Global warming – Future scientist facing a future problem Erasmus Project

Project Title

Global warming – Future scientist facing a future problem

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : School Exchange Partnerships

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Energy and resources; Social/environmental responsibility of educational institutions; Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills

Project Summary

The project “Global warming – Future scientists facing a future problem” was a bilateral school exchange partnership between the Otto-von-Taube-Gymnasium Gauting, Germany (OvTG) and the Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School (QEGS) in Faversham, Kent, England. This project succeeded in fostering a sense of the importance of European and global cooperation among all participants. We managed to establish a strong partnership between both schools and hope to continue in the future, even though the UK pulled out of the EU.

By exploring different aspects of climate change, the students developed high quality key skills mainly in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) subjects as well as social, language and creative skills and independent learning to become lifelong learners.

Comparing the two participating countries concerning topics like the specific energy consumption, ecological footprints or possibilities for green energy gave the students a more differentiated perspective. Furthermore, the environmental awareness of all all participants was enhanced and we are positive that they were influenced in a positive, sustainable way.

In each school a group of around twenty students per year, age 15 to 17, participated directly in the project, each group was always supported by three or four teachers.

By presenting our project results in school and in public we were able to involve a bigger group, including other students, parents and teachers. In total, we involved roughly 500 students. With the great influence on their social environment, the project had an impact on an even bigger number of people.

The framework of the project was formed by activities that required an ample set of skills of all the participants. By doing their own research, analyzing, comparing and creating efficient products, students enhanced their knowledge about the scientific background of climate change.

They were able to take ownership of their own learning process, while teachers supported them in scientific and organisational aspects. Over the two years, an experimental workshop in the form of a suitcase was produced and implemented, which exemplified the scientific background of global warming. Research work was done by several students and competitions between both schools took part. Excursions to scientific institutes, sustainable companies and prestigious universities (e.g. LMU Munich and Imperial College London) came to be an essential part of the program. Surveys about the environmental attitude of all involved persons were carried out and evaluated. Teachers underwent continual professional development supported by external experts and planning how to integrate the project’s outcomes into the curriculum, also in the future.

To carry out the project we followed a methodology in six steps: 1. setting a goal / objective and a deadline, 2. planning, setting and distributing tasks, 3. analyzing needs, 4. implementing the tasks, 5. evaluation and control if goals / objectives are reached, 6. closure and dissemination of results. This approach helped us to a well-coordinated collaboration between the two schools and also between the teams working on different tasks. Arising problems were noticed quickly by all participants and we were always able to find a swift solution. The coordinating teachers had a good overview about all activities that took part. To reach a broader number of people, the dissemination was essential for the success of the project. The coordinating teachers paid particularly attention to this step.

The long-term results of the project are concrete products like the workshop, essays written by students and posters as well as newly founded green groups in both schools. Other intangible results are the developed skills, change of attitude or growing self-esteem, which was assessed by observation and surveys. Unfortunately, the pandemic kept us from conducting our already planned climate conference.

New teaching methods and extracurricular activities were introduced to other teachers of both schools and integrated into the curriculum of science lessons. The produced self-explaining materials like the workshop can be used by any teacher and be carried out every year in a certain grade going forward.

By affecting the attitude of the whole school family, the project had a major impact and was advancing the school’s stance on a more responsible environmental behaviour and lifestyle at school and in daily life.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 35030,97 Eur

Project Coordinator

Otto-von-Taube-Gymnasium Gauting & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School