Paper Making activity
As part of
the unit on pollution, ozone layer depletion and global warming, grade 7 did a
practical activity on recycling paper. One of the prime causes of global
warming is “deforestation” as forests are great storehouses of carbon and when
these are destroyed – it adds to the global warming. One of the reasons that
trees are cut is to make paper. As
individuals – we can contribute in controlling the global warming by following
the 3 Rs – Reduce, Recycle and Reuse. The practical activity gave us an insight
on how paper is recycled. For this activity, students have bought screens. They
got some used paper and then blended it with water using a normal household
blender. The pulp thus obtained was transferred on the screen and the water was
drained out assisted by rolling a cylindrical tube over the pulp and in the
process flattening it to form a sheet of paper.
The damp
sheet was then placed between two pages of a newspaper to soak up the remaining
water. A tile was placed to apply pressure and assist in bonding and flattening
the surface to make it as even as possible. After a few minutes They took out
the tile and the top layer of the newspaper and dabbed the recycled sheet of
paper with a piece of cloth to absorb any moisture left behind. Children then
used a hairdryer to dry the sheet completely and then they carefully lifted the
recycled paper sheet from the newspaper.
Through this
activity, They appreciated paper – that we take it for granted – in a new light.
They also realized that as individuals they can make a significant contribution
by using paper carefully and thus saving forests. This activity made them
knowledgeable which is one of the important part of IB Profile.
They thoroughly enjoyed this activity and the
experiential method that was followed made it easier for them to understand the
topic.
As the old
saying goes “I hear, I know. I see, I remember. I do, I understand”.
