PRE-STEP 0. Before the Climate Change Mission

Before starting the Climate Change missions students must learn about the Open Science Schooling methodology about missions and the terms Science, Climate Change and Learning on demand, if these terms are not already known.

Here, the concept is that science learning is organized as a climate change mission, as a student-centered process, and as an opportunity for students to learn science in a relevant manner addressing local community issues related to the concept of Climate Change.

Your role as a teacher

In general

  • The teacher must accept that he/she does not know everything in the field in which students make their climate change mission.
  • The teacher should avoid correcting the student with direct answers, but instead make questions that will make the students think about/act towards a solution. The teacher guides the students.
  • The teacher provides opportunities for learning on demand.

 

Before the mission

Before the mission, both the concepts related to the form of work and those related to the content are explored. Therefore, first let the students discuss:

  • What is Open Science Schooling?
  • What is a mission?
  • What is Learning on demand?
  • What is a critical approach?
  • What is science?
  • What is climate change and what is not climate change?

 

Before next step

Students and teachers will have a common understanding of the concepts listed above before they enter the next step of “identify problem”.

 

Recommendations and comments

- from the teachers and students in the project to teachers and students who would like to start working with Climate Change Education:

“At the end of the day open schooling is something that is very important for younger generations/students, because it is presented in a better/more interesting way and it motivates students way more than just normal classes. Open schooling is a teaching method in which everything is flexible and adaptable such as location, time, methods etc.” (Teachers from Slovenia).

“In this methodology, students are more autonomous and choose what they want to learn and how to do it” (Teacher from Spain).

“I understand the concept of open schooling as a system that finds ways for students to learn not from textbooks, but experience provided by various activities, meetings, trips, lectures and anything else that makes learning memorable and enjoyable” (Student from Poland).

“Open schooling is an opportunity for students to study things in their school curriculum and in an extra-curricular and more engaging way. It is their involvement and finding real science in the closest community taking part in science missions and learning from them and also educating others” (Teacher from Lithuania).

“Open schooling is a way to transform the educational processes that typically take place in normal schooling into something more engaging and enjoyable, all the while increasing the efficiency of each activity. The students liked open schooling for what it was, in that it’s an honest way to make class more of a hobby than a chore” (Teacher from Lithuania).

“On the initial stage we suggest that teachers with their students brainstorm about different methods of learning and studying. Judging from their experience they could distinguish successful methods of learning from the ones that seem to be less effective. They could also discuss the importance of developing critical thinking and justified doubts about what the students read, hear and learn to double check the information they gather. Teachers should encourage students to try to look at different issues from less obvious point of view and compare their ideas/conclusions with other students, teachers and experts” (Teacher from Poland).