Too warm, too much particulate matter, too little humidity: plants are particularly important for a tolerable climate. They are important partners in the challenge of climate change.
Plants are just as much a part of the urban environment as houses and streets, parking lots and bus stops. Plants are essential elements in urban areas with many different important functions. The term “urban green”, which is often used today, goes far beyond trees, shrubs and perennials and refers to plants in all possible forms: privately on balconies or publicly on the grass verges of streets, carefully planned in flower beds or as spontaneous wild growth in disused factories, in cemeteries and soccer pitches, on ivy-covered house facades and railroad lines, on riverbanks or in pedestrian zones.
Plants are a decisive element in both rural and urban areas, they are natural components in ecosystems and people use them as design elements, living building materials, as objects of cultivation and production and much more.
Plants create a positive microclimate and regulate the climate at local and regional level by retaining water and increasing humidity, providing shade, fresh air and helping to build soil, etc.
Most of the time plants are able to adapt to different climatic conditions.
But they can also suffer - and fall victim - to climate change by being stressed by drought, parasites and natural hazards. These are challenges for humans to protect, support and strengthen plants from climate change in order to create good living conditions for them.
Pupils will:
Interdisciplinary (subjects involved: biology, art & design, language), research-based learning, group work, outdoor explorations; semi-open, self-organized learning (learning circles, station learning, group puzzles, learning workshops)
The unit uses the students' surroundings and living environment as a field of research and requires active engagement with the topic and critical reflection. Pupils are encouraged to use the knowledge they have acquired to solve the formulated tasks. Systemic development of knowledge and use and linking of this knowledge with other areas of knowledge. The lesson begins with an input (= conceptualization of the role of plants), continues with perception, analysis and design and ends with a joint reflection in class.
The units first lesson is an input on the different functions of the various plants in our habitat and their needs in habitats with changed living conditions due to climate change.
Based on the information they got in lesson 1 the students transform an empty parking slot into a liveable space by the help of plants.
In activity three the students learn about the needs of our green partner and possibilities how to support and strengthen them.
The students analyse their school environment and examine how climate fit it is.
In order to improve the climate in the school environment, the students develop suggestions on how they can support suffering plants, where they could plant more plants or how sealed areas could be converted into unsealed areas. As part of an in-depth discussion, the class (or school) could implement some of these suggestions as a school project.