“So, what do you teach?” is the obvious question I get when I tell people that I am a teacher.

“Social Science”-and I wish I had a Rupee for each instance when the response to this was “You have a tough job.” Yeah, I know, and I am not even going to get into justifying the importance of Social Science-Google it!!

The subject is as easy/tough as the next subject-it’s a personal perspective. My lecturing method was simple & my notes easy to follow. So, the students were in the category to flatter any educator. But, where were the 100s/100?!

On studying/comparing answer sheets I found the culprit-MAP WORK! Quite a number of students had written N.A in front of the map question. N.A??!! But you just had to pick up your pencil and mark the spot! But easier said than done. I was in for a rude shock when I asked a student why he had marked Lahore in Punjab, near Amritsar when in fact it was in Pakistan-to which he replied (tongue in cheek) “So what Ma’am, it’s just a little bit this side of the border.” But sweetheart, your “little bit this side of the border” has changed the entire history of the country!!

That’s when I decided that 100/100 ‘toh ayenge hi ayenge’. We have all done a lot of cloud spotting & in fact we still enjoy doing it. Fishes, Dragons, Mermaids! What have we not seen in the clouds above.

So, I did a little bit of “cloud spotting” of my own-but instead of turning my eyes towards the heavens above-I looked down on the Political outline map of India. Lo & behold! Chhattisgarh became a seahorse & Tamil Nadu became the side profile of a female! I also found a mushroom, a rabbit, a witch, an eagle & Mickey Mouse too!

Armed with my lazer light I set about making map work the best part of SST. I found Shivpuri bang in the middle of the “mushroom’, Sariska in the witch’s mouth, Amritsar under the wings of an eagle, Simlipal hidden inside Mickey Mouse’s right ear-and so on and on and on…

I enjoyed, my kids enjoyed & the 100/100 started coming in.

So, even as you look at the map, know there’s so much to explore and this exploration can be so much fun!!

Happy Mapping

Love

Seedling