What is a watershed? How does water get into the ground? Where is it stored? What are wetlands?
Museum in a box, a curated digital box, which had a virtual launch on Monday, provides pertinent details on basic principles of hydrology and water for schoolchildren.
Designed for middle and high schoolchildren, the collaborative project of the U.S. Consulate General in Chennai and Care Earth Trust, a city-based biodiversity research organisation, would be a starting point for teachers to introduce students to concepts related to water.
The bilingual digital box comprises interactive tools that explain technical terms such as drainage basins, watershed and aquifers related to water that regularly figure in three-dimensional animated videos. Downloadable flashcards and fact sheets elaborate on protecting aquatic species and rainwater harvesting.
Children can try the do-it-yourself (DIY) experiments on rain gauges and measure rains or create a centrifugal pump. The compilation includes interactive games and puzzles. It would be hosted on www.careearthtrust.org starting Tuesday for free access to learning material in Tamil and English on registration.
At the virtual launch, Anne Seshadri, U.S. Consulate General Chennai Public Affairs Officer, said this digital curriculum would help students and educators explore challenges and solutions related to sustainable water management.
The “Museum in a Box” is part of the U.S. Consulate General Chennai’s Water Matters initiative that included exhibitions on science and water management along with Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, Care Earth Trust and Science Gallery, Bengaluru.
Jayshree Vencatesan of Care Earth Trust said the initiative provided a platform to reach out to a diverse set of people and communicate the messages of consciousness and conservation.
