THE OFL SCHOOL LABORATORY
About Ocean Future School Lab
Marine protection means climate protection! In many cases, this fails due to a lack of cooperation. Strong shared images and visions based on knowledge and values are therefore needed to generate understanding for urgently needed, sustainable concepts and, above all, the will to implement these promptly with combined forces. Following the successful Ocean Future Lab in 2022 (funded by the German Ministry of Education and Research), the School Lab is now aims at children to teach them how to ‘think in positive images of blue futures’.
They can develop ideas about the sustainable use of the oceans, discover innovative conservation projects and get to know their stakeholders and political leaders.
Collaboration with educators is an essential part of the Ocean Future School Lab: the marine topics can be excellently related to school subjects: Biology, natural sciences, geography, ethics and political education.
The offer is primarily aimed at learning groups in grades 8 to 10, but can also be carried out for other age groups on request.
The pupils deal with the following topics:
1. All water flows into the sea! Dealing with rivers and oceans
What principles do we follow in dealing with rivers, seas and oceans?
2. Responsibility for the oceans
Who will be responsible for the coasts, seas and oceans in the future?
3. Use of the oceans
How will we use the seas and oceans in the future?
4. Perception of the oceans
Do we have a sense for the sea?
5. Challenge ‘Acting for the sea’
Can we become “citizens of the sea”?
Each topic is dealt with in 7 sessions of 90 minutes each. Once-weekly sessions are possible, as are compact project days:
1 session for the introduction to the respective topic
The protection and sustainable use of coasts, seas and oceans is a social challenge that affects everyone worldwide and requires factual knowledge as well as addressing the values and wishes of the participants.
2 sessions for research (innovation archive)
Extensively researched archives provide knowledge about existing innovations as well as inspiration for acting characters and settings for the future narratives.
2 sessions for development of future narratives
Our future prototyping workshops are based on scenographic approaches in which future narratives and scenes are developed co-creatively.
2 sessions for visualization / performances
The students are supported by a professional artists from the IFAI team in designing the images of the future.
Implementation overall:
