CURRICULUM WITH MUSEUM: ENVIROMMENT EDUCATION THROUGH ORIGAMI

AN INNOVATIVE WAY OF LARNING

- S J Srinivasa

Regional Museum of Natural History, Siddhartha Nagara, Mysore a -570011 and De Paul International Residential School, Mysore jointly well thought-out an innovative learning excises through ORIGAMI. This programme was expected to ease the formal learning skills all the way through non formal techniques. The constituted target group was the students aged 12-14 years. 

This two day workshop was held at the museum premises on 14^th & 15^th September 2013.

The students were taken for a gallery tour under the guidance of Smt. Mujeeba Khanum, EA of museum, accompanied by the teaching faculty of the school Ms.Mamatha Satyanarayana and Ms. Komala. They had a glance of the exhibits provided with guidance in detail.  Students held discussions among themselves comparing the prescribed school syllabus and presented exhibits in the museum.

 Session – II Introduction to ORIGAMI - the art of crafting a piece of paper in to fascinating models.

The much awaited session began with an introduction to paper, the only raw material the students would experiment with. The history of making paper, its chemistry, the unbelievable dependence on paper and types of paper - created a story line for the next event.

Mr. Muralidhara.H.V.,an exponent of this art form, and Mr. S.J.Srinivasa MEP of the museum revealed the story of ORIGAMI. Students were taught simple techniques of paper folding and making them into amazing 3 –D profile.

They exercised the origami with full liberty filled with imagination. Slowly they came to know the essence of the craft, paper transforming into animal, Insects and birds, following the principles of geometry and life forms. Each participant skillfully put on show various shapes so as to run out of pieces of paper.

Meanwhile, Mr. Manu Krishnamurthy, a long time associate of museum and the Secretary of Mysore Amateur Naturalists put his effort to enlighten the participants with a taxidermy mount of a mute swan,  to learn the life of  birds.

 This activity enhanced their participation and scores of bird models flew in. There were swans, Peafowl, ducks, Talking crows, small unknown bird forms, Pigeons and what not! 

The pouncing enthusiasm leads to different verities too. They learnt how to fold a piece of rough paper and pull it in to a hopping toad, shimmering fish, and blooming flower. All precaution was taken that they are learning the prescribed science lessons through this exercise. By the end of the day they were able to understand why they had come over here.   The following day, children constructively participated in making more models with ORIGAMI which they put up for an exhibition.