News . Best Practices The visit to a bison reserve increased the motivation of the primary school students for the scientific action
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“Mihai Viteazul” Secondary School in Targoviste was the first school in Romania that managed to implement a scientific action (the structured scenario of Rewilding). There were two teachers in this school who collaborated to carry out activities in the CARE-KNOW-DO format. Mrs. Predoi Mihaela implemented in the 3rd grade, with 16 students. In addition to the activities foreseen in the didactic scenario materials, the pupils visited the Neagra Bison Reservation in Bucșani, Dâmbovița, where they interviewed a master hunter. The students were very interested in these actions and most of the activities were carried out outside school hours as extracurricular activities. The results were presented in a demonstration lesson with three experts from Valahia University in Targoviste.
CARE: We used the animal presentation materials for voting time, with students creating their own advocacy on behalf of their favorite animal, watched the film of wolf rewilding in Yellowstone Park and made food chains.
KNOW: We adapted and used the materials provided at the 3rd grade level so that we could complete as many actions as possible. As the children were very interested in these activities, most of the activities we did outside of class as extracurricular activities.
DO: Apart from the resources we received, we used the wwf.ro website, we visited the Neagra Bison Reservation in Bucșani, Dâmbovița – here the children interviewed a master hunter who is in charge of the zoo, we celebrated International Laughing Day on June 11, we made flyers and posters.
Open Schooling findings: The challenge was the guidebook we received, which I felt was adapted to the secondary school level, but the children were so excited about the project that I worked to adapt it to their level of understanding. Time was the biggest enemy.
Students’ results: They developed their teamwork skills, interview and advertising campaign skills, acquired new knowledge, enriched their vocabulary with specific terms (food chain, renaturation, ecosystem), learned for pleasure, out of curiosity and intrinsic motivation (participation in the project was voluntary).