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Schools are often referred to as "social agents" because they are responsible for teaching children not only academic knowledge but also the norms, values, and traditions of society. This teaching of societal values is often described as the hidden curriculum in education, which is the process of learning societal expectations outside the formal curriculum (such as respect for authority, values, and cultural norms).

EVS is a multidimensional subject which covers important principles from various academic fields.

• NCF recommends both integrated and thematic approaches for EVS learning at the primary level to nurture the curiosity and creativity of the child, particularly with the natural environment.

Key Points

In primary level, Environmental Studies is integrated with Social Studies and Science because at early childhood:

• children look at their environment in a holistic manner.

• children couldn't compartmentalize any topic into 'science' and 'social science'.

• children are not mature enough to interpret the aspects of science and social science in a graded manner.

Important Points

• Integrated approach:
  • EVS in the primary level is visualized as an integrated approach as the EVS syllabus has been made in an integrated manner including science, and social studies as well.
  • It helps children to explore and connect to their surroundings.

• Thematic approach:
  • EVS in the primary level is visualized as a thematic approach as the entire EVS syllabus is connected and integrated within a theme.
  • It makes learning more natural and comprehensible for a better understanding of children.

So, from the above-mentioned points, we conclude that in primary level, Environmental Studies is integrated with Social Studies and Science.

The environment generally refers to the surroundings of an individual, including social and the natural environment, for example, culture, school, family, land, water, air, etc. 

• At the primary level, children must be taught through an integrated approach rather than teaching in parts. At the primary level, we shouldn't teach students the concepts in isolation.
• We should teach them concepts and processes in an integrated manner to explore the other aspects of a specific subject matter and find the connection among them.

Key Points

Environmental studies:

• It includes the study of the relationship of humans with other aspects affecting their life
• It also studies how humans can contribute positively to bring the desired changes in our environment.
• It emphasizes the development of a scientific attitude so that students can develop their own concepts of the environment.
•  It is more concerned with the scientific attitude to explore, investigate, and develop an understanding of our naturally occurring environment.
• Social Studies and Social Science together constitute the Environmental Studies which are generally taught at the primary level through integrated and thematic approaches.

Hint

Therefore, it is concluded that environmental studies deal with the interrelationships of human beings with their environment and include their contribution to bringing desirable changes in their surroundings.

The syllabus of EVS has been developed within a child-centered perspective of themes that provide a common interface of issues in social studies, sciences, and environmental education.

Important Points

• ‘Plants’ and ‘Animals’ have consciously been included under the theme of ‘Family and Friends’ to highlight how humans share a close relationship with them and to also provide a holistic and integrated scientific and social perspective of studying them.
• The theme ‘Family and Friends’, especially through its two sub-themes Relationships and Work and Play, allows children to look at their own body as part of their ‘self’ in a more contextual and connected manner.

Key Points

The syllabus for Classes III-V is woven around six common themes given below; the predominant theme on Family and Friends encompasses four sub-themes:

• Family and Friends:
  • Relationships
  • Work and Play
  • Animals
  • Plants
• Food
• Shelter
• Water
• Travel
• Things We Make and Do

The syllabus web moves outward over the three years; it gradually extends the child’s understanding of her world, beginning from the immediate ‘self ’ to include her family, the neighborhood, the locality, and also the country. Thus by the time the child reaches Class V, she can see her ‘self ’ in the larger context – as part of a community, the country, and also, more tacitly, as located in this world.

Hence, we can conclude that in the above situation, the teacher should explain to the child how plants helps us in our daily life.

Environmental Studies is the study of the environment in the context of earth and living things. It is more concerned with the scientific attitude to explore, investigate, and develop an understanding of our natural, human, social and cultural dimensions of local and wider environments.

Key Points

Social studies are concerned with human study in relation to the socio-cultural environment. Our society means our surroundings include all the entities around us such as land, air, water, sunlight (natural environment) culture, society, school, college, family (social environment), etc.​

• Social Science is the study of relations of humans with society and their social life. It is taught at the school level for promoting healthy social/ democratic living among learners. It aims at enabling students to adjust to their socio-cultural environment which includes family, community, state, nation, and at large the entire humanity.

Therefore, it can be concluded that subjects from the socio-cultural context help students to understand the society in which they live.

Additional Information

Scope of social studies include:

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