Designing a system of learning materials to explain climate change to children
Our climate is changing faster than anticipated, creating an urgent responsibility for educators to prepare children for global warming and help them understand what is happening and how everything is interconnected. Inspired by the Montessori method, this project explores the process of designing...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of Gdańsk
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Problemy Wczesnej Edukacji |
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| Online Access: | https://czasopisma.bg.ug.edu.pl/index.php/pwe/article/view/11461 |
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| author | Lucy Blackwell |
| author_facet | Lucy Blackwell |
| author_sort | Lucy Blackwell |
| collection | DOAJ |
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Our climate is changing faster than anticipated, creating an urgent responsibility for educators to prepare children for global warming and help them understand what is happening and how everything is interconnected. Inspired by the Montessori method, this project explores the process of designing a set of learning materials to teach children (aged 6 to 9) about climate change. These materials were tested in a Montessori school and a state primary school over 5 weeks, using a qualitative research methodology of observation and semi-structured interviews. A cross-curricula approach, grounded in systems thinking, proved to be an effective way to break down and organize the content for this topic. A variety of different types of learning materials were designed including: card matching, experiments, listening to sounds, collaborative drawing, and engaging with physical materials. The hands-on learning materials that directly reflected their purpose, proved to be the most effective in achieving the learning outcomes. A consideration of how the design process followed many of the Montessori principles is explored, whilst also identifying a need to be more flexible with the Montessori approach and use the method as a springboard for new ideas.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b2ccd3d18e104b158edf87243b19c360 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1734-1582 2451-2230 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | University of Gdańsk |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Problemy Wczesnej Edukacji |
| spelling | doaj-art-b2ccd3d18e104b158edf87243b19c3602025-02-11T11:14:36ZengUniversity of GdańskProblemy Wczesnej Edukacji1734-15822451-22302024-12-0158110.26881/pwe.2024.58.11Designing a system of learning materials to explain climate change to childrenLucy Blackwell0https://orcid.org/0009-0003-0567-1495Anglia Ruskin University Our climate is changing faster than anticipated, creating an urgent responsibility for educators to prepare children for global warming and help them understand what is happening and how everything is interconnected. Inspired by the Montessori method, this project explores the process of designing a set of learning materials to teach children (aged 6 to 9) about climate change. These materials were tested in a Montessori school and a state primary school over 5 weeks, using a qualitative research methodology of observation and semi-structured interviews. A cross-curricula approach, grounded in systems thinking, proved to be an effective way to break down and organize the content for this topic. A variety of different types of learning materials were designed including: card matching, experiments, listening to sounds, collaborative drawing, and engaging with physical materials. The hands-on learning materials that directly reflected their purpose, proved to be the most effective in achieving the learning outcomes. A consideration of how the design process followed many of the Montessori principles is explored, whilst also identifying a need to be more flexible with the Montessori approach and use the method as a springboard for new ideas. https://czasopisma.bg.ug.edu.pl/index.php/pwe/article/view/11461Montessoridesignlearning activitiesglobal warmingsystems thinking |
| spellingShingle | Lucy Blackwell Designing a system of learning materials to explain climate change to children Problemy Wczesnej Edukacji Montessori design learning activities global warming systems thinking |
| title | Designing a system of learning materials to explain climate change to children |
| title_full | Designing a system of learning materials to explain climate change to children |
| title_fullStr | Designing a system of learning materials to explain climate change to children |
| title_full_unstemmed | Designing a system of learning materials to explain climate change to children |
| title_short | Designing a system of learning materials to explain climate change to children |
| title_sort | designing a system of learning materials to explain climate change to children |
| topic | Montessori design learning activities global warming systems thinking |
| url | https://czasopisma.bg.ug.edu.pl/index.php/pwe/article/view/11461 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT lucyblackwell designingasystemoflearningmaterialstoexplainclimatechangetochildren |