The main purpose of this OSOS accelerator is to raise interest and sensitize learners of a broad age range in (organic) school gardening experience and practice on cultivating plants and/or developing a viable agro-ecological culture. It aims to provide children with opportunities to think and act as conscious and contemporary citizens, agro-ecologists, within a viable development of societies, which grow plants organically in harmony with the environment, in respect of contemporary local and global agricultural economies and healthy eating habits. In other words, incorporating agriculture and organic gardening in the classroom helps learners understand how humans interact with the environment and how food is grown. Furthermore, agriculture and school gardening promotes awareness of a healthy lifestyle, helps learners master even demanding STE(A)M concepts, and exposes citizens to agricultural job opportunities. By designing, cultivating, and harvesting organic school gardens, children experience deeper understanding of natural systems and ecosystems and become better stewards of the earth. Nevertheless, unlike some other activities they participate in during their school years, gardening is an activity they can participate in for the rest of their lives. On a personal level, gardening builds confidence, self-esteem, and pride as children watch their efforts turn into beautiful and productive gardens. It also teaches them patience as they wait for a seedling to sprout or a tomato to ripen. Through gardening, children help to beautify the school grounds and develop aesthetic skills. The praise they receive from peers and classmates, parents, teachers, and community members will enhance responsibility, create a sense of community spirit and perhaps introduce them to the benefits of volunteering, active citizenship and community solidarity. The challenge for the teachers is to provide an adequate and didactically transposed framework of approaches on organic agriculture and organic gardening. Acting as a mentors and facilitators will investigate together with children ways of developing an organic school garden and alongside with the aid of experts and on-site study visits, design and develop such a garden. Teaching and learning activities will include investigations, experimentation and inquiry-based activities, constructions, gardening practice, open exhibitions etc. All children and school community members are to be included and participate in gardening activities, an indicative set of which is described below. Learners and teachers become passionately involved in all sorts of activities of the school garden, encouraging their interests within open (also authentic) teaching and learning environments.
This is an (inter)thematic/interdisciplinary topic/OSOS accelerator, which interweaves nearly all subject domains of formal, non-formal and informal education, ranging from Science, ICT, Mathematics, Technology & Engineering to Language, History, Arts, Physical Education etc.
CONTACT PEOPLE:
|
ORGANIZATION IN CHARGE:
Primary School of Oinofyta Pyrgou 1, 32011 Oinofyta |
Students age group: 6 - 9, 9 - 12
Subject domain: Mathematics, Science, ICT, Engineering, Technology
# of students participating: 50 from 3rd and 5th grade
Updated on: 24.10.2020
Kommentit
In order to be able to post a comment you have to be logged in to the portal. You can login or register a new account by pressing the "Login" button at the top right corner.