How can we help primary school children explore biodiversity through hands-on environmental learning?
Within the SMARTIVERSE project, student teachers took up this question by developing, testing, and refining teaching and learning materials for Environmental Education: Exploring (Bio)Diversity with Biocube and Technology.
Their work brought together environmental education, the Biocube methodology, and technology, turning teaching ideas into materials shaped by classroom experience.
At a glance
- Topic: Environmental Education – Exploring (Bio)Diversity with Biocube and Technology
- Developed by: student teachers within the SMARTIVERSE project
- For: primary school pupils
- Approach: designing materials, trying them out in primary school classrooms, adapting them
Designing for Young Learners
The student teachers developed materials to introduce primary school pupils to environmental education through the Biocube methodology. The challenge was to translate their ideas into activities that children could understand and engage with, while creating opportunities to explore biodiversity.
This work connects with SMARTIVERSE’s focus on environmental and digital literacy, and on using technology meaningfully and reflectively in primary education.
Learning from Classroom Practice
The development process extended beyond planning. Student teachers tried out their materials in primary school classrooms and then made adaptations based on that experience.
This cycle placed classroom practice at the centre of their work:
- Designing materials for young learners
- Trying out the materials in primary school classrooms
- Adapting them based on that experience
It also brought an essential question into focus:
“How does a teaching idea change when it meets the needs of real learners?”
For student teachers, revisiting their materials was an opportunity to connect educational intentions with practical teaching decisions. The final products therefore reflected both their initial ideas and the changes made after classroom use.
Sharing the Final Materials
To share their work, the student teachers presented their final products as posters. Together, these posters offer a starting point for exploring different approaches to teaching environmental education through Biocube and technology.
We invite teachers, teacher educators, and anyone interested in environmental learning to explore the collection – and consider how these ideas might be adapted for their own pupils and local environments.
Explore the student teachers’ posters:
Click on a poster to enlarge it.
