The Bird Hide Architect, a collaborative project between WWF and the Price Memorial Catholic Primary School, involved students designing a miniature hide. Running from October to September 2017, this unique learning experience required students to consider aspects such as setting a distance that allowed the bird watchers to enjoy the wildlife but without being too close to disturb it.
STEM education focuses on using Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics to deal with problems we will face in our day-to-day lives. The bird hide project specifically addressed these topics, as well as aesthetics and environmental conservation.
WWF-Hong Kong designing the project’s teaching materials and organized a student visit to Mai Po Nature Reserve. WWF provided technical support to the primary school teachers on areas such as the bird hide design, wetland conservation and bird ecology. For example, during the field trip to Mai Po, students were brought into a real bird hide. This allowed them to get an insight into the design theory of a hide. For example, the way that air circulation is improved inside the hide (Science), the colour and type of building materials used, enabling the hide to merge into the environment (Engineering) and the use of tools to carefully measure different parts of the hide and understand its structure (Technology and Mathematics).
Following the field trip, students put their knowledge into practice and build their ideal bird hide models. “I am glad to see how passionate the teachers were about this project,” said Kitty Tang, WWF-Hong Kong Education Officer. “They weren’t content to let their students surf online for information, and learn about bird hides from other places in the world, they brought their students to Mai Po to see bird hides first-hand. The experience of observing and measuring a real hide allowed the students to understand how the design relates to environmental conservation. This is a good example of how STEM education acts as a practical tool to let students deal with life issues.”
WWF-Hong Kong brings a variety of outdoor and outreach programmes to schools under the One Planet Schools banner as part of its goal to mainstream sustainability into the local education system.
Online reservation for 2017-18 One Planet Schools outdoor learning programmes
One Planet Schools education programme overview 2017-2018
STEM education focuses on using Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics to deal with problems we will face in our day-to-day lives. The bird hide project specifically addressed these topics, as well as aesthetics and environmental conservation.
WWF-Hong Kong designing the project’s teaching materials and organized a student visit to Mai Po Nature Reserve. WWF provided technical support to the primary school teachers on areas such as the bird hide design, wetland conservation and bird ecology. For example, during the field trip to Mai Po, students were brought into a real bird hide. This allowed them to get an insight into the design theory of a hide. For example, the way that air circulation is improved inside the hide (Science), the colour and type of building materials used, enabling the hide to merge into the environment (Engineering) and the use of tools to carefully measure different parts of the hide and understand its structure (Technology and Mathematics).
Following the field trip, students put their knowledge into practice and build their ideal bird hide models. “I am glad to see how passionate the teachers were about this project,” said Kitty Tang, WWF-Hong Kong Education Officer. “They weren’t content to let their students surf online for information, and learn about bird hides from other places in the world, they brought their students to Mai Po to see bird hides first-hand. The experience of observing and measuring a real hide allowed the students to understand how the design relates to environmental conservation. This is a good example of how STEM education acts as a practical tool to let students deal with life issues.”
WWF-Hong Kong brings a variety of outdoor and outreach programmes to schools under the One Planet Schools banner as part of its goal to mainstream sustainability into the local education system.
Online reservation for 2017-18 One Planet Schools outdoor learning programmes
One Planet Schools education programme overview 2017-2018
