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Biodiversity and teaching. Biodiversity and eTwinning projects 24-27 november 2011 Kleitoria Greece. A paradoxically recent concept!. Origin of the concept: Born around the 80’s in a report about the biological diversity biology and then in a E.O. Wilson’s book
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Biodiversity and teaching Biodiversity and eTwinning projects 24-27 november 2011 Kleitoria Greece
A paradoxically recent concept! • Origin of the concept: • Born around the 80’s in a report about the biological diversity biology and then in a E.O. Wilson’s book • Used since in a huge number of international conferences led by the UN, the EU or the IUCN, like Osaka in 2010
What’s biodiversity ? • Biodiversity is at the same time • The ecosystem diversity, • The species diversity • The genetic diversity inside the species. • And must be consider both at the structural and functional level
The limits of the concept • The main limit is the definition of the biological species. • You must see biodiversity as a dynamic concept, the allelic variety inside the species, as the species in the ecosystem or the ecosystems of the world changing with time. • So Linné’s biodiversity is not Darwin’s one !!
Another view on evolution • Today’s biodiversity is at the same time the product, a transitional state and the substrate of the future evolution (evolution potential) • Biodiversity must be so studied (and taught) in an evolutionist rationale. • spaces and times of biodiversity • Biodiversity must be consider at different scales of time and spaces. • Past biodiversities are interesting subjects.
How to appraise biodiversity ? A theorical and practical hard work… • Using many different technical manners (from on field systematic to bar coding) • In more complex and uneasy to reach ecosystems (ocean bottoms, undergrounds, etc) • For more and smaller organisms !
How appraise biodiversity ? Hot spot of biodiversity
Past biodiversity • Past biodiversity could be estimated: • By fossil’s study • But with some bias…: • Fossils’ scarcity • More abundant and time stable groups are over accounted • Every thing have not been found… • By studies in molecular genetic (allowing a phylogenic approach))
Why be interested in biodiversity ? • For its scientific interest • To get a better understanding of evolution’s mechanisms. • To speak about mankind… • For utilitarian reasons (about energy, food, health, • For aesthetic, ethic and moral reasons • Because of the actual decline of biodiversity • To care about our “space ship Earth” fellows ….
Biodiversity’s values An very topical scientific and philosophical debate And which identify for biodiversity • Economic values • Cultural values • Ethical values
The ecosystems and biodiversity’s utilities • The economic values: • Production’s services: food, water, genetic resources, clothes, energies, drugs, etc.. • Support’s services: all that is necessary for the operation of all Earth’s ecosystems (soils formation, dioxygene production, water and chemical elements cycles, etc.. • Control services : regulation in the ecosystem , climatic regulation, illness control
Cultural values (non material earnings ) : • Aesthetic experiences • Cultural development (myths et legends, literature, arts, etc..) • Intellectual development • Social links • Leisure • etc.
Ethical values: • Mankind belong to nature which impose to every people an ecological responsibility about his generation and the future generation. • Every species get the right to exist and the ecological processes which insure the biosphere integrity and its diversity components must be maintained • Diversity of ethical and cultural point of view must be encouraged promoting relationships which respects and reinforces the life ‘s diversity , regardless from politic, economic or religious ideology displayed in a particular society. (from « An ethical basis for conserving biological diversity », UICN 1990)
Why teach biodiversity ? • An huge scientific subject • Ex: quantifying biodiversity, describing it… • A true pedagogical subject • For its systematical approach • for the different sort of the projects and activities to do • For the competences managed by the pupils • For the 21st century’s citizen education
A true pedagogical subject • For its systematical approach: • In, cross, and beyond subjects topics • To manage in space and time • With different points of view, questions and analysis. • And all along pupils’ schooling
A true pedagogical subject • for the different sort of the projects and activities to do • Personal and/or group works • Inside and/or outside the school • In partnership with scientific structures or associations • Enrolled in a project approach
A true pedagogical subject • For the competences managed by the pupils • A true work on competences (knowledge, capacities, behaviours) • All the European framework of competences can be practised and in particular social and civics competences, as well as ICT competences. • At each level of pupils' schooling
How to teach biodiversity ? • Just a glance in Europe… • Biodiversity is near always embedded in the curricula • But with different goals and ways of implementation • And not in all it components ?? • Local and global, past, present and future: essential dimensions ? • Every project on biodiversity should (must ?) consider these dimensions
How to teach biodiversity? • The role of the teacher: professor, organizer, animator ? • The “leader of the project”, present from its beginning until the end ! • Determining all these contents, components , limits . • Identifying the competences to implement, work and assess. • Planning the partnership with scientific institutions • Teaching that must be do !
eTwinning and biodiversity • One example of “citizen science” • To allow a better understanding of biodiversity and all its components • To show the European’s biodiversity richness and share it • To compare, exchange studies and analyses • To illustrate the cultural and pedagogical approaches • To have strong partnerships with scientist or schools • To explore pupils’ competences in a different way • To build Europe on new values... • To make you want to go further…
Ressources • Bibiography: • E.O.Wilson (1992) The Diversity of Life, BelknapPress of Harvard UniversityPress, Cambridge. • Marjorie L. Reaka-Kudla, Don E. Wilson, and Edward O. Wilson (1997) Biodiversity II Understanding and Protecting Our BiologicalResources, Joseph Henry Press. • Web sites: • Millenium ecosystemassesment : • http://www.maweb.org/en/index.aspx • Man and biosphere program • http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/environment/ecological-sciences/man-and-biosphere-programme/ • Green facts: • http://www.greenfacts.org/en/index.htm • IUNC web site • :http://www.iucn.org/what/tpas/biodiversity/ • Biodiversity’s hot spot: • http://www.biodiversityhotspots.org/
Thanks for your attention Cretzschmar’s Bunting: an example of biodiversity to watch around Kleitoria ?