Annual Exhibition 2020

IF YOU ARE POSITIVE, YOULL SEE OPPORTUNITIES INSTEAD OF OBSTACLES.

The words of Widad Akrawifound an echo in thestudents of The Indian School who hosted the Annual Exhibitionvirtual during the pandemic lockdown with customary panacheon Friday, 14 August 2020.

The annual ritual aims atingraining a rational and creative attitude. Alongside it aims at enabling the discerning of the interdependence of science, technology and society with practical experience.The exhibitionexults in giving primacy to the 'edutainment' philosophy so dear to School Chairman, Mr Prafull Goradia.

Dr AshokPandey, eminent educationist and blessed the celebration as chief guest. In his brief address to the pupils, Dr Pandey earnestly exhorted the children to uphold the spirit of enquiry and promote research to emerge as thinkers and inventors. Theannual science magazine, Science Musings was released online by the guest of honour.

The exposition highlighted this year's School theme, 'Technology -Then, Now and Ahead.The vivid and brilliant displays and Power Point presentations by the students added to the cultural vibrancy of the event. The visitors, chiefly parents were charmed by the delightful and innovative ways of the presenters. The students pride and joy was evident in the rich feedback received from parents via email.

There were several virtual halls created with more than 200 exhibits accessed through links generated by Google Meet according to class wise levels and disciplines. As the Schoolcelebrated the first online exhibition ever, studentskeeping theunprecedented situation in mind, worked with material available at home to perform numerous imaginative and innovative activities.

The experimentsin physics and biologyincludedthe effect of the extraordinary frequencies of sound on a pet dog, understanding illusions, making air purifiersat home, and exploring the He and She brain. Using household items, they explained the mode of entry of the coronavirus in the human body and diagnostic techniques to detect the COVID infection. A live test for colour blindness was demonstrated and a game (created by a student) to spread awareness about the corona was also launched at the exhibition. [gallery link="file" order="DESC"]

Exhibits on insomnia, varicose veins and immunity boosters also attracted the parents. An indigenous COVID bus, hologram, the Tesla coil and homopolar motor made for an interesting watch. Using trash at-home activities were conducted by students to explain the concepts of surface tension and magnetism.

In chemistry,studentsperformed chemical analyses of fingerprints, surface tension, electrolysis of brine, defects in solid crystals, chromatography, etcetera. The mathematics exhibition focused on the evolution of mathematics as a subject fromthen, to now.A sequel of twenty presentations was woven incredibly which included a demonstration of mathematical concepts on the software Geo Gebra and Desmos through presentations titled Math of Navigation; Exponents & Logs in Daily life; Real-life Application of Derivatives and Intriguing Curves. There was an explanation of important concepts like space optimisation, topography, intriguing curves, and Ori-geometryin terms of mathematics. The students displayed informative presentations on the use of permutations to assign unique numbers to cars, real-life applications of derivatives, mathematics in architecture, music, navigation, and art. Other exhibits included working models based on Spiral Around Us, Ikebana, Algebraic Maze, Vintage Calligraphy, etc. The techno wizards of the computer science department displayed inventive exhibits from robotics models, self-designed games and applications in diverse coding languages, to various projects and Power Point presentations. The imaginative presenters dressed up as various applications like the Aarogya Setu, Google Meet, Google Pay, and a human-robot who impressed the audiences with her Abacus skills! On display were several projects on popular apps like weather detecting, language translator, blog writing interface, image and text detection AI, quiz and chatbot. The creative minds displayed 3D models and projects on Augmented Reality. The fascinating exhibits of social science lay emphasis on different project-based learning methodology.Theinnovative designsandstandard modelstypically encompasseda wide canvas ofspecific subjects, history, political science,geography,economics,sociology,psychologyandcommerce. Thecreative workshelpedcarefully tracetherelentless marchoftimethen and nowas they realistically depicted social and economic life from 50 odd years back to the Age of Communication and Information Technology.Theygenerously sharedvaluable informationon thefundamental changesandsocial developmentsin thefieldsofacademic education, publichealth,technologyandclimatethroughPower Point presentations andpromotional posters.In common werethe geographical and cultural transformations in the princely/provincial states ofHyderabad, Madras,BiharandMysoreunder colonial rule and now, highlighting theswitchinpolitical administration,local cuisines,language,monuments andleaders. Spectacular and intricate projects like handmade atlases,travelogues, Power Point presentations, rap song, self-composed poems on water conservationwere on offer for the adventurous. The eager students showcased their actingprowessthrough role-play anddigitalattractionsforKeralanaturally focusingon the topographical features,local culture, dance,festivalsandcuisines. Theproblem of water scarcity in the country obtained a significant place in this segment.Logical and economical solutions to the rampant crisis were graciously offered in the guise ofa rap song,colourful posters and self-composed poems. The alarming decline in the farming sector in India and the plight of Indian farmers and cases of farmers' apparent suicides were given due prominence.The changing demand for consumer goods:then andnow;how globalisation,personal income, theinevitable arrivalofMNCsandbrandshavealteredthetasteandcultural preferencesof thewilling populacewere creatively documented.Another prominent discussion focussed on the use oftechnologyto efficiently manage the political business during the pandemic, the paradox of techno-wars and thetribes in India andAfrica, thenand now. Intriguing discussions ensued on how with the passage of time the social position and prevailing perceptionsof empowered women havesubtly changed over the years.The podcast on the pros and cons of the impact of globalisation on the mental health of people kept the viewers riveted. The commerce section had arranged impressive displays on the unfolding new world ofbusiness and its growth over the past few years. The English carnival saw a palpable showcasing of book reading and discussions, debates, plays, recitals and effective presentations that encapsulated the theme 'Then and Now'. The gifted learners enacted Issac Asimov's classic story "The Fun They Had" that highlighted the striking similarities between the fictional characters and students. The budding poets paid homage to the famous bards of the romantic era through a symphony of recitals, including a few of their own. The intended audiences were treated to virtual tours of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre and his legendary birthplace, Stratford- on-Avon. The talented students staged the classic Shakespeare tragedy, Macbeth, much to the evident delight of the virtual visitors. The engaging dialogue on the feminist element and social relevance of the literary works Little Women by Louisa May Alcott and Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice received much appreciation. The dialectics willingly exchanged during the impassioned debate were invigorating. The lively forum invariably saw new speakers voluntarily take centre stage in an erudite display of speaking skills.The debaters crafted their thoughts in-camera on the motion 'This House suffers from the illusion of secularism throughout the world. The power struggle between Shakespeare and Stephen King was original in that each tried to favourably impress upon the other his relevancy in the modern era of change. The key role of modern technology in unravelling the enduring mysteries of the historical past was carefully explored in the comprehensive presentation on King Tutan khamun. The viewers were pleasantly surprised at the opportunity to walk through the great hallways of the galleriaat the Egyptian Museum in Cairo and see for themselves King Tut's funerary treasures. The selected students of the French language carefully presented the stellar fashion brands from France. The excellent presentation adequately covered an exhaustive narrative of their humble origins, premium products, remarkable stories of economic struggle and ultimate success. The Hindi Department put forth a galaxy of events to include a TV show discussion on the corona and virtual classrooms online; self-made puppets recounting tales of high moral fibre; a Kavi Sammelan; Doha vachan, Power Point presentation on the famed Hindi writer Munshi Premchand and a short skit titled Hausalon ki Udaan. The extensive Rang Birangi Phulwari programme showcased poems, short stories, lyrical plays and presentations inspired by Hindi literature. The recited poems depicted a variety of feelings, emotions and content.The timeless classics invariably quoted or presented wereGodan by Premchand, Kamayani by Jayshankar Prasad, Andha Yug by Dharmveer Bharti and Kurukshetra by Ramdhari Singh Dinkar. A lengthy poem Bharat Man ki Lori by Devraj Dinesh was creatively presented in drama form. The most sacred and ancient language of Sanskrit lit up the virtual hall with the vibrancy of the recited shloka couplets from Guru', and Karmayog from the third Adhyaya of the beloved epic,Bhagwad Gita. The visitors were benefitted to learn the Sanskrit words for body parts and fruit names. The key topic Importance of Sanskrit in Todays Life was followed by poem recitation and a conversation in Sanskrit between two school children one of thema newcomer. This academic years successful exhibition was undoubtedly a wonderful experience filled with considerable excitement and unique creativity brought to the fore by the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. The event left in its wake the invaluable lesson that there is no mountain too high to climb. There is no river too wide to cross. If, we set our mind to it. Curated by Ms Navreet Shergill For more pictures click here.....