3 case studies ON ENVIRONMENT TOPIC

1. BASICS OF COPING IN NATURE ON ONE’S OWN
1. Summary
Children can carry out a number of practical activities which will
develop a better understanding of how to cope when getting lost
in the forest and having to stay there overnight on one’s own.
* The length of the programme depends on the age group, their
experiences, skills, availability of time, funding, number of
themes to be covered, season, weather conditions etc.
2. Target group
Programme can be adapted according to the following age
groups: 8-12 yrs, 13-16 yrs, 17-… yrs.
3. Learning outcomes
 Participants acquire fire making, fire keeping and fire
distinguishing skills
 Participants learn possible ways of using garbage that
has been left by people lying around in nature (eg old
plastic bags, cans, tins etc):
o making a cord/rope from a plastic bag,
o making a torch from a candle and an empty soft-
drink can,
o making a filter from a tin to clean water
o making fishing equipment from a tin
 Participants learn how to make different kinds of shelter or
use natural shelters already existing in nature to stay
overnight or to hide from rain
 Participants learn what is happening in their psychology
when they find themselves in a potentially dangerous
situation (eg lost in the forest alone at night; a child left in
the forest with an injured adult who is in need for medical
assistance etc)
 Participants learn basic orienteering skills and how to use a
compass
4. Connection to subject of curriculum
Physical Education, national curriculum – graduates of gymnasium level have
to have basic orienteering skills on landscape and use a compass.

2. 5. Equipment needed
 Different kinds of matches (regular, water-proof, wind-
resistant etc) and other items to start fire with
 Tampons
 Candles
 Empty cans, tins
 Big piece of plastic
 Different materials to be collected from nature (without
harming nature)
 Compass
 Clothes depending on weather conditions
6. Preparation
 Marking the route of the hike on a map
 10-15 minute introduction of the programme and giving some theoretical
information to the target group
7. Activities / process
 Children are divided into small groups (3-5 children in a group)
 Each group appoints a leader; within the group leader is changed after
each activity, so that each group member could take the role of the leader
and practice being in charge
 Instructor gives all the needed items to each group and tells to make a
torch, a cord, fishing equipment and a water filter from them.
 Each group prepares them and group leader presents the made products
to the rest of the groups.
 Instructor shows also alternative ways of preparing those items.
 At the end of each activity the learnt theme is summarized and analyzed,
learning points are stressed and participants are asked, what they would
like to additionally learn.
 Each participant of the group can lead the others, using the compass
 Best groups and individual participants are awarded
8. Safety
 1 adult per 10 children
 Instructor constantly checks that all the participants are
there

3.  A first-aid kit should be available
 Safety equipment: mobile phone, radio transmitter, map, compass
 People who stay behind at the base camp have a map, on which the
hiking route of the group has been marked
9. Extension activities
 To make a longer programme and stay overnight (depending on the
age, weather conditions, preparation of the target group)
 Divide participants into pairs and organise an orienteering competition

4. STUDY VISIT
1. Summary
Children visit water cleaning, scrap metal collection and garbage
collection stations and listen to specialists talk about the activities
of these places and their influence on the environment.
2. Target group
Programme can be adapted according to the following age
groups: 8-12 yrs, 13-16 yrs, 17-… yrs.
3. Learning outcomes
 Participants will value clean water and not waste it
 Participants will start to think of possible ways how to sort
garbage, reuse things and consume less in their everyday-
life
 Participants will understand the meaning of definition
“ecological footprint”
4. Connection to subject of curriculum
 Geography (connection between mankind and nature, understanding of
environmental issues both at local as well as global level; water – use and
protection of water)
 Environment and sustainable development
 Nature Science (human influence on nature, pollution of air, water and soil
etc)
5. Equipment needed
 Bus for study tour
 Previously made arrangements with places to be visited,
so that specialists would be available to show around and
talk about their work
 Clothes depending on weather conditions
6. Preparation

5.  15 minute introductory presenatation of sustainability,
consumption, garbage issues
 Provide handouts with theoretical information to
participants
 Make prior agreements with the places to be visited
7. Activities / process
 Children are given information about the places to be visited, so that they
would know what to observe and to understand better. For older age
groups, the study tour programme may be provided on paper as well.
 Bus picks children up at a meeting point
 Group leader counts how many children are participating to ensure that
no-one goes missing (after every visit children are counted again, when
they are back in the bus)
 Children are encouraged to ask questions from the specialists.
 When driving towards the next visit location in the bus, a discussion
follows to reflect on the place visited. Also brief information is given on the
reasons why the next place is visited – what can be learnt.
 At the end of the study tour everyone has to fill in a simple multiple choice
questionnaire/test to demonstrate understanding of facts learnt during the
visits.
 Best groups and individual participants are awarded
8. Safety
 1 adult per 10 children
 Group leader has to make sure all the children are
entering the bus after each visit
 A first-aid kit should be available
 Prior information on possible dangers in the places to be
visited & instructions on how to behave provided to
participants
9. Extension activities
 Homework is given: to write an essay on “What can I do to consume less
water?” or “How can I produce less garbage?”

6. EXAMPLE QUESTIONS THAT CAN BE INCLUDED IN THE MULTIPLE
CHOICE TEST TO BE FILLED IN AT THE END OF THE STUDY TOUR
(the test should have 15-20 questions)
1. Every year, an average Estonian produces……. kg of household garbage.
a) 130 kg
b) 380 kg
c) 630 kg
d) 1030 kg
2. Leaves, grass, food leftovers etc can be compsted. The compost pile
should be at least …. metres from your well.
a) 5 m
b) 15 m
c) 25 m
d) 50 m
3. You can save one tree, when you collect …. kg of old paper
a) 70 kg
b) 100 kg
c) 150 kg
d) 200 kg
4. Which of listed garbage are considered to be dangerous and should be
brought to a special collection station for dangerous substances?
*You can select more than one answer.
a) cardboard
b) batteries, accumulators
c) old paints, glues, lacquers
d) plastic bags
5. About 71% of Earth’s surface is covered with water, but only about …..% of
it is suitable for drinking, cooking, washing and growing agricultural crops.
a) 1%
b) 10%
c) 25%
d) 50%

7. SORTING GARBAGE
1. Summary
Children collect garbage lying around in the surroundings (or
alternatively empty a garbage container) and sort the garbage.
They discuss, has it been necessary to throw all the things into
garbage. The aim of the programme is to raise awareness on
pollution and make the target group understand how important it
is to sort garbage.
2. Target group
Programme can be adapted according to the following age
groups: 8-12 yrs, 13-16 yrs, 17-… yrs.
3. Learning outcomes
 Participants will start to sort garbage – they will not throw
away paper, plastic bottles, etc but bring them to special
collection stations
 Changed behaviour of participants will positively influence
also their family members and friends
 Participants will become more environment-friendly also in
their other activities
4. Connection to subject of curriculum
 Geography (connection between mankind and nature, understanding of
environmental issues both at local as well as global level; water – use and
protection of water)
 Environment and sustainable development
 Nature Science (human influence on nature, pollution of air, water and soil
etc)
5. Equipment needed
 Gloves
 Garbage container (or alternatively: time to collect garbage
that is lying around in the surroundings)
 Plastic bags

8. 6. Preparation
 Find a suitable place where to carry out the activity and make prior
agreement
 Introductory presentation on how to sort garbage, its importance and
safety when doing it
 Disseminate thematical fliers / brochures
 If possible, give special T-shirts for participants to wear (will raise attention
and increase motivation of participants as well)
 Invite a lecturer / guest speaker who is working with sorting garbage or to
show a video so that participants can see how garbage is sorted in
collection points
7. Activities / process
 Children are given a short lecture on sorting garbage (see the handout –
in Estonian language)
 Children are divided into small groups of 3-5 members
 Each child gets a plastic bag
 Each group covers an area in the neighbourhood, collecting garbage that
has been thrown on the ground into the plastic bags (or alternatively: a big
garbage container is emptied). Anything that does not belong to nature
has to be collected.
 Group jointly sorts the collected garbage: paper, cardboard, bottles, tins,
organic garbage, dangerous garbage etc
 Each groups prepares a presentation to the others: which things should
not have been thrown away, what could have been done with them so that
it would be more environment friendly
 Teacher summarizes and brings out the learning points
 Best groups and individual participants are awarded
8. Safety
 1 adult per 10 children
 A first-aid kit should be available
 Previous instructions: to wear gloves at all times, to be
especially careful with sharp items like metal and glass,
to wash hands afterwards.
9. Extension activities
 To organize a fashion show on theme „New faces of used materials“

9. Some explanations to the provided case studies / best practice examples
 All the 3 training materials have been tested/trialled by us in different
places of Estonia. That is the reason why a map has not been
provided – they are not dependant on a geographical region and can
be carried out all over the country.
 The piloting target groups have included representatives with
different social and economical background as well as different age
groups
 The trainings are also suitable for adults and we feel that it is very
important to teach these kinds of things to adults, as they should be
role models and it is from them that children should learn how to
behave in an environmentally friendly way.
 It would be possible to include more details in the training material.
However, intentionally we have not done so. The training material
examples in the present form, being relatively general, can be easier
adapted to the situation in different countries as well as the different
target groups. The specifics of how to adapt the materials depend on
the local conditions and the previous experiences of the target group
as well as their knowledge on these subjects.
Some statistical information that might be of interest (and which influences also
the backtround of the target groups and countries): According to Living Planet
Report 2000 the Earth can sustain a level of 2.3 hectares per person (ecological
footprint).
Ecological footprint (EF) analysis measures human demand on nature. It
compares human consumption of natural resources with planet Earth's ecological
capacity to regenerate them. It is an estimate of the amount of biologically
productive land and sea area needed to regenerate (if possible) the resources a
human population consumes and to absorb the corresponding waste, given
prevailing technology and current understanding. Using this assessment, it is
possible to estimate how many planet Earths it would take to support humanity if
everybody lived a given lifestyle. While the measure is widely used, some also
criticize the approach.
Per capita EF is a means of comparing consumption and lifestyles, and check
this against nature's ability to provide for this consumption. The tool can inform
policy by examining to what extent a nation uses more (or less) than is available
within its territory, or to what extent the nation's lifestyle would be replicable
worldwide. The footprint can also be a useful tool to educate people about
carrying capacity and over-consumption, with the aim of altering personal
behavior. Ecological footprints may be used to argue that many current lifestyles
are not sustainable.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecological_footprint