Join CONNECT’s Data Collection campaign

Issue
Plastic pollution is a big problem. Plastic objects, like the rubbish that we drop on the ground, break down into tiny bits – microplastics. We know that microplastics in the oceans can harm organisms that live there and there are concerns of their effect on human health.

Action
The Great Big Litter Hunt is a science activity suitable for KS2 and KS3 students that gets them learning about the issues surrounding plastic pollution by collecting plastic waste found outside in the school grounds or local community and recording what they found.

Meet-a-Scientist
Students will also hear from Professor Richard Thompson, who was the first scientist to use the term ‘microplastics’.
His pioneering research provided vital evidence that microplastics exist, and are harmful.

Join the global movement
The activity is ideal to get students outside and exploring their local environment, especially on May 18th 2023 – Outdoor Classroom Day.
This is a global movement to inspire and celebrate outdoor learning and play.

Download the The Great Big Litter Hunt resources

Teaching presentation

Student sheet

Teaching guide

More information for students
See Prof. Thompson’s interview about
What solutions there are to tackle the problem of microplastics

We want to hear from you!

1. Please upload your “DATA COLLECTION RESULTS” about what you collected to our Padlet
   See the examples provided by others:
   https://padlet.com/younggemma123/the-great-big-litter-hunt-jo8fg1b14fql8srs
2. Get your students reflecting on their views of science in their lives and the wider world by completing this short questionnaire.
   https://openeducation.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4U6qwx0ftvAm67c
3. We also want to know what teachers think. Please complete this questionnaire.
   https://openeducation.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1LBagNsCG5mI39c

Context: SDG 15 (Life on Land) and SDG 14 (Life Below Water). Numerous urgent issues regarding the Amazon rainforest are frequently in the media, and the Amazon region is part of the national curriculum. During the dry season, the Amazon region faces limited transportation, lack of potable water, water pollution, reduced fish populations, and mobility challenges. Additionally, students considered the effects of these issues on local residents, indigenous peoples, and biodiversity.

Technology: AI was employed to create a mental map of problems, a conceptual map of potential risks, and an investigation map of key points, issues, and suggestions. The resulting maps were discussed with the community, leading to a list of actions decided by the members. This information was then made available for students to prepare a blog post on “Science in the News” for a website or social media campaign.

CARE: This iterative method helps students formulate differentiated questions about real-life issues that have significant implications for them. This process aids in framing, generating ideas, and evaluating questions.

KNOW: Students are encouraged to assess, link, and support claims based on evidence with convincing arguments and substantial evidence. They use AI to facilitate discussions on academic publications, online databases, government reports, and statistics. Their investigations are further supported by expert-recommended references for in-depth exploration within their communities.

DO: Students co-create a research agenda and launch a campaign for action. Setting the agenda is crucial, as it involves deciding on priority issues that shape the direction and focus of government action. AI can also be used to review communication strategies.

Co-authorship: Students produce an AI-based investigation map and write a text for the school’s blog or website.

Artefact: The AI mapping tool Whimsical (Fig. 3) was used with the students for brainstorming topics of interest. They started by generating keywords or phrases and then used AI to connect more ideas. This mental map facilitated collaboration among students, allowing them to evaluate and summarize ideas. They presented their findings, which were voted on by the local community in the Amazon. The text using the map was described with the help of AI.

Socioscientific Considerations: Throughout this process, socioscientific considerations regarding the use of AI were emphasized. Discussions focused on its role in facilitating brainstorming sessions, encouraging research using primary sources, and supporting responsible use of AI. Ethical considerations and integrity were also integral parts of these discussions.

Teacher Outcomes: The AI activity promoted greater student engagement, facilitated participation from quieter students, and those less accustomed to interacting with the group and teacher.

Student Outcomes: Students expressed an emotional connection to the drought situation in the Amazon, a greater interest in understanding the causes and effects of the drought, strong curiosity about AI, and increased participation and practice in questioning, argumentation, analysis, synthesis, and improved oral and written communication skills.

Care: The students were interested in a real-life issue related to responsible food consumption that represents a conscious food choice, taking into account aspects related to our decisions regarding health, environment, economy, culture, etc. Carrying out social responsibility activities plays an important role in how participants will understand why making any decision about personal food can have negative consequences /  irreversible on an important part of our planet. .  The students who participated in the activities were students aged 3-18, from preschool, primary, secondary and high school. A total of 825 students participated in these activities.

Know: Students used knowledge about food waste by watching documentaries on the effects of food waste, conducting a case study at economic agents in the city – 3 restaurants, by visiting the bread factory in the city, making leaflets with information through which we can reduce food waste, making a trophic pyramid, healthy breakfast and making figurines of fruits and vegetables,  drawing up posters.  

The competences that the students practiced were:

• Motivating students to adopt a balanced and economical lifestyle;
• Encouraging students to find practical and effective ways to reduce food waste;
• Developing interdisciplinary connections to draw public attention to food waste;
• Changing the attitude of students, their families, school teachers towards food waste.  

Do: At the end, students prepared posters, leaflets, posters, interview, video. They carried out the activities in groups but also individually, being supported by family and community members.

Findings related to the Open Schooling approach: The activity was framed in the curriculum. It was challenging and useful because students’ confidence and self-esteem increased as a result of participating in complex activities that highlighted their abilities and required them to make decisions. The improvement of social skills was reflected through cooperation at the level of working groups and students’ roles in this context, through the relationship with colleagues in school. Open schooling could be challenging for other teachers because it increases creativity levels among both teachers and students. 

Results obtained by students: Students were interested in the topic proposed for research and showed interest in participating in other activities aimed at the practical and applicative character of the given topic

Taking care of young people’s mental health is a necessity. Schools are a fundamental part of their lives, so we could promote their emotional well-being. This year, we have implemented Healthy Minds, an Open Schooling project within the framework of the European project CONNECT, which aims to promote the mental health of students through a participatory research process. Another objective is to raise awareness that science and the scientific method can be useful in solving the challenges we face as a society and to abandon the idea “I’m not into science” that we often hear in the classrooms.

At the Caterina Albert High School in Barcelona, we have implemented Healthy Minds with a group of first-year baccalaureate students in the context of the subject of Scientific Challenges. During 2 sessions, we have conducted an analysis of the group members’ needs regarding mental health and prioritized them through a consultation process. We have designed and implemented an action plan based on various activities that address the prioritized needs, and we have evaluated the process and the learnings acquired regarding mental health and everything related to participatory research methodology. During the process, we had planned to involve families, but motivating them to participate has been a challenging task.

The results of implementing Healthy Minds in our school are still in a very early phase, although they reflect an increased awareness among students about the importance of promoting mental health. They have begun to integrate participatory research as a process to solve problems that affect them in collaboration with other stakeholders, and they have designed an action plan for the promotion of mental health. The activities that have been carried out are few, and we will evaluate how to implement it further in the coming school year by involving more stakeholders and incorporating it into the Educational Project of the school.

Care: Students were interested and concerned around mental health, which is a real-life problem. The question we asked to attract the interest of students was: What is Mental Health for you? Do you think it can be cured?  Students who participated in the activities were 52 students of 4th of primary, of 9 and 10 years.

Know:  Students used knowledge about values and ethics, of the environment, of the senses and application of part of the scientific method.  The skills that students practiced were to ask questions, analyze data, discuss claims and evidence, take and write conclusions.

Do: At the end, students prepared a mural with all the questions and answers of the research on mental health, with proposals for improvement and finally elaborated a presentation in digital format to prepare the participation in the sentinel congress held in the auditorium of the Cosmocaixa in Barcelona. They completed the activities in groups and supported by community members.

Findings related to Open Schooling approach:  The activity did not fit in the curriculum. It was challenging and innovative. Open schooling might be useful for other teachers because it can change the vision of students in relation to mental health problems and how to help people who suffer from it.

Change/innovation supported by:

[X] schoolhead  [   ] school association/network    [  ] local government [X] Other:  Living Lab for Health

Students’ Outcomes: Students learned about mental health concepts and that related diseases can be suffered by anyone and at any age. As an example, a student mentioned “When I talk to my psychiatrist, I feel much better”. With these words he shared and normalized going to the psychiatrist and the work that these specialists do.

Care: The students were engaged in recording and studying the threats and risks facing our Ecosystems and in particular the White Mountains National Park. The students who participated in the activities were 10 years old and went to Primary D. There were two sections and a total of 35 students participated in the program.

Know: The skills the students practiced was to explore the Samaria Gorge through ICT. The students initially dealt with understanding how to read, orient and process a digital map (GIS) as well as the possibilities of GPS. With the help of electronic files received from the Samaria National Forest Management Body and the use of the Google Earth computer application, they managed to see the path of the canyon but also to learn how to read and orient a map. Also through the Geogreece website they found information about the flora and fauna of our country, the National Forests and the habitats that exist. From the information they collected each group proposed 3 questions and thus each department made a Quiz.
To create the quiz they used the kahoot application. Then they visited the Spatial Information Systems laboratory of the Technical University of Crete. There they were welcomed by the professor and head of the laboratory, Mr. Partcinevelos Panagiotis, where, together with his research team, he guided them around the premises of the laboratory and together they discussed the use of IT systems in the representation of maps, as well as automatic geo-location systems (GPS ). In particular, they saw how they can use drones with built-in GPS to prevent fires and other natural disasters as well as to rescue people in the Samaria gorge. They also created a real relief map of the Samaria area using the Sandmap tool.

Do: At the end, the students prepared a model of the Samaria gorge and the Portes point in comparison. Then they built a fire alarm mechanism using the Arduino microcontroller. This mechanism was designed and programmed through the tinkercad application with the help of the students of the third grade of the school. Thus they completed the activities as a group and supported by their family and the school’s High School. The presentation of their work took place at the Connect Student Conference on May 21, 2022. Conclusions about Open Schooling:

The activity was integrated into the curriculum. It was a challenge since, on the one hand, the Informatics, Artistic and Laboratory Skills courses had to be combined and all this in
collaboration with the scientific community. Open schooling can be useful for other teachers because the pedagogical use of ICT transforms traditional teaching practices and enhances the active involvement of students in all phases of the teaching process. The participation of scientists in this process did not confuse the students but helped them to deepen the topic they studied.

The change/innovation was supported by:

[ x ] School management [ x ] school association/network
[ x ] Local government [ ] Other: ________________________________

Student results: The students saw the program positively, they were excited by the use of technological means in every phase of the program and they participated very actively in it. Concerns were raised regarding the dangers and threats facing our ecosystems, but they were particularly encouraged by both their proposal to deal with fires through an electronic self-construction and the fact that there are scientists working on their protection.

This practice contributed to the increase of:
[ x ] engaging families with sciences [ x ] involving girls in science [ x ] raising awareness among students about careers in the natural sciences

Please specify: The students interacted with technological tools and applications in order to learn and understand their usefulness.

Care: Students were concerned about the decline in the population of some animals in our area, which they learn live in our area but don’t see often. The students who participated in the activities were the 18th-grade students (10 years old) of Petrokefali Primary School.

Learning: Students used knowledge of the area’s land and sea flora and fauna. The skills that the students practiced were creative and critical thinking, collaboration, construction and analysis and production of informative content.

Do: In the end, the students prepared posters and prepared a local community awareness campaign. They completed the activities as a group and were supported by their families, local cultural associations, the municipality and the school’s Parents and Guardians Association. Conclusions about Open Schooling: The activity was integrated into the curriculum. It was an innovative program linked to the skills workshops implemented for the first time in the 2021-2022 school year. Open schooling can be useful for other teachers because it provokes interest and involvement directly and indirectly. The change/innovation was supported by: The school management, the teachers’ association, the parents’ and guardians’ association, the Cultural Association of Kalamaki, the Municipality of Phaistos. Student results: The students were enthusiastic throughout the implementation of the program. They were willing to undertake actions outside the school framework by involving the family and the local community. As an example, the students suggested that we visit other areas and intervene to protect them as well as return to them to monitor their condition.

Student results: Students were active and active during the research process. They were consistent in the work they each undertook in their group and seemed to assimilate relatively easily the scientific knowledge they needed to use. Their familiarity with NTs was very helpful in all dealing with digital hardware and software. They learned how a scientific study is structured and how it is conducted. They seemed to enjoy the role of researcher to the point of engaging in the tasks of the other groups as well. As an example, one student mentioned “Did you see, ma’am, that I can work in other groups and not just the one I’m in?” Their activation productively cultivated the speech skills of both production and comprehension of oral and written texts.

Care: The planet is facing many problems of different kinds. But often we need to start with the simple problems of our community in order to find sustainable solutions that will last. In this way, we become familiar with the ‘culture of active citizenship’, learn to find solutions, implement them and take a keen interest in our neighbourhood. Every neighbourhood has its own problems, which often apply to the wider context of our city. Thus, the 16 pupils of E2 class of our school decided to deal with the problems of their neighbourhood.

Know: The educational scenario “I capture through photography the problems of my place and implement solutions” aimed to motivate students to connect their knowledge about light, to use the tool of photography, to depict problems of their wider neighbourhood and then, to find solutions, to implement and show them in the form of a multimodal installation.

Do: The students photographed the various problems in their neighbourhood, grouped them together and then found solutions for each one. In particular, they contacted the city’s kennel, interviewed volunteers and in consultation with them collected food for the strays. They then sent a letter to the town hall secretary citing problems with the sidewalk, trash and some large trees in the area. Finally, they made their own leaflets about illegal parking and distributed them in the area. They also made and placed recycling bins in various places (outside the school).
Conclusions on Open Schooling: This project opened the classroom to the local community. The students looked forward to doing the project at different times of the day, as everything they made, wrote and created had a direct impact on their daily lives and was characterized by an actual and concrete “meaning”.

The contact with scientists and community stakeholders was particularly helpful and gave the children added interest.

The change/innovation was supported by:

[ x ] School management [ x ] school association/network
[ x ] Local government [ ] Other: ________________________________

Student results: The students organized a multimodal installation in the classroom and presented in various forms what they did through the project. They made artworks, games, added sound and image to their thoughts and actions. The exhibition seemed “fantastic”, “special” and “interesting” as the visiting parents described it.

This practice contributed to the increase of: the Director of 41th Primary school of Heraklion [ x ] engaging families with sciences [ x ] involving girls in science [ x ] raising awareness among students about careers in the natural sciences

Please specify: All students participated and cooperated. The result was very encouraging for all of us. Girls and boys found motivation and interest in the activities. Parents were delighted with the enthusiasm of their children and worked very well together.

Care: The students were interested in the natural wealth of their country and specifically in the gorges of Greece and Crete with the main concerns being the clarification of the concept of gorge, the identification of the main gorges of both Greece and Crete and most importantly the preservation of the natural wealth of these steep routes. For this reason, after class discussion, it was considered necessary to investigate the flora and fauna of the gorges of Crete and the dangers that threaten them, with the ultimate goal of taking measures for their protection. The pupils who participated in the activities were thirty-four, aged about 9 and 12, from section 1 of 3rd grade and section 3 of the 6th grade of the 34th Primary School of Heraklion.

Know: The students used knowledge from Science, Geography, Language, Social and Civic Education, History, Visual Arts, Computer Science and Theatre Education. The skills practiced by the students were multiple such as processing questions and conducting research, recording interview questions, selecting key words from a text and creating a mind map, producing written discourse, collecting information, processing it and analysing data to draw conclusions, becoming familiar with the scientific way of research and data analysis, developing collaboration and effective communication skills.

Do: In the end, the students prepared projects on the main theme of the gorges as well as compositions with nature plants from the field visits, conceptual maps with the most important data from the meetings with expert scientists, a presentation with the progress of the work plan for the CONNECT project conference and helped in the creation of two videos through photos and information brought to the class about the most important gorges of Greece and Crete. They completed the activities as a team and with the support of their family, their classmates and the teachers who implemented this project. At the same time, there was an exchange of good practices and ideas between younger and older students, as the project involved the cooperation of children from the 3rd and 6th grades.

Conclusions on Open Schooling: The activity was integrated and adapted to the curriculum as it involved chapters from Language, History, Social and Civic Education, Geography, Visual Arts, Computer Science and Drama. It was an innovative programme that had the ultimate aim of learning through the mobilisation of all the pupils’ senses, bringing them into contact with the natural wealth of their place, raising their awareness of environmental protection issues and making them take personal responsibility for the preservation of our natural heritage. Open schooling can be both useful and challenging for teachers because it seeks to learn through events experienced by the student while at the same time changing the venue of the lesson from the confines of the classroom to research in the field of observation.

The change/innovation was supported by:

[ x ] School management [ x ] school association/network
[ x ] Local government [ ] Other: ________________________________

Student results: The students were enthusiastic both during the implementation of the project and during the field visits. Initially, the activity of gathering information about the gorges of Crete, which required cooperation with their parents, piqued their interest. At the same time, their contribution to the creation of both the videos and the presentation for the CONNECT students’ conference made them feel like fellow travellers in a common goal. In addition, the children were enthusiastic about the field trips and activities that took place before and after the visit. Specifically, they observed the flora of the gorges during the visit to the Spiliotissa gorge, which was explained to them by an employee of the Heraklion Forestry Service,
they identified the threats and dangers of visiting a similar place, they tasted the joy of hiking following the instructions of a member of the Heraklion Hiking Club, they imagined and wrote stories with fairies and elves inspired by tales of their local folklore, they approached the gorges historically as hideouts of their ancestors during the wars and as trade routes, they created artistic compositions with nature materials and above all they enjoyed playing in the safe natural environment. A third grade student said after the project:

‘I didn’t know that our place has such ornaments, madam. I told my parents and we went to cross the Spiliotissa Gorge this weekend” while a sixth-grade student: “I enjoyed most of all the creations we made with our hands. We got muddy, dirty, created and …….all good”. Finally a sixth form pupil reported: “CONNECT made us bond as a team. I will never forget everything we all accomplished together!”.

This practice contributed to the increase of:
[ x ] engaging families with sciences [ ] involving girls in science [ ] raising awareness among students about careers in the natural sciences

Please specify: It is undeniable that this practice contributed to the families’ engagement with science as the first activity carried out by the children was to find information and pictures about canyons. A prerequisite for carrying out this activity was the supervision of the whole activity by the parents and providing guidance as to what information was necessary to include. Finally, the participation of parents and students together with the class teachers in a student hike in the village of Krousonas, organized by the Heraklion Hiking Club, helped them to understand the importance of contact with nature. At the same time, the young students learned about the science of forestry and the profession of forestry through the visit of an employee of the forestry service to our school.

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).