Tipo de artículo: Artículo original Recibido: 25/11/2019

Aceptado: 23/03/2020

La dimensión ambiental en los planes de la calle en

Camajuaní. Una propuesta de juegos

The environmental dimension in the street plans in

Camajuaní. A proposal of games

Ana  Julia  Leal  García1,  Armando  Iznaga  Muñoz2*,  Amelia  Domínguez  Ventura3,  Urbano Rodríguez Martínez4 

1 Dirección Municipal de Deportes. Camajuaní, Cuba. Orcid 0000-0002-9419-1367

2 Universidad Central “Marta Abreu” de Las Villas. Facultad de Cultura Física, Cuba. Orcid 0000-0002-2068- 6965

3 Universidad Central “Marta Abreu” de Las Villas. Facultad de Cultura Física, Cuba. Orcid 0000-0001-7305- 1077 

4 Universidad Central “Marta Abreu” de Las Villas. Facultad de Cultura Física, Cuba. Orcid 0000-0002-4984- 6395  * Autor para correspondencia: aiznaga@uclv.cu

Resumen  

El trabajo que se presenta aborda una temática de vigencia actual en función de la relación entre los seres humanos y su entorno natural, a partir de la importancia en la formación de la joven generación para aprender a disfrutar y conservar el entorno a través de actividades que permitan el disfrute del mismo y a la vez su conservación en aras de que sea duradero para próximas generaciones. En este caso se relaciona con uno de los programas de la Recreación Física, los planes de la calle. El objetivo del trabajo estuvo dirigido a diseñar juegos que introduzcan la dimensión ambiental en los planes de la calle con niños de la zona 25 del Consejo Popular II de Camajuaní. Se utilizaron varios métodos y técnicas de investigación como la revisión documental, la observación, la encuesta, la entrevista, el criterio de especialistas y la distribución empírica de frecuencias. La significación práctica se centró en la confección de los citados juegos que introducen la dimensión medioambiental. Se obtuvo como resultado  significativo,  juegos  no  establecidos  para  este  tipo  de  actividad,  los  cuales  integran soluciones a problemáticas que afectan la comunidad y trasmiten conocimientos medioambientales, además, pueden aplicarse en cualquier zona y permiten ejercitar habilidades motrices y capacidades físicas necesarias para el correcto desarrollo físico de los niños, según el criterio de los especialistas.

Palabras clave: juegos físico- recreativos; educación medio ambiental; planes de la calle  

Abstract 

The work presented addresses a topic of current validity depending on the relationship between human  beings  and  their  natural  environment,  based  on  the  importance  of  training  the  young generation  to  learn  to  enjoy  and  preserve  the  environment  through  activities  that  allow  the enjoyment  of  it  and  at  the  same  time  its  conservation  in  order  to  make  it  durable  for  future generations. In this case it is related to one of the programs of Physical Recreation, street plans. The objective of the work was directed to design games that introduce the environmental dimension in street plans with children from zone 25 of the Popular Council II of Camajuaní. Various research methods  and  techniques  were  used,  such  as  document  review,  observation,  survey,  interview, specialist judgment, and empirical frequency distribution. The practical significance focused on the preparation  of  the  aforementioned  games  that  introduce  the  environmental  dimension.  As  a significant  result, games not  established for this type of  activity were obtained, which integrate solutions to problems that affect the community and transmit environmental knowledge, and can also be applied in any area and allow the exercise of motor skills and physical necessary capacities for the correct physical children's development, according to the criteria of specialists.

Keywords: Physical-recreational games; environmental education; street plans 

Introducción

Nowadays one of the greatest concerns of the territories is the care of the environment, considering this as an important legacy for the future, in this sense in  the municipality  of Camajuaní in its environmental strategy a call is made to achieve in children a environmental culture by introducing this in all possible means and thus being able to influence everyone in their ways of acting.

It is also necessary to take into account the marked interest of the Cuban State in the protection of the environment that, since the revolutionary triumph in 1959, draws up and promulgates laws aimed at implementing its principles. At the same time, several scientific centers and institutions were created whose  mission  was  directed  to  the  study,  protection  and  rational  use  of  the  country's  natural resources. Multiple social programs were developed, as well as the protection of flora and fauna, forest heritage and other ecosystems that laid the basis for an incipient environmental policy.

The city has become the typical habitat of humanity, nowadays. To walk towards an ecological society, it is necessary to change urban habits and dynamics, where architecture, transportation, land use, the recovery of degraded soils, community decisions, as well as social customs, education and culture are entirely related to each other. (Santana, 2003).

In this sense, Alarcón (2013) points out that it is necessary to multiply efforts and actions that allow the development of a culture that encourages the application of new environmental strategies. For participation in recreational activities with an environmental focus, children must be grouped by age groups so that they can participate without difficulties and understand the messages that they want to transmit.

The term recreation from the pedagogical perspective of these days, certainly has a broader meaning. It is considered as an attitude or state of mind to undertake new activities that involve enriching experiences, a way of life to positively occupy the free hours. (Fulleda, 2004).

Recreational activities indicate the type of activity; its opportunity and duration is defined by the individual according to his interests, abilities, capacities, experiences and the level of information, because optionality is a characteristic of recreational activity, although this relationship is carried out on the basis of individual interests, it is socially conditioned, with this it seeks to emphasize that the characteristics of the activity itself may constitute a recreational or work activity. (Pérez, 2010).

According to Pérez (2015) the term Recreation refers to amuse, brighten, delight, in a search for distraction, it is not only the pleasant way to spend free time but the use of this time in a positive way in society, in such a way that contributes to the development of man's personality. Recreation is therefore linked to education, self-education, physical and mental hygiene, fun, physical and mental health, and culture in general. The processes of physical and sports activities at the neighborhood level, as a means of recreation, vary greatly according to their characteristics, and cannot be better without taking into account needs, tastes, preferences and interests.

On one hand Rodríguez (2019) states that these processes of physical and sports activities, develop skills  to  apply  logical,  tactical  and  creative  thinking  strategies  with  which  to  get  ahead  in  any situation, strengthening the will and taking decision-making exercise, cooperation and reaffirmation of self-esteem and other human values.

Through physical recreation activities of various kinds are carried out. It represents for the child, a means through which it contributes to its physical, social and intellectual development. Within the strategic directions of recreation is education and protection of the environment that is a complex and dynamic system of ecological, socio-economic and cultural interrelations, which increases through the historical process of society. 

In the activities that are part of the program of Physical Recreation in Cuba, there are street plans to guarantee the physical recreation of the child in its free time and during vacation periods, offering a program consistent with its interests.

Munne (2019) states that, through the street plan, the widest possibilities of participation in physical recreation are offered as an expression of extracurricular programming, therefore, this plan can be considered as a complement of Physical Education programs. .

The street plan will cover activities for children aged 6 to 9 years, suitably adjusted to the needs and interests of each group. It aspires not only to promote the interest of the broad masses of children in physical education and sport, but to serve as an ideal vehicle to instill discipline, fellowship, a sense of responsibility and a love of pure and healthy sport from an early age. .

Among the objectives that the street plan seeks to achieve are:

•         Provide  through  different  games  the  participation  of  the  children's  masses  in  recreational activities as an expression of their needs at this age.

•         Contribute through games and sports to the incorporation of socially acceptable habits; such as respect for established rules, discipline, self-control and collectivism, a sense of responsibility and incorporation into the environmental dimension.

•         Provide dynamic elements in children's free time capable of contributing to physical, social and intellectual development.

•         Give  participation  opportunity  to  contribute  to  socio-political  and  ideological  development. (Munne, 2019)

The most important characteristic of street plans as leisure activities, from the point of view of the formation of social features, is that they exercise a formative action and facilitated by recreation. In this sense, Domínguez (2018) states that, contrary to  teaching, leisure activities do not  transmit knowledge in an expository and authoritative way, but rather shape opinions, influence the criteria that people have regarding society, their problems and their solutions, as well as emotionally and recreationally transmitted information with a much more diverse content than the transmitted at the same time by the education system.

So far, it has not been possible to find sources of references specifically on games that treat the environmental dimension, a current situation not covered in specialized brochures or books, so it is assumed  that  in  practice  the  environmental  dimension  is  not  included  in  this  type  of  activities, meanwhile, it is considered necessary to establish the objective: to design games that introduce the environmental dimension in street plans with children from zone 25 of the popular council II of Camajuaní.

The importance of the work lies in a proposal to bring environmental education to the neighborhood through recreational activities and not leave it to spontaneity, specifically street plans, since it has the appropriate personnel. It has the conditions to bring together and contribute to create a network of multipliers  in  the  transformation  of  the  community,  promoting  participation  and  concrete relationships based on their own efforts and developing a will for change.

Materials and methods  

Population and sample

To carry out this study, a population of 123 children and was used as a sample  40 of them, from zone 25 of the popular council II of the municipality of Camajuaní, as well as other population of  the 16 teachers of physical recreation in the municipality, taking into account that they rotate through the different areas of this popular council.

The type of sampling used is intentional, selecting as a unit of analysis all children between the ages of 6 to 9 years, all schoolchildren, and 22 of them female and 18 male, representing 32, 52% in relation to the population.

Research methods and / or techniques

The following methods were applied 

Documentary review: in the diagnostic phase, it was carried out to obtain the existing orientations in the documents that govern recreational activities in the community, the Physical Recreation Program and Methodological Guidelines for street plans were reviewed, these documents govern the work of teachers of physical recreation in terms of planning activities and guidelines for their development.

Environmental law 81 was also reviewed, specifically chapter VII article 47, this law guides  the inclusion of environmental activities in all organizations and social groups.

Survey: with the aim of knowing the level of knowledge of  the 40 children between 6 and 10 years of age in zone 25 of the popular council II of Camajuaní have on the environmental problems of their environment.

Standardized interview: In order to know if they introduce the environmental dimension in their work and their mastery of the theme, it is applied to the 16 recreation teachers who work in the areas of the popular council II of Camajuaní.

For data processing, percentage analysis is applied. It was taken into account when carrying out the quantitative evaluation of the results obtained through the different instruments applied.

The  criteria  of  specialist:  was  used  to  obtain  an  assessment  of  the  proposed  games  with  an environmental approach.

The study starts  from  a diagnostic phase in order to determine the lacks and needs in terms of environmental knowledge of children and teachers of physical recreation who work in the area, as well as the development of recreational activities that could improve the level of environmental knowledge in the children of this community.

Results and Discussion

Result of the documentary analysis 

When analyzing the contents proposed by the Physical Recreation program, it was found that it addresses  the  environmental  theme  in  a  general  way,  largely  linking  human  development  and physical recreation as a way to influence the formation of personality and culture of children and adults.

This program specifically guides how to link the environmental dimension to street plans, in such a way that they can also accomplish with the integral formation of man.

Results of the interview to the teachers of physical recreation

Interviews with the 16 physical recreation teachers who work on street plans in the municipality resulted in:

•         16 of them know the concept of environment, for 100%.

•         11 are unaware of any environmental problem affecting the community, for 75%.

•         14 do not know how to address environmental issues in their work, for 87.5%.

•         16 are not able to put into practice street plans the knowledge about environmental cares , for 100%.

It can be affirmed that teachers of physical recreation dominate the concept of the environment, despite not being aware of environmental problems that affect the area where they work, which is a limitation when it comes to including the environmental dimension in their recreational activities. . Furthermore,  they  recognize  their  impossibility  to  put  into  practice  and  link  environmental knowledge in street plans and in other recreational activities.

Results of the survey

The 40 children were survived; the results obtained were the following:

•         29 do not know the concept of environment, for 72.5%.

•         30 consider the bat as a harmful animal for man, for 75%.

•         32 do not know how to protect the river from the neighborhood, for 80%.

•         40 do not know any endemic animal in the municipality, for 100%.

When analyzing the results of the survey, it can be concluded that children between 6 and 9 years old who live in zone 25 of the popular council II of Camajuaní, for the most part do not master the concept of the environment, do not correctly identify the endemic species on their locality and also do not manifest themselves in terms of how to care for the Camajuaní river from their neighborhood, despite living on the banks of a stream that flows into it.

The data obtained in the diagnosis corroborates the need to introduce the environmental dimension in street plans as an alternative to influence the comprehensive education of children in this area, as well as their environmental education.

Proposed games

Game 1. Name: Recover and recycle.

Objectives: contribute to the sanitation of the environment by performing a fast race. Material: everything that can be recovered as raw material.

Organization: 4 teams are formed placed behind a starting line, in front of each team and at 2m recoverable objects are placed. At the end a box with the word recycle is placed, divided into three sections: metal, plastic, and, paper and cardboard, and hanging several cards on it.

Development: at the start order, the first child runs, takes an object and continues to deposit it in the box, takes a card and returns to give the exit.

Rules: the team that finishes first wins, the student in turn should not leave until his hand is touched, disclose what was obtained after recycling and that appears on the cards.

Game 2. Name: Play and save.

Objectives:  raise awareness for electricity savings and work on the ability to  jump on one foot quickly.

Material: Banners made of wood and cardboard.

Organization:  4  teams  are  formed  behind  an  exit  line,  at  5m  there  are  banners  that  represent household appliances and on the reverse side the word click.

Development: at the start order, the first child jumps out on one foot, reaches the banner, turns it so that the word click is visible and returns to exit.

Rules: the team that finishes first wins. In the going way they have to jump on one foot. Do not leave until they are touched. Turn off an electronic equipment at the end. Variant: do it by alternating feet or walk the path inside a bag.

Game 3. Name: Play and protect.

Objectives: contribute to the care and conservation of the territory fauna and carry out a zigzag race. Material: banners made of wood and cardboard.

Organization: 4 teams are formed behind an exit line, at 2m a banner representing a cage is placed, behind a meter, another with a box and so on any object that represents danger to birds.

Development: at the start order the first child goes out and turns the first banner, continues in a zigzag to the end and returns to give the start.

Rules: the team that finishes first wins. Rotate a banner. Zigzag run. Not leave until he is touched. Variant: can be executed in quadruped, jumping or wheelbarrow.

Game 4. Name: Bat friend.

Objectives: contribute to the knowledge of the protected species in the territory and carry out a race overcoming obstacles.

Material: fences or cardboard.

Organization: 4 teams are formed placed behind a starting line, at 3m a fence is placed with a sign that says mosquitoes, then another 4 to 2m of distance are placed each, with the following words: whitefly, guasasas and at 3m the last fence that will say fertilizer.

Development: at the start order, the first child runs and jumps the first five fences, turns the last one and returns to start.

Rules: win the team that finishes first, jump the fences, turn the last one. Game 5. Name: Protect the river.

Objectives: carry out the sanitation of the environment in the territory and beauty it, carry out a race in pairs.

Material: trees made of cardboard with a base of beer or soda cans, cans with posters, ropes or strips.

Organization: 4 teams are formed placed behind a starting line, at 8m a 1m wide river is made, its banks will be two ropes or strips. Inside the river put up signs that say: shells, papers, cardboard, plastics, metals, rubbers, bottles, knobs, rubbish. Each pair will be given a tree before the game begins.

Development: at the start order, the first couple runs towards the river, takes out a sign and places the tree they carry on the shore. Then they return to give the exit.

Rules: win the team that finishes first. Extract a single poster from the river.

Game 6. Name: To clean the world.

Objectives: to know the elements that cause environmental pollution. Carry out a fast race. Material: soda cans, beer, cardboard and pieces of wood.

Organization: 4 teams are formed placed behind a starting line. In front of each team a lane is drawn that simulates a street 40 to 50cm wide. At the end there are posters that say: papers, noise, smoke, shells, cardboard, food, fruit.

Development: at the start order, the first child runs to the end of the street, removes one of the signs and returns to give the start.

Rule: the team that finishes first wins. Do not get off the street. Do not leave until you are touched.

Variant: it can be done by jumping with both feet, in a wheelbarrow, quadruped and crawling Game 7. Name: Help the Rat jutia.

Objectives: to protect flora and fauna, to carry out movements in quadrupedics.

Material: banners made of wood and cardboard.

Organization: 4 teams are formed, in front banners are placed with 2m of separation that say hunters, felling, men, dogs, cats, pines, oil, cars.

Development: at the start order, the first child moves in a quadruped and turns the first banner, continues among the others until reaching the last one and runs back to give the start.

Rules: the team that finishes first wins. Go quadruped. Rotate a banner. Variant: can be performed in zigzag races.

Game 8. Name: Protect the manatee.

Objectives: to know the elements that affect flora and fauna, to carry out a fast race. Material: banners made of wood and cardboard.

Organization: 4 teams are formed, at 8m words are placed on banners that represent danger such as fishing, oil, logging, boats, hunting, nets, polluting.

Development: at the start order, the first child runs to the finish line, turns a banner and returns. Rules: The team that finishes first wins. Turn a banner.

Variant: it can be done by jumping with one or both feet.

Game 9. Name: The cave of knowledge.

Objectives: protect the natural underground environment such as caves or caverns. Carry out a fast race.

Material: 30cm x10cm cardboard signs, fences.

Organization: 4 teams are formed behind an exit, at 8m the entrance of a cave is placed with a sign that identifies it. After the entrance place posters on the floor.

Development: at the exit order, the child runs to the entrance of the cave, enters the quadruped, takes a sign that contains names or images of animals that live in the caves, and returns in a straight line to deliver the selected sign.

Rules: the team that finishes first wins. Enter and exit in quadruped. Take a poster. Read the words at the end.

Game 10. Name: Protect the monument.

Objectives: to keep the school, the community and the city beautiful. Take a quick run Material: cardboard and banners.

Organization: 4 teams are formed placed behind a starting line, cards with positive actions are placed 2m away to paint, clean, veneer, restore, flowers. At the end put the word monument on a banner.

Development: at the order of departure the child runs, takes a card and goes to deposit it at the monument. Then come back.

Rules: the team that finishes first wins. Take a card and deposit it at the monument. Game 11. Name: Gluttonous Frogs.

Objective: know the environmental work of the frog. Ability to jump with two feet Material: cardboards with names of insects or figures that represent it.

Organization: 4 teams are formed placed behind a starting line, after it and throughout the game area the cards are watered.

Development: at the start order, the first child jumps out with two feet to capture an insect and brings it to his team. He slaps his partner on duty.

Rules: the team that finishes first wins. Do not leave until you are touched. Variant: perform it by time. The team that captures the most insects in a given time wins.

Game 12. Name: Ecological spiders.

Objectives: to know the benefits that the spider brings to man. Run the fast race

Material: cardboard or card, figures representing insects. Volleyball net or something that simulates a net similar to those that spiders weave.

Organization: 4 teams are formed placed behind a starting line. After it and spread throughout the area, the cardboards are placed. At 8m from the starting line place the net.

Development: at the start order, the first child runs to capture an insect, takes it to the spider's web and leaves it trapped. Then he returns to give the exit to his partner.

Rules: the team that finishes first wins. You cannot leave until you are touched. Variant: it can be done in quadruped to imitate the displacement of the spider

Through the games the children exercise: fast race, race in pairs, race overcoming obstacles, jump with one and both feet, quadruped, agility between obstacles.

Assessment of the proposal by specialist criteria

The proposal was submitted to the criteria of ten specialists to know their opinions and how they value it, using a rating scale.

The selected specialists have more than 20 years of experience, all have been Physical Education teachers (2 remain). All  have participated in  scientific events, science and technique forum  and pedagogy events. This method was used in writing and individually to a sample of 10 individuals, including: 2 master's (one of them is an industrial engineer and the municipal delegate of CITMA) and 8 graduates, 7 of them in management roles in the Municipal Sector of Sports and 2 recreation teachers. All graduates of the Master in Physical Activity in the Community.

The  high  percentage  of  coincidence  of  opinions  regarding  the  evaluation  of  the  proposal  was significant, which points out in favor of it and the application of the games to raise environmental awareness in the activities of the street plan.

When  the  specialists  were  consulted,  generalized  criteria  were  poured  in  favor  of  the  proposed games, highlighting aspects such as:

•         They provide a new way to introduce environmental themes in recreational activities.

•         They rescue feelings of identity in children.

•         Contribute to raising the level of knowledge of children on the subject of the environment.

•         Through these games it is possible to form environmental awareness in children.

Of the 10 specialists that make up the sample, 9 fully agreed with the feasibility of the proposal to solve the problem exposed, which represents 90%, and one agreed only partially, for 10%. The sum of the results of these ITEMS reflects that 100% expressed positive attitudes about the theoretical feasibility of the proposal. 

Conclusiones

The results of the diagnosis show that there is insufficiency in the treatment of the environmental dimension through the games that are carried out in the street plans of zone 25 of the popular council II of Camajuaní, with children between 6 and 9 years of age.

The elaboration of games that are conceived with the treatment of the environmental dimension in the street plans, contribute to recreation and to acquire knowledge about the environment in children of these ages.

The results obtained from the application of the criteria of specialist, affirm that the games designed to introduce the environmental dimension in the recreational activities of the street plans, constitute a new way to achieve this objective.

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