‘Help the Iberian lynx and the black vulture’

Our environmental education team has been visiting several schools throughout the project’s intervention area in order to present students the Iberian lynx, the black vulture and the activities carried under the Habitat Lince Abutre LIFE project to recover the habitat of these two endangered species in Portugal.

Besides playing a quiz about the project, students from 5th grade to high school were given a challenge – the School Challenge ‘Help the Iberian lynx and the black vulture’. In this challenge, students are invited to elaborate during the school year, individually or in groups, a project about the target species or the Habitat Lince Abutre LIFE project. They are given the possibility to choose the type of project (e.g. theater play, tale, music), which, in some cases, is being articulated with school lessons, such as sciences or linguistics.
In the end of the school year, the projects are presented to the school and a jury, consisting of two elements of Habitat Lince Abutre LIFE project and a delegate of the local civil parish. Besides a participation diploma, the first place will receive an award.

The first schools embracing this challenge were the ones of the Caldeirão region, namely at São Bartolomeu de Messines, Salir, Alte and São Brás de Alportel.

Here are the results of the School Challenge in the school year 2011/2012!



Alte
Salir
São Bartolomeu de Messines
São Brás de Alportel


Alte

Vocational School of Alte

The multifaceted students of the Vocational School of Alte exhibited a wide range of projects, like web logs to disseminate the species and the project, the production of a promotional video, a Paper Chase for locals, posters of the Iberian lynx and the black vulture to promote tourism, and a life-size replica of an Iberian lynx.
Five classes participated in the School Challenge: 1st year of the technical course of Food Processing and Control, 1st year of Tourism (classes A and B), 2nd year of Computer Sciences and Management and the 3rd year of Building Construction.

Participants of the School Challenge of the Vocational School of Alte

1st place - Vocational Course of Computer Sciences and Management
Theme presented: 'Wild Glory' – a glory game, in tray
In a joint effort, the class prepared questions about the Iberian lynx and the black vulture and built a board game for, in a healthy competitively way, everyone learn more about these species, their habits and the efforts made by Habitat Lince Abutre LIFE project on behalf of the conservation of its habitats. In addition to the board game, two students of the class designed a computerized version of the game, making it accessible to a larger number of people. The class was therefore invited to refine the game to disclose it at the project’s website, thus making it accessible to everyone.

 

 

2nd place – Vocational Course of Food Processing and Control
Theme presented: Web log
The group of Estela, Tiago, Bruno, Marcelo and Soraio earned the 2nd award of the school, for having developed a web log about the Iberian lynx, with information on the species, Habitat Lince Abutre LIFE project and several useful links within the theme.


3rd place – Vocational Course of Building Construction
Theme presented: Life-size replica of an Iberian Lynx
Andreia, Emanuel, Fábio, Micael and João Paulo surprised everyone with a life-size replica, made of iron and paper pulp, of an Iberian lynx. All the materials were reused!
 
 

Salir

EB 1,2,3 of Salir

Three classes of the 5th grade participated on the School Challenge.

1st place – class A
Theme presented: Games and identity card of the Iberian lynx and the black vulture
The class produced several educational games (word search, crossword, matching) with key concepts about the Iberian lynx and the black vulture. These students also presented an identity card to each species. The jury decided to award them the 1st place for having conveyed the message of Habitat Lince Abutre LIFE project to their colleagues in a fun and educational way.

 

 

2nd place – class B
Theme presented: Booklet of drawings and stories 'Iberian Lynx and Black Vulture'
A technical but entertaining book, where we can find information about the Iberian lynx and the black vulture, the project’s intervention area and several drawings and stories written by every class students. The teamwork and references research were highly praised by the jury!

 

  

 

3rd place – class C
Theme presented: Music about the Iberian lynx and the black vulture
In a sensational rhythmic speech with rhymes, rap and with the sound of the tambourine, the students of class C sang to us a song about the Iberian lynx and the black vulture.

 

 

São Bartolomeu de Messines

EB 2,3 João de Deus

Two classes of the 5th grade participated in the School Challenge.

Participants of the School Challenge of the School EB 2,3 João de Deus - São Bartolomeu de Messines

1st place – class C
Theme presented: Music 'Lynx on land, Vulture in air'
With lyrics adapted from a famous Portuguese songwriter and singer, Zeca Afonso ('Take a good look'), this beautiful song speaks of the need for conservation of the Iberian lynx, the black vulture and its habitat. At the end of the performance, some students read key messages to their audience. We invite you to see and listen to this beautiful music to our ears.

 

2nd place – class D
Theme presented: Theater play 'The Selfish Giant and the Iberian lynx'
In an adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s play, the class staged a story about a giant who had a beautiful garden where children used to go playing and where an Iberian lynx used to appear. When the Giant decided to trap the lynx and enclose his beautiful garden, children moved away and never came back to play there, which made the Giant sad. The story ends with the death of the Giant, but not before he release the Iberian lynx, tear down the fences and see the children again, playing happily in his garden.

São Brás de Alportel

EB 2,3 Bernardo Passos

The two classes that embraced the School Challenge at this school were evaluated separately, as they presented different themes and chose to form groups within classes.

Class B, from the 8th grade, chose to make stickers about the species, within the theme of promotional materials, and formed teams of two. Eleven groups competed, making it difficult to choose the winners...


1st place - Paulo and Daniela
The key to the success of a promotional material such as a sticker is the strong meaning of the image and the message presented. Paulo and Daniela thought so and presented us the sticker ‘Preserve the Iberian Lynx and the black vulture', with beautiful drawings of the two species in a typical Mediterranean landscape.



2nd place - Ana and Joana
Also, Ana and Joana presented us a strong awareness message: ‘Black Vulture and Iberian Lynx - let them live’, on a sticker with an interesting design.


Other participants:



Class D, also from the 8th grade, chose to create creative comics. In a project that required a lot of artistic rigor, only two groups completed their comics on time.

1st place - Comics 'Real Threats'
With drawings technically studied in detail, this group of students developed an objective story, with a strong message about the threats that the black vulture and the Iberian lynx are currently target. The graphical beauty and the message transmitted earned this group of friends the 1st place.





2nd place – Comics about the species’ natural preys
In a graphically well presented comics, this group told us about the main preys of the Iberian lynx and the black vulture.




School S. José Belchior Viegas

In School S. José Belchior Viegas, two classes of the 10th grade competed on the school challenge, with the same theme – a tale.

1st place – class B, with the story 'FELINCE'
In this tale even the title earned special care from the students, referring to a happy lynx. The story, very well structured and with important references to the biology and ecology of the species, made the jury quickly realize that the message about the Iberian lynx had been understood by the group, and enthusiastically transmitted to the audience.




2nd place – class A, with the short story 'A History of Lynxes'
The tale of class A talked us about the Iberian lynx and its importance, with an excellent and accurate narration from the speaker. The story highlights the role of youth in changing attitudes and behaviors of society as a whole. With initiative, effort and persistence, together we can protect our natural heritage, of which the Iberian lynx takes part.

Participants of the School Challenge of EB 2,3 Bernardo Passos and of the School São José Belchior Viegas - São Brás de Alportel