Application of the Curriculum in Ecology for the Study of the Local Environment

Abstract

ABSTRACTCrafting a Curriculum in Ecology for the Study of the Local Environment is dictated by the alarming concerns for preserving life and nature. The opportunities for applying such a Curriculum lay in the experimental activities offered in its modules as well as in the partnerships and inter-institutional cooperation it engenders.The Curriculum is adapted to the age group/grade of students as well as their knowledge about nature. The rare biodiversity of Ostritza Reserve Park offers a unique opportunity for students' investigative and research work. The answers to questions such as “Are we ready to meet the challenges of nature?”, “How acute is the threat of global warming?”, “How to preserve the treasures of nature, studying our local environment?” emerge from various parts of the Curriculum—debates in Discussion Club, poster sessions, round tables, eco-projects, etc.The ultimate “destination” of the Curriculum is the human behavior, its “vehicle”—the civic duty and responsibility of every person. The Curriculum meets the national educational requirements and standards in ecology in a non-conventional, but attractive for students, approach. By sharing experience in the process of studying the local environment, the students advance their knowledge in nature preservation and ecology, at par with the European norms for education in these areas.