Based on the NCF 2005, at the national level, Environmental Education (EE) is introduced at the elementary education level as Environmental Studies (EVS). The syllabus for EVS (classes III-V) in the NCERT textbooks is comprised of six common themes i.e. Family and friends, food, shelter, water, travel and things we make and do. Hence it is thematic in approach and not topic based. Each theme begins by helping children explore their immediate 'self' to include his/her family (environment), neighbourhood, the locality and also the country.