EDA3046 EXAM PACK October 2021.

EDA3046 EXAM PACK October 2021. Environmental Education. What is Education for sustainability? Education for sustainability is a transformative learning process that equips students, teachers, and a school system with the new knowledge and ways of thinking we need to achieve economic prosperity and responsible citizenship while restoring the health of the living systems upon which our lives depend Education for sustainability is: · A means to provide learners with the skills, perspectives, values, and knowledge to live sustainably in their communities. · A means to enable individuals and communities to fulfill and enjoy their rights and responsibilities, a way to promote civil democracy, form responsible and caring citizens, invest in human and social capital and reinforce the philosophy of lifelong learning · A holistic concept whereby education is seen as “everybody’s business”, for which all sectors of society are responsible and from which all benefit · A vision of education that integrates environmental, demographic, economic, social, cultural and other inherent in the notion of sustainability · Using formal, non-formal modes of instruction to reach the unreached and provide training and capacity-building in fields related to sustainable development Education for sustainability involves: · The environment – people, water, land, ecosystems, energy, waste, urban living, transportation and animals · The interactions between the natural environment and human activities and the consequences of these · The choices and actions we can take to prevent, reduce or change harmful activities to the environment Education for sustainability and education for sustainable development are very prominent in this decade for sustainable development. Answer the following questions regarding this: 1.1 Define the term sustainable development (4) 1.2 Name two ecological indicators of sustainability (2) 1.3 Name two social indicators of sustainability (2) 1.4 Name two spiritual indicators of sustainability (2) Suggested answer: Sustainable development – is the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs Ecological – harmony with your local environment, interaction with the ecosystem, food chains, organic food from good sources, healthy’ buildings, good waste management, clean and renewable water, renewable, non-toxic energy sources Social – communication, community relationships, sharing, diversity, personal growth, people’s well being, balanced resources. Spiritual – cultural issues, creativity, and the arts, unity, and integrity, peaceful surrounding, values and practices, flexibility to dealing with problems. Question In a school context, you observe the following: · Paper and litter is strewn over the whole school and the school grounds are unkempt · Lights are left on in classrooms and offices after school is over · Taps are usually left dripping As an environmental educator, you realize that this is an opportunity to educate the learners and the staff at your school about the environmental issues observed and to help them take action to respond to these issues. Briefly explain: 1. What values you can teach the school in relation to the observed environmental issues? 2. What skills need to be developed to address the problems? 3. What attitudes need to be developed in the school? 4. What decisions need to be made by the school management to address these issues? 5. What code of conduct needs to be developed for learners in the school to address these issues? Suggestion 1 What values you can teach the school in relation to the observed environmental issues?  living harmoniously within ecological systems  Care for the environment  developing a caring, responsible attitude toward nature  promoting a sense of continuity and community with other people and all living things.  Care for the environment  2 What skills need to be developed to address the problems? ? Critical thinking ? Collaboration and cooperation ? Emotional involvement ? Responsibility for goods or the community's property. ? Decision making ? Problem-solving ? Civic participation and action ? Evaluation 3. What attitudes need to be developed in the school?  Respecting earth and life in all its diversity  Caring for the community of life- both human and non-human – with understanding, compassion and love.  Building democratic societies that are just, sustainable, participatory and peaceful  Conservation of natural resources  Change in behavior 4. What decisions need to be made by the school management to address these issues? -The management should install more rubbish bins to resolve the litter problem in their school. -The development of a system to reduce the use of natural resources such as installing a rainwater collection system to use on gardens or in toilet cisterns -A project to educate others on an environmental issue, such as a movie highlighting ways to make a wrapper-free lunch and how this reduces waste to landfills. -Packaging what “waste” comes to school. -Create a waste system to manage the biodegradable organic matter in the school. Topic: Biodiversity CAPS Phase: grade 6 Subject: Mathematics Topic: Biodiversity Theme: Population LESSON AIMS The learner should be able to:  Estimate the difference between the number of given animals in 1993 and in 2000.  Find the difference between the two totals and compare.  Understand what extinction is and why is biodiversity necessary.  Predict the likelihood of something happening by using a graph and data given. POPULATION:  The biodiversity found on earth is the result of 3.6 billion years of evolution. A natural part of the evolutionary process is extinction when species disappear owing to changes in their living conditions they are unable to survive. POPULATION:  Learners will identify the impact of overpopulation, poaching, and hunting, urbanization, and introduction of alien species. Many African countries have established game parks to conserve their wildlife. In South Africa, the biggest game reserve in the Kruger National Park. Learners will visit the Kruger National Park to observe wild animals. TEACHER ACTIVITIES Methods:  Explain the importance of biodiversity  Explain what factors lead to the extinction  The importance of estimating and collecting data on environmental issues  Enable learners to have a role in planning their learning experiences LEARNER ACTIVITIES Method:  Group discussion on animals given on the table: Buffalo, Burchell’s zebra, cheetah, elephant, hyena, impala, leopard, lion, white rhino and wild dog.  Learners will plan on developing a strategy on how to make awareness on the importance RESOURCES Exercise books, computerized database, spreadsheet, pencil for the drawing and provide an opportunity for making a decision and accepting their consequences  Help learners discover the symptoms and real causes of environmental problems of diversity and how can we make a difference  Design and carry out surveys CONCLUSION The teacher will advise the learners to: write the year 1993 numbers from the given table correct to one significant place Find the total of these rounded off numbers Do the same for the year 2000 numbers Find the difference between the two totals Has the rate of extinction increased or decreased? Represent a food chain in terms of mass by means of a number pyramid(treegiraffe-leopard) CONCLUSION  Learners must calculate how many Burchell’s zebra were there than elephants in 1993  Find the sum of all predators in 1993 and compare it to the sum of predators in 2000  Find the sum of the Big Five in 1993 and compare it to the sum of the Big Five in 2000  Draw a bar graph and allocate their findings SKILLS AND VALUES  Analysis and interpretation skills  Decision-making skills  Planning and taking action  Accepting personal responsibility  Recognizing efficiency HOMEWORK  Learners should bring pictures of the wild animals given on the table.  Learners should do research on the number of plants and animal species that have become extinct because of human impact. TEACHER REFLECTION The lesson taught the learners the importance of biodiversity and how environmental issues such as poaching and hunting, urbanization, etc. can increase extinction, understand how facts about environmental issues are uncovered. Concepts learnt: Biodiversity, habitat, extinction, estimates, and statistics. Reply Collapse Mark as Read Re: Environmental Education Lesson Plan by A ADESOLA - 15 May 2019 @ 11:24 Environmental topic: Pollution Tbilisi principle Application of the principle to the topic 1. Enable learners to have a role in planning their learning experiences and provide an opportunity for making decisions and accepting the consequences Learners can plan divide the responsibility of picking up papers and litter in the schoolyard after lunch time. Factors such as recycling, global warming and hygiene must be raised. The school can provide recycling bins for tins, bottles, etc. 2. Relate environmental sensitivity, knowledge, problem-solving skills and values clarification to every age, but a special emphasis on environmental sensitivity to the learner’s own community in early years. Group discussion on different kinds of pollution and identify possible sources of pollution. How to care for the environment in terms of planting and caring for plants by watering them etc., using fewer resources – energy, water, etc. 3. Help learners discover the causes of environmental problems. Test how dirty our environment is by making a pollution catcher, e.g. paper plate and Vaseline to demonstrate how much dirt is caught on the paper plate. 4. Emphasis the complexity of environmental problems and thus the need to develop critical thinking and problemsolving skills. Brainstorming on how to stop pollution, learners can make posters on how to stop pollution and what can the community do to help stop pollution e.g. use a bicycle instead of a car whenever possible, switch unnecessary lights, plugs geysers off, etc. 5. Utilize diverse learning environments and a broad array of educational approaches to teaching/learning about and from the environment, with due stress on practical activities and firsthand experiences. Learners will be actively engaged and focused on environmental problems and challenges by recycling, i.e. learners can make litter boxes stating the importance of recycling and place them around the school. Pre-1994 developments in South Africa Conservation was largely found in SA prior to 1994, which was quite basic and just focused on ecology. Slowly it became what is now known as environmental education, which is holistic and encompasses many aspects, including social, political, cultural, economic and urban environments. Environmental education (EE) during the 1980s was confused with outdoor education. In 1982 the first international conference on environmental education was held in SA. This saw the formation of the EEASA (EE Association of SA). Many NGOs popped up, such as the Wildlife Society of SA and the Umgeni Valley Project. The UVP enjoyed the cooperation of the Natal ED Department and the Natal Parks Board. Two very good EE programs – Bophuthatswana and the National Environmental Awareness Council. The ‘White Paper on EE’ was tabled in 1989. It was based on the Tbilisi Principles and emphasized the EE should be mentioned all through education. EE was pioneered at North West University. Rhodes, UNISA and Stellenbosch both played a major role. Gold Fields, Swedish International Development Agency and Danish International Development Agency all funded development. Post-1994 developments in South Africa A lot of work was put into a new curriculum. The 1995 ‘White Paper on Education and Training’ set the scene for a focus on EE at all school and tertiary levels. The SA Constitution enshrines the right to a healthy environment, and truly sustainable development has come to the fore in government policies. A clearer African focus for EE is developing and is being found in industry training, public education, and communities. DEFINITION OF TERMS Holistic Environment - The holistic approach to environment deals with exploring possibilities and developing the models of amicable co-existence of all beings on Earth. ?It does not deal solely with one segment of the environment, but it sees life on the planet as a whole. The environment is more than just nature. Everything around us is part of our environment. We must decide how important it is for us to conserve it and whether we want to conserve it. The space created by personalities, influences perceptions, attitudes, and behavior in the environment. Aggression, love, helpfulness et cetera influence people’s attitudes towards the environment and others. Environmental Education – Environmental education refers to an organized effort to teach about how natural environment function and, particularly, how human beings can manage their behavior and ecosystems in order to live sustainably. -a holistic study of the total environment and creating positive attitudes towards the environment. It is concerned with actions taken or skills learned to prevent environmental problems. Also, see the IUCN (1972) definition on p. 7 of Study Guide. Sustainable Development – Sustainable development is defined as development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generation to their own needs. Sustainability is an attempt to provide the best outcomes for the human and natural environment both now and into indefinite future Ecosystem - a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment. Biodiversity – the variety among the living and non-living organisms in our environment. Overpopulation – the constant growth of humans that causes environmental stress/strain. Urbanization – many people living rural or simple lifestyles are migrating to the city centers causing an increasing need for further construction of buildings, etc. Desertification – a result of land degradation where the biological potential of the soil and the ability to support populations is diminished. Deforestation – the conversion of forests to non-forests uses such as farming, selective timber cutting. Pollution – the poisoning of the environment with substances that reduce the ability to support life or poisoning the environment with substances beyond its capacity to handle. Reply Collapse Mark as Unread Re: Definition of Terms by A ADESOLA - 6 May 2019 @ 1:30 Environment - the total sum of surrounding things, conditions or influences. The totality of circumstances surrounding an organism or group of organisms Ecology – the interaction and relationship between organisms and their environment. Health Hazards – many diseases, some contagious that reach epidemic and pandemic proportions. Population - It is a group of organisms belonging to the same species living together in a certain area or habitat. Community - It is a group of organisms belonging to different species living together and interacting in a certain area or habitat. Biosphere - It is composed of all living organisms on or around the earth. Ecological Niche - It is the physical space occupied by an organism and its functional role in the ecosystem. Habitat - It is the place where an organism lives. Herbivores - Also called as plant eaters. These are the primary consumers that eat plants only. Carnivores - Meat eaters, the secondary consumers that ingest other animals for their food Omnivores - Which eat both plants and animals Environment learning is best done using specific and suitable learning strategies. Name and describe four learning strategies that are appropriate for environmental learning Answer Learning strategies that are appropriate for environmental learning 1) Active learning Active learning is learning that engages and challenges student’s thinking using real-life and imaginary situations. Learners should not only learn about the environment but should also be active participants in the learning situation in environmental education. They must be given the opportunity to be critical and creative, as well as be able to discover things on their own. The purpose of the learning process is to enable learners to develop as individuals and to acquire knowledge, understanding, skills attitudes and values that will help them to understand and face the many environmental challenges in our world 2) Authentic learning Authentic learning is real life learning. It is a style of learning that encourages students to create a tangible, useful product to be shared with their world. This implies learning about real environmental threats and should be authentic. In this type of learning, educators use local or community sources of information such as societies, clubs, organization and indigenous knowledge available in the community. 3) Problem-solving Problem-solving is a process—an ongoing activity in which we take what we know to discover what we don't know. It involves three basic functions: 1) Seeking information 2) Generating new knowledge and 3) Making decisions. Problem-solving is an approach that challenges students to learn through engagement in a real problem. 4) Critical thinking Critical thinking implies a higher, dimension of thought and requires learners to acquire a lot of information on different perspectives associated with an environmental problem, issue or risk if their critical engagement is to be meaningful. It also requires teachers to have access to the same information in order to avoid a narrow or simplified interpretation of issues Question: A very important conference the most pressing global environment problems was held in Durban in December 2011. Name the conference and explain what was discussed there. Answer: The United Nations Climate Change Conference, Durban 2011, delivered a breakthrough on the international community's response to climate change