Abstract
Şebnem Gençtürk, a science teacher, conducted this study with 10 teachers and 78 students from 8 different schools.In the last few years, we have needed to explore and understand the power of nature more. We have volunteered to be aware of and protect the opportunities that the world we live in offers us. Who are we? All of us partners of the eTwinning project “STEAM for Green Nature”.
We crossed paths with some of them in the “Digital Science” eTwinning project last year and this year we continue to work on the project with new partners. We made our project application in January and started STEM learning scenario activities in February. Our projeject will finish on April 30. The basis of our work is a STEAM learning scenario. We apply the steps of the learning scenario in our schools.
My learning scenario is below link.
Aim of the project
Our aim with our project is to raise awareness for a sustainable climate, first among our students and then in a larger audience. To explain the importance of our students adapting less harmful activities to climate change into their future lifestyles. When we started the project preparations to popularize STEAM studies, we determined studies suitable for the participation of our colleagues from different branches. Because, the “Global Climate Crisis” is a problem for all of us. We worked with teachers from Science, Social Studies, and English branches. In addition, our group teachers, and visual and technical design teachers in our schools also supported us.
In the implementation of the learning scenario, we carried out our work both face-to-face and remotely. Mixed country teamwork and collaborative work were also included in our work.
Activities
There are many activities in our scenario, which we integrated with our course topics. After the pre-test we applied, our students prepared posters and logos. We constantly updated our activities according to the decisions we made with our partners and students at our monthly meetings.Our partners attended seminars for the safe internet day, and each school organized seminars for its own students.
Expert Support
As expert support, we have planned an online seminar with the responsible of the Turkish Anti-Erosion and Afforestation (TEMA) Foundation. ITU Environmental Engineering Environment Club made an online presentation on “Tears of Water” to our students on World Water Day.
outdoor activity
We did an outdoor activity. With the Plantnet phone application, our students became aware of the diversity of plants in our school’s garden.
recycling
Students designed products from recycling materials to explain that waste is also valuable.
Trip
We went to the “Botanical Garden” and “Nature Park” with our students.
make a song
Another of our activities we sang songs in our classrooms during world forest week. Our students prepared slogans. Than, they chose the most popular slogans from these slogans. Rap songs were made with the most popular slogans among the slogans so, we created a collaborative product with the web2.0 tool.
mixed shool team activities
In addition, for the World Water Day, we created a board with the students in our groups formed from mixed country teams. We created a calendar from the pages we prepared as a board.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1svXRhxT9QFrUFkLQzMtUCjfDQ2iOR6dr/view?usp=sharing
footprint
At carbon footprint activity, we had our students watch videos to explain what activities result from the carbon we give to nature. After that, they calculated their carbon footprint and water footprint.
Exhibited our works and presentation
We collaborated with the group teachers and decorated our school boards with the activities of all classes. Our students in the project conducted research on climate change and shared what they learned with their friends in other classes in our school with the presentations they prepared.
write your story
Pupils wrote a story about climate change as a collaborative product. They turned the story in to a cartoon with the Pixton web2.0 tool.
Our students created videos about what kind of world they want to live in. They prepared the videos with the Toontastic web 2.0 tool.
bioplastic
At this activity, pupils made bioplastics. Than, one of our students videotaped his work to show the construction stages at meeting.
Dissamination
Facebook, Instagram, youtube channels, and the school website to disseminate our work. Also, we have benefited from Whatsapp groups for both communication and sharing our work.
On April 15-16, Turkey II. We attended the Scientix workshop and introduced our project. Also, we shared our project in the İzmir ETwinning İzmir News bulletin and in the book “Turkey Scientix Ambassadors Project Studies”.
Learning Outcomes
Students learned the causes and consequences of climate change. So, they discovered what they could do to reduce global warming. They became aware of the vegetation around them and realized the importance of biodiversity. On the other hand, their digital competencies have improved,