GREEEN Networking activities among schools

 

GREEEN Networking Activities among Schools

 

Climate change

Name: Climate change

SubjectProject activities -  1st  grade  of a Lyceum in Athens 

Topic: Climate change

Summary: The project had 2 phases:

A: In the first step: 2 hours working in the classroom: 16-12-2014

  • 24 students, one teacher and one expert have a small presentation within a circle
  • Playing   games of trust and acquaintance in teams
  • Awareness on Environment issues and climate change   by videos and discussion. –brainstorming on the FLYER “GREEEN network” by writing ideas and environmental words
  • They chose the issues: GREENHOUSE effect, acid rain and ozone holes and they wrote down these different issues in flipchart papers
  • They were separated in 3 teams according to these issues and each team painted in papers the ideas of each issue .They put their paintings on the wall.
  • The teams worked in these three issues .Each team has a secretary and a presenter
  • At the end of the 2 hours the teams presented their ideas to the others

The first phase was finished with the decision of each team to work during the next 2 months to collect more information on each issue and to prepare a small study .The teacher gave to each team a worksheet with some information.

B: The second step: 2 hours work in classroom 16-2-2015.

  • Each team presented their work in a small presentation and the others set questions and discussed about each issue.
  • All students and teachers in a circle made the evaluation of each project-work and also a self-evaluation  

Didactics/methodologyBrain storming, working in teams, field study, learn from the problem 

Aims/competences: Develop critical thinking, working in teams, communicating, learning how to learn and learning by the problem

LevelA class of Lyceum

Time: 4 hours working in classroom, 2 months duration of the project (6-12-2014 and 16-2=2015)

Contact personChristine Tzortzaki the teacher , Dimitra Skoufi-Katsidonioti

Useful tips and hints: Greenhouse effect, acid rain, ozone holes, pollution 

For collaboration projects: How was the contact established:  After sending Information to schools during the beginning of the school year, by email the school invited the expert of OCEAN to work with a classroom of 24 students on the climate change. So the expert and the teacher of the project activities lesson, worked together to organize the 2 phases of the 4 hours work in the classroom 

The students as oceanographers

Name: The students as oceanographers

Subject: Environmental issues in non-formal curriculum, global science process

Topic: The Saronic Gulf, in a global study case (SEA ASPECTS OF A STUDY)

Summary: The Science is first of all "open" to the “world”.The “world” includes both the natural world and everything that Man has created (technological applications) as a unity and in every aspect.It is also a scientific process in which creation and communication are shuffled. The students get prepared to study the Saronic Gulf in a global and overall continue process. Please find attached the description of the working phases.

Didactics/methodology: Work in groups and sub-groups with the students, set a universal issue (in integrated framework) and some direct objectives. Use the opportunity to work in a group and change into sub groups, developing the communication, the cooperation among the students. The students develop their self esteem. Learn in an approach of different aspects of the issue (Science, social, historical, Health etc.). There is an overall process and also use the critical evaluation and self-evaluation.

Aims/competences: Developing the critical thinking, the experimental and in situ –field measurements and study -learning by doing exploration and they also develop all the soft skills. So they have the opportunity to go and explore the sources 

Level: A team of 25 students (environmental team) of the 3 classrooms of LYCEUM, ages 15-18 

Time: All year study, 2 hours per week 

Contact person: Dimitra Skoufi -Katsidonioti

Useful tips and hints: Natural environment, technological environment, social and civic environment, global process

Clothes for Clothes

Name: Clothes for Clothes

Subject: - 

Topic: Swapping clothes in the school

Summary: This activity is all about second hand clothes. Students bring clothes that are in good condition, but for some reason, never get used. A ticket is exchanged for every item during a collection period, and then all the clothes are exposed in a school hall were the tickets are exchanged for “new” clothes. 

Didactics/methodology: Student work/involvement

Aims/competences: -

Level: Any

Time: 

Contact person: "Grönt är skönt" on Facebook, or Andrea Cedergren: andrea.cedergren@vgy.se

Global Project; Natural Science, Geography; Climate change

Name: Global Project

Subject: Natural Science, Geography

Topic: Climate change

Summary: 

In this project the students learn more about the connection between geography and climate change as well as the economic aspects on climate change. During approximately 5-6 weeks the students work on several aspects on climate change and areas/countries in the world and how they affect and are affected by it.

The project ends with a role play where the students represent different countries in a climate summit. Here the students need to think about what is best for the world, but also be realistic about different countries varying interests (and economic conditions) in actually working for a better climate.

Didactics/methodology: Researching, reading IPCC report, role play, argumentation

Aims/competences: develop an interdisciplinary approach to climate change, taking different positions in a climate summit, realizing how different regions are affected differently by climate change.

Level: 11th

Time: 5-6 weeks

Contact person: Maria Dahlberg, maria.dahlberg@vgy.se

 

Observations on Green Environment Activites

and Networking among Schools: TURKISH CASE

TURKISH CASE

Over the past three years of our participation in the GREEEN network we experienced, that the challenging part is to initiate schools to join and take part in a European school network. There are a few obstacles to tackle. For example school administrators generally request face to face meetings which are only very seldom possible. Networking without frequent face-to-face meetings is unfamiliar for most people and calls for new methods of communication. In the GREEEN network this problem was faced by initiating the GREEENHOUSE, our pivotal exchange and communication forum.

Via this online platform schools have the chance to connect with other schools from all over Europe. The GREEEN network members were and are still eager to share their climate change activities and exchange good practice examples for teaching climate change issues. Beside the virtual exchange of experience between teachers the GREEEN network also aims at stimulating the exchange between European students. Therefore the network organized two competitions for students over the past three years. The winning students were invited to participate in European conferences in Stockholm, Sweden and Kassel, Germany to receive their award and to network and exchange experiences with other students. The competitions and the opportunity to win a trip to a transnational conference to present their projects have been a major motivational factor for students and teachers to participate in the GREEEN network.

For teachers and students the participation in a school network like the GREEN network offers a unique chance for innovative teaching- and learning experiences. We observed that especially in the preparatory phase for the competitions interdisciplinary work among teachers and students increased considerably. Beside the sciences teachers students also involved their english teachers (due to the working language in the network) as well as for example art, technology, and music teachers to give their projects a competitive edge. By means of the network activities teachers and students learned to work together and share their work with other schools both inside and outside the country. Especially the chance to make their work visible to other schools motivated our students. They all indicated that they saw the value in their work and that they transferred their knowledge to action in their schools, such as turning of the lights, using water more efficiently and do recycling. We observed that especially the students who participated in the GREEEN network projects developed a better understanding about climate change. On top of that they acquired skills to share their understanding with other network partners and to work cooperatively with people who have diverse experiences with climate change.

Therefore we highly value our participation in the GREEEN network and encourage every school that is interested in state of the art climate change education to join as well.

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