Industrial woodlands
A
learning and experiencing room for children of the
“open
elementary full-time schools” in NRW
Ruhr University Bochum, Faculty of
Geoscience
- Geographical Institute of the
Ruhr-Universität Bochum – Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation,
Agriculture and Consumer Protection of the federal state of North Rhine
Westfalia
|
|
 |
Due to the
structural change in the Ruhrgebiet there are a lot of former industrial
areas where various open spaces have developed without any human
intervention.
On some of these industrial follow lands growth of woodlands can meanwhile
be detected originated by natural succession and the accumulation of
birches, willows, popplars, cherry trees etc. These industrial woodlands
provide living space for many plants and animals and offer new and various
spare time possibilities for residents. Situated near their schools and
homes these areas represent especially for children a valuable free area
with a wide scope for development and play.
Through
additional programmes of the “open elementary full-time schools” this
experience can be made constant, since industrial woodlands have great
potential for a differentiated and graded learning offer outside school.
They can be included into the concept of the “open elementary full-time
schools”, intending to create a new learning culture of playing and free
time opportunities, individual support and a changed rhythm of the daily
routine at school. |
|
“Go out and
have fun” is the geographers` motto from Dortmund and Bochum, thus making
the woodlands attractive to children visiting the “open elementary full-time
schools” as a room for experience and learning, especially the woodlands in
the urban fringe of the Rhein-Ruhr conurbation. |
|
 |
Conceived on
behalf of the Ministry of the Environmental and Nature Conservation,
Agriculture and Consumer Protection of NRW, the Geographical Institute of
the Ruhr-Universität Bochum and the University of Dortmund organizes and
accompanies this project under the management of Prof. Karl-Heinz Otto
(Bochum) and Dr. Andreas Keil (Dortmund) which for the moment is limited in
time until autumn. |
|
The aim of the
project is to develop learning and leisure time units around the woodlands
and to offer them in line with the “open elementary full-time schools”,
e.g. to walk out of the limited space of the school grounds in order to take
advantage and make use of the nearby woodland areas.
. |
|
On 12
March 2004 the project started in the form of a workshop in
Oberhausen. With the participation of selected speakers from education and
research a creative discussion was tackled on how to open up the
(industrial) woodlands in the urban fringe of the Rhein-Ruhr-region by “open
elementary full-time schools”.
|
|
 |
Ideas were developed, contacts
made, requirements ascertained and criteria established for its realization.
Work groups were dealing with the topic „Out and about with children – how
to get pleasure from the woodlands”, and the participants were discussing
what to do with children in the woodlands and who should be in charge of
leading the excursions. |
|
Since then the project has
been cooperating with “full time elementary schools” from the whole
Ruhrgebiet. The excursions to the woodlands designed and led by the project
group of the University Bochum, the educationalist Tanja Kiehne and the
biologist Andreas Witte, are supposed to give children the possibility to
develop a positive relationship to the woodlands and move more and more
independently there. They are encouraged to develop their own ideas, to use
the woodlands as a space for games and activities and be active together
with other children. The process of learning takes place incidentally, i.e.
less transparently but more sustainably. |
|
As
for example at the elementary school Deininghausen in Castrop-Rauxel. |
|
 |
Since April this year 35
first-graders have been regularly visiting the woodlands in the vicinity of
their school. Upon consultation with the KVR Ruhr Grün, which is an
important cooperation partner of the project, children are allowed to gain
experiences also offside the regular paths.
Equipped with detailed
program information and working material in our backpacks, our days spent in
the woodlands often run other than was expected. As soon as we get off the
path with the kids and rummage through the beech leaves the first animals
are detected. |
|
Fabian proudly presents us a
centipede rolling around in his hand. This prompts us - the woodland
educationalists - to pull out the magnifiers, since there is no other game
than that which seems to be more attractive at that moment. It’s only until
we pull the clay out of the bag, when the tables turn: “What are you going
to do with it?” After a short time the first funny tree faces arise on the
beeches, decorated with fruits and seeds. It does not take long and all the
children start forming and shaping the trees with clay. After a while it
looks like in a gallery – tree faces smiling at us from everywhere. |
|
 |
Then we set off to the
prepared rope with some curious children. After a brief introduction they
start toddling off, as their eyes are blindfolded, and have to work out
their way between the trees blindly, only with the help of the rope. It
turned out to work perfectly – and it goes without saying, soon all first
graders are standing in a queue to prove their courage at the rope.
However
the kids are not always left by themselves. While walking blindly through
the woodlands, there is always a helping hand nearby who takes care of the
way and the trees ahead. |
|
Next a search game is on the
programme, but the kids do not seem to be interested. They climb, play
catching, hunt frogs and frolic around the woodlands. The search game
remains undone, which is no problem at all, as scopes for free development
and play are likewise important.
For the other days yet to
spent in the woodlands a variety of games, creative offers, practical things
and sensory experiences are about to follow. There are two things which are
very essential to us: First, what the children discover in nature will make
the programme; and should the children wish to have free spaces for their
independent discovery of the woodlands, there will always be time for that. |
|
Similar woodland projects are
soon going to take place at further partner schools in the Ruhrgebiet. On
the internet site of the project: www.rub.de/industriewald the cooperation
with project schools will be documented in detail in the future.
|
|
 |
In the final stage of the
project a recommendation in the form of modules will be developed which can
be used by interested elementary schools to put into practice, i.e. a
similar offer for the woodlands in line with the “open full-time school”.
The exact implementation of the product is still to come, since an
innovative and application-oriented presentation of the results requires the
collection of many experiences and the continued exchange and creative
discussion with all the people involved. |
|
