LESSON 5 PRACTICE

PROJECT-BASED ACTIVITY

I had to do this practice invidually because they had to operate on me and I could not attend class; so it was a little more complicated when it came to performing since I didn't have the help of my classmates. However, I found it quite interesting to carry out an activity based on a project.

ACTIVITY:

I have designed a project work for 5th grade based on the importance of environment in school, raising students' awareness of how they can improve it. In addition, it explains the different aspects that encompass the term “environment".

Currently, caring for the environment is became an important issue in our lifes, so we think it would be very interesting to develop an activity in the field of Natural Science to learn more about how to save the world. In addition, students will learn to be aware of the importance of recycle, reduce and reuse not only in schools but in daily life. In this way, they gain a deeper knowledge of reality that surrounds us.

Because this activity is proposed for the subject of natural sciences, which is taught in English, apart from the proposed theme (the environment); Children can also learn about plants, animals, relief, landscapes, etc. At the same time they can create debates on environmental issues to develop English vocabulary.

For the proposed activity the class must be separated into two groups, each of the groups will do a different job. The first group will make a trip to the nearest beach and there they can observe that it is full of trash, so they can clean the beach by recycling.

The activity of the second group will consist of the visit of an ecological garden; there you can observe how vegetables and fruits are planted. Also in the end the children will have to plant a flower to take care of it.

1.-What do you want your students to learn?

I have checked what the LOMCE said about the basic and most important competencies that students must learn and we have associated them with the knowledge that we want them to acquire in the activity

2.-What do you want them to do?

Before doing the two activities, in class in the subject of natural sciences we will make explanations and games related to the environment and the importance it has today.

I would like my students to work these two group activities; so that at the end of the two tasks each group contributed what this activity meant to them.

In the first task, know how to recycle each garbage in the corresponding container and be aware of taking care of our beaches. Students will be grouped into three groups and must wear a t-shirt of the color they have to recycle, that is, blue for paper and cardboard, yellow for plastic and green for glass. It depends of the colour, children will learn to recycle correctly. While in the second task the students will have to be attentive to observe what functions are developed within an ecological garden and also teach them how to plant a flower and the care it requires. At the end of the trip they should make a small exhibition for the rest of the class on how an ecological garden works.

3.-How are they going to do it?

For this activity, students have to be well aware of the problem that exists in the world about the environment. Once they are aware of this problem, they will make the two trips, to verify for themselves that this problem is within our reach. The first group will realize that with small actions, such as cleaning a beach, they can collaborate. Students will work in three different groups: yellow, blue and green; so each group must recycle what corresponds to their color. The activity of the second group is more focused on knowing the evolution of a plant; they will have to plant it alone and then learn to water and care for it. The students will work cooperatively, since when the two activities end they must explain to the class that they have learned from the activity and make a small presentation on the subject.

4.-What have the students learned?

The main goal is for children to learn the benefits of recycling and the impact of their daily gestures on the conservation of the environment, with activities and games. Schools should raise students' awareness of this problem since they are young, so that through these activities, future children know how to care for and value the environment around us. A very important aspect is that children learn that with simple actions they can help change the world. In addition, in this project, students will learn to work both individually and in groups, since they will have to form work groups and at the same time they will have to be autonomous to make their own decisions.

To sum up, in my opinion with this activity the children have enjoyed a different day of class, while they have been aware of the great problem in the world.

5.-What are the advantages and disadvantages of project work?

This project has many advantages, as I have said before, children learn from the environment about being young, to become aware and to develop the field of natural sciences. It also helps to form work groups within a class, and know how to speak in public in front of classmates. An important advantage is that the activities are proposed to be carried out near the school, so you can culturally know your surroundings. On the contrary, a disadvantage of this project that this issue has to be addressed both from school and from home; if in the school we involve certain values and then at home they don't see the example, the children will not learn. So it is important to raise awareness from home and instill values.