Plants And Animals In Their Natural Environment

Posted on 08/05/2021 by iakboyraz

Abstract:

Natural structures consisting of living and non-living elements living in a certain area and constantly interacting with each other are called ecosystems. The ecosystem consists of two elements. These are living things and non-living things. The living elements that concern us are producers, consumers, and decomposers. The richness of the creatures living in a region in terms of variety and number is called biodiversity.

Biodiversity is an important part of the ecosystem. In short, all living species living in a region constitute the biological diversity of that region.

During the pandemic period, our students stayed at their homes and their technology addiction increased. I aimed for our students to go out of their homes to get rid of their technology addiction and to stay away from crowded environments and pay attention to the diversity of life in their natural environment. In our project assignment, students will go out of their homes and take pictures of plants and animals in their gardens, neighborhoods or villages, and present examples of biodiversity.

We were inspired by the LS named “Plants and animals in the seasons” in Scietix resources.

I adapted the LS according to ourselves and the pandemic rules and gave my students a project assignment.

Students should be motivated to take pictures creatively. It should also present a biological phenomenon in a way that other students can gain new insights. The captured photographs will serve as a tool for discovering biological variation and should consist not only of beautiful images, but images that meet the biological content well. At the end of the project, students will make a presentation with the pictures they have taken on ecosystem and biodiversity.

Students’ age: 12 (Grade 6)

Duration: 15.03.2021 – 15.04.2021 (1 month)

Teaching materials

Offline:

Any camera technology can be used to take pictures. Use what is available. Cameras from mobile phones and tablets are the most available and have good quality. The lens is fixed but normally a digital zoom can be used. Old style compact cameras are very good because they normally come with a zoom lens which help to explore different framings more easily.

The video is the author’s own – (Attribution CC-BY)

Assessment Scale:

Title selection, sources of speech	1	2	3	4	5
Developing and planning the content in accordance with the purpose	1	2	3	4	5
Using clear, understandable language – Choosing words that fit the context	1	2	3	4	5
Using connecting sentences in parts of speech and slide transitions	1	2	3	4	5
Compliance with Powerpoint Presentation Preparation Rules-‘General Principles’	1	2	3	4	5
Summing up the subject at the end of the narration	1	2	3	4	5
Eye communication and use of body language – Ensuring the participation of the listeners	1	2	3	4	5
Compliance with the time allocated for speaking	1	2	3	4	5

Assessment Scale

The restrictions came again due to the pandemic. Schools are closed again. Students could not make their presentations. Assessment will be made after presentations.

Students make a difference the with STEM

Posted on 20/04/2021 by Baki KARAKOÇ

Think sketch vector – The visual was provided by the Author – Attribution CC-BY

STEM teachers from nine schools in six different cities in Turkey we have come together. And 50 students. For Sustainable Development Goals. Our aim is to provide 21st century skills. We carried out this project together with 3 schools from İzmir, 2 schools from Ankara. With one school each from Manisa, Kütahya, Eskişehir and Kocaeli cities. So this was a country project.

In the I Design with STEM project, we improved our problem solving skills. Our students discovered STEM fields and produced projects.They took responsibility and learned to express their feelings. They found solutions to problems with their peers from different cities. And learned to use technology wisely. Because they really needed it.

Activities and Projects

Our students learned the web 2.0 tools. Made various collaborative activities while living in a meeting and social environment. Because we wanted students to make a difference with STEM.

In addition, we discussed different topics in STEM activities every month in our project. Topics included: Recycling, Energy Conversion and Design, Technologies for the Disabled.

We also formed mixed teams at each event. Teachers and students changed teams in every respect. Students designed original products for real life problems and to make life easier. As a result of this, we produced 15 different projects in 6 months with teams.

Students STEM projects that make a difference

Rainwater recycle system: We collected rainwater from the roofs of the houses. We also recycled the waste water that went to the sewer.

Shelf organizer: We produced more useful furniture with recycled materials.

Nature friendly and economical building: We designed an nature friendly house that generates electricity from waste.

Waste battery box: We recycled the batteries so that they do not harm the nature.

Garbage separation system: We designed a system that collects and separates garbage automatically.

Geological village: We have developed an environmentally friendly village system that produces everything on its own.

Solar lighting system: We provided lighting with solar channels for buildings that need daytime lighting.

Technological animal shelter: We built an unmanned and intelligent animal shelter.

Solar home heating system: We brought sunlight to all four parts of the house and provided heating.

Smart prosthetic arm: We said it should be more than just one hand.

Smart wheelchair: This wheelchair simply cannot fly. For now.

Playground for disabled children: We designed special parks and toys for children with disabilities.

Special bus for the disabled: We built a barrier-free bus.

Smart home system: An nature friendly and safe smart home. Who would not want that.

We learned science, tech, mathematics and engineering disciplines with real life problems. We exhibited student work examples on the website we prepared.

The pictures belong to the Author – Attribution CC-BY

Scientix Support for the Project

To support our project, Scientix Turkey Coordinator Dr. Tunç Erdal AKDUR and Scientix Ambassador Baki KARAKOÇ presented. From every city in Turkey for our presentation we had more than 300 participants. In this meeting, the work of teachers and students was introduced. We explained the project preparation techniques and STEM School Label application. Also our project was featured in the national and international press.

Partner and Article Author: Baki KARAKOÇ (Scientix Ambassador)

Founders: Fatma KARAKOÇ, Ahsen DOĞANAY

Project Partners:

Emine GÜLMEZ, Gülcan APAYDIN, Gülnur KAPLAN, İ.Selin AYDOĞDU, Sultan YERLİKAYA, Zehra AKDOĞAN

Project Blog

Project Website

Problem awareness: If there is a problem, there is an improvement!

Posted on 15/03/2021 by Baki KARAKOÇ

We always say health comes first. Because without health, material wealth and nothing in life matter. As long as a person is healthy, he can develop. However, there are some factors that affect this development. The most important are needs and problems.

One of the primary goals in education is to raise individuals who can solve problems. It can be helpful to both themselves and others. Approaches such as IBSE, PBL, Design Thinking, STEM are applied to gain problem-solving skills. The most basic factor that ensures success is to make students good observers and make them aware of the problems.

Creating problem awareness

We use cyclical steps such as the Design process and Innovation process in all activities in the Technology and Design course. But the first step of these processes is always the Problem. However, a student who understands and defines the problem well can be successful in the continuation of the process. To achieve this, we dedicate 1-2 weeks of Design Thinking to the problem phase only.

Continue reading →

ARE WE ENERGY?

Posted on 13/02/2021 by meliasgras

Design of the project

“Are we energy?”

This is the first question we use to introduce our Project.

At Escola Mestre Gibert, teachers believe all knowledge is connected.
Thus, 4th level Primary School teachers have decide to plan an interdisciplinary Renewable Energy Project, where all subjects can be included. The name of the project will be “Human Activity is Energy”.

Critical thinking, cooperation, creativity and communication are our skills

To engage the children, we use inquire based-learning. We build the project while creating challenges that they will solve and answer along with adding achievements.

As a result, teachers create and launch a collaborative project, where students’ experiments prove that energy is everywhere. Consequently, all subjects can contribute to build meaningful and comprehensive energy learning.

In this way, through Arts, Physical Education and Music, children can experiment how to show and to play with their energy.

In subjects such as Science, Technology, English Language and First Language, students build knowledge about energy and its uses. The English Language is the vehicular language to transmit the result of the learning process.

Moreover, a father of a student whose task is related to Clean Energies, will come to deliver a speech as an expert.

The challenge of students’ teamwork is the study of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, doing an internet research. They use the DRIVE platform to organize their work and organize an exposition in class. In this activity, the peers assessment will be very important.

Project evaluation

As we mentioned before, co-evaluation among peers is very important in order to obtain a good assessment. Students have to participate actively in all the learning process and until the end. Children use rubrics to pay attention to peers’ exposition and to express their opinions.

**The photos were taken and kindly provided by the author – Attribution CC-BY**

Finally, the children will perform a choreography to conclude the project, playing with multi-colour satin ribbons. For the soundtrack, previously we will record children’s voices singing a song called “Energize”, especially composed for the final show.

The song’s message is about Energy Resources and Earth Planet Health. Children enjoy singing the song and are engaging with its message:

On the last day of the project, students and teachers will gather together for a manifestation with banners, all spread around the playground, shouting messages such as: “save the Planet”, “we must use sustainable energy”, “SOS, planet Earth needs us!!”.

To conclude, we are convinced the project will engage the children, because they will be the protagonists of their learning process.

Eratosthenes experiment

Posted on 13/05/2020 by ericvayssie

Author: Eric VAYSSIE

Students from 30 schools measured the circumference of the Earth, reproducing Eratosthenes experiment during the lockdown drill.

An historical experiment
A hands on activity
A pedagogical project
Home activities during the lockdown drill

An historical experiment

It was in 205 B.C., the Greek astronomer Eratosthenes, at the time Director of the Great Library of Alexandria in Egypt, proposed a purely geometrical method to measure the circumference of the Earth. He used the observation of shadows made at two different places, Alexandria and Syene (now Aswan).