Showing posts with label environmental education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label environmental education. Show all posts

Earth Hour 2011: It's time to go beyond the hour!




http://wwf.ca/earthhour/

At 8:30 PM (local time) on Saturday, March 26, 2011, lights will switch off around the globe for Earth Hour and people will commit to actions that go beyond the hour.

With Earth Hour almost upon us, our thoughts are with the people of Japan during this incredibly challenging and sad time for their country.

The simple idea of switching off lights for an hour to drive action on climate change began in Australia in 2007.

This year it’s expected that well over 1 billion people in over 145 countries will take part.

This Earth Hour we want you to go beyond the hour, so after the lights go back on think about what else you can do to make a difference. Together our actions add up.


Portugal

In Portugal 81 cities will switch off the lights of some emblematic monuments ! Families, friends, will stay together to switch off the lights at home. Some go on the street to illuminate the cities with candle lights.







Education:

Students are more and more motivated for environmental problems.  I have developed some Earth Hour projects with my students for Earth Hour 2008; Earth Hour 2009; Earth Hour 2010 in Portuguese curricum, Une Heure pour la Terre 2010 in French foreign language curriculum. 





Here some activities created by Earth Hour network that you can develope in the classroom, envolving your stydents:


  • Virtual Lantern project - Create a virtual lantern with the students. Choose a lantern shape, color and write a message and complete here 
  • Play the Lights out Game (younger students) here
  • Virtual Light Switch here

And why not a students' concert like this one...





Young violinists Conservatory of Music
Lisbon Metropolitana Orchestra




In Lisbon, the, the young group of Metropolitana Orchestra consisting of violin students from the Conservatory of Music of Lisbon, between 3 and 18 years old will play during Earh Hour 2011. Read here (Portuguese site).

This solidarity concert will take place at Aula Magna, Lisbon, at 8:30 PM (local time).


It is not just about lights, although the lights provide the lovely visible marketing shots of cities going dark. 


Turning off your computer, your TV and all those other power-hungry devices is an important part of the process. Your Geeklet ritually disconnecting from their game and shutting down the computer is really making a sacrifice. 


So, we are all on it! Tomorrow, 8:30 PM (local time) switch our lights, disconnect our geeklet ritual, light on our candles!




G-Souto
25.03.2011
Copyright © 2010G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com® 

Super Full Moon





Today, March 19th, a full Moon of rare size and beauty will rise in the east at sunset. It's a super "perigee moon"--the biggest in almost 20 years.
"The last full Moon so big and close to Earth occurred in March of 1993," says Geoff Chester of the US Naval Observatory in Washington DC. "I'd say it's worth a look."
Full Moons vary in size because of the oval shape of the Moon's orbit. It is an ellipse with one side (perigee) about 50,000 km closer to Earth than the other (apogee): diagram. Nearby perigee moons are about 14% bigger and 30% brighter than lesser moons that occur on the apogee side of the Moon's orbit.
Contrary to some reports circulating the Internet, perigee Moons do not trigger natural disasters. The "super moon" of March 1983, for instance, passed without incident. And an almost-super Moon in Dec. 2008 also proved harmless.
"Okay, the Moon is 14% bigger than usual, but can you really tell the difference? It's tricky. There are no rulers floating in the sky to measure lunar diameters. Hanging high overhead with no reference points to provide a sense of scale, one full Moon can seem much like any other."
Dr. Tony Phillips | Credit: Science@NASA

Education:
A good video to display in Sciences classroom next monday to explain perigee moon  to the students.

G-Souto
19.03.2011
Copyright © 2010G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com®
Credits: video NASA
References:
NASA Sciences, News, Dr. Tony Phillips, Super Full Moon, 16 March 2011



À faire penser...




Poster Miel /Semih Kaplanogiu

Puisqu'on parle tellement d'inclusion dans nos écoles, à propos aussi de l'Année européenne de lutte contre la pauvreté et l'exclusion sociale (2010), un film qui nous fait réflechir...

Récompensé d’un ours d’or à Berlin, « Miel » est un film d’apprentissage dont le personnage central est un garçon de 6 ans, Yusuf, dans un village reculé d’Anatolie.

Synopsis:


Yusuf a 6 ans, il vit avec ses parents dans un village isolé d’Anatolie. 

Pour le petit garçon, la forêt environnante est un lieu de mystère et d’aventure où il aime accompagner Yakup, son père apiculteur. Il le regarde avec admiration installer ses ruches et récolter le miel à la cime des arbres.

Les abeilles se faisant de plus en plus rares, Yakup est obligé de partir travailler plus loin dans la forêt. Mais il tarde à revenir, et le monde se retrouve soudain plein de son absence.




Miel /scène du film
http://www.miel-lefilm.com/

Construit en flash-back, « Miel » nous plonge dans son quotidien divisé en trois espaces : l’école, la maison et la forêt. 

En classe, Yusuf voudrait lire à haute voix, mais les sons sortent difficilement de sa bouche. 

A la maison, il refuse de boire le lait supposé le faire grandir. Il préfère courir dans la forêt, suivre son père apiculteur. 

Ce rapport à la nature, traité avec poésie et mystère, confère une puissance certaine au travail du réalisateur. 



Un film qui nous laisse deux importantes questions:


L'importance de la famille auprès de l'enfant et l'apprentissage pour la vie au milieu de la nature.


À une époque où les jeunes sont enfermés, presque tout le temps - maison, école, ville, réseaux sociaux - un film qui nous fait penser! 




Il faut sortir nos élèves, de plus en plus, dans la nature,  faire des cours en plein air, je l'ai déjà écrit ici. Le vrai 'savoir comprendre, savoir faire, savoir apprendre' se trouve dans des espaces nature.


Environmental education and outdoor play is important for our children’s personal and academic growth. With students now spending 90% of their time indoors, “nature deficit disorder” is on the rise.


A recent study found that children spend less than four minutes a day in “unstructured outdoor play.” This secluded lifestyle is causing emotional, educational, and physical consequences, including obesity. Getting kids outside teaches them about the world around them and gives them an appreciation for nature"[...]


earthday.net




«Miel» a obtenu l'Ours d'Or de meilleur film du Festival De Berlin 2010. Cette récompense lui a été décernée par le jury présidé par Werner Herzog.

"Limpide, élégiaque, radieux dans sa manière d'évoquer les épreuves de Yusuf, le cinéma de Kaplanoglu apaise, fascine, grandit."




G-Souto
23.09.10

Copyright © 2010G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com® 


Environmental education and outdoor



A educação ambiental e as distracções ao ar livre são muito importantes para o desenvolvimento saudável dos jovens.
Agora que os alunos passam 90% do seu tempo no interior (casa ou escola) o déficit da desordem ambiental está a aumentar.
Um estudo recente demonstrou que os jovens passam pouco mais do que alguns minutos, por dia, em brincadeiras ao ar livre. O estudo concluiu que este estilo de vida está a causar consequências emocionais, educativas e físicas, incluindo a obesidade.

Trazer os jovens para o ar livre, mostrar-lhes o mundo que os rodeia, incentivá-los a apreciar a Natureza, aproveitando para fazer exercício físico é essencial para o seu equilíbrio.
earthday.net
[tradução livre]



Environmental education and outdoor play is important for our children’s personal and academic growth. With students now spending 90% of their time indoors, “nature deficit disorder” is on the rise. A recent study found that children spend less than four minutes a day in “unstructured outdoor play.” This secluded lifestyle is causing emotional, educational, and physical consequences, including obesity. Getting kids outside teaches them about the world around them and gives them an appreciation for nature while providing an opportunity for sunshine and exercise.
Leave No Child Inside
Earth Day Network has been working with more than 600 groups, representing 42 million Americans, to pass the No Child Left Inside Act. This piece of legislation would get kids outside during the school day by providing new funding for environmental education. The funds would ensure that teachers are trained to provide high-quality, engaging lessons and would expand environmental learning opportunities across the country.
earthday.net

O sistema educativo português devia rever os seus métodos e permitir mais aulas ao ar livre, em lugar de nos ter aprisionados horas seguidas, em períodos tão longos do dia, fechados entre quatro paredes!
Poderíamos aproveitar a excelente situação geográfica da nossa cidade e da nossa escola. Fazer sessões de leitura no Parque da Cidade, nas margens do Douro, nos jardins de Serralves ou do Palácio de Cristal.

Também seria possível e muito salutar fazer-se caminhadas a pé ou de bicicleta nas praias da Foz e Matosinhos, correr ou passear no Parque na Cidade.
Tudo isto deveria fazer parte dos hábitos diários e dos currículos escolares. Estaríamos assim a contribuir para novas gerações muito mais saudáveis!
La tecnología puede enviar a un hombre a la luna, desvelar los secretos del ADN y conseguir que la gente viaje alrededor del globo cada vez en menos tiempo. Pero, ¿puede sustituir a la naturaleza? Según los autores de ciencia ficción, tanto novelas como películas, en un futuro viviremos en casas sin ventanas que nos mostrarán a través de pantallas idílicos paisajes de todo el mundo que cambiarían aleatoriamente con sólo pulsar un botón.

Helena Martínez, 12.06.2008
El País.com


Impossível! O Homem jamais poderá viver sem a Natureza! Será que estamos a esquecer que somos humanos?!

O sol, o vento, as árvores, a água, o canto dos pássaros e tudo que nos evoque a Natureza nunca poderão ser igualados por mera invenção humana!
Vivamos e fruamos a Natureza!

Ah! Um conselho! Frequentem menos os centros comerciais e os lugares de fast-food.


Boa e saudável vida!


G-Souto
15.03.2009
Copyright © 2010G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com®

Earth Day 2008



coracaodanatureza_peneda_geres_nunof_rocha_fotodependente_com_4_02_08.jpg
 
Peneda - Gerês (Portugal)


Photograph: Nuno F.Rocha

(...)
Terra, minha canção!
Ode de pólo a pólo erguida
Pela beleza que não sabe a pão
Mas ao gosto da vida!

Miguel Torga, Terra

Today,the 22 April, we celebrate Earth Day 2008.

Des citoyens du monde entier s'unissent dans la plus grande Campagne Mondiale pour dire 'Halte' à tous les politiques de la planète.

"Global warming is our most urgent environmental problem: it's now or never to take action. Politicians are not doing enough to curb climate change and we the moment has come to say “enough”." *

Earth Day 2008

Moi, ça m'a fait un énorme plaisir de voir mes jeunes élèves engagés dans un projet si important pour l'éducation civique des nouvelles générations.

Et ils ont aimé l'idée! Les voilà à travailler et à fêter dans leur collège:

Journée de la Terre 2008

Comme premier pas, ils ont fait leur inscription sur le site web


network pédagogique et civique qui a réuni plus de 1014 participants!

I'm very interested in preparing the new generations to help "Earth Planet"!
My students are aged 10-12 years.
They are participating in the "IPY 2007-08" and "Safer Internet 2008".
They just love "Earth Planet" and they are very glad to take part on "Earth Day 2008" !
We will work on the project in Portuguese Literature and Civics courses!
It's wonderful to take part in this international project!

Et ce furent nos premiers mots sur le site!

Après quelques dialogues en classe, 78 jeunes élèves ont levé leur voix pour dire OUI et se sont proposés à bien participer dans le projet!

C'était toute une nouvelle aventure! On venait de participer à IPY 2007-08. 


Alors, le thème "Environnement" n’était pas nouveau! Un blog thématique a été créé par les élèves de 6eme: Torrinhas Exploradores Polares

Quelques mois plus tard, on a reçu l'invitation de Earth Day 2008 pour enregistrer nos activités!

"Join Earth Day to make 2008 the year the world unites behind the fight against climate change."

Trois classes de 5eme G-H-I de Escola Francisco Torrinha, au Portugal, s'unissent, cette semaine, du 21 au 30 avril, pour faire alerte au collège.

Projet: "Semana Verde 2008"

Matériel: Vidéo An Inconvenient Truth Al Gore

Activités:

Qu'ont-ils fait? 


  • Un journal de classe;
  • Des mini flys; 
  • Recherche de textes; 
  • Création de textes libres: petites histoires, poèmes, articles

Que travaillent-ils encore? 


  • Concours 'Green Writers'; 
  • Distribution flys et ballons; 
  • Coin vert (trois classes, trois fleurs plantées dans le jardin du collège); 
  • Blog thématique - "Os Torrinhas Verdes".





Portuguese young students (78 kids, aged 10-12, G-H-I classes, middle school, Porto, Portugal, are celebrating their Green Week
 
During the Green Week (17.04.08 - 30.04.08) they are working on: 


  • Board Green Paper in 3 classrooms;
  • Writing and drawing little stories, poems, flys; 
  • Making a Contest - "Green Writers"; 
  • Distributing flyers and green and white balloons in the school; 
  • "Green Coin" (planting one flower per class);
  • Painting their own t'shirts;  
  • Creating/publishing a 'green blog' - Blog "Green Torrinhas" - Torrinhas Verdes


"Global warming is our most urgent environmental problem: it's now or never to take action. Politicians are not doing enough to curb climate change and we the moment has come to say “enough”.
 
These are our demands: A moratorium on new coal-burning plants, Renewable energy, Carbon-neutral buildings, Protection for the poor and middle class in the new green economy. Around the world, stay tuned to http://www.earthday.net/ for a list of national Parliaments where you can call your leaders."




Je surfe souvent sur  le net à la recherche de nouvelles idées et de différents projets, outils essentiels pour faire la motivation des élèves "Torrinhas" et pour devélopper des activités en classe de Langue Portugaise et Éducation Civique.

Ne loupez pas le blog Os Torrinhas Verdes (en construction, developpé par une petite équipe de jeunes écoliers, 11-13 ans)


Terra, minha aliada
Na criação!
Seja fecunda a vessada,
Seja à tona do chão,
Nada fecundas, nada,
Que eu não fermente também de inspiração!

Miguel Torga, Terra


G-Souto *


22.04.08
Copyright © 2010G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com®


References:

Gina Souto, Journée de la Terre, Bréves, ÉduFLE.net, le 5 juin 2008