Expedition to the Amazonia (EN-CUR-617)
The Portuguese expedition of Alexandre Rodrigues Ferreira to the Amazonia in 1783-1792 was one scientific milestone of the 18th century. Using this trip as a backdrop, we will learn that Amazonia is part of everyone’s natural and cultural heritage. It consists of three activities and a final quiz in which the proposed objectives are achieved through gaming. The journey made by Alexandre Rodrigues Ferreira is fully symbolized by a Hopscotch in an outdoor court. Besides knowing the names of the explored rivers, represented in the game, the markers used symbolize the dangers that this tropical ecosystem faces. A concentration (card game) introduces some Amazonian tribes that came across during his philosophical expedition. The objects shown in the cards are then used to infer about their lifestyle. Based on a selection of its animal illustrations, participants will master the art of create animal wire figurines. While knowing more about the chosen species, they discover the trophic links among them, by creating a food chain.
This learning scenario has been developed during the “Digital Education with Cultural Heritage” online course. The course aimed to improve teachers’ understanding of cultural heritage in order to efficiently integrate it into their lessons and practices. The courses can be accessed here.
Author: Pedro Alvito
Age of students: 12+
Subject and topic: Science, History, Geography, Art and Design, P.E., Storytelling/ The age of empires
Learning Scenario
CC BY 4.0: the featured image used to illustrate this article has been found on Europeana and has been provided by the Wellcome Collection.