Heart Smart: SEL, STEM, and Nature-Based Learning by Anita Damjanovic

Biodiversity Scavenger Hunt

anitadamjanovic007 — 2024-09-03 19:43:55 UTC

Students form international teams can conduct a virtual biodiversity scavenger hunt. Each team member explores their local environment, documenting flora and fauna using a shared digital platform. Teams then compare findings, discussing similarities and differences in ecosystems across countries. This activity promotes STEM skills, environmental awareness, and cross-cultural collaboration.

Emotional Weather Report

anitadamjanovic007 — 2024-09-03 19:43:55 UTC

Students create daily 'emotional weather reports' using meteorological terms to describe their feelings. They share these reports with their international peers, discussing how emotions can be influenced by natural surroundings and cultural contexts. This activity blends SEL with nature-based learning and fosters empathy and cultural understanding.

Sustainable City Design Challenge

anitadamjanovic007 — 2024-09-03 19:43:55 UTC

In mixed international groups, students design a sustainable city of the future. They must incorporate green spaces, renewable energy sources, and community areas that promote well-being. This project integrates STEM principles, environmental awareness, and SEL as students negotiate and collaborate across cultures.

Nature's Patterns in Math

anitadamjanovic007 — 2024-09-03 19:43:55 UTC

Students explore mathematical patterns in nature, such as the Fibonacci sequence in flowers or fractals in ferns. They photograph examples in their local environment and create a collaborative online gallery with their international peers. This activity connects STEM with nature-based learning while promoting cross-cultural exchange.

Mindful Nature Walks

anitadamjanovic007 — 2024-09-03 19:43:55 UTC

Students take guided mindful walks in nature, focusing on sensory experiences and emotional responses. They then share their experiences through creative mediums (poetry, art, or short videos) with their international peers. This activity integrates SEL with nature-based learning and promotes cultural exchange.

Nature-Inspired Innovation Challenge

anitadamjanovic007 — 2024-09-03 19:43:55 UTC

In international teams, students study examples of biomimicry and then design their own nature-inspired solutions to global challenges. They present their innovations to the larger group, discussing both the scientific principles and the potential social impact of their designs. I think this should be our FINAL PRODUCT - a catalogue of their inventions presented in an online presentation of the inventions and

Kindness quilt

anitadamjanovic007 — 2024-09-13 13:40:02 UTC

We could make a Kindness quilt where every student makes a square with a message of kindness and then we put them all together in a kindness quilt which can be our final product

Tip Cards for Negative Emotions

2024-09-21 22:38:11 UTC

In groups, students would design cards with tips to understand and/ or overcome different negative emotions such as anger, guilt, sadness or anxiety. First, they would look for information about a negative emotion: its effects, the situations in which it is more likely to appear and what instructions someone can follow when feeling that way. After collecting the necessary information, they would create their own cards in Canva or other design tools including the tips on how to act when feeling the negative emotion chosen.

Well-being Treasure Box:

anitadamjanovic007 — 2024-09-28 11:37:35 UTC

In an online meeting students present their well-being treasure box which they will prepare and decorate ahead. Zhey will share and talk about the items that make them feel calm, happy, relaxed or excited.

These can include their favourite pyjamas, food, favourite toy, a family photo, anything with sentimental value, a special drawing or anything else that holds positive emotional significance for them. . As they see the others' treasure boxes, they will learn about each other
’s interests and what makes them happy and content as well as realise how many things they have in common.

Happy Playlist

anitadamjanovic007 — 2024-09-28 11:44:26 UTC

Students make a collaborative playlist of songs that lift tnem up when they feel down, music or sounds that calm them down or make them feel happy and safe.

Well-being survival kit

anitadamjanovic007 — 2024-09-28 11:51:03 UTC

In international teams students decide what should go in an ultimate well - being survival kit. They make a list of ten must have items for the kit (not necessarily material things) and the ten most recurring items become out project's well-being survival kit, Anything can go in the survival kit, for example, coffee with friend, or a walk alone in the woods, family movie night, music playlist, studying tips, workout plans...

SEL advent calendar

anitadamjanovic007 — 2024-09-28 12:09:22 UTC

We can make a calendar of small activities and acts of kindness for each day from 1st - 24th December, similar to Christmas advent calendar. It can be a collaborative activity and students would share pictures or write what they did on a collaborative Padlet or Wakelt or some other tool.

SEL journal

anitadamjanovic007 — 2024-09-28 12:13:03 UTC

Throughout the project, students keep a SEL journal about the project's activities which can ultimately be used for the evaluation purposes in the evaluation and dissemination phase of the project

Online makerspace

anitadamjanovic007 — 2024-10-02 12:25:10 UTC

Students use their stem competencies such as problem solving, engineering to design a solution for emotional well-being (e.g., stress-reducing tools, calm-down corners, or mindfulness gadgets)

Guessing Game

2024-10-07 22:07:38 UTC

First of all , they will have 3 folded cards.In the cars they will write a word that makes them happy.For example 'mother'.Each student has only one chance. One of them says your mother's cake make you happy the other says your mother's hug makes you happy etc .When all the students say their guesses .He explains the correct answer.Who finds the correct answer gets one point.Who gets most points is the winner

Heart Smart SEL STEM games and quizzes

anitadamjanovic007 — 2025-01-11 15:18:27 UTC