Educational programs at the miniature park "Gardens of Babylon"

During the educational program, students will be introduced to archaeological heritage sites in Europe and around the world, their types, the characteristics of archaeological research, cultural layers, finds from different periods, and the need to preserve archaeological heritage.

Visitors to the educational program are invited to join an archaeologist in viewing all of the structures in miniature, experiencing archaeological sites “live,” and understanding their differences and the specifics of their exploration. The story will be illustrated with copies of archaeological finds from different periods, which will allow visitors to feel the materiality of artifacts from different periods, their development, and changes in aesthetic perception.

Participants in the educational program will be able to try their hand at searching for hidden finds in the ground like archaeologists. This process will involve clay tablets shaped like the earth's surface with several layers, and inside, all participants will find fossilized soldiers, jewelry, and other artifacts from ancient times. They will also be able to strike a spark with a flint and steel.

Schoolchildren will not only learn what archaeology is, how archaeological excavations are carried out, and what archaeological finds are, but special attention will be paid to the protection of archaeological heritage, with a convincing explanation of why it is not possible to destroy the surrounding finds and who the “black archaeologists” are, and why their “hobby” harms our knowledge of history.

In order to introduce students to the most impressive architectural structures from around the world in just one hour, we are conducting an educational program called "21 Wonders of the World" at the Gardens of Babylon. We invite participants to join us on an amazing journey around the world, from the shores of America to the beaches of Australia.

During the educational program, you will learn which continents are home to certain cultural objects, in which countries they were built, and what makes them special. The educational program consists of two parts: theoretical and practical.

During the theoretical part of the educational program (duration – up to 40 min.), while walking through the garden, participants will be introduced to 21 miniature architectural structures from 4 continents: Africa and the Middle East, Asia and Oceania, Europe and America. Nine of the 21 miniatures in the Gardens of Babylon are included in the lists of the most significant and impressive structures in the world: The Gardens of Babylon and the Pyramid of Cheops are included in the list of the Seven Wonders of the World; The Windmills, the Sydney Opera House, and St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List; the Pantheon, the Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal, and the Colosseum are included in the New Seven Wonders of the World list.

The practical part of the educational program (duration – 20 min.) consists of identifying 21 architectural structures from photographs displayed on a multimedia screen and objects located in a miniature park, and sticking stickers on a poster of a world outline map.

Both the theoretical and practical parts of the educational program "21 Wonders of the World," which introduce participants to architectural structures, their history, and their significance in the world, will broaden their cultural awareness and strengthen their knowledge of art, history, and geography. Discussions with participants about miniatures of the "Gardens of Babylon" will broaden students' understanding of architecture (the most characteristic building of neoclassicism – the Arc de Triomphe), mythology (the Great Sphinx of Giza, the Merlion fountain, Trevi Fountain ), religion (the Egyptian pyramids, the Taj Mahal mausoleum, St. Basil's Cathedral, the Pantheon, the Horyuri temple in Nara), and the performing arts (the Sydney Opera House, the Colosseum).

The aim of education is to provide participants with knowledge of ethnicity, multiculturalism, history, geography, and biology in a creative and interesting way that meets the needs and interests of modern people.

Formal knowledge is no longer enough for today's youth. Outbound, active learning methods give students freedom to express their thoughts, provoke creative responses, and teach them to communicate and collaborate. The educational program "Exploring the World in the Gardens of Babylon" consists of two parts: Part I is theoretical (30 min) and Part II is practical (30 min).

In the theoretical part, the educator meets the students, tells them about the unusual location and uniqueness of the educational program, and divides them into groups with accompanying persons (Group I explores historical and cultural objects from four continents: Africa, Asia, Europe, and Australia. Students will see the famous Sydney Opera House, the romantic Trevi Fountain, London Bridge, the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, the Arc de Triomphe, the Pyramid of Cheops, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and many others, while Group II explores the botanical flora of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon—precisely formed topiaries, flower and decorative tree compositions, their origins, the variety of herbs and garden plants, and their possible uses).

In the practical part (duration – up to 30 min.), both groups are divided into 4 smaller groups, which have to solve puzzles based on the environment they have explored, thus reinforcing their knowledge. At the end of the educational activity, representatives of both groups talk about the objects they have explored and share the most interesting facts in order to reveal the individuality of each student and acquire the knowledge and skills they need in life. After this educational program, students are able to look at the world around us with different eyes – it's like geography, history, and biology lessons with a difference.

The aim of the "Babylonian Gardens Apothecary Tours" is to present the multicultural traditions of tea drinking in an architecturally unique environment, to develop tea drinking culture, national consciousness, and to stimulate imagination.

The history of tea, a common and everyday drink today, goes back millennia and reveals the cultures of different countries through the rituals of tea drinking. Unique tea drinking traditions have been cherished in different countries around the world for a long time, and during the education we will dispel the stereotype that only the English and the Chinese know about tea.

During the education "The riches of the medicine cabinet of the Babylonian Gardens", in the "Babylonian Gardens" near Palanga, students will not only learn many interesting facts about tea, but will also taste a variety of tea in a unique environment, i.e. in front of the miniature of the world's most famous architectural structures, even to the music of that particular country, thus creating a realistic culture and aesthetics of that country, which is the country of which we are talking about in terms of drinking tea. The education consists of theoretical and practical parts.

The aim of education is to provide participants with knowledge of ethnicity, multiculturalism, history, geography, and biology in a creative and interesting way that meets the needs and interests of today's children.

For today's youth, formal knowledge in the classroom is no longer enough, and knowledge of what has already been learned, curiosity, and a desire to expand their horizons dictate new forms of learning. Outdoor, more active learning methods give students freedom to express their thoughts, provoke creative responses, and teach them to communicate and collaborate. The "Around the World in 90 Minutes" educational program consists of theoretical and practical parts.

In the theoretical part (duration – 40 min.), the educator meets the students, tells them about the unusual educational location, the Miniature Park "Gardens of Babylon," its uniqueness, and "wakes up" the participants with a game (a quick question-and-answer quiz about the wonders of the world, ethnographic elements, travelers who have traveled the world, and their modes of travel).

In the practical part (duration – 50 min.), the class is divided into two groups, which have to solve puzzles based on the environment they have explored, thus reinforcing their knowledge. A model of traveling around the world is also created, showing who would travel with whom, what they would visit, and how they would achieve their goals. At the end of the educational program, representatives of both groups discuss the objects they have explored in debates, exchange the most interesting facts in order to reveal the individuality of each student and acquire the knowledge and skills they need in life.

After this educational program, students look at the world around us with different eyes—it's like exploring the cultures of other countries and Lithuania, and looking at geography, history, and biology lessons from a different angle.

The aim of the education program is to provide participants with knowledge about ethnicity, multiculturalism, history, geography, and biology in a creative and interesting way that meets the needs and interests of today's children.

Students will get to know world cultural objects in a lively way and develop a positive attitude towards different world cultures and traditions. During the education, students will acquire new knowledge and learn to work in a team and individually. They will link the experience they gain with the knowledge and skills acquired in formal education, renew their understanding of citizenship, deepen their values regarding the world around us, and learn about ethnic culture through customs and traditions. The educational program "Create Your Own Picture of the Gardens of Babylon" consists of two parts: theoretical and practical.

In the theoretical part (40 min.), the educator meets the students, tells them about the unusual location and uniqueness of the educational program, and divides them into groups with accompanying persons. Group I explores historical and cultural objects from four continents: Africa, Asia, Europe, and Australia. Students will see the famous Sydney Opera House, the romantic Trevi Fountain, London Bridge, the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, the Arc de Triomphe, the Pyramid of Cheops, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and many others, while Group II explores the botanical flora of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon – precisely shaped topiaries, flower and decorative tree compositions, their origins, the variety of herbs and garden plants, and their possible uses. 

In the practical part (50 min), each participant will have the opportunity to create a unique picture of a world architecture building of their choice using seeds, grains, herbs, and other natural products. The practical part reinforces the knowledge, and at the end of the educational program, the representatives of the educational institution talk about the objects studied and share the most interesting facts in order to reveal the individuality of each student and help them acquire the knowledge and skills they need in life.

After this educational program, students look at the world around us with different eyes – it's like geography, history, and biology lessons with a difference.