Contents nv ot s . Multiple Me . Bringing up Your Parents Earth Ethics: Step Lightly on the Earth Picture Study 1 Sexuality Life Skills: Right Brain, Left Brain Your Poster The 3 ‘R's of Harmony Yoga and You . One Country, Many Worlds Something to Think About: Mr. Dheer has something to say about Stress Picture Study 2 . Understanding Violence, Understanding Peace Mahali Safi Teacher’s Notes 7 22 26 oY 33 41 42 50 52 53 60 61 ‘Stamey wit VattioLaMultiple Me In school—a student Athome=a child On the road—a cyclist At the cinema—a viewer 1am all of these and yet more Silent with my gentle aunt Loud and laughing with friends J am these too—but more. 1am the roar of the motorbike 1am the fizz of the cola. ‘Am I the soaring eagle? ‘Am I the swooping mynah? Lam that tree; Tam also its golden leaf falling. Iam all these and more. Mini Krishnan Let’s read Here is someone trying to find out who she is. Have you ever wondered who you are? You are your name. You are your body. You are your ideas and passions, ideals and emotions, your physical attributes and your personality. These and many more things make up the unique person that you are. The word ‘identity’ seems small, but it encompasses a whole world—every quality and characteristic that makes up a person. But is that all you are? Are you also not a member of your family or a citizen of your country? We are not only individuals, but also social beings. Our group identity has to do with where we come from, our religion, our family and its history, and the language we speak. We feel connected with others of our gender. We fee! kinship with those who speak our language. We share a bond with others who follow our religion. We see ourselves as students, professionals and homemakers. We identify ourselves with those who belong to the same city or village. We also recognize ourselves as citizens of one country. Our identity not only tells us who we are but also where we belong. Value: 2 (appreciation of cultural values Links: 5, 17, 45, 55 of others), 81 (tolerance)Celebrating festivals and occasions like Independence Day strengthens our group identities and our sense of belonging aS 2 Resident of Bengaluru The labels here show the many different identities of a single person, agit! very similar to you. In the box, write your nameand | ‘draw your face. Write as many identities as you can think of for yourself, (Our national, regional, linguistic, gender, class, religious, caste and racial identities are all markers we use, consciously or unconsciously, for better or for worse, all the time. Think about it "you were asked to introduce yourself to a group of strangers, what would you say? Write a few lines of introductory text about yourself. Ask yourself: do these lines indicate those aspects of my identity that | cherish the most! ferAsense of belonging Acollective identity gives us a sense of belonging, Shared identities build a sense of security and safety. They can make us feel loved and rooted, Read this account of the Apatanis of Arunachal Pradesh. The Apatani are a group of tribal people living in the Ziro valley of Arunachal Pradesh. They worship the sun and the moon, and live in absolute harmony with Nature. Social scientists talk of sustainable agriculture and social forestry. This tribe has always practised these as part of its tradition and culture, Let us see a typical day in the life of an Apatani village. The sun comes up early here, because the valley lies in the very east of the country. In their simple bamboo huts built on stilts, the families are getting ready to face the day. Family members gather in the central space in the hut. This is common room, recreation room and kitchen, all in one, On a typical day, as early as 5 a.m. the adults are ready to leave for work on the farms after breakfast and household chores. The children leave for school. Alull descends on the village. Except for some elderly folk and a few women who have stayed home to work on traditional crafts, nothing is stirring. As the sun moves low in the western sky, people start returning to their homes. During some parts of the year the sun sets as early as 4.30 p.m. The few hours of lingering daylight are for socializing, strolling around, and catching up with neighbours while the children run and z play in the open spaces. Soon it is time for dinner, cooked on wood-burning stoves in the central room of the house. Chatting, exchanging the news of the day, sharing musicand laughter as a family are the main activities before everyone retires for the night. They will all meet here again in a few hours when the sun comes up and a new day begins, Discuss + What do you think makes the Apatanis a distinct and unique community? * Ifyou were to spend a few days in an Apatani home, what would you enjoy most that you do not experience now? What would you miss the most? ovannieu wir LainioudIdentity and community spirit The sense of belonging to a community is an emotional bond. This link also helps us stand together as a team or a collective body. In times of war and natural disasters, we tend to be conscious of our group identity and feel for ‘our people’ in distress. When we see injustice bun done to members of our community, or collectively face a threat, our group identity Bets reinforced We feel the urge to stand by one another and be counted, like the Raikas of Rajasthan. © More For centuries, the Raika community in Sadri village of Rajasthan’s Pali district has been herding Mselveg camels. Today, however, the nomadic herders’ way of life is in jeopardy. The Raikas find the strugaling to survive in the face of disdain for,and often active hostility towards, their migratory traditions. New laws and policies have curtailed the movement and altered the lifestyle of the Raikas. National parks like Kumbhalgarh in Rajsamand district now restrict access to pastoralists, limiting their centuries-old migration patterns. This has forced some Raikas to sell female camels, something they had never done before 2000. “The more powerful communities are actively trying to take away the grazing rights of the Raikas} a Ralka elder said, ‘They think that the camels frighten their buffaloes, and they've asked forest Officials to guard the entrances of the grazing spaces. The camels will starve to death if this continues! ‘The upper caste communities have called on a social boycott of the Railkas, to isolate them from everyone else. We are trying to get the attention of our political representatives to stop this? Source: Sweta Daga in the People’s Archive of Rural India (wwvw.ruralindiaonline.org) Pride in identity ‘When we watch a sports tournament, we root for our ‘home’ team and Pray that it wins, even if it is not the best team. Have you heard of Breat sportspeople saying the greatest moment of their lives was when they Won a trophy for their country? Why does a team victory often feel more Precious than an individual one? 's it because of the warm glow of belonging that it brings with it? ‘ovannieu wir UainioudHere is the story of 20 girls from Kashmir who struggled against incredible odds to build India’s first ever women’s ice hockey team and played their way to glory in an international championship in Thailand in 2017, Indian Women Ice Hockey Team’s First International Win The Indian women's ice hockey team created history in 2017, by winning the IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia in Thailand after defeating the team from the Philippines inthe final-This isa victory notjust against an opposing team, but against years of discrimination and neglect. Discrimination against women's Sports in India is a common story, whether at the hands of authorities, selection teams, coaches, governments, or even the families of sportswomen. The story was same for ice hockey. This team comprises 20 talented and determined women from Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, The women trained under tough conditions at a coaching camp in Ladakh. They even had to create their own rink,as the existing rinks in Ladakh were taken by men.A local NGO provided land, but the water to create the artificial rink came after an application to the Public Health Engineering Department. Tankers would bring water, which the players would transfer to the pool in buckets! The frozen pool then provided a rink. The team’s participation in this tournament was funded by donations from over 3,000 donors, which covered the costs of travel, equipment, accommodation and uniforms. The emotion of the players chanting ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ (Victory for Indian Motherland) and breaking down while singing the national anthem was truly beautiful to behold. The women’s ice hockey team of India faced hurdles because of their gender identity. The players had to struggle to establish themselves as sports stars. And yet when they won their first tournament, what mattered to them was not their gender identity or their community or religion or even their identity as sportspeople. They only saw themselves as Indians. All of us belong to several different identity groups. We sometimes identify with one group and at other times with others. Sometimes we see ourselves merely as men or women and at other times as citizens of our country. There are certain issues and scenarios which strongly rouse our sense of belonging. Think about it There is often a small price to pay for the comfort that a close-knit community offers its Members, as you can see in the story that follows:During the Ice Age, when the winter was. unbearably cold, the ae ee wherever they could and waited for better times. Under the ground, He ra community shivered with cold. They too drew close to each other, a ees ly warmth could collectively help them beat the cold. But when they drew clos fone) : another, their prickly spines began hurting one another. So they pulled oe ou to avoid getting hurt by their neighbours. Unfortunately this made them so cold again 2 S feared they would freeze to death. They realized then that there was only one oe a th os keep close to one another and thereby, keep warm, or move open and die of the cold. The little hurts and pricks caused by physical closeness were a price they would have to pay for surviving the winter. Very sensibly, the porcupines came together again and suffered their neighbour's spines without any complaints because now they knew that living together was critical for their survival. —Adapted from a popular folk tale EE Identity and power The security of belonging to a community can even become a trap. It can make us unaware of other groups and their identities, thus limiting our understanding of the world. We might begin to think that people from other groups are inferior to us. We could lose our ability to understand the feelings of people from different backgrounds. Powerful members of a group can threaten others with exclusion and ostracism if they do not toe the group line. Why do such people want to keep others under their thumb? Let’s read and find out. Why We Disagree | wil tll you a litle story. You have heard the eloquent speaker who has just finished say, ‘Let us cease from abusing each other, and he was very sorry that there should be always so much variance. But | think | should tell youa story that would illustr A frog lived in a well. It had lived there for a lon; brought up there,and yet was a little, small fro lived in the sea came and fell into the well, rate the cause of this variance. i time. It was born there and 8. Well, one day another frog that "Where are you from?’ ‘lam from the sea? “The seat How big is that! Is it as big as my well? from one side of the well to the other 'My friend} said the frog of the sea, your little well? Then the frog took another leap and asked, ‘What nonsense you speak, to compare the and he took a leap “how do you compare the sea with ‘Is your sea so big?” sea with your well!’ ovannveu mu vail‘Well, then,’ said the fro; ® Of the well, nothing can be bigger than my well. There can be nothing bigger than this. This fel hi ie : low isa liar, so turn him out? That has been the difficulty all the while, lama Hindu, | am sitting Christians sit in their ii well and think that is t making to break dow: will help you to accor ig in my own little well and thinking that the whole world is my little well. The ittle Well and think the whole world is their well.The Muslims sit in their little ‘he whole world, | have to thank you of America for the great attempt you are n the barriers of this little world of ours,and hope that, in the future, the Lord mplish your purpose, —Swami Vivekananda, Addresses at the Parliament of Religions-2 Let’s Discuss |. What do you think SwamiVivel 2. How should a group and the i not part of their groups? kananda meant by calling our worlds little wells’? individual members of the group look at and deal with those who are Identity and stereotypes Our country has a very diverse population. Indians belong to a number of different groups based on religion, region, gender, etc. Sometimes, our pride in our group identity can lead us to think negatively about other groups. Over time, certain perceptions about a particular community become so strongly rooted that they become stereotypes. We begin to believe that all members of the community have the same trait. OO Think about i Can you think of any such stereotypes? Are they positive or negative? Could they be hurtful to members of the group? ———— These stereotypes are born out of miscommunication and misunderstanding. The best way ‘© overcome them is to interact with people from different groups who may be very different from us. This will help us realize that we have more in common with them than we expected, Every person wishes to be seen and understood as an individual in his or her own right, not a stereotype. Pride in one’s group is natural. Pride comes from a deep understanding of the values and Practices that form the core of the group to which we belong. However, false pride in our own Bfoup could make us look at others as inferior or unequal to us, Recognising our collective identity also means understanding that those who do not share it te ‘others They are different from us in one or many ways. In spite of our many differences, ‘ovannieu wit LainioudN i sclings towards others should alwa and in spite of our pride in our identity, our actions and feelings tow: pce ors mi aban | be guided by a sense of fairness and respect. We should always remembe : inthe same way as we would want to be treated by them. Activities 1. ‘My brother and | against our cousin. Bul my brother, cousin and | against wrongdoers,’ goe. @ proverb, What do you think this means? Discuss in class. Meet Sunita. She is Guyanese by birth, Indian by descent and Ameri an by naturalization, She lives in New York City, wears Western clothes, speaks Guyanese Creole at home and worships Hindu gods a. Which culture would she identify herself with? Discuss in class. b. Identities blur and change over a long duration. How do you think her forefathers felt when they left India for Guyana? How do you think her identity has changed? Which part of the old identities did her family leave behind? What new ideas and lifestyle elements would they have adopted? What must this have meant for them? Imagine you are Sunita and talk about yourself in class. cc. Work in small groups. Write a skit based on Sunita’s story, and enact it in class. 3. Look at these pictures of people from 4 different parts of India wearing their traditional clothes. What makes us all Indians? What makes us different from ‘one another? Discuss in class. 4. Read this poem and commenton what the poet regrets. Who am I? What's my name? Can‘t remember! What a shame! An ID here, a login there PINs and passwords everywhere Bank accounts and licence numbers, Registration and PAN numbers, An ID tag, a credit card, My identity’s torn apart Am La person, or even a name Or just some numbers: what's the game? i —Sumathi Sudhakar J 16Bringing up Your Parents He gets so angry when I try to explain my point of view. He doesn't even try to understand, Does this look familiar? Let's read Your teenage years can be a tough time for your parents too. The next few years could be a bumpy road, and you are still only a ‘learner driver’—learning how to control your new and complex emotions and tackle unfamiliar issues. Wouldn’t it be wise to take along a couple of navigators? Who can possibly be better for the job than your own. parents (who probably know you better than you know yourself? It would be good strategy too. Ifyou have invited them to share your ride with you, they won't be worrying and imagining all sorts of bad things happening to you! Does the following sound familiar? looks at me ecause if | ask her ghfare, | make up stories that m nd slippir Value: 55 (respect for others) Links: 7, 25, 32, 47 ‘ovanneu wit Lainioudbusy bringing you up, why don’t you tp, That teenager could well be you. While your parents ey vowel of some ths to bring them up as well? Before you begin, you should r / | right, that was a generation i journeys. All * Your parents have been through their own teenage journey: metimes learn from other ago, but they may have a few tips you will find useful. You can so people's mistakes. * Parents do not have an ‘agenda’ apart from making sure y not always agree with how they go about it, but never que: OT TIER * Parents i na always right. Nether are you. The best chance of getting it right is to work together. . sf Parents are not your cheerleaders. They will not always say what you want to hear. They are there to guide and protect you till you are ready to face the world—which is not for some more years. For them it is not a popularity contest, it’s their most important job. * You're not like anyone else, are you? So naturally your parents are not like anyone else’s Parents. Therefore, is it relevant to argue that ’Rani’s mother lets her do this’, or ‘Ashok’s father is cool about his staying out till midnight? u're healthy and happy. You may sstion their motive. They care. In the 1930s and 1940s, when the Indian struggle for independence was under way, one of the main leaders of the struggle spent months and years as a political prisoner. During that time he wrote many letters that have fortunately been preserved. Most of them were to his daughter, but he also wrote many to his sister. Who was this letter-writer? None other than Jawaharlal Nehru who went on to become independent India’s first prime minister. In one of his letters to his sister, Vijayalakshmi Pandit, Nehru writes with sadness and some irritation about his daughter Indira's indifference. He says he has been writing to her regularly every fortnight, but it has been a ‘very one-sided correspondence’. Just once in a couple of months a hastily written letter from Indu would arrive ‘with many apologies and excuses but no reference to my letters or the questions | had asked in them. His gifts of books to Indu were never acknowledged, Nehru expresses his anguish: ‘It is not casual; it is persistent and in spite of numerous efforts it continues.’ Why is this so, he wonders. And he arrives at the conclusion, “unconsciously she has grown remarkably selfish’. Nehru urges his sister not to tell Indu about all this, and not zo urge her to write to him. He says that forced letters from his daughter are not welcome: ther she should think of the whole thing herself and not at the urging of his sister. 7 Let’s Discuss |. Why do you think Indira didn't reply to her father’s lett Was he right in deciding she had grown ‘selfish’? **5 though she was obviously fond of him? 2 What tone do you detect in Nehru’ letter! sf anger? Or sadness? O, both? 2 Or both? —_— a ‘ovanieu wit Lainioud=—_—:=_—_ 50 now you see why you need to bring up your parents even while they are bringing you up. But how do you do this? What you need is a neat strategy. Here are some pointers to start with: + Do not take your parents for granted. Communicate with them. In order to bring up your parents, you need to know what they are really thinking. + If you want them to stop treating you like a child, start behaving like a responsible adult. If you are calm, reasonable and polite, you can set the atmosphere for a conversation instead of endless arguments. Reassure your parents. Many of their ‘prying’ questions are caused by anxiety, not suspicion. Many of their ‘unreasonable’ rules are because they worry, not because they want to control you. Ask them frankly what they are afraid of, and reassure them that they can trust you to do the right thing, + Always tell them the truth, even when you are sure that they will not like what they are hearing. People who care about each other do not lie to or deceive each other. + Tell them that you love and respect them, even when you do not agree with them. + Be there for them when things are rough for them. Your relationship is now becoming a two- way street. Parents become very anxious if they feel that their teenage children are drifting away from them, emotionally. They may react by trying to become more actively involved in their childs life. However, this is often seen by youngsters as too much interference with their freedom. Parents want to let you grow into your own person, but they also want to hold on to you out of love. It is, a tough time for them! Think about it Read the poem below and then think over the questions that follow: From a Mother to Her Teenage Son You feel hobbled on freedom’s road By the fetters of my concern; | | You say 1 intrude into your space At every twist and turn. You do not want to have to fee! That you can wound or you can heal With what you say or won't: You do not want to have to care ‘About my joy or my despair ] At things you do or don’t. 1 yeu win LaltiovaMy son, I do not want to hold you back From wherever you may wish to go: Itis your life, and yours the right to live it: But there is one thing | think you ought to know. You came into this world with string attached To me. We can never be free Ofeach other, you and Nor should we want to try To be. —Anonymous ‘© What do you think is the meaning of ‘string attached to me’? ‘© What are the emotions this mother is feeling? Does she soun: relationship? das if all is well with the Because the parent-child relationship is the closest relationship in Nature, the capacity to hurt ‘one another is also great. Read this short extract from a story: One day two months earlier her daughter had cut off her long thick hair, just like that The abruptness and sacrilege of this act still haunted the mother. That evening, when she opened the door for her daughter, her hair reached just below her ears. The daughter stood there, not looking beyond them, her facea strange mixture of relief and defiance and anger, as her father, his face twisted, said ‘Why why... ‘Ilike it short,’ she said. Fifteen years of growing it to below her knees, of oiling it every week and washing tt so love the mother thought as she touched her daughter's cheek and said, “You are angry with us - this your revenge?” The daughter removed her mother’s hand from her cheek, and moved oe parents into her own room. z For the father it was as if limb had been amputated, For days he brooded in his chair in the comer of the sitting room, almost mourning, avoiding even looking at her, whi e “You have perfected the art of hurting us.” + While the mother muttere ~from Incantations and Other Stories by Anjana Appachan@ ‘ouannieu wit LainioudLet’s Discuss |. What could the gir! have done differently to Prevent this situation? 2, What could the parents have done diferent in reacting to the situation? 3. What would be best for all of them to do now? Yes, teenage years can put strikes, it is best to hold ha better to maintain a close an enormous strain on the parent-child relationship. When a storm nds till the floodwaters have retreated. In the same way, it is always relationship with your parents during your teenage years, That way, the family will come out closer than ever, Otherwise there’s the real danger that the parents and the You grow older, you may leave home to study or start a career, and the opportunity to repair the bond is lost, Is it not worth putting in time and effort to strengthen the most important relationship in your life? Isn’t it time for you to start bringing up your parents? Activities Answer these questions honestly. You do not have to write your answers if you do not want to, but honesty is important for a better understanding of your relationship. 1. How would you describe the nature of your bond with your parents: a. When you were six years old b. At the present time c. In the future when you and they are 20 years older 2. a. Do you feel a sense of loyalty towards your parents? b. Do you compare notes with your friends about their experiences with their parents? ¢. Do you feel differently about your parents after talking to your friends? 3. On a separate sheet of paper in your notebook, write a letter to your parents telling them what you feel about them and what you want them to feel about you. If you want to, give them the letter. Otherwise, keep it and re-read it a year from now. ‘ovantreu wit LainioudEarth Ethics jironment and taking out of them, made .d stones together to cities and sir ENV! in school, we learn that humans evolved by making changes °° thelr control of it, Our earliest ancestors picked up stones and fashioned tools homes out of caves, and garments out of skin and grass. Later they afte make fire, shaped wheels out of logs, and cleared forests 0 make villages, tows ste ant roads, grow crops, build bridges, dams and more. We made the earth comfortable for ourselves in every way, and we feel proud of all that humanity has achieved. ncing development with sustainability. Climate biodegradable wastes, fast depleting fossil fuel local varieties of plants and ave to spend a huge part However, we have paid a price for not bala change, global warming, accumulation of non deposits, habitat and biodiversity loss, and extinction of strong snimals have become commonplace now. Over the coming years W° hi of our resources and efforts to overcome these threats to our environment. out so much destruction? Is there a way to be gentler on Nature Many old communities have shown that there is nd hurt caused to the planet in our eagerness to Can development happen with while making our lives more comfortable? indeed another way of reducing the strain a develop. Here are some examples. The Todas are an old tribe of people who live in the Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu. Their huts are semi-oval in shape with an incredibly tiny door. At their tallest point the huts are 10 feet high, 18 feet long and9 feet wide. They are built of. bamboo fastened with the - wood of the rattan palm and thatched with dry grass. The front and back walls are made of large stones or granite blocks—entirely locally available natural F biodegradable materials! Study the hut closely. What does it tell you about the people who live there? A katta is a short temporary wall built across streams and rivers to slow down their flow and store the water for the hot summer months. I is built by stacking locally available stones and binding them together with a mud paste. The stored water seeps into the ground to recharge the local water table. Value: 58 (respect for the environment) Links: 35, 76, 84Villagers usually contribute money and work together to build it. Besides preventing floods and storing water, italso helps irrigation and improves the groundwater level. pees Discuss Several Indian communities have come up with ingenious local solutions for their local issues |_How are local solutions different from standard big-budget solutions? Meghalaya is among the wettest places on earth. Being prone to very heavy showers almost throughout the year, itis also a land of strong streams and powerful rivers. Very often people need to cross these many streams and rivers, Bridges are needed. The Khasi tribe that lives here has come up with this unique solution. They have grown huge living root bridges across their water bodies. Large rubber trees grow all along the water bodies. When the trees are young and tender, the people use a framework of areca palm to direct their roots halfway into the river. As the tree rows, its roots grow along the new path that the local people have created for it. Many years later, a bridge of living roots strong enough to carry people and things has grown right across the river! Let’s Discuss ‘Are the tribal people of Meghalaya using Nature or living with it? What does it say about their | re the t approach to life? ~ _s ovannieu wit Lainioud| The ektara is a simple instrument that is used by the wandering minstrels of eastern India. It is made of a hollowed out and | dried pumpkin gourd with its hollow covered by a sheet of skin. Two flexible bamboo rods with a taut metallic string in | between are attached to the gourd. It’s simple—you could try making one yourself, And it makes good music. Let's Discuss —————_———_— ‘What does the ektara tell you about local cultural expression? Water conservation means different things to different communities. In the Himalayas at a height of 3,000-4500 m above sea level, the people of the coldest Indian region, Ladakh, would like to hold on to frozen water for as long as possible and making it available to farmers for cultivation. The streams and rivers of Ladakh melt when summer comes briefly and the waters are harnessed for cultivation. However, as all the rivers and streams melt at the same time, this often causes | floods. Some years ago, local engineers and scientists in Ladakh collaborated to construct an innovative ice mountain during the winter. They diverted upstream canal water through carefully laid pipes toa metal framework downstream. Here, the water turned to ice as it is flowed on to the framework to form an ice mountain, These mountains are called ‘ice stupas’. They melt in summer to provide water to the newly planted fields, but slowly enough to prevent flash flooding of streams and rivers, Let’s Discuss |, Can scientific principles and technologies be used to create issues? Does technology always have to come u \ of resources? Nature-friendh : ly local solutions for with large-scale solutions drawing on plenty ‘ovannieu wir LainioudConflicts, leading to full-scale wars, destroy lives, lands and livelihoods. We all know that only | peace can bring progress, prosperity and life, | en AON) H 1. What does this picture tell us? 2. Write a caption for this picture. 3. Write a four-line poem based on this picture. | ‘ovannieu wit Laitioud| | | | me. It's not as if 'm a silly romantic or ove stories that the other girls do. But ry guy -.- Ulove this guy and kes me feel sort of warm inside. Am | | I think there's something wrong with anything. I don’t even read those mushy now I have these daydreams about this imaginay he loves me. The very thought of him mal a total idiot to feel like this about someon talk about this even to my best friend -. {go about as ifm the same old person, but I'm not, because Ive never felt this way before. Sometimes | try to imagine what would happen if | were to tell my mother about this. She'd probably have a fit and think 'm hiding a boyfriend somewhere! | wonder whether she ever felt this way when she was my age. WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME? e | don’t even know? I don’t dare | she’s sure to laugh at me. I just Let’s read This is a rite of passage for every new generation as it moves from childhood to sexually mature adulthood The unique feeling of sexual awakening is something that not only your parents but whole generations of human teens throughout the centuries hat it ve felt. Writers th have celebrated it. ponent Your body is now undergoing changes. Its calling out for attenti may have been gazing in the mirror and asking yourself qui one before, such as ‘How do | lookt’ ‘Am I handsomet’ ‘Do erie hens “would guys like me?” | Look inward " Saying ‘Look at me’. You ‘at never bothered Doaiied you Do girls find me attractive2’ ‘Am | pretty?” Value: 5 . 'e: 5 (consideration for others), 68 (self-restrain? Links: 13, 17, 28,55These new thoughts are exciting, but there may be doubts in your mind as well. The thought of flirting sounds exciting, but also somewhat scary. You may find someone attractive and think you are falling in love, but your friends tell you it’s only a ‘crush’. Sometimes. its difficult to concentrate on lessons and exams, and that is worrying too. | You know already, of course, that sex hormones from your endocrine system shape and fill out your body and produce characteristics that remind you of your gender all the time. They also create a pressure cooker of emotions in your mind that sometimes seem to cancel one another out—and at other times are so intense that they seem too much to handle. One moment you feel you can move the world. The next moment you are not sure you can even move yourself. And on top of everything else you feel the whole world is watching you, and judging you. It is such a tough time altogether. Look outward In our teenage years, we are generally impatient. We want everything NOW. Some of us may think that this new sexual energy means a blanket licence to act on every urge and whim. But ity and restraint. This is how a father explained it to his actually it means exercising respons teenage son: Lesson from life Do you remember what happened a couple of years ago when | bought the new car? J told you to find out all about how it works. suggested that you should read up about the engine and driving controls and safety features. But | specifically told you that 4 jot try to drive it till you are an adult. | asked you to wait. You were only 13, then, but what did you do? You sneaked out to the garage early on a Sunday morning when everyone else was asleep, and started up the car and took off. You thought you knew. all about driving because your friend had. said there’s nothing to it Fortunately you didn’t get out onto the roads With the car, because you slammed it with full force into the gatepost. Thank goodness you i didn’t run over anyone. What drama, what a headache for everyone! Though you were unhurt, that experience has made you nervous about cars. You should have waited. Now you are 15. You have all this new sexual energy running through your veins, making you ‘Remember what happened with the car. Be pale’ WAIT. you should n ‘ovannieu wir Lainioudid be read again with attention tal and emotional health, ideration towards others in “Thank goodness you didn’t run over anyone.’ That sentence shoul Your decision affects not just you. It involves another person’s men So isn’t it essential to take responsibility and show respect and consi everything you say and do to express your sexuality? Let’s Discuss ity? 1, What do Responsibility and Respect mean in the context of sexuality? , 2. How, when and with whom should you discuss your experiences and feelings about sexuality? Look more carefully You can make wise decisions only if you have complete information. This is true in matters of sex as it is in virtually everything else in life. Remember too that all your friends are also going through these very same changes and feelings. You should insist on your own sense of dignity, privacy and space. For instance, no one has the right to touch your body in a sexually suggestive way; no one has the right to make sexual remarks to you or in your presence. It is time to alert a teacher, counsellor or parent if you notice strange behaviour in someone—behaviour that makes you uncomfortable. Many things can be sensed and avoided before they actually happen. Think about it ‘lam a boy of 13. When | took my nine-year-old sister with me to our next-door neighbour's house to watch football on their TV, the neighbour stroked, tickled and kissed my sister. She was laughing happily, but | felt very bad somehow. It happened again yesterday, and | came back andjtold my mother. She was angry with me, She said that | was talking nonsense and that | must have been watching the wrong kind of TV programmes. She says our neighbour is a very kind man and won't do anything bad. But | still have this uneasy feeling about it’ © Ifyou were this boy, what would you do next? eee ‘Iwill not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet? —Mahatma Gandhi Every right-thinking, decent human being should be dis violence and sexual abuse. There has been an alarmin, Men and women, boys and gts, and even lite children ae sexu a often have feelings of guilt, shame and self-hatred and Y assaulted. The victims carry the emotional sca ifetimn e al i Only collective outrage and zero tolerance towards sex Scars for a lifetime, Busted at the very thought of sexual 8 rise in the rate of such brutal crimes. ual violence can hope to turn the tide. ovannieu wit LainioudOnly a sick mind can see sex as a means of domination, a means of taking revenge, a means of asserting power and superiority. Yet there are such people in our midst. It is important to be careful and always keep our safety in mind. But we must not lose faith in the essential goodness of humanity. Look around Many teenagers declare that how they handle their ‘own sexuality is their own business. What they do not realize is that one person’s inappropriate sexual behaviour can affect several other people’s lives. Unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases such as AIDS could be some of the serious consequences. The emotional scars are no less damaging. These can throw long dark shadows on your life and that of your partner, and devastate your families. One thoughtless act can ruin reputations, leave physical, emotional and psychological scars, and even lead to suicidal depression. It can provoke frustration, jealousy and murderous rage. One thoughtless act can extinguish many dreams. How does inappropriate sexual experimentation start? * Some teenagers are prone to ‘risky behaviour’. It seems to give ARICA AIST IA eI as them a ‘buzz’. Other teens may find such a person interesting AMARA and want to be like him/her. 'He’s daring,’ they may think, or, [Aa 'She's so confident and grown up’. This makes them reckless IN O in their choices. For some, a ‘no’ is seen as a challenge, something to be defied. M E ANS * Some may be tempted through curiosity to experiment with sex (‘I wonder what it’s like’), or may be drawn to N oO! inappropriate pictures and videos, maybe via the Internet. bd * Some may succumb to peer pressure against their better judgement, because they didn’t have the strength of mind to heed that inner voice that was saying ‘no’. Such impulsive behaviour may lead to feelings of guilt and depression. Sex is not something to giggle about in dark corners and whisper about furtively. It is an intimate and intensely personal aspect of life which needs to be understood and respected. A complete knowledge of sex is more than just about its physical aspect and how to avoid risks. True knowledge of sexuality is the realization that it is not just in the body but also in the mind. a ovaiieu wit vanioudLook forward Romantic longings and sexual thoughts are part of teenage life. you are not just a sexual being; you are a complete human bein; But never lose sight of this fact— g. So enjoy what is happening losing sight of your goals in life. You are to your body. Dream your special dreams without ‘ou still have some way to go to hearing the music of adulthood that’s around the corner. But y‘ ‘ : get to that cormer—and plenty of things to do meanwhile. Including more growing up* So it is up to you to make sure your adolescent years are lived in harmony. Activities 1. Your friend remarks, ‘For everyone sexuality is part of growing up. Why should we stop ourselves from acting on our natural urges and desires?” What would be your reasoned reply? 2. Sexuality is as much about your emotions/mind as it is about your body. What are the life skills you need to manage your growing sexuality? In your notebook, list these skills and put a tick mark against the skills that you personally need to strengthen. 3. What weightage would you give to each of these before making a decision in sexual matters? Draw faces in the spaces given, ranging from 5 for ‘very important’ to 1 for ‘not important at all’, Be honest! a. Your best friend’s advice b. Your peer group's views c. Your parents‘Aeachers! advice d. What you read in a book or magazine e. Your own moral compass 4, Sexuality is depicted in many ways in the media—TV, music, vi , , music, videos a a, the depictions that make you uncomfortable? Discuss your views in cn eae . ‘ovannieu wit Lainioudkills {aS Right Brain, Left Brain There are two sides to everything — even our brains. Which side is more important? They are both equally important. Can | make my right brain and left brain talk to each other? Yes, you can. And yes, you should. This is an ability you already have. But if you develop it as a skill you can make your life so much richer. _ FACTS: en So LEFT BRAIN RIGHT BRAIN - Locic CREATIVITY ANALYSIS. IMAGINATION | SEQUENCING HOLISTICTHINKING | LINEAR INTUITION ARTS (Motor stil) MATHEMATICS ames eee NON-VERBAL FEELINGS VISUALIZATION ‘TUNE OF SONGS DAYDREAMING ‘THINK IN WORDS WORDS OF SONGS COMPUTATION Mathematics meets Nature The Fibonacci sequence is a very simple and yet very important series of numbers in mathematics. When expressed graphically, the diagram looks like a tight spiral. Mathematicians and scientists are still trying to unravel all its applications. The Fibonacci series can be observed in Nature in a variety of ways. =z WS ya The Fibonacci spiral can be seen in plants, shells and even your fingerprint! In this example, Sequencing and Mathematics are working together with Visualization and Imagination. Music of the Spheres ‘The Greek philosopher Pythagoras is believed to have put forward the concept that the movement of celestial bodies creates music. The astronomer Johannes Kepler wrote an important book in 1619 titled Harmony of the Worlds, in which he attempted to correlate astronomy with music. He came up with a musical scale for the geometric movements of planets. In this example, Mathematics and Logic are working together with Holistic thinking, Intuition, and Tune of Songs (music). Value: 77 (spirit of enquiry) Links: 35, 51, 53 3 | ‘ovanneu wit LainioudArt meets Science Artist, sculptor, inventor, a genius at visualization and imagination— Leonardo da Vinci was one of the foremost scientific thinkers and creative geniuses that the world has ever seen. Apart from stunning works of art, he left behind scientific ideas which formed the basis of many modern inventions. chine; (right) the Mona Lisa~da Vinci's (eit) A sketch of flying ma greatest artistic creation ation. In this example, Analysis and Facts are shaking hands with Arts and Visu: Imagining and Creating Science Lucretius was a Roman poet and philosopher who was born in 99 ace. He tells ust Observe this dew-drenched rose of Tyrian grain A rose today. But you will ask in vain Tomorrow what it is; and yesterday It was the dust, the sunshine and the rain. This bowl of milk, the pitch on yonder jar, Are strange and far-bound travellers come from far This is a snowflake that was once a flame— The flame was once the fragment of a star. —From ‘On the Nature of Things’ Physics tells us: Matter is made of atoms and molecules. Matter can exist in many forms. 2 Matter can be broken Up into its constituent parts. It can even be converted into energy. Lucretius used imagination and creativity to describe what would ‘ through facts and logic. much later be described How can we learn to use both sides of our brains? How ca 2 nw i Brain-Left Brain) skill? Here is just one example: ® develop a good RB-LB (Right * Open a book and pick a word at random. Let us s i . ay you i - short essay on this theme. Then wttea poom about ie Teas eee MO ‘esterday’, Write a make up a joke about it. Then draw what ‘yesterday Did you enjoy the conversation that went on betw You can apply the RB-LB skill to everything you do~your school proj preparing a meal—actually, nearly everything, 0! project, your vacation plans, It will add value to your life, te i Then make up a slogan about it. Then 1 Tooks like in your imagination! en the two sides of your brain? ia yeu win LaltiovaThere are over 1.2 billion people in India. That number will continue to CROW FAS: India has around 3.3 million square kilometres of land. That number will Field, farm, factory, forest-there is constant competition for land. Unless we think ahead and plan wisely, there will not be enoughland for everything and everyone. ‘ovanneu wit LainioudWe need the craggY mountains and the flowering garden ring the mighty rivers that water From the snow-clad mountaintops s| rs the ratio s. Hills and mountains give us not our plains and help to feed our millions. 2 rf diversity of | plants and animals. only natural beauty but wonderful bio Flowers have always been closely associated with Indian culture and worship. anovaSixty per cent of the land in India is farm land. We grow enough food to feed us all. India is among the ten top industrial nations of the world.| 2 Twenty one per cent of India’s land area is forest land. hs “a Green plants and power plants, cities and villages, playgrounds and roads, ie schools and hospitals, Ports and airports—we need them all. We also need space for all of Nature's diversity, Our land resources are finite. But through Proper PLANNIN IG and SHARING, we can ensure that there will be enough land for. everyone and Seine ‘Suaiiieu with watioudThe 3 ‘R’s of Harmony You may have heard about the 3 ‘R’ s of education ~ reading, ‘riting and ‘rithmetic. These are the building blocks of everything else that you learn in school. What about the 3 ‘R's for a harmonious life? Are there any building blocks for a life of peace and harmony? | Let’s read | Ahappy and harmonious life rests on 3 ‘R’ s—respect, responsibility and relationships. By itself, each piece is incomplete. Together, they have the power to bring harmony into your life. You have been slowly learning about these 3 ‘R’s throughout the years without realizing it. Now is a good time to take a closer look at them, try to strengthen them, and see how they fit into one another. nsibility Respect Respect means consideration for the feelings, wishes and rights of others. Itis not just about addressing someone as ‘Sir’, ‘Madam’ or ‘Ji’. It is about being sensitive to the fact that you are dealing with a fellow human being. If you really respect a person, you will tell yourself, ‘This person’s life, feelings and rights are as important as my own.’ Being respectful does not mean that you give up your own values or act against your conscience. But it does mean being considerate and polite when explaining why you will not do something that the other person wants you to. Value: 55 (respect for others), 71 (sense of social responsibility) Links: 5, 23, 24, 74, 81 ‘ovanneu wit Lainioudanted to join an engineering 's mother did not want im. But the course that hat he wantec led out of Silchar. Hi dreams of becoming an engineer. He told his parents U college in Kolkata. His parerits had never travel him to go. ‘Purna, please join a college here in Purna had set his heart on \was not available in Assam- silchar’ she urged What would Purna do? * Would he-lose-his temper-and say, ‘Ma, you are not educated. anything, Do you want me to be ignorant like you?” * Would he keep quiet and run away from home? = Would he say ‘Ma, I know you are worried; | understand your buy you'a mobile phon¢ so that we can talk to each other often. Iwi summer and you and Pa can also visit me in my college in Kolkata. Iwi of rie; Ma! That's why you don’t know fears. But before | go Iwill II visit home in the ill make you proud We are happy to report that Purna chose the third option! : ® How does his choice show respect for his mother as well as for his own goals? Discuss in class. * Respecting someone means being considerate towards them. Can you think of any other qualities that are involved in respectful behaviour? Write them in your notebook. Very often, people get confused between respect and obedience. But obedience is not necessarily a sign of respect. In fact, it is often a sign of fear. Just carrying out someone's wishes does not mean you respect him/her. ‘A cruel maharaja treated his subjects like slaves. He was surrounded by riches but would not pay his servants 22 enough to feed their families Whenever anyone protested, {29 they would be beaten or jailed and starved. Every month the mabaraja would hold a music performance on the palace grounds, He would send ‘outaroyal decree that every citizen must attend, f | Every time the grounds would be full, and the maharaja would basicin his power and prestige. When his pet parrot died, he sent word that all must come to attend the funeral of the bird. Again the grounds were full of people for the parrot's funeral. When the maharaja died,no one came to his funeral.Let’s Discuss The next time you obey someone's wishes, think whether you are doing it out of fear of punishment or 4 because you respect that person, Is there a difference in your attitude towards the job in these two cases? Responsibility Responsibility means accepting your moral duties and obligations. This means more than just taking the blame for something that goes wrong. It is not just about agreeing to do a particular task, It is about taking control of yourself and finding ways to bring about positive changes in your own life and in the lives of others, tfyou are a responsible person, you will be as aware of your responsibi rights. When something goes wrong, pointing fingers. 6 as you are of your you will work with others to make things better instead of How do we start becoming responsible people? We start with taking charge of our own moral health. lf we do not take responsibility to look after our own physical and moral health, how can we shoulder the responsibilities that come with relationships? ‘Awealthy man requested an old scholar to wean his son away from his bad habits. The scholar took the youth for a stroll through a garden. Stopping suddenly, he asked the boy to pull out a tiny plant. The youth held the plant between his thumb and forefinger and pulled it out-The old man then asked him to pull outa slightly, bigger plant. The youth pulled hard and the plant came our, roots and all. ‘Now take this one out) said the old man, indicating a guava tree. The youth grasped the trunk and tried to pull it out. But it would not budge.'It’s impossible; said the boy, panting with the effort. ‘So it is with habits? said the sage.When you are young and your habits are new, it is easy to pull them out. But when they take hold they cannot be uprooted. You have to start taking responsibility for your future’ Think about it Think about a typical day in your life. How many times do you feel ashamed of your behaviour? How many times do you feel pleased with your behaviour? How many times do You blame someone else for what happened? Do you think you are taking responsibility for Your moral health? a — Fl ‘ovanieu wit Laitioudboth good and bad, are taking root within lity of steering you away e responsil way forward and take on the responsibility Right now, even while you are reading this, habits, you. When you were a little child, your parents took on th from harmful behaviour. But it is now time for you to step of keeping your own value system healthy. Responsibility means accountability. That means taking responsibility for one’s own actions and their consequences instead of blaming others. The more freedom accountable you become. world ou enjoy, the more Responsibility means willingness to take ona task. It is when you stop saying ‘Let someone else do it’ and start saying ‘Let me do it’. Being a team player calls for earning and keeping the trust of the whole team, Being a responsible member of the community means working towards the common good. s. As We. Our responsibility extends beyond improving ourselves move through life, we take on more and more responsibilities towards our family, friends, colleagues, the community and the nation. Let’s Discuss Babbar Allis a boy who displayed great social responsibility right from the young age of seven. He lives ina community in Murshidabad, West Bengal. When he started attending school, he realized that many poor children in the community were not being sent to school. He decided to start a school in the neighbourhood to teach these children to read and write. ebbar All would attend his regular school with hs elassmates from morning til late afternoon. After he got home, he would become the ‘teacher’. Starting with just eight students, his ‘gurukul’ school, ‘Anand Shiksha Niketan, became well established, with hundreds of students flocking to it from far aaa ar Nine years later, when he was 16 years old and a student in Class 12, he was still che ‘headmaster’ of his school, and still spending his free hours giving a basic education to children, free of charge. ‘Al's ‘school isa temporary structure with very litle in che form of teaching equipment. When asked vrvy he tz doing this, he says he has a vision of a 100 per cent literate India and he wants to share in the task of achieving that. Babbar Ali's idea was exceptional for a child of his age. What do you think his aad have cold him when he brought up the idea? Would they have eeearaed hie rout te have urged him to give it up? Ewald ey" If you were his classmate would you say con't waste your spare time. We can play games instead, = Let me also help you once a week. [Eee gather as many students from our school as we can to do all the teaching yourself. lo this so that you will not have to i 5 eu Witt Lartioud