Twenty-sixth International Conference on Learning

Abstract

NIE, the association of ikastolas (primary and secondary schools using Basque as a vehicular language for education) has designed and manages, since 2008, a network of seven afforested forests in the region of Navarre, aiming to compensate the CO2 emissions associated of their annual fund-raising festival (Nafarroa Oinez). As these forests are created and kept by the network of schools, they offer a perfect framework for both the assessment of different ecosystem services provided by forests, and for developing different educational projects and tools for environmental education. In one of these forests, a study on the evolution of soil properties and plant biodiversity conducted by professional researchers allowed for the development of an educational proposal for involving teachers and students at the school in charge of the forest. The proposal was prepared by pedagogues, educators, scientists and managers, and focused on two major topics in Secondary Education: soil conservation, and ecosystem succession. This was done by integrating scientific knowledge generated in this study in the teaching program of this topics at the 3rd (soil) and 4th (ecosystems) level of Secondary Education. In particular, a proposal based in cooperative learning, including a puzzle classroom activity and open-air work embedded in a wider program aiming to assess the scientific competences of students, was successfully developed five years after the implementation of this school-managed forest. In addition, a platform of Citizen Science was designed for the network of Oinez Basoa forests aiming to integrate other members of the educative community in their use.