Our Environment
Overview
Our Environment is a foundational topic in Environmental Studies (EVS) for WB TET Paper I. It introduces the basic components that make up the world around us and explains how living and non-living things interact with each other. Understanding this topic is essential because it forms the conceptual base for all other EVS topics—water, air, soil, plants, animals, and pollution are all parts of the environment.
For the WB TET exam, expect questions that test your understanding of environmental components, their classification, and how they depend on one another. Questions often involve identifying examples of biotic and abiotic factors, understanding food chains, and recognising human impacts on the environment. This topic also connects directly to pedagogy questions about teaching environmental awareness to young learners.
Mastering this topic means being able to classify environmental components correctly, explain interdependence through examples, and understand the balance that exists in nature. Teachers must be able to simplify these concepts for primary-level students using local, relatable examples.
Key Concepts
- **Environment** refers to everything that surrounds us—the air we breathe, water we drink, land we live on, and all living beings around us. It includes both natural and human-made elements.
- **Components of environment** are broadly divided into two categories: biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living). This classification is fundamental to understanding ecological relationships.