"Resources are the backbone of every economy. In using resources and transforming them, capital stocks are built up which add to the wealth of present and future generations. However, the dimensions of our current resource use are such that the chances of future generations - and the developing countries - to have access to their fair share of scarce resources are endangered. Moreover, the consequences of our resource use in terms of impacts on the environment may induce serious damages that go beyond the carrying capacity of the environment. These effects risk being aggravated once the developing world has taken up growth and resource use similar to the industrialised countries. On 21st December 2005 the European Commission proposed a Strategy on the Sustainable Use of Natural Resources used in Europe. The objective of the strategy is to reduce the environmental impacts associated with resource use and to do so in a growing economy. Focusing on the environmental impacts of resource use will be a decisive factor in helping the EU achieve sustainable development." (http://ec.europa.eu/environment/natres/) According to wikipedia "Natural Resources are all that exists without the actions of humankind. This includes all natural characteristics such as magnetic, gravitational, and electrical properties and forces. On earth we include sunlight, atmosphere, water, land along with all vegetation and animal life that naturally subsists upon or within the heretofore identified characteristics and substances. Natural resources may be further classified in different ways. Natural resources are materials and components that can be found within the environment. Every man-made product is composed of natural resources (at its fundamental level). A natural resource may exist as a separate entity such as fresh water, and air, as well as a living organism such as a fish, or it may exist in an alternate form which must be processed to obtain the resource such as metal ores, mineral oil, and most forms of energy." As the world economy grows, humans extract and harvest increasing amounts of natural resources from ecosystems and mines – around 60,000 billion kg (or 60 billion tonnes) annually. The amount of natural resources extracted for the production of goods and services is steadily increasing. humans extract and use about 50% more than only 30 years ago. (https://www.foe.co.uk/sites/default/files/downloads/overconsumption.pdf) This is a Project about this Environmental problem. We all need this environment because there is nowhere to go and environment and also natural resources have an end and if we don't stop wasting all thsese resources and contaminating we won't be able to inherit any these beauties to the next generations. And this is not only the responsibilty of the governmets but the most important aspect of the project is giving the sense of importance of environment among the youngesters who are the adults, governers, presidents and ministers of the future "Resource efficiency means using the Earth's limited resources in a sustainable manner while minimising impacts on the environment. It allows us to create more with less and to deliver greater value with less input." So our project aims to indroduce some new ways on the effective usage of the natural resources like water, Electricity as it’s one of the global problems we aim to find a different point of view by the help of the students small projects. And they will recycle and use waste materials like papers plastics, glass etc. İn different subjects as the classroom materials The discussion and the working group manner will be the key point of success the age group of the students will be formed 14-18 years old and every group will work online by the help of the internet there will be online classes on "www.edmodo.com" formed for them and every group will be supervised by a teacher who has a good command of English. And at every Teching learning activities a group is going to present their mini project and the results of it. So in every project meeting 5-6 students will participate and will do the last preperations with their group mates before the presentation for a few days . With this project We also aim to promote the sense of saving environment and recycling both on young people, their families and on the community and promoting digital competences as it's one of the priorities on 3/vi. (ET 2020) And another aim of this project is promoting the usage of English. As most of our students who learn English as a second languages even the teachers don't have enough chance of practice so we aim to make them use English as a communication language and form a lingua franca among them. so they will be able to uderstand each other more and find the similarities and pass over the prejugments about different cultures and this will lead to form a common european culture. another prioties on 1/i. (ET 2020)
The idea of the project started from the fact that we all need this environment because there is nowhere to go and environment and also natural resources have an end and if we don't stop wasting all these resources and contaminating we won't be able to leave any of these beauties to the next generations. We thought that it is the young generation responsibility to take action and protect the environment. Our project’s main objectives were targeted for our students, teachers, families and local community: -to encourage students to protect the environment and save energy - to minimize pollution because of the daily usage including energy and noise pollution - to decrease our carbon footprint - to enhance the usage of eco-friendly products - to increase students communication, cooperation, groupwork, ICT skills -to increase students self confidence on making public presentations in mother tongue and English - to develop knowledge and understanding of the cultural diversity in Europe and educational systems, preparing students to face the possibility of having to move abroad Each partner institution had a both teachers and students who were directly involved in the projects, meaning they also took part in mobilities and indirectly involved, meaning those who participated in local activities. Directly involved there were a flow of 4 students/country and 1 or 2 teachers/ country in the LTTAs and 3 teachers/country in the TPMs. Indirectly involved we had around 5000 participants, including students, teachers, families, local community, other organisations involved in the project but not formally participating in it (universities, Botanical gardens, Agencies for the Environment protection, NGOs). The activities of the project were done according to the application form, i.e. 3 and 3 LTTAs Other activities carried out during the project were: the creation of the website of the project (http://eco-partners.weebly.com). This was used as the main container for activities of the project, to track project progress, as well as dissemination and a place to establish the impact of the activities on the learners. Students also took part in workshops which helped the students’ research for the 5 mini projects. A Facebook page was also created with the intend to raise awareness of the environmental problems and need for action as well as a promotion tool for our project (https://web.facebook.com/racovitaromania/?ref=bookmarks). Students and teachers gathered paper in collaboration with the local municipality, created objects from recycled materials, took part in Workshops in protected areas, they presented papers in national and international symposia, Flash mobs. Results for students: environment awareness; ability to work in groups & active involvement in designing and running the Project, critical thinking, motivation to study foreign languages, European cultural awareness, improving self confidence and social abilities. For teachers: discovering and applying new methodologies or different digital materials, teaching materials and ideas, inter-disciplinary teaching and collaborative methods; discovering new subjects or ideas and partners for future Erasmus+, e-twinning Projects. For the community: redounding sense of environment, increasing the saving of energy and the enhancing the consideration of recycling For the local institutions: improving the school reputation, increasing the awareness for volunteering The longer term benefits are: increased environmental awareness among the young generation, the trees that our students plated during reforestation campaigns, the creation of optional courses that will be introduced starting with the school year 2019-2020, the creation of a recreational area in the school yard made with recycled materials, and the Fb page and the website of the project with the activities, good practice, papers written by the students as well as the 5 miniprojects can be accessed. All materials are free downloadable.