engleski

Popularisation of Geology Through the Educational Programme “ School in Nature” .

ProGEO-Croatia is officially registered NGO since 2005, but its founders have been continuously organizing workshops in geology for children since 1998 (1998-2002 through the Section for geoheritage of the Croatian Geological Society). Six years ago the Red Cross of Zagreb recognized the importance of bringing science to children in non-traditional ways. The successful, ongoing collaboration started through the national programme “ School in Nature” , which is run through several institutions, Red Cross being one of them. Pupils of grades 3 and 4 every year spend 5 days with their teachers in a mountain- or seaside hostel, where they learn and explore the surroundings. For most of the children that is the first time they are separated from their parents and all the things and places familiar to them. It inevitably leads to feelings of loneliness and isolation (despite being a part of a large group) which can only be fought with fun, engaging activities. Unfortunately, many teachers don’ t even see, let alone use, the opportunity for innovation in that new setting, making that week into a mirror image of a regular school week. Therefore, the Red Cross of Zagreb introduced several workshops, in order to raise motivational and inspirational levels of both children and teachers. We work with children of the 3rd grade, who are housed in the Red Cross of Zagreb Mountain Hostel on the Medvednica Mt. near Zagreb, where we have been organizing geological workshops since September of 2001. Excellent results achieved and children's interest prompted us to introduce astronomical workshops in January 2002. Since geology is not taught in the 3rd grade, a geological workshop (which lasts for ca. 4 hours) includes introductory lecture with lively discussion, where we show and explain the build and inner workings of the Earth, plate tectonics, main rock types, fossils and minerals. The second part consists of a hands-on activity in which children make their own "fossil" replicas out of plaster and sea shells. The activity which precedes the geological workshop is evening astronomical workshop which lasts for ca. 2 hours. Here children learn through play and an interactive lecture about the Earth’ s place in the Universe, Solar System, stars and space exploration, with special emphasis on planetary geology. Each workshop is usually followed by a spontaneous discussion which lasts for several hours. So far, we have organised over 60 geological- and over 50 astronomical workshops, which were attended by ca. 10.000 children and more than a hundred of their teachers. The workshops are held once a week throughout a school year for a group of 50-60 children, usually by 4 animators. The animators are students of geology from the Faculty of Science (University of Zagreb), who have attended a seminar designed to teach them methodology and the “ plaster-experiment” . Our impressions are that children are highly motivated to learn, interested and curious about the Earth, it’ s geological development, natural processes and their products. These workshops raise children’ s awareness of importance of protection of geological heritage, while also teaching and inspiring them to think and wonder about the nature which surrounds them.

geology; popularisation; primary school

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