Learning Forward Saturday and the Wisdom Mandli with Project FUEL
To explore ecological wisdom and its application in the classroom.
Key Takeaways
Wisdom is "passed around," not "passed down." Insights come from all ages and experiences, not just seniors or experts.
Project FUEL collects ecological wisdom from everyday life (e.g., cooking, gardening) to create lesson plans that strengthen children's connection to nature.
A breakout room activity failed due to technical issues and participant confusion, prompting a shift to a main-room discussion.
Teachers are assigned homework: collect 2–3 ecological life lessons from their students and post their own lesson on a shared platform.
Topics
Project Fuel's Philosophy: Wisdom is "Passed Around"
Project Fuel (PF) collects life lessons from people of all ages and backgrounds.
Core Belief: Wisdom is "passed around," meaning valuable insights come from anyone, not just seniors or experts.
Goal: Use these real-world lessons to create classroom materials that make the world a "classroom."
Initiative: Collecting Ecological Wisdom
PF's current focus is collecting "Paryawranian Wisdom"—ecological insights from daily life.
Rationale: To counter children's growing disconnection from nature, which is caused by urban living and convenient services like food delivery apps.
Goal: Collect one million ecological lessons from women to build a resource that strengthens children's relationship with nature.
Activity: Ecological Wisdom Flashcards
Objective: Share personal ecological experiences using prompt cards.
Execution: A breakout room activity failed due to technical issues and participant confusion.
Pivot: The session shifted to a main-room discussion of the prompts.
Kitchen: A space for creativity, family connection, and stress relief.
Stars: A source of wonder and a reminder of childhood memories.
Flowers: A metaphor for the life cycle (growth, bloom, fade).
Application: Bringing Wisdom to the Classroom
Challenge: How to teach ecological wisdom beyond textbooks.
Ideas Generated:
Storytelling: Create narratives from nature's perspective (e.g., a flower's autobiography, a mountain's history).
Hands-on Experience: Involve children directly with nature to build empathy.
Rituals: Connect daily life to nature (e.g., enjoying the first rain after summer).
Next Steps
Teachers:
Collect 2–3 ecological life lessons from students.
Post one personal ecological lesson on the shared platform (link to be sent via WhatsApp).
Project Fuel:
Share the link and instructions for the ecological lesson platform on the WhatsApp group.
All:
Reconvene on January 24th to review the lessons learned and brainstorm classroom activities.
Notes: Courtesy FATHOM AI
