Category Archives: Inquiry Based Science Education

FROM NATURE TO STEM

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SUMMARY

While technological developments are taking place rapidly in recent years, we think that STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) education should be given starting from primary school in order for students to overcome the problems they may encounter in real life. They will learn to use 21st-century skills. Our goal is to raise individuals who can deal with problems and use scientific ways.

Ages: 5-12

Duration: 7 months

Lesson Hours: 1 Lesson hour every week

GOALS

By integrating STEM subjects, we encourage students to use the 5E Learning Model, Project-Based Learning, engineering designs and to work collaboratively to structure the teaching-learning process in a way that enables students to demonstrate the scientific thinking process, and to transfer knowledge to new situations. It provides benefits such as psychological vitality, superior cognitive functioning, less illness, and faster recovery after an illness in all individuals, especially in children. In fact, scientific research and design-based thinking are the basis of decision-making processes in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. We want to prepare students for life by thinking that their learning by doing-living is permanent.

Integrating engineering and science provides opportunities for students to develop their learning and interest as they are exposed not only to science content but also to scientific research. We also want to change the idea that women are (unconsciously) incapable of science in society and eliminate the sexist approach.

NOVEMBER:

Project preparation work will be done.

There will be an introductory webinar.

A pallet will be created and all partners will write their expectations about the project here.

The poster of the project will be prepared and the poster determined by the majority will be selected.

Task distribution will be made.

Creating a blog and website.

Creating a corner of curiosity in the classroom.

Classroom reading and review of Hubert Reeves’s “Oceans” and “The Jungle”

DECEMBER:

Introducing the word Science, which constitutes STEM.

Organizing science competition using Kahoot app.

Rearranging the classroom seating in accordance with the project activities. To ensure that the classroom is used as a laboratory in order to develop problem-solving skills.

Formation of student teams. Making students understand that the research process is more important than the result.

Observing animals and leaves in the natural environment. Making presentations about the observation results. Bilingual presentations will be provided for students.

Watching documentary.

Using virtual reality glasses.

Using the see, think, wonder method, students interpret pictures and create a word cloud with the mentor application.

New Year’s card preparation and correspondence of schools.

JANUARY:

Giving information about the word Technology that makes up STEM. According to this, a lesson plan will be prepared.

Preparing and sharing the lesson plans containing coding activities without a computer. Thus, exchanging ideas. Conducting coding activities without a computer.

Finding and presenting biomimicry samples

Presentation by an expert on STEM careers.

Making various video presentations about Stem future careers for parents and students.

Making and presenting pinwheels using scientific inquiry methods

FEBRUARY:

Creating a class on the Code.org platform and students completing coding games on this platform.

Preparing and using plant puzzles for students to get to know and experience nature directly.

Preparation of e-safety day events.

MARCH:

Observing the sky. Talking about the types of clouds they see, drawing them.

Observing how seeds grow. Growing plants.

Spacecraft design.

APRIL:

Earth Day events.

Making Science and Mathematics designs by using the Scamper technique.

Designing plants with origami.

MAY:

Conducting a survey to evaluate the project process. Exchanging information on whether the project objectives have been achieved or not.

E-twinning day events

Creation of the project virtual exhibition

By bringing different disciplines together, to establish a connection between the information encountered in real life and the learned information and to ensure the realization of meaningful learning. By contributing to the development of STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) literacy and STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) education global entrepreneurship; to establish links between the school and the community. In addition, to enable students to make connections between the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and to apply these connections. To embody the subjects and increase the motivation of the students with the teaching that includes STEM-based activities. Students solving engineering problems in science and mathematics classes also facilitate their learning of science and mathematics.

To increase the cognitive development of children by improving their awareness, reasoning, and observational skills with nature practices. We aim to create a sense of unity and peace in children and to develop their observation skills. In this process, children’s interaction with peers and adults enriches their perceptions of objects and events in their environment, thus realizing a permanent learning process.

Project Introduction Video/Proje Tanıtım Videosu: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOQpFIL3q8w

https://www.blogger.com/blog/posts/864921779510832926

Our Blog

E-safety Day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWY6Ix3VGMc

We prepared a new year calendar with the logos prepared by the project partners: https://twinspace.etwinning.net/files/collabspace/0/40/140/208140/images/c5678b8c2.jpg

Project table: https://twinspace.etwinning.net/files/collabspace/0/40/140/208140/images/ad72e8917.jpeg

World pi day: https://twinspace.etwinning.net/files/collabspace/0/40/140/208140/images/bfb24fddf.jpeg

We welcomed spring with our slogans: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMgfqqiI0RM

Project Brochure/Proje Broşürü: https://twinspace.etwinning.net/208140/pages/page/1861188

PARTNERS:

Project Owner:Özge SAVUNCU; Anafartalar İlkokulu; Artuklu / Türkiye

Project Owner: Silveria CONTE; San Nicola La Strada (Ce), İtalya

Members:

Suzan ÖZDEMİR; Anafartalar İlkokulu; Artuklu / Türkiye

Mehtap Gülsüm ÖZBEY; Anafartalar İlkokulu; Artuklu / Türkiye

Seda AKTAŞ; Şehit Kadir Kayveni İlkokulu; Yakutiye, Türkiye

Ebru BALCİ; Anafartalar İlkokulu; Artuklu / Türkiye

Zekiye ADIBELLİ; Anafartalar İlkokulu; Artuklu / Türkiye

Leyla DİNÇ; Anafartalar İlkokulu; Artuklu / Türkiye         

Margrit YEŞİLTEPE; İstek Özel Atanur Oğuz Okulları; Beşiktaş / Türkiye

Meral GÖKDAĞ; Anafartalar İlkokulu; Artuklu / Türkiye

Nevin AKKUŞ; Anafartalar İlkokulu; Artuklu / Türkiye    

Valeria DIANI; San Nicola La Strada (Ce), İtalya

Pina FIORE; San Nicola La Strada (Ce), İtalya      

Loredana Luisé; San Nicola La Strada (Ce), İtalya            

Brigida De SOMMA; San Nicola La Strada (Ce), İtalya    

Stefania BUONAJUTO; San Nicola La Strada (Ce), İtalya            

Maria Antonietta GRİLLO; San Nicola La Strada (Ce), İtalya       

Matilde PANARIELLO; San Nicola La Strada (Ce), İtalya

Felicia BELGİORNO ; San Nicola La Strada (Ce), İtalya  

The microplastic detectives

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School: 8th Primary School of Nea Filadelfeia, Athens, Greece
Name: Stavroula Skiada
Participants: Stavroula Skiada (Computer Science teacher), Ioannis Makris (headmaster) and the students of the 6th grade (11 to 12 years old)
Implementation Dates: 15/3/2022 – 15/4/2022

Abstract

Based on the Scientix resource of Futurum: «Detecting Microplastics in a great lakes watershed» by Julie Peller, the students of the 8th Primary School of Nea Filadelfeia implemented an interdisciplinary project of the STEAM methodology. Specifically, the project aimed to raise awareness of the adverse effects of the widespread presence of microplastics in the oceans and in the food chain. The students gained a basic understanding of the plastic life cycle, the fragmentation of plastic to microplastics, and the variety of sources that plastic particles can be originated from. Moreover, they became citizen scientists by participating in a meaningful scientific research about microplastics (microbeads) in cosmetic products. In addition, they did experiments to discover hidden microplastics not only in the chemistry lab but also as an outdoor activity to a nearby lake.

Context of implementation

The project was implemented in the ICT and chemistry lab during the ICT and Natural Science lessons. Four disciplines of STEAM methodology were included (Science, Technology, Art, and Mathematics) and the collaborative and inquiry-based learning educational approaches were followed. Additionally, the teachers that participated in this project (the ICT teacher and the headmaster of the school) played the critical role of the facilitators providing the necessary scaffolding and teaching of skills when necessary. Moreover, the equipment of the chemistry lab was used (conical flask, stirring rod, filter funnel, and mass balance) in parallel with the technical equipment of the ICT lab (workstations, internet access, projector, interactive whiteboard). In the final phase of the project, an active learning and experimentation in the outdoors took place to boost motivation, physical skills, and the ability of students to work cooperatively in the nature.

Stages of implementation

let’s meet plastic

In the beginning of the project, the students were introduced to the notions of plastic, plastic waste and plastic soup using the interactive lessons of Life Terra – “Terra Mission Waste” and “Terra Mission Water”. To deepen their knowledge of further issues relating to the plastic problem, the students watched the interactive video “The story of plastic“. At their own pace in the ICT lab, they answered questions regarding the plastic’s life cycle and the true causes and consequences of the global plastics crisis. After that, to have a complete knowledge of the harmful effects of plastic, the students studied and analysed given infographics and wrote in a google doc their thoughts and concerns about the global impact of plastic pollution.

The interactive lesson of Life Terra – “Terra Mission Waste”

let’s meet microplastics

At this phase, the students acquired new knowledge about the microplastics and their categories. Firstly, they studied the vocabulary of “microplastics” from Julie Peller’s article and her interview about chemistry. Thus, the students learned how to talk like a chemist, how a plastic is fragmented to microplastics and how a research is conducted. Secondly, in groups, they searched the web to find information about the hidden microplastics in everyday life, the categories of them (microbeads, microfibres, nurdles, foam, and fragments) and their harmful effects in people’s health. Further, the teams created a digital wall (padlet) and “hung” on it all the images and their browsing-related information.   

Studying Dr Julie Peller’s article from the Scientix resource repository

the Discovery of the hidden microplastics

The students were familiarized with Citizen Science by watching a relevant video and installing the citizen science app “Beat the microbead” to the ICT lab’s mobile devices. Subsequently, in groups, they scanned the ingredients on packaging of school’s cleaning products using the app and recorded the microbead findings to the team’s class worksheet. As a homework, the students used the same app, with the assistance of their parents, scanned the ingredients of their personal care products and kept records of their research results to a similar worksheet.

The young Citizen scientists collect and share data through the “Beat the Microbead” app

the young girl chemists and their experiment

At the chemistry lab of the school, the “Discover the microbeads” experiment took place by the girl students to excite and empower them with knowledge and confidence in STEM. For this purpose, the young girl scientists calculated the mass of microplastics (gr) in a certain volume of water mixed with the cosmetic product. In the next step, with data given by the teachers and information obtained from the experiment, the students calculated the mass of microplastics (gr) a person generates in a year while using the specific product. Finally, they calculated the percentage of microplastic in the whole mass of the product.

“Discover the microbeads” experiment

The lake experiment

During this outdoor activity, the students visited the artificial lake of Nea Filadelfeia’s park. The students were inspired by the experiment that Dr Julie Peller’s team did. Specifically, the team of Dr Peller tested for the presence of microplastics and microfibres in surface waters flowing into Lake Michigan. In like manner, the little scientists repeated the experiment using the lake’s water. At the beginning, with the chemistry lab’s equipment, they collected an amount of water (ml) from the lake and filtered it through cotton pads. In the aftermath, the mass of microplastics (gr) found into the water was calculated and the measurements were recorded to the experiment’s worksheet.

The lake experiment

At the same time, another group of students collected the plastic waste around the lake, and also weighed the mass of it. As a result, the data gathered were used for the calculation of the total mass of plastic around and in the lake. Most importantly, the students recycled the plastic waste to the appropriate bins.  

Dissemination through Art

To underline the importance of “A” (Art) in STE(A)M education, the final part of the project consisted of creating infographics and designing. In other words, using web 2.0 tools, the students visualized their proposals for a plastic-free life with engaging imagery and information data. They also painted, by hand or digitally, the life cycle of microplastics in the food chain. The creations of the students were used to decorate the school’s classrooms and corridors as a means of raising awareness to the school community.

“Micoplastic in food chain” designs

Furthermore, a content curation platform (Wakelet) was used to organize the educational material of the project, to post and share content, videos, photos, results of the experiments and learning outcomes. A video with all the sequential activities was made as well and was communicated through social media, school’s website, and e-magazine.     

The project’s activities: https://vimeo.com/703460056 .

The ART OF GRAVITY

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The Art of Gravity is a multidisciplinary project carried out by 3 teachers of 2 different countries: Spain and Greece.

The lesson plan arises as a result of  STEAM Scientix Modules, in order to be Scientix Ambassadors. We met in a special environment, sensitized to find a new way to approach science in the classroom, to provide students with enough tools to let them have in their minds the concern to research and to be possible future scientists.

This scenario contribute to show what gravity is and how to guide Primary School children to achieve this objective: using an experiential way, motivating them through gamification, and also using their bodies (music), their creativity (arts) their curiosity: IBSE, and computers (technology) in order to make them the concept interactive, attractive and more understandable. Cooperative Assessment is needed: peers participate in whole education process.

Our lesson plan is committed to experiential teaching. We believe the students are the protagonists of their own learning and to let them think is more important than memorizing mechanically.

The methodology, based on the intersection of Science and Art, in order to bring scientific thought closer to Primary School students, opens a door to interdisciplinarity, as in this case: the union of Music, Fine Arts and Science or, more precisely, the approach of concept of gravity, through music, sculpture and movement.

By observing, and starting from the most basic, the beat of our heart, we understood the meaning of the musical tempo and the questions arose, Inquiry Methodology, stimulating the curiosity to learn: at a slower tempo we move slowly, like being on the Moon.

So,

“Why do we move slowly on the moon? Can we explain what gravity is? Is there earth on gravity? And in space?”

IBSE: Inquire Basic System Education.Children wrote down the their questions about gravity and space:doing a mural or doing a padlet  attending to Covid 19 measures.

Through our body, music and movement we have experienced the effect of gravity, balance, strength-balance positions between couples, helping to overcome the tendency to fall, defying gravity.

The concern to know continued, “what is a black hole? Is there gravity?” We have created recycled instruments to imitate the magical sound of the cosmos and we have invented soundscapes, adding even musical apps, to imagine the feeling of being a space traveler.

After this introduction, children created an Arts and Crafts mobile to experiment where is the center of gravity.

IBSE: Inquire Basic System Education.Children wrote down the their questions about gravity and space:doing a mural or maybe suitable a padlet,  attending to Covid 19 measures.

And children programmed a game, using Scratch to simulate a Space travel, and where gravity is the protagonist not to crash against asteroids.

And we added Engineering Tasks: Create a Spacecraft using Lego WeDo.

Pupils made a model of the universe, using simple materials. Then, they used paddlet to made the timeline.

To summarize all the project, children divided their work to focus in an important aspect about gravity and they worked using Google Drive Slides platform, in order to show to the other mates the work done in a presentation.

Finally, the project ended using several tools to do the assessment, and asking children to participate in an active evaluation done by themselves.

To conclude, we would like to introduce ourselves and also to explain our contribution in this common project:

Our STEAM team has been integrated by 3 peers,

Angeliki Theodosi. ICT Teacher at Ralleia Experimental Primary School in Piraeus, Greece. The purpose of the proposed activities is to introduce Science through Art, by creating mobiles to play and experiment with the center of gravity as well as by Programming a Game which the player has to defeat gravity using his/her voice (a fun way for children with hearing problems to experiment themselves on controlling their voice ). Also with their voice pupils can adapt the velocity of the robot.

Mireia Elias Gras. Music teacher at Can Fabra public school in Barcelona. The purpose to work science through music and body expression is to involve children to Gravity, beginning from the knowledge of their own body and their possibilities, experimenting gravity by themselves. Children inquire,  research working in teams, exposition of solved questions and peers assessment coevaluation, to involve our students to whole learning process.

Angeliki Karageorgopoulou, ICT teacher in 2nd and 4th Primary Schools of Lamia, Central Greece. With the proposed activities, students delve into the concepts of Physics related with the creation and expansion of the Universe, the reason why galaxies are moving away from each other, the reason why the planets revolve around the sun and explain the spacetime curvature.

We three wish you like our STEAM PROJECT: THE ART OF GRAVITY!

STEM Stands Together

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This year’s theme of the STEM Discovery Campaign, “STEM for all”, is the starting point of this event. The purpose of the event was the development of students’ social and academic skills through a joint STEM workshop, attended by Turkish and refugee students.

Our target

16 students participated in the event which was held on April 22, 2022. Eight of the students were Turkish and eight of them were students who came to Turkey as refugees from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran.

Our common language is STEM

STEM education has become very popular lately. In this event, we used STEM as the common language of students who do not know each other. Students came together in a STEM activity and realized a common goal. In the process, they also made new friendships. 16 students were divided into 8 groups. Each group consisted of one Turkish and one refugee student. At the very beginning of the event, an ice-breaking activity was held. There were fun moments as the students learned each other’s names.

The story of the event

After the icebreaker, information was given about the event. In the activity, it was aimed that the students learn about angles, which is a mathematics subject. The students did an internet research about the angles and shared their findings with the class. The teacher tried to embody the subject by giving examples of real-life aspects.

The BBC micro:bit kit was used in this event. Most of the students had not received coding training before. For this reason, block-based coding was preferred. BBC micro:bit coding was taught to students in the Microsoft Makecode.

Students were asked to develop a material for angles. With this material, students developed a mechanism to control angles using the BBC microbit. In this section, the students followed the instructions given to them. They demonstrated an excellent example of teamwork.

Students used the following guide for servo motor and micro:bit connection: https://www.instructables.com/Run-a-Mini-Servo-With-Microbit/

In the next step, students were asked to develop a material that went 10 degrees forward when the A button was pressed, and 10 degrees backwards when the B button was pressed.

In the last stage, students were asked to present their materials. The course teacher took notes and evaluated the students. The workshop was concluded by receiving student feedback with a Google Form.

End of a fun activity

The event ended with a certificate ceremony. The event, which was held for the theme of STEM for all, ended with the farewell of the students (for now, of course). Thanks to the activity, students both learned and made new friendships. The fusion of Turkish and refugee students was the most important achievement of this event.

What did the students express?

At the end of the activity, the feedback was received from the students with a form. The students stated that they were prejudiced against each other before, and that they could spend more time together after this activity. They stated that they understood the subject better with the STEM activity, that they found coding very entertaining and instructive, and that they expected such activities to continue in the future.

In this event, we used the unifying power of STEM and completed a fun activity. Thanks to our common language, STEM, students broke down the walls while learning. STEM for all…

This project was funded by We.

Check our activity video: https://youtu.be/N1YazlYeDxY

Our event took place last week, take a look how it went:

STEMin & STEMout 

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With the pandemic, we have lost human contact and being together. STEMin STEMout is a path that has as its main purpose learning in an outdoor group context, socialization and collaboration.

Involved 90 students and teachers of mathematics, science, biology and physics, of the two-year specialization in graphics of the ISIS “Europa” in Pomigliano D’Arco.

Focus Create a mathematical path with the activities carried in groups out inside and outside the classroom.

“Parco delle Acque” and its measurements

#40.9114867,14.3812739,17

The study contest is “Parco delle Acque” a park close to school, it is a public park in the municipality of Pomigliano d’Arco. It is a pleasant meeting and leisure place, with lawns, tree-lined areas, gymnastic routes, games for children. It is located near schools district and is mainly suitable for outdoor STEM activities.

Work process

The students divided into groups of 3 members each have a specific role:

Leader coordinates the activities out class; creates folders and subfolders to gather all the materials produced. He or she collaborates with the group to prepare the final activity report.

Organizer takes notes by writing down the materials and tools used, calculations and procedures. At the end of the activity, upload the group documentation in the  folder.

Photographer, through representative shots, tells the important moments of the activities, and at the end classifies them in an orderly way into folders and subfolders.

Tools used

The students use simple material : a meter, a tape, a smartphone, a wire;

The students use free apps : Arduino science journal, MathCitymap and globe observed.

They carry out real study activities for themselves and their peers.

The goal

The goal is to create a mathematical trail to be disseminated in the community of the school, and to make it accessible and available to other students and to all those who want to solve scientific / mathematical problems.

Mathematical / scientific contents:

  • numbers, percentage calculation, proportions, mcm, algebra, equations,
  • geometry, calculation of areas and perimeters, equisomposable figures, Pythagorean Theorem, similitude between triangles, measurement of angles,
  • combined calculation

Phisics contents:

  • calculation of speed,
  • slope,
  • composition of forces and vectors,
  • oscillatory motion.

Learning by doing

Through the methodology of problem solving and learning by doing, the students had an active role as protagonists in the management of the project itself, without giving up the laboratory form and group learning.

They used the knowledge, mathematical and scientific skills acquired at school in the surrounding reality.

Stages of the activity

Students work in 3 teams to create trail activities and resolve the activities to create of the other groups.

Below pictures of out-of-class measurements

Citizens of the Globe

The pupils walk in the park near the school, observe the surrounding environment through the use of the Globe Observed App of the Globe program.

Outdoor activities involved observing the surrounding environment.

The Globe program https://www.globe.gov/ and the use of the Globe Observer app

The students followed online webinars with the expert of the Globe Italia https://www.globeitalia.it/

Scientific concepts

Earth Science

  • The four Seasons
  • The formation of clouds
  • The climate
  • The atmosphere

Physical science

  • The different states of matter

Geography

  • The systems physical and geographical.
  • The geographic coordinates

App

CLOUDS

Starting from their own geolocation, each member of the group observes clouds ☁️ using the protocol provided by the teacher or using the Globe observed app.

With their gaze and smartphone facing the sky, the students provide data to NASA to understand the climate by observing the clouds.

Each type of cloud affects the Earth’s energy balance by heating or cooling it.

NASA GLOBE Cloud Challenge 2022: Clouds in a Changing Climate

TREES

Measuring Tree Height (Hint: Trees are greater than 5.0 m tall.)

Through the app lens https://lens.google/intl/it/ , the pupils identify the species of the tree.

The students use the app Globe Observed to calculate the height and circumference of the tree and collect the data sheet

Tree Circumference Measurements
Tree Species 1 Name 
Dominant 
Co-Dominant		Tree Circumference (cm)
Specimen 1 
Specimen 2
Specimen 3
Specimen 4

The angles measured and the length of the number of steps contribute to the calculation taking into account the presence of the inevitable measurement errors.

The height of the tree it is calculate using the basic geometry of the triangles.

The students build the clinometer to calculate the height of the trees

formula:
Height of Tree = TAN (angle of clinometer) x (distance to tree) + eye height
and record the measurements on Data Sheet.

TREES Carbon Activity

Each member of the group chooses a tree and calculates the stored carbon taking into account that:

1. 35% of the green mass of a tree is water; 65% is solid dry mass;

2. 50% of the dry mass of a tree is of carbon;

3. 20% of the biomass of the trees is in the roots. It used a multiplication factor of 120%;

4. the calculated carbon value is multiplied by a factor of 3.67 to determine the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide,

The formula for the amount of CO2 sequestered per tree (in kg) is :

amount of CO2 seized per tree (in kg) = tree mass (kg of fresh biomass) x 65% (dry mass) x 50% (% of carbon) x 3.67 x 120%

Immage of the trail

MCM

On the MCM portal https://mathcitymap.eu/ the path is published for all students of the school, and for all those who wanted to have fun outdoors with scientific disciplines

Earth Day, the students made videos which they presented to the community

Osservando il pianeta

Un globo migliore con Globe

Teachers: Sabrina Nappi, Mario Di Fonza, Rosanna Busiello, Josephine Iannone