Maropeng teaches learners about our home planet

For humans the concept of “home” is an important one. Many of us attach deep sentimental value to our homes. We spend hours improving them, tending to them and keeping them clean. We apportion hard-earned money towards furnishing, decorating and “growing” them until they are something we can be proud of and in which we feel more comfortable. We take such good care of our individual shelters that it would make sense to show the same respect for our biggest and most important shared home – our planet. It isn’t just a resource factory, a space to frantically consume and permanently alter at will. It is home.

April 22 is Earth Day, dedicated to fostering an appreciation for our home planet, and raising awareness of the challenges we face when it comes to protecting the environment. Enabling a better understanding of the planet, and the ways in which human presence has come to affect its natural processes, is invaluable. Maropeng supports educators in this endeavour and offers schools a variety of unique learning opportunities with which to supplement their curriculums.

In partnership with the Gauteng and national departments of education, Maropeng has put together a series of informative educational resource packs aimed at Grade 10, 11 and 12 learners. The Physical Sciences pack revolves around the importance of the environment and its life-sustaining role. After exploring the various types of shelter humans rely on, it delves into the sustainability of resources and keeping track of one’s ecological footprint – all important for making sure our most vital form of shelter, the planet as a whole, is sustained for future generations.

Education and marketing executive for Maropeng, Magel van de Venter, commented on the importance of teaching young South Africans about the planet they live on, saying, “We are all living on and off the Earth. We need to take responsibility for our actions while we are staying on Earth. Natural resources are exactly as stated. They are natural and we cannot manufacture them. Key to our survival will be to have an educated population that will protect our Earth and its natural resources. As individuals, we need to take care of the Earth for it to take care of us in the long term.”

The educational resource packs are available for download on the Maropeng website.