How to describe the beauty of nature with scientific drawings? This "Nature Notes" exploration activity allows children to grow in innovation
Step out of the traditional classroom, into the vast world of nature and life, and touch the scientific mysteries beyond books... On the 29th, the third Shanghai "Baicao Cup" Youth Nature Notes and Scientific Exploration Activity came to a successful conclusion at the East Campus of the Foreign Languages School Affiliated to Shanghai International Studies University. How to use scientific drawings to describe the beauty of nature? This series of youth "Nature Notes" exploration activities not only allows young people to have a deeper understanding of the profoundness of traditional Chinese medicine, but also learn and grow through practice and innovation.
Wen Yueqi, a fourth-grade student at Tongji Primary School, presented her nature notebook "Ginkgo". During the design process, she used both pictures and text to describe in detail the growth environment of ginkgo, from the birth of tender leaves in spring to the golden leaves on the trees in autumn to the tough and upright trees in winter. The changes of each season were vividly displayed. In order to increase interactivity, the nature notebook also includes some popular science knowledge, such as the reproduction method of ginkgo and the medicinal value of its leaves, so that readers can increase their knowledge while appreciating the beauty of nature.
“In the process of making the nature notes ‘Ginkgo’, we deeply depicted the ecological charm of ginkgo and inspired people to protect nature. I hope that this nature notes will become a guide that integrates knowledge, art and action, leading children into the world of ginkgo and feel the wonder and power of nature.” Wen Yueqi said.
Yin Zhiming, the first prize winner of the junior high school group, is a junior high school student of Shanghai Yangpu Bilingual School. He showed his nature notes "The Differences between Ningxia Wolfberry and Wolfberry Planted in Shanghai". "I used to think that wolfberry was only found in Ningxia, but I didn't expect to see it when I visited the Herbal Garden in Shanghai." After careful research and comparison, Yin Zhiming found the difference between the two. Participating in the "Baicao Cup" event not only allowed him to reap the fruits of his studies, but also taught him how to observe plants, and strengthened his determination to engage in scientific research in the future.
Yin Zhiming shows his nature notes "The Differences between Ningxia Wolfberry and Wolfberry Grown in Shanghai".
Yuan Meng shared her nature notes "The Beauty of Herbs - Angelica Dahurica".
Yuan Meng, a student from Shanghai Private Xunxing Middle School, shared her nature notes "The Beauty of Herbs - Angelica Dahurica", and studied Angelica Dahurica from many aspects, including its medicinal value and edible value. Students went to Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden for observation and consulted experts from Shanghai Botanical Garden... Students took medicinal plants or edible plants in their families, communities or parks as their subjects, and recorded and introduced the characteristics and uses of various plants through photography, hand-drawing, and making plant specimens. The "Baicao Cup" Youth Nature Notes and Scientific Exploration Activities attracted nearly 200 primary and secondary school students from 14 districts across the city to participate, and a total of 1,420 works were collected. Students explored the role of various plants in health and disease prevention by designing experimental plans and writing research reviews.
"Nature notes are a form of recording scientific observations, scientific investigations, scientific experiments, and scientific discoveries. Recording interesting things in nature is for learning, dissemination, education, and inspiring thinking." Lu Baorong, a distinguished professor and doctoral supervisor at Fudan University, said that unlike ordinary paintings, botanical scientific paintings require accurate reflection of the morphological characteristics of plants or organs and must be integrated with artistic beauty. In his opinion, the most important thing in recording nature is to seek truth, and to reproduce nature requires beauty. The scientific rational beauty and artistic sensual beauty are perfectly integrated. He hopes that students can love science and art.
Lu Baorong, distinguished professor at Fudan University, urged students to love science and art.
How to discover biological problems around us? How to propose scientific research directions? How to conduct rigorous and realistic scientific experiments... Focusing on topics of interest to the students, Lu Baorong, Distinguished Professor of Fudan University, and Chen Shichao, Associate Professor of Tongji University, discussed with the students, answered questions and encouraged young people to pay more attention to the life phenomena around them, think more, and do more research.
At the East Campus of the Foreign Languages School Affiliated to Shanghai International Studies University, a Chinese herbal medicine plantation "Shizhen Garden" has been built, and in cooperation with Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, a course on Chinese medicine culture practice has been jointly developed and implemented. In the course construction of cultivating innovative practical talents, the school actively expands the practical space for students. On the one hand, through the interdisciplinary joint teaching and research team to develop interdisciplinary practical activities that connect junior and senior high schools, students are trained to use interdisciplinary knowledge to solve complex Chinese herbal medicine research problems and improve their innovative thinking and hands-on practical ability; on the other hand, the excellent traditional Chinese culture is rooted in school-based practical courses to enhance students' patriotic enthusiasm and national pride. Wu Peiyu, executive vice president of the East Campus of the Foreign Languages School Affiliated to Shanghai International Studies University, said that the school also combines the characteristics of foreign languages and hopes that students will become messengers to spread the culture of Chinese medicine, so that more people can understand and recognize the unique charm of Chinese medicine.
From March to June this year, the third Shanghai "Baicao Cup" Youth Nature Notes and Scientific Exploration Activity was jointly organized by the Shanghai Botanical Society, Shanghai Youth Science Promotion Association and Hongkou District Education College, and hosted by the East Campus of Shanghai International Studies University Affiliated Foreign Language School. In the teaching demonstration activity with the theme of "Integrating interdisciplinary knowledge, connecting junior and senior high school teaching, and promoting excellent traditional culture", the Chinese herbal medicine "mugwort" was used as a clue to carry out interdisciplinary learning activities connecting junior and senior high schools, leading students to understand the purpose of the custom of "inserting mugwort on the Dragon Boat Festival" and the medical value of "mugwort", recognize the importance of scientific and technological development to the inheritance and innovation of traditional culture, and root excellent traditional culture in the hearts of students. Professor Huang Baokang, Chairman of the Shanghai Botanical Society, said that he hopes that through the "Baicao Cup" series of activities, students' cultural confidence in inheriting and developing China's excellent traditional culture will be enhanced, the observation and scientific spirit of young people will be cultivated, and talents will be reserved for future scientific research.
Teaching demonstration of "integrating interdisciplinary knowledge, connecting junior and senior high school teaching, and promoting excellent traditional culture."
In the view of Chen Wei, deputy secretary of the Party Committee of Education in Hongkou District, the "Baicao Cup" series of activities is like a bridge, connecting students' curiosity about nature and enthusiasm for scientific exploration, and cultivating them to become new-era students who have both a solid academic foundation and a spirit of exploration and innovation.
