Draw and Stick the Interview

Draw and Stick the Interview
-(More ESD Activities, Diagramming and Evaluation, Facilitation Technique, Improve Listening and Observation)-

We have played this activity in July 09 when we facilitate some teenager from TOTAL E&P INDONESIE, when we held a Green Camp for their family.

First, we divide participants into a group consist 4-6 teens. We facilitate them to make a discussion with the villager. Each group had different topics, that is health, culture, education, economic and environment issues.

We told that although they have different issues, they may ask anything, because a lot of things are related and the info should help them make a better understanding about the situation.

We gave them this question:
1. What is the situation there? Is there any problem?
2. Which people / stakeholder is involved in this situation?
3. If the situation is not ideal, can you give us the ideal situation?
4. What is the reflection / insight for yourself regarding this situation?
5. Is there anything that you can do to make this situation better?

Notes: this questions are replaceable. We gave this key question only to help them understand better. The use of this question is not in the interview process, but in presentation activity.

After that we split into groups and for some couple hours the kids stay with villagers.

The presentation needs a large paper with some glue, scissor, decoration paper, spidol, or crayon.

The rules are simple: only one kids in a group can draw, write or stick something in large paper while their friend only can watch the working one. After 1 or 2 minutes we may blow the whistle and number 2 will replace number 1 draw, write a poem, stick leaves or anything that can describe the situation they catch from the interview / discussion.

After the whistle blow, number 2 is replaced by number 3 and so on. Back to number 1 again after final number.

Hints:
- You also can make number 3 and 4 go together with special rules (modification). The order is like this : After next whistle, 2 kids will go together.
- In final minutes, lets make them stand together... "after next whistle, all do the draw..."

You will be amazed how good their presentation will be. Still first they must describe their writing, drawing, poems, etc and we can use the key qestioner to help them explain better about the situation, their feel and their ideas to the people.

Well, social analysis topics can be fun and colorful too, right?

Nature Color 2

Nature Color 2
-(Nature Game, Improve Listening and Observation)-

The idea is to collect something from environment that can describe color gradation from red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, to purple. This rainbow color is just for example: the idea is not to stick just for this rainbow color, let the kid decide what is beautiful for them.

They things they collected must be a wood, rock, sand, leaves, seed, flower or something natural (not plastic or other artificial things).

Read "Nature Color game" in this site and you will more understand how it work.

Needs
Hard paper, glue or double sided tape

In this activity, we can bring the children to the garden or outdoor environment. Give them 30 minutes to one hour to collect things and arrange it to show color gradation.

Hints
- Don't stay in basic rules, just to fill box with rainbow color. I think the box in the paper is not necessary at all. I only show you because it make you easier to imagine. It is good to see there are pale brown, oak brown, light brown, dark brown, chocolate brown and more...
- Or you can make a topic : like one group collecting red and green, and other group collecting grey and purple things.

Discussion
- Discuss about the things they foung, like seeds and tree biology, geology (if they found sand and rocks), economy (if they found some plant/fruit that being use to be a natural color for some handicraft)
- Talk about how they should pay more attention to the nature if they want to become an artist, because they can get a lot of inspiration from the nature ^^

Don't Stick with All Writings

Don't Stick with All Writings
-(Guiding Notes)-

Teacher and facilitator, we will met with this warning sentence in some of the module and I mean it.

Use modification with all your imagination. You always can talk ecology, biology, social science while using the nature game and experiment module. Try different side and you also can talk about mineralogy, economy, local language, English, art, history and do a character and team building for the children.

This is an example how it can be done:
> GUESS THE PEANUT NUMBER. Replace the peanut with small stone and rock and then we can talk about mineralogy, or talk the order (open, guess,...) in local language / English while playing and we can learn about language
> STAR TREK GAME 2: MICRO SEEDS COLLECTOR. Use this game to learn how to draw a simple map, and we can learn how to read a more complicated map
> MESSAGE IN A ROW. Use this game to learn about communication, that can change and going to be fault in some situation. Use this game to explain how as a team they depend on each other, and how to make the communication process more effective and eficient (use of note, cut the long chain process and more)
> RAFT AND RIVER. Use this method to discuss more about hydrology (current, river bank,...) or economy (fish farm, ecotourism, eco-education and other ideas)
> And more, haven't you see how we can make our teaching method more colorful?

We also can play a same game with different topics. Do not hesitate to change the rules or to modify the game into different kind of game. I always do that in the field / class and finally we can have more than one variation for the game and the wild randomization also can attract the children to come learning more and more...

Note : for smaller kids, we suggest to do the activity in pattern. We don't recommend major change / modification in rules or topics in game or experiments. A fix rules or experiments is easier to follow and understand.

Which Europeans First Landed in Australia?

Which Europeans First Landed in Australia?
-(Shocking Nature News)-
http://www.factbooks.blogspot.com

During the sixteenth century, the Portuguese were the principal traders in the East Indies. By 1600, however their place had been taken by the Dutch who, sailing via the Cape of Good Hope, set up a powerful base on the island of Batavia.

Soon their ships were seeking new lands in order to open up more trade. In 1606 a Dutch ship called the Duyfken, ‘the Dove’, anchored off northern Australia and some of the crew went ashore – the first Europeans to do so. They were refilling their water casks when they were driven off by fierce natives. The Duyfken sailed away again without exploring any other part of the cast Australian continent.

Picture taken from www.firstshowing.net and www.flickr.com

Tiny Sea Craeture
-(Nature Experiments)-

This time I will explain shortly. When I'm still a student and in a try to finish my green turtle research, there was a time when I get bored because nobody left in my research station. Electricity will be on, only after 18.00 and my only friend beside my local friend Mr. Endang is a radio that only can catch AM frequency.

I'm spending my time reading books, old magazine and come to the beach, collecting sea shells, looking for seaweed and more.

First time, the beach, although we see some fish and some living creature there, looks empty. Then accidentally, because I want to keep a seaweed in my artificial habitat, I collect some seaweed, sea grass and some dead corals into my box (fill with sea water).

Then in 5 minutes, amazing thing happened, and I know I will never see the sea in same side. Hundred of tiny sea creature begin to show after 5 minutes and more, after 10 minutes. Little crab, shrimp, some snails, worm, and hundred of sea creatures begin to arise and full my box with life...

So, if you want to see a sea creature, you may also bring a jar of glass (or just bring a glass). Collect some seaweed, dead coral and put it in your glass. Look closely. After 5 to 10 minutes you will see that biodiversity took a very wide range. Hope you will be an artist, a teacher, a writer, an engineer that love your environment ^^

Picture taken from http://www.carolscornwall.com/On%20the%20Beach/Seaweed-Sargassum%20muticum13-01-09.jpg and http://oceansage.com/blogpics/sea.jpg

Star Trek Game 2: Micro Seed Collector

Star Trek Game Edition 2 :
Micro Seed Collector
-(Nature Game)-

"OK Lt Data, it's time to us to go to the planet. The Federation request us to collect some rare seeds in this planet. Because its small size, we need to be very carefull and look at for it with full attention !"

Needs
- About 10x20 cm hard paper. Put some glue or two sided tape on it. Children will use this hard paper to stick some seeds on it
- A map for the journey

2 kids will be a partner on this adventure. They will be Lt. Data and First Officer William Riker. After Enterprise send them to the planet, they must follow a route from the map. In this journey they must collect as many seed they can afford in this time limited journey

Rules
- Collect only small size seeds. We don't count a seed bigger than 2 cm length
- Time limited journey. Everybody who doesn't come in time is failed. I think 1 hour is acceptable for this game?
- The winner is they who found the most kind of species (species)

Hints
- Don't forget to draw a map for the kids
- Kind of small seeds they can get (example only): paddy, grass, coffee, carrot, many wild flower seeds, etc
- In the end, don't forget to ask kind of seeds they bring, so then you can discuss more about environment issues

Issues
- Learning about scientist activity, aware and attention
- Species diversity, adaptation to environment and survival tactics for the plant (reproduction issues)

Picture taken from www.hopeseeds.org