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Recent student workshops

From here to there: Just follow my map (13 Oct. ‘07)

This workshop was held at the Lal Bagh, Bangalore’s botanic garden, on Saturday 13 October 2007. There were six participants. Admittedly a small group, but a lively and vivacious one none the less.

We assembled at the Main Gate of the garden and completed formalities of registration etc. Then we proceeded to a shady spot and sat in circle. After a round of introductions, the participants filled in a pre-event questionnaire. We began with a brief introduction to Geography and maps.

Some of the participants enacted ways in which geographic communication might have occurred millennia ago between two early humans. With this as a starting point, we looked at maps as instruments for communicating geographic information. The elements of a map, the functions of maps, and the resultant forms of maps were discussed using published maps.

At this point, someone who works for the garden decided to test the sprinklers where we were sitting. We were QUITE surprised … not to say stimulated into action … by this little waterworks display. How we jumped! But we were okay. Just a little moisture. The adrenalin shot was great!

After this, the participants were asked to draw a map from where we were to the Glass House in the middle of the garden. The map had to have enough information such that another person following the map should be able to reach the origin or destination.

They set off and took different routes, marking different elements on the way. Eventually, we all congregated at the Glass House. Srinidhi, one of the members of the IIGS Advisory Board, has lent the IIGS a hand-held GPS receiver. While the others made their way back to the starting point using each other’s maps, he and I took a slightly different route and prepared a simple route drawing using the GPS receiver.

Back at the starting point, we briefly touched upon the fact that though the maps looked different, they still got the individuals to the origin. The elements chosen to be shown might have been different on each map, but the information was none the less functional.

Following this, we had a brief ‘ceremony’ where participants were given certitificates of participation. We hope they will proudly show it to everyone, especially their friends and get THEM also interested in attending these fun Geography workshops.

Our participants:

Siri — Grade 10, Sri Krishna International School
Jhenkar — Grade 10, Sandeepani Niketan High School
Roshni — Grade 7, Cathedral High School
Mitali — 2nd year PUC, Shri Bhagavan Mahaveer College
Pranav — Grade 8, St. Joseph’s Boys High School
Sharmila — Software technologist

Some of the feedback from the participants:

“Every kid should learn and find out more about the things around us. It was a very rejuvenating experience.”
“It was great because I got to go on my own for the first time and I learnt a lot and it was unique.”
“If I get more experience [like] this, I would surely become a geographer.”

Here are some pictures from the workshop: