ESD Module: Geopark GrenzWelten takes stock

Since the end of 2022, the GrenzWelten National Geopark has a new offer aimed at primary schools - the ESD Diploma "The Earth in Motion". With this offer, the Geopark actively comes to schools for the first time and teaches numerous topics in four school hours. The pupils learn about the shape of the earth, the movement of the continents, fossils and, of course, the significance of the earth's past for people today. The Geopark provides all the materials for this free offer... an "all-round carefree package" for the schools!

The first schools to implement this project were the Berliner Schule in Korbach and the Franziskus Grundschule in Olsberg-Bruchhausen, both certified Geopark schools. Gradually, numerous other schools followed in the course of 2023. They booked and implemented the module directly with the Geopark or in cooperation with the ESD diploma "Clever macht Zukunft" - Fachdienst Schulen und Bildung des Landkreises Waldeck-Frankenberg.

A total of 7 schools with 15 classes have already become real geo-experts in this way. Playfully and interactively, they have learned about the Geopark, our earth and the creatures from the past and present - a great success for the Geopark, which draws a positive balance of the school year 2022/2023. "We had hoped that this offer would give us better access to the schools and that we would be able to convey our topics in a lively, vivid and playful way. We are very pleased that the offer has really been so well received and that the feedback is consistently positive. It's a great motivation to expand the offer further, among other things for secondary schools, but also on other topics," says project manager Kim Peis from Geopark GrenzWelten.

The ESD module is implemented by GrenzWelten staff member Dr Ute Richter, who also designed it together with the Geopark project office. Thanks to her many years of work as a tour guide at the Korbacher Spalte and in the visitor mine in Goldhausen, Dr. Ute Richter not only has geological and scientific knowledge. Above all, she has a wealth of experience in working with children and imparting knowledge at an early age. These competences are reflected in the quality of the module, Kim Peis emphasises - the Geopark can consider itself lucky to have Dr Richter in its team.

The GrenzWelten are currently working on the further development of the ESD module. It is planned to include the 5th and 6th classes of secondary schools from autumn 2023. The Geopark is certified as an educational institution for sustainable development by the state of Hesse. All offers comply with the guidelines of ESD (Education for Sustainable Development). Interested schools can contact the project office of the National Geopark.

Keywords:

Geopark GrenzWelten Specialist Service Environment and Climate Protection Education for Sustainable Development