Sixty percent of Slovenia is covered by forest. In the modern environment, forests are the only major remnant of preserved nature and they play a wide variety of roles and functions across their entire range. Slovenian forestry is committed to guiding the development of the forest so that it remains as natural as possible. We all have to contribute to protect nature because it is an invaluable amenity. A mindset of preserving this amenity for future generations is crucial. Children need to have the responsibility for a clean environment and forest imparted to them.
Teachers also have an important role in this and it is by entering the forest that we provide children with an experience on how to work, how to behave in the forest and what all it has to offer. A teacher's work is based on the curriculum for each subject. For this purpose, we have analysed them to obtain an insight into the content representation of the chosen topic. We have also analysed articles and highlighted examples of good practice that can help teachers in their work. We have also added our own experience of a different way of working in biology class.
The outdoor classroom provides a link between the theoretical aspects of biology and the issues that affect our homes, communities and the world around us. Such education emphasises relationships with people, natural resources and processes. Educational paths are a type of self-guided nature trails. They are intended to make the visitor feel like an explorer, discovering both the natural and social features of an area under an unknown guide.
The aim of the master's thesis was to analyse the curricula, to research examples of good practice that enrich lessons and allow for more positive interaction between students and nature, and to create an educational nature path that both offers new information and enables placing already acquired information in a meaningful context.
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