A Multidisciplinary activity that involves the STEM disciplines
The focus is on the study of climatic factors and the causes leading to an increase in temperature.
Age : 14-15 years
STEM : math, science, biology, physics, English.
Teachers: Mario Di Fonza, Sabrina Nappi, Rosanna Busiello, Josephine Iannone
Pupils take a quiz on www.mentimeter.com
Possible answers:
Crickets sing to….
1. Call the female: male cricket’s challenge is to be loud enough to be heard
2. Courting ritual
3. Drive other males away.
The song of crickets is the nocturnal soundtrack of our collective rural, suburban and even urban lives.
Some other questions:
Pupils take a quiz on www.mentimeter.com and a debate on the topic follows.
The species
Crickets are insects belonging to the orthoptera family, and as such they emit sounds called chirps.
The song of the cricket
The students listening with greater attention to the song of a cricket https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGOS4e99kj4. The most bizarre and interesting thing to observe is that this song is discontinuous and is related to the temperature. The temperature rises and you can hear the cries of crickets.
The crickets “sing” rubbing their legs. The warmer the weather is, the faster they “sing”.
The focus is on the study of climatic factors and the causes which are leading to an increase in temperatures as a function of the perceived chirps of crickets.
Thermometers of the poor
Crickets are considered the thermometers of the poor, an expression that comes from the observation that the chirping of these animals increases or decreases in relation to the temperature of the environment. Crickets are cold-blooded, which means they take on the temperature of their surroundings. The temperature rises and crickets chirp more easily. The temperature drops and the reaction rate of the crickets slows down, causing their chirping to decrease as well.
The Engagement is curious and the students are invited to verify this discovery.
Investigation phase
In this paragraph, the Students are provided with data taken from a research carried out in 2007 in Boulder (Colorado, USA), and are asked if it is possible to find a relationship between the number of crickets’ chirps (f) and the location temperature (t).
The students analyze the data on the table and build a scatter chart by observing how the points are arranged through the use of google sheets, and discuss it in groups.
The students, from reading the graph, create a mathematical model that relates the temperature to the song of the crickets: t = a ∙ f + b, number of crickets’ chirps (f) and the location temperature (t).
The relation: t = a ∙ f + b gives the value of the correlation between the increase in temperature and the song of the crickets.
Students write the equation of the regression line passing through the points in the graph and calculate the correlation coefficient.
From the analysis of the data, students move on to analyze Dolbear’ s Law in physics.
Amos Dolbear, was a 19th century American physicist, professor and inventor who studied various species of crickets to determine the relation between the number of chirps per minute and the ambient temperature.
In 1897 Amos published an article “The cricket as a thermometer”, where the formula is reported (Dolbear’ s Law): T = 50 + ((N – 40) / 4) , where T is the temperature in Fahrenheit degrees and N is the number of chirps per minute.
The students convert Fahrenheit to Kelvin. They convert them to Celsius as an exercise too.
Dolbear’ s law, applied to the chirping of crickets, allows us to estimate temperatures between 55 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit. On summer evenings the crickets feel at their best.
Deepening with the sciences
The students reflect on the question: What happens in human beings if the internal temperature increases? The consequence is the link between physics and the sciences: the heart beats faster if the internal temperature increases.
Pupils are asked, in pairs, to determine and share their body temperature by measuring the frequency of heart beats per minute, taking into account the relationship between heart activity and the internal body temperature reported:
Resting adult
Resting adult
Fever inside the abdomen
with 70 beats per minute
37°C
with 80 beats per minute
37/38°C
with 90 beats per minute
38°C
with 100 beats per minute
38°C
with 110 beats per minute
39°C
with 120 beats per minute
40°C
Pupils discuss the table, observing how each degree Celsius of body temperature increase corresponds on average to 8 beats per minute increase in heart rate.
In this way, the focus is on the study of climatic factors that increase temperatures.
Exercises
To get different results, the pupils tried to “warm up” by running or doing some physical exercise.
Deepening with the biology
The activity ends with the experimental part in biology which concerns the use of crickets to study the effect of temperature on the metabolism of cold-blooded organisms.
Small insects have a trachea where diffusion occurs, carrying oxygen and removing the carbon dioxide necessary for cellular respiration.
The students use the chemical reaction:
and the image: http://www.benesserelongevitasalute.it/2017/03/30/lenergia-e-la-vita/
Students are asked to:
– find the correlation between the two images;
– specify the reactants of this reaction, and the products;
– describe what they observe;
– specify what are the factors that can slow down or speed up a chemical reaction, and explain why?
On a padlet (www.padlet.com), the students enter their thoughts.
CO2 and temperature
The purpose of the activity is to determine how the temperature affects the respiratory rate of crickets by monitoring the production of carbon dioxide with a CO2 gas sensor at different temperatures. The amount of CO2 produced will determine the effect of temperature on the metabolism of crickets.
The outline of the procedure for monitoring data collection of cold, intermediate and hot temperatures is provided to students divided into groups.
The students enter data into tables and create graphs to read, they focus on the study of climatic factors and the causes which are leading to an increase in temperature.
The outline of the procedure
The CO2 sensor must be connected to the data collection device. If your CO2 gas sensor has a switch, set it to “Low” (0–10,000 ppm) placement. Change the data collection rate to 0.1 samples / second and the data collection duration to 600 seconds. Weigh 10 adult crickets, in a 600 mL beaker and record their data in Data and Observations.
Data and Observations
Temperature (c °)
Concentration (ppm / s)
Respiration Rate (ppm/s/g)
Assigned range
Current
5-10
10-15
15-20
20-25
30-35
40-45
Mass of crickets: 1.6g
Student collect data as follows:1st stage:
The students, in the group, construct a graph and relate the measured CO2 concentration and temperature.
2nd stage:
The students prepare tubs with water at different temperatures, and
The groups collect data on respiration at 5–10 ° C, 10–15 ° C and 15–20 ° C.
3rd stage:
The students prepare a water bath for the desired temperature. This ensures that the crickets will remain at a constant and controlled temperature. To prepare the water bath, get fresh water and ice.
4th stage:
The students mix cold water and ice in a 1 liter beaker.
The beaker is filled with approximately 600–700 ml of water.
The thermometer is placed in the water. The breathing chamber is in the water.
5th stage:
The students use a pipette to remove or add hot or cold water as needed.
6th stage:
Record the water bath temperature in Data and Observations.
Conclusions
Grilli che c(a)ontano! is focused on the study of climatic factors and the causes that lead to the increase in temperatures, aims to sensitize pupils to the issue of climate change consequences of environmental conditions.
Thanks to the use of the IBSE methodology, the pupils observed how mathematical relationships are concretely found in nature, or how life, as we know it, depends on physical and biological factors.
The purpose of this activity is to provide evidence on how the effects of global warming can cause negative impacts on ecosystems and on the metabolic activities of individuals. Furthermore, the students reflect on the important theme of energy emitted by the sun that is captured from the planet Earth and used by individuals to produce energy and work (metabolism).
Şebnem Gençtürk, a science teacher, conducted this study with 10 teachers and 78 students from 8 different schools.In the last few years, we have needed to explore and understand the power of nature more. We have volunteered to be aware of and protect the opportunities that the world we live in offers us. Who are we? All of us partners of the eTwinning project “STEAM for Green Nature”.
We crossed paths with some of them in the “Digital Science” eTwinning project last year and this year we continue to work on the project with new partners. We made our project application in January and started STEM learning scenario activities in February. Our projeject will finish on April 30. The basis of our work is a STEAM learning scenario. We apply the steps of the learning scenario in our schools.
Our aim with our project is to raise awareness for a sustainable climate, first among our students and then in a larger audience. To explain the importance of our students adapting less harmful activities to climate change into their future lifestyles. When we started the project preparations to popularize STEAM studies, we determined studies suitable for the participation of our colleagues from different branches. Because, the “Global Climate Crisis” is a problem for all of us. We worked with teachers from Science, Social Studies, and English branches. In addition, our group teachers, and visual and technical design teachers in our schools also supported us.
In the implementation of the learning scenario, we carried out our work both face-to-face and remotely. Mixed country teamwork and collaborative work were also included in our work.
Activities
There are many activities in our scenario, which we integrated with our course topics. After the pre-test we applied, our students prepared posters and logos. We constantly updated our activities according to the decisions we made with our partners and students at our monthly meetings.Our partners attended seminars for the safe internet day, and each school organized seminars for its own students.
Expert Support
As expert support, we have planned an online seminar with the responsible of the Turkish Anti-Erosion and Afforestation (TEMA) Foundation. ITU Environmental Engineering Environment Club made an online presentation on “Tears of Water” to our students on World Water Day.
World Water DayTEMA (NGO)
outdoor activity
We did an outdoor activity. With the Plantnet phone application, our students became aware of the diversity of plants in our school’s garden.
Outdoor activity with PLANTNET app
recycling
Students designed products from recycling materials to explain that waste is also valuable.
Product from recycling materials
Trip
We went to the “Botanical Garden” and “Nature Park” with our students.
Another of our activities we sang songs in our classrooms during world forest week. Our students prepared slogans. Than, they chose the most popular slogans from these slogans. Rap songs were made with the most popular slogans among the slogans so, we created a collaborative product with the web2.0 tool.
Project Rap song
mixed shool team activities
In addition, for the World Water Day, we created a board with the students in our groups formed from mixed country teams. We created a calendar from the pages we prepared as a board.
At carbon footprint activity, we had our students watch videos to explain what activities result from the carbon we give to nature. After that, they calculated their carbon footprint and water footprint.
Carbon footprint
Exhibited our works and presentation
School board- Exhibition
We collaborated with the group teachers and decorated our school boards with the activities of all classes. Our students in the project conducted research on climate change and shared what they learned with their friends in other classes in our school with the presentations they prepared.
Presentation
write your story
Pupils wrote a story about climate change as a collaborative product. They turned the story in to a cartoon with the Pixton web2.0 tool.
Story with Pixton
Our students created videos about what kind of world they want to live in. They prepared the videos with the Toontastic web 2.0 tool.
My Dream World
bioplastic
At this activity, pupils made bioplastics. Than, one of our students videotaped his work to show the construction stages at meeting.
Dissamination
Facebook, Instagram, youtube channels, and the school website to disseminate our work. Also, we have benefited from Whatsapp groups for both communication and sharing our work.
On April 15-16, Turkey II. We attended the Scientix workshop and introduced our project. Also, we shared our project in the İzmir ETwinning İzmir News bulletin and in the book “Turkey Scientix Ambassadors Project Studies”.
Students learned the causes and consequences of climate change. So, they discovered what they could do to reduce global warming. They became aware of the vegetation around them and realized the importance of biodiversity. On the other hand, their digital competencies have improved,
How will the new generations growing up in environmental problems such as carbon emission and global warming deal with this problem?
In this Learning Senario it is aimed to find a solution to global warming and to increase awareness. First, the students answer the pre-test questions. Then, by watching videos on the subject, discussion is started, brainstormed and they share their thoughts in the pedlette. They watch scientific resources, global warming studies and videos on climate change. After that, Reviews IPCC 2020 and IPBES 2019 report. To learn about citizens’ views on environmental problems, students go to a park and try to identify problems by meeting with the citizens there.But, the park was not visited (due to the epidemic)
Using Web 2.0 tools, they make posters, videos, and puzzles about the environment they want to live in. In the first activity, it calculates the carbon emission per person with the carbon footprint calculator. Accordingly, they calculate the number of trees we need to plant per person. Then they try to find nature-based solutions to prevent carbon emissions. In second activity, “What can we do to reduce plastic waste? “They look for the answer to the question. They are doing a “Let’s make bioplastic” activity. Finally, they answer the final test questions.
The pedagogical values of the activities: to enable students to be creative, responsible, independent, self-confident, collaborative individuals
In this learning scenario, they will experience the decision-making process by thinking like a chemist, biochemist, environmental engineer, computer programmer, designer. Thus, students will be able to find solutions to real-world problems. At the same time, students will conduct experimental research and learn about the ecosystem through their research. Also, they will create posters, puzzles, videos and present their research. So they will have experienced 21st century skills.
Integration into the curriculum
The learning scenario is suitable for the curriculum. Above all,discusses the causes and possible consequences of the greenhouse effect and global climate changes. Questions how environmental problems can affect the future of the Earth and human life in the context of global warming and global climate change. It is careful to act efficiently in the use of resources. Designs projects for the efficient use of resources. Explains the importance of sorting solid waste for recycling. İn addition, it offers solutions by specifying future problems if resources do not use efficiently.
Trends:
STEM Learning, Collaborative Learning, Inverted class, Mobil learning, Open Source Learning, Personal Learning Environment, Student-Centered Learning, Project-Based Learning
21st century skills
Critical Thinking: Understand the effects of environmental problems and think about solutions
Collaboration: Collaborate within and between groups
Creativity: Designing products using their creativity
Communication: Strengthening communication skills
Problem solving: They will try to solve the problems they face to face.
Productivity: Designing products
Digital competence
Description about NBS and Carbon Emissions
Watch videos with explanations about carbon emissions and its consequences.
Environmental problems are increasing day by day. Think of yourself as an environmental engineer. İf you were, how would you solve this problem? Discuss the problem.
What are the causes of environmental problems? Do you have any solution to avoid Carbon Emissions? Can we find solutions to reduce the effects of environmental pollution? Firstly, students discuss the questions. Secondly, they share on pedlet the problems they face in their environment. After that,they comment on each other on the topics they share in Padlet. Pupils design posters reflecting environmental problems with Web 2.0 tools. They, prepare a puzzle game from the posters they have prepared.
İnterviewing
Students go to a nearby park and make interviews. Questions should be prepared in advance and answers recorded or noted. For example, what do you think about environmental problems like carbon emission and global warming? But we did not do this activity due to the pandemic. A word cloud on environmental issues was created with Wordart.
Students are asked what kind of world they want to live in. They make a video about “my dream world” using Web 2.0 tools. Thus, the students shared their beautiful dreams with each other.
What is global warming and, greenhouse effect and climate change? What is recycling?
Our world is warming up… According to measurements made in recent years, greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere cause more of the heat they lose. As a result, glaciers are melting in our increasingly warmer world. Snowfall is decreasing. In short, the climate of our world is changing. In other words, carbon dioxide gases accumulating in the atmosphere cause global warming and climate changes.Therefore, if we recognize the factors that affect global warming and act consciously, we can reduce our carbon footprint.
The amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere can be measured by the carbon footprint, meaning the damage individuals and companies leave to the world.Following the explanations, students calculate their carbon footprint using the Carbon Footprint Calculator, If desired, a tree-planting campaign can start.
Last, students create avatars with pixton and make them talk to chatterpix to design slogans on environmental problems such as global warming.
Results
The results were evaluated and recorded. According to the survey results, the average carbon footprint per person is shown in the graphic below.
According to the results of our school, the average carbon footprint is 6.3 tons. As long as a tree lives, it breathes 0.73 tons of carbon dioxide. As a result of, the number of trees to be planted per person in our school is 9. At the end of the activity if possible, a tree planting campaign can be started.
They are asked to produce solutions on this issue. After that, answers to the question of how to prevent carbon emission and global warming were noted on pedlet.. Nature Based Solutions To Prevent Carbon Emissions:
İntroduction: What is the role of plastics in carbon emission and global warming?
We use plastic materials in many areas of our daily life. Because, plastics are easy to shape. It also provides heat and electrical insulation. Some of the plastics are recycled. However, plastic waste that cannot be recycled is becoming a huge threat to our world. If you were a biochemist, what solution would you find? Could using bioplastics be a solution? Students will learn with information about the subject using various resource.
First, the materials required to make Bioplastics are informed to students. Than, they make bioplastics.
Materials:
1 tablespoon starch, 4 tablespoons water, 1 teaspoon glycerin, 1 teaspoon vinegar, Pot or coffee pot, Food Dye, Aluminum foil and Heater
Construction:
Firstly, put the water and starch in the pot and mix. Secondly, add vinegar and glycerin on it. Add food coloring to the mixture that we prepare optionally. Than,Heat, stirring, to a gel-like consistency and spread it on aluminum foil and let it dry for two to three days. Finally, Keep it in the mold for two or three days.
This Shelter STEM project is designed for children between the ages of 7 and 10. This activity has been designed within the scope of Step by Step STEM eTwinning project activities. Students learn the impact of climate change and global warming on our lives, towns, cities. They learn to measure temperature of some objects and the air on different places and they create a model of a shelter.
INTRODUCTION TO THE SHELTER STEM
Firstly the children (7 years old) discuss the story about elves (the class is called elves):
Our friends Elves, they live in the forests. They like cool and fresh air. They are going to visit our town and there are not many shelters to have cool air. So they will go and measure the surface temperature on different places. (worksheet1) https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ezHBAO94VoxCO4ktnwyY4HG-inbUCWzO/view?usp=sharing . Then they compare they results.
THE WORLD PROBLEM
Secondly, the children watch YouTube video about city warming. Then they discuss what they saw and they speak about their town – how do they feel about it.
Global warming and climate change threaten even water-rich countries by dragging the world into an uncertain future. Therefore, water literacy is extremely important for the conservation and conservation of water, which is a vital resource for life. With this project, students will learn by observing the behavior of water in their daily lives, by experiencing how it gets polluted and how it should be protected. The widespread use of water literacy among students will make an important contribution to the protection of the ecological system.
* AIMS
With this project, it was aimed to make students water literate by creating water awareness against the increasing water pollution in the world. In addition, it was aimed to use water, which is one of the most important resources in the world and used irresponsibly, among our students, parents and teachers in a more careful and economical way. In addition, with web 2.0 tools, it was aimed to improve students’ foreign language skills and to use technologies such as computers and mobile phones safely.
*MIXED COUNTRY TEAM 3.TEAM
“The Effects of Drought Increase on Plant Diversity and Forests”
Mentör Teachers: Nazan Yılmazer & Maria Leonor Neves Alves
And Our mixed team students
*For this purpose, in mixed country teams, “The Effects of Drought Increase on Plant Diversity and Forests” Researched, learned and awareness raised ..*
We formed mixed teams with our project partners. We, as the 3rd team, researched “The Effects of Drought Increase on Plant Diversity and Forests” with our students. We held a meeting for this first. We made research. We shared our research articles in the forum. We created slogan and posters. We combined it with the book. We shared it on Twinspace pages.
*e BOOK
You can see our e Book work by clicking the link below.
We worked together with 16 teachers and 145 students from Turkey, Albania, Spain, Portugal and Italy.” My Water of Life ”we put a lot of effort into our project. We created ” Water Literacy ” awareness. Thank you very much to all our teacher and student project team.
Our project “My water of Life”, founded by my teacher FATMA KILIÇ and of which we are a project partner, will continue to raise awareness about “water literacy” related to the environment.
Our project, which started on 15.09.2020, will continue until 30.05.2021.
Nazan YILMAZER / Osman Nuri Hekimoğlu Anatolian High School / Konya / TURKEY
and the image: http://www.benesserelongevitasalute.it/2017/03/30/lenergia-e-la-vita/
Students are asked to:
– find the correlation between the two images;
– specify the reactants of this reaction, and the products;
– describe what they observe;
– specify what are the factors that can slow down or speed up a chemical reaction, and explain why?
On a padlet (www.padlet.com), the students enter their thoughts.
