Natural Resources (STEM Discovery Week 2019) - The STEM Discovery Campaign BlogThe STEM Discovery Campaign Blog

We have organised the STEM Discovery Week 2019 activities in 6 Nisan Anatolian High School. I am going to write about my experiences connected with the activities of bioeconomy.

What is bioeconomy?

Students watched a video about bioeconomy, “The Bioeconomy starts here!” https://youtu.be/2xvXkOMRTs4. Teacher defined bioeconomy as the production of renewable biological resources and their conversion into food, feed, energy, chemicals and other materials. The EU definition of bioeconomy is “sustainable production and processing of biomass for food, health products, fibre products, industry, and energy”

Research About Tree Loss

Students made a research about the loss of trees, its consequences, and worked on a project for saving trees and to contribute to sustainability.

Students in groups of four made a research about forest changes in the world using this page http://earthenginepartners.appspot.com/science-2013-global-forest. Students tried to find the region they live, they identified the loss of trees in their region. They wrote down the changes in ten years.

Discussion

Students in groups will discuss these questions: 1. What are the causes of tree loss? 2. What trees are used for? 3. What products which you use are made from wood and what products are derived from wood?

Practice

Students prepared a mindmap that visualizes products made from trees. They presented it to the class.

Investigate

Teacher defined and gave examples such as pharmacy, biofuel, bioheat which contributes to bioeconomy and sustainable development. Teachers asked students to create an environmentally friendly project which contributes to saving trees and bioeconomy. Students in groups researched ways to help save trees in their cities.

Produce

Students in groups created projects to use less paper and find ways to harm trees less. They drew their drafts of the project and later they will prepare models with materials easily found. Students presented their draft projects by role-playing that shows choices that harm trees. They got feedback from their peers and teachers so now they will have a couple of weeks to complete their models. Students made decoration stuff from recyclable supplies. Students made a model in which they use solar energy for charging wheelchairs.

Students felt there are responsible for keeping forests safe and increasing their number. They planted trees in their regions. They also wrote the names of the members of each group in front of the trees.