Knowledge Day is a significant event for all students and teachers since it marks the beginning of a new chapter in their school lives. This holiday is always observed by the vividness of impressions and new experiences, as well as new hopes and long-awaited meetings. Teachers strive to make September 1 cheerful and captivating for students so that they begin the new school year with enthusiasm.
Kucheryava V., a teacher at Uzhhorod Lyceum No. 5, accompanied 7th-grade students to Uzhhorod Castle to commemorate the Day of Knowledge. They were given an unusual natural history tour by the employees of the Transcarpathian Regional Museum of Local Lore, which had been developed with the assistance of the Interreligious and Civil Environmental Forum of Eastern Europe (IRCEF).
Children participated in an educational eco-quest focused on the biodiversity of Uzhhorod Castle instead of a regular tour of the grounds. Ruslana Dzhahman, a senior researcher in the museum’s nature branch and an IRCEF expert, created it for the students. Students learned to differentiate plants by their cones and fruits while doing tasks at five different places. They also discovered what trees and bushes grow on the castle hill and what species of birds and insects fly inside the fortress.
The children played a game in which they learned intriguing information about the geography of their own land as well as the layout of the castle by searching for tasks on a distinctive map that each team was given. Participants gained points for accurate answers at all locations, which were then used to select the winners. The search participants earned sweet gifts from the museum’s partner, the Institute of Ecological and Religious Studies, after finishing the tasks, summing up the results, and gaining the most significant prize – knowledge. The eco-quest helped schoolchildren reconnect and make new friends after the holidays, as well as prepare them for the exciting studies that await them next year.
The event was held within the framework of cooperation between the Interreligious and Ecological Civil Forum of Eastern Europe (IRCEF) (headed by Olexander Bokotey) and the German Nature Conservation Union (NABU Bundesverband, NABU International), project coordinators Ivan Tymofeiev (NABU), Nataliya Kulya (IRCEF).
Informational Service of IRCEF