Tag Archives: math

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  

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

Is 100euro = 100euro always and everywhere

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by Silvana Jakimovska Binova, #Scientix Repository Resources

The set of activities “Is 100euro = 100euro always and everywhere” was the set of hybrid realized activities with 9th grade (14-15 years old) students from Primary school Straso Pindzur Karbinci, North Macedonia. They are based on and inspired by STATISTICS IN THE CLASSROOM – PRICES resources from Scientix Resource Repository. It was an opportunity for students to work as STEM professionals and to get closer with the one of very important profession now days and in the future – Data Analyst. Also, it was an opportunity to highlight the importance of STEM employability skills.

The activities were implemented during the Math classes. The learning goals were to practice percentage calculations and statistic in real context – Inflation.
We used video and presentation, collaboration and creation through online documents and apps, interactive tables and diagrams. Students gained knowledge and skills about calculation with percentages, analysis of data presented with interactive tables and diagrams, critical thinking about prices and value of money, creativity etc. Also, during the activities students were directed to developing STEM skills like initiative and self-motivation, ability to learn and adopt, team work, ITC skills etc.

Our activities

intoructory activity

As introductory activity, students were challenged by the quote of famous rapper French Montana – “In school my favorite subject was math. That’s where I learned to count money.” The meta goal of this activity was to present the importance and power of Math for deeper understanding of phenomena – not only for “counting money”.
By the article Beginners:Inflation from Statistics 4 beginners students learned: What is inflation? How is measured? What is needed to calculate it? What are the challenges?
They played a Kahoot quiz to check their understanding about the main concepts connected with Inflation. In the last question from the Kahoot students agree that 100euro≠100euro always and everywhere.

Simulating the calculation of inflation rate in our country

If the 100euro≠100euro, then where/when is more or where/when is less? – this was the main challenge for next activities. In groups, students simulated the calculation of inflation rate for 2021 year in our country.

First, individually each student fill the table about importance of specific products/services for their family – according the amount of money their families spend it on it. Then, working in four groups in each class, students calculated the “group weights” as average. The result of each group was contributed for calculation of WEIGHT of product/service for our simulation presented in online Excel document. The most valued products/services are from category 01 Food and drinks and 04 Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels.

Second, each group: 1. Selected some products/services from ‘basket of goods/services’; 2. Created the index for each by observing the price in the latest period compared with prices in previous periods.
Collaboratively, the students from all groups in two 9th grade classes created the tables with price indices for different products classified as in EU classification of individual consumption by purpose. The results from each group were collected in Index by category – another online Excel document. Later, by combining with the weight students get the inflation rate for our country in 2021 which is 10.75.

analyzing the inflation in EU countries

Motivated to learn what is going on with inflation in other European countries, students were supported by interactive graphs and diagrams from Eurostat. Students investigated about inflation rate in EU, especially during 2021. Collaboratively, they created the Padlet map with Value of 100 euros in EU from 2000 to 2021 through facts and аssertions. With the data presented in interactive diagrams, students formulated assertions, supported with facts about inflation rate by category in countries across Europa. Here is the Padlet map:

creating infographic – “a story about 100euro in …”

With creativity in focus, students created the Infographic “Story about 100 euro…” about changing the Price index of specific product in specific country (chosen by students) with Genially app. Students work is collected in following interactive image

Stem skills for employability 

Lessons gained from the realized activities “Is 100 euros = 100 euros always and everywhere?” realized during the regular math classes served as a basis for the realization of the activity “Top STEM skills for employment”. The activity aimed to increase students’ awareness of the need to develop skills for employment and emphasize the possibility of developing them through the implementation of activities within the subjects.
Through discussion and short presentation, the students were introduced to the 10 most important skills. After that, hey were directed to identify 3 skills that they consider to be their strengths and 2 skills that they consider to be their weaknesses and should be further developed.
The students reflected on the realized activities and assessed how they contributed to the development of important STEM skills through short online survey (question 2). Two skills that were recognized by most students are teamwork and the ability to learn and adapt.

The pedagogical value

The realized activities “Is 100euro = 100euro always and everywhere” are a set of activities that offer achievement of teaching goals through quality contextualized STEM teaching with high quality teaching materials based on Eurostat resources and Scientix repository resources. The Eurostat resources were high inspiration and motivation for me as teacher in creating the activities and facilitating the students learning. Also, they were motivation for students active and engaging learning. Students developed their Math knowledge about calculating percentage and statistic, problem solving and critical thinking skills about the prices and value of money across EU, team work and collaboration skills by working on shared documents to a rich common goal. They developed creativity through the creation of an interactive map and an infographic.

The highlighted moment of these activities is the hybrid realization and the use of mobile phones as a tool for learning. The students were challenged to learn in a new way and to adapt. This was very important for my students from two main aspects. First, in terms of preparation of students for different ways of learning, having in mind the challenges that we have during the last year with online teaching. Second, in terms of challenging the students to use mobile phones for learning, not just for playing games.

Teaching and learning while connecting the subject content with tasks appropriate for STEM profession (Data Analyst) and highlighting the STEM employability skills, in an engaging way is a good strategy for motivating students for STEM careers.

The students reflected on the activities and the average grades up to 7 are: about how interesting were the activities – 5.8, and about usefulness – 6.4 (through the short online survey question 1.

A STEAM PLAN ON HEALTHY DIET

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“Trace Minerals as Pillars of a Healthy Diet”  is a three-session  (in-class or online) Scientix  LS which enables one to work on 4 different disciplines: Chemistry, Biology, Maths and English as a foreign language. There is one complimentary activity between the 2nd and the 3rd, which is designed as a non-class one.

  • What is it about?

The main real life question it raises is how to do conscious shopping with the aim of having a healthy, balanced diet. With the increasing rates of obesity, this is one of the most critical issues of today’s world.

  • What educational trends does it follow?

As one will see when the activity steps are unfolded, the LS proves to be a sound example of some of the important educational trends and all the 4C’s: peer-learning, collaborative learning, BYOD and edutainment,  critical thinking, communication, collaboration, creativity.

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Math Treasure Hunt

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The beginning

Why is math almost always considered to be boring? And what can we do to change it?

This were the questions that inspired me to start a new project with my students that included treasure hunt and math. Think about it. They were practicing math, working in teams, solving all problems I have prepared for them. All of that, without even knowing they are actually learning new things.

But my big question was can we do this on international level?

With my colleagues from school we started project ‘From game to stem’,  in which the students of our school (Gimnazija Zajecar), together with students from schools from Turkey, Spain, Bulgaria and Poland, will show that science is interesting and that even better results are achieved through games. The goal of the project is to animate students to engage not just in math but in STEM general. Also, they worked together on different projects and ideas.

My role was to find the best way to introduce math to children and show them that it can be fun is to have fun as they learn. And this is where our treasure hunt started.

To find put more about project you can check our website. We are still at start, and pandemic has slowed us down, but we are not backing out.

How did we do this?

The first step was to create international teams so that there would be one student from each country in the team. Before the start of the competition, each team held a video meeting, where they met, discussed the project and chose the team leaders. The role of the team leader is to coordinate with their team, organize meetings to solve tasks and communicate with the competition organizer. What I wanted to do with this part was to set up communication between them, as this skill is on most of the 4C skills lists. It was funny to see how teams chosen different types of tools for communication such as Google Meet. Zoom, Discord. Facebook messenger.

After that, all teams were given First level problems. These were logical tasks, of a lower level of difficulty. Each team organized a meeting where they solved tasks together. When they agree on a solution, they send the solutions to me. If all the solutions are correct, they would get a Second level problems. If not all solutions are correct, the team would receive feedback what they need to revise in their solutions. And that’s how we are establishing collaboration and on international level no less.

The competition had 4 levels. In the last level, the students had the opposite task. Instead of giving them problem I gave them solutions and it was up to them to devise a task. This was a great way for them to express creativity and critical thinking at same time.

The team that solve the tasks first at all levels won an award. The prize will be delivered as soon as we can travel again. The teams needed different time to solve the tasks. An indicator of how interesting it is for the students that all the teams were trying to reach the end, even though they knew that they can’t win.

What did I learn from this?

This way of learning mathematics is showing that it is very interesting for students and that they find it easier to accept learning if it is presenting to them in an interesting way. Since the teams were international, the exchange of different ideas and approaches to problems is especially good. Students shared their ideas and approaches as well as accepted others.

 Al results have been prepared in a special eBook which can be found here.