As curiosity is one of the key concepts for the AURA project, this fieldtrip aims to explore curiosity-in-action at the Randers Rainforest, a science education facility located about 30 minutes by car from Aarhus. We will receive a tour of the rainforest, while also learning about its pedagogical practices from its staff.

During our time at the rainforest and over dinner afterward, we’ll explore relations among curiosity, noticing, and imagination in science education. We’ve listed some of our questions below in order to get us all thinking. We hope to pay special attention to questions of genre.

• How do educators motivate people to feel connected to nature? How do educators engage adults and children differently?
• How do educators motivate people in different ways through different kinds of narrative practices ("the good story about the wonder of nature and animal life histories" versus "the negative story about environmental destruction and endangered animals")? What genres do we use to encourage people to care (romance, science fiction)? What are the benefits and perils of these different genres?
• What kinds of relationships are there, if any, between curiosity and care?
• What might be the role of "staged" nature in inspiring people to care about "wild" nature?
• How might our experiences at the Randers Rainforest encourage us to reflect on AURA practices of curiosity, noticing, and imagination?

Program:

12:40  Departure from Aarhus

13:20  Arrival at Randers Rainforest

13:30 – 15:00   Talk by Asser Øllgaard, Leader of the Educational Department, Randers Rainforest

15:00 – 16:30   Guided tour in the domes by Maria

17:30 – ?     Dinner and talk in Aarhus

We hope that you will join us for an interesting day at the Rainforest!