj and Supriya D. Seshadri Oxford University Press, 2008, 78 pp., 155
November 2008, volume 32, No 11

These books are part of a series of Science books for Classes 1 to 8. It conforms to the principle of the National Curriculum Framework [2005] and follows the C.B.S.E syllabus based on NCERT guidelines. These books are well-planned and there is a systematic and sequential development from one level to another. The books meant for the primary level, i.e., classes 1 to 5, target the younger lot who are like clay ready to be moulded. It is a known fact that children are curious, playful, love pictures and relish outdoor activities. All these factors have been exploited beautifully to capture the attention of the students. For classes 1 and 2, simple topics like plant life, animal life, human body etc. have been taken up while from class 3 onward those topics have been picked and discussed that will remain the focus of the textbooks till the end of middle school, i.e., class 8th, only the level grows and the area broadens.

To clarify these concepts, simple language and day to day vocabulary have been used. The emphasis is more on bright and colourful pictures. These are a pure visual delight for the young ones and arouse their interest, which is the first step towards achieving the ultimate aim of clarifying a concept in the real sense. These pictures present a visual clarity to the students regarding the basic concepts and get them rooted in their memory.

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