In line with the requirements of the National Curriculum Earthwatch is a programme for those teachers wanting a learning adventure that will captivate their students. It is a highly motivating residential experience that continues back at school and home.
Aims and objectives
The programme aims to enable the children to:
- Understand how energy and materials tie all life together
- Experience good feelings for the natural world
- Reduce the impact of personal lifestyles on the natural systems, which support life
- Help others increase their understanding of and feelings for the earth and its life.
Earthwatch takes place around a camp fire, with den-building and cooking as a part of the activities, and also includes four conceptual hands-on activities about how the Earth works. These aim to convey the ideas that:
- all energy comes from the sun;
- that the earth functions through cycling its materials- Air, Soil, Water;
- that all living and non-living things are connected through these two processes;
- and that through cycling of materials, things change over time.
This demonstrates to the children their part in the system, and offers a basic but clear understanding of ecological systems. The final part, back at school, helps them examine how they can live in ways that nurture the planet, and encourage others to do so.
This can be followed by Earthwatch 2 the following year, and other Earth Education material is available for all stages.
