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What is Botanica?
The Botanica project is a simulation excercise based at
the University of Leicester Botanic Garden for KS3/4. The scenario is
that the garden represents a developing country, Botanica, rich in natural
resources but has a national debt and is therefore experiencing many
of the problems associated with so called development. The children are
all in citizen groups who have different jobs and roles within this country,
Government, Tourism, Radio, Newspaper Journalists, Scientists, Builders,
Security, Plantation Workers, Traditional Herbalists, Caters, Shanty
Town Dwellers, Artists to name but a few! The Govenment has decided to
tender as a possible host country for the 2016 Olympic Games (or another
international topical sporting event) and the scenario is that this is
voting day to decide if Botanica should place their bid to host the Olympics.
Obviously some groups are for and some against and alongside their jobs
as citizens they are lobbying each other for opinions. At the end of
the day everyone votes and the result is given.
Clearly the exercise raises many issues on environmental
impacts, tourism, development and so on. Alongside the children, adults
are involved. They take on roles themselves either to assist particular
groups, or as other people in the country with specific roles.
Aim: Our aim is to provide an opportunity for secondary school students
in Years 7, 8 and 10, and a variety of different adults to work together
in developing a range of life skills. For students these are related
to aspects of the curriculum as well as their personal development;
for adults they relate to their own personal and professional frames
of reference.
Outcomes: Due to the nature of the activity, there will be a wide range
of outcomes for individuals and groups that are difficult to anticipate.
Specifically,
however, what we hope the exercise can help to achieve for all participants
is:
• Increased self-awareness and awareness of others and greater confidence
in relating to others in different situations
• Improved 'process skills', including communication, teamworking, organisation
and decision-making
• Better understanding of the complexity of development and environmental
issues
Although the material is based at the University of Leicester
Botanic Garden it has been adapted and used in Cumbria and on a school
site in Leicester.
Ideas and authorship of material: Sue Baughan, Peter Batty,
Jane Ryan
Website Design: Mark Hodgkinson, Ben Robinson
Hosted by Beaumont Leys City Learning Centre, Leicester City Council
Editor: Ruth Godfrey
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