Design-oriented pedagogy with Eno school:
River Pielinen under a study
About the project
The Eno school from Joensuu with 3th graders and optional handicraft course students have participated in ENO Environment Online’s sustainable development project using Design oriented pedagogy method (DOP). In short DOP is anchoring the learning process to children’s ideas, thinking, conceptions and interpretations about the phenomena in question. It encourages pupils, teachers and experts to innovate so that the learners themselves can design their approach towards the study. The questions are drawn from their natural wondering and the whole study process has a strong role in a form of study diary.
The project started with a photograph exhibition visiting the school. The students also had the 17 UN’s sustainable development goals. What photographs interested them and why? What UN goals might affiliate with the pictures and why? The students had to write more questions related to these topics. The Eno school’s 3th graders were drawn to water topics and the River Pielinen was chosen as a subject of study.
A trip to the River Pielinen
It was time to get to the field and make investigations by this great river! ENO Environment Online’s educator Mrs. Maire Turunen arrived to meet the students and teachers. For this trip we also had the 4th graders with us.
First we investigated the water quality by using the World Water Monitoring Challenge kit. We explored the Ph, dissolved oxygen, turbidity and temperature with discussion what they mean for water and its life. Then we explored life under water with nets and magnifying glasses. What fun that was! It was great to see the students enthusiasm towards this activity.
River Pielinen had good results for water quality in all the investigated aspects and even though the water still was very cold (only 4 °C) we found very much life under water -even a “water scorpio” (Nepa cinerea) !
After the investigations the students cleaned up the beach and roads from trash on their way back to the school with trash-sticks offered by ENO Environment Online. 3th graders will include the results of this study trip into their DOP -project about River Pielinen. They have also virtually visited the Eno municipality’s water treatment plant and posed questions to its experts. We’re all very excited to see their project ready by the end of this spring 2021 school semester!
Watch the video:
music on the video by audionautix.com
3rd graders final work:
Pielisjoki -puhdas joki (River Pielinen is a clean river)
This school project is done in the Sustainable Development via Co-creation project, which is funded by the Central Finland Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment.