Abstract:

Environmental education and climate change course is an elective course added to the primary education program in the 2022-2023 academic year in order to raise students as individuals who are sensitive and responsible for the environment. However, it is seen that sample activities on how to gain the targeted acquisitions in the relevant course are not enough in the curriculum and textbooks. In this study, the case study pattern, which is one of the qualitative research methods, was used. Therefore, it is aimed to evaluate the student studies, student opinions and researcher diaries obtained as a result of the implementation of the activities developed for the environmental education and climate change course. The study group of the research consists of 28 primary school 8th grade students studying in a state school in Sakarya. Three activities were carried out for three weeks, two hours per week, in the study group. Student studies, semi-structured individual interview form and researcher diaries were used as data collection tools. Data obtained from individual interviews, researcher diaries and student products were analyzed by content analysis. According to the results obtained, "Where did these puffer fish come from?" In the activity, it was seen that the students mostly reflected the concept of natural balance, ecosystem and food chain, the dilemmas were discussed in the "Artificial meat" activity, the students developed arguments by considering the natural balance, and the projects that would create social awareness were developed in the "I am making a project" activity. In general, it was concluded that the students liked the activities, found it interesting, their knowledge of the natural balance increased, their environmental awareness improved, they understood the concept of ecosystem, they could develop arguments for issues that cause dilemmas, and they could develop projects for natural balance.

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