At Explora Natura, we are committed to carrying out environmental education activities solving real problems.
Environmental Education Activities: Solving Real-World Problems
Conducting environmental education activities by solving real-world problems is helpful for teachers, especially if they want to engage students and get them excited about what they're learning in any subject. It doesn't matter if the classes are biology, geology, science, technology, engineering, or mathematics. Have them tackle a real-world problem. Then watch their amazement as they realize that what they're learning in class has real-world applications.
Working on solutions to real-world problems is at the heart of any research. These solutions can include devices and designs that improve our lives, meet our needs or desires, and make our world a better place. From designing a better pen to finding ways to help areas lacking access to clean water, the opportunity to explore solutions to real-world problems fuels students' curiosity and sparks their research interests.
Working on solutions to real-world problems is at the heart of any research.
Perhaps the most important consequence for students working on real-world problems is that they begin to develop empathy, a sense that there is something worthwhile to dedicate their efforts to beyond themselves, and also a further reason to delve into the problems plaguing the world today. We need to develop an intelligent and ethical workforce to solve looming problems, such as air pollution, water scarcity, and crumbling infrastructure. These are issues that can be addressed in environmental education by tackling real-world problems.
Criteria for selecting real-world problems
Designing real-world challenges for students can be difficult. Identifying authentic problems for students to work on is one of the most challenging parts of lesson planning.
These are some of the criteria considered when selecting real-world problems:
The problem must be real.
It must involve a genuine challenge based on compelling social, economic, and environmental issues that affect people's lives and communities. Mythical insects, aliens, and theoretical life forms are not real-world problems—at least not yet.
Students should be able to relate to the problem.
If students don't care about the problem, their engagement will be limited. It needs to be a meaningful challenge for them. It could be a problem in their own lives or communities. Alternatively, you can create a context to help them connect with an unfamiliar issue using videos, speakers, or field trips.
The problem must be "feasible"«
For a project to be successful, students must have access to the resources, knowledge, and skills they need to solve the problem, and the scope of the problem must be manageable. Solutions to a clean energy problem, such as wind turbines or solar cells, could be realistic. However, tackling a problem involving interplanetary space travel is not.
The problem should allow for multiple acceptable approaches and solutions.
Don't even consider a problem with a single, predetermined approach and a "right" or "wrong" answer. In your class, each team of students can choose a different approach to solving the problem, and several different solutions may work.
Students must use a design process, based on the scientific method, to solve the problem.
However, it is not necessary to use each subject to the same extent. Some solutions may rely more on science and others on mathematics, but all require students to use a design process.
The problem must be aligned with the students' level standards.
On a busy school day, neither teachers nor students have time for much extracurricular content. Teachers can more easily promote learning if students can use the skills they are learning anyway to address the selected problem.
Potential problems
Now for the most challenging part: selecting a real-world problem that meets the criteria above. Here are some frequently used tactics for identifying them:
Encourage students to propose the problem.
This approach generally generates the most enthusiasm and acceptance from students. Give them as much autonomy as possible to identify the problems they want to solve, within the constraints of the curriculum. You can begin by asking students to be alert for problems in their home, school, or community. For example, students might notice erosion in the schoolyard or determine that children need a digital tool to manage their homework. If students get stuck, ask them what needs to happen to improve the lives of citizens in their area. Are some people in their community going hungry? Is pollution a problem? Just remember to guide students toward problems that are appropriate for their grade level and content knowledge.
Do online searches.
Simply typing "real-world problems" into a search engine will display a number of potential sites where you could look for ideas. But be careful: not everything labeled a "real-world problem" is necessarily a feasible problem in a given school setting.
Addressing real-world problems can make sustainability issues more tangible and meaningful for students. Real-world examples provide concrete applications for the knowledge and skills learned in the classroom as they relate to the students themselves and society. Real-world examples also encourage students to be mindful of the choices they make and how those choices fit into a broader social context.
Using environmental education to solve problems highlights the complexity and unpredictability of real-world issues and, as such, can stimulate critical thinking. It also underscores the need for an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approach to problem-solving. Furthermore, the use of real-world examples (such as This page (from anthropology) demonstrates that there is often no perfect solution to a given problem. But, in doing so, it gets students thinking about solutions, rather than just focusing on the problems.
