Authors: 

1. Polydoros Stavropoulos, (SV1AHH), Athens Greece, Teacher Mechanic engineering, MSc STEM in education.
2. Vasileios Koutoufaris, (SV1PMJ) Athens Greece, Computing Teacher, MSc STEM in education.

“The whole structure of animal experimentation has been based on the contradiction: ‘Ask scientists why they experiment on animals, and the answer is: because animals are like us.’ Ask them why it is morally right to experiment on animals, and the answer is: because animals are not like us. ”

1. “Natural human disease studies, sophisticated human cell analyzes, and advanced computer modeling techniques are often less costly, more efficient, and much more humane,” says Christopher Fassbender, an ecotoxicologist who works as a scientific consultant for the PETA animals.

• According to the US National Institutes of Health, in 10 years (’97 -’07) more than 58,000 drug and vaccine trials had been conducted in developing countries. Most took place in India and China, followed by Russia, Romania, Ukraine, Peru, Colombia, Bangladesh, Thailand, Malawi and Uganda.

• Research shows that 92% of drugs tested on animals are discarded in clinical trials in humans. In some cases, in fact, the use of animals in experiments has proved completely ineffective. In a 2001 study of 65 products, it was found that only 45% of the results of experiments on rabbits corresponded to the reactions of the human body.

Is there an alternative method to animal experiments?

 Three Rs Learning Scenario.  It is a STEM scenario. At first, my digital STEM scenario will have 5 phases:

Phase 1: Orienting & Asking Questions, Testing students’ pre-perceptions

Phase 2: Hypothesis Generation & Design

Phase 3: Planning & Investigation, Investigation – Data – Data Analysis

Phase 4: Analysis and Interpretation: Gather result from data

Phase 5: Conclusion & Evaluation

Also the Criteria that correspond to the specific digital learning scenario are:

a) Learning Objects b) Learning activities c) Learning Environment.

We have uploaded the LS to the Google Drive, in English language, the form is as the teblate predict: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uMIrtT-y8usU6qYUbUiWMMq6VZLnAjE9/view?usp=sharing

Authors

1. Polydoros Stavropoulos, (SV1AHH), Athens Greece, Teacher Mechanic engineering, MSc STEM in education. 2. Vasileios Koutoufaris, (SV1PMJ) Athens Greece, Computing Teacher, MSc STEM in education.

Catalytic converters are suitable devices for reducing emissions in every modern vehicle. The catalytic converter starts “operating” as soon as its temperature reaches 250 C. When it is cold it does not catalyze and therefore does NOT convert pollutants (CO, HC, NOx ). To overcome the problem of the time period when the catalytic converter is cold, (during the cold start of the engine) and it can not convert pollutants, the electrically heated catalytic converter (EHCD) was created. This type of catalyst, when we turn on the ignition switch of the engine, it is being supplied electric power from the battery and the first part of the catalyst (resistance) is heated – incandescent so that very soon the main catalyst gets 250 C, in order to immediately start the catalysis and conversion of pollutants. Automotive engineering students secondary schools are going to calcualate characteristics of Electrically Heated Catalytic Converters.

The students – future vehicle technicians – should know the operating philosophy of electrically heated catalysts and must be able to control them.

Exhaust flow pipes are a determining factor for the free passage of exhaust gases through the catalyst but also for the efficiency of catalysis and conversion of pollutants. In this 200 minute digital scenario we will calculating the basic characteristics of an electrically heated catalyst. We have uploaded for the Greek students and teachers a video that has many informationfor the calculations on EHCC to the address https://youtu.be/V3sxVgBoAhg

The Learning Scenario (LS) that we present is designed for training students in secondary vocational schools, automotive mechanics engineering.

The LS has been uloaded to Google drive as PDF file in English according the template: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NeGiWaii4T1eIW-GGkwBrXi9-7bQrLYX/view?usp=sharing

Aditional, we have uploaded it in Greek, to the tool ISE, in the below address. We decided it, because we ll use it in Greece. But dont worry… if you like to see it, you can translate in any language via Google Chrome with the right click of the mouse right on the text: http://inspiringscience.rdea.gr/delivery/view/index.html?id=ed3b0c27c8c74bcf8560ecde3e906782&t=p

We use the tool ISE of the Open Discovery Space website, because it enables the development of five-phase scenarios, which are distinct and they are referred to us:

PHASE 1: Challenge of Interest and Position of Questions.

PHASE 2: Creating Assumptions and Work Plan.

PHASE 3: Design and Experimentation.

PHASE 4: Analysis and Interpretation.

PHASE 5: Conclusion and Evaluation.

Attention: You can choose from the “settings” to use the scenario as a student or teacher. In the case of teacher, he can read much info in the gray background; also can see the answers of the questions.

The phases are ready and inside them there are:

a) use of multimedia

b) online Quiz with questions of formative evaluation but also problem solving

c) results of formative assessment of the cognitive level of the students / three

d) problem solving results

The duration of a scenario should exceed 2 teaching hours and is based on problem solving.

Materials and equipment that used:

car batery, cables, multimeter, computer, catalytic converter, camera.

Sofia Andreou, MSc STEM in Education, Athens Greece, primary school teacher

Polydoros Stavropoulos, (SV1AHH), Athens Greece, Teacher secondary school, Mechanic engineering, MSc STEM in education.

Vasileios Koutoufaris, (SV1PMJ) Athens Greece, secondary school, Computing Teacher, MSc STEM in education.

In this Learning Scenario (LS) we present an exemplary application with a bicylce model in STEM methodology for primary or early secondary education.

It includes all 4 branches for integrated S.T.E.M. education in 5 phases.

The big idea of the learning scenario is the: “Environmental Pollution”.

The problem that arises and needs to be solved is how we get kinetic energy from solar energy.

We have uploaded the video to the https://youtu.be/wjsi4O5a1EA

1. The teacher plays the role of the observer during the learning scenario. He helps only if it is required so that the students do not deviate from the main goal. Also, they have to made the bicylce model by hand made. In this way they energize the E of STEM.
2. The students self-act, construct and do research.
3. The advantage of usage solar energy prevents the consumption of energy from fossil fuels. Thus ensures the reduction of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions that cause global climate change.The model uses the solar energy for movement. We reduce the use of fossil fuels and contribute to the reduction of the greenhouse effect. We will not discover anything new, nor is this sought after by this work. Our goal is to present a pilot course of integrated STEM.

The Learning scenario has been uploaded to google drive at the address: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XR-w2zaI5f0V2CspmXf5qtQuuodSR7ts/view?usp=sharing

1. Age of students 10 -12
2. Preparation time: 270 minutes
3. Teaching time learning scenario: 170 minutes
4. NON STEM subject: 45 minutes

Materials: a small piece of sheathing plywood, electric motor, colours, multimeter, photovoltaic panel, wire.

This course can be attached to the technology or physics curriculum. The model with which the lesson will take place is a bicycle that moves with electricity. This model is a simulation will be studied by the students in details.

Conclusions

   In this work the design of a teaching in one laboratory a) computer science to search in the web sources and b) to the physics laboratory to make the bicycle. It is a creative activity with problem solving and experiment using computer science and measuring instruments like multimeter. Students act on their own and by solving a problem they realize the importance of the answers they have given themselves to the problems posed by the educational scenario.

For Greek schools we have uoloaded a lot info about the scenario to the address: http://sv1ahh1.blogspot.com/2021/05/stem_11.html