Mariposarium ¡Una aventura en la selva!

Abstract

[eng] Mariposarium: Una aventura en la selva!“ («Mariposarium: An adventure in the jungle») gives an approach to significant contents of our natural environment with Spanish as the vehicular language and using a creative and innovating methodology. On the one hand, to deal with the jungle motivates the pupils as this is an interesting topic for them from the first cycle of primary school onwards and they can apply their previous knowledge about this topic. On the other hand, treating this subject enriches the pupil's knowledge of geography. Dealing with the flora and fauna of different areas of the world and their exotic beauty helps the students to understand better other cultures and the importance of the ecological balance of the whole planet. The applied methodology is cooperative learning, keeping in mind the diversity of the pupils and stimulates their communicative and social skills. The project is divided in two well-defined phases: During the first phase, the students do an activity of research and language learning related to different aspects of the jungle. The second phase consists in creating and dramatizing an story of adventures based on the acquired knowledge of Spanish language and geographical contents about the jungle. This double approach promotes the active participation of the pupils, creating their own knowledge, gets them introduced to scientific methods, working in cooperative groups. Also it is motivating for them as they have fun creating the story, the characters and their conflicts.