Things We Make and Do

Overview

"Things We Make and Do" is a core theme in EVS for Classes III-V that connects children's learning to the world of work, crafts, and responsible consumption. This topic builds awareness about how everyday objects are made, the occupations involved in making them, and how we can reduce waste through recycling and proper management.

For UTET Paper I, this theme is significant because it tests your understanding of activity-based, child-centred pedagogy. Questions often link local crafts of Uttarakhand (like woollen weaving, ringaal basketry) with broader concepts of sustainable living. Expect questions on traditional occupations, the 3R principle, and how teachers can use local resources to make EVS learning meaningful.

Mastering this topic requires understanding both the content (what crafts exist, how recycling works) and the pedagogical approach (why we teach this, how to connect it to children's lives).

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Key Concepts

• **Learning by doing**: EVS emphasises that children learn best when they actively make, create, and experiment rather than passively memorise facts.

• **Local to global connection**: Teaching starts from objects and occupations in the child's immediate environment before moving to regional and national contexts.

• **Dignity of labour**: All occupations—whether potter, weaver, farmer, or doctor—deserve equal respect. This value must be integrated into teaching.

• **Interdependence**: People in a community depend on each other's skills and products; a carpenter needs the blacksmith's nails, the farmer needs the potter's storage vessels.

• **Sustainable consumption**: The idea that we should reduce what we use, reuse items, and recycle materials to protect the environment.

• **Indigenous knowledge**: Traditional crafts carry generations of knowledge about local materials, climate-appropriate designs, and sustainable practices.

• **Waste as a resource**: What we call "waste" can often become raw material for something new—this shift in thinking is central to waste management education.

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Key Facts

| Area | Must-Remember Points | |------|---------------------| | **3Rs Principle** | Reduce → Reuse → Recycle (in order of priority) | | **Uttarakhand Crafts** | Aipan (floor art), Ringaal (bamboo craft), Pashmina/woollen weaving, wood carving, copper utensils | | **Traditional Occupations** | Potter (kumhar), weaver (bunkar), blacksmith (lohar), carpenter (badhai), cobbler (mochi) | | **Biodegradable waste** | Kitchen scraps, paper, leaves, cotton—decomposes naturally | | **Non-biodegradable waste** | Plastic, glass, metal, thermocol—does not decompose easily | | **Composting** | Process of converting biodegradable waste into manure | | **Vermicomposting** | Composting using earthworms—produces nutrient-rich fertiliser | | **Blue and Green bins** | Blue for dry/recyclable waste, Green for wet/biodegradable waste |