Education programmes for the youngest – “The Forest Around Us”
Children have proved to be the best guardians of nature because they are very passionate promotors of positive environmental messages in their closer and wider surroundings, so the beneficial effect of children’s education multiplies and spreads. Since the education and sensibilization of the public about the preservation of exceptional natural, cultural and historic values of the Nature Park Medvednica are some of the baselines of our Institution, we are proud to present you several interesting, fun and good-quality workshops for our youngest visitors.
Our programmes are adjusted to different ages of primary-school children in terms of subject, content and methodology. The education programmes are carried out by our employees in agreement with teachers or professors, with mandatory prior notification and arrangement on the telephone (014586317) or e-mail (firstname.lastname@example.org). The programmes are conducted throughout the year in open areas of the Park so the children must have appropriate clothing and footwear.
Programme price: 20 kn per pupil
Programme duration: 1,5 – 3 h, depending on the size of the group and children’s age
What if I were a tree? (1st – 5th grade)
What is a tree made of? How does it breathe? What does it need to survive? Why does it have a crown, and why does it have roots? Your youngsters will get the answers to these and many other questions in this fun and active team workshop – playgroup, in which they can learn that even the mighty forests need our help and protection.
Products and fruits from forests (1st – 5th grade)
It is easy to notice that objects made of wood come from trees. But there are also many other products made of wood which are not so obvious. Within this activity the children will discover the diversity and a large number of products which are in some way made of wood. Also, thanks to plants, many of our favourite dishes are available for enjoyment. This workshop’s activities will make the pupils realise how important is the role of plants in our everyday diet and where we can find products made of wood in our everyday life.
The network of life (1st – 5th grade)
What is a forest ecosystem and what positions do producers, consumers and decomposers occupy in it? What are food chains, networks and pyramids? What animals are herbivores and what are carnivores? In this workshop, through own experience, the pupils will discover the ways in which all members of ecosystems are connected and dependent on each other.
Birds and worms (1st – 5th grade)
Mimicry is an important survival strategy in the animal kingdom. In this workshop the pupils will discover the value of mimicry by pretending to be birds looking for multi-coloured worms and bugs. They will learn that there are poisonous and falsely poisonous organisms, and will also discover the meaning of bright colours in nature.
Orientation (1st – 5th grade)
Despite technology, a lot of people still often get lost, even on a seemingly harmless mountain such as Medvednica. This workshop will teach children how to orient themselves in nature – how to find north and other sides of the world? How to read unusual signs on geographical maps? How to position the map and find out where they are at a particular moment? How to use a compass and how to use the sun, shadows and stars? What is azimuth and how to find treasure with the help of it? How can mountain markings help us in all that? The children will enjoy our orientation adventure and learn how to find the right way on our mountain.
Bats (1st – 5th grade)
How many times have you heard panic sighs such as these: ”Yuck, bats are disgusting! They suck blood!”, or: “Oh no, a bat! It will tangle my hair!”? Kids learn these prejudices from adults, but that doesn’t mean they can’t teach adults that these prejudices are wrong. This workshop will help them do that. They will learn on what bats really feed, how they live, why they are so useful, what endangers them and why they are protected. They will also learn that bats aren’t blind and how echolocation – “watching with ears” works. They will personally see that echolocation is not so easy and that bats deserve our admiration and protection!
Forest adventure (1st – 5th grade)
If you wish to spend a dynamic, fun and educational day in the nature with your pupils, this is the right programme for you!
The key words in this programme are: cooperation, play, ingenuity, education, trust, agility, speed, challenge, strength, coordination, resourcefulness, team work! Through carefully selected games and laughter your pupils will learn about the importance of nature protection, they will learn how to deal with new situations, cooperate with each other and support each other. With its educational component, this programme will have a positive effect on the pupils’ confidence, better team connection and better relationships of team members.
Deciduous forest (expert guidance – 6th grade)
This programme is intended for somewhat older children who are still curious and playful, but old enough to understand the importance of nature protection and to be the spokespeople of nature protection in their communities. In the dense greenery, right there on the spot, they will learn to recognize the main types of trees on Medvednica: beech and oak, as well spruce and silver fir. They will be proud when they manage to impress their friends and parents with learned “tricks” how to tell the difference between spruce and silver fir! Climbing up the mountain, they will learn how different types of trees live on different altitudes. In the nature they will see how dark, light, deciduous and evergreen forests look like. Along the way they will find out how all forest inhabitants are interconnected (food chain, circulation of substances in nature) and how easy it is to disturb the balance between them. Finally, they will learn many ways how they can help in the preservation and improvement of nature and its protection.