Eco-friendly city

Organising institution:

Edukaciniai Projektai (EDUPRO)

Country:

Lithuania

Age:

15-17.

Key question:

How can we make our city friendly to environment?

Objectives:

1. To stimulate eco-friendly thinking;
2. Raising community awareness about pollution;
3. Contributing to finding solutions for environmental problems in the city;
4. Proposing concrete solutions to solve concrete problems in the city.

Time:

3 workshops x 2 hrs.

Software and apps to be used:

https://infograph.venngage.com, Tinkercad.com, Creately.com; apps: “Recycling projects ideas”, “DIY recycled Crafts” and other for inspiration.

Brief presentation:

Workshop includes different activities:

• Using internet to find examples of eco-friendly solutions in the city and present them to other groups as good practice examples (in groups of 5);
• Using Tinkercad.com tools to design an object that would help to solve some environmental problem in the city (individual or group work);
• Using materials that can be recycled to create works of art and make an exhibition in public library, make a dissemination campaign with photos, collages and upload them in school media networks or websites to let as many people as possible to know;
• To collect and present tools/ channels of dissemination used (a common work by the whole group – composing a dissemination strategy using online programme - https://creately.com);
• To create a poster for community awareness about pollution and suggested solution (https://infograph.venngage.com).

Civic engagement:

The workshop is aimed at stimulating eco-friendly thinking, raising community awareness about pollution and its prevention, suggesting smart solutions for pollution reduction by students.

Topics covered:

• Biology,
• Geography,
• Arts,
• Handicrafts,
• 3D objects design.

Materials needed:

To collect in advance materials that can be recycled and given a “second life”: paper clips, newspapers, magazines, plastic bottles, cans, etc.

Main inspirations taken from personal research:

DA combines different subjects: arts, design, IT skills, pollution issue; in their research of the topic they will consult many English websites as well; presentation and working in a group skills also will be developed.

Mass media and social media connections:

Participants use internet, social media research, local newspapers and magazines to identify environmental problems of their city.

How do you plan to give voice to students to present or show their personal skills and knowledge?

The created posters are presented by participants and exhibition is made; the created objects and dissemination strategies are also presented to everybody and each group/ pair is given voice to explain, present what they have done and what wanted to express.

How do you collect information as the starting point of a Digital Atelier?

Use the handout “What you don’t know about me” to discover about students’ competences.

Introducing students to the key question - the research begings:

How modern technologies can serve to reducing the pollution?

Experimental phase

1. Action that unfolds the practical activity to clarify the question: Using any app to check the air quality in our country/ city.
2. Active work of the students: What environmental problems exist in our city? Identify at least 5 using internet research, local newspapers, local magazines; Work in groups of 5; then to find eco-friendly solutions for the city using the same resources as in the first task. A poster created using https://infograph.venngage.com;
3. Presentation of findings and results (visualisation of information): Posters created by students are printed out and exhibition is made first in the classroom then agreed with public library/ school library to make an exhibition.
4. Analysis of results: Visual presentation of the findings by students themselves is more likely to remain in their minds; The work in group encourages their closer cooperation.

Project/design phase - part 1

1. Second action that unfolds the practical activity: How can we solve the issue of pollution?

2. Active work of the students: Using tinkercad.com to design an object that would help to solve one chosen problem related to pollution; Inspiration from https://www.onyalife.com/plastic-free/eco-friendly-products/; Work in pairs.

3. Presentation of findings and results (visualisation of information): The final product printed and hung on the wall. Participants have to present it and explain what and how it will contribute to solving the issue.

4. Analysis of results: Students grade from 1 to 10 (depending how many objects need to be graded) the usefulness of the object. Each student has to grade each object (except his/ her). Then the final results are summed.

Project/design phase - part 2

1. Third action that unfolds the practical activity: Trash or art?

2. Active work of the students:

• Students are given certain materials that can be recycled; from the whole pile they choose 5; they can work individually or in groups;
• They experiment with the materials given and have to create a piece of art; each experiment should be photographed;
• For inspiration they consult “Recycling projects ideas”, “DIY recycled Crafts” and other for inspiration;
• The final result is being chosen by student/s and composed;
• The catalogues of experiments by everybody is formed and printed;
• The last task is to think of how they are going to disseminate their common exhibition? Using creately.com to make a dissemination strategy (channels, tools, actions); The work is in groups of 5;
• The dissemination strategy is presented using multimedia.

3. Presentation of findings and results (visualisation of information):

The final result (art work) is being presented in the city’s public library/ school library for a wider community to observe.

4. Analysis of results:

Self-evaluation of students and evaluation of teacher/ workshop leader. The results of experimentation and final piece of work is put into catalogue which might be evaluated and discussed by everybody.

Approach to a new software or a new app:

During this workshop new apps/ software is used and teacher/ trainer has to prepare/ explore them in advance to be able to support students in acquainting with the new software.

Links between the Digital Atelier and real life of the students:

The theme of pollution has always been a popular topic. This time students are given a lot of freedom to choose the problem, how to solve it and present it; The posters and created art works are presented in the public library for wider community. Students are given voice to present their attitudes towards the topic and suggest new solutions to solve the problem of pollution.

How do you plan to evaluate knowledge and skills?

Students skills and knowledge are discussed after each stage; students are included into self-reflection. grading the works, etc.

Conclusion:

Students learn to look for information using different channels, learn to works with different programmes, to work with new software and are actively included in presenting their works, explaining their ideas and suggestions.

The publication was created as part of the project: APP YOUR SCHOOL.

This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.