"I think the universe is pure geometry - basically, a beautiful shape twisting around and dancing over space-time." said Antony Garrett Lisi. Well, we agree! Geometry: the very word conjures images of shapes, lines, angles, and a world of figures that form the building blocks of our reality. At its core, geometry is much more than mere measurements and theorem proofs. It is a fundamental language of the universe, providing insight into the shapes and structures that define our world. From the grandeur of the temples of India and Egyptian pyramids to the sleek designs of modern architecture, geometry is omnipresent, an invisible hand molding the fabric of our surroundings.
Our Purpose
At EK-Asha we always re-iterate on children giving wings to their imagination and breaking free from the usual ways of learning. Our 3 day geometry workshop was designed not just to explore these principles but to immerse the students in the world of geometric concepts. This event allowed students to explore and connect geometrical theories with real-world examples, offering a hands-on experience. Beyond covering the syllabus, our goal was to foster a practical grasp on this fundamental branch of Mathematics.
It was a three day residential workshop with 30 students from three centres namely Kailash, Tainsar and Jharagogua attending it. The workshop was spearheaded by our founder and facilitator Mr Sambit Kumar Das. Our mentor, Daya, laid the groundwork and lions share of responsibility which included staging, preparing questions etc. The workshop was conducted in Jharagogua village centre with 7 of the mentors as well.
Well battles are never fought keep aside winning one on an empty stomach. A cook was also in tow to prepare delicious meals for the kids while they engaged in brain racking workshops whole day. Although both the children and the mentor took part in cooking as well. Majority of the participants were from class 8 and 9 along with a few class 7 students as well. Each day was packed with engaging sessions, hands-on exercises and relaxation breaks. There was music, dance and football in the evening everyday.
Day 1 of the Workshop:
The first day of the workshop focussed on geometric shapes, dimensions, angles, measurement and area. It also included points, lines, shapes, areas and cubes. These were all the basics of geometry and we used the first workshop to establish the foundation for the next two workshops. As it was the first workshop, focus was in letting the students acclimatise and get used to the concepts of geometry.
Our intention was to grasp the level of awareness that the children had on the concepts of geometry to be able to tailor the workshop further and help them achieve something out of this workshop. We realised many of the students could not even hold protractor and measure angles. So we had a huge task infront of us and only three workshops to accomplish it.
Day 2 of the Workshop:
Second day of the workshop was focussed around drawing cones, triangles and quadrilaterals. Area and perimeter of a triangle and square and 3D model making of different mathematical models. 3D model making really helped the children in their visualisation skills and their communication skill. It helped the children to get a clear picture and better understanding of the actual geometrical shapes.
Day 3 of the Workshop:
The third workshop focussed on Pythagoras theorem, different types of triangles and concepts around circle. Finding the unknown side and angle of a triangle the activities made it more fun. Children were engrossed in it and were able to grasp the concepts well. Now this is one theorem which can be applied to real world scenarios such as architecture and construction. It aligns with the Ek-Asha motto of not only just teaching concepts to the children but also helping them to inculcate them into our ways of living.
These workshops also included hands-on and practicals. The purpose was to not only conduct an educational workshop but also fill it with activities to make it more fun. Make it more interactive. The hands-on exercise gave students an opportunity to practice problem-solving, critical thinking, and communication skills in real life situations. One of the advantages of hands-on is that it provides a more comprehensive learning experience than academic education alone can offer and we experienced it first hand.
The different activities really caught the imagination of the students and they were all in. It would also be safe to say that they indulged in healthy competition with the urge of doing things better and learning something in the process.
Keynote:
All in all for the children this ended up being an educational camp where they also entered into the universe of Mathematics and unravelled the mysteries of geometry. They left the camp with smiles on their faces and a better understanding of the geometrical concepts. The feedback from the workshop was amazing. The children had a lot of fun while learning.
We were somewhere closer to our purpose than where we were at the beginning of the first workshop. The children definitely left the workshop with a lot of confidence and new skills. Working together with everybody also helped in building team spirit and helping with their social skills. Fun and learning those were the key takeaways from our workshop and the children took a keen interest in all the activities.Looking at the success of this workshop we plan to conduct more workshops in future covering other areas as well.