The End of Living and the Beginning of Survival

The End of Living and the Beginning of Survival

Notice

You are living in the town in 'A Fable for Tomorrow', before the strange blight

crept in. Prepare a notice to attract tourists to the town. Include details like

landscape, rivers boating facilities, food historical importance etc.

The nature club of your school has decided to organize a campaign against the cutting of trees.

Draft a notice for the campaign to be displayed on the notice board.

An ‘awareness Programme’ on Environmental issues is being organized in your school in

connection with the World Environment Day. Prepare a poster.

Dr.Vandana Siva is visiting your school to inaugurate the environment club. Draft a notice of the

programme in about 60 words.

(Hints: date-time-venue-welcome speech-inauguration-felicitation-vote of thanks etc)

The Journalism Club of your school is going to conduct a seminar on ‘Women Empowerment’.

Draft a notice to be put up on your school notice board informing all the students about the

seminar.

Report

Prepare a news report on the total destruction of the town in ‘a fable for tomorrow’. (Hints: a

prosperous town, in balance with nature, arrival of settlers, a strange blight, shadow of death,

complete destruction)

In connection with the World Environment Day celebrations, the famous poetess and

environmentalist Smt. Sugatha Kumari visits your school. The programme is given below.

Welcome: Secretary, Nature Club

Chair: President, Nature Club

Inauguration: Smt. Sugatha Kumari

Felicitation: Science Club Secretary

Vote of Thanks: School Leader

Prepare a report of the function to publish in your manuscript magazine.

A seminar was conducted in your school on “The Importance of Afforestation’. You are asked to

prepare a report. Draft a detailed report not exceeding 100 words.

[Date, venue inaugural session, paper presentation, discussion etc]

Imagine yourself as the reporter of ‘The Hindu’ newspaper. You happened to witness the gas

leakage tragedy occurred in your locality. Prepare a news paper report.

(Hints: oil tanks collided with a car- overturned -blast-7 killed- vast destruction- rescue

operators killed)

Interview

The famous environmentalist Smt. Sugatha Kumari is visiting your school to make a key note

address in a seminar on ‘the world environmental day’. You are interested in asking questions

on the topic. Prepare four questions for the interview and their possible responses.

Prepare a questionnaire to interview the famous environmental activist medha patkar

1

Dr. Sundar Lal Bahuguna has visited Kerala recently. Imagine that he is going to visit your

school as part of Green Environment Programme arranged in your school. As you are the

secretary of the Nature club, you are permitted to conduct an interview with Sunder Lal

Bahuguna. Prepare an interview focused on his contribution as an environmentalist.

(Hints; born in 1927- Himalayan village-affluent family-Chipko Movement- Gandhian peace

writer-Tree farming will solve many problems-awards-1987 Right Livelihood award- Padma

Vibhooshan 2009.

Slogans

You are the secretary of the Environmental Club of your school. The club has decided to

conduct a rally on the world Environmental Day. Suppose you are asked to prepare two slogans

to be raised on the occasion. Write the slogans.

Eg: - Protect nature, protect life.

A seminar on the topic – “Ill effects of deforestation” is going to be conducted in your school.

You have to prepare slogans supporting it. Write three of them.

After going through Susheela’s story you have decided to launch a movement to empower the

women of India. Write slogans that can be used for this Eg: Say ‘No’ to dowry system.

“A Fable for Tomorrow” deals with the destruction of our resources. As a lover of nature, you

wish to participate in the rally organized by the Nature Club of your school. You are asked to

write two slogans to display in the rally. Write any two slogans.

In ‘A Fable for Tomorrow’ Rachel Carson tells us about the dangers of indiscriminate use of

pesticides and fertilizers. You too would like to organize a campaign in your village to

discourage their use of pesticides and fertilizers. Write two catchy slogans.

Speech

You are the secretary of the youth welfare organization of your locality. The Association has

decided to launch a campaign to educate the slum dwellers on cleanliness and hygiene. Prepare

the script for the speech you are going to deliver to educate them.

“Stop pollution and start conservation” is an apt motto for today’s world. The nature club of

your school has decided to conduct an awareness programme on world Environment Day.

Prepare a script for the key note address.

Your school is conducting a weeklong campaign on ‘Green Kerala smart Kerala ‘in connection

with the celebration of environmental day. You got an opportunity to address the audience on

that occasion. Write the script of the speech that you will deliver there.

You are asked to deliver a speech in your school on World Earth Day during the school

assembly.

Draft a speech you would deliver on the environmental threats our planet faces today. (Hints:

pollution, deforestation, global warming, polar ice melting…)

You are invited to make a key note address in a seminar on ‘problems faced by poor and

illiterate woman in connection with international woman’s day. Write a speech on the topic.

“Susheela’s Story” tells us the pathetic condition of an illiterate Indian woman. Many types of

cruelty and exploitation is going round the world against Women. Prepare a speech to be

delivered on the World Women’s Day in the School Assembly.

(Hints: Susheela – a widow with three children – illiterate – exploitation at workplace – not

given equality anywhere – dowry system)

2

Letter

The following headlines appeared in different news papers.

· Sexual exploitation

· Student commits suicide

· Girl child killed: Father arrested

· Girls not safe even in family

You are deeply troubled by the discrimination practiced against girl children in India even in

well educated families. Write a letter to the editor of a national daily, strongly condemning such

practices.

You are very much attached to your village, where you spend your childhood. One day you are

asked to leave the village as a part of the evacuation policy adopted by the government for

setting a power station. You are very angry and decide to protest against this injustice. Write a

letter to the editor of The Hindu News Paper expressing your opinion against government’s

policy and highlighting its impacts.

You want to invite Smt. Vandana Siva to inaugurate the Nature Club in your school. Write a

letter inviting her to the inauguration.

Suppose a project like a nuclear power plant, a massive dam or a super

highway is going to be introduced in your area. You are facing the threat of

evacuation. Write a letter to the editor of a news paper, enumerating the

probable environmental problems and the life of the people in the area.

The Pathetic condition of the women of Bhopal touched your mind very much. You decided to

write a letter to the editor of the local – newspaper describing about it. Draft a letter

Imagine that you happened to read an article with photograph in the news paper in which a

newly married girl got killed in her husband’s home on account of dowry problem. Write a

letter to the Women’s Cell highlighting the issue and including your personal suggestions to

eradicate this social menace.

On killing a tree

‘On killing a Tree’ is a universal lament on deforestation. How does the poet convey this theme

in this poem? Evaluate.

Here is a poem written by Matthew tener. Read it and compare it with ‘on killing a tree’ by

Gieve Patel. What differences do you find in the poem? What does the poet describe in the poem?

Compare and contrast this poem with ‘on killing a tree’. Write your answer in about 150 words

A tree in a field

There once was a tree

A tree alone in a field

And as that tree grew

It got bigger than all round

And people would often stop

Just to look at that tree

That tree on a field

Till one day one person

Went and cut down that tree

That tree in a field

And you know what?

That tree learned one thing

Don’t stand too tall too fast

Or some one just might

Cut you down

- Mathew tener wade

Ajith, a Plus one student was inspired by "On Killing a Tree". He wrote the

following poem with some resemblance to On Killing a Tree

3

On Killing a River

It takes much time to kill a river

Not a long stretch of a dam

Will do it. It has flowed

Collecting waters from every where

Rising out of hills, feeding

upon snow and rain, glowing

In sunlight, down the vale.

Some mine the sand

But this alone won't do it,

The bleeding river will heal

And from close to the ground.

Will find new ways to flow.

Leveling troughs

Which if unchecked will be filled again

To former course.

No.

The river has to be killed at

source

At the snowfields, the origins

Remove the ice, or else,

Raise the world's temperature

Till all ice melts, cut

The trees till all rain stops.

Then the matter

Of pumping and using

In fields and towns

Polluting, defiling,

Dredging, draining

And then it is done.

Write a review of the poem comparing it with Gieve Patel's poem 'On Killing a Tree'

Write review of the poem “On killing a tree” considering it as a poem dealing with a social issue.

(Theme-cruelty of killing trees- message- style- need for pity in environmental issues.)

Read the following poem………

Trees are the kindest things know,

They do no harm, they simply grow

And spread a shade for sleepy cows

And gather birds among the bough

They are the first when days begun

To touch the beams of morning sun

They are last to hold the light

When evening changes into night.

And when moon floats on the sky

They hum a drowsy lullaby

Of sleepy children long ago

Trees are the kindest things I know

Compare and contrast this poem with ‘on killing a tree’

Write ups

Chief Seattle expresses his immense grief in parting with his ancestral land in ‘the sacred earth’.

You are also very much attached to your home and environment. Your parents have been living

there for a long time. But now you have to sell your house due to some financial problems. You

are very sad. You have to leave this house tomorrow forever ….. What are your feelings?

Express your feelings in a paragraph.

Indiscriminate use of insecticides and fertilizers has polluted our environment. Nature cries at

her disaster. She writes her autobiography write it about 100 words.

Read the following passage

Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. If man spit upon the ground, they spit

upon themselves. This we know: The earth does not belong to man; man belongs to the earth.

This we know. All things are connected like the blood which unites one family. All things are

4

connected. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. Man did not weave the web of

life; he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.

· Give an appropriate caption for the passage

· How does Chief Seattle visualize the ecological destruction?

· What is the tone of the passage?

· Why did a man call as a strand in the web of life?

Global warming is a big threat to our nature. This is due to the unscrupulous behaviour of man.

Prepare an editorial on that. (Hints: Felling of trees-burning of fuels-abundance of carbon

dioxide-use of AC-other reasons-needs rethinking-adoptable solutions)

“Contaminate your bed and you will one night suffocate in your own waste” Do you think this

statement has any current relevance? Comment

‘Every part of this earth is sacred to my people’ these are Chief Seattle’s words. How for the

spirit of this sentence is true when you consider your native place?

(Hints: contaminated rivers- fields converted to plots-concrete buildings-polluted air-plastic

waste)

“Man did not weave the web of life. He is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to web, he does

to himself.” Substantiate the idea contained in these words of Chief Seattle.

You are a tree going to be felled by your owner. Write your sentiments in 50 words.

Air pollution has affected our surroundings too much. It causes many health problems. Can you

give some suggestions to reduce air pollution?

The Govt has taken a decision to propagate Afforestation. As part of it The Govt has taken some

measures like ‘Green Kerala’. As a member of Eco Club what will you do in your school to

support this activity? Write it in a paragraph.

Irrespective of culture, language, etc. “Everywhere Women Are in Chains”. How far do you

agree with this statement? Write an article for your school magazine on the condition of women

in the modern world and suggest remedies for them.

5