Good practices

Selected for piloting
Natural Gas_A Curse or a Blessing
Working Group:Science through digital learningCountry:CyprusLanguages:English, GreekAge of students (target group/s):13-14, 15-18Links, resources:http://www.stochasmos.org/nqcont...
Contact person information:Cyprus Center for Environmental Research and Education
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The specific learning material is organized in three stages which include Scenario, Inquiry and Decision-making.
Stage 1: Scenario
In the past few months, the Republic of Cyprus has begun a very important process: a search to discover and extract natural gas. As a result of this, a convention will be held which will aim to inform the people of Cyprus about the environmental risks and issues that will arise when extracting natural gas. All citizens of the Republic of Cyprus as well as the Media will watch and observe this convention. You will participate in this convention as a team of scientists, which will present and explain in a detailed and unbiased manner the issues associated with the new environmental condition that will take place. Your goal is to give an answer to the following question: "Natural Gas: A wish or a curse?". In order to achieve your goal, you need to investigate all data concerning natural gas in relation to the environment and its use as an energy resource.

Stage 2: Inquiry
At the questioning stage, students will initially visit the "Library" where they have the opportunity to acquire some basic scientific knowledge about natural gas by studying six different sources (what is it, characteristics, uses, locating, extraction, transportation). In addition, students will complete a concept map template which will aim to support students in their effort to organize the scientific information they learn about natural gas. Next, the students will divide in to two groups: advocates and prosecutors. The advocates will examine information regarding the advantages of extracting natural gas, photograph evidence using a photography tool and then begin to work on the template that concerns the advocates. With the same reasoning, the prosecutors will examine information about the disadvantages of extracting natural gas, photograph evidence using a photography tool and begin to work on the template that concerns the prosecutors. At the same time, the students that belong to the advocates side will begin to complete the advocates template which helps students organize the data that concern the advantages of extracting natural gas in order to validate their opinion. With the same reasoning, the students that belong to the prosecutors side will begin to complete the prosecutors template which helps students organize the data that concern the advantages of extracting natural gas in order to validate their opinion.

Stage 3: Decision-making
At the stage of decision making, both sides will present their point of view about natural gas in the form of an interactive debate. The educator (or the students themselves) takes on the role of the coordinator, challenging students to explain conflicting evidence, encouraging them to act on documented reasoning, and supporting them with conceptual questions, clarifications and feedback.Strong points and opportunities:• Activates the motives of students
• Raises the interest and participation of low-achieving students
• Short time duration (3 x 60')
• Utilizes an electronic internet platform of synchronous and asynchronous communicationLimitations:• Structured Inquiry
The structured inquiry is considered that it has a level of weakness because it limits the degree of self-acting and ownership of students and teachers. However structured inquiry is considered the optimum educational approach if the teachers and students are not fully prepared to implement an open inquiry.
• The students did not have the option to choose which side to support (advocates or prosecutors)
• The advantages and dis-advantages of natural gas are presented to the students rather than letting them discover the pros and cons themselves.Added value with regards to the 3 topics of the MASS project:• Activates the motives of students
• Raises the interest and participation of low-achieving students
• Utilizes technology and can address digital learnersAny prerequisites needed:Operates at the online platform "stochasmos"
username: NG6EX
password: NG6EX


Teaching materials

MASS project intends to identify, analyze, evaluate and disseminate practical tools and methods in teaching science which will effectively lead to arise students' motivation and acquire higher level of basic skills in science. We will explore what happens in science lessons at schools and increase the knowledge of good practice in teaching science in three research areas: Science for Digital Learners, Early Inquiry and Low achievers in Science (See more: Main topics).

 

Main project activities include:

1. Identification of the national examples of good practices
The initial phase of the project is to analyze the strengths, weaknesses and potential in the particular area of science education method in each partner country. It will include identification of good practices on raising students motivation for science on the national level. Examples identified will be collected in the online database.

See more: Good practices repository

 

2. Development of pilot teaching materials and testing phase
Findings from the research phase of the project will form the ground for development of the pilot version of educational materials in each Working Group.

Piloting stage of the project, with the involvement of target group, will raise the quality and exploitability of the products.

 

3. Development of the final version of teaching materials
Final version of educational products will be developed after summing up the piloting phase. They will be available in each partner language. The final project results will bring a change at the classroom level. Teachers will be aware of the key factor for motivation of their students to learn science. They will use a wide range of methods effectively and appropriately to the learning needs and preferences of their students. More teachers will be confident and successful in use such of methods. They will make teaching science more relevant and accessible to students.

Final products will be widely presented and disseminated during the Open Conference III in the middle of 2016.

Pilot materials

To help teachers to become empowered, skillful and self-confident, we work on:

for Digital Learners, Early Inquiry and Low Achievers in Science.

 

If you want to help us to improve these materials by taking part in piloting, please contact leader of each Working Group:

   Leonie de Vries (Digital Learners), e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

   Lenka Pachmanova (Early Inquiry), e mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

   Daiga Kalnina (Low Achievers), e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

or the MASS project partner in your country:

   Czech Republic, TEREZA Educational Center 

   Lenka Pachmanova e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

   Cyprus, Cyprus Center for Environmental Research and Education (CY.C.E.R.E.)

   Chrisis Kleovoulou, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

   Estonia, Estonian Physical Society

   Kaido Reivelt, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

   Germany, University of Cologne Geographical Institute

   Astrid Hensel, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

   Greece, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

   Thalia Mavrakou, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

   Latvia, Children's Environmental School

   Inese Liepina, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

   Netherlands, SME Advies

   Bregje van den Brand, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

   Poland, UNEP/GRID-Warsaw Centre

   Elżbieta Wołoszyńska-Wiśniewska, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Subcategories

Pilot version

Final version