STUDY
Recycling is the process of reusing objects to prevent the waste of useful materials. Today’s children should learn this process to save the environment. In this study, our goal is to enable our students to use natural resources consciously. Recycling for reflecting is a project theme where students can create ideas for reusing.
This way, they can take action based on what they have learned in their immediate surroundings. We will guide our students to get to know their natural resources. We want them to investigate the areas that can be used as natural resources in their daily life. Using limited resources our expectation is that the students discover how nature and the environment are affected. We use Padlet, WordWall, Drive, and Okuvaryum as resources they can get help. The students will use recyclable materials in this project. And, we will hold meetings with the students for 3 hours a week through 6 weeks.
AIM
We aim to develop students’ thinking, communication, research, and self-management skills. According to do this, we expect the students to take the needed responsibilities starting from their own environment. We want our students to show the things they have learned. By using their sensitive behavior and creativity, they produced materials that meet their needs from waste.
We believe that inquiry-based learning creates more permanent and life-related learning. We would like to encourage other schools and societies to use this project and method.
TARGETED LEARNING APPROACHES
Thinking Skills: Acquisition of Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis
Communication Skills: Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing
Research Skills: Formulating questions, Observing, Collecting Data
Self -Management Skills: Organization, Codes of behavior, Time management, Informed choices
LINES OF INQUIRY
Identification of natural resources.
Usage areas of natural resources in daily life.
Responsibilities regarding the conscious use of natural resources.
How the conscious use of natural resources will affect the future.
Provocation questions posed by the teacher to the students:
- What to run out of? What’s inexhaustible? What if these run out?
- What are the natural resources?
- How do we use natural resources in our lives?
- What does it mean to use natural resources consciously?
- Tell us our responsibilities regarding the use of natural resources?
- What happens if we do not use natural resources consciously?
INQUIRY AND CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING-BASED TEACHING PROCESS
The unit begins with the concepts of exhaustion and protection to build a bridge with the students’ own lives. Students create a concept map by thinking together as a class. Students:
In Step 1, “What is running out?” They seek an answer to the question.
In Step 2, thinking about these answers, “What if it runs out?” They answer the question.
In the 3rd Stage, thinking about the answers they gave in Stage 1, “What should we do to
protect? What are our responsibilities?” they think about their questions.
We start with, the students sharing their ideas about natural resources. They examine the relevant books, documentaries, and online videos. They determine the issues they wonder about natural resources. Natural resources topics are studied according to the intensity of interest, within two weeks.
Water:
Brainstorm: What are the water resources on Earth?
Station work:
Each station includes one of the questions below.
Where do we use water?
What are the water resources?
How should we use water / How should we protect water?
What happens if we do not use water consciously?
First, students answer the questions individually with their friends in groups formed on the Padlet wall. Second, they make additions to the answers given to the questions in other stations by visiting the stations. Students watch videos about water and add to the papers using what they have learned.
Experiment: Water cycle: Evaporation – freezing – melting test is performed.
Students watch cartoons about the water cycle.
They listen to a listening text called the journey of water and explain what they have learned
in a method of their choosing. (exit card)
See – think – wonder:
Students are shown pictures of places with and without water, and are asked to think about what life will be like here.
Students make observations about their water use at home and at school. They share their
observations with their friends. They prepare slogans to make reminders by thinking about the problems they have identified; at home – at school they hang up their work. Ongoing
assessment is made.
Trees – Forests – Soil and Plants:
How do we take advantage of trees and forests? Teacher asks. Students create a list with the think-match-share routine. The students list the responsibilities related to the
maintenance of trees. Next, they review books about trees and watch videos. And, they make their lists about what they have learned. Students read and analyze Cömert Ağaç and Zuzu’s Orman. They discuss how to treat the tree in the book, how to actually treat it. If you were a tree, how would you like to be treated?
They make suggestions about conscious use with their work.
Brainstorm:
Students are asked to estimate how many years the substances are consumed in nature. Students examine a video and visual about it and share their thoughts. Things that can be done to reduce waste are discussed. What can be recycled? What are the benefits of recycling? questions are asked.
Videos about recycling are watched. They watch Çevko’s videos and take notes about their
responsibilities. They plan what they can do about recycling bins. They prepare and present slogans and posters to share what they have learned about recycling, reuse, and reduce use, and to draw attention to the problems they have identified.
Ongoing assessment 2 – Trees and Recycling – Use Reduction – Reuse.
Renewable and Non-renewable energy sources
Students will think about exhausting resources and inexhaustible resources. They get to know all these resources through presentations, pictures, and videos. Students research in which areas the resources are used. They create a chart of our responsibilities and present them. Students group energy sources that are environmentally friendly and not. They create a list of responsibilities on how to use these resources consciously. Using all that you have learned. They explain that the way they use natural resources, they will do less harm to nature.
Ongoing assessment 3 – Energy resources are made.
In the beginning, students will be able to consider all they have learned. The students will be able to interpret how they are going to contribute to the environment individually and socially. In consequence, they will make decisions about how they can act as a class.
Below, you can see some of the students’ activity result photos.
https://padlet.com/ISTEKAO/p5ht2b17sn4y6vo8
Authors: Esra UCA, Nihan YEŞİLTEŞ, Leman TECİMER, Sumru MAKAS, Dilek ŞAHİN, Tuğçe GÜNEŞ, Alvin VARDAR, Tansu ÖZVEREN, Büşra GÜL, Antwan WIERENGA, Margrit YEŞİLTEPE ve Filiz GÜNAY
All visuals belong to the Author – Attribution CC-BY