DAYLIGHTING RIVERS - EUROPEAN PROJECT FOR INNOVATIVE TEACHING

Historically, water resources have allowed the development of urban settlements and water forms and availability - such as surface water or underground water (springs, rivers and streams, aquifers, lakes), have influenced the urban environment either in connection to danger and risk connected to the proximity of the water body, either for the functional and aesthetic value. The educational project Daylighting Rivers -co-funded by the European Union in 2017 (Project number 2017-1-IT02- KA201-036968), takes its cue from such theme to develop a teaching methodology that aims to facilitate STEM learning and at the same time to raise teachers' and students' awareness on the importance and vulnerability of water bodies, especially in a urban context. The project was implemented in Italy, Spain and Greece, countries with similar environmental characteristics and urban sprawl processes that have been emphasizing water issues especially in time of climate change. Over the first two years, the project involved three pilot secondary schools that tested an innovative, multidisciplinary and participatory teaching methodology, based on a model of Inquiry Based Learning. From the pedagogical point of view, the methodology fosters the students' centrality and curiosity for investigating the local river in own town or province. Twenty learning units were developed on specific topics connected to macro-themes that can be implemented in different school disciplines. The promotion of innovative digital tools such as Location Based Games have also allowed students to approach and work with georeferenced information, but also combine technical-scientific aspects and language to historical-humanistic-artistic aspects and storytelling. Students could also reflect on a variety of aspects related to rivers in town such as social, ecological, cultural and economic well-being aspects.