CARE: In the activities, we followed the following steps, according to the teacher’s guide CARE, students were engaged with the socio-scientific issue: Which animal should we select to return to Romania for rewilding? The activities were attractive, engaging for the students, we discussed each theme proposed in the guide. 

KNOW: Students learned about the following curriculum topics: Renaturalisation of wolf, lynx, fallow deer – food chains, trophic relationships in terrestrial ecosystems ( Biology, 5th grade ).   The main activities, which led to the achievement of the learning objectives according to the curriculum, were on food chains, food webs, trophic relationships in terrestrial ecosystems. 

DO: The pupils solved homework, an activity in which they also involved their families, they made reports, leaflets, evidence sheets on the animals proposed for rewilding. 

Open Schooling findings: The resources provided were easy to use, the activities were clearly explained, the interaction with all project participants was continuous.The results were presented in a demonstration lesson with the participation of three research experts from Valahia University in Targoviste. 

Students’ results: Students Learned through understanding and application, stimulating interest in knowledge, developing communication skills, thinking and creativity. 

CARE: The students successfully presented key questions for the continuation of the scenario.

KNOW: The main objective of the activity was to engage in a participatory research project to develop strategies for the prevention and control of Covid-19 (and other similar infectious diseases) and also to investigate how it is possible to build themselves a sensitive device to detect and study aerosols indoors using an Arduino microprocessor.

DO: The students prepared articles and presentations related to the issue that concerned them. The success of the children was the correct scientific research through articles that they presented to scientists, as well as the completion of the practical part of the scenario that concerned the design of the carbon dioxide sensor.

Findings: This initiative had the consent of parents and opened opportunities for dialogue with the family, students, and teachers.

Outcomes:  In addition, it gave the students the opportunity to escape from sterile theoretical knowledge and to think outside the box of curriculum, which gave them confidence. The children acquired a positive attitude towards research topics. It was very important for them to realize that research starts from everyday concerns.

CARE: A list of questions was sent to the scientist and through his presentation on the Webex Meet platform where answered.

KNOW: The school curriculum was satisfactorily connected with the chosen topic to work with. The greenhouse effect is integrated in their curriculum and was highly connected with the global warming issue. Discussion supported by participatory science has led to greater awareness of global warming and chemical pollution and provoked actions to confront and eventually solve these issues. It also changed the up to that point indifferent attitude of some of the pupils towards scientific methodology and science in general, to clear interest and positive attitude to science.

DO: Since we used an open scenario approach the students either found themselves sources or used some, we offered them. In this context they developed videos, presentations, and a game.

FINDINGS: This initiative had the consent of the parents and opened opportunities for dialogue with the family, pupils and teachers. After the appropriate modifications was integrated in the curriculum making the scientific approach a handy tool for the pupils to understand scientific methodology and to a certain degree apply it.

RESULTS FOR STUDENTS: The students who participated seem now more confident with science, they really enjoy science lessons and they have increased interest in scientific approach and problems.

1)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGXgNx3U9gM

2)https://pantou.sites.sch.gr/connect/%CE%A1%CF%8D%CF%80%CE%BF%CE%B9%20%CF%84%CE%BF%CF%85%20%CE%B5%CE%B4%CE%AC%CF%86%CE%BF%CF%85%CF%82.pdf

3)https://pantou.sites.sch.gr/connect/%CE%A1%CF%8D%CF%80%CE%BF%CE%B9%20%CF%83%CF%84%CE%BF%20%CE%88%CE%B4%CE%B1%CF%86%CE%BF%CF%82-1.pdf

4)https://pantou.sites.sch.gr/connect/%CE%98%CE%AD%CF%81%CE%BC%CE%B1%CE%BD%CF%83%CE%B7%20%CE%BA%CE%B1%CE%B9%20%CF%87%CE%B7%CE%BC%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%AE%20%CF%81%CF%8D%CF%80%CE%B1%CE%BD%CF%83%CE%B7%20on%20Scratch.html

CARE-KNOW-DO: The scenario follows the structure of Connect: CARE-KNOW-DO and the methodology of participatory science. Students & teachers are participating in all stages, scientists & parents at the stages of “Care” and “Do”, local authorities at “Do” level. The role of the scientist (University of the Aegean, Geography department) was quite critical as at the first level of “Care” he gave initiatives to students in order to start over the process of creating their digital map and at the third level of “Do” where he assisted students on how to present their results, how to make proposals, to discuss in total student’s investigations and to reply to any student’s question about this map creation. The role of teacher is to support students in all stages and motivate them for their personal growth, for further investigating, to encourage them for spatial thinking etc. The role of parents is to communicate, participate, assist, and help students with their questions/actions as they have an active role during this process.

Outcomes: The outcome of this scenario was a variety of student’s spatial questions which are forwarded to local community for further actions and investigation. For example: environmental pollution, accessibility & proximity issues, promoting local places that are not known yet, bad roads/buildings condition, lack of spatial interactions, lack of basic infrastructure etc. The initial limitation of this scenario was the reluctancy of participation as students/their parents haven’t faced something similar before; after the completion of this scenario all students requested to have similar projects for action to other study fields.

Findings: Another benefit of this scenario was that it took place during pandemic as all students were online and they could participate with scientist meetings. Scientist intrigued student’s mind and of course broaden the knowledge for cartography and the use of maps in daily life. The fulfilment of both cartography labs led students to working in teams, to resolving problems, to spatial thinking, to be more tech-savvy and generally to encourage students for improvement. Overall, there was a great cooperation among everyone, and the scenario implementation was in benefit of all the participants.

CARE: Students discussed with their parents in the “Care” phase about the pollution from the electric plants in Greece. In the first part of the “Know” phase students used a mobile application to compute their electric energy consumption where they were helped by their parents.

KNOW:  Students prepared the questions for the scientist in the padlet for the “know” phase.

The renewable energy resources scenario was performed as a continuity in the electric energy chapter of the Physics Greek curriculum. Students showed interest and wanted to learn what are the photovoltaic systems. They had some misunderstandings as concerns the wind generators but after finalization of the project they showed confidence in science.

DO: Students made a poster (“Do” phase) divided by smaller parts in which they show the environmental problems that arise from the conventional electric plants and what are the renewable energy resources. Also, they put in the poster two small photovoltaic panels that are connected through wires with a small fan.

Findings about open schooling: The benefits of these science actions are that students become more active, and they care about problems that exist, but they never think about them. Teacher’s role was to facilitate the process and to help the students. We faced some problems during the implementation as was for example the minor participation of parents.

Results for students: Connect gave us the opportunity to relate the curriculum with a real problem. Our students learned how is possible to be “connected” in the real problems.   Students like to work in teams and to learn about real problems concerning the environment. They also want to take actions and to give solutions, they want to be more active and not pathetic as they do unfortunately during school routine.

CARE: The authentic socio-scientific issue that the students ‘worried about’ was rewilding – protecting nature by introducing species back to their environment. The science professional was a specialist Biologist who interacted with the students to answer and bring up questions, helping in the discussion with 6 students.

KNOW: The activities which are included in the “know 1 rewilding wolves –food webs competition”. First, we studied the “rewilding know 1” together. In this activity the students understood the food web competitions because there were examples about the correct way of thinking. After that the students worked with the files “apply thinking guide – beaver” and “apply thinking guide -lynx”. I assessed them using the rubric and their work was perfect.

DO: Discussion supported by participatory science have led students to do in-depth research, which changed their way of thinking.  Moreover, they learnt a new skill which is to analyse data and write their conclusion.   This initiative had the consent of the parents and opened up opportunities for dialogue with the family, students and teachers with the consensual approach that is not integrated into the curriculum, but which is important to be discussed with support from the teachers.  The only problem was that the students could not collect the data they needed, for the campaign.

Findings about open schooling: Τhe materials were very well structured and detailed so it was implemented very well within the Club. It was easy to implement because there was no curriculum or time pressure and only 4 students participated. The only difficulty was to arrange the meeting with the scientist.

The science action resources met my needs very well. I worked with the structured scenario in a Science Club. Because of the corona virus situation most of the lessons were online and most of the other Club s stopped because the students didn’t find the online Club interesting. In my club I observed the exact opposite situation. Many students from other clubs asked to come in my club because they learnt from their classmates about the open schooling and how interesting it was.

Outcomes for students: The students reported that they acquired a deeper knowledge of environmental factors. Also, they learned to do in-depth research, which changed their way of thinking. Moreover, they learned to develop an argument and rely on scientific data. They learnt a new skill which is to analyse data and write their conclusion. Finally, they reported that they found this way of learning more interesting and fun

CARE:  The authentic scientific issue that the students ‘worried about’ was the return of an endangered animal in our country, the Gypaetus barbatus barbatus. The science professional, Dr.Iasmi Stathi from the Natural History Museum of Crete, is a Biologist, who interacted with the students to answer and bring up questions, helping in the discussion with 15 young people.

KNOW: Students learned to work in a scientific way. They learned to cooperate and to find solutions to problems. They enjoyed learning in a different way. The amount of time was proper and the whole implementation was really interesting for students.

DO: Students created, with the help of the teacher:

1. A map of the population of Gypaetus barbatus barbatus by country, created with the ArcGIS mapping program:

• https://tinyurl.com/55z3enrr

1. A poster that was posted in the bulletin board of the school, in the Facebook page of the school and presented in the exhibition of the European School Projects of Crete, by the RDE of Crete:

• https://tinyurl.com/4df6jpd3
• https://tinyurl.com/6kcf9bxm
• https://tinyurl.com/u5b47ryu
• https://tinyurl.com/p8vs8sv

The framework that was implemented followed the “Care-Know-Do” methodology. Discussion supported by participatory science has led to greater awareness of endangered species and environment. This initiative had the consent of the parents and opened opportunities for dialogue with the family, students, teachers and scientists.

Findings about open schooling:  There were no many limitations with the curriculum, as we managed to embody the practice in our lessons (Biology, food chains, food webs, ecosystems, environmental sciences etc.). The whole project carried out with support from the teacher. The main problem was the lack of time and the pressure to complete the material of curriculum. Furthermore, the limitations of the covid-19 pandemic. Science-action resources absolutely met teacher’s needs.

Results for students: Students learned to work in a scientific way. They learned to cooperate and to find solutions to problems. They enjoyed learning in a different way.

CARE: We started it during the second lockdown, using on-line teaching; however, the biggest part of the CONNECT scenario was applied in the classroom at the end of the second pandemic. The only online part of the Rewilding Greece scenario was the online meeting (1hour) with the invited scientist Dr. Iasmi Stathi from the Natural Museum of History at Heracleio, Crete. Dr. Iasmi had a great interaction with all 19 students participating at the programme and there was a bombardment of questions during that hour. The family was involved in the learning process and their task was to discuss with students and choose the animal for rewilding Greece.

KNOW: Teachers need to have their teaching a priority and that pushes the implementation of CONNECT towards the second half of the teaching year. However, the procedures needed to follow were clear.

DO: the last `DO` part really made a difference for having the students organize their learning for a purpose. However, it took a burden on curriculum programme, and it left us with the aftertaste of having fewer hours for applying the scenario.

We decided to make an action writing a letter of intent to government departments responsible for the environment.

Black Francolin:
https://connect-eu.exus.co.uk/?attachment=805&document_type=document&download_document_file=1&document_file=91

Lynx :
https://connect-eu.exus.co.uk/?attachment=804&document_type=document&download_document_file=1&document_file=90

Findings about open schooling: The science needed to make a scientific argument was easy to incorporate, however the task to fit the programme into school curriculum was cumbersome.

Outcomes for students: It took some effort to keep the students focus on the scientific argument when the initial joy of participation passed. The science was not difficult; however the students found the competition a long process. During the teaching the students never complaint about not being able to complete the task.