Envirokids Magazine
Project Leader: Dr Roberta Griffiths
Envirokids gets the message across
SOSF is contributing to a junior environmental magazine that has been promoting environmental awareness to children for over 35 years.
Founded in 1926, the Wildlife and Environment Society of SA (WESSA) is South Africa’s oldest and largest non-government membership-based environmental organization. With increasing environmental degradation and loss of biodiversity, WESSA believes that there is an urgent need for environmental education for sustainable development-and that this should start at an early age to promote a caring and love of nature in young people.
Since 1972 it has been publishing a junior magazine, EnviroKids. This 32-page full colour magazine mails to the WESSA membership each quarter – families, educators, public and
school libraries and environmental clubs. It also reaches over 800 Eco-Schools around the country as part of an international program run in over 30 countries, designed to encourage wholeschool curriculum-based action for a healthy environment.
Founded in 1926, the Wildlife and Environment Society of SA (WESSA) is South Africa’s oldest and largest non-government membership-based environmental organization. With increasing environmental degradation and loss of biodiversity, WESSA believes that there is an urgent need for environmental education for sustainable development-and that this should start at an early age to promote a caring and love of nature in young people.
Since 1972 it has been publishing a junior magazine, EnviroKids. This 32-page full colour magazine mails to the WESSA membership each quarter – families, educators, public and
school libraries and environmental clubs. It also reaches over 800 Eco-Schools around the country as part of an international program run in over 30 countries, designed to encourage wholeschool curriculum-based action for a healthy environment.
Education at home and school
The magazine aims to promote environmental awareness and public participation in caring for the Earth and targets children age 6-14 years. Each issue has a different theme and presents feature articles, activities, stories, puzzles, children’s letters, art and news items.
SOSF is now regularly contributing articles about the seas and oceans – and the amazing creatures that live in them. The content also supports the national curriculum and serves as a classroom resource for educators. The print run varies from 5 000 to 12 000 copies depending on the theme, but the readership in families, schools, clubs and libraries far
exceeds the print run.
Through its outreach program, WESSA distributes Envirokids to the more needy schools in the country. The magazines are used as support materials for lessons in the classroom. In some cases the magazines have been the first colourful, child-orientated material that the children have ever seen.
SOSF is now regularly contributing articles about the seas and oceans – and the amazing creatures that live in them. The content also supports the national curriculum and serves as a classroom resource for educators. The print run varies from 5 000 to 12 000 copies depending on the theme, but the readership in families, schools, clubs and libraries far
exceeds the print run.
Through its outreach program, WESSA distributes Envirokids to the more needy schools in the country. The magazines are used as support materials for lessons in the classroom. In some cases the magazines have been the first colourful, child-orientated material that the children have ever seen.
Project Update: 2008
Recent sponsored initiatives to distribute magazines to disadvantaged learners in local schools, have proved both cost-effective and very successful in stimulating interest and increasing environmental awareness about sharks and marine issues.
Thanks to Irvin and Johnson, Save our Seas Foundation, and City of Cape Town 1 600 copies of Volume 29(3) on the theme: SHARKS were donated to the EnviroKids in Schools project. The distribution of magazines was facilitated by a partner organisation, the Western Cape Primary Science Programme (PSP). PSP’s facilitation of the magazine content with educators, together with the presentation of a hands-on experiences of marine life by the Two Oceans Aquarium, provided a very popular and successful marine programme for disadvantaged primary school learners.
The programme operated as follows:
PSP Work Session with Teachers from Cluster Schools
1. Introducing sharks to educators
PSP facilitators introduced the topic by reading a story about the importance of sharks in ocean ecosystems. Teachers then familiarised themselves with the magazine content. An ocean food pyramid activity followed, with teachers building a food pyramid (page 10) using tin cans. They formulated questions about the food pyramid (e.g. what would happen if we removed some of the producers?) and discussed possible answers from learners. This was followed by various group activities outlined in a lesson plan guide (e.g. research the different types of sharks, shark reproduction, feeding behaviour etc., and design a poster). Each group presented their work, and as ‘Shark Specialists’ answered questions from the group. The session ended with a ‘shared writing’ activity and discussions as to what had been learned.
2. EnviroKids magazine distribution
Following the workshop, different PSP cluster schools received a pack of 50 magazines to distribute amongst Grade 4 –7 classes. The magazines were rotated between classes, thereby ensuring that when the teachers wanted to do a lesson on sharks, each learner had a colourful magazine from which to work.
3. How EnviroKids was used in schools
PSP reported that the teachers thoroughly enjoyed working with the magazine. Teachers commented that they had learnt a great deal from the experience. and were excited and motivated to share the material with learners. PSP facilitators found that the perceptions of both teachers and learners had changed, and they developed a new respect and understanding of the importance of sharks.
Some schools used the lesson plan guide to focus on different aspect of sharks, and learners’ work was displayed in the school foyer. Other schools designed quiz competitions using information from the magazine, while Red River Primary learners selected a shark species and prepared an illustrated information sheet to share with their peers. At other schools, Grade 4‘s made mobiles, and Foundation Phase learners made Shoebox Aquariums, while Grade 6 learners at Surrey Primary researched additional information on sharks during the computer period and compiled ‘dossiers’ on the different species. Grade 7 learners at JS Klopper worked in groups on different shark topics and made posters from their drawings and notes.
Experiential outreach programme
Children learn best through experiential hands-on learning, and 10 schools were privileged to have the Two Oceans Aquarium Outreach visit their school. This programme involved the erection of several workstations with different sea plants and animals on display. The facilitator, Lindy Warren, coached selected Grade 7 learners for each station, and they taught other learners about the plants and animals displayed. This interactive approach empowered the child presenters and proved to be a popular and effective learning experience.
Conclusion
The 2008 EnviroKids in Schools project, supported by sponsors and facilitated by the Primary Science Programme and the Two Oceans Outreach Programme, proved very successful. 1 600 copies of the Shark issue were distributed to classrooms for National Marine Week. 184 teachers and 16 328 learners at 40 PSP Cluster schools in the Western Cape benefited, making it a very cost-effective programme in that:
1. It provides a useful low-cost educational resource that informs and inspires educators and learners
2. The thematic educational content provides an extended lifespan compared with other magazines. The copies are retained and circulated to different classes as needed.
The magazines are also used during the weekly 30-minute reading period, and will be used to teach a Life & Living module in 2009.
Thanks to Irvin and Johnson, Save our Seas Foundation, and City of Cape Town 1 600 copies of Volume 29(3) on the theme: SHARKS were donated to the EnviroKids in Schools project. The distribution of magazines was facilitated by a partner organisation, the Western Cape Primary Science Programme (PSP). PSP’s facilitation of the magazine content with educators, together with the presentation of a hands-on experiences of marine life by the Two Oceans Aquarium, provided a very popular and successful marine programme for disadvantaged primary school learners.
The programme operated as follows:
PSP Work Session with Teachers from Cluster Schools
1. Introducing sharks to educators
PSP facilitators introduced the topic by reading a story about the importance of sharks in ocean ecosystems. Teachers then familiarised themselves with the magazine content. An ocean food pyramid activity followed, with teachers building a food pyramid (page 10) using tin cans. They formulated questions about the food pyramid (e.g. what would happen if we removed some of the producers?) and discussed possible answers from learners. This was followed by various group activities outlined in a lesson plan guide (e.g. research the different types of sharks, shark reproduction, feeding behaviour etc., and design a poster). Each group presented their work, and as ‘Shark Specialists’ answered questions from the group. The session ended with a ‘shared writing’ activity and discussions as to what had been learned.
2. EnviroKids magazine distribution
Following the workshop, different PSP cluster schools received a pack of 50 magazines to distribute amongst Grade 4 –7 classes. The magazines were rotated between classes, thereby ensuring that when the teachers wanted to do a lesson on sharks, each learner had a colourful magazine from which to work.
3. How EnviroKids was used in schools
PSP reported that the teachers thoroughly enjoyed working with the magazine. Teachers commented that they had learnt a great deal from the experience. and were excited and motivated to share the material with learners. PSP facilitators found that the perceptions of both teachers and learners had changed, and they developed a new respect and understanding of the importance of sharks.
Some schools used the lesson plan guide to focus on different aspect of sharks, and learners’ work was displayed in the school foyer. Other schools designed quiz competitions using information from the magazine, while Red River Primary learners selected a shark species and prepared an illustrated information sheet to share with their peers. At other schools, Grade 4‘s made mobiles, and Foundation Phase learners made Shoebox Aquariums, while Grade 6 learners at Surrey Primary researched additional information on sharks during the computer period and compiled ‘dossiers’ on the different species. Grade 7 learners at JS Klopper worked in groups on different shark topics and made posters from their drawings and notes.
Experiential outreach programme
Children learn best through experiential hands-on learning, and 10 schools were privileged to have the Two Oceans Aquarium Outreach visit their school. This programme involved the erection of several workstations with different sea plants and animals on display. The facilitator, Lindy Warren, coached selected Grade 7 learners for each station, and they taught other learners about the plants and animals displayed. This interactive approach empowered the child presenters and proved to be a popular and effective learning experience.
Conclusion
The 2008 EnviroKids in Schools project, supported by sponsors and facilitated by the Primary Science Programme and the Two Oceans Outreach Programme, proved very successful. 1 600 copies of the Shark issue were distributed to classrooms for National Marine Week. 184 teachers and 16 328 learners at 40 PSP Cluster schools in the Western Cape benefited, making it a very cost-effective programme in that:
1. It provides a useful low-cost educational resource that informs and inspires educators and learners
2. The thematic educational content provides an extended lifespan compared with other magazines. The copies are retained and circulated to different classes as needed.
The magazines are also used during the weekly 30-minute reading period, and will be used to teach a Life & Living module in 2009.