School activities based on environmental education
The role of schools in the Arab countries towards environmental awareness is still very weak, and from here it is necessary to remind that the role of the school is not limited to the educational aspect only. But it has now a big role in promoting positive values and raising generations on many aspects of life and behavior among students, including environmental awareness, which represents a societal and developmental importance, and the school can have a positive role in this field through a set of activities, initiatives, events and integrating the child in class environmental activities, festivals and competitions inside the school or camps outside it. It is possible to develop in the child the spirit of challenge and speed of learning because he is greatly influenced by activities and practices with his peers, which play a role in instilling environmental values in him and instilling in them environmental values and skills to increase their environmental awareness and raise them as effective human resources in the future.
Definition of environmental education:
As defined by R. Legendre, it is “an open system consisting of inputs, activities and knowledge, it aimes to make the human being capable of improving his status as much as possible and obtaining his autonomy in an evolutionary way towards the search for the meaning of his existence and his environment” (R. Legendre).
What activities are suitable for environmental education:
Children can learn things they like quickly and with high quality, so preparing green tours or field trips to places far from school, as well as organizing some initiatives and integrating awareness through activities and play, will be important in developing the talents of students and preparing their abilities to interact positively with environmental issues. The activities are:
Environmental school trips:
This is one of the most important strategies for teaching environmental education. This is because students’ direct interaction with the environment provides a concrete physical basis for learning environmental concepts, and increasing students’ understanding and appreciation of their environment. The direct experience strategy involves students learning in a direct and interactive experiential way with the environment. Direct experience can include natural sites such as a beach, a mountainous, a desert, or a nature reserve. Participating in afforestation and learning about the elements of nature.
However, it is important to mention the importance of:
Providing appropriate protection for the child during environmental trips:
Safety conditions must be secured and provided before starting any school trip or outdoor activity, as it must be ensured that the road and transportation are safe, and that the area visited by children is free of war remnants, chemical and sharp substances, abandoned wells, landfills and tunnels…..
In addition, children must be accompanied by reliable and well-trained people, with the availability of first aid, information about police stations and hospitals near the visit area, and appropriate procedures for child protection policy.
- Organizing school environmental initiatives:
By dedicating an environmental day or week within the school and taking advantage of important events, such as World Environment Day on June 5, inviting parents and the local community to discuss community environmental issues, hosting an environmental expert or activist, raising awareness of the importance of the environment or planting some plants and trees in the school and hosting active people in the local community. The initiative should have a specific name that reflects the importance of the environment and its preservation.
- Guidance and awareness sessions:
Therefore, the teacher and school guide must be prepared to deal with different and changing situations and raise awareness of them, and he must plan his work and make his planning flexible to accommodate changing situations by training students to think scientifically in solving the environmental issues they face, acquiring skills and developing their innovative abilities towards their environment by choosing topics, phenomenon and issues that motivate students to study them and participate in solving them. Here, it is necessary to “use different educational means and a large number of effective teaching methods in environmental education and lighting with techniques for guided sessions based on proper preparation of the topic and presenting it in an interactive way for children.
- Integrating environmental awareness into the school’s methods:
Teachers can integrate environmental education into their lessons by discussing issues such as climate change, biodiversity, pollution, environmental conservation, and integrating environmental awareness into the methods enhances environmental awareness.
“The environmental awareness process in schools should be gradual from kindergarten to advanced educational levels, to be suitable for different ages , to include integrating environmental awareness and environmental issues in most educational subjects or teaching it as a separate subject as much as possible” . According to educational expert Alaa Al-Mosully.
- Theater and art performances:
School theater is one of the activities through which several educational and awareness-raising messages can be reached to students, under the guidance of teachers or school advisors, as it is an educational tool and an important way for students to learn many skills. Theater performances are closer to young age groups, as puppet theater is used in addition to theater (murals are considered a form of art that is used to raise awareness and pay attention to social issues).
Finally:
It is important for the school and its activities to have a target to create an environmentally sound behavior for the child that has a future impact includes a wide circle of a generation whose individuals may be decision makers one day.
Recognizing the reality of environmental issues and their effects raises awareness of the need to contribute to solving them and motivates children to take their role in preserving their environment and its safety.
The key to this role is active participation in the implementation of individual and collective tasks (due to their age and abilities) and their daily behavior. It is one of the most important domains and activities through which children can play a role in protecting the environment.
References :
https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000216383_ara
https://alsabaah.iq/87519-.html