The Eco-Museum an innovative educational methodology to discover the earth sciences

Abstract

The eco-museum is a revolutionary concept compared to traditional museum because it considers the social dimension. The environment is described through history, culture, landscapes and human activities linked to the places that generated them. The work describes the realization of the pilot project "Towards an Eco-Museum of the Castelli Romani". The project conceived by a group of researchers of the Laboratory of Education and Science Communication of Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) in collaboration with the Regional Park of the Castelli Romani, involved students of the Classic and Socio-Psycho-Pedagogical High School of the Mancinelli Falcone Institute of Velletri (RM). The project aimed at promoting the knowledge and the awareness of the territory by using innovative and proactive educational methods. The educational activities carried out in the school year 2009-2010 have been structured in multidisciplinary training programs designed to create eco-museum routes. These training programs have been organized in several areas: historical, archaeological, literary, geological, city planning, ecological and naturalistic representative of the geological and anthropological complexity of the Nemi Lake's territory. It is a highly innovative educational project. Promote participatory planning. Led by experts and teachers, students participate in all the stages of the design, by choosing the itinerary, identifying the training needs, playing scenic actions and evaluating the effectiveness of the project. The proactive techniques used in the project (dramatization, creative writing, music, etc.) facilitated the acquisition of knowledge and skills enhancing the territorial resources improvement and the sharing with the community. Last but not least, the innovative project methodology places the school world not as the final recipient of knowledge but as a viewer and at the same time a partner who takes an active role in the dissemination of knowledge.