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CarsGoal Group: Students 10-16 years old from Costa Rica and Estonia.
Summary: In many countries, cars are an essential means of transportation and fundamental means for development. They are also a major source of pollution. How can we solve this contradiction? Is it possible to create transportation systems that don't pollute? Is it possible a change in the culture of people to favor this change? Is it possible that world societies, especiallly the major consumers, have conscience about the environment as interdependent that will affect everybody now or someday with no distinction, and will they be in the capacity of making a more rational use of cars?
This project pretends to examine different kinds of pollutants that come from gasoline powered automobiles and different approaches towards a non polluting transportation system. Also, participation of children and youngsters in process of empowerment that includes a critical and creative attitude in decision making processes and in formulation of plans of local action for a better quality of life. This attitude must be centered in a Sustainable Development model that each society has to build, in this case, Costa Rica and Estonia, that located in different parts of the world, with a different language, culture and problems, through the use of technology and innovative methodology, can build a multicultural bridge and share their experiences.
It is essential to mention the use of education out of the traditional paradigm, in which students are subjects and not objects of the educational process. Besides, students are producers of knowledge through field work. They not only learn about the environment and its problems, but also they locate themselves in their own environment and own problems to obtain results and conclusions, supporting values of sustainability and sharing the local at a global level.
Also, school team work, and family and community participation (rural and urban) is strengthened, and there is feedback through discussions and forums, virtually or electronically.
Questions to start:
Is it possible to create transportation systems that don't pollute?
Is it possible that your participation and your friends can generate important changes in your community at a global level somehow?
Four approaches (or more) to resolving these problems could be discussed in this project:
1. Improve fuel efficiency and emission controls.
2. Use alternative fuels
3. Reduce the number of cars and miles driven
4. Create an awareness among drivers for a more rational use of cars.Some research projects can be:
1. Cleaning up Driving: Designing a Campaign to Clean Up Driving.
Develop a survey and share hare your survey results with your partner school.
2. Reducing Miles Driven: Designing a campaign to Reduce the Miles Driven in Your community.Breaking the Ice:
Find out how your partners travel to school, etc.
Develop a survey that you will use with the students in your school.
A copy of your surveys
Plot your survey results on a map of your community
Determine the kinds of other transportation currently available, i.e. buses, lorries, bicycles, trains, etc.
Share your map and a description of the transportation available in your community with your partner school.
Using the survey results, develop a plan for reducing the miles driven in your community.
Suggested plans from both partners, which are based on the survey results
A final plan
Develop materials: Campaign materials, such as posters, songs, videos.
Share your materials.
Vonnu Keskkool (Vonnu, Estonia)
Viktor MuuliMinistry of Education (Costa Rica)
Jose Miguel Molina